Chapter Three

India, The land of the Five Rivers, 326 BC

Vigilant Watch

Hephaestion had always been vigilant and protective. It was well needed. His Golden One was reckless and in constant need of careful protection. As the years went by, it became more and more difficult to save him from his own recklessness.

Now, they had come a very long way together. They were marching through the endless jungles of India. The trees were so tall that many of them seemed to grow high up into the heavens. It was constantly damp in the immense forest, with dew drops falling like crystals from the abundant foliage. Strange looking flowers sprouted everywhere. Mostly they were fragrant and sweet smelling.

One of them certainly wasn't. It was enormous with dark red petals. They had walked near to it to watch it since they had never seen anything like it before. They soon regretted their curiosity. It stank like rotten meat or rotting corpses. Quickly they withdrew from the giant flower. Many flies and other insects did not. They liked the peculiar smell...

These days Hephaestion had more than Alexander to protect and be vigilant about. One of his best friends in the Army, the General Ptolemy, had been taken very seriously ill from a snakebite. For some time they all despaired and thought that they would have to see him die before their very eyes. Then Alexander had fallen asleep during their vigil at his sickbed. They did not dare to wake the King. Also, he was in desperate need of sleep and recuperation.

When Alexander woke up, he told them about a God sent dream that had come to him in that deep sleep. He had seen a small, white snake come towards him with a strange looking herb in its mouth. He knew that it was one of Asclepios' snakes that wanted to show him the cure for his friend's ailment.

As soon as he was sufficiently awakened the King went to look for the herb together with the Healer Amanda. They returned with it in less than an hour. It was a bouquet of silvery white flowers surrounded by light green foliage. The King and his Healer instantly prepared an ointment and a herbal concoction and administered it to the General Ptolemy. At first there was no change whatsoever. Then, the day after, the patient awakened from his feverish and delirious condition, eagerly asking for food and wine.

They all embraced him and administered a bowl of strengthening broth. Now he was slowly recuperatingand as Hephaestion sat with him on a warm, moss clad stone, the sun shone down on them, sifting through the thick foliage of the jungle trees. The faithful Guards, Stefanos and Alexios, stood carefully watching over the Generals Hephaestion and Ptolemy. They had good help from Nychta and Mavra, Hephaestion's "tame" black panthers.

The King's Visitor

Alexander was restless. He wanted to push forward into the jungle. The remote countries beckoned to him with their exotic features and treasures. Far beyond was the Eastern Ocean at the End or the World.

Most of all, the King wanted to see that distant place. It was alluring and it must be perfect. He wanted with all his heart's desire to stand there and watch the waves of the Eastern Ocean, together with Hephaestion.

Alexander was bored. Hephaestion sat together with Ptolemy and the Guards. He seemed perfectly content with the forced rest and inactivity. The sun that sifted through the foliage formed strange patterns in the emerald green grass. It shone down on Hephaestion, making his long beautiful auburn hair shimmer in tones of copper and gold. His friend was still beautiful, even if he had been worn out by long campaigns and too much work and responsibilities. Alexander let his eyes rest on Hephaestion. At the thought of his friend and his constant care and concern for them all, he was not bored any more.

Suddenly, there was an alluringly beautiful, fair woman with milk white skin rising from the rose colored and white orchids that clung on the thick tree stems. She beckoned to him as she swung a wreath of red and black flowers hanging around her long neck.

"King Alexander. Follow me," she called out to him. "I will bring you your heart's most sincere desire."

He felt her sweet smell sift into his nostrils, he saw her shimmering sky blue gown and he heard her lilting voice. He urgently wanted to bury his hands in her dark golden and wavy hair. It did not occur to him that his interest in women was usually not that urgently aroused.

He did not see the hissing black snakes coiling around her lithe ankles. Also, he did not see the extra pairs of arms hidden behind her waist and back.

Eagerly, the King rose and followed the unknown woman into the foliage.

The Friends' Visions

Ptolemy was still very weak, weary and tired. His foot throbbed from the snake bite, but it felt much better now when the King and his Healer had anointed it and bound it with herbal remedies. He was most satisfied with his rest in Hephaestion's lap. Alexander was fidgeting around as usual. The sun shone down on him, forming a golden halo around him. His fair hair looked like a helmet of spun gold, its curls flowing freely in the light jungle breeze.

Now Ptolemy saw a woman. No, clearly she was a Goddess. Her skin was light brown, her hair white like silver and her gown shining white. She had a cloak in dark green and blue, with silver fringes and she wore simple but brilliant jewelry, emeralds and amethysts in a silver necklace.

She looked Egyptian. Ptolemy knew her from his stay in that distant land. He had liked it well and he had seen her in temples and palaces.

She was the Goddess Isis.

Hephaestion sat carefully guarding his friend Ptolemy. He was glad that the General was recovering well from his dangerous illness after the nearly fatal snake bite. He said a silent Prayer of thanks to the God of Healing.

Now he felt a chilly wind come from the jungle. It was strange since the day had been unbearably hot until then.

A big animal came out between the big trees. It was a giant black jackal. No, it was not an ordinary jackal. It had the body of a man with the head of a jackal. The body was dressed in blue, gold and green. The head was brown and golden like the deathly desert sands, the eyes glowing and feral and the maw filled with razor sharp teeth. A whole bunch of black and brown cobras coiled around its feet.

Hepahestion instantly recognized the Egyptian God of Death. It was Anubis who had come to haunt them. He rose, reaching for his sword in its scabbard.

"NO, you will NOT harm my friends," he called out to the dreaded specter.

Then a black smoke engulfed him. His eyes were clouded and his breath suffocated. He fell down, rendered unconscious from its noxious vapours.

Hephaestion remained unconscious for a very long time.

When he woke up Alexander was gone.

All that remained was a golden strand of his hair, coiled around the neck of a hissing cobra.