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.

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 Lilin’s eyes took on that slightly glazed expression

few moments, the antennae glowed brightly as they

ant backed up and began to make her way out of the

up and checked. It will return

mandibles of another healer ant. For a moment, Enid was forced to confront just how bizarre it was that she could see a genuine Dungeon monster skittering around with a

is,] 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 proper grumpiness expected of

Enid brushed a tear from her eye. Such a touching scene, one that she would never tire of. How long had it been since she saw her own children? Too long. Goodness knows

will leave you to it. Congratulations

you, mayor,” they replied and she smiled at them once more

a year ago that they had fled the ruins of their homes, and already they thrived as they never

raised 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

the wealthiest lived on in Liria. This sort of mage-work was laborious, and expensive, which made it rare, at least, rare before

some credit for that, but even there, the influence of the Colony was felt. Traffic flowed

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

were thriving.

walked behind her desk and sat with a weary sigh, her old bones creaking

They were so stiff these days, and healing magic didn’t help at all. It wasn’t

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

envelope and seal it, but decided against it. A waste of paper. Too inefficient, as