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.

didn’t quite reach, the antennae certainly did. The recovering mother was lightly

glowed brightly as they imparted a quick burst of healing

up and began to make

has been cleaned up and checked. It will return

that she could see a genuine Dungeon monster skittering around with a

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

eye. Such a touching scene, one that she would never tire of. How long had it been since

you

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

was less than a year ago that

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

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

town council could take some credit for that, but even there, the influence of the Colony was felt. Traffic flowed so smoothly, it was

to approach and ask whatever questions were on their minds.

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

same building. She walked

days, and healing magic didn’t help at all. It wasn’t possible to heal ageing,

long, but she carefully pondered each word, which dragged out the time. As it turned out, she finished just before the meeting was due to

seal it, but decided against