Chrysalis

The shadow falls like clouds, like rain;

Creeping dread begins to stain;

Shudder the heart, freeze the brain;

Ring out the laughter, again and again;

Call of you lover, daughter, son;

Sinks into your ears, your will undone;

Forward you step, your soul is wrung;

Cannot resist, Gon has come;

Who can defy that fateful call?

Who can escape the shadows pall?

Forward you go, heedless to stall;

Into the depths to meet the fall;

Lament the brave and pity the meek;

None can flee the song of the freak;

• Rinnidan children's rhyme.

had long been dead was once again full of life. Not that anyone could tell looking at his face, of course, to the world at large he appeared as stone faced and duty bound as ever. Ever since Morrelia had been selected for accelerated development his pride had almost been ready to burst out of his chest. It would seem odd to most people, but watching her earnestly work herself to the bone in order to achieve her ambitions had filled him with powerful emotions. He had dearly wished his son had survived his initiation, so he could have seen both of his children

rose within him as his thoughts dwelt on what had been lost. It had grown easier to bear over the years, but only a little. His acute awareness of how

Morrelia and back to the numerous papers scattered across his desk. Administrative work was the backbone of the Legion, and though he would rather charge into a horde of demons without armour on, the commander would do his duty and defeat the enemy that rested on the flat surface before him. Once more focused

Legion after the members had been recalled from their postings during the wave was a monumental task. Thousands of soldiers and thousands more auxiliaries needed to be accounted for, equipped, fed, billeted and kept happy. Promotions, training, Skill development, Class upgrades, managing morale, all of it demanded

on the table as

wrong, commander?" Aurillia burst through the door, his old comrade looked around

and superior, she froze when she saw the hard lines of his expression. Though he always looked carved from granite, right now

demanded, using his name in a breach of protocol. "Is something

wrath if the moment demanded it. After a long moment where he took hold of his temper, Titus breathed out his tension once more,

admitted as he waved a hand towards the piles of forms and

about your daughter out working hard in the Dungeon?" she grinned. "I know

Titus frowned.

that doesn't mean I

was a young lass? Why would we?" the old tribune innocently spread

"Hmph," Titus snorted.

have to admit to you Titus, a few of us are concerned about the pace she is setting. Overwork is a real issue and she is clearly pushing up against the boundary," Aurillia grew serious as she laid out her concerns. "We've seen her stumbling into camp once every few days, covered in ichor and half dead on her feet. She spends so much time in the field they are rotating three squads

Titus didn't blink.

did she say?"

and the rest of us

"There it is."

your daughter we're

but that didn't mean he got to overrule

the eye, "you don't know what it takes to succeed at that level. If she worked any less, she wouldn't

insane!

hard as steel. "I will support her choices. She understands the risks and is willing to