AN: Let's have a look-see of what lurks deep down below. Thanks for all the faves and reviews, guys and gals. They really mean a lot and encourage working on the story.

Underneath: Darkness

"Finally. After all these years I am finally alive." A mechanical voice droned, as it's owner rose from the elevated throne. There was movement in front of him, as others, similar in form, but less armored and less ornate converged in the area beneath the structure.

"Lychguard! To me!" He commanded, no louder than he spoke, but the order carried far, and all of his subjects could hear it. Soon after, three soldiers, clad in heavy, ornate armor, walked up towards Him.

"Has the Cryptek been awoken? I would like to survey my domain with him accompanying me."

"Yes, Phaeron! The Cryptek was one of the first ones to rise. He has been busy ever since. He would not disclose what he was working on, however." one of the three spoke. His voice was slightly muffled by the heavy collar, but it still bore the monotone emotionless drone, not unlike that of the Phaeron.

"Good." the Phaeron stated and headed off with the Lychguard, to find the Cryptek. The Phaeron expected to find the technomancer inspecting the systems of the Tomb Complex, but decided to pass by the structure that the Cryptek had claimed as his workshop.

"No, no, no… Bad little puppets…" the hunched over figure muttered, as it was peering over countless monitors, each displaying some section of the massive complex. On one of the monitors four figures were slowly moving through the corridors. The camera followed them, gliding slowly backwards, keeping them in focus.

"What is the reason of your frustration, Cryptek?" the Phaeron asked, after a moment of sileht observation from the aperture, towering over the hunched mechanist. The Lychguard were ever vigilant a few paces behind their liege, remaining outside of the structure.

"Phaeron! I am glad to see you awoken once more." the Cryptek turned around slowly and, holding on to his Data Stave, bowed. After greeting the royal, he turned back to his screens, and pointed at the group of intruders.

"A most peculiar group. These creatures bear the form of many bipeds, and indeed are flesh and bone, with some circuitry-" the Cryptek started to lay out his findings, but was interrupted.

"Have them exterminated. We have no time to admire inferior creatures." the Phaeron coldly stated.

"No, I will not, Ozrahkan. They are unique enough to warrant a study…" the Cryptek straightened and thumped his stave lightly against the floor.

"You are pushing the limits of your liberties, Cryptek. I will not suffer such tone from my subordinates. You have been warned." Ozrahkan lifted his warscythe towards the technomancer in front of him.

"Ozrahkan, they are machines. Their minds are elsewhere. These intruders are just husks, tethered to somewhere out among the stars." the Cryptek moved the blade to the side, and took a step forward. "This could lead to a breakthrough that we've been looking for."

The Phaeron lowered his weapon, and pondered such news for a moment. Then he lifted the blade back into a resting position, and nodded to the Cryptek.

"Alright, Szaretoth. I'll allow you to track them down and perform any studies you deem necessary. But only because of the implications that you presented. See to it that you do not fail to live up to them." the Phaeron turned to leave, and motioned the Lychguard to follow. Apparently he was to inspect the Complex without his oldest supporter.

Leaving the workshop of the Cryptek, Ozrahkan cast a glance around, and after a moment of silent analysis, headed towards the core of the tomb complex. Along the way he inspected a few tombs, to check up on their systems. Since his troops had not yet seen active combat after awakening, and no natural disasters had struck the vast majority of the subterranea, there were only a few individuals undergoing maintenance.

More often than not the Phaeron found the scarabs responsible for repairs patching minor structural imperfections of their maintenance crypts.

Ozrahkan intercepted a Tomb Spyder, that was seemingly floating on the spot, doing nothing, and addressed it.

"What is your current task?"

" ## /== /% /!-###/ # " the machine answered in with a data packet transmission, that was audible only as dissonant static noise.

"Very good. If I recall correctly, we were to have a wraith or two posted in the upper layers of the entrance maze, am I right?"

"###/ %#% /## !& "

"How did these intruders get past it then, if the Cryptek is now obsessed with studying them?"

"#$ $"

"Wonderful. Just what we needed. Send a squad to the eastern tunnels, and have them greet the intruders, when they reach the outer complex."

"$#- - /$#$#-#$$ "

Satisfied with the exchange, Ozrahkan headed onwards, as the Spyder behind him turned around, and started to look for footsoldiers to form into a squad.

One of the Lychguard advanced towards the Phaeron and asked a question with a bow.

"Phaeron, I know it is not my place to question your orders, but why not send one of us to assist with the silent ones?"

"Are you that eager to distance yourself from me? And you are right, it is not your place to question me. I would appreciate if this was the first and the last of such an incident."

"Yes, Phaeron. My apologies." the Lychguard fell back in line with his two peers, who expressed something akin to chuckles. The shamed Lychguard just glared at them, as best as his expressionless face would allow.

Ozrahkan had reached the outermost defenses of the Tomb Complex, right before the entrance of the vast network of tunnels that spread out around it, it's pathways twisting and turning. Without a proper map, or a preprogrammed knowledge of where to go, one could easily spend years trying to navigate the mazelike caves.

"Szarethot. How is it that these intruders got here? The eastern tunnels still lie silent." Ozrahkan asked the technomancer via a long range data transfer. It would take a small moment for the message to reach it's target, and a while more before the answer.

No matter. The Phaeron had time to spare, waiting for an explanation. He patiently peered into the dark tunnels, as his trusty Lychguard drew closer, their weapons now kept in a tight grip, ready to strike.

Intruders or no, his Crownworld, Araxis, was waking up. The Vexhi dynasty will soon once more claim it's place among the stars.