Battle camp

Vandiyathevan was in dismay throughout their journey through Kanchi, he did not have the heart to leave Thanjai, especially without knowing the identity of that girl. Recently his mind was filled with her thoughts, he couldn't seem to process or do anything else. He groaned and kicked a pebble underneath his feet.

"Someone's annoyed," Pallavan noted, sitting down beside him. "What happened?"

"Why did we have to leave so soon?" Vandiyathevan mumbled. "We could've at least stayed for a few weeks," He whined, twisting a blade of grass in his hands, a cheeky smile appeared on Pallavan's face.

"The Crown Prince's orders," Pallavan said casually. "What's the matter? You look..."

"I don't look like anything!" Vandiyathevan intervened.

"Lovesick," Pallavan finished. "Even the Prince noticed it,"

Vandiyathevan's face turned bright red. "I'm not lovesick--"

"Who did you meet in Thanjai? You're still thinking about her?" Pallavan asked, not ready to buy any of Vallavarayan's lies.

"No." He mumbled in a low voice, knowing that Pallavan would mock him to death if he told him the truth. Vallavarayan would rather die.

"Do you seriously think I didn't notice you sneaking out every night when we were at Thanjai?" Pallavan countered.

"No?"

"Well...I'll just go tell the Prince what he noticed is true," Pallavan smirked, he knew he had Vallavarayan all cornered up.

"What did he notice?" Vallavarayan asked, breaking a sweat.

"That you are acting different, he'll interrogate you himself," He shrugged about to get up.

"Don't you dare" Vallavarayan pulled Palavan down to the ground harshly.

"Ough-" Parthiban fell with a thud. "Now I'll surely tell him," He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Pallava please--I just met a girl, I didn't even see her face!" This perked Pallavan's interest.

"A girl? how did she look like?" He asked curiously, sitting up.

"I--I don't know..." Vandiyathevan said sadly. "Never really saw her face," Pallavan raised a brow, not really believing his story.

"You can tell me what she looked like, I won't steal her away from you," Pallavan laughed, Vallavarayan shot a glare at him.

"I swear! I didn't see her!"

"Then? how did you fall in love with her,"

"She had a beautiful voice...if clouds could talk it would sound like her,"

Pallavan spent a moment contemplating what his friend had just said. "You...fell in love...because of her voice?" He asked, raising a brow. This was probably the stupidest thing he had ever heard. "Okay....where did you meet her?"

He sighed. "I was searching for Semba and 'accidentally' entered the anthapuram,"

Parthibendran gasped. "You rascal,"

"I was looking for Semba! I promise," He said, "Then...someone kept a sword on my neck and held me in a chokehold,"

Parthibendran burst out into laughter. "A-a girl held you captive?"

Vallavarayan fisted his hands. "This is why I refuse to tell you anything." He said sternly before getting up.

"Hey, I'm sorry," Parthibendran said, stifling his laughter. "How do you know she's not ugly?"

"I met her another night, she asked me the same question," He shrugged. "Well someone with that kind of voice cannot be ugly right?"

"What the hell is that logic?" Parthibendran asked.

"What?" Vallavarayn asked, wrinkling his brows.

"Are you sure you were really talking to a girl?" Pallavan asked.

"Yeah...?"

"Well...you only met her at night time...she refused to show her face..." Pallavan looked up at him. "What if it's a ghost?"

Vandiyadhevan gulped. "Ghost? Like the Mohini Pisasu?" Pallavan nodded slowly. "S-stop scaring me like that," He said slapping his arm. "She's real, I felt her." He mumbled, recollecting the moments he interacted with her. What if it was really a ghost? What if it caught him? Was it the reason why he was acting weird?

He shrugged. "Okay, believe what you will," Pallavan got up.

"You can't just leave me alone after scaring me like this!" He said, jolting up. Pallavan shrugged again and began walking towards the camp, Vallavarayan groaned and began following him. "You don't seriously think it's a ghost?"

"I don't know," Pallavan said.

"Parthiba tell me!" Vallavarayan pleaded.

"I told you, I don't know,"

"What if the Mohini Pisasu had caught me? Pallava--You have to save me--"

"Do you really fear ghosts? I thought you were a brave warrior,"

"I can feel people, not entities." Vandiyadevan deadpanned, rolling his eyes. Pallavan laughed and patted his back. "She's real! I'm not delusional!"

"If you say so, Nanba,"

******

Pazhuvoor

Nandini paced back and forth in her chamber, she had sent Vasugi to fetch Ravidasan over an hour ago but still no signs of them, Nandini sighed and sat down on the dhiwan. How do they expect her to do anything while being this incompetent. She sorely hoped they arrived before Pazhuvettaraiyer returned from Thanjai.

Eventually, The slow noise of a door opening echoed through the chamber, the wall infront of her moved aside slowly revealing Ravidasan.

"What took you so long?" Nandini asked, raising a brow. "Did you get lost?" She wouldn't blame him, the Chozhans have built an intricate secret passage system.

"Enough with the small talk," Ravidasan said. "You have literally done nothing to fulfil your oath,"

Nandini rose her eyebrow. "What did you do?" She asked Ravidasan who simply looked away. "Arulmozhi is in Ilankai," She informed.

"How does that help us?"

Nandini sighed. "Why do I have to explain you everything?" She said, picking up a satin bag. "Ilankani currency," She said, tossing it to Ravidasan. "Go to Ilankai and take Arulmozhi's head. Me, Soman and Vasugi will take care of the matters here," Nandini said coldly.

Ravidasan nodded, weighing the bag in his hands. "What about Karikalan?"

"Hearing the news of his brother and father's death, he'll self destruct," Nandini said. "Concentrate on the job at hand now will you? I'll take care of the rest,"

Nandini's words were not at all reassuring for Ravidasan, he couldn't bring himself to trust her but what other option did he have?

"Fine," He muttered.

**********

A/N

Hello hello! A bit of a late update, really sorry about that, got busy college hunting haha!

Dw will try to update consistently. (For real this time)

Cheers!