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.

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 dearly wished his son had survived his initiation, so he could have seen both of his children rise to

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 awareness of how fleeting joy could be only made his current appreciation for his daughter

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

during the wave was a monumental task. 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

it!" Titus crashed his fist down on the table as his

looked around the room as if expecting

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

his name in a breach of

the moment demanded it. After a long moment where he took hold of his temper, Titus breathed out his tension once

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

hard in the Dungeon?" she grinned. "I

Titus frowned.

but that doesn't mean I want

Morrelia 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

Titus didn't blink.

did she say?" he

her decision and the rest

"There it is."

This is your daughter we're talking about, don't tell me that

was concerned, but that didn't mean he

never went 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,

is insane! She could

She understands