Caesar

CHAPTER ONE • ALONE IN PITCH DARKNESS

His head rests against the massive soft pillows beneath his head. The pitch darkness fills the room as if light is dreaded. The sound of crusty dried leaves, crickets and owls dominate the night.

All his nights had been like this, lonely and empty. He had no one who cared for him, no one waiting for him, no one smiling at him, no one to make him feel whole, no one.

The sound of the wind gushing against his window pulls him from his sleep. Not as if he got any actually - he hadn't slept peacefully in millenniums. Drifting in and out of dimensions and times, searching for his heart's yearnings 'her.'

"You don't have to do much...she's back!"

The words of the enchanted mirror rings in his ears like a noisy bell. He always had to work hard for her to be reborn in every dimension and every time. Why was it different this time?" On his face there is an invisible smile, one so faint that one could hardly notice.

As he lays on his bed, silent footsteps coming from close to his window harasses his ears. Not another assassin.

His head rests against the pillow as his eyes remain close. His ears move slightly as the intruder walks close to his bed.

A cold metal against his warm neck. Caesar insanely smiles with a maddening expression as he feels the sword on his neck. Some blood is already on it as it's sharp blade slightly cuts his neck.

His hands turn gripping on to the sharp blade. As it cuts through his palm, he laughs wide eyed looking at the assassin who covers his face, only his eyes are showing.

His legs land on the ground firmly as his hands push the sword deep into his flesh. His strength overwhelms the assassin as he pushes him towards the wall with his hands still on the blade and his blood dripping on the floor.

With the assassin pinned towards the wall, he grins.
"Who sent you?"

The assassin doesn't speak instead he tries to swing himself away from Caesar but couldn't, Caesar was abnormally strong even for a well trained assassin such as him.

Caesar eyes remain on him as a torture rope flies for underneath his pillow wrapping itself against the assassin's neck.

Finally Caesar pulls away and the sword falls to the ground as his blood drops down generously pouring on the ground.

The assassin chokes as the belt strangulates him. His hands move up holding his neck trying to break free as his eyes redden with water.

Caesar walks to his bed, picks up the flute he keeps beside him and starts playing it as he watches the man struggle in pain.

"Take your sadness and turn it into music...let it sound over the earth." He remembers the words of his music teacher who taught him when he was a boy.

By the time he dropped the flute, the assassin had given into death. He sits against the wall, his eyes are open wide and his limbs which rests against the floor are weak, feeble and lifeless.

The belt flies back to Caesar who puts it right under his pillow. His legs approach the assassin, he stops right in front of his body.

His eyes move slightly and a cool wind brushes against the assassin's skin making his mask fall to the ground.

"Quite an ugly fellow!" Caesar comments joking to himself as his eyes hover over the man's features.

"I fear i might have done the world a favour!"

He laughs chuckling loudly but stops as a brief memory forces it way through his mind.

"I have seen you before!"

His mind flash before him an image of the assassin walking behind the High Priest as his Royal guard.

A sickening expression appears on his face with a morbid smile.

"I guess we have to meet soon, High Priest." He says bending over the body as his hands move round lifting his garments. A tattoo rests on his lower belly - a paddling stick with a staff.

He smiles "Or maybe, I'll meet with your ward...a more subtle revenge!"

***********

THE NEXT NIGHT

Caesar sits in his study going through some scrolls and books. Being the Hwansu , a post created for him as the foreigner that helped Yunchi in her time of needs was stressful. He had to make decisions as the most influential man in Yunchi. He moves all the scrolls till he sees the one with an imperial stamp.

He smiles as his eyes glances through the words.

"Borrow money? Again?!" His laughter is loud.

"Incompetent bastard!" His hands pick up a tiny golden bell and he rings it. The messenger comes running in.

"Grant the loan!" The messenger runs out of the room.

"Yes, keep borrowing and sell the whole Yunchi to me!"

He hears a knock on the door, it is subtle and quiet.

"Come in!"

His investigator walks into the pitch darkness of a room. Caesar sits on the king sized chair at the furthest end of the huge room close to a shelf of books.

"Hwansu!" He bows as he walks towards him placing a bunch of paintings on the table.

"I asked you to look for two women!'

"Hwansu, i didn't find any woman with this face or description!"

He places a painting of a dark beauty on the table.

Caesar groans in displeasure then speaks.

"Keep searching. What about the Priestess?"

The man pushes the paintings towards him. He looks down at it.

"She's veiled?" His eyes stare up, anger and displeasure visible on his face.

The plumb man falls to the ground on his knees begging for he read the Hwansu's expression.

"Hwansu, please forgive me...she's always wearing a veil or some kind of mask!"

"Get up...keep searching for this girl! Don't come to me until you find her!" He hands the painting to the man again. The man scrambles out of the room making a nervous sound as he shuts the door behind him.

Caesar stands up, drawing a triangle in the air. The triangle glows bright red and he disappears into it. The silences rages more as the lamb's fire blows out.