13) Chapter

When Ereya arrived at the camp of Narmada river valley with his troop, light had already fallen.

The scent of roasted meat and the sound of laughter filled the air as soldiers celebrated the long waited return of their crown prince, as a symbol of joy in their relentless struggles against the darkness of war.

As Ereya entered the camp on his horse , he could hear the cheers erupting from the gathered crowd. "Long lives our prince!" "Long lives prince, who born to rule entire three world"they shouted, their faces glowing with a mixture of relief and joy.

To them, he was more than a leader he was their last hope against an enemy that threatened to consume their empire.

His gaze fixed on the distant horizon, thoughts clouded by memories.

Prince Ereya juped off his horse, steely determination, his mind far from the laughter and joy around him.

He was greeted by Dananjaya his trust worthy friend  and the chief ministers.

"My lord, I must say, I think the men were more thrilled to see you than they'd be to win the war itself. I saw one soldier nearly drop his cup when you rode in—nearly wept like a child at the sight of you!" Dananjaya spelled while bowing respectfully. A sly smile tugged at his lips.

"I'm beginning to think they'd rather I was a myth than their prince in the flesh Dananjaya. Perhaps I should have stayed back and let them keep their illusions." Ereya spelled with a smile.

"Oh, nonsense, my lord! Why, I bet they've already invented stories about you wrestling wild beasts and fighting entire armies with your bare hands. A mere mortal king? Why, that'd disappoint them terribly." Dananjaya said with light chuckle.

"I'd rather wrestle wild beasts than face the endless rounds of poetry they seem determined to compose in my name. There are only so many ways a man can be called a "lion-hearted hero" before he starts wondering if he's been turned into a children's tale." Ereya spelled with rare warm in his gaze.

"Lion-hearted hero," you say? I'll be sure to remind you of that title when you're about to storm into the Concil Room to scold the chief ministers over his endless supply of... "creative" strategies." Dananjaya said with a light smile grinning at him.

"You've won, Dhanajaya. I can't compete with your poetry and talks. I am grateful for everyones loyalty, but this is no time for celebrations. The fires are still burning on the horizon, and our enemy is not far. The darkness has not yet lifted." Ereya spelled in a hurry.

Then chief general Vijaya cleared his his throat with a sound.

"My lord, you are right. We are in a hurry. Please, come this way; the council room is here."

Ereya patted at Dhananjay's shoulder and moved towards the council room.

As they entered the dimly lit room, the atmosphere shifted.

Inside, the council awaited him, their expressions grave and had a respect towards him.

Maps and reports lay spread across the table, evidence of the dark conspiracy that had been unfolding in their leaders absent.

Ereya took a deep breath, relaxing himself for the weighty discussions that lay ahead.

"It's our honor to have you all here, commanders." he said while greeting the room with a nod, his voice was calm but filled with authority.

"I heard you gathered here. May I know the reason, Ravikeerti?"Ereya spelled while narrowing his eyes towards the senior general Ravikreeti.

"Of course, Prince. It's... it's an emergency." Ravikeerti hesitates, clearly uneasy under the prince's scrutiny. His usual confidence seems to be shaken.

"Emergency? What emergency?"his expression darkens, his voice sharp as he presses for more details.

"We didn't inform you earlier due to your wedding preparations, Prince. The Emperor... he instructed us not to disclose this information before the celebrations." Ravikreeti spelled nervously.

Ereya's brows furrow, his mind racing as he pieces together the implications. He suddenly pauses, a flicker of realization flashing across his face.

"Wedding... Oh, Manglesha." he spelled under his breath. He exhales sharply, trying to steady himself.

"So... what is it? What's happened?" he ased while raising an eyebrow, trying to regain his composure, his tone was colder.

"They stopped receiving messages from Nanda two days ago, Prince. They feared something terrible had happened, but they couldn't inform you earlier because of the wedding." Danajaya spelled quietly with apologetic voice.

"Two days Dananjaya you didnt even..? Whats happen?"his tone was low, cold with a simmering anger.

"I didn't even know that, my lord. I heard the news only after I arrived here yesterday."Dananjaya mummbled.

"We were unable to reach Nanda. Two days is too long without any word." the chief general Vijay spelled.

"Deegha vanished without a trace... And now Nanda? The Kalachuris have gone too far."his voice was icy cold , a deep-seated hatred creeped into his words.

"Oh wait.. Vishnu he is in danger, If Nanada ...? Oh no.." Ereya spelled with the sudden relization.

"We need to take revenge. Prepare the troops. We are invading them, Sanjaya." Ereya spelled with a rising voice with authority, yet filled with resolve.

Sanjaya, the second commander of the southern troops, hesitates, his face filled with worry as he steps forward to speak.

"Prince, I'm afraid it's not that simple. They have a strong army, and their defenses are better than we anticipated. It won't be easy to breach them." he spelled.

Ereya looks at him for a moment, then smiles—a smile full of dangerous confidence. It's a smile that signals he already has a plan, one that is far from traditional.

"Your statement may be true, Sanjaya. But I assure you, nothing is impossible. That's why I've been appointed here, after all."

"And as for my wedding, well, it seems I've been quite the bridegroom these past few days, haven't I?" Ereya said with a mischievous grin.

The commanders exchanged uncertain glances, unsure whether the prince is joking or not.

The Ereya leaned towards the table his voice was serious again.

"But we can't win this war by battles. We'll have to be smarter than them. Much smarter." he spelled.

"How can we invade them without a full-scale war, Prince?" Chief general Vijaya asked with the curiosity.

Ereya's smile widens again, a flash of mischief dancing in his eyes as he leans back.

"Trust me, Grandpa. This time... we're going to use his own methods against him."

Vijaya's eyes narrow as he begins to piece together the meaning of Ereya's words. The room falls silent, waiting for the prince to elaborate.

"The Kalachuris think they have it all figured out. They've underestimated us. But now? Now we play their game, but on our terms." Ereya said  with a playful, yet dangerous grin.