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.

the Legion, that the untimely death of his son had robbed 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

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

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 his duty and defeat the enemy that rested on the flat surface before him. Once more

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

on the table as his thoughts strayed once

Aurillia burst through the door, his old comrade looked around the room as if

must be seriously wrong! As she glanced back to the face of her old friend and superior, she froze when she saw the hard

she demanded, using his name in a breach of protocol.

officers of his Legion, she was prepared to face his wrath if the moment demanded it. After a long moment where he took hold of

it difficult to concentrate," he admitted as he waved a hand towards the piles of forms and applications in front

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

Titus frowned.

doesn't mean I

young lass? Why would we?" the old tribune innocently spread

"Hmph," Titus snorted.

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

Titus didn't blink.

did she say?"

was her decision and the rest of us should leave

"There it is."

This is your daughter we're talking about,

he got to overrule

looking her straight in the eye, "you don't know what it takes to succeed at that

insane!

She understands the risks and is willing to shoulder them. I