Chrysalis

Titus was a renowned Legionary above and below the ground. He was known for his strength, his iron will, his leadership and his willingness to put himself in harms' way to protect his fellows, he was a leader who never spared himself.

Most of all, he was known for his unyielding sense of duty. He had sacrificed over and over again in order to perform the role he filled and he would damn well do it again. He never hesitated, did not regret but often, he grieved.

Looking down at the eager trainees below him he felt sorrow grip his heart.

But it didn't stop him.

"You are about to undergo the final trial on the path to becoming full members of the Deep Legion" he announced.

Serious expressions overtook the trainees at the word trial. What would they need to do?

"You have experienced severe mana saturation sickness on the way here and we have done what we can alleviate the symptoms, but we have not cured you. Behind that door lies the greatest secret of the Legion. We will cure you of saturation sickness permanently, the process will also make you stronger, faster, smarter, more powerful than you currently are. When it is done you will be reborn".

A few gasps and disbelieving murmurs erupted from the youths in front of him. Was any of this even possible?

Titus pointed to the door behind them. "Beyond there lies the greatest secret of the Legion. It enabled the first Legionaries to perform the heroic feats deep in the Dungeon that helped end the Cataclysm thousands of years ago and it fuels us today. Every full Legionary you have ever met has undergone this process, including me".

The commander took a deep breath. No avoiding it.

"Let's go in and I'll explain further".

unlocking the enchanted seal on the door and striding through. Titus waited on the stairs until everyone had entered the next room before stepping forward,

his actions closely and a sudden fear gripped her heart. The way they moved, it was almost as if they had been blocking the exit, making sure that it was impossible for

she cast her eyes around the room they now found themselves in. The room itself was unremarkable. Light was provided by glowstones embedded in the ceiling which illuminated a simple and unadorned stone chamber. The chamber itself was long, but narrow, with regular offcuts down the right side. Pushing past her fellow trainees, Mirryn saw that in each offcut a narrow basic had been chiselled into the floor, almost like a bath carved into the stone. Counting quickly under her breath she saw that there was thirty such 'pods', each with the same narrow basin that appeared designed to have a person lie

she realised the ceiling directly above each basin was not as simple as she had first assumed. Incredibly fine, intricate runic patters had been carved into the surface, the lines so thin she almost hadn't seen them. In the center of the pattern a thin hole

of the trainees stopped gazing around and turned back

his eyes hard with determination, "listen closely as this

there to ensure

release pure, condensed liquid mana that will fill the basin until you are submerged. The fluid will be absorbed into your body, remaking it into something new.

What the hell was that?! Donnelan stood with the rest, his mind flicking at lightning speed. If mana

could see their confusion. He did

most painful experience of your lives. Every cell in your body will become super saturated with mana, tearing at the seams. There are powerful healing enchantments built into the basin. You will be ripped apart and remade constantly for a day. One in five of you

silence as the trainees stared back at their

Legionem Abyssi decided that to be human was not enough. In order to overcome the Cataclysm, to make sure that it would never happen

This was real. It was going to happen. Fear gripped their hearts as they imagined the agony of having their very cells ripped

thought fleetingly of running, of escaping this chamber and the insane ritual about to take place but they quickly squashed the thought. Who was that standing in the doorway, they thought bitterly. Commander Titus. He was a legend in the Legion. If all of them unleashed their most powerful skills at once would they shave even one

Titus announced grimly, bringing relief to the trainees. Before they could start to celebrate he pulled the short sword on his

one of us. If you wish to spare yourself the suffering, step forward and I will give you

had begun their transformation. Once the

delve further into the Dungeon than anyone else could hope to, able to tolerate levels of mana saturation beyond what a normal person could ever dream. They would be able to take

since those days. As Loremaster it was Alberton's role

mean