Ceaser

Chapter 1

Caesar





Chapter one





Julius was growing impatient. The march from Britannia had been long but uneventful; he had left most of his army on the other side of the Alps and come to Ravenna with one legion consisting of 300 horse and 5000 foot, in hopes the Senate would accept his first offer. He would disband his army and enter Rome in peace if they would uphold the promises made to him and disband the armies of Pompey, yet they had refused, so he sent again an offer to the Senate and again they had refused. Finally he had sent Curio back to the senate requesting only that two legions and the provinces of Cisalpine Gaul and Illyricum should be left him. It had been a long wait but now Curio had returned. Pacing in his apartments he awaited the answer. A knock at the door and Curio entered.


Disregarding the weary look of his friend and all attempts at hospitality Julius demanded the answer from the Senate. Sighing with dread at what his news would bring Curio answered "The senate has ordered that you give up Transalpine Gaul to Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, and Cisalpine Gaul to Marcus Servilius Nonianus and dismiss your army, if you do not do this you will be branded traitor"


Stunned silence filled the room. Finally Julius replied in bitter tones "leave me" Unsure what his friend would do Curio left worried with a heavy heart.


Julius's emotions were conflicted. He did not want to start this war, but the instinct for survival was strong in him and they could be most persuasive. He longed for his youth before he learned of their existence and the plans in store for him. At their direction he had formed his triumvirate, taken governorship of Gaul and expanded Roman territory there, nine years he had been absent from Rome and everything had changed. He had lost his beloved daughter, his triumvirate had collapsed, his power threatened and they wanted it back.


Suddenly someone was there and Julius startled with a twitch. He would never get used to that and hated that they could do that to him. "The news is not good" he said. "It was expected" came the reply in an eerie half whisper. "The faction backing Pompey is strong, but we will break them and restore the glory of my people."


"Must Rome suffer this war? Is there no other way?" asked Julius though he knew what the answer would be. "It must be done, for the good of your people as well as mine. Tomorrow you will cross the Rubicon with your army, the game must be played" just as quickly and silently as he had come the Vampyre was gone.


It was common knowledge now, that the consuls and senate were puppets, few people still believed it was the gods pulling the strings. Yet no one spoke of them and Rome was crippled in fear. The Vampyre faction that had taken control using Sulla was not subtle and the lists of the proscribed were known to be those who had done well under the Rule of Cinna. At least the faction backing Cinna had been content to stay hidden in the temples and be worshipped as gods. Now death was everywhere and Vampyres walked in the open with disdain. Who they were, what they wanted, and exactly who was under their sway remained a mystery, but who could miss the lean hooded figures who walked the streets Rome with supernatural grace.


Still a civil war would cause the death of countless Romans who might otherwise survive, and was this small faction of Vampyres any better than the rest? They spoke of restoring the balance and returning to the old ways when they had founded Rome. Was that any better? Would the people return to the superstitions that had kept them enthralled for centuries? He had to get out of the apartments and think. Upon leaving he went to watch the gladiators, but did not see the spectacle for his mind was elsewhere, so he wandered again seeking to distract himself, he went to a fencing school this was what he intended to model his school after, if only they would let him be. While there he secretly sent messages for his friends to meet him at the Rubicon after dark. Maybe they would have answers for him, but he could not let his watchers know anything was amiss so he went to the baths to calm his nerves and give the appearance of normalcy.


He went through the motions as in a fog. Some exercise, a dip in the tepidarium, on to the caldarium, he barely noticed when the masseur left and he was led back to the tepidarium and finally the frigidarium. It was only as he dressed that he began to come back to himself. He left the bath and returned to his apartments, packing some necessities but not enough to arouse suspicion he left for a walk. He wandered around Ravenna until it began to grow dark. He took the Rimini gate as this would be the way out of town they would be least likely to watch. Seeking to ensure he was not followed he wandered in the dark not daring to light a torch. Finally just before day break he arrived at the meeting place on the banks of the Rubicon. The first friend he saw was Asinius Pollio, he began to cheer up, surely they were not here, his friend's council would be welcome, and together they would find a way to avoid this war.


He stood for a moment among his friends as they waited for him to begin. At last he spoke "We may still retreat; but if we pass this little bridge nothing is left us but to fight it out in arms." Instead of answering him his friends stepped aside and there appeared the one he had seen in his apartments just this morning. In silence this graceful stranger led them a little way down the bank where Caesar's legion was camped. The Vampyre strode to a trumpeter, grasped the frightened man's instrument and sounded the advance.


With a heavy heart and exuberance he did not feel Caesar shouted "Let us go where the omens of the gods and the sins of our enemies have called us. The die is cast."


The army had been awakened and prepared hours earlier, supposedly by his command. The crossing began immediately and soon they were in Ariminum, surprise was on his side and the city was taken early with little fight.


Once Ariminum was taken he was approached by the tribunes who had taken his side in the senate. "When we attempted to veto the senate decree we were threatened by Pompeian soldiers and forced to flee for our very lives" they told him "we disguised ourselves as slaves and escaped in a hired carriage." Already it had begun, his supporters were displaced and enemies of Rome, he had no choice now but follow this thru to its bitter end, maybe then he could restore some of what had already been sacrificed on his behalf.


Julius sent a messenger to have his centurions assemble his legion. When the troops were gathered he brought the tribunes before them and told their story. He explained that the senate was ruled by a small faction of individuals who had unjustly put down the objections of fellow senators, using threat of violence, and illegally passed a decree stripping their general of his dignitas. They sought to remove him from command and take away all he and his soldiers had earned. Julius knew his men and knew their loyalty was with him so played on that loyalty. Calling for them to continue with him and free Rome from these evil men and defend his honor and all that they had earned in the nine years under his command. It worked, his armies took oaths to defend his honor and follow him to victory. Caesar sent word to his armies in Gaul to join him in Italy. Meanwhile he sent men to secure Ancona, Arretium, and many other towns near Ariminum thus securing his base of operations to await his reinforcements from Gaul.


On the evening which he received word of his final victory, as he was preparing to announce to his men that they would dig in and hold what was theirs until the rest of the armies arrived, he was again surprised by a shadowy visitor. "You will make a new offer" he was told "Tell them you will give up your governorship and disband your armies. Tell them you will enter Rome as private citizen and seek the consulship" Julius was stunned. He had begun their war and all was going well. Lives had been lost; sacrifices had been made... now they wanted him to give up? "You will ask only one thing" came to voice "Demand that Pompey leave Italy and remove himself to Spain and that his armies in Italy be disbanded"


"Why have me do this?" Julius queried "Why now when the war has begun?" "They will refuse." came the reply "Pompey has already evacuated Rome, he plans to let you take Italy and attack you from east and west. The people feel abandoned and betrayed. You will show you are willing to stop this war, you will become a hero to the people" With that the Vampyre departed.


Julius sent the required demands and awaited the response as he awaited his armies. The response from Pompey was quick and surprising they would agree to his demands, all Julius had to do was withdraw to Gaul while Pompey departed. Julius was relieved and elated the war was over he would have the opportunity to gain his consulship and build his fencing school, it was done!


He immediately began composing his speech to his men; he would spin it as a victory. The senate had conceded and he and his men would have their dignitas. As he was nearing completion he received some visitors, this was the first time he had seen more than one, since he first met them when he was 15 and gave up the praetexta and was allowed to don the man's toga, the toga virilis.


"Good your here" he exclaimed "You were wrong they accepted our proposal, I will retreat to Gaul while Pompey withdraws to Spain"


The response was biting and immediate "You will not! You will refuse the Senate and press your attack."


Confused by this Julius hesitated, as he hesitated he grew angry, they had forced his hand again and again he had done all that they asked and had won what they wanted, why would they ask him to refuse his own victory? Suddenly he didn't care he was done doing their bidding. "No!" he growled "I am a better statesman then Pompey, accepting this offer will remove all power from Rome! I will win my case in the courts and be consul. You have what you wanted, I will have the power in the Senate you need. It is done!"


Before he could take his next breath Julius found himself dangling from the hand of one of the visitors, strange and feral eyes staring from beneath its cowl bore into him. Caesar's blood ran cold. How could they move that fast? Where did these emaciated bodies get their strength? He was frozen with fear as his soul was laid open to this piercing stare. Hissing and whispers filled the room. "Finish him" "How dare this human defy us" and most chilling of all "His blood is of more use to us then his insolence, kill him"


A powerful voice drowned out all the rest, though it was barely a whisper. "Silence fools! This tool is the product of years of planning, he will follow our commands!" Again the eyes burned into him. "Do not forget Julius you are not the only one under our command. Your army, your friends, your family could sustain our hungers for years. You will do as you are told. Your understanding is not required, merely your obedience." Gulping for air Julius was more frightened then he had ever been. Rome's greatest general cowed by a small handful of these strangely powerful men. How many of them were there? Where did they come from? If just one could handle him as if he were a mere infant, what could they do together? Could they carry out this threat? It was then that Caesar knew he was lost. He would do whatever these things asked of him. He nodded his acquiescence. As he was slowly lowered to floor and allowed to catch his breath, he noticed he was alone with this last remaining Vampyre. "Do as you're told" came the barely audible command "It is for the good of both our worlds" and the last of them was gone, leaving Julius alone to collect his thoughts. This was the second time he had been told it was for the good of his own kind as well as theirs, and he was now fairly certain it was the same voice as before.


Scrapping his victory speech Julius instead began to prepare for war.


At first there was no resistance. Towns opened their gates and welcomed him. Pompey's troops that were left behind in his hasty retreat turned to Julius for employment. In no time the whole of Picenum was his. He moved into the Abruzzi and met his first resistance at Corfinium. Domitius Ahenobarbus was ensconced in the town with eighteen thousand men arranged in thirty cohorts. These were new troops unseasoned in war compared to Caesar's battle hardened men with nine years experience in battle after battle. The numbers were against him but Julius knew he would win. He had his troops surround the city and waited. He received no guidance from his masters and did not want to slaughter these men. As much as he hated their commander the men were blameless and did not need to die. Soon it became evident that no help would arrive for the newly besieged town and Domitius's soldiers fearing their general would flee and abandon them to the mercy of Caesar's army surrendered.


That night Julius contemplated what to do with his old enemy Domitius and the senators in the town. He feared that the Vampyres would arrive and demand that he put them to the knife. No word came. The next morning he had Domitius, the senators, and the knights brought before him. As he was about to address them he spotted several hooded figures scattered throughout the crowd. He knew it was them. Lacking direction on the disposition of prisoners Julius took a gamble, he would test the statement "for the good of the people" He told the captives to learn from their mistake and in the future repay favors in kind. He then returned the military funds he had confiscated and ordered that the defending soldiers be paid. With a wave he dismissed them and walked away. Let us see how these shadow men respond to that, he thought. I will do what is right as often as I can I at least owe this much to Rome.


That night he retired to his apartments in dread, fearing the repercussions of the Vampyres. The faction that had been behind the insufferable Sulla was swift and vicious in their retribution. It remained to be seen what "his" faction would do.


One of them was already seated in a chair as Julius entered his rooms. The voice sounded familiar. "Well done servant" it said "Some of my colleagues were less than pleased with your display of humanity, called it a weakness, but they understand this will set us apart. Our mercy will show our superiority. Our victory will be sure as we will have the hearts of the people. Continue with your plans, Rome will be ours. You will see, your people will do well under our rule. They will have no need to fear so long as the blood flows in the arena or on the altars of the gods. The blood is what we need. If we have it, your kind will prosper." The growingly familiar figured stood slowly and walked out the door.


This was new. No display of power, no disappearing, no orders, no threats... It had actually seemed pleased. Still it had taken credit for his decisions. It was his mercy not theirs and it would be his victory not theirs. What had they done to earn these claims? They had done nothing but hide in the shadows and threaten the very people that he loved. No, despite this new development Julius hated them. He hated them with every ounce of his soul and he would find a way to rid the world of their kind. They must have a weakness. Why else do they hide in the shadows instead of ruling in the open, and what did they do with all the blood? Did they have strange gods who gave them powers in turn for the blood of humans? He drifted off to sleep with dreams of a Rome free of these hidden puppeteers.


In the morning he awoke with a fresh outlook. Until he could find their weakness he would take advantage of this unexpected attitude towards clemency. He drafted a letter to his office in Rome stating that his policy would be one of mercy and magnanimity. He would show the people he was kind to his friends, swift in his victory over his opponents and merciful once that victory was obtained. He did not need to direct that this letter be circulated throughout Rome. He knew it would do that on its own.


Armed with the knowledge that Pompey and the opposing senators had been on the move down the coast in an attempt to cross over to Greece, Caesar took the legions that had just surrendered to him, his original legion and those reinforcements that had arrived from Gaul and sped down the coast to Brindisi in order to catch them before they could flee Italy and carry on this war in the provinces. He arrived too late. The senators had already departed for Greece and Pompey refused to meet with him in their absence. He surrounded the city and waited for the return of the senator's ships. When they returned he sent emissaries to the senators to no avail and Pompey still refused to meet with him. His last hope for a swift and decisive victory disappeared 11 days later as he started on siege work and Pompey took ship to Greece. Still he had Italy proper and as such all he had to do was enter Rome for it to be his. He sent a junior command to take Sardinia and Curio was dispatched with three legions to secure Sicily and the grain it produced and orders to move on to the provinces in Africa when Sicily was secured. His next step would be to take on Pompey's armies in Spain, but first he had to stop in Rome, he had given orders on his march to Brindisi that the free men in his provinces in Gaul should be given full Roman citizenship and was anxious to see the bill enacted, he also wanted to win the support of his father in law, Cicero had been none to silent in his condemnation of Julius and this civil war. Caesar had great respect for the man and wanted his support and guidance. The notices had gone out that he intended the Senate to meet upon his arrival in Rome there were still many Consulares residing in Italy hiding in their country estates trying to wait out the war.


Cicero met him on the way to Rome. Julius smiled as he saw his father in law, but the smiled faded quickly as his attempts to greet the man were forestalled by an abrupt refusal to come to Rome on Caesar's behalf. Surely the man knew the truth, why this betrayal? "At least come and speak for Peace" Julius said. "I will do so if I may speak my true mind freely" Cicero replied. This made Julius smile again "Of course, who am I to tell you what to say?" Cicero did not smile in return "I will tell them it would be a mistake to send troops to Spain or an Army to Greece; I will speak against your war and condemn the situation you have put Pompey into"


Julius's heart stopped and his grin turned to ice. This was not the support he had hoped for, who was pulling Cicero's strings? Had another faction of Vampyres gotten to him, or was the man truly ignorant of what was happening? "This does not help me" he said "I do not want the Senate to hear this" At last Cicero smiled "And this is why I can not come to Rome my son" This small gesture was not enough. "Think again Cicero, if you will not support and advise me in this there are others who will" he threatened. Hurt and angry Julius walked away from the man he had most hoped to win to his cause.


Upon his arrival in Rome, the tribunes who had fled to him in Ariminum convened the senate. Attendance was not what he had hoped most of the senators remaining in Italy leave their estates. Only three of them had come. He could not call this a true meeting of the senate; it was only a gathering of a handful of senators. Still he tried to win them over. He pointed out the wrongs that had been done him, he spoke at length of his attempts at peace. For three days he tried to sway them, for three days he grew frustrated and angry. This was not how he expected to be received. Finally on the third day he broke off the session in a rage. What did he care what these imbeciles thought? "From now on" he stated "all decisions will be made by me! Martial law is in effect." Julius was in no mood to be trifled with. On impulse he gathered a small contingent of soldiers and headed for the temple of Saturn where he the treasure that was needed to fund his war was kept. As he arrived at the Temple Metellus stepped into his path.


"Stand aside" Julius demanded. Metellus squared his shoulder and spoke. "As a tribune of the people I can not let you take this treasure" "I will only tell you this one last time Metellus, stand aside or die, I am a soldier it his far more difficult for me to threaten you then to carry out the threat." With that he pushed the shocked tribune aside and ordered his men to break down the door to the temple, in a moment of rash anger he would later regret Julius entered the Temple and seized its treasures.


Having obtained the funds he needed Julius Installed the praetor Marcus Aemilius Lepidus as marshal of the city on his behalf, and gave Antony charge of Italy and its remaining legions. He was alone he had many supporters and "friends" but he alone knew the truth and would do what must be done. For the good of Rome, he thought, I will carry this burden myself. Let them think of him what they would, he Gaius Julius Caesar would win this war and find a way to free Rome from the bonds of evil that had enslaved it from the beginning. He ordered his legions mobilized and prepared to set off for Spain. Nine years he had been campaigning in Gaul he was prepared for this and his Armies were seasoned and strong. Victory would be his, only then could he find a way to end his people's slavery to these mysterious blood thirsty puppet masters.