The 1.000 year Great Sage ---> COMPLETED STORY

Seya looked around.

- That's weird… But eventually I will feel hungry, right?

I smiled just by seeing him so puzzled.

- No, as I said, time doesn't exist. So, you won't feel hungry because you just ate some biscuits, right?

Seya was even more puzzled.

- That doesn't make any sense… This is just too weird… But… It can be a different dimension…

From behind them, Gabryel voice agreed with him.

- Yeah, I also thought that, the first time I was here. Hello, Examiner Tilia, I am glad that you are ok. Things were dangerous on that Island! How high was the death toll?

Seya answered in a low voice.

- More than it should be… you could have warned me before I ordered the troops to go to that Island.

- I couldn't, the Council wanted to see how you would handle the situation. I asked them to watch over it very closely so that they had an idea of the danger those ugly things could become if they ever reached other Worlds.

- Yeah… I didn't want to exterminate the evolved Demonoids, they were a brand-new sentient Race. But they were too dangerous, I couldn't let them live in our World.

A choir of voices talked at the same time, the Council was listening up until that point, in complete silence.

- It's very good that you at least acknowledge that, young Seya. Some of us agree with you, but the general consensus is that they should be granted a World just for them. But we also agree such choice could have dangerous repercussions in the future if they ever managed to reach other Worlds. So, we more or less agree that what you did was appropriate, for a being so young such as yourself.

Seya looked around, trying to figure out where the choir of voices was coming.

- Thanks… I guess. Despite the fact that you congratulated me and at the same time, condemn my actions, regarding the Demonoids. But you could also give them a World, at least for the grey Demonoids, and see what they would do. If they endangered other Worlds, you could destroy them, I guess.

- No, young Seya, we couldn't do such a thing. Because we are Gods, we would forgive their actions, even if they endangered other beings, because it's not their fault of being born like that.

- Yeah, it was the Old God, Araban… It was him that you punished by turning into an Examiner. A good and adequate punishment, for a God that created the Demonoids, hide that fact and was the reason why the Goddess Aria has been sacrificing her little girl form, to protect our World… an amazing and very, very adequate punishment…

The choir of voices sounded annoyed.

- You seem to disapprove our choice at that time. You forget that we are Gods and we have eons of experience in dealing with transgressions…

- Yeah, right… You call it experience, I call it recklessness. And concerning reckless, I am an expert. For all those eons, never your punishment did more harm than good, on correcting the so-called transgressions?

- Yes, it happened once or twice. But like we said, we are Gods, we must forgive and be kind, even to transgressors, and guide them to the right path. Sometimes we are able to, others, not.

Seya stopped to think about those words.

- And… When your guidance didn't guide those transgressors to the right path, what happened?

- They died because of their own actions. Or others killed them, as revenge or because of envy.

- You can't punish such transgressors to complete oblivion? Because if they are evil or rotten, it would be better to completely erase them, instead of letting them spread death and misfortune around them like the Demonoids were doing.

- That's a little tricky to explain. For instance, who would be able to judge and condemn to oblivion such kind of a soul? We, because we are Gods, can't, as we already explained to you.

- There's not a higher position than you, that could do that?

- Well, He could, but He would never do that because He is even more kind and forgiving than us.

- You really need to find someone to act in cases where there's nothing you can do, to guide a soul to the right path…

- We could, maybe. Are you volunteering?

Seya shook his head vigorously.

- No! I am not worthy of something like that!

The choir of voices sounded pleased, like if they were smiling after Seya's words.

- That's a very good answer, young Seya, a very good one.

- They follow their natural path. And that, it's nothing that concerns you, because if we told you what happens to a soul when a body dies, you would know more than you should.

Seya smiled and he looked at little Aria from the corner of his eye.

- Yeah… I once heard a cute little Goddess saying something like that… Well, the talk is interesting, but I am still curious if the Council is willing to help me or not.

- That is the reason why we are talking with you, to decide. Many of us wanted to know you better, to try to understand how a young being like you, managed to influence an entire World and at the same time, improve the lives of so many.

Seya nervously scratched his head.

- Well, I once lived in a World where there was no Magic and it evolved in a more scientific way. I just used that knowledge and adapted to a World of Magic.

- Yes, we also know about the previous life of your soul. So, what do you need our help for? What's your idea?

Seya took a deep breath and smiled at little Aria, before answering.

- Well, on Earth, most of the times, the advances and discoveries happened when something changed or there was a conflict. I want to change, even more, the Ariansyl World. With the ending of the threat of the Demonoids, the beings living in there will either evolve because they will have more free time to search and be curious about everything around them, or there will be conflicts among the Races. To prevent conflicts, I want to give them a common goal, something that makes them unite as beings living in a World, trying to be better than beings living in another. Not with war, but with a healthy rivalry that makes the people in the Ariansyl world improve and look for higher accomplishments. I don't know if my idea is possible, because it will also interfere with other Worlds.

Silence. For a time that looked ages for Seya, the Council didn't say a word. Seya was puzzled and questioned Gabryel.

- Did I just upset them? Or they are discussing amongst them? It's taking too much time for them to say something…

- Yeah, this always annoyed me. Because time doesn't exist here, they can discuss among them for centuries and we would never feel time going by.

- Speak for yourself, I feel time passing by and I am getting bored… there's nothing to do in here, while we wait?

Gabryel shook his head.

- No, nothing. Look around, do you see something in here?

Seya opened his Compressed Dimension, surprised because it worked.

- Well, at least my Magic still works. Care to join me in a Chess game?

- I don't mind if I do. Better if we don't drop a white piece or we will never find it!

- Yeah, that would be funny! My sweet and cute little Goddess, do you want to challenge Examiner Tilia with a game?

- Sure! The Hnefatafl! Knnya… knnya… knnya…

While Seya was playing Chess against Gabryel, Tilia was having a hard time in the Hnefatafl game against Aria. Then, a choir of laughter took them from their games.

- Ahahahah! Young Seya, you are really something! You got bored and you even managed to be a bad influence on Investigator Gabryel and Examiner Tilia?

Gabryel and I rushed to get up from the white floor, a little embarrassed. Aria rolled up her eyes, annoyed by the interruption while Seya just shrugged his shoulders. The choir of voices slowly diminished their laughter and continued.

- So, we think that we understand your idea, but you need to properly say it so that we can decide in favour or against it.

Seya got up and smiled.

- I think the Council as already decided because you guessed what my idea was… Ok, I want to create a way for the people of the Ariansyl World to visit and interchange knowledge, products and people, with other Worlds. Like that, both Worlds will benefit from the interchange. Or in this case, four Worlds. Ariansyl, Earth, the homeworld of the BeastKind, the RabbitKind and the LizardKind and the homeworld of the Elfians and Dwarfs.

Hearing that, Aria slowly opened her mouth. But she quickly closed it, she wanted to hear the response of the Council, before saying anything. The voices of the Council asked, and they seemed curious about Seya's intentions.

- Do you realize that in those Worlds, discovering that there are other Worlds with sentient beings could also be a fuse for disaster?

- It could, but I doubt it will become worse than it already is. If we use Earth as an example, I mean. I don't know what the situation in the other Worlds is or if the Gods responsible for them, will allow it.

- Well, we can answer you, on that matter. The Goddess Aria's mother, Goddess Myshka, the Deity of the BeastKind homeworld, is having some problems over these last Millennia because of the constant fighting of the Races. Several hundred have died, among each Race. On the Elfians and Dwarfs World, they are in an endless war since the beginning and both Races are almost extinct. There are only a few hundreds of beings, on both sides. Those Worlds could benefit from the interaction with the Ariansyl World, where all those Races live in peace, together with the Magical Beings. On Earth, well, you know how it is. Humans in there really need to get a shock, to realize that they aren't the only sentient beings in the several Universes that exists. The Gods responsible for those three Worlds are among us and they don't oppose. In fact, they are pleased with your idea.

One thing made Seya's alarm rang, inside his head.

- Wait a minute… Aria's mother, Myshka, the Deity of the BeastKind homeworld… That's…

Aria smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

- Yeah, my mother. I used to be one baby form of the Goddess Myshka, but then I became a Deity myself. Pretty cool, right? Maybe one day I tell you everything about it. Maybe!

Seya shook his head, that discovery was too wonderful to let it go just like that, but he needed to make sure that he got a favourable answer from the Council, before worrying about Aria's past.

- So, that means the Council will grant me my wish? Or at least, not oppose it?

- We just have a doubt… What do you gain, from that?

Seya shrugged his shoulders.

- Nothing much, just fulfilling a promise that I made to a cute little Goddess that granted me a new life in her World.

- And if we help you, what will you do next?

- I honestly don't know. But I will have a lot of things to keep me occupied, for the rest of my life, that's for sure!

The voices laughed a bit, like if they were agreeing with him.

- Ahahah! You really know how to give good answers, don't you…? If you accept an idea from Old Gods like us, considering that in two of those Worlds, Magic also exists, you could make a permanent Gateway to go there. On Earth's case, it's different, since Magic doesn't exist in that World.

Seya raised his right hand.

- I have an idea for solving it. I can turn a Mountain into a Magic Crystal, like Gaya, make near it a permanent Gateway that not only grants passage to people and products, but also to Magic Flow, coming from the other Worlds. And that Mountain would act as a way for the Magic to flow to Earth and to every being living in there. In some years, maybe it starts to appear babies able to create Magic Flow to exchange with Earth and also, able to use Attributes of Magic.

The voices sounded like they were nodding.

- Yes, that will work, considering it happened just like that, on other Worlds were Magic didn't exist in the beginning. We will grant you your wish. Maybe Goddess Aria can be your guide to those Worlds since she went there on some occasions.

Aria nodded with a big smile on her face and sparkling eyes.

- Yes! I will totally do that! It will be amazing, having so many Worlds connected like that!

The voices spoke again, and judging from their tone, they were also pleased and wanted to wrap that meeting, to take care of other matters.

- Young Seya, continue your good work, and if possible, try not to die any time soon, or you will give us a lot of trouble, figuring out what to do with your soul!

Seya made a deep bow.

- Thank you for your understanding and for your help. I hope we can talk again in the future.

Silence. Not even a goodbye or a laugh. Like if they already went to take care of the next meeting. Seya looked at Gabryel, puzzled and he shrugged his shoulders.

- That's normal, after finishing what they wanted to say or hear, they go to the next thing. So, we can continue our game, or you can go back. Examiner Tilia can take you back and you will see, time didn't go by, it will be as if you never left.

- In that case, let's finish, this game is getting interesting. Unless Examiner Tilia or Aria…

Seya stopped talking because he saw Aria and me already seated on the floor and playing the Hnefatafl game again. Gabryel seated and for the next two hours, they played. We talked about the events in the Demonoid Island, helping Seya on dealing with everything that went terribly wrong during that never-ending day.

…