Chapter CXLIV: Essence of the Archon ~Markior

 

"Markior! What the hell happened?" He snapped out of Dragon's body, losing his control after Ulrezaj's attack, only hearing Lich's voice pierce through his mind. The Markior looked at the grassy ground for a moment before saying, "There's no time to lose. We must get Dragon immediately..."

Standing infront of the half-destroyed Nexus, Markior grumbled audibly. "Things are not going really well." He looked around. "First I freak out, now this.." He sighs. "What else can go wrong?" He looked at Lich a few seconds, the orange Yoshi looking towards the sky where Dragon disappeared to. The next second, a hovering screen appeared infront of the grey archon, giving static... before displaying the image of a young child of a Judicator. "Morphium Stabilized." Markior's expression changed from a frown into a grin. "Excellent." He rubbed his hands together.

(Archon's Education Hour!)
Morphium, a crystal that powers a Protoss Arbiter, had been placed under control, making the Arboiter ready to warp in. Although having the basic spells of Recall and Stasis Field, an Arbiter's main power was to turn every friendly man and machine in it's reach completely invisible for anyone that could pose a threat.
(...)

The Arbiter appeared from the Stargate, cloaking the Templar, Zealots, Dragoons and others under it's protective shield of invisibility. Lich looked up before looking down at his hands, looking right through them. "...By Luna." referring to the elemental of the Moon, rather then the Yoshi Goddess, stammering by not being experienced by the use of Cloak. Markior grinned. "Well, let's go. I can still clearly sense Dragon's psionic em--" He got cut off by the sight of a radar on one of the Pylons. Swiftly, he floated towards it, Lich running after him. "What? What's wrong M..?" He cuts himself of as he looks at the radar. Something's coming this way.." He whispered. "Yes. And quick." He placed two fingers on his forehead. "All troops, take in your battle stations!" Lich looked at Markior, but he knew what Lich was going to say. "We'll go after Dragon later. This might become a real problem, and we need to protect the base."

A minute later, everyone was in position. Markior, too drained of power to fight himself, was in his quarters of the stranded GanthritorII, the repairs still going on to make the ship airborne once again. Lich, Tob, Prism and Dev were in several strategic positions on the ship and around the base, awaiting for that whatever was coming their way... But something made Markior feel uncomfortable. The aching feeling of something being not right poking and teasing, untill only noticing the golden glow his shoulder shield was giving. He left the shield right there, yelling at his deceased parents before throwing the holy metal against the hard floor.

He picked up the shield and the image of his father appeared. "You made your mother cry..." He narrowed his glowing eyes a little. Markior frowned. "I'm s-" He got cut off. "No need, my son. We know how strong your rage can be." Markior sighed, his father continueing. "You've been raised as a protoss Archon, and of course, rage is a big part of you." He smiled. "But now, the next step towards your completion will be taken. You have seen the danger of your rage. You nearly destroyed everyone on an entire planet, and the planet itself with it." Markior frowned once more. "How did you know, father?" Gezriach grinned in response. "I take notice of everything that you do, my son. Are you ready for the next step?" Markior nodded in response. In the back of his head, he wondered how his parents could be so calm at him... but then, those questions were whiped clear from his mind as a skyblue beam hit him on the fronthead, coming from the shield. All frustration, anger and rage simply became smaller and went behind closed doors within his mind. The broken lock of the door got restored...

Markior simply smiled. "I see.." he answered his own, unasked question. After thousands of years, for the first time he could see things so clear.. so pure. So calm. He nodded at his father. "Thank you, father. The essence of the Archon inside me is under control at long last..."