“Repeat after me. Hello, my name is Rake. Pleased to meet you.” Sue asked as Rake was already trying. The pronunciation was still hard and most of the words sounded slurred to him but he was making progress.

Language was however just one part of the sessions he recieved within his little learning bubble. History, religion, combat tactics, social etiquette and the duties of an ercinee soldier were being taught. Twenty hours of learning were followed by five hours of sleep, at the beginning they had tried to keep him awake longer but that had slowed his progress so he was now allowed to sleep.

“End of langauge session, begin history. Please have a seat.” A indicator in front of him showed that he had exceeded the lessons prediction in progression of his vocal cords.

“At the dawn of the second millennia of the Ercinee calendar, the high council decided to send probes into space to see if more living beings had been created by the Allfather in his infinite wisdom.

These probes contained a small collection of data and had a receiver that could transfer data through the vastness of space as long as it was within twenty light years. The targets were a close planet with a large waterbody on it and a number of moons where the scientist expected some sort of life could have formed, however the planet with water was expected to yield the most likely chance for finding intelligent life.

This planet was the home of your ancestors, called the humans.” Rake listened up, not all humans were born here? There had been a planet of humans?

“When the probe struck the earth of your ancestors home world you had barely managed to use tools, the arrival of such a highly advanced piece of technology was seen as a sign of a god. Which it indeed was.

After nearly four years of testing one human solved the small puzzle on it’s surface and activated the higher function of the probe which began to collect data about the humans and their language. After a couple of decades it sent all collected data back to the Ercinee.

The council decided to share their knowledge and power with the humans and devised a plan on how to lead the people of your homeworld to spread the faith of the Allfather to all the other tribes on the planet.

With the instructions of the Ercinee your people blossomed and soon began to strife to teach the other less fortunate tribes about the vast knowledge they had found in the wisdom of the Ercinee and the teachings of the Allfather.

With the faith as their shield many of the human servants set out to spread the message of love and unity to their brethren. But the Darkwing had poisoned their mind with the false teachings he uses to undermine the Allfather.

The brave ones were cast out from the lands of their brothers and many were killed when they did not denounce the one true god.

The council was shocked by this and sent them the help of their knowledge, plans to defend themselves against the aggression of the Darkwing’s followers that were growing with every passing day.

Then in the year 2574 the Ercinee received a distress signal from the humans, a plead for them to rescue them from the Darkwing and the armies he was amassing to wipe them from the surface of the planet.

The Ercinee sent the Dawnbreaker, their first and only ship towards the humans to save their fellow followers of the Allfather, as his word has told us to.

When the ship reached the planet the crew found a horrendous scene unfolding before them, the peaceful ambassadors they sent were butchered by the Darkwing’s minions. Left with no alternative the Ercinee saved as many of your people as they could and left the planet behind, bringing your ancestors to Tiber so you might rise again as a people and escape from the grasp of the Darkwing.

However the Ercinee did not expect the power and cunning of the Darkwing to find a way to break the laws of the Allfather and attack Tiber. His troops burned down the cities that had been constructed there and the Ercinee were forced to retreat and take their human brethren with them.

Ever since then we have been at war with the Darkwing, his cruelty has left dozens of planets bare of all life since he is the enemy of all life and now seeks to destroy the last of the Ercinee.”

Rake shivered, there was something that could challenge the Allfather? Something that had enslaved mankind to serve him in the unholy destruction of the Allfather’s children?

“You, the soldiers of the Ercinee are the shield that protects the council and everything holy to the church. The Allfather guides you in battle and will see that each and every one of you will do their part in the war for all that is good and right in this universe.”

The light ebbed away and Rake blinked, it was not time yet to sleep, he wanted to know more about the planet humans had originated from.

“Your training here is done soldier, rise to your feet and follow me. I will be your commander, now and in battle.” A tall woman, dressed in a white uniform stood before him, her hair was cut short and her eyes mustered him as he rose to his feet.

“My name is Rachel, I have been in the army for the last year and completed training two years ago.” A year, Rake blinked as he did the math, he was now less than one month old, a year had twelve months and Rachel was at least four years old.

The woman had lived for more than forty eight times as old as him, the Allfather must have truly blessed her to life that long.

“Now follow me, you are the last one to join my company. The others have a head start but I trust you will catch up in time, given that you are the latest generation of us.” Rake felt pride swell in his chest as he responded the only way he knew how to.

“Hallu mi name Rake. Plead to meet you!”