A/N: Some sources say that the argument between Alexander and Parmenion never happened at the battle of Granicus, but in this story, I used Ptolemy's version.

Chapter 3

Dear Master Aristotle;

I am excited. We are now standing on foreign soil, and I can feel the new beginning, the beginning of Alexander's myth. At the battle of Granicus, it became so obvious that Alexander has a totally different mind set from the ones of King Philip's old commanders when it comes to war tactics.

We were all anxious as we approached the Granicus River seeing the Persians in the distance on the other side of the bank who waited to confront us. The river was not that wide, but it looked deep, and the steep slope with heavy vegetation on the other side made it look almost impossible to move a large force over it, at least in an efficient manner.

I could tell that those veteran officers wanted to test the water first to be cautious. This was our initial engagement with the Persians after all, and everybody knew that the result of this battle would set the tone for the rest of the expedition. Alexander needed to win this battle to conquer Asia,

Parmenion was the one who spoke his mind; he suggested to Alexander that it was not wise to take an action in the Macedonian month called Daesius. Alexander argued back that they should call it the second Artemisius instead, by adding a leap month. Then Parmenion further advised him to wait at least till the morning, since it was too late in the day to attack. It was already mid morning, and I could understand Parmenion's concern. It is a known fact that the Persians linger around the camp and relax in the early morning, thus traditionally it was considered best to attack them at dawn.

Alexander simply sneered and told him that he should disgrace the Hellespont, should he fear the Granicus. When Alexander is determined, he has an answer for everything. With this, Parmenion could do nothing but comply. However, when Alexander glanced at me and grinned mischievously, I understood that he was not just being stubborn, but there was actually sensible reasoning behind the decision. Suddenly, I realized that the battle was nothing but a mind reading game for Alexander.

First of all, how do we know that the Persians are not fully prepared for our early morning attack, as their habit is no secret for us, our habit would not be a secret for them either? They know that Greeks tend to engage an attack at dawn. The early morning attack does not have any advantages if the enemy expects us to do so and is prepared for it.

Secondly, what effect would it have on our own army? Isn't it better for them to know that we faced against the enemy's full force? I do not think that it is in Alexander's plan at all, but if we were ever to lose, isn't it easier for them to reason the loss, and to accept it, so that Alexander could rebuild the confidence in less time? And if we win, doesn't it bring even higher confidence among them?

I do not know how he does it, but Alexander consciously calculates all those details in an instant, and then determines the best practice. This is all new to the old officers who are accustomed to the traditional way of fighting, and I see them struggling to adjust. Alexander does not play to the book.

You once told us in your lecture that "Change in all things is sweet", and at that time, our young minds had instantly agreed with it. But, I wonder if it is true for everybody. Do people always appreciate change? I am afraid that some of those old veterans will not be able to adjust to the changes that Alexander brings, and I cannot help worrying about the consequences that their differences might cause.

Would they eventually bring unmendable conflicts between them? As those veteran officers experience more differences and being pushed to change, would they see Alexander as more of a tyrant than a godly leader one day? I just hope that the old commanders would become used to the changes and adjust to Alexander's way, as I am certain that Alexander would never stop, and he would always bring in new ideas.

So the decision had been made to attack, and we lined up along the riverbank waiting for the command from Alexander. Everything was in such total stillness that it was almost eerie. The early afternoon sun was blazing upon us, and I could feel the sweats forming under my helmet.

Have you ever experienced a strange sensation in your stomach right before you go onto the stage to present your argument in front of a full audience? The tingling sensation you might get if somebody tickled the inside wall of your stomach? That was the exact commotion I was feeling while I waited. It took only a few moments, but it felt like we waited for an eternity. When the waiting became almost unbearable, and the anxiety had nearly taken over the good part of our mind, we heard Alexander's war cry to proceed. He always knows the perfect timing.

Alexander was the first one to cross the river with thirteen troops of horse behind him. The wet footage made the bank even more slippery and it added the extra challenge to climb up the steep bank, but we finally managed to leap up. After that, it turned into chaos of engaging muddled hand-to-hand combat.

I saw the Persians surrounded Alexander instantly. With two big white plumes on his helmet, he stood out in the turmoil of crowds. I wish he would quit doing it, but that is Alexander. He does not hide behind his soldiers as most leaders do. Instead, he makes sure that every single soldier in his army would see how their leader fights, consequently, letting the entire enemy spot him very easily as well.

I gasped in horror when I saw two Persian commanders attacking Alexander simultaneously. While Alexander was taking one, the other commander landed an ax blow on Alexander's helmet, and chopped off one of the crests. Worst of all, I saw him just about ready to swing another blow upon Alexander. I felt all my blood rush down to the tips of my fingers, and the sudden pulsing almost made me drop my sword. I knew that I needed to get to him, but there were simply too many bodies between Alexander and me. It was impossible for me to reach him in time. I had never felt so helpless and terrified in my life. All I could do was to stare at Alexander in horror.

It was then, I spotted Cleitus swing his sword to strike the shoulder of the attacking Persian to save Alexander's life. I let out my breath in relief, and thanked the gods. It was so close. It was so close that it made me shiver to realize how fragile our lives are. If it had not been for Cleitus, Alexander could have died right in front of my eyes. And I fully understood then how the warriors of the Sacred Band of Thebes must have felt at Chaeronea. It was dreadful, devastating, and so empty.

A corner of Cleitus' mouth curled up when our eyes met, as if he was telling me that I was not the only one who would see Alexander's vulnerability. I think Cleitus is one of the few of us who actually recognizes Alexander not as a god, but as a mortal. Others tend to forget, and I suspect even Alexander himself sometimes forgets that he is made of flesh and blood. In that sense, Cleitus is dangerous, as he would not afraid to challenge Alexander at the personal level.

The battle was victorious, and it had proven that Alexander's decision was effective. As I had suspected, the army's spirit rose incredibly, it was almost ecstatic. Although King Darius was not there, and Memnon and several satraps escaped, we had beaten the mighty Persian leaders. Everybody praised Alexander's victory.

There are many kings in the past whose brilliant tactics brought victory in battle. But Master Aristotle, what makes Alexander so special apart from other successful leaders is not only what he does to win the battle, but also, or rather what he does for the people after the battle. He takes care of them all; injured, fallen and even the enemies.

He does not simply see injured soldiers, but he talks to them. He listens to them telling him the story of how they fought, and how they received their injury. Can you imagine how a soldier might feel when the King himself pays such a personal attention? They know that he loves them, and for that they love him back, and follow him unconditionally.

He treats the dead with respect as well. Twenty-five Companion cavalry lost their lives during the battle, and he had them buried gloriously in the morning. Furthermore, his respect for the dead did not stop there. He made sure that the families of those fallen soldiers were well taken care of.

As to the enemy, his action of respect did not actually work favorable to them. He had the fallen Persian leaders buried as well, but we found out later that it was actually an insulting act to bury the dead according to the Persian customs. His innocent action might have humiliated the enemy, but it sure gained the approval of the Greeks.

Yet, we cannot forget Alexander's furious side. Generous and kind as he can be, he could also become a harsh and firm authority figure. He showed his stone cold side for those captives who were hired by the Persians, and fought as Greeks against Greeks, on behalf of barbarians. He gave no mercy to them, and sent them to Macedon for hard labor as slaves.

He did not forget the political act either. He dedicated three hundreds suits of Persian armor to the goddess Athena in Athens with an inscription that says, "Alexander son of Philip and the Greeks, except the Spartans, from the barbarians who live in Asia." Can you believe that Alexander managed to say so much in this one sentence?

It is almost inhuman how well Alexander can handle and balance both action and diplomacy. He is a new breed of leader, and I can feel the wheel of fortune starting to revolve around him. The world is changing. It has finally begun. We have now stepped into the first path of the modern myth.

Your Humble Student,

Hephaistion