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.

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 pride had almost been ready to burst out

grown easier to bear over the years, but only a little. His acute awareness of how fleeting joy could be only made his current appreciation for his daughter all

demons without armour on, the

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 that the Legion drummed into their officers!

fist down on the table as

through the door, his old comrade looked around the room as

old friend and superior, she froze when she saw the hard

in a breach of protocol. "Is something bothering

After a long moment where he took hold of his temper, Titus

just irritated and finding it difficult to concentrate," he admitted as he waved

about your daughter out working hard in the Dungeon?" she grinned. "I know how proud you

Titus frowned.

but that doesn't mean I want to

who we trained when she was a young lass? Why

"Hmph," Titus snorted.

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 three times the work of

Titus didn't blink.

did she say?"

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

"There it is."

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

concerned, but that didn't mean he got to

the eye, "you don't know what it takes to succeed at that level. If she

much is insane! She could

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