Delphi III by Kizzykat
The Theatre
Alexander and Hephaestion, followed by the priests and bodyguards, reached the mountainside theatre and passed through one of the doorways onto the round paved floor of the theatre. Alexander looked up briefly at the empty tiers of stone seats. "Wait here," he said stepping forward. "Hephaestion."
Leaving the bodyguard and the priests behind, Alexander walked quickly up the central stone steps, Hephaestion following. Alexander took a seat a row or two down from the encircling wall so that he could feel the cold mountain air all about him. Hephaestion climbed up to the row behind, then stepped down to sit beside Alexander. Silently they sat side by side, staring out at the view of blue-shaded mountains and the steep-sided valley, running from left to right before them. The mountain slopes were forested with evergreens and mist showed whitely down in the vee of the valley, obscuring the river from view.
"The view is breathtaking," Alexander said.
"Yes," Hephaestion said. Alexander's voice was not the voice of his friend, but still the tone he used before strangers. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked softly, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees as he tried to catch Alexander's eye.
"No," Alexander said, but his voice was no longer cold and Hephaestion knew it was not a dismissal, merely a waiting signal. Alexander did not look at Hephaestion, continuing to gaze out over the valley. "It is truly beautiful here," he said quietly.
"It is," Hephaestion said, surrendering to the magnificent view and contemplating the mountains and valley. "You can feel the god's presence here."
They sat in companionable silence. "Is that the sea over there?" Alexander asked, raising an arm to point to the right at a whiteness between the hills.
"I don't think so," Hephaestion said, following Alexander's direction. "I think it's too high up. I think we'd have to be round that shoulder of land to see the sea. But you can see the Phaedriads over there," he said, pointing to the left at a cleft in the mountainside. "That's where they threw Aesop to his death."
"The storyteller," Alexander said, looking.
"Yes," Hephaestion said, hearing the change in Alexander's voice and looking round at him. "They didn't believe in him."
"She said I would be dead," Alexander said, his voice tight, his eyes unfocused.
Hephaestion's lips parted in shock. "What was your question?" he asked quietly, leaning nearer to Alexander.
"Would I be famous?" Alexander said, finally meeting Hephaestion's eyes. Alexander's voice sounded very young. "I wanted to know if I would be a great man, and she told me I would be dead."
Hephaestion's eyes wandered rapidly over Alexander's face, searching for an answer. "She must have meant that you would be famous after you were dead, Alexander," he said, his voice low with conviction. "She answered your question, Alexander. You will be famous, your name will live on after your death."
"I think she meant that I would die young."
The colour drained from Hephaestion's face as Alexander held his eyes, their souls bared to each other. Hephaestion's eyes widened in wonder. "Like Achilles," he whispered.
Alexander's lips moved in a mirthless smile.
"She's offering you the choice, Alexander," Hephaestion said, warmth and certainty growing in his voice, "a long life or immortal fame and glory. It's within your grasp, Alexander. The gods are not wrong. You will achieve your dreams of great glory and your deeds will live on in men's hearts."
Alexander watched Hephaestion's eyes as they shone with excitement. "Patroculs died young too," he said.
A shadow crossed Hephaestion's boyish face. It was quickly dispelled as he began to grin with delight, his eyes aglow. "Together for eternity," he whispered. "We will be immortal, Alexander; we will conquer the Persian empire, we will see the Outer Ocean, and we'll live in an age of heroes."
Alexander's face softened and he moved suddenly, catching Hephaestion in a fierce hug, knowing he was not alone. "The gods ask a great price for great gifts, Hephaestion, including friendship," he said.
"Nothing great can be achieved without great risk, Alexander," Hephaestion said, his arms enveloping Alexander's ribs.
Alexander disentangled himself, momentarily embarrassed by the display of emotion. "She also said that water will quicken the desert places and to look in the sands of time for immortality," he said, meeting Hephaestion's eyes questioningly. "I don't know what that means. Life in barren places?"
Hephaestion frowned in concentration. "Where are there deserts? Egypt?"
Alexander's eyes widened in recognition. "The oasis at Siwah," he said. "The oracle of Zeus Ammon is in the middle of the desert, the sands of Egypt. Egypt is an ancient land, Hephaestion, a land of many old gods. I must go there, I must go to Siwah, Hephaestion." His eyes lost focus as he imagined the distant land.
"Yes," Hephaestion whispered, watching Alexander avidly. "But I don't expect your father will let us go yet."
"No," Alexander said, coming back down to earth. "Some day, though. There is still a great deal to be done here in Greece. We can't go into Asia until we have the secure backing of the Greeks, or they will rise against us the minute Philip sets sail."
"Yes, but then we will go to Troy and conquer all the cities Achilles and Patroclus conquered," Hephaestion said, his eyes shining brightly.
"Yes, Troy," Alexander said, his eyes growing large and luminous with dreams. "To walk in the footsteps of Achilles, Hephaestion." Suddenly his eyes sharpened with focus. "Let's go up to the stadium," he said eagerly. "I want to run a race in Achilles' honour."
Hephaestion's face lit up in eagerness as he scrambled to his feet after Alexander, who was already leaping down the steps to the floor of the theatre. They turned right outside the theatre and made their way upslope through the pine trees to the stadium just below the level crest of the mountain.