Artanis was unsure of what he should expect when he came upon Xerxes, though was admittedly surprised and concerned when he did.

At first, as Xerxes blended in so well with his surroundings, Artanis thought he had gone the wrong direction, until he noticed the shimmering colour that Xerxes' hide reflected when he had been resting earlier in the day. Xerxes appeared as though he had been running and tripped, flat on his belly, wings splayed out on either side of himself, legs awkwardly splayed with the balls of his feet turned upward, cratered into the sand on the bank of a slow-moving river, so he blended in almost seamlessly as his natural camouflage worked to hide his form. Artanis watched a moment, Xerxes huffed a breath across the surface of the water, and where the water rippled, several small fish, so much like the shimmerscales he remembered in his room as a child, could only just be seen darting away by the flash of colour, before returning to lightly worry at Xerxes' mandibles and chin.

Artanis moved closer cautiously, able to see some moisture on Xerxes' mandible teeth, likely from earlier shed tears, and could make out he lay completely on his belly, forelimbs also lightly dug into the sand on either side of his long throat and his tail curled around his right side slightly. Artanis cautiously reached out psionically to let Xerxes know he approached, pausing a moment and hiding his eye-smile at Xerxes spooking visibly, blades and carapace rising and violet light flashing along his nervecords and wings. Two pairs of eyes at the upper-most portion of Xerxes' expansive crest peered out for a moment, confirming Artanis to be the one approaching, the eyes closing as Xerxes raised his head slowly, cautiously, mandibles working a bit to knock loose sand from his chin, which had clumped against his skin when he had been weeping a few moments earlier.

Artanis soon carefully moved to sit in the sand near Xerxes left wing, within reach yet respectfully waiting before initiating anything, watching the small fish investigate the sediment kicked up by Xerxes' lifting his head from the sand and droplets of water mixed with bits of sand falling from his chin, though the moisture remaining could be visbly seen disappearing from his skin. He did not turn his gaze, too ashamed of his now exposed history and far too distraught to feel deserving of any care. Artanis sighed, carefully scooting closer, and would regret such later as he felt sand getting between his armour and skin, to place his right forearm and palm along Xerxes wing. Xerxes' head tilted slightly to briefly meet Artanis' gaze with one eye, yet turned away again solemnly.

**I do not fault you... For keeping your secret until now.** Artanis began, removing his arm to place it in his lap, palms turned up and open, a gesture of honesty. **Any other would have broken and turned to madness, having endured even a fraction of your abuse.** He paused, watching the fish again, as Xerxes did, to distract his body and focus his gaze there while they spoke. The flash of his childhood memories, the shimmerscale tank in his bedchamber, made Xerxes chuckle, thankful for the distraction from his grief.

**So you do remember a bit of our home...** Xerxes rumbled, glad for the change in subject.

**Indeed, though, it is layered with more... Painful points.** Artanis mused, doing his best from remembering the beating he had witnessed, followed by Xerxes' show of power. He briefly saw Xerxes' left forelimb twitch, remembering the painful injury of a once broken limb. Nothing compared though to having later needed to put his youngest sibling into stasis, barely aware of his own name and family, to protect him from any retaliation.

**I would have shielded you from it all, if I could have.** Xerxes admitted, still idly watching the eerily similar to shimmerscale fish as he shifted his position, lifting his left wing from the sand, carapace lightly curling and knocking off loose grains of sand as he hooked the wing-claw to his shoulder carapace, to keep it up and out of the way. He curled his tail around to rest it just behind Artanis, legs shifting to lie more comfortably, more open, yet still turned away. Were it not for his wings and carapace, he would almost look feline, still surprising just how comfortable in his own form he appeared, which earned Artanis another chuckle. Xerxes sighed then, shifting to lie a bit closer to Artanis, hestitantly at first, then relaxed as Artanis showed no discomfort nor apprehension, rumbling purr slowly becoming more noticable.

Xerxes expressed wordlessly all the hate and rage he had held for so long, against their father, which soon after his disappearance, redirected toward the Conclave. They had attempted to push the Monarchs out completely, and being the last of their family and vastly inexperienced at the time following Khaaslyrous' departure and hastily turned over family headship, Xerxes had no choice but to remain instead as a member of their inner council. He knew then they would turn on him, keep him in the dark as much as possible, and knowing he had not as close a connection to the Khala as others, did their best to keep him out of their conversations. Only one Preserver, Rohana, had attempted to warn him, that in accepting a lesser placement would have seen them push him out completely and destroy anything he had achieved. He had worked with her, as much as possible while remaining quiet and secretive about their interactions, during the building of the Ark ships, and he had purposefully asked her to tell the Conclave heads of his personal ship the Obsidian Flare, after it had launched.

The outcry following such, which had eventually led Xerxes to send Khrillian away with a large portion of their loyalists, furthered Xerxes' distrust of the Conclave, as they had attempted to exile him. His involvement with the construction and programming of the other Ark ships, their technology and might, led them to reconsider doing so as he would take all his files with him, as he kept them remotely upon the Flare and would only share pieces as needed for the Khalai. For a time, Xerxes fought with the idea of pulling all the support he had, amongst the Khalai and Templar and even some of the Conclave elite themselves, to force his way back into power. He never had, as Edullon's death had followed soon after the completion of the Spear of Adun, which had gained its moniker a handful of years later, and his depression in losing her, which led him to need to find arrangements for his sons, ultimately placing them in stasis upon the Flare after implanting their dampening chips as a precaution. Once Rohana had gone into stasis, the other two Ark ships were left to Xerxes to finish, and were never staffed, as Artanis had confirmed the stasis cells long empty and coated in dust when he had visited the other two ships previously.

**More underhanded belittling on the part of the Conclave. They knew Rohana to have sympathized with me, for my being physically different was more abberant to them than my lack of a direct connection to the Khala.** Xerxes visibly snarled, though much of it was obscured from view by his mandibles. Artanis nodded, encouraging him to continue, glad for the distraction from their recent revelations. Xerxes did so, taking a moment to uncurl one of his forelimbs and motioned a reverence.

**I drifted for a time, finding little interested me, only helping where I could to keep our people from falling into despair in several situations where the Conclave did nothing to aid those displaced following a mudslide that had occurred in a nearby province. I offered refuge for those displaced, asking nothing in return, and the Conclave's elect did nothing to assist further. Their own Judicator, letting them fall to poverty or worse.** Xerxes growled audibly, screwing his eyes shut a long moment as his rage briefly bubbled up. **That woke me from whatever depression I had been experiencing, I very nearly pulled all my resources and led an uprising... Before I met Raszagal...**
His purr hitched slightly, remembering her brought many mixed emotions, concern, pride and even love foremost of those, Xerxes blushing lightly before he continued.

**I heard the whispers of what the Conclave intended to do to her and several with her, having recently been involved with and working alongside several Khalai who worked to uncover and restore an ancient Xel'Nagan spacecraft found after the landslide that had killed dozens and displaced hundreds more. I tried, as you know, to keep her on Aiur, to help her and her fellows who wished to be Severed keep themselves to themselves and out of the public scrutiny of the Conclave, I showed her how much I cared. In the end, she slipped away before I had even awoken, and I was nearly too late to see her spared. Adun... He did much as Tassadar did more recently, using his very life force to protect against the psionic barrage aimed at them and the ship. His selfless sacrifice stayed the blades that would have killed her and so many others, gave possible futures to those the Conclave deemed unworthy of Aiur and title of Firstborn, and gave me further resolve to change things from what they were becoming...** Another heavy sigh, Artanis gently placing a hand on Xerxes' closer shoulder, which earned him a nod and gentle pat on his forearm from one of Xerxes' smaller limbs.

**So much changed in that one event, yet I knew when she and the others became severed, another Preserver who had gone unnoticed by the Conclave and had been willingly hidden by her fellows tried to help me keep track of the exiled ones, until we could no longer. You met her briefly, though I know only a little of her sacrifice to stop Ulrezaj.** Artanis blinked.

**I had forgotten, you knew Zamara?** Artanis asked, a bit saddened that they had been unable to save her from the monstrosity that had been an archon comprised of seven different Protoss united under one, who had stolen the lifeforce of other Protoss to keep its existence continuous. Xerxes turned more pointedly then, eyes narrowing.

**Did you see where he did this? How he had done so? Valerian knew some of what Jacob had explained, however much of it he kept rather safely guarded. Very smart young man, I am glad he is nothing like his father.** Xerxes chuckled a bit, yet remained apprehensive for some reason Artanis could not place.

**I did not, though from what you have shown, it sounds as though that location was the same in which Sevorak had been housed once.** Artanis sighed, remembering the Khaydarin crystal of such purity he had never seen before, and only glimpsed since in the organic crystals Xerxes sported, hidden in a vault aboard the Gantrithor II, the carrier built and named in honor of Tassadar's sacrifice, the crystal exuding void energy which would flicker on occassion. It was held in stasis, closely monitored and none were to touch it, as doing so could potentially free the imprisioned Ulrezaj. No matter who had expressed desire to attempt to reach Zamara, to free her and keep the follower of Amon in his prison, Artanis forbade it, seeing firsthand what Ulrezaj had done in an attempt to stop Zamara from warning the Daelaam.

**Her sacrifice was not in vain, nor is she dead, I am certain. Freeing her, without defeating Ulrezaj is likely impossible without significant strength, psionic and physical...** Xerxes sighed, nodding his head and agreeing with Artanis' decision to label the crystal as forbidden. Much like the Eyes of the Xel'Naga had been, at one time.

**Those Artifacts were never fully recovered after Umbra, did you abscond with one of them?** Artanis asked, glad for the misdirection from the talk of the lost Preserver.

**One, yes. Apart, they do not operate, together, they are Amon's agents within our realm. Like Samateus and Kemet, to a point.** Xerxes purred, jumping slightly when he heard a small winged creature take off in fright from the bush nearby, before relaxing, not sensing any threat. Artanis chuckled lightly at Xerxes, nodding his understanding.

**Knowing now, what we have experienced and shared... Will you remain with Samateus? I... Admittedly am torn in allowing you to be so far from our home, where our people could learn so much.** Xerxes met Artanis' gaze fully, a bit shocked that Artanis would be so open, despite his appearance, and would be willing to acknowledge their relation in front of their people, regardless of outcome. The strange swan-like motions of his head and neck were comical compared to his inner thoughts, which shifted between concern and uncertainty rapidly. He had thought to do so with the Tal'Darim, just to show up Alarak and see if any still loyal to Ashtareen remained, and perhaps force a civil war of sorts there.

**I hope you would refrain from doing the same with the Daelaam.** Turmalis barely held his laugh at the unison start of the two brothers, all of Xerxes' eyes snapping open suddenly as he almost leapt to his feet. The other judicator stepped cautiously from the bush, Kemet having expertly hidden both while ensuring the two remained safe and without interruption to their needed conversation. Kemet had warned Turmalis to keep from pushing into the conversation too much, receiving only as much as the two shared openly, which had been almost the entire conversation. Xerxes blushed, Artanis simply shaking his head as he honestly no longer cared what their peers thought, if the people were happy, he had no reason to keep secrets.

**To answer your quip, no. I would not unseat Artanis simply as I am the older sibling. I gave up that chance a long time ago, though would gladly see Amon's influence wiped from the Tal'Darim myself, right down to the very beginning.** Xerxes sighed, clenching a fist at the mention of Amon, to which Turmalis nodded, stepping over and then lightly sitting upon Xerxes' tail. He paused, seeing Xerxes shift slightly, the Primal Hybrid waving off the concern as more needing to get loose sand out from under part of his carapace on his right side, not discomfort from Turmalis sitting on his tail. Kemet materialised in his smaller form upon Turmalis' shoulder armour, pointedly watching Xerxes, but more calm than most had seen him, as he lay on his belly with his wing hanging over one side.

**Endara... When she was lost to the Zerg I thought my hearts had been taken with her... How long was she with you?** Turmalis gladly changed their subject from civil wars and the Tal'Darim, and Xerxes' demeanor changed with it, turning solemn and pained.

**Not as long as some, yet I know not how long they... Tortured her.** Xerxes took in a deep breath to keep himself steady, Artanis briefly glaring at Turmalis who ducked his head in apology asking wordlessly why she had not yet awoken. **My doing, in part. She held her agony in check far better than most, that she only collapsed is merit on her resolve, yet in order to help her properly... She needs surgery, very invasive surgery. As Hybrid, she will endure it and recover, as Endara, I know not how much more she can take.** Turmalis wrung his hands lightly, tense and borderline unreadable, Kemet letting out a verbal hiss and stuck out his tongue.

**Why not do for her as you did for Artanis when you were freed? You know that anything you need, Samateus and I will do our best to accomodate, and Kuldaris is more than willing to work in tandem.** Kemets' thoughts were welcome, his viewpoint more third-party than most and readily willing to offer help wherever needed, as long as Samateus were to be involved however. Xerxes nodded, though Turmalis still remained confused.

**Amon forced Vicar to attempt to splice my genetics to Endara's, pointedly aiming at my Illithichtiel genes, with dangerous results. She has carapace growing inside existing flesh and continuing to develop, some tissues and even bone in places they shouldn't be. With what they forced her to do... As I had once, I only hope they did not have to go to the same lengths as they had with me.** Xerxes' explanation at first saddened and then enraged Turmalis, who rose to his feet suddenly, eyes flashing red in hatred. Xerxes watched him sadly, sighing. **They may have performed the actions, yet it was Amons doing, leave their atonement to Ashtareen. I had over three millennia to think of how much I hated both of them, and did wish to enact my vengeance on them for what was done to me, thought over it many times, ultimately coming to the conclusion I was not the one destined to end either of them. For now... I believe I've made her wait long enough.** Xerxes' breath hitched slightly, as Artanis moved to place a hand on him once more in solidarity.

**Before you return to the others, You had said to Sarah and Jim, though far more eloquently, that we are but pieces in a much larger puzzle. Your children, knowing that Amon had taken them and hated you so pointedly, would it be so far off as to think they may still live?** Artanis held his hand on Xerxes' shoulder, supportively, and to show he spoke only to try and help him move on from the pain of loss, and perhaps turn to hope. Xerxes met Artanis' gaze a long moment, as though searching for something, closed his eyes and sighed, nodding.

**You are right, I suppose I should not fall to despair so easily. Though knowing what he's done to Endara and the others, what he tried to do to you, I can only guess at how twisted he's made them.** Xerxes sighed, placing his smaller hand over Artanis'. **Thank you, both of you. Kemet, I hope your suggestion works.** Xerxes then rose, Artanis moving to do the same, wincing noticably and gladly leaning on Xerxes when he moved to lean into him to keep him steady, his right side blossoming with pain as he twisted his position to attempt to stand on his own. Xerxes' rumble of concern cut off when a wave of powerful energy wafted over the group, even Kemet raising his head to peer back towards where they had come from. Once on his feet and standing of his own accord, with a nod of thanks to Xerxes, Artanis wordlessly inquired what the energy had been, Kemet the only one appearing disinterested as he lay his head back down.

**Sam.** He said simply, lightly chuckling and rolling his eyes at the confusion from all three. **She just vaporized that Void Gate. Smelt of Terrazine and she absolutely hates it.**