For You, The World

Chapter The Sixth

Athens, Greece 399 BCE

It was in the early Winter of 399 that Kaia's love for Athens and its people began to quickly wane. Where free thought and philosophy were once encouraged, it quickly became the opinion that many of the philosophers had gone too far.

When Socrates had been called to trial, Kaia had been astonished. Of all the men in Athens to call for impiety and moral corruption, why him? He had spent his days learning of proper morality, and trying to teach it to others.

The trial had been long, and to many of the other Eternals, boring, but Sersi, and of course, Druig, stayed by her side as she quietly documented the procedures, trying to find reasoning in it all.

"I think we have heard all we must know," Anytus announced, "The jury will now go to vote."

Those who had sat, watching and listening to the trial stood, moving from the assembly, out onto the acropolis.

"I don't see why this man was brought to trial," Sersi sighed once they had made it outside, "All he has done is ask questions, is there truly something wrong in that?"

"Humans always find reasons to hate each other." Druig muttered.

Kaia frowned, listening to the chatter around them as Sersi continued, "I don't know if its that... He questioned their gods... does that not lead to growth? Is there really bad action in that?"

An image seemed to flicker in Kaia's mind, and her voice came out in a small whisper, "He's going to die."

Sersi frowned, "You really think there's no hope for him?"

"They never take questioning of authority well."

It was nearly an hour later when the assembly of jurors gathered outside, and those gathered were called to pay attention. Socrates was brought before the jurors, and the verdict was announced, by Anytus.

"It has been decided, that for reasons of moral corruption and impiety, the philosopher Socrates shall be put to death, by means of hemlock brew."

The old man didn't even flinch; he too, had known what was coming.

"Bring forth the brew!"

Meletus moved forward, carrying a chalice carefully to the old man. Druig could feel the triumph and feeling of superiority rolling off of the man as he forced the guilty to take it into his own hands. Beside him, Kaia stiffened, angry and distraught.

Kaia's eyes roamed the crowd, until she spotted another man writing an account, who called, "What are Socrates' last words?"

"Plato!" The man seemed far too cheery for someone being coerced into suicide, "we owe a cock to Acslepius; pay it, and don't forget."

Kaia too, noted this down, and by the time she looked back up from the paper, the old man had emptied the contents of the drought into his mouth, swallowing the bitter brew, resigned to his fate.

Issus, Persia 333 BCE

"The deviants should be just past that ridge..." Phastos said, glancing down at his locator, "There shouldn't be more than three of them."

Ikaris nodded, turning to look at the rest of the fighters, "We'll make quick work of them. They haven't reached the humans yet?"

"As far as I can tell? No."

"Good."

The fighters disappeared over the ridge, leaving the group of thinkers standing in the clearing.

"Why would the Deviants be out here anyway?" Sersi asked, looking to Ajak.

"The king Alexander is beginning a conquest. A battle will commence here soon, troops are gathered." Ajak explained.