Hephaistion looked horrified at Alexander's suggestion. He stood up and began to pace, agitated.
"No." He said "I cannot go back. I won't."
Alexander followed him with his eyes "Please, you could used your gi…"
Hephaistion rounded on him "It doesn't work like that. Imagine what will happen if people were to find out about this. Your mother kept hers secret."
Alexander laughed "No she was just selective in what she showed and to who she showed it too." Then he became serious "But it could though, use it to help me."
"And I will help you," Hephaistion replied "but not in that way."
The wolf's ears went up before sitting up alert as the tension between the two men increased.
"Why? Olympias would have."
Hephaistion stopped pacing and looked like he had just been slapped in the face. Whatever Hephaistion was feeling the wolf felt it too. It growled low in throat. Alexander realized his mistake.
"Look Hephaistion. I'm sorry."
Alexander stood up and went over to Hephaistion to try and comfort but Hephaistion stepped away from his grasp. The wolf snarled Alexander backed off. He knew that he should say something else but before he had a chance Hephaistion brushed passed him and left. The wolf trotted after him not before it had a warning snap in passing.
Alexander found Hephaistion sometime later, sitting in the fork of a tree. The wolf was laid on its side at the base of said tree. It acknowledged his presence with a causal lift of his head before going back to its original position. Hephaistion had not moved so Alexander stood by and simply watched. Hephaistion had his back to the trunk, one leg hanging down his eyes were closed as if in deep concentration.
"Hephai…." He began but without opening his eyes the other man cut him off. He seemed very distant.
"Listen to how peaceful it is."
Alexander looked around listening.
"No, I mean really listen." Hephaistion rebuked him without moving
So he copied Hephaistion by closing his eyes tilting his head to one side. He smiled at the sound of nature raw and uninterrupted.
When he opened his eyes again he found Hephaistion standing in front of him. In shock Alexander had to take a step back.
"Come, I have something to show you." He said already walking away. The wolf started too followed but with a look from Hephaistion he simply went his own way.
As they approached where their destination Hephaistion slowed and stopped but instructed Alexander to go on.
Alexander continued until the sight before him made him ground to a halt. The path before him had been devastated. Trees had been reduced to stumps and the earth left as churned up holes of mud and scorched earth.
Alexander's eyes darted from one sight of devastation to another. The peace and serenity he felt before was gone, replaced with feeling of anger. He felt Hephaistion at his side, hesitant.
"Demeas did this?" He asked looking over his shoulder than back.
Hephaistion nodded once "Everything cried out at once. We felt it as they came through here."
"You can fix this? With your gift."
Hephaistion crouched down. He put his fingertips followed by the palm of his hand to the ground closed his eyes. At first nothing happened than Hephaistion frowned as if he had founded something. His hand began to shake which soon travelled up his arm to the rest of his body. Little tiny beads sweat began to appear on his brow and temples. Alexander could see tiny spots of color appearing in the dry husks left behind by Demeas' army. Under Hephaistion's influence the damage was repairing itself. However the intervention seemed to be costing Hephaistion. He had started to slump his face creased with effort. Alexander's head snapped around in the direction of the sound of a wolf in pain.
"Hephaistion that is enough." He said gently but Hephaistion didn't seem to hear.
Alexander didn't know what was happening but he didn't want to see how far or what would happen if Hephaistion kept on pushing himself. He reached out to put a hand on Hephaistion's shoulders. He was overcome with a sudden attack of weakness. Hephaistion was draning his life energy.
|" He- Hephaistion- please." He said through clenched teeth. His hand felt like it was weighted down as he reached down to wrap it around Hephaistion's wrist and broke the connection.
The both fell backwards in an exhausted heap. Alexander was the first to recover and sit up. He shook the fuzziness from his head.
"Hephaistion, look!" He said all excited "Hephaistion?"
Looking down and around he could see that Hephaistion was laying still but breathing beside him. Alexander pulled him into a sitting position and gently slapped the side of his face. He was drifting in and out of consciousness. Alexander had to put his ear close to understand what Hephaistion was saying. He flopped against Alexander.
"You did it." Alexander said gently looking around at the newly restore forest.