Chapter 221

 

Disclaimer: You already know Anaxagoras, Eric and Lucius are NOT my own creation and all credit goes to the amazing authors who imagined them. Also, my new character here Thanatos, is based on one of my favorite videogame characters, Arumat P. Thanatos from Star Ocean the Last Hope by Square-Enix ^^ The credit for the mythology about the Umbra comes from Wraith the Oblivion by White Wolf.

 

CHAPTER 221

 

Lucius couldn’t take it anymore, since he and Eric arrived at Hephaistion’s place the only thing the Macedonian had been doing was stared at the city from the balcony, his dark gray eyes lost somewhere in the distance, watching without truly seeing that immense carpet of lights unfolding before him. Hephaistion used to do that a lot, watch the city from the balcony every time he was worried or depressed, every time he felt lost.

 

The Roman had never been like his friend, he never overthought things and very rarely felt depressed, Lucius had always mocked vampires who spent their nights brooding over their lost humanity after all, what was the point of being immortal if you didn’t have fun? Yes, he got depressed watching what was left of his Rome, and you could certainly make him cry if you mentioned his long dead best friend, but…he was never like Hephaistion. 

 

I never was like him because the only person I have ever loved in right here with me –thought the Roman. Lucius had known what was like losing someone you loved, he could understand what Hephaistion felt because, that night, 400 years ago when Eric told him he hated him, he had felt as if his heart were falling apart— But its different. Eric is immortal whereas Alexander is dead and we don’t know if all this will work. 

 

At last Lucius lost his already scarce patience and walked to his friend’s side. He was bad with words but he couldn’t stay there doing nothing while the Macedonian drown in his own thoughts and fears. He bent to the front, resting his arms on the railing and turned to look at Hephaistion; any mortal could have mistaken him for a statue in those moments, immobile, perfect. The Macedonian was beautiful like dawn but, at the same time, dark like midnight. 

 

— What now? –Lucius finally asked, unable to withstand that silence for much longer. For a moment he wasn’t sure if Hephaistion had heard him and was going to ask again when…

 

— What do you mean? –his voice was soft and detached but he didn’t fool the Roman, they had been friends for almost 2 thousand years and knew all his moods as if they were his own.

 

— You have been like this since your pet left –said the Roman talking about Zophiel— If you knew that talking about your mortal life is so hard, why, by Mars’ cock, did you do it?

 

That was a good question and one that Hephaistion had asked himself many times in the past 2 years but, by now, he had a good answer. He turned to look at his friend and took a moment before speaking again, trying to put in words what lay inside his heart— It’s funny how is so difficult to explain to others what for us is so obvious. 

 

— I had to do it –said the Macedonian, holding his friend’s green eyes, eyes like his own, full with untold secrets, eyes that had seen too much, impossible to hold for long without feeling overwhelm by their burden— I felt…I needed to unburden myself, just like you did when you wrote your diary.

 

He has a point –thought Lucius. This was something he could understand.

 

— Fine –the Roman nodded, hearing the distance sounds of the traffic below them— Point taken, but you still haven’t answered my question. What now?

 

— Now…I don’t know –Hephaistion was lost and worried, his old fears, those who assaulted him for time to time had came back with renew force; his head was full of doubts and his heart full with insecurities. He didn’t know how to answer Lucius— Kaine’s sword is complete, after all the hardships, pain and suffering I finally have something I have wanted for 2 millennia and now…I no longer know if this is a good idea.

 

Lucius could hardly believe what he was hearing.

 

— You are kidding me! After all this time and you don’t know if you want to bring your lover back from the death? –the Roman was in shock to say the least.

 

— Lucius, Alexander took his own life and I will force him to come back –said the Macedonian with intensity— Even if my plan works, even if Alex wakes up as if he had just been sleeping all this time, how is he going to react? Its more than 2 thousand years since he died, he thinks I am dead, what if this is too much for him? What if…he loses his mind? –sadness could be felt in his voice, a terrible ancient sadness that moved the Roman’s heart. 

 

— Phai, we have talked about this before –said Lucius softening his voice— Alexander took his own life to be with you and, if you bring him back from the death you will be granting his last wish, to be with you. Besides, your plan is good, it’s a good idea that you asked Anaxagoras to stay with Alexander for a while, to explain the situation to him once he wakes up, little by little, before he sees you. 

 

— Your are right, we have talked about this for centuries but now, now its different because its real, before it was just…a dream, now it’s a fact –answered Hephaistion— Lucius, what if…what if Alex hates me? What if he is scared of me of what I have become?

 

— He will not –the Roman answered absolutely sure of what was he saying, something Hephaistion wasn’t expecting and that successfully took him aback.

 

— How can you be so sure? –Lucius seemed uncomfortable having to explain his own feelings, he was bad at this and had never liked to open his heart and, for a moment, the Macedonian thought he wasn’t going to answer him at all. The Roman turned to make sure Eric was not around and then, only then, he continued.

 

— If he loved you as you said he did, he will accept you as you are now, no matter how much you have changed –said the Roman, his voice merely a whisper— It…it happened to me…with Eric, no mattered if one thousand years passed or how much he changed, I always felt the same about him…But don’t you dare to tell him I said this or I swear by Jupiter Optimus Maximus that I will kill you.

 

Hephaistion smiled.

 

XXX

 

The night he had waited for more than 2 thousand years had finally come, the most important night of his entire existence and Hephaistion had to make an effort to keep his hands from trembling. Everything was set, he was outside the city waiting with Lucius and Eric, in a solitary field, for the man who could help him to achieve the impossible, to steal from the death— Such a common peaceful night for an extraordinary event like this –he mused, hearing the crickets and the soft breeze moving the trees’ branches— It’s better this way, the best for all of us if no one knows what we are doing or creatures like Enki would chase us forever wanting to learn this secret.   

 

He could feel Kaine’s sword throbbing in his hand. Yes, throbbing as if it were alive, with its own presence and aura, covered with a cloth— This sword…it’s almost as if it were part of Kaine instead of a weapon –he didn’t like to touch it, it gave him the impression it talked and whispered directly to his heart. The Macedonian shook his head and tried to think in other things. He had brought Alexander’s body to his haven in the city, to the basement of his house and Anaxagoras was staying with him, ready for the moment when he woke up.

 

If he wakes up –thought a very anxious Hephaistion, waiting in that field for the man who would help him to cross into the deepest parts of the Dark Umbra. If Alexander woke up he would feel lost and the best thing he could do was surround his King by familiar things, familiar furniture, and things he knew, and the Spartan was perfect for the job— Alex knows what is a Spartan and Anaxagoras can speak the same ancient Greek we spoke.   

 

— Your werewolf is late –Lucius complained, passing around and not letting Eric to embrace him, not in front of Hephaistion.

 

— Are you sure you can trust him? –asked Eric, watching the surroundings with all his senses on alert. Many things could go wrong that night and he had come prepared with his sword.

 

A pack of werewolves had almost killed the Viking when he had scarcely a month of being a vampire and, if it hadn’t been for Lucius who almost died protecting him, he wouldn’t have survived. Yes, he didn’t trust them and didn’t understand why Hephaistion was so sure of this werewolf’s good intentions. 

 

— I saved the lives of Thanatos’ pack almost a 100 years ago, he has a debt with me and swore to help me –answered the Macedonian, making a supreme effort to remain calm.

 

— Yes, but he is a werewolf –the Roman insisted as if Hephaistion didn’t understand— You can’t trust those beasts, what if he shows up with his pack ready to attack us?

 

He was not scared, he didn’t have to, Lucius was stronger than the Macedonian because he had devoted his no-life to train, looking to become a force of nature or a weapon of mass destruction, whereas Hephaistion had trained to become the mother of all necromancers. The Roman could easily deal with a pack of werewolves but was worried for Eric, something that of course he was not going to admit.

 

— Then we’ll have a hell of fight –joked Hephaistion— But that’s not going to happen.

 

They heard noise and, by instinct, Lucius took the gladius hanging on his left. A man who looked 26 years old, gray tousled hair, longer at the front and short behind, and yellow eyes suddenly appeared in front of them. For what they saw his entire body was covered in scars, cruel reminders of savage battles of the past that matched perfectly with his cold eyes and arrogant attitude. 

 

— I’m here just as I promised, fiend –said Thanatos without emotion, as if every night he gathered with vampires to bring the death back to life. Even with his scars, and that particularly nasty one crossing over his nose, he was very handsome and Lucius couldn’t stop himself from wondering if Hephaistion had slept with him.

 

— Alone? –asked Hephaistion, more to tease the werewolf than anything because he couldn’t feel the presence of any other mortal, immortal or dead thing near them. They were completely alone. Good.

 

— I gave you my word, didn’t I? –answered Thanatos with all arrogance, as if he were talking to mere men instead of 3 vampires over one thousand years each— If anything I should be the one worried, you brought 2 blood sucking fiends with you.

 

— You’ll better address me correctly, beast, if you don’t want to end as my new winter coat –said Lucius angry, his fangs visible.

 

— Why did you call me here? –asked Hephaistion, changing the subject before things got complicated. The Roman hated werewolves and Thanatos was bold enough to challenge him.

 

— You can’t cross into the Umbra in a place tainted by the Wyrm –Thanatos explained— And any place where humans have great cities is tainted by it.

 

I didn’t know that –thought the Macedonian.

 

— Good to know.

 

— Do you have the sword? –as an answer Hephaistion uncovered it the werewolf, Lucius and Eric gasped.

 

It was a long sword of 1.70 m with a long magnificent hilt showing strange and complicated figures. No one could tell of what was it made, gold? Silver? Whatever it is it was breathtaking to admire; and the blade… magnificent was a word too poor to describe it, it was like nothing they had ever seen, engraved all along with strange symbols, as if made of crystal. It appeared to glow and had it own presence, its own power, and it took them all a while to come out from their shock.

 

— Right –said Thanatos clearing his throat— Better do this quick, that sword –he pointed at it with his chin— May attract unwanted attention with such aura.

 

He can’t be more right –thought Hephaistion.

 

— How are we going to do this? –asked the Macedonian.

 

— You know the Umbra is divided in 5 parts: Near Umbra, Deep Umbra, Dark Umbra, Dream Umbra and True Umbra –the werewolf explained— To access the first part, the Near Umbra, we have to cross the Shadowlands.

 

— That’s child’s play –said Hephaistion—Any amateur necromancer can pass the Shadowlands and the Horizon to reach, not only the Near Umbra, but also the Deep Umbra. 

 

— You are as confident as you are beautiful –said Thanatos, smirking— Yes, as you say, its child’s play. The tricky part is the Dark Umbra where the Empire of Stygia and the domains of the dead lay, but you my fiend, don’t want to reach the Empire of Stygia, you are not looking for a wraith you are looking for a soul and, in order to do that, we have to reach the Transcendence, that blissful state where souls rest forever beyond the reach of mortals…or fiends. And that we cannot do without that –he pointed at Kaine’s sword— We have to cut the path through the lands of Oblivion, the no existence, in order to reach the Transcendence.

 

— Wait, wait, wait –said Lucius, raising his palms at the front— I’m lost here, you have to do what to reach what?

 

— The Umbra is the real of the intangible –Hephaistion explained to his confused audience— In the Umbra you don’t only find the domains of death, you can also find the domains of the Changeling and, some say, even God. You can get easily lost in there because the Umbra has no order, in not a place properly, and each part of it is divided by a spiritual barrier. Some barriers are easy to cross, like the Shadowlands, but others, like the Oblivion…

 

— Are impossible –said Thanatos— Unless you have special help.

 

— You plan to cut the very fiber of existence to reach a place no one, except the dead, can reach –said Eric, it wasn’t a question— You are aware you can die, right? 

 

The werewolf laughed.

 

— Die? He can disappear from existence –he said— Death would be the least of his problems, his soul could be dragged into the Oblivion and be lost forever.

 

Lucius saw Hephaistion as if he didn’t knew him.

 

— You were aware of this? –he asked.

 

— Yes –answered the Macedonian.

 

— And you are going to do this anyway? –the Roman couldn’t believe it— No. I won’t let you do this madness, and I don’t care if I have to break several of your bones in the process.

 

— Lucius, it’s all right. Nothing will happen to me –said Hephaistion, touched by his friend’s concerned— Thanatos will be my guide so I won’t get lost between the different parts of the Umbra and, with this –he lifted Kaine’s sword— I can cut anything that stays in my way –the Roman wasn’t sure about it but said nothing— I promise, I will be here before you imagine.

 

XXX

 

Crossing into the Umbra was like crossing a threshold, the Macedonian had done it before but it never ceased to amaze him how easily you could invade the world on the immaterial, abandoning your dimension and plane of existence. They had to move fast and Hephaistion followed Thanatos through realm, after realm, where up was down and left was right, places where nothing was what it seemed, or where others things were unnerving familiar, others absolutely strange, until they reached the doors of the Oblivion.  

 

— I can’t cross –said Thanatos, stopping after running for what seen hours— You’ll have to break the door with the sword.

 

— What will happen then?

 

— I have no idea.

 

— Oh, that’s reassuring –Hephaistion watched that door surrounded by a ghost like blue light. It wasn’t a door properly but it was hard to put into words all that it was, a threshold, a portal to another plan of existence and the Macedonian felt overwhelmed. Was he ready to defy the laws of nature? 

 

Some said that, assembling Kaine’s sword was the same as calling Kaine and with him the Gehenna, the end of the world. Could it be true? If Hephaistion messed with things beyond his comprehension, would the whole creation suffer?— Can I be so selfish? –but just the memory of Alexander’s uneven eyes was enough to convince him of what he was doing was the right thing.

 

— What are you waiting for? I told you, we can’t stay here for long or we’ll die, our souls would be dragged into the Oblivion –Thanatos urged him.

 

Hephaistion tightened his hand around Kaine’s sword— I have to do it, it’s the only way –the blade cut the spiritual door as it were tearing silk and a disturbance could be felt in the very core of their souls, echoing like a bell, and then…

 

Where am I? –for a moment Hephaistion couldn’t see, an extremely bright light forced him to close his eyes and, after what seemed to be an eternity, he found himself kneeling, prostrated in front of…— A God? –he couldn’t find another word to describe the man in front of him, beautiful beyond words, dark and seductive, with black hair that moved like waves of shadows and deep purple eyes, and what eyes! It was impossible to look at his face for long, it was the same as trying to look directly at sun, and his whole perfect body irradiated an aura Hephaistion had never felt before.

 

So powerful…who is he? –was Hephaistion lost? Had he reached the True Umbra, the place where you could find God? Was that possible? No. No one could reach the True Umbra—But then, who is he?

 

— You don’t know who am I? –he spoke directly inside his mind, reading his thoughts as if he was reading a book. Who was this man? The Macedonian felt the urge to crawl to him, to worship him for all eternity, cut his wrists and made an offering of his own blood but, unlike Enki, his mind was not under control, he was attracted to his dark god in a natural way, as if this were the right thing to do, even expected of himself to prostrate at his feet— And yet, you were so kind as to bring me my sword.

 

— You are Kaine –Hephaistion exclaimed without voice, his body trembling uncontrollably and his blood, the Beast, calling, howling for the First Vampire. 

 

Why is he here? –he thought.

 

— I am waiting for the end of the world –answered Kaine— And you…you are here to steal from Death and mock the balance of existence itself. You don’t know what kind of consequences can bring your actions.

 

— Please…I have to go on —the Macedonian begged— Don’t stop me, please… I have to…

 

— Bring your lover back to the realm of the material –said the First Vampire and Hephaistion had the impression that Kaine was amused— A demon that can love…—yes, Kaine was amused— Almost like a joke but, I am curious. Go on, I won’t stop you but I won’t help you. You are on your own. 

 

And then Hephaistion was no longer in front of Kaine he was in…— Babylon! –2 thousand years later but the Macedonian would never forget this place, the walls, the carpets, the sweet smell of flowers. There was no doubt. He was at the palace, standing in the same corridor leading to the Great King’s chambers, a corridor he had walked many times when he was alive. Hephaistion didn’t know what to do, should he go back?

 

Back where? –he turned and saw an endless corridor, long as far as he could see, extending into the infinity— Is this the Transcendence? Or am I lost in the Oblivion? Where is Thanatos? And Kaine? Did he bring me here? –he looked down and found the sword was gone. He was unarmed and alone, how was he going to get back to the world of the material?

 

Don’t be afraid, just go, keep walking. He is waiting…

 

— Who are you? –asked Hephaistion to the air, to that ethereal voice coming from everywhere and nowhere, but no one answered. He was scared and all his senses on alert but, strangely, he couldn’t feel anything threatening in this place, on the contrary, it was so calm, so serene, like feeling a cold breeze during a hot summer day, like hearing the birds singing in the morning and the sound of water running. It was a beautiful peaceful place, a place to rest. 

 

It’s so tempting, this place calls you, inviting you to stay, to forget everything —he could see the sunlight coming through the windows but the sun was harmless to him, everything was created here to please, to ease the burden of the souls. He looked again at the front— I guess I have no choice –and with that in mind he walked to the King’s chambers.

 

Everything will be fine, trust yourself…

 

That voice again –he knew that voice but couldn’t place a name on it, it appeared to come like the sunlight, from outside but was impossible to say from where exactly. Should he look around? No. He had no time. Hephaistion reached the door of the King’s chambers and took the pommel— What now?

 

He is inside. Waiting. He has waited for so long, don’t be afraid…

 

— I hope you are right –whispered Hephaistion, opening the door.

 

He entered the room and stopped, feeling a strange excitement running through his body, a powerful feeling he had never experienced before. Alexander was there, he was there! Standing in the middle of the room with his back on him and Hephaistion trembled from head to toe but, this time, full with joy and overwhelming happiness, it had been 2 thousand years since the last time he saw his lover and all this, after centuries of darkness, seem like a dream, a blessing for a demon who knew nothing more than suffering and blood…

 

— Alex…—his voice trembled and a thick red tear ran down his cheek; shyly he advance to his King, fearing he would disappear like smoke, leaving him, once again, alone. He reached Alexander and took him by the arm, he took him! He was able to touch him and, for a moment, Hephaistion feared all could be an illusion, a cruel joke of destiny for defying death in its own domains— Alex…

 

— Phai? –Alexander turned and looked at him— Is it really you? 

 

— Yes! It’s me my love –he could feel tear sliding down his cheeks.

 

— It has been so long, I waited but you never came.

 

— I’m so sorry, I…I…but –he had to make a pause, to arrange his thoughts and tried to fight back the myriad of emotions assailing his heart or Hephaistion would be lost— I’m here now, I came for you –he pulled him softly by the arm— Come, we’ll be together again, I promise.

 

— Where are we going?

 

— You don’t trust me?

 

— Always –answered Alexander and that moved Hephaistion. Two thousand years and nothing had changed.

 

Hurry, you have to go back…

 

That voice, who is it? Who are you? –thought Hephaistion.

 

There’s no time, you’ll be trapped here if you stay much longer. Hurry, daddy…

 

— Aki?…

 

When Hephaistion opened his eyes again, he was lying on his back and once again he was in the field outside the city. He was dizzy and disorientated, unable to say what was up and what was down. His eyes searched the sky and he found the moon, a bright smile against the immense dark and then, then he heard Lucius furious voice insulting and threatening Thanatos.

 

— I lost Phai when the door to the Oblivion was destroyed –said Thanatos in that tone of his that made him look as if he were perpetually bored— Something, a force, called Phai and kicked me out from the Dark Umbra.

 

— What the fuck do you mean by that? Just admit you left Phai alone in that bloody place, you traitor scum –shouted the Roman with his gladius in hand, and he would have cut the werewolf into little pieces if it hadn’t been for Eric’s scream when he saw Hephaistion.

  

— What happened to you? –asked the Viking, hurrying to help him to stand up.

 

— Where is he? Where is Alexander? –the Macedonian looked around him, as if expecting to see his lover standing there, at his side. The question took Eric aback and left him speechless for a moment, while trying to decide if Hephaistion was serious or had he lost his mind.

 

— Phai, calm down –said the Viking softly— How do you feel?

 

— I’m fine, but, where is Alex? He was with me, standing at my side and…—Hephaistion closed his eyes, taking his hand to his forehead, trying to remember what had happened.

 

Alex was with me and…and Aki, it was him who guided me to my love and he who showed me the way out of the Transcendence…my boy saved me –so many years since the last time he heard his son’s voice… he felt ashamed for not recognizing him before— It was Aki –at least now he knew his son was fine in a beautiful place. The Macedonian cleaned the bloody tear from his cheek and opened his eyes again. That had been truly a bless.

  

— I need to talk to Anaxagoras –he said and Eric gave him his cell phone.

 

XXX

 

They came back in record time to Hephaistion’s magnificent house in the city, with traffic and everything, after the Macedonian had made Eric drive as if they were in the middle of a persecution in an action movie. Lucius cursed all the way, the Roman hated cars, especially sports cars with their high speeds, and he would have made them laugh to tears with his litany of bad words and obscenities in Latin if they hadn’t been in shock. 

 

Alex is…he is…—Hephaistion couldn’t believe it, he would not until he laid his eyes on his lover. He practically jumped off the car and ran to the basement, in that state of surprise, happiness and incredulity of someone who had waited something for so long that can’t believe he achieved it when it finally happened.

 

All of a sudden, Hephaistion stopped in front of the door, his hands trembling and for a moment he was at a loss. Should he enter? Should he wait? Call Anaxagoras again? He had no idea. His plan, the plan he had carefully elaborated said he had to wait until Anaxagoras had talked to Alexander, to explain certain things to him before letting the King see his supposedly dead beloved but…—What if something is wrong? What if Alex is rotting like Aislinn? Anaxagoras would never know, I have to see him, if there is something wrong I have to know now, I…

 

He turned and found Eric standing at his side, his hand on his shoulder.

 

— You are panicking –said the Viking, reading his mind— You designed this plan, it will work, don’t worry.

 

Hephaistion nodded, forcing himself to stay calm.

 

— Let’s go upstairs –said Lucius— We’ll wait until Anaxagoras says your lover is ready.

 

The plan, the crazy plan that took 2 thousand years to carry out, worked, that was something either Lucius or Eric could believe, even less thinking they were so close to meet King Alexander— It’s like a crazy dream –thought the Roman shaking his head.

 

XXX

 

Morning came but Hephaistion couldn’t go to sleep, not even if staying awake during the day required a tremendous effort. He stood awake in his house, all windows closed and covered with heavy dark curtains, waiting to hear what had happened with Alexander. Lucius and Eric wanted to stay with him but Hephaistion couldn’t demand something like that from them— Alex will be fine, he has to but…why is Anaxagoras taking so long?—He barely slept for a couple of hours, too many things in his head and too many emotions in his heart, and didn’t know when was that night came.

 

— Are there any news? –Eric’s question made Hephaistion jumped. He was so distracted that hadn’t heard or felt his friends coming.

 

— No. Anaxagoras spent the whole night with Alex –the Macedonian rubbed his eyes. He looked tired.

 

— That doesn’t mean something is wrong –said Lucius, successfully guessing why his friend was so worried.

 

— We don’t know that –said Hephaistion— Maybe I should go inside and see if…

 

— Phai –Eric sat down at his side— Trust me, I understand how you feel but, you have waited this moment for a long time to ruin everything because you are nervous. Do you trust Anaxagoras?

 

— Yes.

 

— Then wait.

 

— The lad is right –said Lucius— If there is someone who knows what to do, that’s my Sire. He may not be a necromancer but is older than all of us.

 

Hephaistion nodded— They are right, and I truly need to calm down.

 

XXX

 

And finally, after hours of uncertainty and suspense, the Spartan appeared in front of them, dressed in a dark blue chiton and looking as if he had traveled through time. Eric had never seen him dressed like that and couldn’t avoid staring at him like a tourist among the ruins in Greece. The Macedonian stood up in a jump and, with barely hidden excitement, approached him, feeling vulnerable and lost like a mortal child. 

 

— How is he? –oh, how he dreaded the answer, what he would do if the Spartan confirmed his worst fears?

 

If so, I will make a pyre and jump in it with Alex in my arms –he vowed in silence.

 

— He is fine –for a moment Hephaistion thought he hadn’t heard correctly.

 

— Fine? Fine how? Define fine –Anaxagoras smiled, he was amused by the Macedonian’s nervousness. It had been so long since the last time he saw Hephaistion like this.

 

— I’m no necromancer but I think he looks…as if he had woke up from a very long dream –the Spartan explained, easing the Macedonian’s heart— He doesn’t smell of death and, apart from looking extremely confused, I think he will be fine, but he needs time.

 

— But what happened? How did he wake up? What did he say? What is he doing now? Did you leave him alone in the basement? –Anaxagoras laughed.

 

— Calm down and take a seat –said the Spartan, sitting down on the nearest sofa— Alexander is sleeping, we spent the whole day talking and he is tired. I’m sure he will be hungry as soon as he wakes up. Do you have food here?

 

Hephaistion opened his eyes— Food? Ares’ balls! I forgot –his expression told them everything and Eric stood up, looking for his cell phone.

 

— I’ll take care of that –the Viking assured him, calling his ghoul.

 

— Where to begin? –asked Anaxagoras, running his hands down his face— Your idea of decorating the basement as if it were a Persian room was excellent. When Alexander woke up he was confused and scared but the sight of the familiar furniture helped him a lot to calm down. He thought he was in Babylon.

 

— That doesn’t surprise me, he died there –said Lucius, his arms crossed over his chest.

 

— What does Alex remember? –asked Hephaistion. His Alexander was alive! It was a miracle but he couldn’t abandon himself in that blissful happiness until he saw him and confirmed with his own eyes that he was fine.

 

— The first thing he asked was who was I –answered the Spartan, his aquamarine eyes on the Macedonian— I told him what we agreed, that I am a Spartan and was commanded to guard him. 

 

— And then?

 

—Then…—Anaxagoras would have sighed if he still could do it— Then he asked for Achilles –Hephaistion felt a hollow in his stomach. He knew this could happen but that didn’t mean it wasn’t hard. 

 

— What did you say?

 

— That he couldn’t see him now –answered the Spartan— Alexander asked me all the questions you can imagine, where was Perdikkas? He wanted to talk to Leonnatos, why couldn’t Achilles come? I answered the best I could but, at some point he started to remember he had been lying in bed, ill for days, and that he died. Then, things got complicated.

 

— He doesn’t remember he was dead? –asked Lucius with curiosity.

 

— No. Alexander doesn’t remember the Dark Umbra, the Transcendence or his previous reincarnation as Sasha –explained Anaxagoras— It’s like I said, as if he had been sleeping for 2 thousand years but, to remember he had actually died was scaring him and I had to control his mind with Dominate to keep him calm, to help him to assimilate everything before he got a panic attack.

 

— Did you tell him in what year we are? –Hephaistion was anxious to know.

 

— Oh, yes. It took me a while to make him understand he was dead and that someone had done exactly as Orpheus, going to the underworld looking for his beloved –said the Spartan— And he believed me.

 

— That was very clever –said Eric— After all Alexander comes from a time where the mythology was real.

 

— You don’t have to state the obvious, Viking –Anaxagoras scolded him and Eric clenched his jaw— As I was saying, it took me awhile to explain all this and, obviously, he asked who had gone to the underworld looking for his soul. It didn’t took him long to deduce it was you but then, Alexander was too excited, too much information in very little time and even if he was under my mind control I feared this would be too much for him.

 

— And what did you do? –Hephaistion was dying to know.

 

— I put him to sleep using Dominate –said the Spartan— We talked for hours and we both needed to rest. I think best to explain all about you after he sleeps a little, he has to assimilate a lot of information, and has to eat something.  

 

The Macedonian nodded.

 

— Thank you.

 

XXX