Tale of the Princess

XXXIV

They thanked the captain and boarded the bus, booking a ticket for the central library. "Because the library will have all the information we need about the city and its buildings," Shyra had explained.

"Um, what about the digital..." Arina said, raising her arm.

"The library has digital gadgets as well, so you guys can use whatever you're comfortable with," Hira replied, and Arina sighed happily.

"Shukracharya Central Library," an automated voice announced, and they shouldered their bags and got off with a few passengers. Just the sight of the library, with its promise of books and a passage to a new world, made Shyra bounce on the spot with twinkling eyes.

It was, to her credit, a true thing of beauty. White pillars towered over them in elegant displays of grandeur with two peacocks that were carved by a legendary sculptor flaunting its sides. Long sets of stairs framed the ornate oakwood doors that were thrown open in welcome to anyone who wanted an escape to another world.

Shyra walked into the library with a spring in her step, and the others followed her into the massive building lined with rows and rows of shelves filled with books. They drifted in different directions and spread throughout the room to peruse any book that might be useful in their heist.

After a long hour of searching, Arina gathered all of them at a table and opened a heavy book from the set of them she was carrying.

"This book contains basic information about RahuKetu's buildings," Arina began, flipping through the book for a particular page. "Its headquarters are located on the outskirts of the capital city."

"The outskirts?" Naor frowned. "Wouldn't the headquarters of a city be located at its heart?"

"Who knows," Arina shrugged. "All that matters is that we know its location. So its HQ is, like we expected, armed to the teeth. Trained soldiers take regular rounds and patrol the place. And we don't even know if there are worse threats than those."

"Is there anything else you know about it?" Shyra asked, pulling the book toward her and flipping through its pages. "We need as much information as possible."

"Well, I did find a list of the current military officials somewhere," Arina said, pointing to a blue hardbound book. "But there's no more information about the base. Its operations must be top secret."

"Then we have to go beyond the books," Naor said, pulling everyone's attention to him. "We'll go to the base, observe them and come up with a plan."

The crew looked at each other for confirmation, and nodded unanimously. "Yeah, that's what they do in the books anyway," Shyra smiled, picking up a few of the books. "Let's buy the useful books and find out a way to get to HQ."

They paid for the two books with useful data, and headed to the nearest bus stop. From there they took a bus to Gwongsu, a town that boasted a scenic view of Rahuketu's military basecamp.

The last line had Hira chuckling as soon as she read it. "Why," she said between giggles, "would they advertise the military camp and draw tourists to enjoy its beauty?"

Shyra agreed with her, but privately thanked the people of Gwongsu for making their work easier.

It didn't take more than a few ghantas to reach Gwongsu, and the crew boarded with the minimal luggage they carried.

"How about we find a place to stay before scouting the place," Hira suggested, hefting her bag over her shoulder. Shyra looked at the others and the tired way they blinked at her, and nodded.

"Yeah, we've all had a long day. Are you guys okay with freshening up first?"

The looks on their faces were confirmation enough, and they ended up in front of a dismal looking motel at the end of their search. Shyra took in its crumbling bricks, peeling yellow paint and creaking windows with a mild sigh.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised," Naor said, placing his hands on his hips. Shyra realized that none of them wanted to sound like spoiled rich people, but the thought of her bed on the Peacock, or even her room back home, had her knees buckling.

"Come on, guys," Ahsan said, his soft voice penetrating through their haze. "We won't even be here most of the time. Our entire day will be spent in scouting and planning. We just need a few rooms to sleep in."

A soft smile grew on their lips as they looked at each other and nodded. Shyra didn't even know why it was such a big deal, but Ahsan's practical words worked miracles to comfort her.

"Ahsan my friend, you're absolutely right," Shyra said, taking a deep breath. "We just need a few rooms to sleep, so let's hurry up and get this over with."

The man who greeted them in the building seemed to have no interest in his profession, and threw them the keys with lazy directions when they completed the payments.

After checking into their rooms, whose descriptions were better left unsaid, they deposited their bags and gathered in a room for a quick meeting.

"We need to figure out two things at top priority," Shyra said, leaning forward and steepling her fingers. "First thing is the order in which their ranks work. We need to impersonate a high enough rank that'll get us in without questions, but not so high that they doubt us."

"Something along the lines of a Captain, then," Naor quipped.

"Yeah, that'll be perfect. Then we need to figure out their rotation timings for the guards and soldiers."

"So that we can figure out the best time to break in," Arina finished her sentence with a smile on her face. A smile that made Shyra glad that she was on their side.