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.

his children. Now that he'd been reunited with 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

grown easier to bear

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

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 that the Legion drummed into their officers! It was also something

Titus crashed his fist down on the table

door, his old comrade looked around

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

she demanded, using his name in a breach of

of his Legion, she was prepared to face his wrath if the moment demanded it. After a long moment where he took hold of his temper, Titus breathed out his

I'm just irritated and finding it difficult to concentrate," he admitted as he waved a hand towards the piles of forms and applications in front of

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

Titus frowned.

that doesn't mean I want to hear gossiping amongst the

who we trained when she was a young lass?

"Hmph," Titus snorted.

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. She's doing

Titus didn't blink.

did she

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

"There it is."

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

but that didn't mean he got to overrule Morrelia's choices. Or the

her, looking her straight in the eye, "you don't know what it takes to succeed at that

is insane! She

her choices. She understands the risks and is