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.

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.

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

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

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

fist down on the table as his thoughts strayed once

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

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

using his name in a breach of protocol. "Is something

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 tension once more,

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

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

Titus frowned.

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

we trained when she was a young lass? Why would

"Hmph," Titus snorted.

"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

Titus didn't blink.

she

her decision and the rest of us

"There it is."

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

that didn't mean he got to overrule Morrelia's

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,

insane! She

steel. "I will support her choices. She understands the risks and is willing to shoulder them.