Chapter three
As soon as Hephaistion stepped forward he was separated from his men and stripped of his clothes and taken to a different room where cloth bag was taken off him.
He was tied to a wooden bench face down; he looked over his shoulder at the Persian.
"I'm going to ask you some questions," he said "if you answer you will not be whipped if not…"
An officer handed him an evil looking whip and he came round so Hephaistion could looked at him directly and jabbed the handle under Hephaistion's chin.
"Understand?"
Hephaistion twisted his head away and the general handed it back over to the person behind Hephaistion was rewarded with a whip which caught him on the back of the thighs.
He bit down on his lip until he could taste the metallic taste of blood.
He wouldn't tell them any thing no matter what they did.
Ten lashes later Hephaistion rested his cheek ageist the wooden bench, he had remained silent blood ran out of the corner of his mouth where he had bit his lip clean through.
"Tell me where Alexander's camp is." the General demanded
Hephaistion lifted up has head and smiled
"I don't know." He said
"Lair," the General screamed
He grabbed a hand full of Hephaistion's hair and jerked his head back "Lair," he spat "Perhaps another ten lashes will loosen that tongue of your."
He banged Hephaistion's head down on the table making his head explode in pain.
The first lash caught him on the butt, only nine more to go.
Later that evening they had woken him up with a bucket of cold water, his arms were twisted around his back bound tightly they blind folded him.
He felt them dragging him along then they forced him up he caught his shine against some wood and mentally cursed.
They were moving where they were going he thought, he was cold as they hadn't even bothered to dress him.
Hephaistion didn't know how long they were on the road for and when he asked he was slapped.
The cart was stopped and he was pushed out of the cart and the wind was knocked out of him, somebody put there foot onto his raw back and took off the blindfold.
What he saw made him look away but the officer with his foot on his back grabbed his hair and forced his head up so he couldn't look away.
What remained of his company had been crucified. Some where dead already some were dying Hephaistion felt the tears well up in his eyes.
"Now will you talk?" Asked the General
Hephaistion was forced to stand, he looked over at his men and angry filled him.
He kicked out at the person that was holding him there was a groan and he was realised.
He ran screaming at the General and tried attacking him he managed to get the Persian down on to the ground.
Hephaistion sunk his teeth into the flash of the general's neck.
Someone grabbed him from behind and was pulled off the General and throw to the ground.
Boots came into contact with his ribs and he huddled into a ball to protect himself.
The General called his attacker off and Hephaistion winced as he tried to stand up he wondered if any of his ribs had been broken.
He was being held tightly and once more he was blindfolded and took him back to his cell.
Alexander and the others were sat round deciding what to do about the missing members.
They were interrupted by a page coming in carrying a huge basket. He handed a letter to Alexander and placed the basket on the table before quickly leaving.
Alexander unfolded the letter begin to read, as he read the others could see him began to shake with rage.
Once he read the letter he torn it in half and stood up tipping his chair over as he did.
"What is it?" asked Ptolemy
Alexander opened the lid of the basket and cried out in surprise the others stood up so they could have a closer look.
Alexander shakily reached inside took hold of the dark drown hair.
The others gasped as he held up the head which sent little pit a patter of blood on the table.
Alexander remembers that he was an up and coming officer in Hephaistion division he also remembers that his name was Kristoas yet Hephaistion always forgot.
He counted fifteen heads he genteelly moved each one aside to look for Hephaistion, he signed in relief when he could not find it, that meant he was still alive.
He looked at the others and began to bark out orders "Buried these, set up a search party and his mind "hold on Hephaistion I'm coming."