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 of both his children. 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 he could have seen both of his children rise to the

to bear over the years, but only a little. His acute awareness

he would rather charge into a horde of demons without armour on,

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 just how important each of these were to the successful

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

burst through the door, his old comrade looked around the room 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

in

moment where he took hold of his temper, Titus breathed out his tension once

as he waved a hand towards the piles of forms and applications in front

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

Titus frowned.

proud, but that doesn't mean

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

"Hmph," Titus snorted.

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 and half dead on her feet. She spends so much time in

Titus didn't blink.

she say?"

the rest of

"There it is."

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

was concerned, but that didn't mean he

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 chance of making it

insane!

support her choices. She understands