The night was dark....From a distance an owl hooted announcing it's hunt....It's family was waiting for it....They would feast on it's prey....The sky was overcast and a strong wind was blowing....The environment was unusually still....Not a single soul in sight....Lightning crackled and occasionally the sound of thunder broke the deathly stillness of the night....A storm was coming....Not a lighted lamp could be seen along the streets....Well....Except....Except for one in the room of Senator Commodus...."This untimely rain Gaiuss....This will ruin all the wheat...." said CommodusAt the centre of the room was a wooden table on which a solitary lamp was lighted....In the dim light of the lamp Senator Gaiuss could see that atleast 60 people have gathered there....There was a certain degree of anxiety in all of their faces....In the dim light Gaiuss could see beads of perspiration on his comrades face....Quite odd it was....Really odd....As well as terrifying...."Why call at this hour Commodus?" asked Cassius"We carry out our plan tomorrow.""Tomorrow!!!!!Are you out of your mind Commodus???? Caesar is no roadside drunkard who can be killed anytime of the day.....""I understand your concerns Cassius....But tomorrow is the best time to kill him....""And what makes you think that?" asked Gaiuss"The Senate is in session now....My sources tell me Caesar himself shall be presiding over the Senate of proceedings from tomorrow.....""That's good news but if Caesar decides to preside over the sessions now we can kill him any day during the session....Why the hurry????" asked Cassius"Because all decisions of the senate shall be taken by Caesar himself....He has made it clear....We all know how ambitious that man is....He is sure to dissolve the senate and concentrate the powers to his office....His victory over Parthia has made him win the crowd support....Maybe after tomorrow we no longer remain as senators....Maybe after tomorrow we will never get a chance.....""Tjat's your insecurity speaking Commodus....Donot forget Julius himself was the Consul before he assumed this position....He knows the importance of the Senate.... ""Still he attacked Parthia against the decision of the Senate....""He won..""He defied the orders of the senate....""Ummm....Commodus has a point here....But won't Cawsar be accompanied by his guards????If we attack all of us shall be slaughtered....or worse crucified....Plus won't carrying a dagger to a senatorial meeting be insulting to the dignity of the place????" "As for the 2nd problem we kill him before the meeting starts....At the hall of the Temple....And for the first....Don't you guys worry about that...." came a voice from the far corner of the room....His face was hidden and nobody had noticed his presence until then...."Don't you worry about that...." he repeated"Who are you?" asked GaiussThe man stepped forward and stood in front of the window....Suddenly there was a lightning and in that flash the others got a glimpse of the man's face....It lasted for less than a second but it had taken everybody by surprise....."Are you mad Commodus???? How can you involve him??He is a spy....He is sure to bust all our plans...." shouted GaiussCommodus smiled...."Greetings Senator....""Decimus Brutus!!!!!""Yes....and don't you worry about Caesar's guards tomorrow....""And why not????""Because I personally will go to receive him....Caesar shall not bring his guards if he comes with me.....I can assure you that noble senators....Tomorrow he shall come to the Temple of Pompey unarmed....""You have been Caesar's comrade in arms....How can you??????""I have been a loyal friend of Caesar.....But my family has always been loyal to Rome....Centuries ago when King Marcus Tarquinus raoed Lucretia monarchy was overthrown and Rome was made a republic....My ancestor Sextus Brutus led that revolution....Today that Republic is in danger....I have the blood of the same Sextus rerunning in my veins....If anybody threatens that Republic this Decimus shall be the first one to take the sword to him....If that's Julius Caesar then so be it.....""All this is fine....But there are people who would like to protect him... Like Caesar's fellow consul Mark Anthony....He is a bloody hound....If he gets a sniff of this he will surely prevent Caesar from going tomorrow....""Let him try that....We just need to make sure that he doesn't reach Caesar on time...."said BrutusIt had started raining....The frogs croaked in unison....Lightning intensified....The storm had begun...."COME WHAT MAY MY FRIENDS TOMORROW CAESAR SHALL DIE......"_______________________×__________________(2)"Hail Caesar!!" greeted Decimus Brutus in the trademark Roman fashion....Left arm out stretched....Right fist on his chest."Good morning Decimus....What brings you here?""I have come here to receive you....You have to be present at the Theatre of Pompey by 11'o clock. The Senators are already there and they don't like to be kept waiting....""Oh that!!!!Pass on the message that Julius Caesar will not be able to able to attend today's meeting....The meeting stands cancelled until further notice....."Decimus was astounded...."How can Caesar do this??He has to come today....All arrangements have been made....What's more terrifying is that Mark Anthony has come to know of the plot....He must be coming any time soon....Caesar has to come today....It has to be done today....""Oh honourable Caesar!!It doesnot befit a man of your stature to cancel the meetings at such a short notice....If you have done so there must be a strong reason behind it.....Can this old friend of your's know the reason????""Decimus it's just that I saw a bad omen today....I saw a dead eagle lying on my balcony....Ants were feasting on it's carcass....""And??""Calpurnia doesn't feel good about this....Tell the Senate that Caesar is ill....He won't be able to make it.....""You decide to cancel the senatorial proceedings on the basis on such signs my liege????Such superstitions can befit a common citizen not Caesar....What possibly can happen to you????""Superstitions Decimus???? You call these superstitions????You have been my brother at arms for nearly 30 years now....Don't you remember how in our battle against Parthia after Marcus's death we had lost all Hope's???? How in the night we saw an eagle sitting on a tree and feasting on a snake.....And how the very next day I was able to behead the Parthian King?????How in our battle against the Gauls we were forced to retreat behind Miunt Sestame????How we saw an one winged eagle flying and soaring high in the sky....And how a week later Veracetramix lay his weapons at my feet??????These signs have always guided us Roman's in every field....There is a reason why Eagle represents Rome....And you call them superstitions??????""Pardon my lord!!!! But I must say that a great sign reader like you has failed this time....Snakes are eagle's natural enemies....Eagle feasting on a snake represents Rome's victory over it's enemies....Ants are not....They are scavengers....Scavenging on everything dead..Dependent on the Eagle for food..This sign represents how Rome in both it's extreme plentifulness as well as in it's state of deprivation never fails to protect it's citizens....How citizens of Rome will never die of starvation even at their worst.........""Ha!!Ha!!Ha!!Ha!! Decimus....I have always admired your wit....I have my sword....You have your tricks....""Honour my liege....""See Calpurnia!!There is no need to worry....Brutus I shall come along.....Wait....I will go and get dressed....."Saying so Caesar left."Decimus" said Calpurnia"Yes oh Queen!!!"Calpurnia walked closer."Decimus look outside.""My Queen??""The winds have changed Decimus....This time of the year it is supposed to blow from the east....This year it's from the North... See that storm outside Decimus....See the overcast sky....Can your wit explain this??""You have been with Julius for 30 years....You are 20 years younger than him....Julius treats you like his own son....You have risked your life and saved his a myriad times....You gave tended his wounds when I wasn't there beside him.... ""My honour oh Queen!!""PROTECT HIM WITH YOUR LIFE DECIMUS....PROTECT HIM WITH YOUR LIFE...."_______________________×__________________(3)The Temple of Pompey stood magnificently against the grey sky....It's white marble glistening with each flash of lightning....Caesar walked through the grand corridor of the magnificent temple....His head held high....His wreath decorating the white hair on his head....His toga was spotlessly white....His high nose clearly representing his status and snobbery in equal measure....He walked through the long corridor....."Hail Caesar!!" Came a voice from his right.."Commodus!!Good morning....I expect you to be at the place of the meeting now....""We had sent Decimus to fetch you my lord!!No sign of him!!!!He was supposed to accompany you....""And he did his job pretty well Commodus....He is off to submit his sword....You know weapons aren't allowed in the senatorial meeting....But you aren't doing your job....Why aren't at the place till now??The protocol clearly says that every senator must be present before Caesar arrives....""Because I had to meet you before the meeting starts.....""Why?""Sire....My nephew....""Enough of that Commodus....Enough of that....You know your nephew is a buffoon....I had interviewed him myself....He cannot be raised to the post of a Legionnaire....He has no decision making abilities....Leave that he doesnot know how to wield a sword....Isn't it enough that he had been employed in the army????Petitions won't work in the office of Caesar....Merits will...."Saying so Caesar turned and walked.....Commodus turned and put his hands on Caesar's shoulders....Caesar turned....Eyes red....Face flushed with anger...."You swine....How dare you????Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"His anger turned into agony....A wave of pain rushed through his entire body....He looked down....And lo what!!!!! There was a dagger pierced through gus abdomen....Blood oozing out of his wound staining his toga red...."Why Commodus....Why this violence??" muttered Caesar as he tried to hold the collar of Commodus's toga....."Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"Caesar turned....And there stood Senator Gaiuss....Blood on his hands....Blood on his face... His dagger had pierced the back of Caesar's neck....He had lost a lot of blood....His knees felt weak....He fell on the ground..His wreath dislodged and fell off his head....All he could hear were footsteps....Soon hordes of people came running to him...."Surely they will help me...." Caesar thought...."Ahhhhhhhhhhh"A sharp pain shot through his body....and then all went numb....People jumped on him like a pack of wolves jumps on it's prey....Some stabbing....Some slashing their daggers through his flesh.....Caesar knew his end was near....He was being slaughtered like a pig....Still he refused to give up....His body was weak....He had lost too much of blood....He opened his eyes... Blood had dropped into his eyes....His vision was blurred....He was blinded by his own blood....He saw some someone approaching....He couldn't makeout who....The person came closer...."Brutus!!!!!!He will save me....He has saved me a myriad times before....He will do it again....That man can fight the Devik himself for me....He can being me back from the very doors of death...." Caesar thought.Perhaps all Hope's were not lost for him....He gathered his strength and stood up..He knew he would be saved....His friend would save him....He had seen the day of hope...."D.....Decimus help me!!!!!!"he said with all the strength he could muster....Caesar stretched his arm....He wanted to embrace Brutus....His friend has come....Brutus stepped forward and took Carsar in his arms....For a moment time stopped....They had two bodies but one life....Even Zeus must have had stopped by to witness this act...."My friend....you have come....Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"Lighting crackled like never before....The sound of thunder made everybody deaf.....The world had not seen something like thus before....."Hail Caesar!!!!!" whispered Decimus Brutus into Caesar's ears...."Et tu Brute?? Then fall Caesar!!!!"Caesar fell on the ground facedown....His hands outstretched....As if still in the act of embracing his friend....He fell with his hands outstretched as if embracing the Roman soil....As if embracing the Rome he fought so hard to create... He laughed there with Brutus's sword still stuck to his back....The clouds had burst and the rain had come down in cars and dogs....The wind was strong enough to blow away every house in Rome.Rome hadn't seen such a storm in years...It was as if the skies were crying....But why??Death is nothing nature cries for....It sees death every hour,every minute,every second....Then why did it cry?????Decimus stood there silently....His hands red....An awkward silence had engulfed the till then excited senators....Commodus bent down and pulled the sword from Caesar's fallen body...."Right through his heart....Well done Decimis....Well done...." said Commodus....."He was a resilient man....22 stab wounds yet he stood....Decimus's sword killed him.." said Gaiuss"We shall make sure you become the next consul Decimus...." said CassiusDecimus stood there silently....The storm had intensified...."Let's get out of here....Mark Anthony might be coming any time soon...."Saying so they left....Caesar's body was left behind....Blood stained....Lifeless......_______________________×__________________(4)Decimus stood on his balcony....The rains hadn't stopped yet....His hands were still red....He refused to wash them....The pattering raindrops seemed to speak to him....asked him questions...."What killed Caesar??What really pierced his heart??A man resilient enough to endure twenty two stab wounds couldn't withstand one more????"The questions were many....But Brutus didn't want to answer them....The curtains were pulled down....Darkness engulfed the entire place.......