Book Five: Chapter One

Sorry I haven't posted much in a while.  I fell into a morass of writer's block.  There were a couple of narrative humps for me to leap in my head before I could carry on.  I believe I have now.

So, if you've read Lords of Kobol Books I - III, here's a bit of the next book in the series.

SPOILERS: Seriously, don't read this unless you've read the trilogy.  You can download it for FREE here.

Chapter One of Book Five: Of Gods and Titans follows the JUMP.

I

CAESAR

112 Years Before the Fall of Larsa

The noise was deafening.

He had only been awake for a few hours, yet he still couldn't shut out the noise.  He finally regained his vision but the sounds were painful and distracting.

"Claude?" he said.  He wasn't sure if he actually spoke, so he said it again, louder, "Claude?!"

He heard footsteps.  Over the din in his mind, he heard the man running.  The door opened.  Like with each sound that was made, now that Caesar looked, he saw every detail of every move Claude made.

"Yes, my lord?"  He started to speak before the door was even open fully.  He stepped two paces into the room.  His hands were clasped above his belt.  The finely attired young man's fingers were twitching.  Rubbing over each other.  Caesar heard his skin scrape.  A raw, rough noise that echoed in the room and shook the static that racked his ears. 

"Must you do that?" Caesar asked.

"I'm sorry, lord."  Claude's eyes darted around.  He didn't seem to know where to look.

Damn it, Caesar thought.  He could hear the wet click of the boy's eyeballs as they moved in their sockets.

"Never mind," Caesar said.  He tried again to close his ears.  The sound lessened a bit.  "When will the doctor return?"

The attendant lowered his head.  "Another hour or so, lord.  He said he would return at dawn."

Caesar believed he sighed first and then said, "Bring him now."

"Of course, my lord."  Claude bowed and began to back through the door.  He closed it slowly and carefully, but the snapping of the mechanism and the slamming of wood upon wood reverberated in his leader's mind.

Caesar tried again to shut his senses.  The noise dwindled.  The sights slowed.  Finally, after hours of pain, he had achieved some measure of peace.  He didn't want to think about anything.  He simply wanted to enjoy the moment.

Step, step, step …

His senses returned and a cacophony of chatter, clanking and footfalls broke through his concentration.  He looked and saw natural light had returned.  It was after dawn.  He had rested for a little while.

"My lord," Claude said as he entered the room, "Doctors Aelianus and Donovan."

A man and woman, dressed in their typical neck-to-toe blue smocks, walked into the room gingerly.  Two guards entered as well.  They swept to either side of the door and their rifles thunked against the plastic armor by their shoulder when they saluted.

The doctors circled Caesar and looked at him slowly.  The guards stood at attention … but they were distracted.  Like Claude earlier, they didn't seem to be able to concentrate.  Their eyes noisily moved around the room.  They couldn't focus on any one thing for longer than a few moments.

Caesar tired of their shifting and he ordered, "Leave us."

One guard looked to the other and spoke, "Lord, are you certain?"

"Go."

They snapped to attention, their armor clinking again, and saluted with their fists above their hearts.  They turned, opened the door and left.  Caesar heard them stop just outside.

"Imperator," Donovan began, quietly, "how are you feeling?"

"The noise is unbearable.  I hear everything.  Footsteps floors away, a guard cracking his knuckles in another room, your quickened heartbeat, Doctor Aelianus."

"I am sorry," she whispered.

"Don't apologize," Caesar said.  "Fix it."

Donovan spoke, "We will do all we can."  He pulled a small device from his smock and held it against the leader's side.  "Your sight?"

"It is equally sensitive yet I am able to control it more easily."

"Good."  Donovan walked a bit more.  "Your sense of smell?"

Caesar had to think.  What was the last thing he smelled?  The incense being burned in his room … but that was a couple of days ago.  "I don't believe it's working."

"We'll look at it."

Aelianus held her hands behind her back, "How are you feeling?"

The leader felt a rush of anger.  "Have I not been speaking to that?"

She got nervous and nearly took a step back.  "Yes, but, I mean, how do you feel?  Your emotions, the ease of your thoughts …"

Caesar understood.  "Of course.  Apologies, doctor."  She nodded.  "The haze I felt for so long has been lifted.  There is no obstacle between the desire for a memory and its recall."

"Very good."

"Emotionally," he began, "I am, obviously, still sensitive.  I feel prone to anger.  That has not been my way."

"Of course not, lord," Donovan said.

Caesar's attention turned toward him.  Anger flashed again.  Sarcasm?  He told himself to relax.  "I do feel anxious, though."

"You feel energetic?"

"Yes," Caesar said.  "For the first time in years."

Aelianus said, "That is very good."

"Let us discuss my mobility."

Donovan glanced at his colleague and then he looked at his device again, "We have gone over that before, imperator.  It may be some time."

Caesar shut down his senses to contain his surging emotions.  "I cannot wait months and years for you to pray on bended knee for miracles that may never arrive."

"I understand …"

"I feel trapped in this room already," Caesar continued.  "I've only been conscious for six hours yet I feel caged."

"Understandable," Aelianus said.

"Then help me."

Donovan inhaled deeply and slowly.  "What you ask is possible, but difficult.  We don't have the means …"

"Find the means."

Donovan lowered his hands and stepped back.  "The finest minds in Tiberia are working on this, lord."

"Insufficient!"  The doctors cowered at the Caesar's volume.  "Narrow-minded fools such as you have failed me before.  Not now!"  They flinched and winced at the sharp sound.  "I will scour Larsa for the solution, if I must."

The doctors bowed again before the large, gray and black box.  Slowly, they approached and took more readings on the unit.  Lights flashed as Caesar thought.  Judging by their rapidity, he was thinking quite a bit.