Chrysalis

“Congratulations,” Enid smiled down on the still recovering young woman.

“Thank you mayor,” Lilin replied, radiantly happy despite what she’d just been through.

“We’re very happy,” her husband Phillip said as he stared lovingly down at his wife.

“And how has the care you’ve received been?’

“Oh, just perfect,” Lilin said.

“We couldn’t be happier, mayor. Thank you,” Phillip said.

“That’s good. After the effort we put into building this place, I’m glad it’s all come together.”

[We told you it would be fine,] the on-rotation ant-medic said. [I still don’t understand why you doubted us in the first place. When is the Colony anything but first-rate?]

[I should have believed in you,] Enid admitted, [but even I wasn’t sure how well you would be able to run a maternity ward. You don’t know anything about human reproduction.]

[Bah,] the ant groused, [our queens give birth hundreds of times every day. You think we can’t heal someone who has given birth only once? Don’t be ridiculous. Now get out of the way, I need to check the patient.]

Healers, medics and doctors always managed to be rude and ill-tempered. Even the non-human ones! In some ways, Enid took comfort knowing that this fact of life was even more universal than she’d thought.

bustled forward, its head just barely high enough to see over the top of the bed Lilin rested in. Even if the eyes didn’t quite reach, the antennae certainly did. The recovering mother was lightly tapped and brushed by those curious feelers as

moments, the antennae glowed brightly as they imparted

the ant backed up and began to make her way

[the baby has been cleaned up and checked. It will return

nestled in the mandibles of another healer ant. For a moment, Enid was forced to confront just how bizarre it was that she could see

ant said cheerfully, and Enid could only assume it was a younger, less evolved healer. She hadn’t had time to absorb the proper grumpiness

leaned in to embrace them both, Enid brushed a tear from her eye. Such a touching scene, one

leave you to it.

they replied and she smiled at them once more before she exited

less than a year ago that they had fled the ruins of their homes, and already

facility, doing her best to stay out of everyone’s way. She stepped out into the streets of Renewal, and finding herself

sides, they were the sort of roads only the wealthiest lived on in Liria. This sort of mage-work was laborious, and expensive, which made it rare, at least, rare before the catastrophe. Every street in Renewal was formed this way, crafted by the carvers with exacting precision. Not only that, the

there, the influence of the Colony was felt. Traffic flowed so smoothly, it was rare to see someone waiting more than

whatever questions were on their minds. She welcomed it. Where not long ago these exchanges were a never ending series of disasters as

were thriving. Renewal had more

office situated in the same building. She walked behind her desk and sat with a weary sigh, her

these days, and healing magic didn’t help at all. It

compose a letter. It wasn’t overly long, but she carefully pondered each word, which dragged out the time. As it turned out, she finished just before the meeting was due

in an envelope and seal it, but decided against it. A waste of paper. Too