The Great

Chapter eleven

The friendship between Alexander, Hephaestion, and Ptolemy deepened during their travels. Each passing mile seemed to strengthen their bond, weaving them tighter together like the threads of a familial tapestry.

Hephaestion's nostalgic remark sparked a moment of reflection among them, prompting a lighthearted exchange filled with jests and laughter.  "i've missed this." he said before continuing. "traveling together."

"yes like we haven't been doing that for a long time." Alexander said, replying to Hephaestion with a joke of his own.

"no, i mean it." Hephaestion said, glancing between ptolemy and alexander. "when was the last time we went on adventures?"

"i think last week." Alexander told him making Hephaestion sigh and roll his eyes at Alexander. Their banter echoed across the vast expanse of the desert, mingling with the rhythmic hoofbeats of their camels.

"i mean just us." Hephaestion then glanced at Aria. "With a new addition to our little family."

Aria was lured into their dynamic as a newcomer who was welcomed with open arms. Despite her worries about the dangers of their mission, she couldn't deny her sense of belonging among them. "you do this alot?"

"oh you mean risk our lives for Alexander's suicidal tendencies?" ptolemy added a laugh to his sentence. "A lot."

Ptolemy's wry humor added levity to their conversation, punctuating the air with bursts of laughter. Even Hephaestion's dry wit elicited smiles, his words laced with a hint of fondness for their shared adventures. "suicidal lunacy more like."

"Don't listen to them, Aria." alexander told her, shaking his head. "They give me a bad reputation."

"Oh so you're saying this trip isn't suicidal lunacy?" Hephaestion asked, his mouth in a wide smile.

"It is suicidal." Aria admitted making Alexander's head snap towards her with a look of betrayal on his face. The trip had exhausted her, she was hungry and thirsty, but she was to blame for going along with alexander's plan.

"oh well, like you said, Heph." alexander said, turning towards him. "i missed this too."

"your suicidal lunacy?" Hephaestion asked.

"my suicidal lunacy." Alexander confirmed.

Despite the inherent dangers of their quest, there was a sense of excitement in their recklessness, a rush that flowed through their blood with each step. And as they laughed and joked together, the burden of their troubles appeared to lift, carried away by the desert air.

Aria's gaze lingered on Alexander, the golden hue of his sun-kissed skin bathed in the warm glow of the fading sunlight. The lines etched upon his face spoke of countless battles fought and victories won, a testament to his resilience and determination.

In that fleeting moment, as their eyes met, Aria felt a surge of affection for the man beside her, a recognition of the bond that had formed between them amidst the trials of their journey.

"what?" he'd asked.

Aria reached to touch his cheek but it was a bit far so Alexander took a hold of her rails and pulled her camel near his.

And as she reached out again to brush the dirt from his cheek, she couldn't help but marvel at the strength and resolve that radiated from him, a beacon of hope in the vast desert expanse. "the sun has not been kind to you."

Alexander's skin has turned to a golden shade, he was tanned from how much he's been in the sun.

"Has it not?" Alexander asked very softly as he looked back at Aria.

"I understand why you need to do this." Aria had whispered to him as if she was hiding her words from the two men infront of them.

she knew the feeling of doubt, the feeling of not belonging, and if this were to help him overcome that then she wont step in his way because she wishes she could do that.

Alexander let out a soft chuckle as a smile comes on his face. "Thank you."

"I wont stop giving you trouble though." Aria gave him a smile, raising her eyebrows at him.

Alexander shook his head at Aria, he reached inside his own bag that hung over the camel. Alexander took out his bottle of water and held it out to Aria. "here, i know you finished yours."

Aria stared at the water bottle in his hand for a few seconds before reaching to take it in her own hand. "thank you."

"of course." He gave her a small nod.

hephaestion had called out for them to stop, suddenly he climbed off the camel and walked ahead. Alexander reached for his rails and Aria's stopping both their camels at the same time.

His eyes scanned the horizon, detecting the telltale signs of an impending sandstorm. and his instincts were right as he saw the sandstorm heading towards them.

"Take cover!" he bellowed, his voice cutting through the desert silence.

Frantically, Alexander, Aria, and Ptolemy scrambled off their camels and reaching into the bags for any cover they could find, but the sandstorm was upon them faster than they could react. Aria struggled against the whipping winds, her makeshift cover slipping from her grasp and soaring away into the sandy abyss.

she tried to look around but the sand was getting in her eyes making it burn.

In the chaos, Alexander sprang into action, racing to Aria's side. With a swift movement, he pulled her close, shielding her beneath his own cover. Their eyes met amidst the swirling sand, and time seemed to stand still.

they sat down near alexander's camel, they're both under one cover, so close to each other that they could hear each other breath.

Aria's breath caught in her throat as she gazed into Alexander's eyes, noticing for the first time the striking contrast between their colors. One eye was a deep blue while the other shimmered like molten gold in the desert sun.

"I never noticed before," she murmured, her voice barely audible over the howling winds. "Your eyes... they're different."

They had been so different from each other, how could she have not noticed before?

Alexander's gaze softened, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. "They say it's a sign of divine favor," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Thank you, alexander." Aria had muttered softly.

As alexander nodded and the sandstorm raged around them, Aria found herself lost in Alexander's gaze, her heart racing with a mixture of fear and exhilaration. In that moment, amidst the chaos of the desert, she knew that their journey together held countless adventures yet to come.

———

"a broken ankle, karma rules
you never saw my birthmark"
hehe