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.

his daughter would never return to 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

lost. It had grown easier to bear over the years, but only a little.

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

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

Titus crashed his fist down on the table as his thoughts strayed

his old comrade looked around the room as if expecting

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 Iron! Knowing

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

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

he admitted as he waved a hand towards

out working hard in the Dungeon?"

Titus frowned.

proud, but that doesn't mean I want to hear gossiping amongst

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

"Hmph," Titus snorted.

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 times the work of a normal legionary!

Titus didn't blink.

she

was her decision and the rest of us should leave off," the tribune

"There it is."

be serious, Titus! This is your daughter we're talking

was concerned, but that didn't mean he got

straight in the eye, "you don't know what it takes to succeed at that level. If she worked any less,

much is insane! She

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