Interstellar Age

The Sage who had visited Erich quickly returned from whence he came. And once in the luscious world of Alfheim, which was overflowing with plant life, he stepped foot into the hidden cave where he and the other members of his ancient order resided.

The moment the elderly Elven male stepped foot into the area, a series of green flames lit up in a square around him. Catching him in place. This was a common occurrence when one was interrogated by the council of Elders, which he was a part of.

And thus, he did not react strongly to this sudden trap. Instead, the man bowed his head respectfully to his peers and his superior, who sat in the highest seat. The Great Sage's voice filled the room with great authority as he spoke to his long-time friend with a hint of concern in his tone.

"So... Have our worst fears been realized? Is this Erich Jaeger of the Germanic Star-Empire, the prophesied Dark Sage? The one who shall set the galaxy ablaze in his wars of conquest?"

Knowing that what he was about to preach was heresy of the highest order, or so far as his peers were concerned. The Elder was quick to request a private meeting with the Great Sage, something that was incredibly unusual, especially for a debriefing regarding such a serious subject.

"I urge the Great Elder to engage in a private discourse... What I have learned... What I have learned to regard the identity of the Dark Sage is... It should not be spoken in public."

This comment caused a loud series of mumblings to occur from above where the council of elders sat. A single hand was raised in the air by the Great Sage, which immediately caused his subordinates to cease their jabbering. The Great Sage had a curious tone in his voice, as he questioned why the Elder would request such a thing.

"Brother... What you are requesting is highly unorthodox. Do you not trust your peers with the information you have received?"

This accusation was one that caused the other elders to gaze at the man with a deep sense of mistrust. So much so that the man himself found it difficult to continue with his request. Nevertheless, he stomached this feeling of dread, and outright spoke of why he had requested such a thing.

"With all due respect to my fellow elders, I believe some of them may have sat upon their seats within the council for so long that they are not open to hearing new information, information that is contradictory to what we have believed to have been true for so long..."

This statement caused an uproar among the council, as they began to behave exactly as how the elder suspected they would. And he had not even yet spoken of what Erich had shown them.

"Preposterous, unless you were to openly speak of blasphemy, then there is no way we would be so closed minded?"

"New information that is contradictory to our beliefs? Don't tell me you have allowed the Dark Sage to corrupt your mind, brother?"

There were many more comments in a similar light cast towards the elder who Erich had spoken with, but none of them were heard by the man, as they all seemed to blend into one giant complaint. Ultimately, the Great Sage raised his hand once more, and thus silencing the room as he spoke to the Elder with a particular look of curiosity in his ancient eyes.

"I will grant your request... But know this brother... If I deem your mind to have been corrupted by the Dark Sage, I will have you cast out from the order, and stripped of your foresight. Do you understand me?"

The Elder gulped and nodded his head while curling his fists in determination. He was convinced after seeing what Erich had showed him that his order's way of thinking was entirely flawed. He also knew the fate that awaited the order if they went against Erich, and thus he was quick to follow the Great Sage into a private chamber, where once they were alone, the Great Sage broke out a bottle of some ancient Elven spirits.

"Care to have a drink before we discuss such dull matters, my old friend? Pardon me for the show... You know how the others get when it comes to things like heresy..."

A smile formed on the elder's face as he realized his friendship with the Great Sage was as strong as ever. It was this slight hope that allowed him to speak of what he had seen. Even though he knew there was still a potential, he would be exiled.

After a particular lengthy discussion about what Erich had shown him, the Great Sage sat in silence for some time... His mind was a mess. After all, Erich's abilities, if true, certainly transcended what they knew about their own powers.

It took several moments of deliberating within his own mind before the Great Sage finally sighed and spoke to his old friend.

"This changes things.... I have observed for some time now an unusual buildup of the Empress's forces. After all, the order within the galaxy only exists because the Great Powers refuse to engage in an arms race.

At first I thought the Empress was being reckless, but what you say... About the Naraku... If it is true, then this all makes unusual buildup of the Empress's forces. After all, the order within the galaxy only exists because the Great Powers refuse perfect sense.... I have often wondered why the Dark Sage would engage in such a pointless struggle for galactic conquest. I have thought upon it for so many hours; it has nearly driven me mad.

But... If his goal is to unite the galaxy against the Naraku... Then that would make sense. Curious though... If we are incapable of detecting the Naraku invasion with our visions, does that mean they have bugs with abilities similar to our own?"

The Elder nodded his head. Erich had shared this with his visions. Showing what he had seen when he was connected to the Hive Mind.

"I believe so, from what Erich showed me... That seems to be the case. I don't know if Erich's abilities are an enhancement of our own, or something entirely unrelated that only has a similar effect at the lowest levels. But at the very least, I believe what he showed me is real..."

The Great Sage rose from his seat and shook his head while sighing heavily. He then gave the Elder some orders just before leaving the room.

"I will have to consult with my other half about this before coming to a decision. In the mean time, do not say a word of what you have witnessed to the others. Without a commandment from both the Great Sages, the order will consider this to be a heresy of the highest order.

While you are waiting for an answer, it would be wise to maintain contact with Erich. See if you can learn any more about the exact nature of his powers, and how he gained them."

The Elder nodded his head in agreement with his orders. He was also curious about this matter, and was happy to further building relations with the so called "Dark Sage."