Golden Age: Chapter I

[Corile]

The amphitheater looked different than usual. The lowest section of the stands was fenced out for the candidates and their acquaintances. There were five of them this time, including Icarus. He had come there with Helen, his wife, and two of his children - Dido and Marcus. Dia was busy with her own duties elsewhere and couldn't show up.

He was scheduled to make his speech last and the fourth candidate, the old man Laskari, had just finished. Icarus was just waiting for the applause to quieten down and for the marshal to summon him to podium

Finally, he saw the marshal waving at him to come. He nodded and stood up as Marcus and Helen whispered wishes of good luck.

Unlike the other candidates, he spoke without notes. Every waking moment of the last year he had prepared for this speech. He was sure of his intentions and was sure of victory. He leaned against the podium.

“People of Attica,” he started. “Two years ago I left my family, I left my home and with a group of volunteers we left this planet to learn how the universe looks outside. To see our place from a distance. We had a dream, and that dream rapidly turned into vision. We worked tirelessly, with the goal of stability and prosperity.”

“We are privileged in the society of Corsairs. For hundreds of years we remained in a status quo, busy with our little squabbles and looking down upon our Dorian neighbours. The Corsairs yearn for stability, every day on a brink of collapse, and every day fighting to survive the night.”

“Our predecessors wanted little more to entrench the position of Custodi within the Corsair society. I say, we need to entrench the position of Corsairs within the humanhind,” he curled his fingers into a fist, his tone rising rapidly. “Without a strong leader we will perish! And with one, we will have a united Crete, and nobody shall take our future from us. Nobody!”

His tone lowered. “Beyond Crete lay worlds with riches. We must be the ones spreading Corsair influence, in ways beyond just war and plunder. But before we can do that, we must set our home in order. We must seek to participate in Dorian politics as much as our own. We must seek to strengthen the Corsairs as a whole, not just ourselves.”

He nodded. “I promise you we shall not succumb to foreign influence, we shall fulfill our potential to the maximum. We shall become strong, stronger than we’ve ever imagined. But we shall do this not just as Custodi, but as Corsairs as a whole. Thank you.”

He made his way down the podium as a thunderous applause resounded. He had done his best.

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Reflections on the Revolution in Gallia
Custodi // High City of Heraklion // The Cult of Archangels
Log Filter // Post Creator // Manhattan