Chrysalis

Breathe.

In. Hold. Release. Hold.

Breathe.

In. Hold. Release. Hold.

Slowly. Patience was required. The sharpest blade couldn't be forged in a day. The metal had to be unearthed, refined, smelted, shaped, heated and cooled over and over again until the final temper had been achieved. The perfect weapon was the work of a lifetime.

And so was Orrina.

She was the Legion's weapon, its sharpest and most perfect. She had been forged over many years, placed in the fire, moulded, quenched, then thrown back into the heat once more.

Breathe.

In. Hold. Release. Hold.

As she repeated the mantra and controlled the air that flowed into her body, so too did she influence the mana around her. It pulsed, rising and falling along with her lungs. Vast quantities rushed into her body, were contained, and then released. Each time she drew it in, the energy within her grew that little bit more rich, more vibrant. It wouldn't be long now.

Breathe.

In. Hold. Release. Hold.

more pieces of her heart and mind were released into the dark, where they could not reach her. All that would remain was the pure core: her instincts, her training, and her unending warrior spirit. She honed

that rolled off her in dense waves felt as if it would cut the air. None dared

A final time.

Breathe.

In. Hold. Release. Hold.

mana roared through her body now in a violent torrent. A storm of energy that begged for release. Her mind had been reduced to the point of a blade, nothing remained to cloud her judgement.

she opened her

construct of complexity and engineering so profound it was nothing short of a miracle. A fitting partner for her. She was the greatest the Legion could produce,

her mind, she knew her peers were engaged in the same ritual as she. Those thoughts were ignored, allowed to drift away without touching her singular focus. With measured steps, she moved towards her armour, her balance effortlessly perfect. A ladder had been

at. A shimmering pool of intense light, so

Liquid mana.

One last time. Breathe.

In. Hold. Release. Hold.

side of the opening and smoothly lowered herself in, plunging herself into the liquid in

Agony.

seeping into her body and threatening to rip her apart. But it didn't happen. The vast rivers of magic that flowed through her came into contact with this new power source and found a delicate equilibrium. If she were any less saturated

submerged as she was, Orrina found the straps that bound her in place, tying them off expertly before she reached up to pull the opening shut above her, sealing herself

hummed

matrix, she could feel herself meld with the metal, her unique skills, possessed only by the chosen few within the Legion, coming alive. The pain continued, but she didn't feel it;

as if they weren't even there. Her body

her face as she reached out to her right, the gauntlet closing around the hilt of her beloved sword. Blade in hand, she strode forward, perfectly balanced, as each step was announced with

same sound came from her left and right as her fellows emerged from their pens, ready to fight. This was a rare occasion, one that hadn't happened in her entire career. Ten of them had been called up for this action. There was no chance of