Skylance absolutely detested this.
The sun was setting over the sky of the Sirantil Valley, painting warm shades of red, orange, and yellow over the one thousand plus angels gathered to mourn in a large clearing in the valley, close to the base of the Kilanthro mountains and ringed by the Valley's lush forests at its edges.
Though the amount of dead to honor numbered over ten thousand, only one thousand coffins were lined up in the clearing for the funeral this day. This would only be the first of many funerals held over the next two weeks to honor all of the Honor Guard soldiers who had recently passed.
The part that Skylance hated the most was that all of the funerals were going to be conducted on Earth, a lowly and unworthy location in his mind. Having once been a part of Hallow's Honor Guard, he knew that it was traditional and symbolic to honor their fallen comrades on Earth, but that did little to curb his negative opinion of the repulsive world of humanity.
Fortunately, all he had left was his speech and then a brief moment in the following send-off before his schedule would be free of this drudgery.
Also on the bright side, after having to listen to many boring eulogies, he was finally next to deliver his part.
The avatar of the High Seraphim Alexiannastraziel stood in the crowd of mourning angels half-circled around the speaker's podium, and she watched as Skylance was about to take the stage to deliver his speech. Her proxy, Virtue, as well as the Archangel, Elial the Splendor, stood to her left and right respectively, each gazing upon the powerful figurehead of Hallow as he took to the podium.
Alexian had thought ceaselessly about the offer he extended to her yesterday in Reajh, and the more she thought about, the more she realized that she just wasn't ready to make a definitive move yet. She still felt too strongly in her beliefs to forgive Norriden, but she wasn't completely convinced about Skylance's true motives either. Being effectively polarized between Norriden and Skylance to achieve her goal of getting revenge on the Rogue High Seraphim Mother, she was left on middle ground for the time being.
"Can you trust his word?" asked Elial of Skylance, keeping a scrutinizing eye on him as he started his speech.
"He deals in politics, most unfortunately," Alexian answered cynically to her lover. "However, I need only to try and separate the real truth from his version of it."
Elial chuckled. "I wish you luck, my love."
High Commander Sine of the Province Vindication was also present at the funeral proceedings, joined by another citizen of Province as well. The Godsend Kure, who was attending the funeral to say her final goodbye to a friend who served in the Honor Guard and died, had seen Sine and decided to be in her company.
Though, she couldn't help herself from being a bit curious. After all, the tensions from several days ago involving the stand-off between the Godsend and the Vindication had died down by now.
"Director Sine, if you would pardon my asking..." started Kure, somewhat unsurely.
"Go ahead, Godsend Kure," Sine stated stoically, not diverting from Skylance as he continued to give his speech.
Though she was caught slightly by surprise, Kure still inquired, "Um, right. What is your reason for coming here, Director?"
Narrowing her eyes slightly, Sine stated, "Because Skylance still has a lot to answer for."
Sometimes, when Skylance had to attend, and worse yet, speak at one of these terrible events, he had the tendency to detach himself. To not care, and simply recite the words that he memorized, until his extreme boredom could be cured by his timely exit from the ceremonies. This was one such occasion that he gladly detached himself.
All about until the voice spoke in his mind suddenly:
Skylance of Hallow... you cannot keep me imprisoned forever.
And when I escape, you will cease to be.