Chapter 27: Breaking the Barrier

One of the guards came running at breakneck speed into the main meeting hall of the palace. Cicero, Quintus, Maximus, Ursa, Lucius, and Gracchus had gathered to discuss a few things before they sent Lucius and Ursa out into safety. Everyone turned and gasped as the guard skidded to a halt in front of them. He panted and looked up at them frantically.

"Caesar is has left the palace, he's headed for the city gate!", the man explained between gasps for breath. A natural look of profound horror overtook everyone present. Maximus frowned and nodded to Quintus.

"Try and detain him, he's having a fit.", Quintus instructed. The guard nodded and left hurriedly. Quintus turned to Maximus and sighed. "We'd best go and help. If we can subdue him, then we can force him into hiding until we've cleared the triators out. Then he can resume his position."

"If it's still available.", Maximus corrected harshly. Quintus glared at him for a moment, but felt no urge to argue with the former commander at the moment. He turned to Ursa and Cicero. "Take the boy to your home and tell no one. The less anyone knows about this, the safer everyone involved is."

"Absoloutely.", Cicero said with a nod.

"Wait, what about Commodus? Shouldn't someone go and help the two of you bring him back? I can do that!", she offered. The two looked at her and replied 'no' in unison. Ursa stepped backwards, looking at them in anger. "Why not?"

"He's not himself right now, little bear.", Cicero explained as he took her hand. "He might try to harm anyone that approaches him; even the boy."

Ursa frowned and tried to protest as Cicero led her and Lucius away from the group. They had to act quickly or suffer incredible consequences. As the three left the palace quietly, Gracchus followed behind them at a few paces distance. He wanted to make sure that Lucius was safe, but he also wanted to be somewhere that was conveniently close to the city gates. That way he could simply slip away towards the crazed young emperor marching towards his death. Cicero settled both Ursa and Lucius into the back room to sleep and then went to the door to keep watch. Ursa looked down at the terrified prince and urged him to sleep. As soon as she was sure that he was well beneath consciousness, she walked over to the thick blanket that covered the window in the small home and pushed past it. She climbed over the wall with a great deal of effort and tumbled onto the ground. She groaned and grabbed her aching head. Shaking away the minor pains, she gathered her strength and hurried off to help retrieve Commodus.

The young emperor could hear nothing and see nothing except the area directly in front of him. His goal was outside the city, where his sister was being kept. He smiled. It wouldn't be long now. He missed her so much. He wanted nothing more than to curl up in her lap and forget the rest of the world. She had always been there to comfort him after a nightmare, and what a nightmare this had been. In this frightful dream he had been forced onto the throne, attacked repeatedly, and then confronted by senator Gracchus claiming to be his father. Wouldn't that amuse their father when he came back from Germania? He sighed and kept a steady pace towards the outside of the city. He was about halfway to the gate itself when Quintus and Maximus caught up with him.

"Commodus, stop and get back to the palace now. You're endangering yourself and your sister.", Maximus demanded. Commodus stopped and looked at him sternly.

"Maximus, I respect you. My father respects you. But I am the prince and you cannot give me orders.", the young man said folding his arms. "I am fully eleven years old. I'm not a child anymore. Now stand aside. I have had a terrible dream and I need my sister."

Maximus and Quintus stared at one another in confusion. Quintus shook his head.

"Caesar, you're not at yourself. Come back to the palace before something goes wrong.", Quintus said urgently.

"Do not toy with me Quintus. My sister is out there. I don't know why, but she is outside the palace. I need to be with her. I feel very upsetted.", Commodus replied firmly. Maximus groaned and stood over the young monarch menacingly.

"Get back to the palace now.", he ordered gruffly. Commodus frowned and scowled at him. Maximus and Quintus knew nothing about emotional trauma and the episodes that could ensue. Commodus was having a small flashback to his childhood. The young prince had been extremely violent when challenged. He snarled and reared back, punching Maximus firmly in the face. In his mind, Commodus was simply venting his anger on the man with the strength of a typical prepubescant boy. In reality, the young man was without boundaries in his strength; there were no holds on his physical strength or stamina. At the moment, he could exert himself until his body gave out. Maximus flew backwards, his nose breaking in the process. Commodus stepped backwards, amazed at himself. He smiled.

"Gracious! I didn't know I was that strong!", he exclaimed happily. Quintus stared at him in awe. Perhaps it would be best to simply let him continue on towards the gate. By the time he got there he would surely be too exhausted or would have come back to himself. He turned away from the derranged leader and rushed over to Maximus. Commodus smiled proudly and started back towards the city gates. He approached the gates as a new voice shouted to him.

"Commodus!", Ursa yelled as quietly as she could manage while still trying to get his attention. He turned to her and looked at her cautiously. "Commodus, you can't go out there by yourself! You'll be greatly outnumbered, you'll die."

"You're a very pretty young woman. What is your name?", he asked innocently. Ursa stared at him. "Are you a servant girl or are you simply a free citizen?"

"Don't be that way, Commodus. I'm sorry about what has happened between us. I really love you, I do, but you cannot be with me exclusively and I therefore cannot connect myself to you! I thought we were past all this! Please come back with me. You'll be safe. You can comfort Lucius.", Ursa argued as she came forward and took his arm.

"You're a very compassionate little girl. You'd make a wonderful nursemaid.", he said with a genuine smile. Ursa frowned and glared at him.

"What is wrong with you? What happened to your needing me?", she asked frantically.

"I don't need you. I just need my sister. Perhaps I can speak with you when I'm done with this. You're pretty enough to serve in the palace itself.", Commodus said walking past her. "Go back home."

"You ungrateful little snake! How dare you speak to me that way after everything that's happened! You should be ashamed of yourself!", Ursa shouted in frustration.

The young man ignored her and continued towards the city gates. In his mind, he had come to the conclusion that Lucilla had left the palace and was being held outside the gates. The fact that senator Gaius and senator Falco were keeping her there also flashed through his present state, but the reason eluded him. Reason wasn't a luxury he would be afforded at the moment. The only thing that mattered to him right now was getting to his sister. Everything else had been shoved to the side quite violently for the time being. He walked calmly up to the gates. The guards posted were at a complete loss as to what they should say to their emperor. It wasn't wise for him to waltz out of the city and into, what they were led to believe was, an army of traitors. Then again, they couldn't very well refuse him the right to leave either. They took hold of the gates and opened them slightly, hoping that the young man would change his mind if they moved slowly enough. No such luck, Commodus waited very patiently as the doors eased open. He nodded to the men as he walked slowly outside the city. Several miles in the distance, he could see the faint lights of an encampment flickering. His sister wasn't far at all now.

Commodus replayed several things about the past few years in his mind as he walked towards the encampment. He missed his mother terribly and his brothers, but Lucilla had been so wonderful to him. She would be married soon, and all of what they now shared would change. He hated the thought of it and bitterly cursed every suitor that came to call on her, but became at peace with the idea that he would have to grow up sooner or later. He didn't want to, but if he was ever going to assume the throne, as was expected of him, he would need to be fully an adult first. Rome had never been saddled with a 'boy-king' and never intended to be. He followed the path towards the encampment and smiled brighter as he began to feel the distant warmth of the fires. As he walked into the encampment, a horde of legionaires advanced on him. They had been a little shocked at first; but upon realizing that not only was the young Caesar alone, he was also unarmed, they moved to subdue him. Commodus groaned at the thought of having to dodge all of these men. He sighed and began to duck out of the way of the majority of them, shoving the rest to the side. Being in the frenzy that he was, he had been unable to withold any of his strength. The men that were 'shoved' to the side, in fact flew forcefully accross the ground. After the fifth instance of this, the rest of the men backed away. Whatever had taken hold of Commodus, it was powerful and vengeful. Commodus walked towards one of the three largest tents. He entered it carefully and peeked around. In one corner of the tent was a bed with a figure laying under the covers. He smiled and walked over to it.

"Lucilla?", he whispered. The figure didn't stir at all. He frowned and shook it madly. "Sister?"

The figure groaned and sat up. Commodus took a step backwards and gasped. It wasn't Lucilla, it was a strange man. He couldn't quite make out the man's face in the darkness. The man growled and reached for a dagger that lay on the bedside table. Commodus might have been an innocent little boy in his present state, but he knew when someone was out to kill. The look in the eyes and the change in the breath were universal. Commodus allowed pure instint to take over. As a boy, this would have meant freezing solid and succombing to the grisly plan this man had concocted in the past few seconds. Having been through the training as a young man to fight in the legions, yet never making it to the military, Commodus now had a different reaction. His mind blanked and he reached for the dagger itself. The man looked amazed as the young emperor took a harsh grip on the blade and wrenched it out of the man's hand. Commodus felt a rush of anger and hatred surge through him. This man had tried to kill him! He shouted as he plunged the dagger into the man's chest. The man coughed and gagged as his breath began fading. Commodus pulled the dagger away and hurried from the tent. That would teach him.

He looked at the other two large tents and walked towards the one nearest him. This one was still fairly well lit with several lamps and candles. In the middle of the floor, looking serene and timid, was Lucilla. She was sitting with her legs drawn to the side and her hands folded neatly in her lap. He smiled brightly. He raced towards her and fell onto her. Lucilla gasped and tried to scoot away. Commodus took hold of her and nearly crushed her in a forced embrace.

"Sister!', he cried happily. Lucilla finally caught hold of his shoulders. She looked into his face, horrified.

"Commodus, what are you doing out here?! You could be killed!", she exclaimed. The young man frowned and pulled her closer to him.

"Please don't be angry, Lucilla. I had a terrible dream! Please don't send me away!", Commodus exclaimed. Lucilla stared at him in confusion as he gripped her more tightly and sobbed into her chest. "I'm so frightened, sister. Look, someone tried to kill me!"

With that, the young man held the blood-coated dagger aloft. Lucilla gasped and gave a small shriek. She didn't notice any wounds on her brother, but there was an enormous amoung of blood on the blade itself and the hilt. Commodus sniffed and leaned away from her.

"Brother...I...", she stammered. She stared at him as he began to cry softly. She stared at him in total confusion for a moment. She had no idea what the best thing for her to do would be. She sighed and pulled him to her. H situated himself in her lap and snuggled close to her. She sighed and rocked him slightly. He was obviously off his horse for the moment. "It's alright brother. It's only a dream."

"I'm so frightened, sister.", he muttered. "Sing to me."

Lucilla tensed. She looked down at her younger brother. He must have really gone off the deep end this time. She wondered who had suffered the wrath at the edge of the dagger he had held up for her a moment ago. She sighed and smoothed his hair down, kissing the top of his head affectionately. She sang a small song their mother had composed when he had been born. There was really nothing else to do for the time being. Lucilla and Commodus sat quietly, all but ignoring the dangers that were just outside the canvas of the tent. She smiled at the impromptu peace she was experiencing. If it hadn't been for the fact that she was sure they were going to die that night, she might have truly enjoyed this little bit of nostalgia. She was also just as sure that her brother was feeling the same way. Even with his common sense abandoned, she loved her brother very much. He shifted and looked into her eyes. She smiled at him.

"Better?', she asked. His eyes suddenly widened. He began to tremble and look around nervously. Lucilla felt the serenity that had settled over them shatter. Commodus had snapped back to reality and reality was about to get violent.