Chrysalis

Titus was worried.

It was hard to see, the weathered lines of his face were cut deep over years of campaigning, an extra furrow in his brow, a little more tension in his stare, were signs almost impossible to notice.

Tribune Aurillia had noticed. After so many years serving in the Legion she was able to detect the subtle changes in her commander. The tightening of his shoulders, the way he constantly thumbed the blade of his famed axe, testing an edge that he had kept razor sharp for the better part of thirty years.

It wasn’t often Titus was worried.

"... suspicious activity on the part of the mercenary union and merchants guild, as well as a shift in the rhetoric of the Church of the Path have been reported over the last two weeks. Our strategists suggest that the possibility of a coup in Liria is rising by the day" Aurillia reported.

...

Titus nodded absently, his iron gaze never leaving the forest expanse that spread out before them from their vantage point on the camp walls. The forest was dark now. Very dark. Even the monsters seemed to sense that something was coming. The din of combat, constant over the last week had faded away to nothing.

There was a tension in the air, as if every living thing in the Dungeon was waiting, ready to spring into violent battle at a moment’s notice.

"Do you have any instructions to relay to the surface? Commander?" Aurillia queried.

Her commander didn’t respond, instead continuing to gaze pensively at the expanse, his ice blue eyes reflecting the dying light from the trees.

"What do you think the Dungeon was like before the Rending, Tribune?" he asked suddenly.

Aurillia was taken aback by this seemingly unrelated question. After a pausing to consider her response she answered.

"Nobody knows the condition of the Dungeon before the cataclysm commander. No-one even knew it existed".

Titus shook his head. "Of course I know that. I asked what you think it was like, use your imagination Aurillia".

Tribune was confused. "I don’t know commander. We know that the mana level on the surface rose

was a wave" mused Titus, "I think it was just

come remotely close to replicating the world

the reports from our neighbouring Legionary outposts?"

"I have" Aurillia nodded.

rising all around us, not just locally. The change has been even, no variation at all. Readings in Banron are

you aren’t suggesting this is the beginning

were worrying, but the cataclysm? The civilisations on the

grizzled chin with one

not sure. Something

fell as side by side the two veterans spend

Aurillia felt compelled

regarding the situation

Titus slowly nodded.

of the Legion above ground to make immediate preparations to depart for our position within two hours. Not a single trainee or auxiliary is to remain behind. I don’t care if they have to

abandon the Queen? Do you

the Queen will be killed"

"Then why?"

of surface kingdoms is of no interest to me, nor should it be to you Tribune. Our duty and our focus lies in the Dungeon"

has been a loyal supporter of ours for decades. You’re talking about

a moment, his jaw visibly clenching and

tightly, "we stand on the verge of an unprecedented disaster. The only thing standing between the city of Liria and a flood of monsters are these fortifications" he emphasised his words by slamming his fist down on the compacted earthen walls, "and the Legionaries who followed our orders to come here. The Queen has left herself

Titus’ ice blue eyes Aurillia could only swallow

will be done commander"

erected by Earth Mages were constructed in neat rows, dotted here and there with

were all present here in this camp, nobody had been allowed to venture