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.

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

what had been lost. It had grown easier to bear over the years, but only a little. His acute awareness of how fleeting

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 commander would do

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

it!" Titus crashed his fist down on the table

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

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

demanded, using his name in a breach of

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

as he waved a hand towards the piles of forms and

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

Titus frowned.

mean I want to hear gossiping amongst

Morrelia who we trained when she was a young lass? Why would

"Hmph," Titus snorted.

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 the field they are rotating three squads to accompany her. She's doing three

Titus didn't blink.

she

decision and the rest of us should

"There it is."

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

mean he got to

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

much is insane! She

her decision," Titus stated, his tone hard as steel. "I will support her choices. She understands the risks