Chapter Six

India, The land of the Five Rivers, 326 BC

The Friends Unite

Ptolemy was still suffering from his illness brought on by the snakebite. The General needed badly to rest and recuperate. He could barely stand and his hands were trembling from weakness. His own health was not important to him anymore.

His King and friend needed him. He had Alexander to thank for his very life. Now the King was gone, and Hephaestion with him. The General knew that he must go and search for him. He rose from the warm stone and grasped for a stout wooden stick to support him. He hobbled along after the Companions, straight into the dense foliage of the jungle. Peritas and Pollux followed him. The King's and Hephaestion's watch dogs had remained with him, and now they were eagerly sniffing, wanting to find their dear Masters.

"Good dogs, good dogs, "Ptolemy said to them as he patted their furry heads. "You must help me find Alexander and Hephaestion. I fear that they are in some kind of terrible danger."

His injured foot hurt him something awful as he stubbornly limped throught the jungle. He stumbled time and again and almost fell several times. When he was about to give up he came upon his fellow Generals, Cleitus and Craterus.

"Ptolemy! Whatever are you doing out here in this hostile jungle?, "they called out to him in an outrage. "You are in no state to go searching for the King!"

"No, but he needs me, and Hephaestion, too! Have you seen any signs of where he has been taken?"

"No. Hephaestion and the panthers disappeared into some kind of tunnel. We could not follow through and we have not seen them since."

The three Generals continued through the thick jungle, followed by the faithful Guards and a whole search party. They found nothing and no one, and after hours of futile searching they feared to go astray in the endless jungle.

Then, they found Hephaestion on a small meadow, sitting exhausted together with his "tame" panthers Nychta and Mavra amongst a whole sea of blue and rose coloured sweet smelling flowers.

He looked up at them with tears in his blue eyes.

"I have lost Alexander. He is in that dreaded city, they call it Khalisahr. We MUST rescue him! I do not know how long he will survive inside that den of horrors!"

The King In Captivity, Continued

Once, he was the greatest commander and general of all, King of Macedon and the High King of Persia. Once, he had all the friends he needed and all the riches of the world.

Now, he was nothing but a hapless captive and he had nothing but a cold and dismal dungeon. He did not even know where he was, just that he was the prisoner of the Dark Lord Ahriman and the Goddess of Death, the dark and foreboding Khali. Alexander sat shivering and starving on a hard wooden cot. He nibbled at a hard bread covered with mould and mildew. It was nothing like the Royal Banquets he was used to. The stale and tepid water in the simple stone jug at his side was even worse. He longed for the rich red wine he used to drink at Court!

Rats scuttered all over his dungeon. All kinds of venomous snakes slithered all around him. He whispered a prayer of thanks to his mother the Queen. She had taught him to command the scaly creatures, or else he would have been bitten and killed many times over by now.

"Well, well, I never thought that I would feel thankful towards dear Mother and her numerous snakes, "the captive King mused to himself. "One never knows what will come one's way.

His stomach grumbled audibly. Alexander was very hungry and very thirsty too. He longed for soft bread, cheese and tender steaks, also, a whole jug of rich, strong, red wine. Most of all, he longed for Hephaestion. His true steadfast friend had always been at his side. Now he felt completely forlorn without him.

Suddenly there was a soft and sweet tingling at his neck and breast. The necklace he always wore was glowing, a warm, golden and comforting glow. It filled the dismal dungeon with light and hope.

"Hephaestion, "Alexander called out loud, "I know that you are out there someplace, looking for me. You will find me, and soon we will be together again."

Alexander wrapped himself into his ragged and threadbare blanket. Against all odds he now felt secure and protected, completely reassured that his Dear One and his faithful Companions were looking for him.

Soon, they would find him.

Soon, they would be together again.

The King fell asleep, trusting and confident as a child in his mother's arms.

The Friend's Search, Continued

The Companions had brought food and drink as they followed Ptolemy on his stumbling excursion into the jungle. They managed to persuade Hephaestion to take some wine, bread and dried meat.

"General, you must eat and drink to be able to go on, "Stefanos adamantly told his dear Lord. "You will need all your strength if you are to find King Alexander."

"No, I have lost all my appetite, "Hephaestion argued against him. "I cannot eat and drink when Alexander is held captive in that horrible city!"

"Your panthers are wiser than you, my Lord, "Stefanos answered, pointing towards the big black jungle cats.

Nychta and Mavra had caught a big boar and they ate it with a hearty appetite. Afterwards they drank their fill from a sparkling brook nearby. Then they came to Hephaestion, gently rubbing themselves against his legs, purring like two cuddly kittens. Hephaestion patted their furry heads and shoulders.

"Good girls, good girls. Now let's go find Alexander together! I will just have some food and drink, too. We all need our strength."

The general first ate reluctantly, then he managed to muster a hearty appetite. He gobbled down the bread, cheese and meat and thirstily drank the wine mixed with boiled water. Now, he felt refreshed and strengthened and he was eagerly looking forward to his important search.

Alexander needed him. Dreadful things could have happened to his King and friend inside the horrible city of Khalisahr.

He rose and beckoned to all the Companions. They armed themselves and went together into the jungle. Nychta and Mavra soon found the path leading to the forbidden city of Khalisahr.

It lead them into no where.

There was a glen in the jungle. In that glen was nothing but a slithering mass of roots, thorny bushes and hissing snakes.

Khalisahr was nowhere to be seen.

Hephaestion once more felt the necklace coiling and tingling on his neck and breast. It now glowed with a golden and reassuring light.

"Good Genie, "Hephaestion called out. "Dear Adelpha, you must help us! We need you to find our friend and King! Alexander needs you!"

Suddenly, a beautiful golden haired woman appeared before their very eyes. She was dressed in heavenly blue and she looked at them with warm love and reassurance.

"Yes, I am here now. I will help you find your friend and King again, "she told them with a voice filled with concern and kindness, "It will be hard work and you will need all your wits and strength."

The King In Torment

Alexander fell asleep on his wooden couch in the dreary dungeon. When he woke up he was resting on soft perfumed cushions in the luxurious chamber that had at first welcomed him into his cruel captivity. The dark woman, the dreadful Khali once more held him in her arms. She had eight or more of them and they slithered around him, holding him in a grip of iron. She was heavily scented with perfumes and frankincense. The strong fragrances were pleasantly smelling in themselves, but it was simply too much of them. Alexander felt himself begin to suffocate, both from the strong scents and the death goddess's overwhelming embrace. The hot air shimmered in strange and beautiful rainbow patterns before his eyes as he succumbed into a merciful unconsciousness.

The last thing he saw was the Dark Lord Ahriman sitting on a chair, smiling gleefully towards him. Cruel words found their way into his ears, slithering and hissing like venomous snakes inside his aching head.

"Sikandar! Soon you will see the last of this world, "his cruel captor told him. "My faithful Goddess will see to that!"