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.

certainly did. The recovering mother was lightly tapped and brushed by those curious feelers as Lilin’s eyes took on that slightly glazed expression of a person

moments, the antennae glowed brightly as they imparted

up and began to make her way out of

[the baby has been cleaned up

that she could see a genuine Dungeon monster skittering around with a newborn in its grip and feel absolutely no fear for the child. How strange.

a younger,

from her eye. Such a touching scene, one

you to it. Congratulations

and she smiled at them once more

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

best to stay out of everyone’s way. She stepped out into the streets of Renewal, and finding herself in a reflective mood, began to appreciate just how well built

stone, with deep drainage ditches along both 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 layout of the town itself

could take some credit for that, but even there, the influence of the Colony was felt. Traffic flowed so smoothly, it was rare to see someone waiting more than a few seconds at

way 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

comfortable. In fact, the people were thriving. Renewal had more than

to the council chambers in time, her own office situated in the same building. She walked behind her desk and sat with a weary sigh, her old bones

kneaded her hands for a few minutes. They were so stiff these days, and healing magic didn’t help at all. It wasn’t possible to heal ageing, after

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

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