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

moments, the antennae glowed brightly as they imparted a quick burst of

backed up and began

has been cleaned up and checked. It will return to this

to confront just how bizarre it was that she could see a

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

them both, Enid brushed a tear from her eye. Such a touching scene,

will leave you

replied and she smiled at them once more before

would have their own hospital? It was less than a year ago that they had fled the ruins of their homes, and already they

one hand to pat at the expertly cut stone walls before she exited the facility, doing her best to stay out of everyone’s way. She stepped out into the streets of Renewal,

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

the influence of the Colony was felt. Traffic flowed so smoothly, it was rare to

her destination, the citizens pleased to see her and unafraid to approach and ask whatever questions were on their minds. She welcomed it. Where not long ago these exchanges were a never ending series of disasters as too few resources were divided amongst too many people, now

people were thriving. Renewal had more than

building. She walked behind her desk and sat with a weary sigh, her

and healing magic didn’t help at all. It wasn’t possible

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

but decided against it. A waste of