Karikalan pulled back the bowstring and aimed his bow at the bushes. Carefully adjusting it to the prey's movements. Parthibendran laid back on his horse and looked at the Prince, who was so concentrated on the job at hand.

"How many more innocent animals are you going to kill until your quench for blood is fulfilled?" Parthibendran asked, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "If I stay here any longer I'll melt,"

"Quiet!" Karikalan snarled. Pallavan obeyed, reluctantly. Adithan steadied his hands and took his aim again. The arrow from his bow whizzed past through the bushes, an ugly fox cry came back as the reply.

Pallavan was pretty sure Adithan drowned down two bottles of wine before coming for the hunt, but his aim said otherwise. Each and every one of his arrows had hit its mark. Maybe drinking continuously for five-six years numbs the effects of it?

Although it was the dead of noon the owls hooted for some strange reason. Parthibendran looked around, he felt something fishy going on.

"Satisfied?" Pallavan asked restlessly. Adithan shook his head and took out another arrow from his quiver. "For god's sake Ilavarase You can't just kill the entire forest,"

Karikalan dropped his head and groaned lazily. "Leave if you're going to keep lecturing me,"

"Leave you alone so that you could lunge yourself into another fire? I'm not taking any chances," Parthibendran snickered, not knowing how much it would hurt Karikalan.

Karikalan curled up his fingers. "I'll be fine without you, Leave," He ordered.

"You know what! I'm sick of babysitting you! Do what you want, I'll be waiting at the camp," Parthibendran turned back his horse and began riding away, leaving Adithan all alone in the forest.

It was a good thing for Karikalan though, now he could execute his plan without Pallavan bothering him. His plan of taking revenge and inflicting pain upon the people who are responsible for his Kanmani's death. He jumped off his horse and looked around.

"Where ever you're hiding come out and fight me like a man!' Karikalan yelled, drawing out his sword.

The bushes behind him ruffled, Karikalan tightened the grip around his sword and waited for their attack. "Are--" Before he could finish his sentence an arrow whizzed toward him and found a home deep inside his shoulder. "Shit--" Adithan grunted and stumbled back, balancing his body on the sword. He placed his hands on the arrow and plucked it out. Blood oozed out of his wound.

Before Karikalan could get onto his feet, Devaralan jumped up from the bushes and lunged at him, pinning him against a tree with an arm on his throat.

"Get off me!" Karikalan grunted struggling under Devaralan's grip. He looked around hoping to reach out for his sword.

Devaralan laughed and pulled out his dagger. "Glorious Kali! Accept our offer--" Before he could finish his sentence, Karikalan elbowed his face and freed himself from Devaralan's monkey grip. Adithan rolled to the side and coughed, catching his breath.

Devaralan sprung to his feet. "Don't keep our goddess waiting!"

A group of seven rebels came to Devaralan's aid but Adithan didn't flinch even a little.

Karikalan picked up his sword and got up to his feet. "Where's Nandini?" He asked furiously. "Did you kill her?!"

"What are you talking to him!" Varagunan shouted. "Slit his throat quickly!"

"If you want to get out of here in one piece answer my question! Where is Nandini!?" Adithan thundered. The rebels looked at each other and cracked up laughing.

"Thambi, You're the one who should be worrying over going back home with your head," Devaralan snickered and charged at Karikalan, but he only struck empty air as Adithan backed off. Varagunan joined the party. He slashed his sword hoping it would draw some blood.

"Did you kill her?" Adithan repeated his question as he struck back almost knocking Varagunan off his feet. Varagunan regained his balance quickly and tried to stab Karikalan in the gut, but his attacks were deflected again and again. Devaralan on the other hand proved to be a bigger headache as he clenched onto Adithan's back, trying to pull him down.

"Stop hugging him and slit his throat while you're at it!" Someone shouted from the distance. Before he could reach out for the dagger, Soman kicked Adithan in the chest knocking both him and Devaralan off balance.

"IDIOTS!" Devaralan scowled. His dagger fell back into the bushes.

They were a shipwreck. It would've only taken Karikalan a minute to finish off these fools and go his way. But he needed answers. Karikalan shook his head and cleared his vision, which was getting blurry for some strange reason.

Karikalan rolled back, dodging their attacks, and sprang back to his feet. "ANSWER ME!" He yelled, sticking his sword against theirs. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!" He asked with a burst of anger, attacking his assassinators with a flurry of swift strikes aimed at their chests, some of his attacks drew blood, knocking out three of his opponents.

They didn't reply, knowing it'll only fuel his anger more. Maybe in his rage, he would make a mistake. One wrong step.

Karikalan disarmed Soman and kicked him in his guts, immobilizing him, He got on top of him and pointed his sword to his throat. "Where is she? TELL ME!" He said, the tip of the sword digging into his throat. Soman's fearful eyes trailed down Karikalan's sword.

"She's dead," Soman whimpered. Adithan's heart dropped to the pit of his stomach.

"We threw her in Veera Pandiyar's funeral pyre," He gulped, inching away from his sword.

Adithan pressed his sword. "Why? Who is she to him?"

"Ve--Veera Pandiyar claimed her as his wife, She was the Pattathu Rani," Soman hoped to trigger Karikalan more.

Adithan inhaled sharply, his head felt fuzzy again. How could she? How could she forget him and marry another man while he was here mourning their separation?

"They were going to get married," He started. "They would've lived happily if you hadn't interrupted them!"

"No, you're lying," Karikalan breathed out.

"Trust whatever you want, you're going to die soon anyway," Soman laid back his head and chuckled. "The poison would've started working by now," He said, eyeing one of his wounds which were caused by the arrow. "We were just stalling--" Karikalan's sword inched away from his's throat.

Karikalan took a shaky breath. He looked down at the ground, not knowing what to do next, his hands trembled.

It was not his imminent death that Karikalan was upset about. It was Nandini's betrayal. He fought back his tears, trying not to show them his vulnerable side.

His legs wobbled and failed under his weight.

Devaralan looked at Karikalan zoning out and decided it was the right time to finish him off. He found his dagger amongst the bushes and looked back at Karikalan.

"Ilavarase!" Adithan faintly heard someone calling out for him, he stumbled back

Before he could charge at Adithan someone held him in a chokehold. "Let go!' Devaralan screamed kicking his legs in the air.

"Ey! Don't scream in my ears!" The man grunted as he threw Devaralan aside. Adithan looked around, confused about what was happening around him.

"Who the hell are you?" Devaralan snarled.

"Your father!" He taunted. The man drew out his sword and lunged at Devaralan. "What did you do to the Prince?

"He'll die anyway! Let's go!" Soman rushed for up to his feet and began backing off into the forest.

Devaralan tried to run past the intruder but he pushed him back to the ground. Devaralan fisted some sand in his hands and threw them at the intruder's face.

"Ey! Stop!" The man squinted his eyes and tried to rub the sand off. Devaralan pushed him back in his daze and ran off behind Soman.

He tried to chase behind Devaralan but stopped halfway, figuring out it would be fruitless, and ran back to the Prince.

"Ilavarase?" He gently, slapped his cheek trying to wake him up. Adithan mumbled incoherently, slowly losing consciousness.

"Aiyo don't close your eyes," He removed the clothing which covered the arrow wound and examined it, careful not to injure him even more. Adithan held back his head and winced.

"Sorry," He apologized as he tightly tied a cloth around the wound to stop the poison from spreading. "I have no idea what I'm doing," He said breathlessly. He thought of taking the Prince along with him, but he was sure his horse couldn't support two grown men.

"I'll go get some help, try to keep your eyes open till then?" Adithan nodded, the guy propped him against the tree and got on his horse. "I'll be back as soon as possible," He assured and took off.

A/N

Introducing our boy VT in the next chapter! Get ready for VT, Pallavan banter!