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.

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

pushed out the grief that rose within him as his thoughts dwelt on what had been lost. It had grown easier to

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 task, Titus took hold of his pen, dipped it in the

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

down on

looked around the room as if expecting to

his temper. He just didn't! For him to yell like that, 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

she demanded, using his name in a breach

Legion, she was prepared to face his wrath if the moment demanded it. After a long moment where he

difficult to concentrate," he admitted as he waved a hand towards the

the Dungeon?" she grinned. "I know how

Titus frowned.

that doesn't mean I want to hear gossiping amongst

trained when she was a young

"Hmph," Titus snorted.

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

Titus didn't blink.

did she say?"

and the rest of us should leave off," the tribune

"There it is."

is your daughter we're talking about, don't

didn't mean he got to overrule

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

much is insane! She

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