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.

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

he pushed out the grief that 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

though he would rather charge into a horde of demons without armour

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

it!" Titus crashed his fist down on the

the door, his old comrade looked around the room as if expecting to see a lurking

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 from granite, right now the commander appeared as if he was forged from Abyssal Iron! Knowing him for as long as she had, Aurillia

name in a breach of protocol. "Is something

it. After a long moment where he took hold of his temper, Titus breathed out his tension once more, his expression softening imperceptibly

irritated and finding it difficult to concentrate," he admitted as he waved a hand towards

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

Titus frowned.

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

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

"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

Titus didn't blink.

did she

decision and the rest of us

"There it is."

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

concerned, but that didn't mean he got

straight in the eye, "you don't know what

is insane! She

her choices. She understands the risks and is willing to shoulder them.