Chapter 9.2

Leela put on black Lycra pants and a cream-colored long-sleeve blouse that wasn’t too loose. She left her hair down and took a small belt bag.

She left the camp very early, unnoticed.

Furthermore, she boarded a train that would take her to her destination. The trains in Destello were modern, fast, and widely used for traveling between cities.

Leela liked to sit by the window to enjoy the view —the beautiful landscape entertained her during the journey with the green trees, the flowing lakes, and rivers. She also loved observing the well-built cities and communities reflected through the glass. Everything in Destello seemed beautiful to her.

The kingdoms had formed alliances hundreds of years ago to administer and care for their world. And you might wonder if everyone made alliances, why were there battles? Not everyone joined.

Destello was divided into four great kingdoms, but that didn’t mean they ruled the entire planet. There were tribes and small independent governments; some allied, others not. The alliance meant that the kings and rulers of each kingdom respected each government without enmity. They also had organized juries from each kingdom responsible for regulating and ensuring justice and rules were followed everywhere.

Their greatest enemies were the rebels. These were tribes and small villages scattered across the planet that did not respect the laws. They did as they pleased. They were murderers, thieves, and rapists who justified their actions in the name of freedom. The Northern Kingdom always sought total control of Destello, so Jing and his father were not surprised when they declared war.

Leela arrived in a very colorful and lively city. She was amazed by the different melodies heard in its streets. The city of Met was known for its various artistic expressions.

She was fascinated by everything she saw, like a little girl. She happily watched the artists painting pictures in the square, the musicians delighting passersby with their melodies, and the dancers moving to the rhythm of the music.

Not only that, but she was delighted!

Where she came from, these things weren’t very common, since she lived in the warrior camp near the palace and rarely visited the city of Zafiro, the capital of the Southern Kingdom.

She took a small device from her bag. The device was transparent and square, and when she touched it with her fingers, information appeared instantly. Leela kept walking, distracted by the beauty of the place. Now she understood why the King of the East wanted to stay out of it. Apparently, they were not very prepared to engage in battle, since the people in that place looked very kind and peaceful.

She was so distracted that she didn’t notice someone approaching and ended up bumping into that person.

“Sorry,” she apologized shyly.

“No problem, beautiful,” replied the stranger, a young man who looked distracted and somewhat out of place. Noticing Leela’s beauty, he smiled flirtatiously, to which she returned a delicate smile, not typical of herself. “Are you new around here?” he asked, eyeing her boldly.

“Yes,” she answered gently, with a shyness that attracted the boy. “How did you know?” she asked in surprise, provoking a mischievous smile on his face.

“You look different…” He scanned her with his eyes, and she blushed. He smiled again because of how sweet she looked.

“And you… Are you from here?” she asked, smiling coquettishly.

The boy cleared his throat before answering, affected by the way she looked at him.

“No, I’m just visiting; however, I come here often.”

“Oh, silly me!” she exclaimed. “I haven’t introduced myself.” She looked down, embarrassed. “I’m Anna; nice to meet you,” she said, extending her right hand toward the boy.

“I’m Diel.” He shook her hand. Suddenly, he received a call, so he took a transparent device out of his pocket and answered. “Sorry, I had a mishap,” he excused himself, looking at Leela flirtatiously. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He ended the call. “Beautiful, I hope to spend more time with you, but now I have to go.” He winked at her. “Find me at the park downtown so you can come with me to the festival tonight.” Leela nodded in agreement, and he said goodbye with a victorious smile, then shouted: “Will we see each other again?!”

“I have a feeling we will,” she replied to herself, then smiled at the boy with a nod of her head as he disappeared from her sight in no time.

When she realized the young man was no longer nearby, she took her device and sent a message.

Prince Jing was in his study when his modern device vibrated.

Búho: "Got it."

Arrogant: "Did you check yourself? You know that just as you’re looking for information, they’re looking for you too."

She took the device, and a nearly invisible light scanned her from head to toe; then, she began typing. Immediately, Jing received a message.

Búho: "Clean. That guy wasn’t very skilled. He was an easy prey." :D

Arrogant: "No matter who your opponent is. Next time, follow my instructions. By the way, a spy using images? How childish!"

Búho: "How boring!"

The prince smiled and put the device away.

Leela arrived at a remote place, guided by her device, and ventured between some trees. She followed the signal until she reached a huge hut where several men were gathered; in the middle of the group, she recognized the young man she had interacted with minutes before.

Leela put on a balaclava over her face, turned her blouse inside out, making it black, and took out a cloth bag of the same color; then she put the bundle inside the bag and tied it around her waist.

She jumped between the trees until she got close enough to overhear what they were saying.

“I brought information from the palace,” the young man announced to the eagerly waiting men.

“Did you speak with Deon?” asked a burly man, to which the young man nodded.

“Yes. He said he will support us, but under his conditions.”

“That bastard!” spat another man, more refined than the rest. “It must be about the energy source. He’s always wanted it. Fine, we’ll use his obsession for our benefit and make him believe we accept his terms for a while; but when we don’t need him anymore...” Everyone laughed at his insinuation.

The burly man approached the messenger and patted him on the shoulder.

“Well done, kid,” he praised. “I know how dangerous it was to sneak into King Miha’s palace. You’re passing all your tests.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” the refined man said thoughtfully. “You said you had a mishap. What did you mean?”

“Nothing bad,” the young man replied, scratching his head. “I bumped into a very pretty woman, and we agreed to meet again. That’s all.” He smiled, lost in the memory.

“You’re such an idiot!” The young man was startled by the harsh reaction of the calm man. “Did you have any contact?”

“No...” he answered nervously. “We only shook hands...”

“Damn it!” The refined and burly men exclaimed in unison, leaving the young man confused.

“That’s what happens when you use a rookie,” the refined man lamented, as if greeting a woman were a disgrace. “Search the whole place! We have company, and they must not leave here alive,” he ordered with a chilling look as everyone dispersed in obedience.