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 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

release of breath he pushed 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

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 focused on his

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 running of a military force. This was the sort

crashed his fist down on the table as his

the door, his old comrade looked around the room

yell like that, something must be 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 expression. Though he always looked carved from granite, right now the commander appeared as if he was forged from Abyssal

name in a

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

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

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

Titus frowned.

doesn't mean I want to hear gossiping

when she was a young lass? Why would we?" the old tribune innocently spread

"Hmph," Titus snorted.

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

Titus didn't blink.

she say?"

the rest of us should leave off,"

"There it is."

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

that didn't mean he got to overrule Morrelia's choices. Or the

looking her straight in the eye, "you don't know what it

much is insane!

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