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.

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

glowed brightly as they imparted a quick burst of healing mana to the

backed up and began

up and checked. It

was that she could see a genuine Dungeon monster skittering around with a newborn in its grip and feel absolutely no

it was a younger, less evolved healer. She hadn’t had time to absorb the proper grumpiness expected of the

them both, Enid brushed a tear from her eye. Such a touching scene, one that she would never tire of. How long had it been since

you to it. Congratulations

and she smiled at them once more before

that they had fled the ruins of their homes, and already they

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

and expensive, which made it rare, at least, rare before

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

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

fact, the people were thriving. Renewal had more

way 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 as she took the weight of

kneaded her hands for a few minutes. They were so stiff these days, and healing magic didn’t

long, but she carefully pondered each word, which dragged out the time. As

to place it in an envelope and seal it, but decided against it. A waste of paper. Too inefficient, as the Colony would