The Death of a Caesar

It was a dark night, the stars shone ever so brightly in the night sky with this ray of light, almost as if a path had been painted by a long brush, one that displayed the purplish intergalactic matter that existed beyond that world. He looked at it with great awe from the small window that was half covered by some red drapes that fell on the window and whose bottom even touched the floor, but he could see the outside, and it looked so picturesque, so beautiful. He could see the tiny houses, and even the coliseum in the far end of his view, and it all looked melodic. The houses each managed to cause the rebellion of their light as they slipped through their seemingly small atria and doorways. He had never seen it so close to him, he had at some point, or another seen it in books, and even in very realistic representations but never had he imagined it to be such a magnificent view. He felt confined in his clothes, well, he had not yet been accustomed to them. He was dressed in a silver chest plate that weighed tons upon him, below it he had a short-sleeved, woolen tunicle, one which fell quite softly right above his knee, and below all of that, he had this somewhat rough linen undergarment that fit him tightly. He had his sword sheathed next to his hip, one which he looked at every once in a while, just to see if it was real. “Oh god, what would I do if anyone really tries to attack me, I hadn’t gotten enough time to train with these, and who knows if they are the same I trained with.” He said to himself as perspiration formed on his forehead. There were some other men dressed exactly like him, with their chins facing the ceiling, and he looked at them with great awe, wondering how they managed to keep that pose for so long without breaking their necks or simply going crazy, but he followed them, well he had to follow them, because if not, well if he did not, this story was bound to be repeated but with different characters and perhaps a different sky.

He looked around the house, the floor was composed of these yellowish-gray stone blocks that had been laid, and even had their own pattern with some being painted of all sorts of different colors, making circles, squares, and ovals, among others, and they would shine with the light reflected off the torched on the walls. There were pillars that had been erected and extended from the floor to the ceiling, with their prominent roman architecture of the time, and the long red drapes which were placed on each of the windows. He could see the shadows of the men twinkling ever so softly as a darker shadow suddenly overcame a seemingly softer and even slightly transparent shadow as the fire of the torches burned with great ardor, displaying their harmonious color palette, of blue, yellow, and red. He could even hear the burning sound of the fire as it consumed the wooden stick of the torch, creaking as it did so. The walls were of the same material as the floor, but these were monotone as they didn’t have the patterns which the floors displayed so proudly. And in the middle of it all, dazzling, even robbing the room of all its importance, the dining table, which was decorated with all sorts of lavishing utensils, plates, and tablecloth. The soldiers all stood in each of the corners of the room, but all around the same table, as if they were protecting it of any foray. And he stood next to a window, with his view to the table.

Suddenly, he heard the steps of men approaching, he knew they were men indeed because of their fierce, asserting way of walking, swaggering from side to side, he could hear the chatter they brought with them from the far end of the empty hallway that lay behind another set of drapes, getting closer, and closer, and closer. Until finally, the soldiers moved and opened the drapes for them to pass through, they did not even greet the soldiers but at once resumed talking. There were three men, the three of which he had studied closely and knew every fine detail of their life, but his man, well, his man was Julius. A tall man of fair complexion, with a round face, and eyes deep brown that pierced whatever they would aim their sight to. The three men were using tunics, but these almost touched the floor, they looked so comfortable in their clothes, he envied them, though slightly, because he knew there was really not much to envy them for. The men sat down, and at once, Julius whose hairline was receding greatly, ordered the soldiers to leave. “Except you Nazarus, you may stay” he said at once, and his voice felt so commanding it caused for him to just stay in place. He knew Julius was very fond of a soldier that had once been named Nazarus, that was why he had chosen to take over his presence, and now, he was indeed name Nazarus, and had forgotten all trace of his antique name. They spoke of all matters, starting with politics of course, they showed great content with Julius’ triumph on his latest reforms, and even in the success of his wars.

“I propose a toast!” said Lepidus as he stood up with his glass filled almost to the top.

“A toast for Rome’s triumphs! And its king!” said Decimus as he looked at Julius with malice.

“Oh please, gentlemen, I’m no king, I’m Caesar.” He said as he slowly stood up, helping himself upwards with the strength of his arms exerting their force against the table.

The men looked at each other from the corner of their eye, with great discomfort, and even one managed to slip the involuntary movement of the muscles of his jaw tightening up.

“A toast it is, for the triumph of Rome!” he said as they clashed the glasses against one another.

“And well of course, for your great company as my loyal friends” he continued right before taking a sip from the wine.

The men finally sat down and started eating. They all looked down at their plate and yet still tried to create conversation, which Julius would entertain as he ate.

“The people love you, Caesar.” Said Decimus in between morsels.

“Well, I think they have loved every leader before me, and they would acclaim the name of every leader after me. But yes, I do know that the people are very fond of me, and I am very fond of them.” He spoke.

And they continued, and even switched topics and spoke of all matters. They mentioned how good the food was, and Caesar thanked the cook who was not even present, they spoke of Caesar’s last battle, and even of their last battles. And it all seemed mundane and facetious.

“Julius?” said Lepidus.

“Mhm” he answered as he entertained himself by sliding his finger across the oval shaped top of his glass.

“What do you think is the best way to die?” he asked with a bit of lisping that would untangle the malicious nature of his question.

Both men looked at each other.

“Well, I think a sudden death is best. A man does not suffer, and many times as when it comes to that of a sudden death, the person dies without not even knowing if he died a hero or a villain.” He said with his view now turned to them.

Both men clenched their jaws, and their fists suddenly held themselves tightly and then were let loose, they were somewhat unsatisfied by the answer.

Finally, the dinner ended when Julius stood up, with his back turned to me as I only saw him raise from the cushion of his seat. And when he stood up so did the men, they said their goodbyes and headed the same way they had come in, with Julius looking at them from the corner of their eye.

“Nazarus” he said as soon as their steps had ceased any sound.

“They are good men, but something seemed to be different about them, well, they must be stressed because of tomorrow.” He said with his face turned to me,

“What is it that you will have tomorrow, sir?”

“A meeting with the senate. I will be leaving in the next couple of days for my campaign, and I must speak with the men before leaving.”

“Someone has to take care of Rome.”

“Someone has to take care of Rome indeed.”

“You’re more amiable than I imagined.” He said after a quick pause, and suddenly Julius looked at him with awe.

“What do you mean? Well, we have not known one another for long, but we have spoken many times before” he said, as if feeling a bit regretful with the idea of having spoken with him.

“Caesar what I mean, is that I see why the people admire you so greatly.”

“Well most of that people don’t know all of what I have had to do for them to be where they are, and also many of them are poor and they don’t even understand why they admire me.”

“But still, if they love me or not is not the matter of my business, there are certain things that I still need to do, broken systems that need to be fixed, and who will fix them if I don’t?” he continued, with this pretentious sense on his tongue.

“No one, sir.”

“exactly”

“Well now Nazarus, I will go to sleep. This has been a long night and I’m feeling the best side of wine on me, and the Gods know how I will wake up tomorrow.”

“Good night, Caesar.”

And he did, he scurried with his long tunic drawing itself on the floor behind him, and he would have to pull it every once in a while. He left through the same entrance he had once gone through, and in that same matter the sound of his swaggering steps slowly grew quieter and quieter until they ceased all sound.

The house woke up with a ray of light that snuck through the few windows of the house, and yet still the house was in this mournful state, and the skies even looked gray, but the strong rays of the sun shone in all its beauty. He could hear the hasty steps of Calpurnia as a far almost forgotten conversation took place, she sounded distressed, and would even plead and plead to Julius for something not even he could tell. Nazarus walked out of the room he was in, and went through the empty hallways towards them, and it was through Calpurnia’s pleads and cries that he figured what had happened. She had dreamt of the assassination of Julius, and he knew no matter what, Calpurnia was not to stop him. “It will be okay,” “Don’t worry.” He would tell her with every plead and cry that came out of her. They kissed, he even put on his tunic, and as he dragged it along the floor, he went to do his habitual duty. But something that day did not seem of the usual matter. The birds were not singing, the soldiers did not have their chins as high, their boots even looked dirty, and Calpurnia stood petrified at the end of the hallway. There was nothing he could have done but just watch as he saw Julius walk away. After some time, he followed behind him. He also looked distressed, swinging his weight from side to side and sometimes even holding to the pillars that stood in his way as he passed his hand through his forehead getting rid of all perspiration. The look on his face was one that seemed to make him older by a few dozen years, he looked thinner, and even his hairline had receded more. He went to his office which was on the other side of his house, were there lay a colossal library, and all kinds of texts and documents were scattered through the room. He sat down with his face buried in his hand, and his fingers rubbing against his forehead. Nazarus knocked on the door, and there was no sound on the other side, not even his breathing did he hear, so he opened the door. And there he was, on that lonely chair, with the sunlight hitting his face through the window next to him.

“Julius” he started.

“You cannot go to the senate today” he said. It was as if he had forgotten all of what he was going to say next, and he knew that whatever he said next was bound to change the world forever.

“Why’s that now” he muttered, annoyed.

“There is a plot to assassinate you. I don’t know if it's from the aristocrats or from the people, but I do know for a fact that today, if you go into that building, you will not come out alive.” He stated.

“Well then, where did you get this information from?”

“It has spread, by this point, probably all of Rome knows about it.”

“I can’t-“

“Well, but I’m left with not choice. Even my wife was begging for me to stay, she had told me she had dreams of my murder today. And there has been this odd feeling the whole day, almost as if death was caressing my side.” He said in quite a melancholic tone.

“I will send Antony, he is loyal.” He continued.

Moments later Antony was in the same room as the two of them, it was a tall man of very rough and marked facial features, his face was round, and he had short hair. The two spoke for some time and it all seemed to me, (even though I stood away from them and could only hear the very low mutters they produced) that Antony was trying to convince him into going into the senate, but several times he declined. Finally, he left, and in his face a sight of reflection. As he was leaving, he turned his view to me, and I stood petrified, it was as if he could annihilate me with only his sight. Julius sat there, looking out the window, holding his head with his hand.

“You know, Nazarus, I would’ve honestly expected to die in such an unfortunate way. But isn’t it that the way all men die? We all die a very unfortunate death, or at least me, I’m bound to die a very gruesome or a very coward one. And that’s what I fear the most. Oh, Nazarus, if only I had died in the battle of Munda.” Cried Caesar.

“But you’re here now Caesar. And I will further recommend you go in your trip as soon as it is possible.”

“But what if those damn aristocrats from the senate take control over Rome.”

“They will not.”

“You are the king of Rome.” He continued.

“I am not king, I am Caesar.”

“You may be Caesar but to them you’re not only Caesar, but you’re also the king, you’re a God. And that’s not to be taken lightly, and that is not something that can be replaced easily.”

“Perhaps so, but still, I am no God or king, I am just here to fix this. And look where it has led me.”

“That is why, Caesar, you must head for your trip as soon as you can, the people need to see the further success of your campaign.” He said, getting closer to him.

Suddenly the door opened, and this man, which he had seen before. With a very Tuscan look, with his sharp yet rough nose, it looked so tiny, as if it were the nose of a mouse or rat. But with a fierce looking face, and beard. His eyes were of this deep blue color, like the waves of the sea, but that sea, it was filled with waves when one starred into it.

“Caesar, you cannot do that.” Decimus demanded as he raised his finger into the air.

“Do what?” asked Caesar, with his face filled with disgust.

“You can’t not go to the Senate. You know how insulting that will be for all the men present, that will truly throw you off of everything, from morale to even political power.”

Julius gave out a sudden, compressed, gasp.

“Well, a man must sometimes sacrifice what one is to sacrifice. And I am not in the right health status today to attend such a meeting.”

“Julius, you are committing a mistake. What will happen to everything we have worked on? Will you just let it die alongside the insulted aristocrats?”

“That will not be the case, and you know it.”

“Please, Decimus, if you are truly a loyal friend, if you still got in you a piece of me, I want you to leave and not return until I feel well.”

“Caesar, please. Listen to me.”

“Please Decimus, just leave.” He commanded, now his back was turned to him, and he was looking out the window. looked deeply insulted by this.

Nazarus had seen it all, and a smile slipped in between his teeth. Fortunately, Caesar did not see him. “This was it; this was the point that needed to be avoided. Now I have succeeded, I just have to get him out of Rome, yes Rome.” He thought to himself.

The next few days were filled with rumors of all sort, of how “Caesar could not even hold himself accountable”, and “how much of a disrespect this was to the aristocrats”, this was all the chatter that went on outside as he prepared for his upcoming battle, and the continuation of his campaign, he was ready, and so was Nazarus who had now earned the title of being in Caesar’s legion to fight alongside him.

When the day came, they each got their horses, and they were greeted at the doors of Rome ready to leave by crowds of people. Never had the people looked so beautiful, and never had Caesar looked so magnificent. They looked at him as if he were a God, and even him, with his golden crown around his head, looked as omnipotent and magnificent as a God. And off they went, it was a treacherous journey, anyone could have jumped Nazarus in any moment, and anyone could be killed by anyone at any moment in time, and that’s probably what kept everyone awake so many hours of travel. The path they followed was not even stone, or cobblestone, it was grass. And they just went forward with what the stars told them in hopes to see a tomorrow. There were these tall grasses and weeds that grew there, and strong buff trees that displayed their leaves and branches with their outer most beauty, with no shame whatsoever. The mountains that stood indolently far into the horizon reflected the light of the sun with the snow they had on top, he looked at those mountains with great wonder and awe. Caesar did not stir or ask for a stop in any moment, even when his health was deteriorating by the second and they all knew there was not much to be done, but he knew that by keeping him alive, Rome was bound to see the change it had always needed.

Finally, when they arrived at their destination, he could smell the sweet aroma of pine trees and the humid air that came with the breeze as it ever so softly hit his face, almost washing it completely. The large pine trees seemed to stretch infinitely upwards, pointing to the skies and the soil had been overflowed with dead leaves, it felt as if they walked through mud, only thing that it was dry. Everyone knew what to do, no one said a word, it was war, and they all knew it. Blood, blood was about to be spilled in the merriest way, as if it were champagne. And so, they did, the spears, swords, and heavy chest plates and armors they each wore were enough to implant fear in any living man, but at that moment, all fear ceased to exist. It was just one with his weapon, only a master and his tools, and he was hopeful to make it out alive with only that. They saw as the small hill that stood far from them, suddenly grew as if it were an ocean wave, but it was not that it grew, it was that they saw all the people going down the hill in a haste, with their long swords, hatchets, and oval shields. Caesar smiled, and there was this almost deafening roar that came from one of the soldiers, and just like that everyone knew the fight had begun. Swords clashed against one another, against shields, against spears, and even some, penetrate through the tough armor of the soldiers. Shields clashed against shields, and one could see the weight of the soldiers against one another, with that savage, vengeful look on their faces. He could smell the perspiration, that strong scent of iron, but it wasn’t the iron of the sword the one he smelled, no, it was blood, and he knew it was blood.

As he was fighting with all his might, his sword crashing against the one of the opposing side, of those on the other side of the hill, it was in that moment that he turned to his side. He saw him, in some way, he had managed to slip in. he saw his very Tuscan look, with his sharp yet rough nose, it looked so tiny, as if it were the nose of a mouse or rat. But with a fierce-looking face, and beard. His eyes were of this deep blue color, like the waves of the sea, but that sea, it was filled with malice and revenge. And that was when he saw as Caesar was forayed from behind, and how the blade of his sword went into his side, he saw as he whispered something on his ear, but Nazarus did not care, he sprinted towards them and jumped Decimus at once, killing him with the chest plate of a fallen soldier. “I have freed Rome; you can’t save what is not meant to be saved,” he said in his last few gasps of air.

He turned to Caesar, who was fallen. “Do you not see that your king has died?” he cried as he held his head in between his arm as a mother would usually do. “Do you not care that your God will no longer protect you?!” He screamed as blood came out of his mouth, the agonizing pain on his throat was too great. “Do you- Do you not care?!” he yelled. And no one seemed to care, they all fought as if by now the war had any purpose. And Nazarus, he had failed his only purpose. “I cannot go back, I failed at the only thing assigned to me, how am i- How am I to go back with any pride? I failed you, Caesar, I have broken this timeline.” He said before promptly striking himself with his blade, and then falling on his side.

“The cold damp ground felt so calm as I slowly closed my eyes, it was as if Caesar himself was caressing my head and telling me that perhaps this was not all a mistake. Oh, how do I love the sound of their screaming, agonizing voices becoming less and less as they slowly fall into the void that is my mind. I came here, the institution sent me here, and I failed in the only task I was assigned, and I will die the same death as Caesar, I will die a gruesome, unfortunate, even embarrassing death, but perhaps I will be remembered as a hero, just because I was too much of a coward to go back and tell them the truth. May they learn at some point, that time is not for us to control, and I have lost myself in trying to control it. I have failed, and now I will die, may they erase me when they come back to this time.” He thought to himself before finally ceasing breathing.