"The King is down." the cry rang out over the battlefield cutting above the sounds of clashing swords and wounded men. " The King is down."
The cry reached the ears of the king's companion and General Hephaistion. He had lost track of Alexander when he had rode into the heat of battle in an attempt to spur on his travel wary army into one more battle for glory and fame. Hephaistion kicked and slashed down at those who wished to pull him from his horse, the horse also kicked and reared at her enemies and together they made a path through to the last place Hephaistion had seen Alexander, This time taking up the cry " The King is down, The King is down."
By now the broken Macedonian and Persian army reached deep within themselves and began to push their enemies into retreat, but the enemy wouldn't go without a fight and pushed back tenfold, sending the scales of victory back into their favor. The sound of trumpets got Hephaistion's attention, Alexander had been found and was in the process of being carried lifeless from the battlefield by Ptolemy and the other companions
Hephaistion stopped the nearest friendly solider almost losing his hand in the process as the solider jumped and swung his weapon in fright, Hephaistion could tell by his wide eyes and trembling limbs trying to control a sword that he was a new recruit and this was his first battle.
" Go and get the word around that the troops are to gather behind me, we are going to finish this."
As the Persian nodded and dodged his way through the battle Hephaistion knew that though the battle would not be in the favor it would be an ending none the less. Again the trumpets sounded and the troops began to form under Hephaistion and he led them to a hollow victory.
Hephaistion removed his helmet and shook out his hair. bloody, bruised, battered and exhausted he entered Alexander's tent stepping aside to let some servants carrying blows of blood red water and bloody rags and clean ones where brought in, though it wasn't very long before they too had to be changed. Hephaistion entered the sleeping quarters where a medium size group gathered around the bed on which Alexander lay pale and still as a marble. The surgeon was standing very close to the bed and he when he saw Hephaistion he shook his head gravely, before one of his apprentices got his attention by passed him a pair of pinchers. As the surgeon got into place ready to pull out the arrow that was sticking out of Alexander chest and by the sounds Alexander was making it had punched one of his lungs. The room began to tunnel and close in. There was a sickening squelching sound as the arrow came free and more blood flowed and the servants and the medical team rushed to stop it. Nobody saw Hephaistion collapse to the floor in a dead faint.