Chapter 3

Babylon

Alexander was laid on his back tracing the scar on his palm. It had been a couple of months since Hephaistion's funeral pyre.

As he traced the line his eyes wondered over to one of the many statues of Hephaistion he had made afterwards, he stopped tracing and brushed away a tear oh how he missed Hephaistion.

In a few hours there was to by a huge feast in the memory of Hephaistion where people had to dress up and drink as much wine as they could handle. Alexander planed to get seriously drunk, he found it helped with the pain of missing Hephaistion.

There was a knock on the door

"Enter." he said in a monotoned voice

Ptolemy enter carrying a lion skin he held it out for Alexander

"It is time." he said

Alexander got up off the bed and placed the lion skin on his head pushing his hair forward so that it blended in to the lion's main.

He went over to the nearest bust of Hephaistion and kissed the smooth white marble forehead

"Goodnight my love," he whispered "I'll see you soon."

The feast had only been going a couple of hours and already everyone was drunk, Alexander had just finished his fifth when a young page came in carrying a huge goblet that was filled to the top with unmixed wine Alexander took it off him and the page quickly shuffled away.

He lifted it up in a toast when his gaze fell onto Cassander.

Cassander had been quiet all through the feast his eyes filled with a silent hatred for Hephaistion never left Alexander, he only smiled and nodded when he was approached by the others.

Alexander smiled and nodded to him as he brought the goblet to his lips. He suddenly stopped, the image of his mother her long brown hair replaced with hundreds of slithering snakes was reflected in the wine he closed his eyes and squeezed them shut to bloke out the horrible image. When he opened them again he found everyone staring at him with puzzled looks thinking the king had bitten off more then he could chew.

He simply smiled as again he brought the monster goblet up to his lips, this time he drunk it all down in one go.

Everyone cheered when he finished and tipped it upside down to show there was not a drop left.

But the triumph was short lived, suddenly he became very dizzy and he saw grey and red spots in front of his eyes. He grabbed hold of the nearest chair arm to steady himself

I've probably over done it he thought

A bright light caught Alexander's eye he looked about to see if the other had noticed it but it was apparent they had not as they where now cheering on Ptolemy who was trying to do the same only with a smaller cup.

Alexander looked back at the light he could make out a figure if he squinted but that hurt.

The figure move closer and Alexander's eyes went wide he know that figure after all he had felt that body wither and moan underneath him so many times.

Alexander tried moving closer but the figure moved away he tried reaching up but the figure did not reach down.

Why is he doing this to me? Alexander thought as the figure bowed it head and turned away and then light was gone?

Suddenly he felt a sharp trusted of pain in his stomach. At first he thought he had been stabbed ,assassinated just like his father but when he looked at his hands there was no blood.

Another stabbing pain sent him collapsing to the floor in agony.