It was a point of debate you remembered between the radicals of the Utopian Front and the Futurists, and other schools of thought, where children were a happenstance raised by community rather than fostered traditionally. Most considered such thinking ludicrous, but it was the compromise necessary if a free-spirited woman wasn’t to be chained to the hearth.

Maybe that was the true sign of getting old, if you didn’t much understand that. Or perhaps it was the radical youth losing the grip on reality their elders had, being too confident in their new ideas while not having enough experience with the world. You couldn’t help but dread the possibility of everything you worked for, now in the hands of another, being recklessly tossed away in pursuit of reckless posturing or individual ambitions, a Dawn they alone could see.

-----

The flight was a long one, and not comfortable, since you had chosen to budget appropriately for a man who needed to be somewhere quickly but not wealthily. Crammed into a mail flight, whenever the new landscape and sea outside was tiresome, you contented yourself with philosophical reading- something your guards tried their best to imitate, but instead dozed off. You still hadn’t made a satisfactory draft for your own writings, despite having helped on plenty of others. The need to exceed, you supposed.

Well acquainted with the classics, this book was an analysis that had come out during your time kept slumbering, of past acts and authorities that might be claimed as “Revolutionary” or “Utopian.” History oriented as you were, there was good reason that you went into this book with a mind to disagree, but outside perceptive was important to get an ear of. By the time you were over East Valsten, and had more to see outside than in the pages, you had gotten a good idea of it anyways. Much in the way of presumption and imagination, rather than what could actually be deduced from the various revolts and conspiracies. One thing hadn’t failed to escape the optimistic author’s understanding, however. The people were often promised much for their support, only to gain naught, and sometimes, were only rewarded with retribution or further demands, depending upon whom they supported. Or if they acted for or against anybody at all. In some cases, their sympathies had changed with the wind, and only a few years or even months of misfortune had reversed their loyalties. The drawbacks of relying on the common folk, before they could be reliably educated. A hero or a villain was equally capable of turning the easily swayed.

It made you wonder how many had quickly accepted it when you were out of the picture. How many might turn back when you got your chance, and how many were waiting to do that, or would simply turn to the brightest torch in the night?