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.

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

release of breath 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

numerous papers scattered across his desk. Administrative work 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 enemy that rested on the flat surface before him. Once more focused on his task, Titus took hold of his pen,

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

his fist down on the

looked around the room as if expecting

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,

his name in a breach of protocol. "Is

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

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

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

Titus frowned.

mean

little Morrelia who we trained when she was a young lass? Why would we?"

"Hmph," Titus snorted.

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

Titus didn't blink.

did she say?"

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

"There it is."

This is your daughter we're talking about,

was concerned, but that didn't mean he got to overrule Morrelia's choices.

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

insane! She could

will support her choices. She understands the risks