Warning: None of this is historically accurate in the slightest.

Aditha Karikalan led his army directly toward Chevur, obliterating the Pandiyan defenses.

But they did meet some resistance in Chevur, heavy resistance. The Pandiyan king poured all his defenses so that not one Chola soldier could enter the Pandiyan soil, but the latter was inevitable with Adithan leading the army with Periya Velar.

Adithan quickly changed the cavalry formation to tear through the Pandiyan's Battlefront. Periya Velar's army took a diversion to attack the fortress from the sides while Malayaman and Parthibendran stuck with Adithan.

"Karikalare?"

The last thing you would want on a raging battlefield is getting distracted, but unfortunately for Karikalan, he couldn't stay focused even if his life depended on it.

Adithan's back hit the ground as one of the Pandiyan soldiers pushed him off his horse when he was distracted.

"ADITHA!" He heard Parthibendran yell from a distance.

Adithan grunted in frustration as his sword pierced the Pandiyan's chest. Before he could recover from the fall, another soldier attacked him, this time finding the perfect target. Adithan received a heavy blow to the head. Before he could become fodder for a Pandiyan's sword, Parthibendran stepped in, finishing off the soldier.

"FOCUS ADITHA!" Parthibendran shouted, offering his hand to the Prince. Adithan refused to take the Pallavan's hand and got up by himself. "No matter how much you get hurt, this head weight will stay with you always," Parthibendran commented bitterly. As soon as Pallavan spoke these words he found a sword coming for his neck, Adithan deflected the blade and kicked the soldier back.

"First you take care of your head," Karikalan said slashing the other guy's chest. "Then talk about my head weight,"

Pallavan bit his tongue not to say anything and turned back to the task at hand. The opposing team's cavalry effortlessly took down the Chola ones, The Chola arrows dug down the Pandiyan's chest, taking them out as if they were mosquitos. The blow Adithan received to the head bought him back to his senses.

As soon as the Pandiyan's saw the young Prince standing on the battlefield all alone, they started ambushing him, but no matter how many people came near him, they all met their brutal end, Adithan started slaughtering any or everyone who dares to come near him.

The Chola's tiger face formation was eating down the Pandiyan's snake formation. Velar's men were getting awfully close to the Pandiyan's Chevur fort. Adithan could see the Chola soldiers climbing up the tower. Adithan could smell the victory coming his way. All he wanted now was Veera Pandiyan's head.

"VEERA PANDIYA! WHERE ARE YOU!" Adithan shouted, war rage was getting to his head. "COWARD!" Adithan screamed.

The Pandiyan soldiers were dwindling in numbers as the day went on. Pallavan approached Adithan carefully not to tick his anger off again. The Pandiyan soldiers began retreating on Ravidasan's command. Within moments, The Chevur fort was captured, and the fish flag was replaced by the tiger flag. The soldiers began chanting their victory mantras.

"VICTORY IS OURS!"

"Where's Veera Pandiyan?" He asked Pallavan as they rode their horse towards the fort entrance.

"No one knows, Aditha, but the victory is ours--"

"No! The war is not over until I have his head," Adithan said firmly.

"Aditha, it's no use now, We have captured Chevur," Pallavan tried to reason with Adithan. "You told me we could go back!"

"He challenged me to get his head and I'm getting his head, Karikalan doesn't turn back from a challenge," Adithan growled as he turned back his horse.

"Aditha, No, please, listen to me this once," Parthibendran called out.

"He should not be left alive Parthibendra! He'll try to get revenge," Karikalan said.

"Aditha..." Pallavan groaned as he followed him. "Killing Veera Pandiyan would bring up even more issues," Parthibendran said.

"Leaving him alive would string up ever more issues, What's your point!?"

"My point is that it's dangerous! It's not worth it!"

"I don't care if you're not going to come with me Pallava, I'm going alone," Adithan said furiously, before Pallavan could stop him Adithan sped off towards the camp.

"So you could get distracted and get hurt again?" Pallavan spat out, fueling Adithan's anger. "Your mind is not with you these days Aditha," Adithan didn't turn back to answer his questions. "Aditha, you can escape me but you can't escape yourself!" Parthibendran let out his frustration to which Adithan gave no reaction.

"Thatha!" Adithan called out, Malayaman rushed to the Prince. Karikalan jumped down from his horse and approached his grandfather.

"We did it, my son!" Malayaman patted Adithan's shoulders, We have captured Chevur and sent Veera Pandiyan running!" Adithan didn't share half of Malayaman's excitement.

"No, Thatha," Adithan's disappointment was written all over his face. Malayaman frowned.

"What is it?" He asked.

"He wants Veera Pandiyan's head it seems," Parthibendran said bitterly. "Arase, Please talk some sense to him," Pallavan pleaded. Adithan shot him a look of anger. Parthibendran took a step back and gulped in fear.

"Aditha--"

"No one is going to talk me out of it, Thatha!" Adithan snapped. "Veera Pandiyan will pay for what he did to Gandaradityar," 

"Doesn't seem to me you're doing all this for Gandaradityar, Aditha," Malayaman said calmly.

"Fine," Adithan scoffed, he turned back to avoid their graze. "I'm doing this for my glory, Happy now?"

"Aditha, listen," Parthibendran pleaded, but he was in no mood to listen.

"I'm taking a small force with me to search around Chevur," Adithan mumbled, Before they could protest Adithan stormed off.

"I swear Arase, I think a ghost took his soul, He's been scaring me lately," Parthibendran commented.

"I can't with this boy," Malayaman rubbed his forehead. "Have you tried talking with him about that?" 

"I would like to keep my head, thank you very much," Pallavan joked, trying to lighten up the mood. "Arase, don't worry, He's my friend, I'll take care of him," Parthibendran offered.

Malayaman nodded and let out a sigh. "Hope he gets better," He patted Parthibendran's shoulders and led him to the tent to nurse his wounds.

*****

"Ilavarese, We searched the mountain ranges, he's not there," Said one of the soldiers.

Adithan nodded and twirled his beard. "He's hiding well isn't he," he laughed. "Coward,"

They rested near a Lake for some time, waiting for the other set of soldiers to return from searching the forest.

Unfortunately, They returned with nothing, no Veera Pandiyan or any clues of sorts. The clouds began gathering overhead, Shielding the little sunlight poking through the canopies. A cold breeze began setting in.

"Ilavarese looks like a storm is brewing, we should return to the camp," Pallavan suggested but Adithan insisted on keeping up with his search. He was adamant about getting Veera Pandiyan's head no matter what.

A few hours in, the soldiers felt tired and started getting restless. But scared of facing Prince's wrath, they silently followed him and put up with his antics. But then, a voice echoed out from the forest.

"Veera Pandiyar is in a hut nearby," The voice seemed to hiss. "You're getting close,"

The soldiers looked around and gulped in fear, it was getting dark and the fear of the Mohini Pisasu roaming around in the forest began setting in.

"Who's there!?" Adithan called out, but no reply came back. He sent some soldiers to look out for the source of the voice. They hesitated before finally dispersing off, leaving Adithan alone.

Adithan was getting restless, He wanted to get Pandiyan's head as soon as possible or Malayaman would convince him to go back to Thanjai. He kicked the horse's muscles and started searching for the hut the voice was talking about. It started drizzling. Karikalan looked around frantically, scouting out each and every inch of the forest. The vultures cawed overhead, circling the forest, hoping to find a prey.

Before long, the drizzle started to turn into a downpour. The thick fog began setting in. Adithan was fully drenched by now. Adithan turned back to reach for his horse but, it was long gone. Adithan groaned in frustration.

Why is no one brave enough to stick by me?

"Pallava!" Adithan called out, but only the chirping of crickets and the cawing of ravens came as a reply.

Just as he was about to leave and go in search of his men, his eyes fell on a light source, which was most definitely not natural. Adithan squinted his eyes, trying to fight out what was causing it. Adithan took out his sword and slowly approached the light, walking against the wind and rain.

Lightning struck, setting the whole sky on fire. Soon a tiny hut emerged from the fog. Adithan's lips formed a devilish smile.

Karikalan jumped through the logs and approached the small humble hut. The great Veera Pandiyan, ruler of Madurai and the whole of the Pandiyan empire, now nursing his wounds in a small hut. Adithan laughed to himself at the irony.

How much of a coward must he be? To run from the battlefield and hide away in the deep depths of a forest?

The grip around his sword tightened as he kicked open the poorly built wooden door.

His eyes fell upon Veera Pandiyan, who was perched up in a bed, covered in blood. Veera Pandiyan's soul left his body when he saw Adithan standing at his doorstep. A bangle-laden arm came to comfort him.

The ground under Adithan's feet slipped as soon as he saw Veera Pandiyan's saviour. Karikalan stumbled a step back, the sword slipping from his grip. The blood drained from Adithan's face.

It was her! Is it really her?