CHAPTER 117

 

Macedonian Center,

 

Hephaistion, standing at the front of his men, was not going to take part in the cavalry charge; he remained with the Agema just behind the hetairoi cavalry, and, from his warhorse, he had a privileged view of how the scythed chariots charged against the phalanx. Their wheels, moving at great speed, made the blades attached to them looked capable enough of dismembering a man. It was a dreaded sight, how could someone fight against these machines?

 

But Alexander had briefed his taxiarchs of what they had to do when the time came and they had to face this danger. And this was the moment, they had to overcome their fear and obey their King’s orders.

 

The General could hear Perdikkas voice, carried by the wind, shouting orders to keep his men in formation, and to continue the advance. Two hundred scythed chariots and the sound of their sharp blades of 1 meter long as they approached, closing the distance, was enough to sow fear in the heart of any man. Four horses pulled these killing machines carrying one driver and 2 soldiers, ready with spears, arrows and swords. 

 

The Persian infantry wasn’t good enough to face the Macedonian phalanx, their sarissas were far more superior than any foot Persian soldier, or even a Greek hoplite, but Darius knew that once the phalanx had gaps the whole formation was lost. His master plan was to smash the phalanx into a bloody pulp, force them lose the formation and then, send his cavalry and infantry to destroy them.

 

- Steady! –shouted Perdikkas, standing at one side of his taxei—Nobody moved unless I said so –he raised his voice to be heard over the noise—STEADY!

 

It was thanks to their fierce discipline that nobody left his place and stayed where they were, watching those killing machines approaching to them. More than one pezetairoi felt a cold sweat running down his spine as the chariots approach, they all pray to all the Gods out there to protect them, but nobody moved.

 

200 paces…

 

100 paces…

 

50 paces…and they could distinguish the features of those monsters’ riders. Perdikkas could feel his heart racing and his hands sweating, he had to wait, to give the order to soon would ruin everything and, to give it too late would be disastrous.  

 

- NOW! –he shouted with all his forces and the men moved, opening paths through their lines to let the chariots pass. 

 

The same order was repeated by Koinos, Meleager, Polyperchon and Krateros, like an echo across the plain, all the taxeis opened their ranks at the same time, and the charioteers saw powerless how their targets step aside. They could do nothing, their speed didn’t let them change the course or stop, and soon they had passed through the phalanx’s lines without causing major troubles.

 

Perdikkas laughed; it had been so easy that he couldn’t believe it.

 

And I thought that Alexander was nuts for issuing these orders –he shook his head.

 

- What are you doing? Go back to formation, NOW! –shouted the taxiarch at the top of his voice—We are not on a picnic. 

 

Only Simmias, in the middle of Krateros and Polyperchon, waited for too long and the chariots reached his men when they were moving to open their ranks. Some pezetairois managed to move away fast enough, but many didn’t and the air was filled with horrible screams as no one had heard them before; the blades attached to the wheels cut legs, and arms with cold efficiency, creating a macabre spectacle that would be burned forever in the minds of those who witnessed that horror. 

 

Simmias turned and saw with genuine terror how the chariots dismembered his taxei, the sound of steel separating flesh and bones; he was going to shout orders to restore order when a splash of blood hit his face, coming from the severed artery of a man standing near him. The taxiarch cleaned his face with the back of his hand, suddenly the noises and images were like something distant, and he felt lost for a few seconds, he closed his eyes for a moment and, when he opened the again, saw around him severed members lying on the ground over pools of fresh blood. Simmias took deep breaths to calm down the savage beating of his heart and saw that his men restored their ranks, leaving the wounded behind. 

 

If they didn’t keep the formation they would be lost.

 

Hephaistion saw from his position how the rest of the taxeis finished the charioteers, the archers and javelin men behind them shoot their missiles and soon the deadly scythed chariots were no longer a threat. They just had to kill one horse and the whole chariot was destabilized. The enemy tried to fight back but everything was in vain and they were all slaughtered where they were standing.

 

The Macedonians were now ready to face the next danger that the Great King dared to send against them. Nikanor’s men advanced, once the chariots were destroyed, at Koinos right side and the General turned to see how was the hetairoi cavalry doing at the right wing. 

 

Even if he commanded an infantry unit, Hephaistion wasn’t going to fight with the rest of the phalanx, his orders where to support the hetairoi cavalry along with the Agrianians, the Macedonian archers and the javelin men. A though task, and, as soon as his dark gray eyes saw Bessus charging against Alexander, he knew it was his turn to join the battle. 

 

Hephaistion touch his chest, feeling the locket with Alexander’s hair beneath his breastplate and took a deep breath, watching the massive cavalry force under Bessus orders coming directly to them.

 

- Dismas! –he called his second in command, and Dismas came running.

 

- Sir! –he stood to attention. 

 

- Get ready for the impact; the Persian cavalry is coming this way –said the General, his eyes on the enemy.

 

- Yes, sir.

 

Among the ranks of the Agema, Lysanias heard Dismas voice as something very distant. His mouth was dry watching that impressive mass of horses and men charging directly at them, he felt sick took deep breaths to fight the urge to throw up. He turned to look at his companions and saw that all were tensed but ready, even Ioalos at his side looked like a professional soldier.

 

Lysanias thought about his mother and his home, just like Hephaistion had told him; he wanted to go back, to see his mother and Cadie again, to arrive proudly like a war hero, but first he had to survive this. 

 

I’m not going to die today –he thought with resolution, holding his shield with force, fighting his powerful imagination and concentrating in that moment.

 

Macedonian Left Wing,

 

For a man of 69 years old, Parmelio moved really fast on his brown warhorse, riding from one side to the other shouting orders at the top of his voice. The clash between his forces and the Persian cavalry was brutal, the Thessalians, like many other times, fought bravely even if they were outnumber at last 5 to 1, shouting their war cries and pushing with all their forces the enemy horsemen.

 

- Don’t let them through! –shouted the old General, over the metallic sound of weapons, the neighing of horses and the cries of men—Philip! –he called one the Thessalian hipparch—Close those gaps, we can’t let these bastards have their way!

 

He was still talking when he saw 2 Persians pierced one of his men through the chest with their swords.

 

- Shit! –cursed the old General.

 

- General! –Erigyius called Parmelio, riding directly to him. His left arm was covered in blood, but for what the old General saw it wasn’t his own—General, we can’t hold them any longer, the Persians are pushing us. 

 

Parmelio cursed again. The Persian cavalry, under the command of Mazaeus, had been pushing his men without pause and without mercy with their great numbers. The King had given him the mission of stopping the enemy on the left wing but this was proving to be impossible.

 

At this rate, none of us would be left alive –thought the old General, drawing his own sword to join the battle.

 

Macedonian Right Wing,

 

Alexander knew what he had to do; he knew this was the only way to beat an army as big as the Persian with such a powerful cavalry force. But knowing the way was just half of the deed, the other half was to have the strength to do what it had to be done and, as the King saw squadron after squadron of the enemy cavalry charging directly at them, as an endless river of men and beasts, he was aware that, what he was asking for his men, was a miracle.

 

They had to hold long enough for a gap to open at the center. This was like a game, and everything would end if he killed or captured Darius, safely guarded at the center of the Persian formation by his Immortals, always ready to give the life for him. Alexander’s plan was very simple, to lure as many cavalry squadrons as possible to chase his small cavalry units, to tempt the Persians to outflank him, to surround him, and then, at the precise moment when the center was left undefended, when a gap open, he would charge with all his force going directly after the Great King.

 

Easier said than done.

 

All around the King was a confusion of men and horses, of blood and dust, the air filled with the metallic sound of weapons crashing against each other, the neighing of horses, shouts and curses in every language, and he soon found himself fighting against 2 riders, it was an unfair match. But, this was an unfair battle.

 

Alexander pierced one of his enemies through the chest, blocked the blow of the second one with his shield, and, drew his sword from the mortally wounded body of his opponent, to strike his remaining enemy, burying his blade in his heart. The King lifted his head, he couldn’t see the gap and he felt a knot in his stomach, he had to act quickly before the rest of the Persian cavalry arrived and all would be lost, but there was no gap.  

 

What if I didn’t see it? –he thought alarmed—Or worst, what if Darius doesn’t send the rest of his cavalry?

 

The King felt a shiver. If the Great King didn’t fell into his trap, if he didn’t send all his cavalry squadrons after him, his plan would fail. Alexander had staked everything in the fact that Darius was going to do what he had planned, but maybe he had done the same mistake the Great King did when he waited the Macedonian army at Cunaxa: to expect the enemy to do what he wanted. 

 

Alexander heard a terrible scream, and when he turned, he found that the cataphracts had reached his men; he had never seen such mounted forces before and what he saw in those moments remained buried in his memory for the rest of his life. He saw fragments of individual duels all around him, one Susian horseman who fell from his horse with a severed hand, another Scythian who was ready to shoot his arrows when a javelin pierced his chest from side to side, and one Macedonian who was cruelly crushed under one of the cataphracts’ hooves, the sound of his bones breaking was one of the horrible sounds he had even heard.

 

- How do you kill these things? –asked Kleitos without breath, cleaning the sweat and blood from his cheek, and watching how the cataphracts kept advancing, destroying everything in their path.

 

The Macedonians had tried everything, throwing their javelins, to pierce them with their spears or swords, but nothing seem to work and the cataphracts kept pushing them, they were losing ground, forced to step back if they didn’t want to be killed. 

 

- Maybe…if we aimed to the horses’ eyes –said Nikandros near the hipparch, patting. His arm was numbed after he hit one of the cataphracts on his leg, but it had been like hitting a rock and Nikandros couldn’t feel his fingers. He was starting to despair, what was exactly the King’s plan? Because if this was all, they were doom.

 

Kleitos nodded.

 

- Their eyes –he had no better idea.

 

The hipparch pressed the sides of his horse and charge again, he dodged 2 blows from one of the long pikes of the cataphracts and aimed to the horses’ eyes, but the enemy was no fool, he quickly moved his horse and raised his pike, ready to hit Kleitos again. The hipparch lifted his shield and blocked the blow, but the impact left a little confused, and his enemy saw the chance to end with him. The Bactrian was ready to attack again when his horse screamed in pain and stood up on his hind legs making his rider fall. The man tried to move away from his beast but he was too slow and the horse crashed him. 

 

Kleitos turned to see what had happened and found Nikandros near him, holding his spear, dripping fresh blood, and patting.

 

- After all…the eyes…were a good idea –said Nikandros and Kleitos laughed.

 

- I owe you one, lad.

 

But the hipparch good mood didn’t last for long. It was extremely difficult to stop the cataphracts, it take too much time and too many men to kill one, and they didn’t have the luxury of wasting time, they were heavily outnumbered, and the Persian light cavalry kept attacking, shooting arrows and thrusting their swords like a horde of bloodthirsty beasts. They couldn’t continue this for too long.  

 

Macedonian Center,

 

If the hetairoi cavalry was having a hard time, for the Agema things were chaotic, they supported the best way they could their companions, fighting against the light cavalry using their spears to impale the horses, keeping a close formation, but they were suffering greatly.

 

Hephaistion killed 2 of his opponents with such ease, that it looked almost as if they bored him, there was simply no way in which the enemy could approach him, the General killed anyone who dared to stand in his way. He cut the throat of a rider that had tried to impale him with his long spear, before his enemy could do as much as raise his weapon, and stopped 3 arrows that were flying directly at him with just his swords.

 

His reflexes had no equal, he could move faster than anyone, and predict his opponents’ moves, no matter who stood before his blades, they all fell at his feet in the same way. 

 

The General thrust his 2 swords in one man’s chest, twisted the blades to cause more damage and drew them. He took a moment to catch his breath and saw how were his men doing. They were resisting, so far so good, but Hephaistion knew this wasn’t the hard part, even if everything around him was now blood and death as he relentlessly killed every single one of his opponents, he knew the worst would come if the cataphracts reach them, then, there would be no hope. 

 

Persian Center,

 

Even if Darius felt always lost at the middle of the battles, never knowing how to interpret the development of the fight, he was sure of one thing: Alexander himself was fighting on the right wing and Bessus had him heavily outnumbered; but this wasn’t enough, he wanted a crushing victory after all the humiliation he had suffered at the hands of the barbarian King and his lover, and he would have one. He always had what he wanted. 

 

The Great King gave his silver cup of water to his servant, standing at one side of his war chariot, and called his messenger. 

 

- Sound the order for the rest of the cavalry to support Bessus –said Darius, catching his brother’s attention.

 

- Yes, your majesty –the messenger bowed and ran to obey.

 

- Great King –said Oxyathres carefully—You are going to leave the center of the formation unprotected.

 

- So what Oxyathres? –said Darius, turning to see his brother—The barbarian is trapped, he would die under the hooves of my horses, we can use all the cavalry to finish him.

 

Oxyathres had to admit his brother had a point, how could someone escape from 17, 000 horsemen with a handful of men? But, he felt uneasy, he couldn’t explain why, but he had the feeling that everything could change in a heartbeat, that nothing was written…

 

Macedonian Right Wing,

 

The Persian trumpets sounded the order to advance. Hundred of horsemen ran to join the desperate battle that was being fought on the right wing. Ptolemy opened his eyes as if he couldn’t believe what was happening; they were already trapped, and it was onlya matter of time for them to be killed to the last man, all Darius had to do was sit and wait for them to die while he was fanned by his servants.

 

But the Great King was impatience, and he wanted to end it all now.

 

- We are lost –whispered Ptolemy, watching that horde riding directly to them, announcing their ultimate doom at each step. He saw they approaching in slow motion, raising clouds of dusts, looking like ghosts coming out from the mist.

 

Leonnatos finished his last opponent and, when he turned and saw what was coming after them, the only thing he could think was that he would have like to live long enough to meet his unborn son. He took his sword with force.

 

If they are going to kill me, at least I’m going to take with me as many of them as I can –he thought, his eyes usually calm and gentle, shinning with ferocity.

 

Alexander cursed silently. Was this the end? Had he come this far to die in an unknown land? Had the Oracle at Siwah lie to him?

 

His eyes were fixed on the Persian squadrons and then, he saw it, the gap. He smiled knowing that, in the same moment that the remaining Persian horses moved in his direction, he had win.

 

Darius has sealed his destiny –he thought, thanking all the Gods in Mount Olympus.

 

Alexander pushed his last opponent with the boss of his shield, making the man lose his balance and fall; then he pressed the sides of his horse and shouted the Macedonian war cry.

 

- Kleitos, Philotas, Glaucias, Sopolis, Heracleides, Demetrios, Hegelochus, Ariston! –Alexander called his hipparchs and Iliarchs at the top of his voice—ON ME!

 

He called all the units to assemble again, and the men did their best to obey, many were engaged in small duels, others trapped among several enemies, and many more too far from him to react quickly.

 

Time was against them, they had to move quickly or the gap would disappear. The King shouted his orders and, even if nobody could explain later how he had done it, in a heartbeat he had formed again the scattered squadrons of the hetairoi cavalry into a gigantic wedge and charged directly in the Great King’s direction.

 

Behind them, Nikanor’s men and Hephaistion’s followed the fierce charged aiming to the now unprotected Persian Center, to where the Great King was waiting.

 

Persian Center,

 

Oxyathres saw with horror the charge. He knew it; he had always known the invader had a plan.

 

Alexander always has a plan, and we should know better than to expect less from him –thought Oxyathres, feeling a knot in his stomach.

 

The Macedonian King had waited until the last minute, until the center of the Persian formation was weak enough to attempt a direct attack. It had been risky, very risky, if he had waited too long his men would have been crashed under the vast numbers of Bessus’ cavalry, and, as Oxyathres’ eyes saw the savage charge, he knew it was now in his hands, as the commander of the Household cavalry, to stop the enemy. 

 

It’s like Issus –thought the Great King’s brother, drawing his sword, ready to protect Darius even with his own life.

 

Now, only the Household cavalry, the Immortals and the Greek mercenaries would decide Darius fate.

 

Macedonian Right Wing,

 

Hephaistion dismounted. Now, the center of the Persian formation had become also the center of the battle and everything would be decided in that moment; his men were tired, many were wounded, and what they needed now was to have their General fighting at their side as one of them, and Hephaistion had no problems fighting without his horse, in fact, he was even deadlier on the ground.

 

The General dodge 2 blows from the Immortals, rolled on the ground and cut the leg of one of them, behind the knee; the man screamed and before his companion could react Hephaistion had buried his blade in his stomach. A splash of blood hit his face; he had hit a main artery. He stood up and turned at the same moment another man was approaching, the General blocked his blow, crossing his two swords in front of him, then he kicked the man on the abdomen and attacked.

 

This was not a common opponent, and the Immortal successfully stopped all his blows, that made Hephaistion smile like a predator.  

 

Finally someone with guts –thought the General in his attack position.

 

The Immortal in front of him had nothing spectacular, he was shorter than Hephaistion and didn’t look too strong, but he was really fast and skilful with his curved sword. In that moment, it was as if the rest of the battle didn’t exist and the General concentrated all his attention in his enemy.

 

The Persian took his time to analyze Hephaistion, waiting for the right moment to strike. The man moved his right foot slightly forward, always keeping his eyes on Hephaistion, and, when his instincts dictated it, he moved against the General. Hephaistion stopped his complicated series of attacks with difficulty, the Immortal was really good, and gradually, he realized that the Persian was pushing him back.

 

He cursed. The General pushed the man with his 2 blades and kicked him; the Immortal lost his balance for a moment and Hephaistion took that chance to attack, but his opponent rolled on the floor.

 

This is getting more interesting –the General took his helmet off, and ran after him. He couldn’t fight as he wanted with the helmet.

 

Now, it was the Persian turned to stop the Macedonian’s series of merciless blows; Hephaistion pushed him back and the Immortal tried to kick him but the General dodge him, and took that opportunity to thrust, successfully piercing his expose side. The Persian screamed but didn’t fell, and attacked again, but he had lost his initial speed and Hephaistion knew that eventually, that wound and the loss of blood would cause his opponent to slow down even more, until he had no more energy.

 

At the end, Hephaistion buried his blades, one in his chest the other in his thigh and then twisted them. His opponent clenched his teeth and finally fell on the ground. The General had minor wounds, and he paid them no attention, it wasn’t the time for that. 

 

Persian Center,

 

Darius saw with horror how his Immortals, his Household cavalry, and his Greek mercenaries where torn asunder by the invader’s forces. The taxeis were advancing in his direction, easily defeating his bad trained infantry after his scythed chariots had served him for nothing. The Great King stretched his neck, Mazaeus was wining the battle on the left wing and couldn’t come to his rescue, and Bessus was too far, by the time he could arrange again his forces it would be too late for the Great King.

 

This was the bad thing of having so many horsemen, to arrange them again in battle formation and launch a successful counter attack, was almost impossible, besides, the cataphracts were too heavy to act with alacrity.

 

Darius paled, watching Alexander, completely covered in blood so close to him; it was Issus all over again, and, in the same moment their eyes met, the Great King felt a cold shiver running down his spine.

 

He had no choice; he had to flight…again.

 

Macedonian Left Wing,

 

- Don’t let them through! Hold the lines! –Parmelio shouted with all his forces watching with horror how the Indian and Persian cavalry were opening a gap among the Thessalians.

 

The old General had joined the battle helping his men in the best way he could, but they couldn’t hold for much longer. Dead and wounded men and horses lied around him, and the enemy, even if they had been fighting for hours, gave no signs of exhaustion, they just kept coming and attacking with the same force never giving them a respite.

 

Parmelio finished his last opponent, and as the man fell from his horse, he turned and saw how the Cadusian and Scythians charged savagely, successfully passing through the Macedonian ranks. 

 

- Dear father Zeus! –exclaimed the old General paled.

 

- What are they doing? –asked a man near Parmelio, watching the enemy riding in the hills direction—Where are they going?

 

- They are heading to our camp –said Parmelio, feeling a knot in his stomach.

 

Macedonian Camp,

 

- I told you, you can’t see the battlefield from the towers because of the hills –said Achilles, walking with Cyrus back to the King’s tent.

 

- What do you think is happening? –asked the 8 years old Persian Prince with the curiosity and interest of someone who had never seen the horrors of war at first hand.

 

The camp wasn’t too far from the plain and the wind carried the sound of the battle to where they were, arousing the imagination of the 2 boys.

 

The Macedonian shrugged.

 

- I don’t know –he said—I would like to see, but we’d have to sneak out, fooling the guards to go to the hill –the idea fascinated Achilles, a little adventure of their own while their fathers were fighting at scarcely miles away.

 

- Do you think we can do it? –asked Cyrus, torn between fear and excitement. He would have never dared to imagine doing something like this alone, but, if Achilles was with him then it was fine, his friend always knew what to do.

 

- Yes, but first…

 

But Achilles never finished what he was saying; they heard the alarm calling the few men left behind to arms, followed by the sound of hundreds of horses approaching at great speed.  

 

- What’s that? –asked Cyrus scared.

 

- I don’t know –the Macedonian shook his head slowly.

 

XXX

 

Grandfather Demetrios ran outside his tent when he heard the alarm, his magnificent swords in his hands and wearing his old breastplate. At first he was as confused as the Princes, but then, he found a man with a bandaged around his head and arm, one of the wounded pezetairoi left behind, holding his sword with his good arm. 

 

- What’s happening?

 

The man turned and immediately recognized him.

 

- It’s the Persians, Demetrios –he said—They are outside. 

 

Grandfather Demetrios turned to the gates and clenched his jaw. This was bad, had the Macedonian army lost the battle? He couldn’t find any other explanation, if the Persians had come this far it was because Alexander had been defeated, and that thought made him shiver. What had come of his son and his grandsons? Were all lying dead in that plain? He felt his blood burning with the sole idea of his family massacred by those motherless barbarians. 

 

- How many men can fight here? –asked Demetrios, thinking quickly what could they do to save themselves even if that seem impossible now. If the Macedonian army had been defeated then, they were alone in the middle of a foreign land with no escape routes available for them. 

 

This was much worst than what Xenophon and his 10 thousand had faced after the battle at Cunaxa. At least they were 10 thousand trained warriors, here, were only women, children and wounded men.

 

- Not many, perhaps 50 who can fight, the King took with him every man who could hold a sword –said the pezetairoi, thinking the same as Demetrios, he had been in enough battles to know when everything was lost.

 

Grandfather Demetrios nodded and ran to the door. There he found the only officer left, a man named Philip who looked as confused and scared as the women Demetrios had found on his way here. The man didn’t know what to do, it was clear that the last thing he had expected was to have the Persians here, and the men guarding the gates, looked at him waiting for instructions.  

 

- Why aren’t the gates being reinforced? –asked grandfather Demetrios, striding to where a very paled Philip was standing. 

 

- What? –asked the officer as if he didn’t understand Macedonian.

 

- The gates –Demetrios repeated, pointing at them—We have to hold the gates.

 

- Right –said Philip waking up and shouting orders to reinforce the gates, and the men around him ran to gather timber from wherever they could.

 

- How many Persians? –asked grandfather Demetrios, shouting to one sentry.

 

- Like 3 thousand horsemen, sir –answered the man.

 

- This is bad –Demetrios scratched his chin.

 

- Grandpa! –Berenike came running with her bow tightly pressed against her breasts and Thais, her children, Sophonisba and Netikerty behind her—What’s going on?

 

- We are under attack, girl –said his grandfather, thinking what to do.  

 

- But that’s not possible –said Thais, her eyes big and round like the moon—If the Persians are here that means…

 

- Our army couldn’t have been defeated –said Berenike stubbornly, looking directly at her friend. Then she turned again to face her grandfather—What are we going to do?

 

Grandfather Demetrios raised his eyebrows in surprise.

 

- We? 

 

- Grandpa, here aren’t enough men to defend the camp and I’m a good archer –said Berenike, her voice full with determination.

 

- And you are pregnant… —but grandfather Demetrios didn’t finish what he was saying. The Persians hit the gates with tremendous force, and the wood cracked loudly.

 

Those gates weren’t made to resist an attack like this –thought grandfather Demetrios.

 

- Grandpa, are the Persians going to come inside? –asked Amyntas, anxious and scared.

 

- Yes, son, I’m afraid they are…Eni, take your children and hide…

 

- But…

 

- Let me finish! –grandfather Demetrios raised his voice—We can’t defend the camp, they are going to enter and I don’t have to remind you that here are also several Persian captives who are going to run directly into the enemy’s arms –he took her granddaughter by the arms—This is going to be very bad, worst for women, so, go and hide, do you understand?

 

- But I can help –she insisted—You taught me how to fight and…

 

- You can’t help! –grandfather Demetrios raised his voice again—And you are going to do as I say, do you understand?

 

Berenike moved her head up and down, fighting the urge to cry.

 

- Yes, grandpa.

 

- Good girl –grandfather Demetrios nodded—Wait until things calm down and then run away as far as you could. Go to Tyre, and from there the fleet can take you all back to Macedonia. 

 

Berenike saw him scared.

 

- What are you saying? –she asked without voice.

 

- It’s like Thais said, if the Persians are here it means our army had been defeated –Berenike felt she was going to faint—If they capture you I don’t dare to think what could they do, so, your best chance is to hide and run away.

 

- What are you going to do? –asked Berenike and her grandfather smiled, a smile she had never see on his face.

 

- Stay here and fight, what else? Now go –he said—If I can, I would join you.

 

- If you can? You have to promise me that you will –said his granddaughter holding his gaze—I already lost my father and I won’t lose you –her eyes shone with the tears she didn’t want to shed. 

 

- I promise –said grandfather Demetrios and Berenike nodded.

 

- I’ll be waiting for you.

 

They obeyed and ran looking for a hiding place, among the chaos that reign in the camp, servants, slaves, wounded men, women…all running and looking for a place to hide. Some crying and others screaming when they heard the gates finally cracking to let the two thousand Cadusian and one thousand Scythian horsemen inside, shouting their terrifying war cries.

 

- I know where we can hide –said Thais, paled and scared as she had never been in her whole life.

 

- Near the grain stores? –asked Berenike, remembering the boxes and wagons that could served to cover them.

 

- No, not near anything they can consider valuable –said the hetaira, shaking her head.  

 

- Good point.

 

- Mom? –asked Amyntas, running at her side.

 

- What, sweetie?

 

- What about Aki? –Berenike and Thais stopped abruptly.

 

- Oh… sweet Zeus! –exclaimed Berenike without voice, taking a hand to her forehead.

 

- The King’s tent is going to be the first place they’ll loot –said the hetaira alarmed—And if they know he is the Crown Prince… 

 

- They are going to kill him –Berenike took both hands to her face, thinking what to do.

 

- I can go and look for him, ma’am –said Netikerty—I can run fast.

 

But her mistress shook her head.

 

- No, that’s too dangerous… I have a better idea –she made up her mind—Run to grandpa and tell him about Aki, he would know what to do.

 

Netikerty nodded and ran back.

 

XXX

 

Achilles and Cyrus didn’t know what to do. They were standing at the middle of the camp hearing the commotion, orders shouted in Macedonian, curses and the unknown war cries of the enemy; they felt a fear they had never felt before.

 

- What do we do now? –asked a very paled Cyrus.

 

- Lets go to the King’s tent –said Achilles—It’s the nearest place.

 

The Persian nodded and ran after him as fast as he could. They found Xsayarsa at the tent’s entrance speaking very quickly to the 2 guards left to protect the Prince, and looking as scared as they were.

 

- Praise be to Ahura Mazda! –exclaimed the eunuch raising his arms to the sky when he saw the 2 boys—Peris would kill me if I lose you…your highness –he bowed his head in front of Cyrus. If it were for Xsayarsa he would also called Achilles “highness” but Hephaistion had forbidden him to do it—I was telling the guards to go and look for you.

 

- What’s happening? –asked Achilles.

 

- The Great King’s men are at the camp gates –said Xsayarsa and the Macedonian Prince opened his eyes, looking like an owl.

 

- Why?

 

The eunuch shook his head.

 

- I can only think in one explanation, the King lost the battle –said the Persian and Achilles trembled. Did that mean his father and his uncle were dead?

 

They heard screams and horses hooves approaching, the guards took their weapons at the same time 5 Cadusian horsemen rode directly in their direction, their long blades dripping flesh blood.

 

XXX

 

A/N: I’ll explain about the cataphracts. I read in two different historical novels that Alexander fought against cataphracts at Gaugamela, but the ancient sources only say he found against the “Bactrian heavily armed cavalry”. I read that Persians did have cataphracts in their armies, so I decided to write that Alexander faced them. But again, I could be wrong.