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.

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

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

was the backbone of the Legion, and though he would rather charge into a horde of demons without armour on,

Class upgrades, managing morale, all of it demanded the careful attention of the commander in charge and Titus knew just how important each of these were to the successful running of a military force. This was the sort of

on the table as his thoughts

looked around the room as if expecting to see a lurking

her old friend and superior, she froze when she saw the hard lines of his expression. Though he

using his name in

his wrath if the moment demanded it. After a long moment where he took hold of his

admitted as he waved a hand towards the

your daughter out working hard in the Dungeon?" she

Titus frowned.

I'm proud, but that doesn't mean I want to

when she was a young lass? Why would we?" the old

"Hmph," Titus snorted.

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 to accompany her.

Titus didn't blink.

she say?" he

and the rest of us should leave off," the

"There it is."

serious, Titus! This is your daughter we're talking about, don't tell me that

but that didn't mean he got to

advanced officer’s training Aurillia," he told her, looking her straight in the eye, "you don't know what it takes to succeed at that level. If she worked any less, she wouldn't have

much is insane! She

hard as steel. "I will support her choices. She understands the risks and is willing to shoulder them. I will hear no more of this