Chrysalis

"She did what?"

"She cut ties between the Legion and the Ka'armodo, completely."

Titus nodded with a satisfied expression on his face as he confirmed the news whereas Morrelia could only sigh and bury her face in her hands.

"Isn't that, a bit, extreme?" she pleaded with her father. "Isn't everyone worried about a second cataclysm? Isn't the Legion being pushed on multiple fronts because we are undermanned and undersupplied? This seems like a poor time to be turning our backs on allies…"

"I agree with you. We shouldn't be turning our backs on allies right now."

"Then you agree?"

"No. By creating a race of subservient monsters to wage war on their behalf, the Ka'armodo have shown themselves to be no allies of the Legion. Your mother has only made formal the arrangements their attitudes deserve. Now our Legionaries will not have to fight and die to protect those who would stab us in the back."

His arms folded across his chest, Titus was an imposing figure. A stern expression was carved into his features, as usual, and the steely glint of absolute confidence could be found in his eyes. Seeing it, Morrelia began to doubt her objections until her head began to swim. She brought both hands up and scratched her head furiously.

She didn't like dealing with the politics and the wider implications of what the Legion did, but lately she had forced herself onto the path of leadership and so she'd done her best to pick up everything she could. Even so, decisions like this made her knees weak. The repercussions of what her mother had done would resound throughout all of Pangera for decades, possibly centuries!

Titus chuckled and clapped his daughter on the shoulder. Not that long ago she would have been rocked to the side when he did that, now she withstood his hand with ease. Her levels were accumulating rapidly, the training was working.

"Don't think on it too hard, I guarantee your mother didn't. Her role as Consul is to faithfully follow the founding principles of the Legion, not to engage in petty politicking. We aren't sophisticated enough for that. We don't compromise, we don't bargain, that's it."

"Don't we have deals with demons in the third stratum to operate in their territory? Pretty big compromise if you ask me," his daughter pointed out.

"True," Titus agreed, "we did try to eliminate demons completely but gave up after five hundred years. The final decision was that the effort was totally fruitless, killing them only makes them spawn faster. Trying to block or disperse the spawn points doesn't work, since they spawn everywhere. In fact, by focusing so many resources on a single front, the Dungeon quickly became hazardous in other areas. A further three hundred years of campaigning were required to settle things down again."

"Dad, enough history, please. I know about the five hundred year war."

"Then you know why we compromised with the demons," Titus raised a brow as he looked down on his daughter.

'Dad'. He would never admit it, but

you here anyway? I thought you were campaigning with your new Legion.

asked to be deployed back to the second along with four full Legions to run a proper extermination but was denied. Again. We did a snap tour of the

shifted his

been put on the back burner for the time being. We have so many fires to put out that a group of monsters who are actively

eventually

in fact helping people, then why stamp them out at

her father for any sign he had relented on

has been done before, even as far back as the Rending. No matter how hard you try, no matter what restrictions you place on them, eventually the monsters go wild. Every time, no exceptions. Even worse, the Ancients had the ability to dominate monsters that came anywhere near them. The servants that had been so carefully reared turned around and decimated the fools who had

Morrelia blinked.

that,"

You

shattering secrets you want to drop on

smiled, "but now isn't the time. I didn't come here for that. You'll learn all of it

her father and sat on her cot in the

why have you come now? I'm sure you have a ton of things that need doing. Is there something particular happening now, or

said as a joke, but true

remember?" he

but rather slightly amused, which only

what?" she asked

The room rumbled slightly.

door

should be it

The walls shook.

as she rose back

the snap of

the old