Episode 26 (41 AD):

Claudius limped out of the palace as quickly as he could, leaning on Gratus for support, while Demosthenes and Aquila guarded their backs.

They crossed the garden, now also covered in bodies and blood, until they reached a litter escorted by a group of soldiers. It was a palanquin used by wealthy Romans, with brightly colored curtains that could be closed to prevent the upper class from having contact with the stinky commoners they hated so much.

Upon arrival, Demosthenes and Claudius were surprised to see that four Germanic guards stood ready to carry the litter, alongside the Roman soldiers.

Seeing both the Greek and the Italian take a few cautious steps back, Gratus stepped between them.

— Don't worry— Gratus said calmly. — They're with us now.

—I see… — Claudius replied with suspicion. — And how are my dear Messalina and my two daughters?

— They are safe with the guards, sir. The situation at the palace has already calmed down. — A guard replied.

Claudius nodded and, with clear suspicion, entered the litter. The four northern men carefully lifted him and began to walk quickly towards the palace exit. Demosthenes and the others followed on foot.

In the streets, despair and uncertainty reigned among the people. Rumors about the emperor's fate spread like wildfire. Seeing the procession of soldiers, many of the bewildered residents rushed towards the sentinels to question them.

—Is it true that the emperor died? — An old man asked. — I liked the games he organized…

—Is my son alright? — a woman in her 40s inquired.— He's in one of the emperor's cells. Please release him, all he did was sell razor blades the day his sister died.

The crowd was pushed back by the guards with shoves and blows from wooden clubs. Demosthenes remained silent in the face of the citizens' doubts, as he himself didn't know what was happening either.

The procession continued for a while longer until it passed through the city walls. Beside them, on a high point, stood other lower walls made of Roman concrete and faced with grayish bricks. These protected the camp of the Praetorian Guard. Inside, the detachments of soldiers were built in an orderly fashion, forming rectangular blocks of small buildings separated by narrow streets.

The Roman imperial eagle banners fluttered on several sides of the massive walls. Upon seeing the group approaching, the soldiers began to emerge from the large red gates of the walls and applaud energetically.

Upon arrival, the Germans placed the litter on the ground and Claudius descended with the help of one of them. Then, Gratus, his voice amplified by emotion, proclaimed:

— Romans! Here is your new emperor, Claudius, the brother of Germanicus! The man who will bring peace and prosperity to Rome again!

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Many of them even knelt before the new emperor. Their experience with the previous one had taught them to be as submissive as possible to their ruler, even though they had actually chosen him as their leader because they considered him an easy target to manipulate.

Demosthenes, upon hearing the word "emperor," felt uneasy. He had already imagined it, but he didn't want to admit it. There was something about this whole coup d'état that he didn't like. Perhaps because in his homeland, incorruptible men only ruled for a year, or because he felt that Claudius had lied to Cassius when he said he was going to restore the republic.

On the other hand, the new ruler of the empire, infected by the emotion of the public, raised his arms and spoke with unusual confidence, despite his habitual stutter:

— S-soldiers of our glorious Rome! — He began with a trembling voice— I appreciate your trust and promise you that I will not disappoint you. I will govern with justice and strive to administer with wisdom, even if it is only with a tenth of the divine Augustus's. Together, we will build a better future for the empire.

Claudius's words were met with more cheers of joy. The only one who seemed not to enjoy the speech was Demosthenes.

The lame man was hoisted onto the shoulders of several guards, a laurel crown made of pure gold was placed on his head, and they paraded him back and forth across the camp while the crown tilted over his head with each movement.

But his fun didn't last long, for Cassius Cherea, the tribune who had "killed" “Caligula”, pushed his way through the crowd and approached Claudius with obvious concern.

— Senator Claudius! — He shouted to be heard above the crowd. — I need to speak to you in private, right now.

The new emperor, understanding the gravity of the matter, nodded calmly. He seemed to have an idea of what he wanted to discuss with him.

—I need to be taken to my tent... please—He ordered the guards.

The men who were carrying him on their shoulders, like the celebrity he had become, nodded and lowered him carefully. Then he was escorted, along with Cassius. Demosthenes, followed them out of curiosity, to a tent erected next to one of the military barracks.

Both high-ranking Romans entered. Demosthenes prepared to wait for them on the threshold until they were finished. However, the new ruler emerged from his camp and gestured for him to enter as well. Obeying him, he walked into the interior of the lodging and some Praetorians took the Greek's place, guarding the entrance.

The tent was austere. There was only a small bed, three chairs, and a table in the center. In one corner there was a small piece of furniture on which some scrolls rested, probably Claudius ordered them to be brought there in advance. In another corner, an object the size of a short human figure was covered by a cloth.

Claudius walked around the makeshift room and sat down on one of the chairs, indicating to the others to do the same. The immortal obeyed, still with some distrust, while Cassius remained standing, his face flushed with contained anger.

—What’s with this “being emperor” garbage? — He finally announced. — We thought we were going to restore the Republic! That the Senate and the people of Rome would have power again, as in the old days!

Claudius, with a serene gaze and a measured tone of voice, replied:

—Cassius, those are just youthful dreams, idealistic fantasies that I too shared in the past. But the reality is that the Romans are not ready to return to the instability of the republican period.

He closed his eyes, furrowed with wrinkles, and when he opened them again, he continued:

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—In those years, the senators only cared about their own interests, dividing themselves into factions and fighting each other, devastating the territories that our ancestors worked so hard to capture. Only a firm but just hand, like that of Augustus or Julius Caesar, can govern Rome and keep it united, not only against corruption, but also against our external enemies.

Cassius, his face contorted with frustration, replied:

—Then, all I did was replacing one tyrant with another. If so, I have no choice but to kill another so-called “emperor” today.

Claudius, without losing his calm, raised his hand and called his guards. They appeared immediately at the entrance of the tent, just in time before Cassius drew his sword and Demosthenes stood up to try to appease the two men.

—You wouldn't really expect me to be such a fool as to stay alone with you, would you, Cassius? — Claudius said in a monotone voice. — Take him away and lock him in the barracks. We'll see what to do with him.

The guards drew their swords and approached Cassius, who still had his hand on the hilt. However, the tribune, with a defeated look, did not resist and allowed himself to be taken away.

—You're playing with fire, Claudius—He said before leaving. — Perhaps you really think you are doing the right thing, but you are wrong if you think you can change this beast that Augustus created. Just as that bastard was consumed by his own actions, you too will suffer the same fate, and so will all the others who believe they can forcefully dominate the people of Rome.

—Silence! — Shouted one of the guards. He then tied Cassius's hands behind his back.

Claudius, watching them leave, fell into thought. Demosthenes reminded him a bit of Zenodulos when he took political office in Athens through deceit, although Claudius didn't seem to enjoy it as much as that immortal.

The Greek finally broke the silence.

—I didn't expect you to do something like that. That man fought bravely to free us from the tyranny of that madman.

Claudius, with an enigmatic smile, replied:

— Demosthenes, so many years living among political intrigues have made me one more participant in this game of power, just as I warned you. In truth, I did not desire the power of the emperor; I simply preferred to be left in peace to write my scrolls of history. But among the conspirators, I was the best option. For among the senators, meek as sheep, there are wolves, ready to turn the empire into something worse than what the man who was your slave left behind.

The Athenian stared at Claudius. He had been among predators for so long that he had become one himself.

— All my life pretending to be dumber than I am has earned me the reputation of being a figure that the Praetorians believe they can control at will. —Added the new emperor. — But I will do things my way, as I have several plans for my government: I will restore the coffers that Zenodulos emptied with his opulent games and parties. I will also preside over the trials, thus we will impartially enforce the law. Just as when the Council of the Areopagus presided over the most important trials in your time.

Demosthenes knew that the Areopagus was a place next to the agora, but due to his great ignorance, he did not understand Claudius' reference. Instead, he asked about more urgent matters.

—And what will happen to me now?

—Don't worry, I'm not going to lock you up or make you a perpetual sacrifice in the gladiatorial games. However, I ask that you do not reveal anything about the plot.

Claudius stared at the Greek, just as Zenodulos had done days ago, when he was trying to read his reactions.

Satisfied with what he saw, he continued speaking.

—I trust you, Demosthenes, and I hope you also trust that I will not reign like the man who killed my dear nephew. Which reminds me, I've received strange reports that he has transformed into a statue.

—Yes, but he is only asleep. He will awaken as I did a few days ago in Gaul.

—Then, possibly he will awaken in another five hundred years.

—Or when Angra Mainyu sees it necessary to awaken him.

—I don't like this uncertainty…

The uncle of Caligula, the real one, put his hand to his chin and fell into deep thought. Demosthenes became a little irritated, as he was not sure if he could still believe in that man, not after he had imprisoned Cassius. But he needed to know something very important...

—And what about the search for Agatha? Will you keep your promise?

Claudius stared at him and replied:

—Of course I will. Now I have the entire Roman army under my command. With the best legions in the world, we will find your wife right away.

Demosthenes breathed a sigh of relief. He preferred to believe that man for now; after all, their conversations in prison did not seem to be lies.

—I need you to come with me to see something—Claudius interrupted, rising from his chair. The immortal, intrigued, followed him.

In one corner of the tent, a figure covered by a cloth had aroused Demosthenes' curiosity since he entered. It looked like a statue, but his experience with them told him it could be something more.

Claudius removed the blanket, revealing the white, marble-hard figure of a girl sleeping peacefully on her back. She wore a common Roman tunic and her disheveled hair reached her back. Her eyes remained closed and a small scar circled one of them.

There was no doubt, that person was Kharma.

—Does she seem familiar to you? —The emperor asked.

—Yes, she was my slave, and another immortal.

—I always suspected something was strange about this sculpture—Claudius said thoughtfully.— It appeared right after she “died” suddenly from a strange illness. Besides, the pose is not one that a normal artist would use for their work. Remembering that you turn into statues to hibernate, I had her brought here.

—So you knew her when she was awake?

—Yes, just as Zenodulos pretended to be my nephew Gaius, she disguised herself as one of his sisters: Julia Drusilla. No doubt they got rid of the real one as well.

Demosthenes’' stomach churned. It was impossible that such a kind and compassionate girl had become another piece in Zenodulos' megalomaniacal game. He could only have achieved this by deceiving her, but... would she go so far as to kill an innocent girl?

— What was she like? — The Greek asked, trying to understand why she would do such a thing.

— She was quite friendly, the least abhorrent of Gaius' sisters —Claudius reflected.— When he fell ill and was replaced by that madman, she didn't talk much to me. Now that I think about it, she mentioned that she had gotten a scar in an accident... — Realizing the date of the replacement, Claudius took a few steps back, grief-stricken. — So that's when they replaced her? My dear niece...

— So it seems, but how could Kharma do such a thing as kill the real Drusilla?

— And how did none of us realize that the siblings were replaced by other people? Is that man's ability so powerful?

Demosthenes couldn't answer him. Anything was possible for the one who had given them immortality. But asking questions without immediate answers wouldn't serve any purpose.

— You must guard the statues of Zenodulos and Kharma for when they awaken — The Athenian finally said. — If he awakens and she has been deceived by one of his tricks, together they can commit a regicide and turn things upside down again.

— I agree completely. That's why I ordered the statue of the murderer of my nephews to be brought here.

— I also want you to... not be too harsh on her when she opens her eyes. She is just another victim.

— I understand. I will only share this information with my most trusted collaborators.

Demosthenes nodded. For better or worse, Claudius was the most trustworthy man of that era.

Claudio covered the petrified figure of Kharma again and turned to observe his subordinate. An idea seemed to cross his mind, as he scrutinized the immortal from head to toe.

—I don't know how to say this. But… —The monarch said with a hint of disgust

—Go on… —Demosthenes replied, anticipating the direction of the conversation.

—I assume it's been five hundred years since your last bath. Why not head to the nearby river and clean yourself up? You deserve it, after all you've done for Rome.

Demosthenes nodded, recognizing his body craved a bath after such a long journey. He said goodbye to Claudius and followed his instructions, reaching a stream outside the fort's walls. The fresh, crystal-clear water flowed between the stones. He took off his clothes, feeling the breeze caress his bare skin. The cold water enveloped him, washing away the fatigue and tension built up since waking from his stone sleep and everything that happened that day.

However, a strange feeling overwhelmed him, beyond just the cold. An unpleasant numbness spread through his body, stiffening his limbs and turning his skin as white as snow. It was a familiar sensation.

My voice, the one he hated so much, echoed in his mind.

Political schemes and power struggles await the forced emperor. But that battlefield isn't yours.

Demosthenes pleaded me silently in his mind, yearning for peace and begging me not to awaken him again in a distant time.

However, Claudius' reign as emperor has already been documented and adapted in various forms. You'd rather learn about Demosthenes and the other immortals, wouldn't you? Wouldn't it be more interesting to freeze him until a time when he, and you know who, can meet again, making their confrontation truly memorable?

Demosthenes pleaded in vain for me not to turn him to stone, but it was too late. His body became like marble, and his consciousness slipped into a slumber that would last far longer than a mortal's lifespan.

In the end, the destiny of these two men was inextricably linked. If one awakened without the other, it would be only because I demanded it.