Chapter LXXIV: The Uraj and the Khalis -Markior



Markior was floating around restless in the main chamber of the Nexus. He thought of the descisions he made, was making and would be making soon. Vectors departure was suspected, but still... He knew the futuristic Yoshi never stayed around in one place long, but he was questioning himself, wheter if it was right to let him go. He waved his hand and a screen appeared, which displayed Vector at that moment sleeping. "Good... nothing wrong yet." He mumbles. They would never understand him, The Markior. His reasons, his movements, they would never comprehend him completely. He sighed. They would never see what has made him into the stubborn Archon he now is, clinging to lost traditions. The main reason is the responsibility upon his shoulders. One, he has to once become the perfect lifeform. But by far, he has not accomplished that. Infact, he was severely questioning if he would ever will. Second, he was the last of his kind. The last descendant of the xel'Naga. If he would truly die, unlike what happened to him before, the species would be exstinct. Last, being the Guardian Spirit of the Yoshies. The entire species' wellbeing rests upon him. If any Yoshi would die not because of age, he should've been there to prevent so. But he couldn't be everywhere at the same time... Another reason was what he has seen so far. His brethren, his friends, slaughtered. The fall of the Light Protoss empire. The excile of the Dark protoss. The birth of... Kerrigan. Markior blinkblinks. "Kerrigan?" He thinks. He looks at Dev, sleeping on the table. He waves his hand and the image of Vector disappears. He floats to a window, looking through it. "Interesting.." He thinks to himself. So many renegade Zerg here... and yet no sign of their Queen." He pauses and turns around. "So.. so unlike Kerrigan to let even a single Hydralisk go uncontrolled." He hears a bleep coming from the door. "Enter." He shortly states. Prism and a Zealot enter. Markior turns around and looks at them. "Yes?" He asks, his mind still half buried in his own thoughts. "Executor, the Templar Archives have finished warping in." The Zealot says. Prism looks at the Zealot, and then looks at Markior. "Markior.. I need to ask you something." Markior already has put on his cape. "Sorry prism... later, ok? I'm going to the archives." Prism shrugs and lays down in the chair. "Sure.. I'll keep an eye on the colony." Markior looks at her and widens an eye. "Hmm.. right. You do that." He says. Prism grins.

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Markior hovers outside of the Nexus and calls out for Kyle. "Kyle, are you here?" He yells, emitting small psiwaves incase the human wouldn't hear him. He thinks of Kyle, grinning. He had grown a liking in the human, which in the first place was unusual for him. He always had thought of the terrans as lower, inferiour samples of carbon-based lifeforms. But this human.. was different. He smiles to himself. He had never seen a human channel Psi like he had seen Kyle do, which surprised him. He would make a worthy Templar. Kyle appears together with a Dragoon from behind the Forge, finishing a conversation. "Yes Markior?" He asks. Markior grins. "C'mon." He says, making a gesture with his hand. "I want to show you something." Kyle nods and follows Markior, who started floating to the eastern part of the base. Passing numerous pylons and patrolling Zealots, they reach another building. It's shaped like a rounded triangle, with a large, skyblue circle of Khaydarin Crystal on top of it. It glows in a mysterious way. Kyle looks at it, examining. "What is this building?" He asks. Markior smiles and says. "This, human... this is the proud wisdom center of the Protoss." He points his hand to the opening. "This is the Templar Archives." He smiles. He goes inside, Kyle following him. Once inside, thousands of thick books, blue screens and hovering platforms are seen everywhere, including various Dark Templar and High Templar browsing them. Kyle looks around in awe, as Markior makes his way to a wall, pushing a button. A simple pair of glasses appears on a hovering platform infront of Kyle, only the glasses itself are blue. "Here.." Markior says. "Please take them. They will allow you to read the modern Protoss, ancient Protoss, and Xel'Naga language." Kyle looks at the glasses and takes them. "I have a proposition for you..." Markior says, looking at some books. Kyle looks at him. "I have never..ever seen a human like yourself, Kyle. Not once did I see a human trained in the ways of Psi... or the Left Path, as Lich would say if he was here." Kyle tilts his head lightly, looking at the Archon. "Please.. take your time here, read as much as possible. The things you learn from the books will allow you to further develope your skills, perhaps even beyond what you might expect from yourself." Kyle puts up the glasses, looking at the titles of the books. "The Art of the Psionic Storm." "Illusionary Forces Revealed." "Shadow Disguise." He reads. "If you would accept my offer, Kyle.." Markior speaks. "I would like you to be the first human to become a Templar." Kyle looks at Markior, surprised. "Are you sure? I mean... for what I know of you, your traditions say that no--".."I know. I know. But times have changed. Please consider my offer, and take your time. Sleep a night over it. I'll hear your descision tomorrow." Markior smiles, and hovers out of the entrance. A High Templar hovers over to Kyle and gives him a book, then continues reading again. Kyle sits down and looks at the book. "Channeling the Mind."

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Markior smiles, thinking about the terran. "The knowledge at his fingertips must be great for him." He thinks to himself. He returns to the Nexus. Suddenly, blue light shines everywhere. "Not Zerg again..." He mumbles, and quickly goes to the main chamber. Prism is there, running around. "What's happening?!" She yells. Markior waves his hand, the face of a High Templar appearing. "Intruders, executor." He speaks. The screen moves to a sighs of two beings, one a female terran to the eye, and another creature, a dog made out of.. "Ice?" Markior blinks confused. All of a sudden, the screen goes into fade, and a robot appears behind the two. The three beings are pretty close to the colony. "Cancel this alert." Markior says, waving his hand. The blue lights dim quickly, but the screen goes totally blank. "Hmm..." Markior mumbles, thinking. "A woman, an icey canine and a robot..." He hums, not quite sure what to do. He then suddenly realises more important matters to him at that time. "Wait a minute.." He says. Prism opens her mouth, wanting to ask her question, but Markior already has moved out of the room. Prism grumbles and sits down, petting Dev carefully. "Of course... I almost forgot. When I have a Templar Archives, I can summon in the twin crystals." He thinks, making his way into a large circular room. He remembers the things told about the two crystals by Matriarch Raszagal. ----"Created by the Xel'Naga long ago, the twin crystals of light and darkness, the Uraj and the Khalis, were to remind us of both our strengths. The Uraj was uphold by true Dark Templar energies, while the Khalis was blessed with pure High Templar energies. These two crystals would together form a force unimaginably great, the Grey Energies forming when the crystals are combined."----- Markior grins, remembering how they used the Uraj and the Khalis to swipe away all Zerg on Shakuras, allowing the Protoss to restore their forces after the fall of the Light Protoss homeworld, Aiur. He also knows that his powers would grow if he was in possesion of the twin crystals. With them, he might be able to return Lord Ulrezaj to calmness, detect Multex's and Lich's locations, perhaps even knock out Havering single-handed. Maybe. He stands on a great platform in the middle of the circulair room, behind a small yellow desk, pushing numoerous displayed buttons on the screen. "Focus... Markiors Lair, Yoshi's Island, Terra..." He speaks in Protoss. "Open psionic link.. channel through Templar Archives. Lock on Uraj. Lock on Khalis. Begin Black Portal Warp. He says, psuhing a last button. A flash of grey is seen throughout the room, temporarily blinding Markior. After numerous seconds, the Uraj and the Khalis hover in the center of the room, circling around each other. Makrior focusses his eyes and looks at the crystals. "Rak Nah-Khalagh!" Markior cheers, and hovers towards them. He takes them in his hands, his left hand glows dark purple as he touches the Uraj, his right hand glowing light yellow as he touches the Khalis. He smiles and feels the power surge through his mind. "Good.. very good.." He smiles. "With these, we'll have some control of our future, Havering.." He grins. He moves out of the room, holding the Twin Crystals, back to the main chamber of the Nexus.