- Meksis, The Chaperone - Leaving his Tomb with Maxis - (Unsure if this should be classified as a flashback now.)
Meksis folded his arms over his chest, intently listening to his friend explain what he could, nodding when Maxis stated off that bat that he had for sure slept longer than his master of illusion for a comrade. "Hmm." Was all he uttered.
The Chaperone was greatly amused by Maxis being his usual blunt self when it came to his remembrance of how to unlock the seal, furthermore by his affirmation that the poor sod was asking for a cracked skull. "Well, I certainly remember his mouth remaining shut for a long time afterwards..." He added, the tone of his voice was laced with amusement and pleasure at remembering their times together.
Then came the bombshell: Meksis had slept for 5659 years total, according to Maxis. Five millennia had passed the Chaperone by like the spring winds...all because their creators deemed them failures, denouncing their worth and status as people, not weapons, then locking them away for eternities. "That...would explain my long rest...but has really been so long?" The living armour was understandably shocked at this revelation, pacing with his hands behind his back as he did. "I understand them disposing of the actual failures, those that you mentioned that...went feral, or just ceased functioning...but not me and you, Maxis..." Meksis spoke, he was upset by this, but he was not deterred, standing up straight again and in front of his friend.
Afterwards, he chuckled again at Maxis. His friend had remembered much about Meksis, bringing a measure of joy to the spirit within it's metal case. "Queen Shiva, hmm? I would be delighted to see her. Lead the way, my friend." He mused on the identity of the monarch, then followed Maxis up the stairs, listening to the armour defend his status when mentioning the upcoming skeletons. "Trust me, I wouldn't be surprised if it was you. Besides, they would have "asked for it", wouldn't they?" With visible air quotations, Meksis spoke with a light-hearted, yet sardonic tone. The Chaperone became inquisitive again, however. "So, this Shiva...what's she like?" He wanted to conclude his questions for the moment there, but something felt...off.
"And Maxis, when we get there, I need to ask her about something, or one of her more proficient personnel...I, feel like there's something crawling up my back..." Meksis rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke. It truly felt like something was there, but he couldn't quite tell what it was...
- Soren Monroe, Loyalty Wavering - Lord Raiden's Morning Call -
The need for sleep overcame Soren, much like it did for others, sleeping the night away as best he could for it was difficult, the man still not being sure where he stood in the Overworld.
Unfortunately for him, his restlessness would not be aided by his rude awakening. Raiden called everyone for a meeting in the Grand Hall, so he had to attend, looking quite groggy to any sort of onlooker. Soren would feel less bad however, upon sight of the Lord himself, as he was looking far worse for wear than he ever could, seeming like he hadn't found time to clean up, brush his hair or anything, having just made a long trip and needing to make haste.
Lord Raiden spoke, his voice audibly straining, but working to get his words out: The Humans from the World Below were required to leave. Raiden had allegedly negotiated an agreement with Queen Shiva that required them to vacate, but it would in the end benefit both worlds. A tricky arrangement, it must have been, but one that could see the start of a new age of collaboration for both worlds...so it seemed.
Soren felt like he should be happy, his dreams would be coming true...but, it all seemed too good, despite the implied difficulty in acquiring this deal.
He had little time to mull over this just yet, as Raiden then spoke in a more melancholy tone about his next piece of news: One of his guards had been murdered and much treasure had been pilfered from his vaults. What was going on? He did not know, but Soren felt like he had to know...
Little did the former Sentinel know, his face could be read like an open book, his emotions all over the place, which would catch the attention of those who were attentive, or at least paying attention. That wouldn't take much, as Soren was in the front row of the audience.