Well, I guess it is time to use one of the oldest tricks to advance the story. Yes, you heard right: It's time for a time-skip. Just a short one though. And whatever happened between this chapter and the ones before will be explained later on. Probably. So no, I did not forget to upload some chapters. But in order to push the story forward, I think this is the best course of action. Also, believe it or not, this was planned from the start.
And hey, Artanis is finally here!
So are some other characters that have been mentioned before.
Chapter 23
Old but not forgotten
When Artanis opened his eyes, he knew that something was wrong. Quiet. It was too quiet. That meant that there was no one around. Silence meant that there was no battle at hand. Or that there was no one busy training. Which was impossible. Warriors of the Khala knew only two different states of mind: Ready to train, and ready to fight.
Getting up was hard. And painful. Yet it was also satisfying. Artanis could not remember yesterday's training exercise, but he could feel it. Every single muscle in his body hurt. Even his bones felt sore. He had no idea how that was even possible. Or, to be more precise, he couldn't remember how he had ended up like this. How it was possible? There was actually a good explanation.
Fenix.
Heh, it had to be. Fenix's training-regime was legendary for being unforgiving on both the body and the mind. Young templar usually had a lot of respect. Or they were downright scared. And while a true templar was supposed to show now fear, Artanis would never judge anyone who wasn't looking towards the grueling task of going up against the legendary warrior Fenix was. His training-exercises were harsher than anything Artanis had ever done when he had trained to become a templar. Some even mused that the mighty warrior was testing them, that he was actually the one judging them to be worthy.
Others assumed that he was just plain cruel.
But Artanis knew the truth. In reality, Fenix was simply taking his duties more seriously than anyone else. For all of his bravado and boasting, he was the pure definition of what it meant to be a paragon of the Khala. There was probably only one other person in all amongst Protoss-kind who was on his level, maybe even ahead of him. Two, if you included the legendary Adun.
Yes, Artanis held Fenix in the highest regard. For good reason. The young acolytes feared him, for he trained them harder than anyone else would. The brothers- and sisters-in-arms worshipped him, for he would stand at their side no matter what. Even an endless army of Hydralisks would not make him abandon his comrades.
Wait...Hydralisks?
Artanis groaned when he finally managed to get up. Hydralisks...it was wrong, there were no Hydralisks in this place. They hadn't even heard of Zerg so far and...
For a moment Artanis felt confused. What had he tried to think about?
Ah, yes! Fenix! How some adored him, and some hated him. For all the right reasons. While the normal warrior, if there was such a thing, adored him, his commanders usually felt nothing but frustration when he would serve under them. A chuckle escaped Artanis' mind when he remembered how commanders preparing for expeditions would try to trade Fenix away so he wouldn't ruin their plans or question their authorities by doing what was the right thing to do. So far only one commander had managed to garner Fenix's respect.
Aside from the officers, there was one more group who had a very vocal opinion on Fenix. Much to their dismay, he shared their animosity. Unlike them, he didn't try to hide his emotions behind fancy words. The members of the Conclave were politicians to the very core. Their weapons were words, and they wielded them like swords. While Fenix would give his life to protect even them, he didn't hide how little he thought of them.
To say that Fenix was a role-model for Artanis was, while true, a secret that the young templar wouldn't share with anyone.
Getting up was hard, harder than usual.
"Ha. It would seem that you outdid yourself, my friend." Artanis groaned. "Even my bones ache." Some other things seemed different too. His voice carried so much exhaustion. The training-exercise truly must have been grueling if the exhaustion was even vibrating within his voice. Artanis couldn't even remember when he had needed so much time to get up, but when he finally succeeded, he straightened himself and-
"Oh! By the Ancients!" His back was killing him. Just what had Fenix made him do? "I need to have a word with him." Artanis was not one to whine when facing pain and hardship. But if he couldn't even remember what had happened, then he was afraid that Fenix would be compelled to do the very same to some poor young acolyte.
He looked around and only then he realized that the sun was shining through the window. That's when he realized...
"It's already past dawn? Unacceptable!" he growled. It couldn't be. He clenched his hands into fists and shook his mighty head. There was only one reasonable explanation for that; someone had ordered for Artanis to...oh, the very concept seemed to be utterly ridiculous...
...sleep in.
Artanis could only think of one person who would order something like that, someone who would not listen to the complaints of a warrior who was afraid of being seen as weak by his peers.
"Tassadar..." Did that mean that he had returned from his last venture? Ever since the Conclave had announced him to be one of the candidates to become Executor, they had made him travel the entire sector to do...things. The Conclave wouldn't tell, and asking Tassadar would be just as pointless. Artanis sighed and turned around. Fenix would probably tease him for having slept in. For a templar who lived by a strict code, this was actually quite embarrassing. At least as far as Artanis was concerned.
Tassadar would probably tell him that there was nothing to be ashamed of, saying that taking rest is just as important as training hard.
Well, Artanis wouldn't give Fenix any more reasons to mock him, and so he decided to get ready to meet the day. Or what was left of it. Artanis looked around and frowned. The room he was in was...familiar. It was quite beautiful. Too beautiful for his taste. As a templar, he wasn't really into luxury. That included the bed he had slept in. A bed! A soft bed...
Hopefully, Fenix hadn't seen this place, or Artanis wouldn't hear the end of it. He could already hear the barking laugh of his friend, mocking him for growing soft.
"Next you want to tell me that you have found someone that fancies you, and now you want to have offspring!" he could hear his friend's voice laughing. Artanis sighed once more. He should probably mentally prepare for what was about to happen. As the templar had taught him: "Accepting your fate without showing your emotion is the way of the Khala."
"Too bad no one has told Fenix that." Artanis mumbled. Whatever. His armor had to be nearby and so he walked out of the room to look for it. And when he stepped out of the bedroom...
"What is this place?" Artanis mumbled. A lot of it seemed familiar, yet he couldn't really say why. What he knew was that this place wasn't what a templar would consider home. Not that there was any need for something like that anyway. It just seemed so...soft.
"Where did they put my armor?" Artanis growled. He checked the next room. And the room after that. And the room after that. Whoever owned this place had to be either truly important or overly conceited. Hmm, perhaps he had somehow ended up inside Aldaris' home? He had never been to that place, yet Artanis imagined that the Judicator wouldn't settle for anything less than his very own palace. But if that were true, then this place right here didn't have enough gold attached to the walls.
No matter where Artanis looked, he couldn't find his armor. The only thing he found...
...was a robe.
"What is the meaning of this?" Artanis growled. This robe was his. He knew not because he recognized it, but because it was adorned with symbols belonging to his tribe. And other symbols that he didn't really recognize. As he stared at the piece of cloth, he couldn't shake a sense of anger and confusion. Was this a test? Or was someone mocking him? If this was Fenix's doing, then he was clearly overdoing it. Artanis was no longer amused, nor did he want to accept his friend's teasing once he would get hold of him. There was a limit to his patience, even if the one playing tricks on him was the mighty and fearsome Fenix himself.
Artanis grabbed the robe and shook his head when he realized just how soft it was. These were clothes unfitting of a templar. If someone thought that he would wear this thing, then they were gravely mistaken. He was still a warrior. And so Artanis simply turned away and looked for a way out.
On his way, he walked past something strange. He stopped and looked at...a painting?
Yes, it was some sort of painting. But unlike any painting he had ever seen. It was as if a quiet voice in the back of his mind was telling him that this painting was dear to him because someone he cared for had painted it.
What baffled Artanis was the fact that the painting was unlike any piece of art he had ever seen before. True, the young templar didn't understand much of art. His profession was war, not painting or creating poems. But still, Protoss' paintings were usually made out of colored crystals. This painting looked as if someone had applied color to an even surface.
She sure as hell knows how to use a brush. You should be proud of her. Artanis nodded when he remembered those words spoken by an old friend.
"She certainly does." he whispered before he suddenly blinked in confusion and shook his head. What? What was that? More confusion crept through his mind and he realized that something was wrong. He had to find someone to tell him what had happened. As he turned away from the painting, he wondered who had created this piece of work. And, more importantly, who was the Protoss displayed in that painting? And why were his eyes glowing green?
So many questions! Yes, he definitely had to find someone to help him figure out what had transpired.
When he finally found the exit, Artanis stepped outside and was greeted by a beautiful day.
"Ahhh..." The warrior allowed himself a sigh of joy. The light of the sun felt so good on his skin. Skin that too felt tired and worn out. Hmm, perhaps allowing him to rest hadn't been such an outrageous idea after all. Since Artanis was certain that Tassadar had ordered it, he could accept it. Tassadar was not one to make fun of his subordinates.
Still, that didn't mean that Artanis had any idea where he was. As he left the building behind, he entered a beautiful garden. It was a serene place, one that made him want to sit down on one of those benches and just enjoy the sun on his skin. When he felt that urge, he shook his head once more and growled in anger. Shameful. A warrior shouldn't yearn for rest and sleep. He had to find the others. Artanis could walk, which meant he could be training.
Oddly enough Artanis didn't encounter anyone. Which was highly annoying since this place was huge. Whoever owned this place, they had to be important members of the Khala. The idea that Artanis had somehow ended up inside the private refuge of a member of the Judicators filled his heard both with dread and amusement.
As he walked through the lush garden, he recognized some of the plants, even the sparkle flowers. But there were also plants that he had never seen or heard of. They looked almost...alien in nature. Perhaps this was the home of a scientist? But why should a member of the phase smith-caste have such a huge mansion, filled with art? None of this made any sense to Artanis. It confused him greatly, and it made him feel angry. What was going on? He had to find out. He had to find someone who would tell him!
Once Artanis reached the other side of the garden, he suddenly stood in front of what seemed to be the main house. It was huge and the architecture looked strange as well. There were some aspects that he recognized, but overall, it looked weird. As if someone had mashed together several different types of architecture. What was even more frustrating was the fact that he couldn't really tell if he liked it or not. The Khalai inside of him told him that this wasn't right. But his heart somehow told him that this place was like a home to him.
"Focus, you fool!" he chastised himself. If Fenix would find him like this, standing around while thinking about architecture, the mighty warrior would first laugh at him and then make Artanis run around the whole planet. Twice.
Yet when he entered the main house, he could finally hear someone.
"...asking you to leave." he could hear a familiar voice. It belonged to a male Protoss. Someone he knew. Someone he knew well...
"All I ask is to see him and take some samples. Not much, just some blood and tissue samples and I will-" another voice reached Artanis' senses. It belonged to a female Protoss, yet he didn't recognize her. Blood samples? A healer? Had he been injured? It would explain why he felt so exhausted, so...old.
"He is no shape for that right now. I told you when you called. Yet you decided to come here anyway. Well, you came for naught. Artanis doesn't want to see you. He told me myself and I intend to honor his wish." Artanis couldn't remember telling anyone that he wanted to be left alone. What was this all about? Even though he suddenly felt so exhausted, as if he had just run a marathon, he still decided to find out what this was all about.
As the warrior walked down a corridor, he felt an eerie sense of familiarity. This place...he knew it. But how?
"I want him to tell me that myself, to my face!" the female demanded. "I came all the way out here just to get those samples!"
"And I told you that you would not get them, so coming out here for no reason is your very own problem!" the male shot back, sounding truly angry.
"I have the permission of the science acade-"
"I do not care about what the science academy allowed you! It does not give you the right to simply deny Lord Artanis his basic rights! And he has the right to be left alone!"
Lord Artanis?
"Just what is the meaning of this?" Artanis groaned when he finally came around the corner and spotted two Protoss. The first was a thin woman who was wearing a strange outfit that Artanis didn't recognize. But the other one...
"Lord Artanis?" the bigger Protoss gasped. "You should be resting!"
"Resting!" Artanis laughed as he approached his friend and commander. "Tassadar, what are you talking about! And why are you calling me Lord?" Yes, Tassadar. The mighty Executor looked down at the warrior and sighed.
"Oh no. Not now." Tassadar whispered. The female Protoss seemed to be happy to see Artanis.
"Well, there he is! How nice. That saves me a lot of time. Lord Artanis, if you would just follow me. I just have to take some samples and then check your vi-"
"You will do no such thing!" Tassadar barked. Artanis looked at his commander in surprise. He knew Tassadar well, and the Executor was not one to show his anger this easily. Just what was going on?
"Tassadar? What is this? Who is this woman and why does she want my blood?" Only then the female scientist seemed to realize that something is wrong.
"Why is he calling you Tassadar?" she asked, well, Tassadar. That question seemed strange though and so Artanis took a closer look. And only then he finally recognized her and his eyes widened in surprise.
"Rohana? Is that you?" he asked and the female Protoss seemed to be confused.
"Rohana? Who is that? What is this all about?" she asked Tassadar, who seemed to be barely able to contain his anger.
"I told you he is not in any shape to see anyone right now." Tassadar growled. "Leave. Now! Or I will call the office of the Prelate and tell her how you tried to use the opportunity of Lord Artanis being confused."
"You wouldn't do that. That's an empty threat!" the scientist replied.
"Try me." was Tassadar's only answer. This was wrong. Artanis looked at his commander.
"Tassadar! What is this? Why this hostility? This is not how an Executor of the Khala should act in front of members of other castes!"
"Executor?" the female Protoss gasped. "Khala? Other castes?!" That's when Tassadar finally snapped. He pushed Artanis away and faced the smaller, female Protoss head-on.
"I do not care who you think you are, nor do I care who you work for. You will leave now, at once, or I will personally throw you out. You are not welcome here!" That was too much! Artanis placed his hand on Tassadar's shoulder and tried to calm him down.
"Tassadar, what is the meaning of this?" That's when his old friend turned around and looked him straight into the eyes.
"Lord Artanis..." he sighed. "...I am not Tassadar. Please...go back to your garden. Let me handle this." More confusion crept through Artanis' mind.
Tassadar...
Not Tassadar...
Tassadar died...
Sacrificed himself...
For Aiur.
And that's when he finally recognized the Protoss standing right in front of him.
"Eva...lonis?" Artanis asked. The Protoss that suddenly stood right in front of him looked almost like the legendary Tassadar. Evalonis nodded.
"Yes, Lord Artanis." he said with a sad tone in his voice. Artanis sighed when he realized what had happened.
"I was...confused again."
"Yes, Lord Artanis."
"I see..." the old Protoss sighed and turned around. "...I will be in my garden then. Please send our guest away."
"But...but..." the female scientist tried to protest, but before she could say anything, old Artanis had already vanished around the corner.
"There you have it." Evalonis explained. "Or do you want to simply ignore his wishes?"
"I wasn't aware that it was this bad." the scientist whispered.
"Trust me..." Evalonis muttered. "...it is even worse."
Artanis sat on his favorite bench and stared at the small pond that was the heart of his garden. Yes, his garden. The same garden that belonged to his house. The same house that he had built with his own hands. And that incorporated a lot of different styles, all chosen to represent the different shades of the Protoss' society.
Even though it was a beautiful day, his mood was foul. And when he heard those heavy footsteps, he just wished that he would be left alone. But he was no fool, and so he straightened himself and put his hands on his walking cane. When the other Protoss had finally reached him, the newcomer didn't speak.
"Who was that...earlier?" Artanis asked after a while and tugged at the sleeve of his robe. The same robe that he used to shield his old body from losing too much heat.
"No one you should be concerned of." the tall warrior replied. "A scientist who claimed that she had the authority to study you. And that you were informed."
"And what if I was informed?" Artanis wanted to know.
"Then today would have been a bad day."
"Hmm..." the former Hierarch harrumphed.
"How do you feel?" the younger Protoss wanted to know.
"Old." Artanis replied. "And like a fool. Which is fitting since I acted like one back then."
"It wasn't your fault." For a warrior, the younger Protoss sounded very gentle and caring. It wasn't completely unwanted, but suddenly Artanis couldn't stop thinking about his past comrades, and how most of them would have never dared to talk to him like this young warrior did.
"I supposed that is what it means to be old. You forget where you are and you make a fool out of yourself." Artanis sighed. He looked up at the young warrior and squinted his eyes. "Though I have to admit; it doesn't really help that you are the spitting image of Tassadar, Evalonis."
"I wouldn't know..." the young warrior called Evalonis replied. "I have never met him. But I take your word for it."
"Tsk...sarcasm." Artanis growled. "A true templar should not fall so low as to use something like this."
"Well, since there are no Zerg around that I could slay with my psi-blades, I have to take what I can get." Evalonis chuckled before he turned serious again.
"In all honesty, Lord Artanis-"
"Stop calling me "Lord Artanis"." the old templar mumbled.
"...I am worried."
…
…
…
…
Artanis didn't reply anything to that. He didn't have to. He already knew what the young warrior wanted to tell him, and he was in no mood to hear it.
"Lord Artanis, perhaps we should call a healer who will take a look at you and-"
"Didn't you just send a healer away?" Artanis chuckled.
"No, I sent an obnoxious scientist away who would have used you as a test subject to sate her own curiosity." Evalonis growled, which caused the ancient Protoss to look up at him.
"And how would a healer be better?" Artanis wanted to know.
"Someone could take a look at your mind. I am afraid that you are getting worse, Lord Artanis-"
"I told you to stop calling me that!" the old warrior interrupted him, but Evalonis decided to simply ignore that statement.
"...last time you almost wandered off on your own. If Taeyla hadn't kept an eye on you, then things might have turned out badly." That statement caused Artanis to sneer.
"I am not some piece of vegetable, Evalonis!" he stated. "I'm just...tired. And old." That was an understatement. Artanis, the legendary Artanis, was not old. He was ancient. He had stopped counting his own years a long time ago, but he remembered how many had congratulated when he had turned 1500 years old, older than any other Protoss to have ever lived. No one knew how this was possible, though. Was it because he had walked the paths of both the Khalai and the Nerazim? Or because he had touched the Void? Whatever the reason, Artanis was still alive. Barely.
That didn't mean that he was happy about it.
Being old was no fun. It was painful and dull. And all the people he had cared for as a young warrior, they were all gone. Sometimes his grandchildren would visit him, more out of courtesy than because they wanted to. The only exception was his great-granddaughter Sirella. Speaking of which...
"Where is Sirella?" he asked. When Evalonis heard that name, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. For a moment he seemed...worried?
"She is fine. The last thing I heard was that she was preparing for an... expedition."
"Why would an aspiring artist go on an expedition?" Artanis asked.
"To find inspiration?" Evalonis offered, yet he didn't sound convinced at his own words. It was clear to Artanis that the young warrior was keeping things from him, but he was too tired and exhausted to care about that right now. Instead, he looked at the imposing figure of Evalonis and sighed.
"Did I ever tell you that you are the spitting image of Tassadar?"
"Occasionally." Evalonis sighed. It was true, though. Evalonis did almost look exactly like the legendary Tassadar. Perhaps he was even a distant relative. Then again, Artanis was no genealogist, and he had his doubts that this was something Protoss cared about these days, unlike humans, who loved to trace their own existence back to some obscure figure in history. The old warrior was amazed at how many people claimed to be descendants of the legendary Matt Horner. Sometimes it felt as if half of the human population of the Koprulu Sector was a product of his loins, the other half being products of the equally legendary first emperor Valerian Mengsk.
The two didn't say anything for a while. Artanis because he was in a foul mood, and Evalonis out of courtesy and respect. Still, right now being inside his home didn't bring Artanis any joy. The experience from earlier still haunted him. He would never admit it but Evalonis was right; it was getting worse.
And yet death still wouldn't claim him.
For a warrior, death on the battlefield was a desirable outcome. Preferably against impossible odds and the most vicious enemy you could imagine. Sadly, Artanis had missed that opportunity. Now his two options were to die peacefully in his sleep or to trip, stumble, fall over and die due to complications of a broken hip.
As he looked at his garden, he felt barely any joy. This place usually helped him to calm his mind. But right now, it felt small and constricting. And so...
"I want to go for a walk." he suddenly declared and stood up. Or at least he tried. His old legs tried their best to do what they were told but he needed all of his strength to achieve getting up. And even then, he only succeeded thanks to his walking cane and Evalonis, who would help him.
"I would strongly advise you to not do that..." Evalonis muttered. "...but I know you will just ignore me. Still, I will come with you."
"I do not need a babysitter!" the old warrior snarled.
"Yes, well, I will not allow you to get lost. Again. Last time was bad enough." the young Protoss replied.
"Bah!" Artanis replied before walking out of his garden. Very, very slowly. Hunched over, every step was exhausting. By human standards, he would be over 150 years old, ancient even. Whatever the universe had thought when it had gifted him with such a long life, he did not know. But it felt more like a curse than a gift. Evalonis followed him like a shadow, making sure that nothing would go wrong. While this was embarrassing, the young one stayed quiet and gave Artanis the illusion of being alone.
His home was far away from any big settlement. There was a small village a couple of kilometers away, but the villagers had no reason to come out here. Which meant that Artanis could experience peace out here. At least in theory. In reality, however...
...well, let's just say that the name Artanis still made people look up and take notice. Much to his dismay.
As they stepped out of his home, Artanis walked down the stairs and then followed a small beaten track leading south. The house had been built at the base of a hill. They were basically walking around that hill, whose backside was covered with trees that belonged to a lush jungle.
"Perhaps I should take the lead and-" Evalonis muttered.
"I have walked this path long before you were born!" Artanis growled. "I know every stone and everyGHA!" Artanis was so enraged that he didn't notice the stone right in front of him. He stumbled over it and was not able to fight gravity. When you are really old, your bones become frail. Stumbling and falling flat on your face when being young might only end up in a bloody nose. If you have a nose, that is. What applied to humans could also be applied to Protoss. Probably not Zerg, but who knew exactly...
If you are old, however, then every fall could have dire consequences. Artanis knew that. So this was how he would finally perish? Breaking his hip on a walk around his home?
"Watch it!"
Big and strong hands grabbed him just before his body made contact with the ground, and Evalonis put him back in his feet, slowly. The young warrior looked at Artanis and frowned.
"It seems as if you do not know that stone."
"Someone must have placed it there on purpose." Artanis growled before shaking his head. "Thanks." And with that, he simply turned around and moved on. Evalonis decided to just follow him and say nothing. They made progress at a snail's pace but eventually they reached the other side of the hill, where they were already greeted by another bench. When Artanis sat down on it, he was completely exhausted.
"Today is a beautiful day." Evalonis said.
"It is." Artanis agreed. Right in front of them was one of the biggest jungles on Aiur. Here in the south, the weather was warm, which was good for Artanis' ailing health. The humidity, well, not so much. The lush green of the jungle was a soothing sight, and the old warrior was starting to feel how his bad mood was fading. Until suddenly the roar of an animal could be heard. It was far in the distance but the sound caused Artanis to visibly shake, almost as if he wanted to jump on his feet and ignite an imaginary psi-blade.
"Do not worry, it is just a zergling." Evalonis mumbled when he noticed Artanis' distress.
"Just a zergling." the older Protoss sneered. "There is no such thing." Even now, even after all those centuries since the Overmind had laid siege to Aiur, there were still Zerg on this world. No longer were they members of the Swarm. Scientists had confirmed that the genes that linked a Zerg to the Swarm were either inactive or had withered away. Evolution had caused the Zerg on Aiur to degenerate into mostly wild beasts. Beasts that had managed to integrate themselves into the biosphere. What wolfs had been on Earth (before some genius had introduced kriechers from the world of Ramelow), zerglings were on Aiur. Most people didn't mind about that fact anymore. Well, most people hadn't fought the Zerg in war, so they didn't know what they were talking about. Artanis, however, knew.
He knew all too well.
"Rain-season is about to start." Evalonis said after a while.
"I hope every single damn zergling drowns." Artanis growled. He had heard that some people even used them as pets. Pets! Who in their right mind would use a zergling as a pet! Next thing people would try to put a leash on a hydralisk!
"Evalonis..." Artanis mumbled.
"Yes?"
"Tell me...something." Artanis asked with a tired voice.
"Something?"
"Anything. Just...tell me something." he muttered.
"The Order of the Templar is about to introduce new recruits into their ranks. Some say that they are the most talented recruits since-"
"No. Nothing about the Order." Artanis interrupted him. "Tell me something simple. Something that does not involve war. I want to hear something...nice." he said and closed his eyes. "Tell me about that...young woman that seems to like you. What was her name again?"
"I did not tell you her name." Evalonis mumbled. "Also, I do not think that this is a good idea and-"
"Please. Do an old warrior a favor." the tired and exhausted Artanis asked. And so Evalonis relented.
"She is...different. Makes me do thinks that I would otherwise never even dream of." the young Protoss declared.
"Ah, the courage love can give you..." Artanis whispered, sounding as if he was about to fall asleep.
"Not quite." Evalonis replied, yet he didn't sound annoyed by that. "It is just..."
"Yes?"
"She is...humble in her own way. And cares for people, more than they realize. And I have no idea why she would be interested in someone like me. Being a templar these days is not something most people aspire to. Yet whenever I tell her about my duties, she just wants to hear more and more." Evalonis looked at the lush jungle in front of them. Honestly? He didn't even like the jungle. The humidity was highly annoying. Everything would take more effort to do in this environment.
"I suppose ever since I met her, I have started to question my own path in life. But not in a bad way. Even though the caste-system is gone, not many of my comrades choose to look for someone who isn't a warrior. Most of them have dedicated their lives to war, and so they don't see the purpose of doing things that aren't related to training." he continued. "Some even feel offended that your grand-granddaughter is an aspiring artist."
"What...do they know..." Artanis mumbled as his eyelids were starting to become heavy.
"It took me a while to get to the same conclusion." Evalonis said. "Whenever they ask me why I would fall for someone who is not a warrior like me, I tell them that I am happy as long as she is around. That is enough for me." He then continued to stare at the jungle in front of him for a while. On the horizon, dark rain clouds were gathering. It wouldn't take long for the rain to reach them.
"Also, she scares me from time to time." Evalonis admitted. "They teach us templar not about relationships. Honestly? I think it is a mistake. Yes, I understand that being a templar is not the same as being a soldier. Or a warrior. A soldier follows orders, and is bound to laws. He serves. A warrior follows the call of battle and is bound to a code of honor. But a templar?" The young Protoss sighed. "Sometimes I think that with the end of the Conclave the templar lost their true calling. I was raised listening to all the grand stories, but those are centuries ago, all of which happened even before the Great War. It is like the order has decided to exist in the past. Before I met her, I didn't really care about that, but she made me question it. Still, I do not want to be disrespectful. The templar have taken me in after I lost my family. They gave me a home, trained me, gave me a purpose. And let us not forget that thanks to them I was able to meet you."
Evalonis sighed. Maybe he was talking too much.
"Forgive me, Lord Artanis, I was babbling. Perhaps we should return to the house. Those clouds look as if they are here any...minute..." When he finally looked at the former Hierarch again, he noticed that something was wrong.
"Lord Artanis?" But Evalonis would receive no answer. The young warrior knelt down right next to him and his hand was already close to Artanis' throat to check for his vitals when-
"I'm not dead." the ancient Protoss growled and opened his tired eyes. "I was just resting my eyelids." Evalonis sighed in relief.
"I was scared for a moment." the young warrior explained.
"Templar...should not be scared."
"Well, then let's say that I was worried." Evalonis corrected himself. That's when suddenly a bright flash of light illuminated the sky.
"Lightning? It seems that the storm is almost here. We should head back to the-"
That's when an infernal noise suddenly reached them. It was so loud that even the ground shook. Evalonis was truly startled by it but Artanis just looked up and squinted his eyes.
"That, my young friend, was no lightning." the aged warrior explained. "That was a hyperjump within an atmosphere." Evalonis frowned and looked up into the sky. Right there, almost exactly on top of them, was an enormous object. It was so big that it was blocking out the sun. Evalonis had never seen a vessel like this. What he could tell was the fact that it wasn't Protoss in nature. It was far too ugly for that. And it wasn't Zerg either since it wasn't alive. Which meant...
"What is that?" the young warrior asked.
"That, my young friend..." Artanis explained. "...is a terran battlecruiser."
As a member of the templar, Evalonis had studied war, and the tools that were used to wage it. And while he lacked the childlike interest many of his comrades had when dealing with such subjects, he was no slouch either. He knew exactly what terran equipment and vessels looked like. But this thing?
"A battlecruiser?" he marveled. "It looks nothing like anything I have ever seen."
"That is because it is old. Almost as old as I am, in fact." Artanis explained before his eyes widened in shock. "Wait...is this another hallucination? Evalonis?!"
"No, Lord Artanis. I see it too." the young warrior mumbled and placed his hand on Artanis' shoulder to calm him down. The battlecruiser was unlike anything he had ever seen or heard of. It was huge! Far bigger than any piece of military equipment Protoss or humans used these days. While its size was a testimony to how outdated it was, it also gave this machine a truly imposing aura. All it did was to hang in the sky, as if it was waiting for something.
"Sloppy." Artanis growled and Evalonis looked down.
"What do you mean?"
"A battlecruiser has just jumped in, within the atmosphere of Aiur. Just like that. Pah, back in the old days something like that would have never worked!"
"You think that this thing is hostile?" the young warrior wondered.
"I suppose we will find out soon enough." Artanis replied and nodded at the huge vessel. "Look, it is preparing to land." And indeed it was. Evalonis and Artanis watched how the gigantic vessel lowered its altitude. To think that such a huge machine could even maneuver within an atmosphere was flabbergasting. However, after a short while...
"Uhm...that does look less like a landing and more like falling." the young warrior explained.
"Indeed." a way-too-calm Artanis replied. "This should be interesting." And then he placed both of his hands on his walking cane. They watched how the battlecruiser suddenly started to roll to the side...
...and smashed in a nearby hill. Trees were sent flying as it plowed through the ground Evalonis noticed that it was heading straight towards them.
"Lord Artanis!" he yelled. "We have to go!"
"Save yourself, Evalonis." a tired Artanis replied. "This is a death worthy of a warrior, and I shall accept it gladly!"
"WHAT?!" But before Evalonis could say anything else, the ship was almost upon them. Running away was no longer an option, even for him. Whoever was in charge of that thing, they finally deactivated the engines and so the vessel decelerated quickly. It finally came to a halt, only a couple of dozen meters away from them.
"We are still alive?" Evalonis mused.
"This day is full of disappointments." the old warrior next to them growled.
It didn't take long before something new happened. A hissing sound could be heard and soon after a hatch at what assumed by Evalonis was the front of the battlecruiser opened and an all-too-familiar voice could be heard.
"...told you that this thing handles like a dead overlord. But you wouldn't believe me. Well, now you know. You can apologize later to me." the voice of a woman hollered.
"Well..." Artanis sighed. "...at least now we know who is responsible for this mess." And when a human head looked out of the hatch, Evalonis blinked in disbelief.
"PAULA?!" he screamed.
"Hey, Evan! Look what I've found!" Paula Kerrigan shouted back.
The two Protoss continued to watch how the young woman climbed down the outer hull of the gigantic battlecruiser. While Artanis seemed mildly amused, Evalonis' reaction was, well...
"Did you not say that you would try to keep a low profile?" the young warrior wondered.
"Yeah, well, things got complicated." Paula replied. "With how things went down, I'm just happy that I made it here."
"What happened?" Evalonis wanted to know. "And how did you end up with this!" he gasped and pointed at the enormous ship in front of them.
"This, eh?" Paula muttered as she looked over her shoulder. "Oh, that's a long story. You will probably not believe me a single word. Let's just say that I achieved my goals by escalating the situation on levels unheard of."
"I am not sure I want to hear any details. Also-" Evalonis started before he was suddenly interrupted by another voice.
"YO, PAULA!" a female voice came from within the battlecruiser. "Better get going! Seems like the Protoss noticed we are here. Sensors show contacts incoming. A lot." The voice definitely belonged to a woman, but sounded strange, almost blurred.
"A travesty!" Artanis, who was still sitting on the bench as if none of this mattered to him, growled. "At least two minutes have passed since this ship has entered the atmosphere, and only now they send forces to intercept? Back in the day, this would have never happened!"
"Guess we have to make it quick then." Paula sighed and walked towards Artanis. She stopped right in front of him and offered him a warm smile. "Sorry for just barging in. I wanted to give you people a heads-up, but things became a bit hectic. Still, I'm here now. Ready to go!" When Artanis heard that, he just frowned.
"Go where?" he asked and Paula opened her mouth, only to hesitate. Then she dropped her shoulders.
"You don't remember, do you." she whispered and looked over her shoulder at Evalonis, who shook his head in defeat. "Well, can't change that now. But you do remember me, right?"
"I'm not a damn vegetable, Paula Raynor." Artanis growled. "I know who you are."
"It's actually Paula Kerrigan, my parents decided that I should-"
"I do not care, I will not use her name when addressing you." the old Protoss declared. "More importantly; is Sirella with you?"
"Not exactly." Paula mumbled. "I left her in the care of someone very capable. Don't worry, she's fine." When Artanis heard that, he squinted his eyes.
"Someone very capable? Someone I hoped to never see or hear of again?"
"Maybe..." Paula whimpered. "Don't worry, it will be fine! Sirella is probably already back on Korhal, doing her art-stuff. And so-" That's when the other female voice interrupted them again, yelling at them over some external loudspeakers.
"GUYS! MOVE IT! WE GOT INCOMING! I SWEAR, PAULA, IF YOU RUIN THIS, THEN MY SISTERS WILL TEAR YOU APART, AND I WON'T STOP THEM!" the unknown woman screamed.
"Well, better do as the cranky lady says." Paula whispered before turning her attention back to Artanis. "I gave you a promise. Maybe you don't remember, but I want to keep it. For that to happen I need you to come with us. Don't worry, everything will be okay. Just please, come with me." She then offered her hand and looked at the old warrior, who didn't seem to appreciate the gesture.
"I am tired, Paula Raynor. And I do not want to go on a journey. So whatever I made you promise, just leave it be. There is nothing that would make me change my mind. So if you do not mind; please take your battlecruiser with you and leave." Artanis declared. "Your vessel is ruining the view." Instead of admitting defeat, Paula straightened herself and looked back at the battlecrusier.
"SARAH!" she yelled. "I NEED OUR CHIEF-MECHANIC OUT HERE!" She didn't have to wait long for an answer.
"ARE YOU INSANE?! WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS! PROTOSS INTERCEPTORS ARE INBOUND! THEY WILL BE HERE REALLY QUICKLY!" the woman called Sarah yelled back. Sarah? As in Sarah Kerrigan? No, that voice sounded different.
"JUST DO IT! I WON'T LEAVE WITHOUT ARTANIS!" Paula barked. You could hear frustrated curses over the loudspeakers. It sounded as if several women were discussing their next steps. Evalonis could swear that he heard "leave her behind" and "throw her off of a cliff", among other not-so-nice things. But then...
"Who is that?" Evalonis muttered when he spotted a huge gray figure emerging from the hatch that Paula had used to leave the battlecruiser. It was a Protoss. The moment he landed on his massive feet, he looked around and seemed confused for a moment.
"Karax!" Paula yelled. "Over here!" When Artanis heard that name, his head snapped up and he stared at the figure that was approaching in disbelief.
"Karax?" he whispered. It took his old and ailing eyes a while to recognize the other Protoss. But when he did...
"Karax!" Artanis got up, slowly and under a considerable amount of pain, before stumbling towards the other Protoss. Both Paula and Evalonis rushed to his side and made sure that he wouldn't stumble and fall.
"Hierarch?" a surprised Karax replied. "Is that you?" The phase smith walked over to Artanis, and when they were face to face...
"You look smaller than I remember, Hierarch." Karax declared.
"That happens if you age, Karax." the ancient Protoss replied, his voice suddenly sounding as if he was close to crying. "Yet look at you! You do not look a day older since when I last saw you!" And that had happened a couple of hundred years ago. Artanis placed his hands on Karax's shoulders and squeezed them softly. "Paula Raynor told me that you were still alive, that you were in service of...that you were still out there! I know she is not one to speak lies, but I still had my doubts, considering who her mother is."
"Uhm, I don't know if that's a compliment or not." Paula muttered when she heard that before she shook her head. "Anyway, we should get going. Before Sarah is popping a blood-vessel or anything."
"Karax. My old friend. It is so good to see you. There are so many things that I want to talk about. So many stories that I would like to share." Artanis explained. And that's when tears started to stream down his face. Tears of joy, of an old warrior who had just met an old friend again. That's when Evalonis intervened.
"Perhaps..." the young Protoss mused. "...you two can continue this conversation inside?" he offered and pointed with his finger at the battlecruiser. "It is what you wanted to do after all." That comment earned him a strange glare from Paula but he gestured her to be quiet.
"I...did?" Artanis muttered, seemingly confused and overtaken by all of this.
"Oh yes! We planned for this for quite some time, can you not remember?" Evalonis continued. "It is a, uhm, well...curse!"
"Cruise." Paula corrected him, and then her eyes widened when she realized what the warrior was trying to do. "Oh, yes! Yes, exactly! We wanted to take you on a trip, isn't that right Karax?"
"I do not remember anyone saying anything about a cr-"
"INTERCEPTORS ARE ALMOST HERE!" the enraged voice of the woman called Sarah screamed. While she had the same name as Paula's mother, it was brutally clear that this Sarah wasn't the infamous Sarah Kerrigan. "EITHER YOU GET INSIDE WITHIN IN THE NEXT 70 SECONDS OR WE ARE GONNA LEAVE YOU BEHIND!"
"We?" Evalonis muttered, which earned him a sigh from Paula.
"You'll see soon enough. Hey, Karax. Please, could you help Artanis inside?" Paula asked.
"Uhm, yes. Of course. Hierarch, here, grab my arm." And this time Artanis didn't even hesitate one second. He grabbed Karax's arm and allowed the phase smith to lead him towards the huge vessel whose engines were powering up again. As Evalonis and Paula watched how the two other Protoss boarded the battlecruiser, the young warrior shook his head in disbelief.
"It will be hard to explain that to anyone. Good thing that I do not have to worry about that." And then he looked down at the smaller woman. "Did you...get it?" That's when Paula longed into her pocket and pulled something out. When she opened her hand, Evalonis looked at a small shard of green crystal.
"That is all? Paula, that is not an Ihan-crystal, that is just a shard!"
"It's enough, trust me." she replied. "Besides, it was the only thing my mother allowed me to take with me. But all we need is inside this shard, so we should be okay."
"Should?" Evalonis groaned before he realized what else Paula had just said. "Wait...your mother? She was there?"
"Like said: Things got complicated." Paula admitted before grabbing Evalonis' hand and pulling him towards the battlecruiser. "Don't worry, Evan. she won't be joining us anytime soon. I think."
"That is not really helping me to calm my mind, Paula. What...did you tell her?" Evalonis wanted to know.
"Enough to make her curse my father. And she wouldn't let me leave until I would tell her what we were want to do." The two climbed up a ladder that was leading to the hatch. And once they were inside...
"And she is okay with that?" Evalonis asked in disbelief when he closed the hatch behind him. Instead of answering his question directly, Paula turned around and ran through the corridor. She took two turns to the right and after an especially long corridor they ran through an open hatch. Only then Evalonis realized that this place had to be the bridge of the vessel. And what he saw there...
"Finally!" a creature unlike anything he had ever seen growled. She looked like some sort of infested human, only a lot less horribly mutated. Instead of legs, this creature had a long snake-like tail, and the expression on her noseless face was one of pure annoyance. "Wasted enough time taking a walk? Good, we are about to get royally screwed over here!" Her voice was that of the Sarah they had heard before.
"Yeah, yeah!" Paula panted. "We hurried as much as possible. So stop whining and let's get lost." When Sarah heard that, she said something very unflattering before turning her attention to the other creatures in this place. Yes, there were more like her. Like...identical.
"Ava, Minerva! Fire up those engines. Take us out of here!" Sarah barked and the other, smaller versions that all looked like a certain former Zerg currently employed by the former Queen of Blades saluted in an almost adorable way. Evalonis watched through the looking glass how the landscape outside began to move and then get smaller as the mighty vessel was gaining altitude fast.
"Big sis', the interceptors are in firing position!" another mini-Izsha declared.
"Ignore them!" Sarah replied. "Iris, are you done?" And yet another identical version replied as she looked up from her console.
"Jump plotted and coordinates locked in. All you need is to give the command!" Iris replied. During the entire time, Evalonis looked around and didn't know what to say. Until...
"I guess there is a perfectly fine explanation for all of this?" he mumbled. That's when Paula grabbed his huge hand and gave it a soft squeeze as the hyper-engine of the battlecruiser Hyperion came to life.
"Yeah, guess I will have to explain you some stuff." Paula mused.
"It sure seems that way." Evalonis muttered. "By the way, you didn't answer my question."
"Which one?"
"If your mother is okay with this?" he said and gently squeezed Paula's hand in returned. And that's when a goofy grin appeared on Paula's face.
"You mean if I told my mother that my boyfriend is a Protoss? Oh Evan, you are so cute." she giggled. "Ha, don't be stupid. I'm not suicidal!"
"PAU-" Evalonis yelled in despair. That's when the Hyperion entered hyperspace, and his scream was cut off.