Chapter CIX: Ulrezaj... the pawn? ~ The Markior

One day had passed since Dragons' little incident. The Protoss's psionic shields were slowly being restored. Numerous zealots, dragoons and Templar were patrolling around the ships, doing their normal duties. The desert seemed more friendly now, and less threatening. With the technoligy of the FirstBorn, every single sanddune could become an oasis. Theutes and his family were still present, together with Lich discussing where to go from here. Markior in his enraged state destroyed their home, their property, everything they once held for granted. Theutes' wife had just stopped crying after half a day. Lich felt sorry for his fellow guardian and his family. Maybe he could ask Markior if they could take a shuttle and begin a new life elsewhere. Or perhaps there would be better plans then that. Either way, it would take time.

This was the reason why the vessels had not yet departed. In the Ganthritor II, Markior was silently playing the Song of Healing on the Pli'Ten, a Protoss instrument. The simple device consists out of a flat piece of metal from with 5 different energies point upwards in a spiral. By moving one's hands closer and further away from each spiral, the energy makes a soothing humming sound. He remembered the day the four guardian spirits of Termina told him this song. However, so far away from any other planet, nothing to be expected happened. His troubled soul didn't feel healed nor relieved. Something else happened though. His shoulder shield bgan to glow brightly. "I was afraid this might happen.." He sighed. In a flash, the image of his deceased parents appeared.

"Son" Gezriach spoke. "What were you thinking? You have destroyed so many lives in that single blow." His mother began to speak as well, her eyes shimmering blue softly. "We did not create you for that purpose, my son." Markior looked at the image with mixed feelings of fury and sadness. "I know that... Don't think I enjoyed it." He growled, looking towards the yellow floor. He looked up and continued. "And I don't need you two to guide me anymore! Just leave me alone!!" He stood up and reached on his shoulder. With a pull, he threw his shoulder shield off of him. With a hollow clang, the mystic metal slammed against a control device. He grumbled and floated slowly out of his quarters.




Meanwhile, in the Dark Castle...

Lord Ulrezaj grinned, looking at his hands. His Golden Form had never been beaten before, and he knew this was not the time nor place he was going to be defeated. He waved his claw infront of the screens. First the location of Markior appeared, who was seen floating sadly throughout his ships' hallways. Then Multex, who was seen walking over the bottom of some sort of river. Then Havering was seen, sitting in a chair, sipping from whine. The very same moment, the screen divided itself into multiple screens, showing all the other shapes of the Time Bender doing different things. Ulrezaj's Golden Form could easily pick out the real Havering, as his grin turned darker.

"Havering... A fool you are, and as such you will be irradicated. While you waste your times with the undirect approches, I shall venture straight towards my target." The dark archon smirked softly, clenching his fist, red energies surging around it. "A simple demon is all you are. And in the end, that means you're lower then a Gaia. And since I was tutored by the one above all Gaia's of all the worlds in the multiverse..." The multiple screens displaying numerous Haverings merged together into the real Sir Pseudo. "You, oh unsuspecting demon, drinking your whine and enjoying lower lifeforms' pleasures such as taste and smell... Your power may be great, and your intelligence unrivaled... His fist unfolded. "But you have got no idea who you're up against..." His eyes shone brightly, and as was seen on the screen, Haverings' glass of whine shattered.

"First, I shall seize that what you value so much." He looked at Multex's screen. "That eye..." He grinned, knowing very well the immense amount of power radiating from it. "Yet still an item of holy and unholy, it's power must be great. Maybe even greater then the twin crystals..." Suddenly, something Lord Ulrezaj could've never expected happened. On the screen, Multex's diamond eye suddenly turned grey, and started growing. Ulrezaj felt a loud, painful thumping noise in his head, as the eye turned vertically and stared at the dark archon. All the other screens resembling the same, vertical eye. The eye alone represented a cold and evil force. Lord Ulrezaj knew the eye too well, and shivered in fear. A dark, monotone voice whispered in his head... "Ulrezaj... greetings again after one milennium." The dark lord blinked multiple times before answering. His claws moved into a circular movement before coming to a stop in the middle of the imaginary circle. "Greetings, mentor." He responded, the sign he just made a beacon of respect and acknowledgement. The eye on the screen glowed as Ulrezaj's surroundings turned into a surge of grey. Before he knew, he was standing on a platform, looking up at the grey eye. It's monotone voice whispered yet again in the dark archons' head. "You set your priorities wrongly, dark one..." Ulrezaj rumbled a bit, his eyes glowing. He was never into following orders, but his mentor somehow always was right. He nodded and listened. "First, my student, you should go after your personal reincarnation. She is here as well..." Ulrezaj grinned darkly. He nodded again. "As you wish, mentor." He liked the idea. He suddenly heard another voice in his head. "Master? Master, wake up!" He blinked as he was sitting back in his chair, the screens giving nothing but static. Aurora was standing next to him. "Master are you allright? You werent responding to anything." Ulrezaj turned around and grinned. "No need to feel worried, Aurora.. you soon will be joined by another one of your kind..." He laughed darkly as he looked at a screen, displaying Dragon. "Join me, Riu... join me...." His voice reached out once again. "You're mine Riu.... You're... MINE!!!!!!"