Karikalan: Saviour of the Cholas

Chapter 70: Battle of Venni Part V

Valavan sighed. "Don't you all have better jobs to do than to come and meddle with my life? Is there some big queue lined up? I don't even know you!"

Uthiyan Cheralathan chuckled. "Oh, you don't need to." His eyes gleamed. "And, yes, I don't have anything better to do, Prince. In fact, this might just prove to be one of the best things I ever did in my life."

Valavan shot him a long look. "Or you might just die."

He shrugged. "I just might. But, I'll never know until I take the risk, will I?"

Valavan cocked his head. "Why are you doing this? I'd already vanquished Irungovel, your ally. Surrender and I'll spare your life."

Cheran scoffed. "Oh, I wouldn't consider him to be my ally. It might look like it, yes, but trust me, he was merely a means to an end. The Pandya King might come close to being a friend, sure, but Irungovel? He is no friend of mine."

Valavan raised an eyebrow. "No? Well, then, shouldn't you be an ally of mine then? You know, with the whole concept of 'the enemy of your enemy is your friend' and all that."

Cheralathan smiled. "Oh well, that is not the principle I abide by. For me, it is, 'the enemy of your enemy needn't necessarily be your friend. He might just be the bigger enemy."

Valavan let out a surprised laugh, impressed. Cheran pointed around. "My judgement was not off the mark, was it? As much as I despised Ilamchetchenni, I knew that he was an honourable man. After him, you are the one with the same trait, not Irungovel. Hence, you were the one who had to be eliminated immediately. Irungovel could always have been taken down on a later date. I had merely chosen the lesser of the two evils."

Valavan's eyebrows flew upwards. "You consider me to be the bigger threat?" Realizing that there was an audience present, he cleared his throat, keeping his expression neutral. "Right. Of course. As you should."

Out of the corner of his eye, he shot Ilanchezhiyan a subtle look. He was looking straight at him, eyebrows raised high. Valavan bit the insides of his cheek to rein in his laughter.

This fool thought that he was some kind of a larger danger than Irungovel.

Good for him.

He shrugged. "You could have still been my ally. All those resources would have been put into better use."

Cheran laughed. "Perhaps." He shot him a mischievous look. "But, you never asked, unlike Irungovel. My support is extended only to those who ask, young man. This war was not my concern to go around offering help."

Valavan raised his brows. Cheran amended. "Well, now, it is. But, you didn't know that! You must have toned down that pride of yours and asked for help like any wise, no, sane person would have."

Valavan shrugged again. "I assure you, I was very sane when I took that decision. Besides, I would be nothing without my pride."

Cheran chuckled. "Oh, well. That is true, I suppose. The reason why I respect you, in fact."

Valavan tipped back his head and groaned. "Ugh! Now, you go making me like you when I have to end you!!"

Cheran winked and shrugged. "You don't have to."

Valavan shook a finger at him. "Oh, no, no, no, no! I like you, yes, but not enough to make me want to give up my own life."

Cheralathan grinned and reached into his chariot where the Chera flag flew high.