Chapter One: The Meeting
The distance between this planet and the sun were billions of miles. Barely any light managed to make its way to the planet. Day and night was almost undistinguishable. The only way that one could spot the difference was by the two revolving moons that orbited the planet. During the day, the moons were visible but during the night, it hid in the darkness. The moons were made of shiny crystallized ebony rock that maximized the amount of light that was reflected onto the planet which was able to barely light it up. Freezing temperatures caused the ground to become brittle and earthquakes easily formed the geography of the land. This key factor caused one of the highest mountains ever known to be created.
Chilling and violent winds struck this mountain. The rugged terrain and the frequently changing climate was what gave it the name of Aza Khari'sha which meant unpredictable. Composed up of ebony rock and molded by billions of years of slashing wind and heavy rain, the mountain was covered in jagged edges and sharp spikes. It was layered with rock and sand where no life was able to endure and thrive. Parts of the mountain were prone to tectonic shifts, possessed dark chasms and rocky avalanches. Standing at forty seven thousand feet, it easily pierced the violet clouds where thunder and lightning rained down with ferocity. Small locations situated all over the mountain possessed diamond hard caves which were used as refuge from the harsh conditions. How it came to be is unknown but it acted as a safe haven for climbers. Its steepness almost made it impossible to journey to the top, no one would dare be willing to attempt to voyage to the summit.
Except for thirty six single Protoss individuals. Each being the representative, and leader of their own tribe that acted as a single nation. They were the only ones truly capable of scaling this ginormous mountain of such epic proportions. As the leader of their tribe, each had a vast amount of experience and was highly skilled in the use of psionic energy which was necessary to scale the Aza Khari'sha. What was more impressive was that they were able to climb to the very tip of this mountain within a single night that lasted eighteen hours.
After finally ascending to the very top of the mountain which was surprisingly flat, they all gathered up in front of a large Protoss superstructure that stood in front of them. They and the building were surrounded by crystal coves that glistened in the moonlight. Those crystals reflected the light off of each other and struck another one that was directly across from them only to reflect once more. The light that shun onto the blue and black rock beneath their feet created a greenish glow that lit up the entire area. It allowed them to clearly see the ancient building that stood before them. Some were amazed at the perfect condition that the building was in. Lightning bolts, vicious winds and pelting rain barely left scratches on the surface of the building. The pyramid shaped building was covered in encryptions, different unknown diagrams and symbols that almost none of the leaders recognized. The entrance of the building had a triangular shaped roof that was held up by large pillars of thick rock.
Four leaders walked up to the door and tried to open it. They were clad in armour with different coloured highlights that distinguished them from their respective tribes. Despite their immense strength, the door did not budge.
"This door appeals to be sealed. The carved symbols on the door might have some sort of connection with it. How tedious could this truly get?" said one of the four leaders a bit irritated.
"How could we use these symbols to unseal the door if none of us here knows what they are or what they mean?" said another.
"The answer is plain and simple. Even a newborn could figure it out. If this door does not want to open for us, then all we have to do is force it to open," a female leader stated.
The six feet tall female dressed in royal clothing that were covered in small jewels walked up to the door and shoved the other three out of her way. Her long dreadlock appendages that flowed from the back of her head were tied together with a single piece of flexible metal.
"I do not think it will be that simple Shak'keen. If we haven't seen these symbols before, then it is unlikely that you have as well. I do not think it would be wise to try anything without knowing what those symbols mean," said one of the leaders next to her.
"Do not underestimate my powers. My psionic abilities are not currently in its decline due to my age unlike yours," Shak'keen replied.
"Do you really want to test that statement out Shak'keen? By all means, go ahead and try to face me and we'll see who's power is superior," the older leader said in response to her insult.
"Do not fight over such nonsense! Shak'keen, if you think your plan will work, then give it a shot," interrupted another leader.
The other leaders in the back waited patiently and whispered among themselves. They instinctively divided themselves into two separate groups composed of the Khalai Templars who immigrated over to Shakuras when their home planet of Auir fell to the Zerg Swarms. Then there were the Nerazim who were Templars that were banished from Auir due to their refusal to believe in the Khalai faith and later settled on Shakuras as their new home. They whispered to each other and talked about the opposite group.
Shak'keen stepped twenty feet back and was in front of the two groups while the other three got out of her way. She activated her psionic blade that shot out of her fore arm. It lit a nasty pale blue. She readied herself for her charge and on the count of three; she sprinted as fast as she could to the entrance. She leaped forwards and stabbed her blade into the door with all of her might. A loud collision was easily heard by the two groups of leaders and they stood idly as Shak'keen was thrown backwards and smashed into a nearby crystal bed.
A few leaders crowded around her to see if she was alright. She slowly emerged from the impact and stood back up again. An angered look was easily visible upon her face.
"Ugh! This door, truly it is not normal! My blade should have been able to slice it to pieces!" Shak'keen roared out like a juvenile.
She readied herself for another charge but before she could take her first step again, an arm opened in front of her as if it was blocking her. She looked up to see a leader dressed in dark clothing. The Nerazim's face was covered with a black cloth that revealed only his eyes.
"And what do you think you are doing, Dark Templar?" she asked annoyingly.
"I am stopping you from harming yourself further you foolish infantile Templar," the Nerazim said.
"What did you just say to me you blasph-"
"You are too overconfident Shak'keen. You wield your powers without thought and it shows how young your state of mind really is. Due to you reveling in the riches of your tribe, you have created a mindset where if it does not go your way, then you must use force to make it go your way. Though it may get you what you want in certain cases, this is not one of them," said another Dark Templar who stood side by side with his fellow brethren.
The other Nerazim leaders stood very amused at the situation that was unfolding before their eyes. They did not surely anticipate their own kind giving lectures to the Khalai leaders. The other Khalai leaders however watched distastefully. Some of them agreed with what the Dark Templar said but was not happy to know that one of their own was being told this by a Nerazim.
"I suggest you take those words back before I gut you like a filthy creature," Shak'keen said in response.
"Go ahead and try. If you decide to attack us, then you will openly declare war upon our tribe. Considering your tribe has just gotten out of industrialisation, I expect that your military might isn't on par with ours. Is it, Shak'keen?" the other elderly Nerazim said just a bit snidely.
The statement was enough for Shak'keen to shut her mouth. She couldn't deny his facts and stood in defeat.
After feeling good about shutting the leader up, the two Dark Templars walked up to the entrance. They both placed their right hands onto it and closed their eyes.
"Just like Shak'keen, none of you here have seen these symbols before. They look old enough to be the carvings made by our gods but in actuality, it is one of the oldest ancient Protoss dialects now lost to both our people. Spoken by us all even before the Aeon of Strife that took place over three thousand years ago," said the Templar on the right.
"If that is truly the case, then how do you two know if it?"
"We learnt it from our great grand fathers who had lived during those times. They had us memorize the thousands symbols that are upon this door," said the one of the left.
The others stood in awe as they felt the psionic pressure grow around them. The two elders were conjuring up an immense amount of energy.
"Uhn ore'ki atum Khas a'c Khaydarin Zhakul inok," said the one on the left.
"May the Khaydarin crystals used to create the carvings and the shrine itself reveal its true purpose upon this world," said the one on the right.
They both transferred a certain amount of energy into the door and the others watched as the symbols and carvings began to glow a bright green. Sections of the door divided up along the hieroglyphics and began popping out by some sort of mysterious force. The two Dark Templars reopened their eyes and stopped channelling their powers. They stepped back to watch the doors open.
The pieces of the door moved, stacked onto the sides of it and opened up a pathway into the building. When the last glowing piece was set, the others stood a bit amazed at the sight while others remained unfazed.
"Now then, shall we all continue onwards?" the left Nerazim said.
The two Templar entered into the building and the others followed suit. Shak'keen stood angrily at everything that had just transpired within the last few minutes.
"It would do you good to heed their advice Shak'keen. True we may not bath in your so called light, but we can still see things that are not clear within the light," a Dark Templar said while passing her.
"Silence! I refuse to be lectured by one who rejects the Khala's light!" Shak'keen said immediately.
The Nerazim felt offended by her words and decided to continue onwards without uttering another word. A nearby Templar walked over to Shak'keen after overhearing her rude comment.
"Shak'keen! Have some respect. They have allowed us to settle upon their homeland without any demands. Have the decency to not show your colours while surrounded by every other leader here," he said.
"Don't say that to me as if you don't mind standing next to those tainted low lives. I can see it in your eyes as well. You don't want to be here either," Shak'keen said a bit viciously.
"Whether that is true or not, it does not change anything. We all came here for a reason so it is part of our duties. Now come on. Let us continue before the door seals once more and we get locked out," the fellow Khalai leader said.
Shak'keen let out a grunt and followed the rest inside. When the last leader stepped inside, the door began to form back together. Before the last piece sealed itself into place, a black shadowy mist entered into the building.
They all walked down a single hallway that quickly led everyone to a large room that was the size of an apartment complex multiplied by eight. The room was laid out similar to a Roman theatre. There were tables and seats that formed a circular ring around the middle of the room that acted like a stage. There were four rows that were higher than the last with ten seats on each row. They were spread out along each row to prevent crowding.
The leaders sat themselves down and the inner hatred between the two opposite groups was clearly shown by where they all sat. On the left side were the Khalai leaders and on the right, were the Nerazim leaders.
They looked around seeing if anyone was staring at them while trying to not get caught doing the same. Everything felt slow and long. The annoying feeling it brought did not go well with some of the leaders who felt that time was being wasted. One of the Dark Templar stood up from his seat and slapped his hands against his desk.
"What exactly are we all waiting for? Why are we just sitting here doing nothing? We all know why we are here so why is no one speaking up? If we thought that it was significant to discover what our dreams meant, then it should have been brought up as soon as we all sat down!" he lashed out.
"Where are we supposed to even start?" asked someone else.
"Well, to start off, the fact that we all had the exact same dream at the exact same time three days ago cannot be just a coincidence. It is obvious that something else is going on. We just do not know what it is yet," another shouted.
"We saw a dark mysterious hand reaching out towards us with claw like fingernails with its yellow piercing eyes behind it. What are we supposed to make of that exactly?"
"Do you think that it has something to do with the future?"
"It is possible but I do not think it fits. Our dream was much too short and ominous to actually give us a clue of what it meant. One of my servants told me that they felt my psionic brain activity spike up while I slept. I assume that it has something to do with that,"
"If that is the case, then what caused it to spike? When we are asleep, our brain activity reaches a maximum of five percent. The only possible way for it to be higher than five is if the psionic power is so vast that the maximum is upped higher,"
"Or...if someone or something did to us..."
"What? Are you serious?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Think about it rationally. It is clear that no one here has the ability to reach a maximum percent of ten or higher while they sleep. The only ones capable of such a thing are the great Adun and the mighty Tassadar but they are no longer alive. The only other way would be if someone had done it for us. What I am trying to say is that someone or something may have reached into our minds and did something to us that caused that dream. If that is the case, then they would have had to use psionic power in order to do so,"
"That is ridiculous! No one is capable of doing such a thing without getting themselves killed in the process!"
"Yet, he is in fact correct," someone said.
The voice was not recognized by anyone in the room. They looked around trying to see who it came from but saw no one who fit.
"Who said that?" one of the leaders asked suspiciously.
"I did," everyone heard once more.
The ominous voice echoed throughout the entire room from every angle. The Protoss leaders felt as if the voice was being inserted directly into their heads. All of the Protoss in the room turned their heads to every direction trying to discover the source of the voice.
One of the leaders looked up towards the large center piece of the room which was a large old crystal. He saw a glimpse of a figure with its hand clinging onto the chain that helped support the large crystal and saw the feet grasping onto the crystal itself. The figure kept itself hidden in the darkness and could not be distinguished by the eyes of the leader.
"Up there! Something has breached the premises!" screamed out the tribal leader. He squeezed his eyes to get a better visual of the form.
The others looked up to the crystal but only saw a black fog next to the center piece that had already begun to fade into the air. They turned their heads and looked around the room trying to anticipate where the figure would appear next. They all felt a psionic presence beginning to form in the center of the room. They redirected their eyes and saw the same black fog reappear from the core of the room. It slowly began to disappear from the shadowy figure. The form stood up from its kneeling position and kept its face hidden in the shadows of the twilight.
A majority of the leaders felt something odd and peculiar about the figure that stood before them. They prepared themselves for the worst and activated their psionic blades.
"Identify yourself this instant or feel the wrath of the Templar!" shouted out one of the Templars.
The black fog finished dispersing and the unknown figure turned towards them. The leaders recognized the figure as a male of their own kind. A purple ragged cape covered in rips, holes and burns hung over the Protoss's shoulders. The cape swung around the side of the Protoss as he turned to face them. The feeble light shined through the windows and lit up the figure from every angle. They saw a smaller rag of the same color that covered the bottom half of its face, large pieces of armour on his shoulders and shin guards. The Khalai Templar leaders glared at the figure and could not recognize who he was. The Dark Templars however, recognized the familiar Protoss.
"Identify yourself at once!" shouted out a Khalai leader.
"Silence!" shouted out multiple Dark Templars at once.
The remarks caused the Templar to shut himself up and give out a dirty look to those across the room.
"Do your eyes betray you? Can you not recognize a great hero who stands before you clear as day?" Darkeen asked.
"What is the madness that you speak of? Who is this hero whom you speak of exactly?" asked a Khalai leader.
"It truly seems that your eyes are not as good as you believe. The one and only who stands before us now is the great Zeratul himself!" a random Nerazim said.
"What? Impossible! How can this decrepit old Protoss be the heroic Zeratul? He looks nothing like the prideful warrior who fought to save our people," Huriana shouted.
"Zeratul disappeared after the Brood War! If he was truly alive after all these years, why is it that he only decided to return now?" the Khalai Templar shot out while crossing his arms disapprovingly.
"It is him! There is no one else alive who is capable of infiltrating this room without our knowledge. Look at him closer. If you stare at him long enough, you will be able to see their resemblance," a Dark Templar said.
"You Nerazim are being too rash! You are going by mere appearances!"
"Quiet! Stop this foolish ruckus! You are all leaders of the tribes on this planet. Get your acts together and listen!" Zeratul shouted out loud. His strong voice echoed throughout the room.
The leaders quickly stopped disputing among themselves and paid their attention to the Protoss in the middle.
"I can understand your doubt. I understand your reasoning. I understand why you would not believe in your own brothers words. However, I am who I am. I am he who fought side by side with Tassadar. I am he who risked his life to defend our people against the wretched Zerg Swarms. I am the Dark Prelate Zeratul. Whether you believe my identity or not, it does not matter. What matters is what I have to tell you," Zeratul continued.
The Dark Templar leaders held in the urge to cheer for Zeratul's return. They felt extremely gay over his return. They wanted to crowd around and ask him of his adventures that he had gone through while his time away. The Khalai leaders on the other hand didn't know what to think. His voice seemed similar but they just couldn't believe it. Memories of the Prelate filled their heads. The memory of one of their own fallen pained them inside and sparked a burning sensation.
"Just like I said as soon as I got here, Darjak is correct. There was a psionic being who penetrated deep into the minds of you all and that being so happened to be me. I used my power to create thirty five solid replicas of myself, each possessing a portion of my energy but I had to move fast or else the energy would fade and they would disappear. I had them dispersed among all the tribes and as you all slept, I broke into your chambers and transferred what little energy they had into you all in order to create a dream that you all shared at the same time," Zeratul explained.
"What? You were the cause of that illusive dream? It is against the Protoss law and moral rights to violate the privacy of an individual's mind by entering their minds without their knowledge or consent! Even you must realize the seriousness of your actions. Whether your reason to call us here is valid or not, you could have seriously injured or even killed everyone here with your reckless actions!" one of the leaders stated.
Multiple leaders stood up in disbelief and were not happy with Zeratul's explanation. Not only did Zeratul break one of his people's most sacred laws, he had done it a total of thirty six times. Doing it just once meant almost an eternity in prison or banishment. A majority of the leaders immediately sealed off their minds after feeling violated.
"What were you thinking Zeratul? What could have compelled you to do such an atrocious act?" a Nerazim leader asked.
"You stand here before us without guilt. Do you even regret your actions?" a Khalai leader asked.
"Of course I do, I witnessed the creations of the sacred laws when I was but a newborn. I know what consequences it would bring to me and I know of its disgrace to moral rights. Yet, it was the only way that I could bring you all here,"
"Why? What is it that is so valuable that you were forced to do such an act, not once, but thirty six times?" shouted out Huriana.
"It is about the apocalypse that looms over the horizon…" Zeratul said with a sudden change in tone.
"An apocalypse? What do you mean by that?" asked one of the leaders. Similar questions were asked by people across the room. The standing leaders sat back down.
"As you all may know, I failed to rescue our late Matriarch from the Queen of Blades. When I fled from the planet with what little forces I had left, we retreated back to a distant frozen moon. Our global scanner alerted us of a number of Protoss psionic signatures upon the moon. I personally led a small force down to the moon in hopes of uniting with other survivors but what I found was beyond my expectations. I found experimental tankers that housed both Protoss and Zerg Hybrid creatures. The last one had a psionic level that was on par with an Archon and looked monstrous. Before I could send it to its demise, I was stopped by a mysterious being whom was not Zerg, Terran or Protoss. He told me of a cycle that has been occurring since almost the beginning of time and that those Hybrids had something to do with it," Zeratul explained before giving a slight pause.
It seemed that the skins of all of the leaders were listening carefully to Zeratul's story. Half of them felt concerned while the other thought it was insanity.
"A being that was on par with an Archon's psionic power? I can scarcely believe that! An Archon is made up of pure psionic energy! Only the most skilled of us are capable of doing it with success and with complete control! There is no way that any other living being could reach the powers of an Archon," one of the Khalai leaders said.
"I have no reason to lie," Zeratul said.
"That may be tr-" the same Khalai leader said before being cut off.
"Allow him to continue his explanation! We need to know more of what he speaks of," one of the Nerazim said a bit rudely.
The Khalai leader gave a nasty look towards the Nerazim while the Dark Templar merely scoffed at it.
"I lacked a series of answers that I wished to know. I sent my remaining troops back to Shakuras while I went on a hunt for clues for my answers. It was a difficult task at first but as time went on, I was able to gather up clues and hints from various planets. That was when it led me to a planet called Ulaan. It was there where I met up with Executor Karass and his detachment of Zealot warriors. We fought against the Queen of Blades to gather up the fragments that I believed held the prophecy that was created by our gods, the Xel'naga. I believed that it would reveal the course of the future and did all in my path to defend it. Mysteriously, it led me back to Auir, where the final battle took place and where Tassadar sacrificed his life to destroy the Zerg ruler. By going through the memories of the dead abomination, the purpose of the Queen of Blades became clear. We believed her to be the destroyer of worlds but in reality, she is our savior from the flames. Only she has the potential to protect the universe..." Zeratul concluded.
He looked around to see the expressions on people's faces and was immediately displeased with the looks on their faces. Their eye colour had turned red and they looked angered.
"Was that all that you were able to piece together? You decided that it would be worth abandoning your people in one of its darkest hours and forcing us to rebuild on our own, for what, a prophecy that doesn't even make sense? Three years...It has been three whole gruesome years on this planet ever since you disappeared from the world! Do not tell me that your whole tale was what you've been doing all this time!" shouted out a leader from among the crowd.
"He is right! Who would believe such an insane story? What god would proclaim Kerrigan, the nemesis of all that exists as the savior of the universe? Have they not witnessed her crimes against us? Slaughtering thousands of our people without remorse and laying wastes to our cities?" proclaimed another who bashed his hand onto his desk.
"How is it that you can believe such a fairy tale so easily? Do you not remember her murdering Fenix and Aldaris in cold blood, her treacherous acts and deceits? She is nothing more than a power hungry monster that deserves a slow and painful death!" Shak'keen said while rising up to her feet.
"Not only that, she successfully manipulated both Artanis and you into doing her bidding by brain washing your so called great Matriarch! Despite her sudden change in personality, neither of you could notice the difference!" one of the Khalai leaders roared. He began to switch his hatred of Kerrigan onto the ones whom he thought caused everything bad to happen which were the Dark Templar.
"He is right! If your Matriarch was really wise and all knowing, then how could she succumb to Kerrigan's twisted ways so easily? It only goes to show that her mind was as simple as any ordinary Templar!" said someone else.
A soothing anger quickly built up in Zeratul. He had the urge to murder someone in cold blood. His eyes turned a devilish shade of red and he had a scowl on his face. He wanted to slice the Khalai Templar in half for speaking ill of his one and true master but he held in his anger. He thought of Tassadar, the only Khalai Templar who understood him and his people and it helped calm himself down.
Unfortunately, this was not the same for the rest of his brothers. He could tell by the looks on their faces that they were having trouble maintaining their calm demeanors. They simply couldn't accept the insults that were being thrown around so nonchalantly. Their late Matriarch held them together and brought peace. She acted as the lich pin that maintained the peace and stability of their people. Her kindness was unmatched and there was no one who could sway from her words. There was no way that they were going to sit around idly and let Raszagal's name be disgraced.
"I demand that you stop speaking of Raszagal so poorly!" Darkeen screamed.
A number of Nerazim agreed and shouted out similar comments.
"People like yourselves who knew nothing of her, have no right to go around and dishonoring her!"
"We are not insulting her. We are simply stating facts! The fact is that after falling into Kerrigan's hands, she became more ruthless and later ordered the death of Aldaris! He was one of our most experienced and influential leaders that we've ever had and both Zeratul and Artanis did nothing to oppose the idea despite being comrades who fought side by side!" Karahyis said trying to not sound rude.
"Exactly! In fact, Zeratul trusted her more than he did with Aldaris. Does it not seem strange that both of the Nerazim's most prized heroes sided with Kerrigan? How can we be certain that even Zeratul hasn't been brainwashed and become one of her pawns?" another Khalai leader asked.
"Do not be absurd! Zeratul would never give in to Kerrigan's taint! His mind is strong and pure. He thinks nothing but the best for us!" Wargan'us said in response to the accusation.
"Yes, a Protoss so pure that he decided to break one of our greatest laws and risk the lives of everyone within this room? Of course he is pure minded! Do not try to convince us of such an insane thing! All those who do not bathe in the Khala's light can never be pure! Your hands are most likely stained rather than clean!" Zarvyn said roughly.
"You Dark Ones refuse to open your mind to the path of righteousness! You refuse to allow the Khala to guide you down a path full of bliss. Unlike you, we share a common mindset which unifies us easily! Your people lack such organization and it is for that reason why you can be so easily dyed any colour!" Shak'keen stated.
"Raszagal became Kerrigan's toy because her mind was too narrow! She refused to join the Khala and look where it had brought her! Her age and inability to change made her weak and an easy target for the Queen of Blades. If she had joined us, then Aldaris and her could have been able to unify our people into a single empire with ease!" stated another Khalai Templar.
"Do not let your idiotic brain say anything else! True that your precious Khala binds you to a single mindset but you lose an aspect that gives you your independence and a part of you that makes you who you are! Raszagal and our other ancestors refused to be tied down and be transformed into a submissive dog that could be commanded by those stronger than them!" Zaryus shouted.
"You knew nothing of how she lived and how she was like before you leeching Shaka'lezil landed on our world. Her soul was gentle and warm unlike you all who believe that everything revolves around your Khala!" Darkeen added on.
"She never held any desire for vengeance against your people. She had mentioned on numerous occasions that she missed Auir and those she knew there. She understood our banishment from Auir and cared little about it. She tried to convince us to let go of our hated past and to move onwards to a future where we could hold hands and stand side by side. We believed in her words and trusted them utterly. Those are the only reasons why we gave you shelter and refuge when you came. We dreamed of that future she talked about but it is obvious that it will not happen! Seeing you insulting her like this appalling! We see no difference between you and your corrupted Conclave government!" lashed out Mohandar spitefully.
"Your banishment was just! Your ancestors' refusal to join the Khala caused them to lack control of their psionic powers. They conjured up psionic storms all over Auir and ravaged both the landscape and our people! We had our reasons for removing you from Auir!" Shak'keen shot out.
"Just like how Razsagal fell, Zeratul has probably too! Kerrigan's influence has already taken control of him even as we speak! We cannot trust anything that he says! Kerrigan has most likely come up with a way to use your once great hero to convince us to spare her life! No longer is he a warrior, no longer is he the one who Tassadar protected, no longer is he an ally to the Protoss! Abandoning us and now breaking one of our most sacred laws, he is an enemy!" someone else said.
Leaders stood up and both applause and disapprovals were heard. The argument quickly matured into a full fledge conflict. The room became tenser and tenser by each passing second. Zeratul saw his plan of bringing order to his people and help saving the universe crumble beneath his feet. His brothers screamed and lashed out in anger. They flung harsh words at each other and cared little for the racist comments that flew out of their heads. They unleashed their bottled up hatred for each other and now it was growing out of hand. Zeratul didn't think it was possible. How could he have underestimated his people's hatred by so much? He had to act quickly.
"My brethren! Please, you must stop this meaningless conflict! It brings nothing of value to us! I know that my crimes have earned me the right to suffer for eternity and I will accept my fate but you must listen to me! We have to work together in order to-"
"Silence Zeratul! Your words hold no value anymore! Stop with your pathetic preaching you withering fool! True that you helped save us but there is no point in appreciating the actions of an insane pawn controlled by the wretched Queen of Blades! Whatever respect that I had for you is now lost forever. Just like how the Khala has dictated, respect for your disgusting people is not possible!" Shak'keen said.
Shak'keen noticed something in the corner of her eye. She turned her head towards what caught her attention and others did the same. When their eyes glared towards it, they only saw a gray fog that had already began to fade away. In less than a blink of an eye, Shak'keen felt something blood thirsty under her neck. She tilted her head slightly down and stared at the tip of an enhanced version of their psionic blade, a Warp blade with its tip right up to her neck. Her neck felt the glowing pisonic energies that emanated from the Warp blade. It was a blade that only the Dark Templars could wield. She knew that if she tried to move, then she would see the light of the Khala very soon. A large portion of the leaders present were surprised at the sudden change of events.
"What on Shakuras do you think you are doing!? Pull this blade away from my throat at once!" cried out Shak'keen nervously.
"You better watch the next words that will come out of your mouth Shak'keen or else that will be your undoing. I am right on the edge Shak'keen, don't tempt me with anymore of your rubbish!" shouted out Darkeen.
"You wouldn't dare try to harm me you filth!" Shak'keen challenged arrogantly. She tried to raise her head in hopes of increasing the millimeters between her throat and the blade. As she did so, her eyes caught glimpse of the Nerazim's eyes. His eyes resonated a fury of red hatred. It was enough to intimidate her and she decided that it would be best to keep her mouth shut or else she would be dead by the time the meeting was over.
She began to feel the vicious sharp blade edge its way closer and closer to her neck and droplets of sweat began to form around her face. Suddenly, she felt her face get smeared by blue blood. The blade that was held up to her neck was deactivated and the hand wielding it dropped. She looked down to see what was going on. She stared at the Dark Templar and was stunned at what she saw. Even Zeratul's eyes widened.
Darkeen felt unbearable pain coming from his chest. He looked down to the source of the pain and saw a dark bluish glowing blade burning through his core. Blood dripped down from the wound and onto his battle armor. He channeled what little of his energy remained and enveloped his hand with it. He gripped the blade with his hand and tried to break it apart or at least push it back out of him. It was a futile effort for his powers were dwindling by the second and after a few seconds; he could no longer conjure his powers. He knew that the blade in him wouldn't bulge and that the user wasn't going to move it. He yelled out a cry of pain and fell down off the table and onto the cold floor. As he fell, the user pulled out his blade and it inflicted more pain. He looked up to his killer and cursed at him.
"Zaryvn...you...damned bastard...you...will...regret...this..." Darkeen said in absolute hatred and fury with his last remaining breaths. He used his last strength and grabbed Zaryvn's leg but it soon dropped as Darkeen's red fiery eyes became extinguished. His blood continued to leak from his body and created a blood stained pool that covered the floor under him.
"How pathetic, I will never understand how this trash became the leader of the Altary tribe with his unworthy abilities. Oh well, no matter. That's now one less tainted Templar that we must worry about," Zarvyn said coldly. He kicked the hand near his leg away from him and held in the urge to kick the body itself.
The Nerazim leaders stared in shock. They couldn't believe what had just happened. Even the Khalai leaders stared in disbelief. None of them imagined that this would happen. They all came to the summit in order to discuss a dream, now a leader was dead at the feet of a fellow leader. Only Shak'keen and Zarvyn looked contempt with what had transpired. The snide look on their faces said everything.
The initial shock passed and reality returned to the Nerazim leaders. Shock and sadness quickly turned into rage and hatred. They could no longer ignore or accept the garbage and trash that was thrown their way just for having a different distinct ways of life and their refusal to join a religion that took away their individuality. Zeratul could feel the seething fury that his brothers amassed. Even he was having trouble holding his anger back but he compelled himself to endure.
"Zarvyn, you fool! Do you not realise what you have done? By intentionally killing the leader of the Altary Tribe, you have openly declared war upon them!" shouted out Wargan'us.
"Wargan'us, you forget that I possess a tribe that is on par with even yours. We are the two strongest Khalai leaders, do not think for a moment that I would be intimidated by the Altary Tribe and its inferior scum," Zarvyn said harshly.
"Exactly! Darkeen had what was coming to him! Threatening a fellow leader is a foolish thing to do! You Dark Templar do not think of your actions! You let your emotions control your actions and are too simple minded!" Kuriana followed up.
"Of course! The Nerazim are but brutes that lack an intellectual brain that we possess! They should know better than to mess with the likes of me. Harming me will be the last decision anyone will ever make!" Shak'keen agreed.
"That is enough! We are no longer going to stand aside and let you Khalai fanatics do what you wish anymore. For too long have we endured your constant harass, your foolish demands, and your heinous acts against us! Ever since the Brood War, you have taken the impression that you are the rulers of this planet and that your Khala has bequeathed upon you the right to do anything that you so desired! You refuse to acknowledge us as equals and act as if we are inferior life forms! You have considered us outlaws, you have banished us, you have insulted us and now you have killed our own! Do not think that the actions of you all will go unnoticed! It is time that we draw the line!" Zaryus roared.
"You tyrants do not feel guilt or remorse! You never extend your hand out to us. You use it to whack away ours! Our Matriarch had a beautiful dream, but we have seen the reality. We can never be as one. We will never live I harmony with one another! The only way for such a thing to ever be obtained is by knocking you off your pride that carries you around unknowingly and crushing you in a way that would obliterate your overweening pride!" Zakulis followed up.
"You know not of what you even speak of you blasphemers! What are you going to do about it then? Will you try to achieve your infantile vengeance and banish us from Shakuras like we did to you on Auir? Do not make us laugh! Such nonsense is impossible!" Huriana responded.
"No, we now know that it has to go deeper than that. Simply hiding the problem won't do us any good. We have been left with no other choice. It is time…for war!" Zaryus said loudly.
He took the bracelet on his arm and ripped it off and crushed it to dust with his hand. The bracelet itself symbolised peace and stability among the other tribes. It was an international call of peace and balance that every leader was forced to wear.
The leaders in the room let out a gasp at Zaryus's call for war. Though surprised, the Dark Templar couldn't help but heavily agree. Fourteen of the eighteen Nerazim tribe leaders concurred and shouted agreements and threw around petty insults. The other three kept themselves silent and stared at the other and nodded suspiciously. The meeting room became full of conflict once more.
As the Dark Templars agreed amongst themselves, the Khalai leaders seemed startled. They felt that they heard the statement wrong but they knew inside that they were correct. War was declared, and they were uneasy about the situation. They felt that their backs were against a wall of spikes with another one closing in on them.
"I'd like to see you and your people try!" Zarvyn said.
"Zarvyn, are you out of your mind! Why are you trying to escalate this even further?" Karahyis whispered urgently.
"What is the matter with you all? You sit there like frightened humans! Are you that hesitant? Are you that fearful of these sinners? Fools, you forget that the Khala shines upon us! We cannot lose to those savages who live in the dark. We who represent the Khala's justice will strike down those who defy us! We are protected by the light and whoever lives outside of it can never harm us! Never will we allow your tainted hands to touch our purity!" Zarvyn shouted.
The other uneasy leaders looked at him and agreed. Their fear disappeared and they had a new stern sense of determination. They refused to lose to impure beings.
"Zarvyn is right! We have waited for the chance to eradicate the tainted filth and now the chance has come! Let us hold our heads up and face the task in front of us!" Shak'keen shouted in compliance.
Khalai leaders let out cries of agreement. They raised their fists in the air and pounded against an imaginary wall. Just like the Dark Templar, a number of tribal leaders remained silent and stared. A total of five leaders sat quietly, Wargan'us being one of them. He knew that this wasn't going to end well but he also knew that no one would listen to him. After hearing all of the insults that were thrown around in the past hour, it was clear that they were at a point of no return.
"From here onwards, war will determine which side will be eradicated for good! I suggest that you say your goodbyes. Neither of you will survive after this. Your heads will be jabbed onto stakes!" a random Templar said.
"Gather up all you can, it will be too saddening if you didn't even put up a proper fight!" shouted out another from the opposite group.
All at once, the Dark Templars stood up. The psionic pressure within the room increased drastically. The Khalai leaders watched frustrated and angered as they saw particles in the air tremble at the increasing pressure. A lot of them had dirty looks on their faces. Black mist began to surround every one of them. Even Zeratul was being wrapped around by it. One by one, the Nerazim leaders disappeared in their fog of smoke. The psionic pressure dropped as each leader left. Soon after, there was only one Dark Templar remaining. His eyes glowed within the shadows of the room.
"We will kill you all down to the last woman and child and stain this planet with their blood. Just you watch," he taunted before finally disappearing.
The cold words sent a chill down the Khalai leaders' spines. They couldn't help but feel as if the taunt meant something more. They looked around and saw that Zeratul had left with them. They scowled and sat unaware of the true seriousness of what was to come. The room felt devoid of life and hollow. Battered tables and the lifeless body that lay on the ground turned their stomachs and they quickly grew sick of the room. With the exit of their counterparts, the summit was called to an end and they no longer were obligated to stay. They all began to leave the ancient building with mixed emotions. Some felt good while most felt nervous but none of them uttered anything to the other. Silence fell upon them all and they were unsure of how to proceed, except for Zarvyn who felt ready. After the last leader left, the door to the building sealed shut. Cracks became visible all over the superstructure but no one noticed as they walked away with their backs turned away from it. The peace that the building reflected felt like caving in. Every single leader brought with them what little peace that they had to the summit. Now as they journeyed back down the mountain, they held in their arms the seeds of war.
A few minutes later, a black fog reappeared in the meeting room again. Zeratul emerged from the smoke and looked around. Once he was sure of everyone's departure, he headed towards Darkeen's body. He bent down onto his knee and turned him onto his back. He put his arms under him and lifted his chest upwards. He ripped off a piece of his cape and wrapped it around Darkeen's chest and wiped away as much blood as he could. He dropped his body slowly and raised Darkeen's head. He took his hand and moved it over his eyes and closed them. He lifted his body over his shoulder and began to surround himself in the fog again. He appeared outside of the building and began his journey to the Altary Tribe. He wandered alone and was consumed by his thoughts. His brethren were going to slaughter each other on the battlefield. He could sense the cries of anguish and sadness coming from the innocent. More of his people's blood was going to be spilled than ever before in Protoss history and he no longer had the influence or the power to stop them. Maybe the future of the universe was doomed, just like Samir Duran had foretold.