Chrysalis

The pain and suffering the members of the Legion, the pain in their faces and voices affected Morrelia deeply. These were the men and women who had dedicated their lives to defending the sapient races of the surface from the depredations of the Dungeon. They were the inheritors of a mission that originated since the Rending and had endured for thousands of years. To those battle hardened eyes, the annihilation of Liria represented more evidence of righteousness of their cause. It was hard for Morrelia to disagree with that sentiment, it was something she herself had believed her entire life. It was hard to deny, the monsters were responsible for this catastrophe. They brought death and destruction with them everywhere they went, and had done so since the moment they had breached the surface.

And yet, she had seen a different way. A monster who was prepared to cooperate with humans, who was prepared to bring other monsters along with their ideals. Coexistence was possible, she'd seen it with her own eyes. The very concept flew in the face of everything that she'd been taught. What everyone on the surface had been taught.

What did this mean? Who should she talk to? Who could she talk to? The people in the village were a little too enthusiastic to throw away the lessons of history and embrace a new way, not without good reason, but could they really trusted to see things clearly. Similarly the members of the Legion were too far slanted in their view. They were literally a monster exterminating army, unmatched in zeal and efficiency. Were they really the people to talk to about cooperating with a monster? Morrelia could imagine how it would go. The moment she spoke to Titus about what Anthony really was, they would drop all their plans, march south and exterminate every ant and human they found, pat themselves on the back and count it a job well done.

The thought of Enid cut down by her father's axe made her feel physically nauseous. It was pretty much inevitable that Isaac would die that way, but the others didn't deserve it.

"You look troubled, Morrelia. Care to share your thoughts?"

"Myrrin?"

"Hi there," the younger woman smiled and came to sit down on the stone Morrelia was resting on.

It had been a cornerstone for the White Lion, well known tavern in this corner of the city. Not much remained of it now. One crumbled wall and the smashed remains of the once gleaming oak bar. Shards of glass lay scattered across the ground, the final remnants of the bottles the innkeeper, Gregor, had one taken such pride in.

"Feels a little strange to be trying to give advice to my own Senior," Myrrin admitted.

Morrelia scoffed.

"I'm not your Senior. I'm someone who dropped out of training whereas you are a full Legionary. Under what definition could I possibly be considered Senior to you?"

Mirryn shrugged. It was hard to explain, especially to Morrelia's face, that she was so dominant and overbearing, so forceful in her personality, it was hard to think of her as anything but a superior.

outleveled me," Morrelia grimaced, "doing whatever it is you Legion types do in

have. The slaughter she'd taken part in during the wave had catapulted her levels and stats to

narrowed, as if detecting

a gate, I'd only heard

black leather armour creaked

about it. I'm just

were pretty tense when

a lot of things that

grieving,

make it

I'm told. Maybe you

should," Morrelia

looked up at the

village of yours. Runner came up an hour ago. They're going to send us through early. The commander has already issued the order to pack everything up and get back to marching. Alberton's furious. He wanted more time to comb through what was left

weeks to excavate anything out of there! Garralosh caved the

Mirryn giggled.

man is too stubborn when it comes to his precious books. I think we're going to

me from stubborn old men," Morrelia

least you'll come down and see us off, won't you? We've so much more to talk about,

Morrelia was reluctant to leave her father behind so soon, and it had been nice, catching up

to say the