Karikalan: Saviour of the Cholas

Chapter 72: Straight Home

Alli rolled her eyes. "You know that is not what we are talking about!"

Valavan shrugged. "Look, unless I have something on my belly, nothing matters." He shot Ilanchezhiyan an apologetic look. "No offense."

"None taken." Chezhiyan looked around dubiously. "But, the question is, do we even have something here?" 

Valavan's face fell. "There has got to be something!"

Everyone stared at him. "There is water", Poovazagi offered. 

Valavan stared off into the distance. "After everything, is this how it is all going to end? Of all the swords and bows I survived, am I going to die of hunger?"

Alli shot him a look. "Stop being dramatic. We did bring food for a day. You must have had some before you had left." 

He shot her a wry smile. "Believe me, I'd heard that one before."

She pondered over it for a minute before her eyes brightened. "Aha! I got it! We also brought bananas, remember? A horde of them!"

Valavan looked around, excited. "Where are they?"

Poovazhagi bit her lip. "They are not here, Pr-" She stared at him. "Should I call you 'Your Majesty' now?"

Ilanchezhiyan laughed. "Yes."

"No!"

Poovazhagi blinked. He sighed. "Well, the coronation has not happened yet. I think it is safe to say 'Prince' for now." He made an impatient noise. "But, you are missing the point! Bananas?"

Poovazaghi shot him an apologetic look. "They are not here."

Valavan shot her a blank look. "What? Are they already eaten then?"

Poovazhagi shrugged. "Possibly. I just oversaw them all being sent to your Royal Elephant a while back."

Valavan groaned. "Why on Earth would you do that!"

Poovazhagi threw up her hands. "Umm... Probably because you asked the mahout to have her fed with all those bananas for, and I quote, 'a job well done'?"

Valavan clutched his hair with both his hands. "Alright, it is still not too late. She couldn't have eaten them all already. Could someone go fetch some bananas for me?"

No one moved. 

He raised a brow. "Well?"

Chezhiyan looked at him nervously. There were few things he feared. The Royal Elephant of Urayur was one of them. "Take bananas from Kali when she is just here from war? I do not think that is wise. She would be... violent now." He swallowed. "Besides, eating bananas with an empty stomach might not be for the best."

Valavan shot them all a disgusted look. "Cowards! I'll go myself. Eating this once isn't going to kill me."

They followed him, not sure of how well Kali will respond, even with him. Valavan was unruffled. He walked over to where she was tied. The mahout was feeding her bananas, peels, and all. She was munching them happily, a huge portion of it still uneaten at her feet. 

Without preamble, he bent down and plucked a banana off one of the bunches, proceeding to peel it. Kali turned to him and glared.

Everyone caught their breaths. "What?", asked Valavan, unbothered. He took a bite. The sweet flavour of the banana filled his mouth, instantly rejuvenating him.

Kali stopped eating, continuing to glare. "O, cum un!", he said, his voice muffled by the banana in his mouth. "U huf sho mahy!!" He quickly swallowed what was left for better coherence. "Surely, you can share some?"