It was a hot March morning of 824 A.S. The maglev train was speeding through a vast wasteland of Crete. The only line connecting equatorial Crete with Attica. With home.
Icarus stared out of the window. As far as eyes could see, sand. Sand, dust and rocks, all melting together in a yellow-orange-gray palette. Far away, on the horizon, monolithic peaks of the Divide, crowned by rays of rising sun.
A few minutes later, a change in the landscape started appearing. First, some low and daring shrubs. Draining the last drops of water from the ground, somehow defining the border of the desert. Then, ugly and yellow grass. The train was closing to the Divide pass -- a gap in otherwise solid mountain range. He felt the elevation changing.
Soon, the yellow grass started giving way to more green. Low bushes and even a couple trees signaled the proximity of the Divide pass -- kept alive by the life-bringing humidity of Haliacmon and her few tributaries, gingerly leaking out of the Attican valley.
What first seemed like a distant wall of mountains -- the eastern part of the Divide -- now started closing in. The highest of peaks of the Divide were invisible beyond the dust clouds, but the mountains were no longer just silhouettes. The impenetrable wall of sand-covered rocks symbolised the differences between the peoples living on either side of the range. Thus, the name -- Divide.
The train climbed higher, through the only pass between the northern and southern ranges of the Divide. On either side, sky-high mountains. However, the ground was no longer bleak. Low trees with green leaves, in one of the few places on Crete with vegetation was higher than a human, ornamented the pass.
And then, it was as if they entered a new world.
* * *
Heraklion was blinding. The white walls of its buildings pierced eyesight like snow on a sunny day. Icarus left the train at the last stop, in Meletis, and immediately headed home. The next day would be laborious.
The election cycle in Attica lasted eight years and every time a new Archon was chosen, it almost felt like a national holiday. Elections for the office of Archon attracted the interest even of citizens who normally didn't engage in the rich political life of Heraklian aristocracy.
He already announced his candidacy, last time he had visited the capital. According to his rudimentary knowledge of local affairs, four other candidates planned to stand for the office. He was regardless noted as the favourite, and endorsed by the current Archon, Aesop.
He entered the front garden in front of his family's manor. Just a few hours with his family, another few hours of sleep and he would have to give his all to sway the Custodi people -- and their votes, more importantly -- to his side.
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.
The day after, the votes had been counted and he was standing on the podium again. Even though it had only been a couple dozen hours, he felt like it had been ages. The uncertainty, the excitement.
The podium was filled this time, each of the candidates on it, expecting themselves to be the winner. It was not the time to question himself right now, but a sting of doubt crept down his spine. The suspense was unbearable.
Eventually, the marshal showed up again. He walked up to the podium, greeted each of the candidates, and turned towards the audience. The amphitheater was even more packed than the previous day.
“People of Attica, you have chosen your leader,” the marshal spoke with due form. “The institution of Archonate passes down from the esteemed Archon Aesop Alscionus and shall now, for the next eight years, be held by…” He paused for effect.
“Archon Icarus Augustopolos!”
Icarus sighed as the amphitheater erupted in applause.
