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Warning: This contains SLASH. That means boy/boy romance. Don't read if you don't like it.
Rating: PG-13
The Lamia
“Your Majesty.”
Alexander sighed and glanced over at the soldier who had entered the tent. “Yes, Soterios? Is something wrong?”
Soterios bowed his head slightly as he spoke, “I’m sorry to disturb you, but the men are restless. We are all concerned about Hephaistion Philalexandros. He has not left his tent in many days, and his tent is always silent, yet several men have seen him leave at night. He does not eat what is placed before his tent but leaves it there to rot. And this morning, we found one of our horses lying dead.”
“Are you insinuating that I do not know the state of a dear friend?” Alexander demanded. Soterios’s eyes widened in shock and he hurriedly shook his head.
“No, my lord, we merely wish to know what might be done,” the solder answered softly. “The men are frightened. They will not stay with you for long if they are not reassured.”
The Macedonian king was silent for a moment before he spoke again, this time sounding almost heartbroken. “Tell the men not to fear. I will speak with Hephaistion tonight and discover what is wrong with him. I shall speak to everyone about this tomorrow.”
“Thank you, my king,” Soterios murmured as he deepened his bow and backed out of the tent.
Alexander sighed again and turned back to the parchment laying before him, the plans to his next battle, but he could barely focus on them now.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Alexander,” the being said suddenly, his gently voice only just loud enough to be heard.
Alexander gasped softly as he started up the hill, finally recognizing the winged man standing there. “Hephaistion?”
“Who else would it be?” The man finally looked away from the sky and smiled at the Macedonian king when he stopped beside him. “You seem surprised to see me. Weren’t you looking for me?”
“I didn’t know you’d be waiting for me.” Alexander frowned slightly and reached out to briefly touch one of Hephaistion’s wings, pulling away abruptly when the brunet winced. “Does it hurt to touch them?”
“Yes, they just came out tonight,” Hephaistion hissed softly, still feeling the pain from where Alexander had touched his sore wings.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right.”
Alexander sighed softly and brushed his wavy blonde hair out of his eyes, gazing at his friend with concern. “What has happened to you, dear friend? You haven’t been seen in days. The men have been worried, as have I.”
Hephaistion smiled a little sardonically, which the blonde thought was a strange emotion the cross his friend’s face, as he answered, “I cannot come out here during the day. Nor will I be able to until the moon is full. I’m sorry.”
“Then…what are you?”
“I do not wish to tell you. In fact, the one who changed me did not tell me what I am; I had to figure it out myself.” He sighed softly at the blonde’s deadly look and added hastily, “Do not worry, Alexander. He is dead. I killed him myself.”
A relieved look crossed the king’s face for a moment before it was replaced with one of concern. “But, Hephaistion, if you killed him–”
“He taught me everything I needed to know first,” Hephaistion interrupted. “I know what I am now, Alexander. I know what I can and can’t do; how long I’ll live and how I can die. I knew the wings would come out tonight as well. I got everything I could from the one who gave me this curse before I destroyed him for doing it.”
Alexander was silent as he thought over this; he was slightly angry that he couldn’t destroy to being who had changed his beloved friend, whom he now might have to kill anyway. “You have told me nothing of what you are now,” he said after a moment, a frown now on his face as he looked at Hephaistion.
“As I told you, I do not wish for you to know. I will not tell you what I am, only the conditions of my now wretched existence.” The brunet lifted a hand as if to grasp the moonlight as he went on, “I cannot walk in daylight but for when the moon is full. I must feed on the blood of humans and animals to live, but I will not die if I do not. I can be killed by mortal weapons, but otherwise I will live forever. And I shall always have these wings.”
“You’re…a lamia,” Alexander murmured after a moment of shock. Hephaistion nodded and turned to face him more than before, though his expression was no longer the peaceful one of moments before; now he just looked miserable.
“I’m sorry, Alexander. I wasn’t strong enough to fight him off. Now I’m this…this thing, and I shall have to watch you grow old and die while I remain unchanging. You should just kill me.”
“Why?”
The brunet looked at him with a great deal of surprise, as he had obviously not expected the response. He had expected the king to agree or kill him on the spot with a murmured apology.
“Well?” Alexander pressed, his famous temper flaring up again. “Why should I kill you? No one has died yet, so you must be able to control your hunger. You’re not a threat to our men.”
“Your men, Alexander. I cannot command them if I can’t come out in daylight.”
Alexander gave an exasperated sigh. “Fine, but that’s not the point. I know you, and I know I don’t need to kill you.”
“You have no idea whether or not I’m in control of these urges, though,” Hephaistion murmured firmly as he gazed at the blonde. Alexander gasped softly as he saw that his friend’s eyes had an amazing amount of depth, far more than any human, and had to look away after a moment when he felt himself becoming trapped in his gaze.
“I don’t want to kill you, Hephaistion,” Alexander said after another minute. “I know what kind of person you are. I know you would never kill any of the men.”
“Intentionally,” Hephaistion added for him. “I wouldn’t kill them intentionally. But my morals won’t matter if I get too hungry.”
The blonde immediately blanched as Hephaistion closed the distance between them with a blank look on his face. “You haven’t fed tonight, have you?”
“No.”
Alexander almost immediately tried to pull away when the brunet’s hands caught his arms, but Hephaistion’s grip was like steel and he could do any more than struggle fruitlessly. “Phai, you don’t really want to do this.”
“I don’t know if I can stop myself, Lan,” Hephaistion murmured as he pulled Alexander as close as possible. “I need it to live, and I know you would never deny me something I need.”
Alexander sighed softly and slowly calmed, letting Hephaistion pull him flush against his body. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Phai.”
“Don’t worry; I won’t let you die. You mean far too much to me and your men.” Hephaistion smiled grimly as he pressed his mouth gently against the blonde’s neck. “But I must admit I truly want to taste your blood. It must be like honey.”
With a soft, nervous sounding chuckle, Alexander tilted his head to give his friend better access, murmuring softly, “Now you’re just making me nervous.”
“It won’t hurt; you’ll hardly notice it and I won’t take any more than I really need. Promise.”
Something seemed wrong about the mood around his troops as soon as he stepped out, though he couldn’t decide what the problem was. It didn’t take long, however, before he gasped softly at the sight that greeted his eyes.
Hephaistion, it seemed, had come out of his tent at sunrise, planning to take full advantage of his one day of light, but the soldiers had not appreciated his new appearance. Now his arms were bound tightly behind his back, as were his dark wings, which seemed to be missing patches of feathers in places, and he was being led by several of the larger soldiers towards a giant bonfire. His expression was one of sad acceptance as he let himself be led, though he really wasn’t given much of a choice in the matter.
“Stop!” Alexander commanded angrily as he strode forward. The men stopped at once with slightly ashamed looks on their faces, while Hephaistion merely looked over at Alexander with a confused expression on his face.
“What are you doing?” the king demanded as he stopped next to Hephaistion.
Soterios was the one to speak up at this as he glanced worriedly between his king and the new lamia. “It must be done, your majesty. We know he has become a lamia, and we cannot allow him to live and threaten our lives. He has already drunk your blood several times, and what will happen if you are taken from us?”
“Do you really think I would be so foolish as to put my life on the line?” Alexander growled softly, his eyes flashing slightly with anger. “Hephaistion would never hurt me or anyone for that matter! He is still the man we know at heart; it is only his body that has changed!”
“And what happens when his soul is devoured by this new body?” Soterios demanded as several of the men nodded in agreement.
“They are right, Alexander; I can feel the nature of this body creeping in on my mind,” Hephaistion said before the blonde could answer. “I told you I should be destroyed. It is the best option right now.”
“I won’t believe that!” Alexander answered bitterly. “I don’t want you to be taken away from me; not like this!”
“I’m sorry, Alexander, but for once, this isn’t your decision.” Hephaistion looked away and back at the fire with a determined look. “I want this. I don’t want to go on with this wretched existence. You may not believe me, but you were the only good thing in my life. I will miss you at least.”
“No! Hephaistion!” Alexander tried to rush forward as the lamia was led towards the fire again, but now he was being held back by his own men so he could get nowhere. He struggled in vain against the arms holding him back, calling out again, “Phai, you don’t need to do this! I still love you! Don’t die like this!”
“And I love you as well, Lan. And that is exactly why I’m doing this.” Hephaistion blatantly ignored Alexander until he stopped just before the fire, his expression still the same. “When the fire is out, you must scatter the ashes. Otherwise, I could come back as a soulless monster.”
“I will, Phai,” Alexander promised softly. “I won’t forget you, either. You are being so foolish!”
“It is the only way. We’ll meet again; I promise.” Hephaistion briefly turned to face Alexander and smiled serenely at him. “Good bye, my king.”
“Good bye, dear friend.”
“Dear Alexander, I’ve been gone but three months and see what you’ve become.”
Alexander slowly opened his eyes in shock at hearing the familiar voice and reeled in shock at what he saw. A faded version of Hephaistion as a lamia stood next to the bed, glowing from within, though now he had an amused smile on his lips.
“I scattered the ashes…” Alexander murmured in wonder.
The brunet smiled slightly and nodded as he reached a hand out to touch the dying king’s hand—it passed right though. “I know; I was watching. I’ve come to take you with me; your time on this earth is over.”
“So we can be as we were before…”
“Only dead, yes.” Hephaistion held his hand out with a small smile. “Let’s go, Lan.”
Alexander returned the smile as he lifted his hand to take his friend’s, his soul leaving its dead body on the bed. “I still love your wings, Phai. Can I touch them now?”
“As much as you like.” Hephaistion gently pulled Alexander close and in an instant they were flying up in the sunlight back towards Greece. “You’ll have forever to touch them.”
