Days turned into weeks and the remaining members of the army still hadn't found anything related to Hephaistion's kidnap.
After the attack and once they had regrouped they matched into the jungle following the path that Alexander and the small army had taken towards the village only they couldn't find it, it was gone vanished.
Alexander wanted it to be found, even if it meant that they had to cut down the trees and he expected daily reports on how things were going.
He never felt so helpless he had tried to help but he just got overexcited and over angered till he was hindering the situation instead of helping so he retreated to his tent leaving the search to be led Ptolemy.
Three weeks later there was still nothing and Alexander was starting to lose all hope of ever finding his childhood friend.
It was mid afternoon when the call went up something was coming towards the camp, something large that made the ground shake.
Those that were remaining in the camp came out to see what was coming, some even draw arms.
A large grey shape came out of the jungle, it was one of the elephant monsters and riding it with two monkeys on his shoulder was Hephaistion.
The elephant stopped once it had arrived in the camp and found comfort in stripping the trees of its leaves as to Hephaistion he was dirty, wounded, sick, and completely insane.
He didn't recognize anyone, not even Alexander he simply smiled and upheld an unintelligible conversation with the monkeys.
"What do you thing happened?" Asked Ptolemy leaning over to Alexander
They were stood watching the servant trying to clean Hephaistion but he kept swiping or flinching away at the things they brought near.
"I don't know." Alexander replied
He moved closer to the bath and crouched down next to it.
"Hephaistion." he said softly
Hephaistion wasn't listening; his dark rimmed eyes were distant, pupils large and they flew around the room not focusing on anything.
He was murmuring things that Alexander couldn't quite catch, speaking to people that weren't there and answering as if he heard voices that no one else could.
"Hephaistion." Alexander tried again this time reaching out to touch Hephaistion's shoulder
Hephaistion saw the movement and snapped around to face Alexander causing him to pull his hand away and put in his lap, all the while Hephaistion watching him with narrow suspicion-filled eyes.
"Hephaistion?" he asked "What happened."
Hephaistion focus on the hand but looked up blankly at his face before going back to his ramblings.
Alexander shoulder's sagged as he sat back on his heels and he sighed
"What are we going to do with you?" he said under his breathe.
Later that night something woke Alexander it was still dark. He laid there just listening, It had been a noise that woke him, he was about to go back to sleep when he heard it again a shuffling noise.
He rolled over and off the pallet just in time to see something sharp and pointy land into the pillow which was followed by a scuffle.
He stood up to find Hephaistion struggling to free himself of the mass of bodies that held him down.
"No. No. No," he was crying
"Ow, he bit me" said Cleitus before he slammed his clenched fist into the side of Hephaistion's head dropping him.
"What in the name of Zeus is going on?" demanded Alexander pulling himself together
"Sorry for this, Alexander." said Cassander from where he was standing up from holding Hephaistion's leg
"But giving his condition he shouldn't be wondering around looks like we were right."
Alexander looked at the remains of the pillow and found a silver dagger stuck deep.
"Are you alright?" asked Stefanos
Alexander simply nodded looking down at an unconscious Hephaistion
"Why would he want to attack you of all people?" asked Cassander
The others to turned to look at Alexander, who found himself staring at his hands and remember the way Hephaistion had reacted when he tried to touch him.
" He saw me as a threat." he said softly " and wanted to stop it before whatever happened to him happened again."