Chrysalis

The heat was pervasive, radiating out from the rock around her, from the open pits of flame that guttered and belched smoke in the distance and from her own suit. With a grunt of effort, Morrelia brought her twin blades forward, driving them straight into the chest of the frothing demon in front of her before she stepped back, smoothly withdrawing the glimmering steel as she did so.

With a flick of her wrists, she sent the bubbling ichor of the monster hissing onto the ground where it boiled away, the stench of it rising as a vapour and clogging within her helmet. She growled. Just what she needed. Teeth bared in a rictus snarl, she seized hold of that anger, that rage, and drew it out of her belly, through her chest and into her arms. It hurt. A wrenching pain that pulled at her very bones, fuelling the rage and driving it to greater heights as she continued to channel it.

Up and into the arms, into her hands, then with a final shove into her blades. The two swords flared with violent red light as her anger took root in them, resonating with the metal and magnifying her anger until the rage was all she could feel, all she could see.

She didn't know how much longer it was until she came to with a start, a large, armoured hand resting on her shoulder as she stood breathing heavily surrounded by slain demons.

"You need to be more careful," came her father's voice from behind her, "it's a dangerous Skill to use without the proper precautions in place."

She nodded silently as she braced herself. It hit a moment later, the overwhelming lethargy that came with the loss of her berserker rage. Her hands began to shake and her limbs felt completely numb. It was all she could do to sheath her weapons, needing three attempts to line the first sword with her scabbard. Knowing how she felt, her father didn't say anything else, merely led her back through the lines and into camp where she lay down on the first cot she found, not even bothering to take her armour off.

Titus just chuckled as he looked down at her and she weakly flipped a hand at him in protest.

"I was just thinking of your mother," he clarified, "she was often left in this state when she channelled the rage."

He turned and sat down on a bench nearby, he own abyssal armour ringing like a softly struck bell as the plates shifted against each other. She couldn't help but frown. When was she going to get a set like that? Her own armour was excellent, of course, but her father's was the real deal, forged hundreds of years ago from the best materials the Legion had. It weighed a ton, but she was starting to feel as though she might have the strength for it. If she didn't, she soon would, given the rate her level was climbing.

The commander watched his daughter recover for a few minutes, sitting silent and simply being present. When he judged enough time had passed, he unclipped the canteen from his belt and gave it to her, nodding when she sat up to drink.

"You're recovery time is getting faster. You've levelled it up already?"

Morrelia drank greedily, pouring the lukewarm water through her faceplate, uncaring of the state of the metal.

"Take your helmet off," Titus growled, "you're just being lazy now."

at him, and Titus couldn't help but laugh. She did listen to him, dragging the runic steel from her head and letting to drop the ground, revealing her dirt-streaked face and short cut midnight hair. Free of restrictions, she brought up the canteen again and

was a quiet moment, or at least as quiet as it could be when surrounded by a perpetual warzone, and Morrelia decided to say something that had been on her heart ever since they had come to the third

she said, barely tripping over the word as she had in the past, "have you been sent here as punishment? For

certainly seemed that way to her. Titus had returned to the Iron Mountain with his Legion just as the wave was getting underway. After reporting to the brass, his troops had been whisked into someone else's command and the decorated soldier had been unceremoniously sent into the third stratum with a small detachment of troops, Morrelia included, to guard an unimportant outpost, fighting

a brief silence, she raised her head to find her father looking

"What?" she demanded.

just shook

got here and only now you come out and tell me?" he chuckled again, and she marked not for the first time how much freer he'd been with his emotions since they had returned. "No, I'm not being punished. Why would I be punished? I did what I could,

you stripped of

where they were desperately needed. I'll have my Legion back when the

she demanded, waving a hand at the desolate nothing around them, "why have

side of

already worked it out. I'd actually thought that was why you were

Morrelia frowned.

are you talking

a wry

done babying you just yet. I was a little surprised when the orders came down, but it is

as the anger kindled in her belly

she sent us, and these other

"She did," he confirmed.

he saw the rage starting to burn in her

too wound up, be a little patient and I'll tell you a few things

her ire down and listened to what her father

like much, but if the monsters swarm

that this place be defended? Of course, what her father said made sense, but that didn't justify sending someone of his strength and experience to