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.

Morrelia and she had integrated into the Legionem Abyssi a part of him that 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

had been lost. It had grown easier to bear over the years, but only a little. His acute awareness of how

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 on his

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 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 discipline

fist down on the

burst through the door, his old comrade looked around the room as if expecting to see

something must be seriously wrong! As she glanced back to the face of her old friend and superior, she froze when she saw the hard lines of his expression. Though he always looked carved from granite, right now the commander appeared as if he was forged from Abyssal Iron! Knowing him for as long as she had, Aurillia could tell he was

his name in a breach

long moment

he admitted as he waved a hand

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

Titus frowned.

mean I

About little Morrelia who we trained when she was a young lass? Why would we?" the old tribune innocently

"Hmph," Titus snorted.

against the boundary," Aurillia grew serious as she laid out her concerns. "We've seen her stumbling into

Titus didn't blink.

she

rest of us should leave

"There it is."

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

that didn't mean he got

went through the 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,

is insane! She could

Titus stated, his tone hard as steel. "I will support her choices. She understands the risks and is willing to shoulder them. I will