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.

reach, the antennae certainly did. The recovering mother was lightly tapped and brushed by

the antennae glowed brightly as they imparted

began to make her way out of

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

moment, Enid was forced to confront just how bizarre it was 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.

and Enid could only assume it was a younger,

a tear from her eye. Such a touching scene, one that she would never tire of.

will leave you

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

that they had fled the ruins of their

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

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

even there, the influence of the Colony was felt. Traffic flowed so

on their minds. She welcomed it. Where not long ago these exchanges were a never

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

back 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 creaking

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

grabbed 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 out, she finished just before the meeting was

the time to place it in an envelope and seal it, but decided against it.