Chapter 23 Vetaal's army is raised

• 1st Century, 57 BCE: Forest area near Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India
• As soon as Pataliputra's special regiment entered the forest a heavy storm broke-in. Soon water started pouring down through the canopy of branches and leaves of trees. Visibility got constrained to only occassional outbursts of lightening, with the raging of thunder. The army got scattered in no time. Suddenly the growl of a beast could be heard from a distance. In a matter of minutes the growl approached near, followed by splashing of water from puddles made into the clayey ground . The lightning showed tall grasses swaying in front of a soldier. The next moment something threw him down from the horse-seat and pulled him inside the bushes. A blood-curdling scream ran from one end of the forest to another.
• 'What was that? Hey can anyone hear me?' A soldier shouted.