Chrysalis

Chapter 674

Titus watched the battle unfold from the rear ranks of the Legion column, his experienced eye catching numerous flaws in execution that any outside observer would fail to notice. He couldn't prevent the slight twitch of his eye at the sight. They can't help it, he reminded himself, his Legion was still green, not used to working together and lacking proper drill experience. The auxiliaries were even worse, though it was more common for the shock troops to show such a lack. Former prisoners slated for death, they hadn't come from the best stock, even so the Legion had turned them into viable soldiers, given them a family, a purpose and the dignity they had lacked most of their lives.

"Don't pull that face, commander, I can see it too. Don't you worry, I'll give them a proper tongue lashing when they get back."

Titus turned to his side where the commanding officer of the auxiliary detachment stood, doing much the same thing he himself was, looking over the field of battle, seeking flaws in both sides of the conflict.

"Your unit is relatively fresh into the field?" he enquired.

Waving a gnarled claw, the former human turned to one side and pulled a towel from beneath his robes, which he then used to wipe the slobber from his distended jaws.

"Pardon, commander. I figured you wouldn't want a shower as well as a conversation!"

A wheezing chuckle emerged from the auxiliary which threatened to do just that as a spray of sizzling drool launched from the back of his throat. Titus glanced down and saw that little was left of the towel, most of the fabric already being melted away.

"Cloud salamander?" the commander asked.

from a bile monster or some such. Terrible

cough which passed for a laugh,

with hardly a 'how do you do' and we need to whip them into shape faster than you can blink. It's not easy, but I

nodded. If what he was saying was true, then the many tactical lapses he saw were understandable,

for us once we get in the field," the auxiliary commander went on, gesturing at his own facial appendages, "communication isn't our strong point at the best of times. If I

Wheeze. Cough. Spray.

will have cooled by then. Once the monster gets into you, the urge to

is

shrugged his

like I was doing anything worthwhile before I enlisted. No need

Titus nodded.

the briefing. I can see many moving to engage the abomination in direct combat. I believe they

Wheeze. Cough. Spray.

big bad monster out there, they want to show that they're bigger and badder, you know? It's something that happens, I've seen it a lot over

unleashed a brutal chomp, crunching the opponent in front of him into a mangled mess in an

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