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.

Now 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 dearly wished his son had survived his initiation, so

to bear over

a wrench of will Titus dragged his mind away from Morrelia 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

after the members had been recalled from their postings 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

fist down on the

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

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

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

his wrath if the moment demanded it. After a long moment where he took hold of his temper, Titus

the matter. I'm just irritated and finding it difficult to concentrate," he admitted as he waved a hand towards the piles of

out working hard in the Dungeon?" she grinned. "I

Titus frowned.

mean I want to hear gossiping amongst the

who we trained when she was a young lass? Why would we?" the old tribune

"Hmph," Titus snorted.

concerns. "We've seen her stumbling into camp once every few days, covered in ichor and half dead on her feet.

Titus didn't blink.

she say?"

and the rest of

"There it is."

This is your daughter we're talking about,

concerned, but that didn't mean he

don't know what it takes to succeed at that level. If she worked any

insane! She

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