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.

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 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

lost. It had grown easier to

and back to 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

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

his fist down on the table as

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

didn't lose 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 from granite, right now the commander appeared as if he was forged from Abyssal Iron! Knowing him for as long as she had, Aurillia

she demanded, using his name in a breach of

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

as he waved a hand towards

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

Titus frowned.

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

trained when she was a young

"Hmph," Titus snorted.

her concerns. "We've seen her stumbling into camp once every

Titus didn't blink.

did she say?" he

was her decision and the rest of us should leave

"There it is."

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

concerned, but that didn't mean he

through the advanced officer’s training Aurillia," he told her, looking her straight in the 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 could

hard as steel. "I will support her choices. She understands the risks and is willing to shoulder them. I will hear no more of