Caesar Dreams

A prologue of sorts

“Hosanna, Caesar, hosanna…”

A woman with scars, like a jagged series of rivers running down the right side of her face, gazed into Caesar. Prismatic armor gleaming a dissonant rainbow of color in its shattered refractions adorned her body. Floating above the palm of her left hand was a violet orb that appeared to contain endlessly twisting and rotating rings - as though they were each trying to stretch out into a whole sphere.

“A man will appear before you. He is both savior and destroyer. You must help him, Caesar. There will be so much more pain if you do not. Please, for the sake of a better future, help him become the hero he is meant to be.”

Caesar awoke. He immediately conjured the Colorless Prism of Life above his left hand. An unseen wind swept across the room, simultaneously touching everything and yet leaving every object in the room undisturbed. His bed chamber became apparently illuminated - abstract paintings adorning the marble walls danced with an array of color and movement. The room was engulfed in mana.

Caesar concentrated, and the cube seemed to draw into itself on one end while bulging out in the other, as though there were multiple cubes stacked into each other and struggling to emerge.

Had that woman really held the lost Purple Prism?

Caesar thought back to the dream. The damaged armor she wore definitely resembled the standardized armor of the Prismatic Knights. Perhaps it had been a special order? But the Empress hadn’t commissioned or trained anyone like that. And the Emperor certainly hadn’t… had he?

The Colorless Prism suddenly disappeared. With only starlight that came from the open balcony, the room was nearly pitch black once more, but that had no bearing on Caesar’s certain movement. As he left his bedchamber, a gentle, small flame appeared in front of him. Giving the sprite a curt nod, Caesar walked down the hall, his eyes fixed upon the doors at the end. The small sprite chirped lightly as it followed overhead, matching his speed, and casting everything in a dim light of gray scale. 

At Caesar’s approach, unseen wards and barriers rippled into sight before settling into invisibility once more, and the hallway itself seemed to slowly alight as ambient mana became more and more dense.

He knocked on the door.

After a moment, a tired looking woman in a long robe opened the door. Her lavender eyes, a perfect match to his own, became suddenly alert, “Caesar? What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“I had a strange dream,” he answered simply.

She ushered him inside before closing the door. The room was bathed in color and beauty, from the paintings and wall scrolls to the patterned rugs and carpets to the pillows and curtains to the statuettes and furniture - the entire room was decorated with art. The colors were nearly luminescent, brimming with life, as ambient mana suffused absolutely everything in sight.

“This room is always warded,” she reminded him. “You’re safe.”

“Mom,” concern leaked into his voice, causing her to instinctively step closer to him, “has anyone found the Purple Prism?”

She shook her head, “It’s still missing… Did it appear to you?”

“Yes, and with a message,” Caesar answered.

“Come, sit,” she suggested, “and don’t crane your neck like that. You’ll end up with a stoop like an old man.”

Caesar snorted lightly, but moved over to the lounge chairs to sit. With a wave of her hand, mom had a pitcher of water instantly filled and pouring two cups of water on its own.

After the both of them settled in, he described to her the message and messenger of the dream, “What does 'hosanna' mean?”

“Maybe it's just a unique greeting?” she posited, “Otherwise, I really couldn't say.”

“Is there anyone like that you’ve met before?”

“No,” she answered with certainty. “That woman doesn’t exist. At least, not yet. If it really was the Chosen of the Purple Prism, then she’s from the future.”

“But why reveal this to me?” Caesar questioned, “Wouldn’t it make more sense to tell you or pops?”

“She will appear before me when she needs my help, and before your father when she needs his.” Mom pointed at him, “It’s your responsibility to take care of this task, not ours, Caesar.”

Thinking this over for a moment, Caesar gave mom a look of curiosity, “How are you so certain she’s from the future?”

Smiling sweetly, as she loved to do whenever she had the opportunity to gossip, mom said, “Now that you’ve been Chosen, I can tell you what each Prism really is.”

“I thought I was already ‘Chosen,’” he postulated.

“Your father and I knew you would be,” mom quickly stated, waving her hand back and forth, “which is why we gave you the first Prism. Anyway, do you remember the five ways in which we employ magic?”

Sighing lightly, as he knew she wouldn’t answer any of his questions until he answered hers, Caesar mechanically replied, “We perceive, alter, protect, disintegrate, and create.”

“Very good,” she repeated as though he were still a child, “But that’s only how we make mana manifest our will. Each of the Prisms is a divine artifact, a connection to the force that enables it, and the way in which mana interacts with the world. Your Prism  encompasses the power of Birth and Death, given to us by Senescence. The Purple Prism is given by Gea, and encompasses the power of… Time, I think.”

Arching an eyebrow, Caesar asked, “You mean you don’t know?”

“It deals with things that mostly have to do with time, or maybe the chronological progression of time,” mom commented, before squinting her eyes at him. “You didn’t even know any of this a few seconds ago, so don’t go pretending that you’re suddenly so wise, young man.”

“I know, I know. ‘A fool thinks himself wise…’” he quickly interjected before she could speak. “How did you know I would be ‘Chosen’?”

“The first champion of the Purple Prism told me,” she said.

“What happened to them?”

She smiled, but her eyes held a wistfulness that he couldn’t describe, “He died.”

Sensing that he should probably not ask about that right now, Caesar changed the subject, “What about the other Prisms? What aspects do they encompass?”

After finishing another sip of water, mom replied, “Well, I was hoping you’d want to try figuring that out for yourself, Caesar.”

“Ah,” he realized, “another lesson, then.”

Smiling brightly, she began to refill her cup by hand, “So… what did you think of her?”

Confused only for a moment, Caesar answered, “The woman in my dream?”

“Was she beautiful?” Mom eyed him as she took another drink of water.

“I… I guess I would describe her as beautiful,” Caesar squinted at mom suspiciously, “Why?”

“Just curious,” she shrugged. “She’s another Chosen. I only hope that you two can get along well.”

“Hopefully we do,” he stated mechanically. “Is there something you wanted to tell me, mom?”

“Another Chosen will appear tomorrow,” she grinned. “The Brown Prism can finally be claimed.”

At Caesar’s look of incredulity, mom continued, “It was a small spoiler from the Purple Prism’s first champion. After your dream tonight, she was destined to appear. Young, though, and requiring guidance. A responsibility you’ll have to share with the other champions.”

“Is there anything else about my future you wanted to share with me, maybe?”

“I did ask him when you’d finally give me grandkids, and do you know what he said?” her eyes dared him to ask.

Getting up from his seat, Caesar made his way toward the door, “Goodnight, mom.”

“You wanna know, I know you wanna know!” his mother teased. “He didn’t actually tell me, but he hinted, Caesar. He hinted!”

Before closing the door, he gave his mother one final goodnight and briskly stepped down the hall. Without his mother around, color and light faded to darkness, and the small, white sprite appeared once more to brighten the hallway with its presence.

The door opened a crack, color and life echoing down the hallway and illuminating Caesar.

“Soon,” his mother cooed, “I know it’ll be soon…”

He went straight back to his bedchamber, never turning back.

Author's Note

His mom is voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo in my head.
Also, I can't use em dashes? I love em dashes!