Princess Fighter: Search for the Throne

LVIII

East Zilla

Mriga has pulled a short straw and become a strange one. The remaining four have been divided into two pairs. He listened to his mentor tell him about the mission they were about to undertake.

They got reports of some foreigners in the zilla and some of them were spotted in nearby areas. Their job is to go and check around and if possible, identify these intruders. They also need to find out where these people are staying.

Mriga's mentor, Trupti is a little girl, even shorter than her, but a calm intelligence radiates from her eyes. He did not treat Mriga as an intern but as an equal partner that gave him a confidence boost. He swore to give his best.

"Remember, we're there just to observe, not engage. Also, in the unlikely event that anything happens to me, you will have to find your way back to headquarters without anyone finding you. Have you been taught how to find and remove tails?" ask Trupti.

Mriga nodded her head excitedly, rethinking the time she spent training under Shaurya. His pouting face appeared on his head, making him smile.

Thankfully, the senior took it as his enthusiasm for the mission and did not question his out-of-place smile.

"You will keep at least twenty meters away from me at all times. When I signal you, follow my gaze. I want you to try and memorize the faces we meet so we can go back and help the team. Look for things that stand out," he repeated his instructions.

Mriga said solemnly, "I promise to do my best."

According to the hasty discussion earlier this morning between the five of them, a pair of his friends had gone to the border of the Eastern zilla they shared with the Southern zilla.

A group of smugglers have been captured by border forces with a large stash of drugs. Before the police take them away, this team needs to get the maximum information about the entire episode.

Nirbhay and Chiranjeev are assigned to follow the agent who will meet his informant. They are expected to see and learn the exchange process as well as some new decoding techniques.

...****************...

Two hours later

Mriga realizes that reconnaissance is not as luxurious or as pleasant as she thought when she was alone. With Shaurya, the whole night usually passed without him noticing. But now, protecting his eyes from the morning sun, he was bored as his eyes followed his seniors in the market.

Not surprisingly, Ramanujam learned of the plan today and when they reached the exit of the building last night, they found it locked. That means there will be no evening practice.

They had concluded in a slow voice that perhaps he wanted the five of them to be alert and do their best for the activity today. But who's the mole that made him keep up with everything that's going on inside this building?

They had speculated about the various names in a soft voice at the breakfast table this morning, before setting off for the task given to them.

With only one week before the training ends, this is the only time to study while working.

Holding back a yawning that threatened to surface, Mriga pinched herself to remain vigilant.

He purposely ate nothing but bananas in the morning. Hunger helps him stay sharp.

Suddenly, he realized that he could not see his mentor anywhere. Running her eyes furiously across the market, the girl was nowhere to be seen. How come?

He had just made eye contact with Trupti three minutes ago.

The filth!

"What should I do now? There is no quick movement. Does not draw unnecessary attention to yourself. Not playing as a hero," he repeated the spell on his head, suppressing the urge to run across the place, and shouted.

Slowly, he got up from where he was sitting, and started walking towards the last place he saw the girl. He knew that he had to come back soon and not linger. But he couldn't comply with this, at least not yet.

After reaching that place, he did not stop there immediately but passed through it and returned there as an afterthought. Removing her feet from the shoes, she felt the ground with her toes while keeping an indifferent gaze on those around her.

Although they have yet to decide on a distress code like this, Mriga has learned in a lecture about a spy leaving clues for his colleagues.

Disappointed, he found nothing, not even trash.

The institute was located quite far from his current position and his fear was that it might be too late by the time he managed to return and report this.

"Why did I go to that place?" a brave thought came to him.

During the last few sessions in the center of the Eastern zilla, they were briefed on the history of the Suraksha chakra and the contributions of brothels across the country. In one of the classes, they were told about the class located in this zilla that served as an information link.

Mriga had heard the boys discussing it and how they should visit the place for an 'education tour to gain holistic knowledge' as part of their learning!

He vaguely remembered it was close to where it was now. But he didn't know who the mole was supposed to be there.

...****************...

East Zila

Nevertheless, Mriga at least wanted to go and give it a try. It was better than standing here ineffectively. She straightened her shoulders and went to look for a public bathroom. He was reminded of one of Shaurya's early lessons.

With his deep voice, he said, "It is practically impossible for one to carry a disguise everywhere. But when a spy leaves the house, he prepares in advance that one can create temporary illusions about himself. Gender reversal is one of the most effective strategies. You are lucky enough to be a woman because smooth-faced men can exist if portrayed convincingly. But most importantly, you must believe that you are one before trying to show it off to others."

Mriga has prepared her clothes at night for the planned event today and she is very happy to have done so.

Stepping into four walled open areas that serve as the boundaries of public baths, she looked for sections that cater to gender neutrals, rather than just being dedicated to men or women. Otherwise, going inside as a woman and coming out as a man would make him beaten there and then.

This gender-neutral bathing area is specifically for eunuchs, or people who do not mind the presence of the opposite sex when they are half-dressed for personal reasons.

Ten minutes later a small man with broad shoulders, dark eyes wrinkled and a dark-skinned face stepped out. He wore a robe and pajamas and his hair was tightly rolled into a top knot.

Mriga has honed her skills since her early lessons and has experimented with many appearances.

A small pouch was always hung on his side now where he was carrying kohl made of burnt almonds, a dark powder he made by crushing many herbs to get the right face color.

She has found a talent for changing skin color and this blackish look is her favorite color. It reminded him of his father!

He had removed his kurta and wrapped it around his shoulder as an additional cushion. Under him he was wearing another kurta but this one had buttons on the front and he opened it to look like a robe. Also the overlapping cover helped to disguise the shape of her chest that she had not tied before.

He hoped the dark camisole tops inside were enough to distract from the growing curves of his body.

After getting rude comments from some people for inquiring about a nearby brothel, Mriga finally made it there. It was a normal-looking building contrary to his imagination.

Entering, he ruled in his nervousness and headed straight for the person standing at the welcoming counter.

"Uh. I'm looking for someone" he said inadequate.

He didn't know how to find people who could help him but he was running out of ideas at the moment.

The man looked at her and extended his hand.

Mriga looked at him confused and then suddenly realized something. Taking a few coins out of his pocket, he offered them. The man smirked, showing his nicotine-stained teeth but shook his head.

"I need to see your identity papers first. I don't think you have the right to enter here, little boy!" he grins.

Controlling his frustration, he took out a yellowing parchment stating his age was above the minimum limit to enter the brothel. These are the same parchments he had tucked away and kept from Shaurya after they first went to that pub, centuries ago.

He stood to the side, revealing a curtained entrance behind him.

"You pay after you choose" he said, focusing on the next customer standing behind him.

Although it was already afternoon, there were quite a number of people wandering around the place. The moment he entered, there was a strong scent in the room but Mriga could not identify the flower used as an essence. It was a large hall with stairs rising in various directions.

There was no light filtered out but huge and fat diyas illuminated the place, making it seem mysterious and alluring at the same time.

Mriga closely watched the faces close to him but still did not know how to look for the person.

"Are you visiting us for the first time?" the clinking laughter of a girl spoke next to her ears, making her feel amused.

Mriga pressed her hand against his chest with a subconscious movement. The girl was wearing a bright cotton saree, her curves visible from various points of view.

Her hair was woven with an elaborate bun and woven with Mogra flowers. His face was painted with a reddish hue and so were his lips. The metal bracelet rattled from his arm and his waist had a tight metal belt, accentuating it.

Instead, Mriga felt himself like a log!

"I'm looking for someone" he said.

The girl raised her eyebrows and asked, "Who? Can I be that guy?"

Mriga could feel her cheeks heating up hearing the girl's suggestive pitched words.

"No, I mean, I'm sorry, but that guy's gonna be a lot older. Maybe twice your age" he said with a hint of hesitation in his voice.

Mriga clearly remembered that the link in the brothel only changed when the previous one died.

...****************...

East Zila

If his luck was bad, there might be a lot of people in that age group here and he wouldn't know how to identify the right person.

"Oh! Do you like older women? I think Mandodri suits you," said the girl in a disappointed tone.

Pointing her towards a woman, the girl held Mriga's arm back as Mriga stepped away.

"He may be more experienced than me, but he cannot match my strength" he whispered in Mriga's ear before releasing his forearm.

Mriga knew that his entire body was burned by the girl's lewd mutter. She may not know exactly what her words meant, but the girl's body language made her not hesitate about her intentions.

Walking away from her quickly, she thanked him for the dark interior. He continued to explore his eyes warily for that person, hoping that this one turned out to be the right person. Suddenly, he stopped when someone else called the woman in front of him by his name.

"Are you ... A mandodri?" he asked the woman, coming to stand in front of him.

The woman nodded and looked at him from top to bottom. In her head, Mriga thought she was a silver-haired woman, bowing at the waist with a frown. But this one is beautiful with a graceful demeanor and upright posture.

"Uh, I, that is, I just came from the village and was here to learn from you," he staggered to say those words.

Again, this is a textbook code that has been used as an example in the classroom. Mriga doesn't know if this will work.

Mandodri's face changed but he quickly recovered and said, "I don't know what you're talking about. That's an old sentence. Don't you have anything new to say to me?"

He is the man!

Mriga immediately approached him and tiptoed to reach his ears, "Please help me. I interned at the institute and therefore only knew the code of textbooks. My senior was lost in the mission and I had no way of asking for help. Please." Please."

Mandodri stood still for a moment and then called out to the girl sitting with the thick ledger on one side of the hall.

"I took this one. I've been given money" he said, holding Mriga's trembling, sweaty hands, walking towards the stairs.

As soon as they reached the top floor, they entered the small hole on the right and Mandodri closed the door behind him quickly. Without seeing Mriga, he went and opened the window and seduced the pigeons perched there. The pigeon jumped with curious eyes and he quickly found some seeds to feed.

"You'll find quill pens and parchments under the bed. Write a short message with the most important details. Don't babble," the woman ordered as she moved her hand over the pigeon's head, gently.

Mriga shook her head and gathered her wits about him. He quickly wrote a few code words and gave them to the older woman. Rolling her up tightly, Mandodri tied her up expertly at the pigeon's feet while cooing gently at her and then pushed her out the window gently.

Mriga felt her legs limp and sank to the floor. Looking at him, the woman's eyes wrinkled. He poured the water into a small cup and stretched it towards her.

"While we wait and expect a reply, you can relax here," he said kindly.

Mriga took the cup proffered with gratitude and spent it in a gulp.

"Thank you, I've already.." he started.

"This place has a very thin wall. I'll be careful what I say, "cut the woman down.

Mriga nodded her head and closed her mouth.

...****************...

Two hours later

Mriga had already returned to the institute and was asked to immediately report to the Amrapali cabin. With his heart racing, he walked there.

The moment he entered the room, the sight relieved him and then froze in his steps. His senior, Trupti, stood there with a calm expression. Mriga composed his own face and walked further to face Amrapali who was sitting behind the mahogany table.

"I heard you had an incredible adventure out there, today," Amrapali began in a soft voice.

From the beginning of the program to the present, the chieftain spoke little with the interns, but today was the first time Mriga felt the impact of the woman's presence. She recalls Shaurya's words in which he says that Amrapali is the right woman to train, for Mriga because she is firm and not rigid.

Lowering his head, he wondered what exactly this situation was. Was it a test he failed or did his actions really save his senior's life?

Or is his effort not necessary together and he makes the situation worse?

"Are the task instructions unclear to you?" Amrapali continued to ask in a deceiving soft voice.

Mriga shakes negative.

"Then why do I ask, did you not return to the institute at the first sign of trouble and instead flee to the brothel, endangering the institute and us? If your identity and through you, our stance will be found, do you know how dire the consequences will be? Or are you so busy acting as a heroic spy that these thoughts don't occur to you?" his voice had become sharp in a matter of nanoseconds.

Mriga lowered her head in embarrassment. He had no idea what he could say in such a situation.

"Not only did you forget about the senior in the first place, you ignored the protocol completely and boldly posted it. Out of my sight. You are forbidden to go for any more assignments until the moment you are at this institute," his haughty tone left no room for Mriga to say anything.