“Day! You’re back!”

“Yes! Yes! I’m back! I just need some more things for the baby.” Day stumbled into the nursery area where babies were kept while mothers tended to other things. Usually, orphans were taken care of here, too, until someone decided to claim them as a child. If not for his unusual situation, Seren would be in the nursery with its bright lights, colorful walls, and gentle caregivers.

Day hadn’t grown up here, in this nursery, but she was adopted by an elderly golem who had died before they moved into their newest base. Now, she spent her time trying to help out where she could. Sometimes in the kitchen, sometimes at the nursery, and sometimes with the other children who were too young to work and too old for bottles and naps.

She knew that some of the other older women tended to avoid her. And she knew it was because she was clumsy. It was difficult with two horns to balance, and the fact that her eye was missing didn’t help her at all. Unknown to most people, one of her feet was more hoof-like that foot-like, which made it difficult to balance sometimes. She kept it hidden with her shoe.

Day carried a bag with her. It held some of her personal things, but she also used it to carry around toys, small trinkets for other children, and nonperishable snacks she took from the kitchen. She slept in the women’s area, with the other family-less women.

She was gathering up some nappies and rags when she felt a tug on the hem of her pants.

Smiling, she bent down, looking at the toddler dragon.

“It’s nice to see you again, Trisha! You’re walking everywhere now!” Trisha grinned at her widely, mouth just a little too small to hold all of her sharp teeth.

Day picked her up, hugging her tightly.

“It’s so great! So great, Trisha!”

“Did you hear that we are moving soon, Day?” asked Mrs. Havoc. She was a dragon, too, and married to the community doctor. A bit elderly, she had been working in the kitchens, but found more pleasure in holding the young ones. Day turned her body towards her so that she could see her with her eye.

“Yeah. I heard something about that. Do you know where? When it is? Can I ask Ryuu if I can go see it?”

“Hmm. They want to move quickly. Because of the attack on Mark,” Mrs. Havoc replied. She turned her head away to avoid coughing up smoke in Day and Trisha’s faces.

“Oh. Like this week?”

“My husband told me two days.”

“Oh, oh! That’s so soon. Two days? For everyone?”

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“Well,” Mrs. Havoc hesitated, “Some of the scouts are moving the farms today. They want to make sure those get to a safe position. Later in the night, I heard. It’s best, you know, unicorns don’t tend to raid at night unless they are desperate.”

Day swallowed some warm spit.

“Oh-oh okay. I’ll help move the babies then, when everyone else is moving.”

Mrs. Havoc smiled, “Thank you, dear. The children love you.” Day smiled at her.

“I love them, too.” Mrs. Havoc looked sad for a moment.

“Well. I have to go back,” Day continued, “I am helping with Seren!”

“Ah, yes, the phoenix baby. I saw him for a while before they took him back to…to the unicorn,” Mrs. Havoc replied, taking Trisha from Day’s arms.

“He is really cute! Ryuu told me to help out with him right now. It was…a little scary at first, but…I think I’ll be okay. Armel is there.” Mrs. Havoc nodded.

“Okay, be careful.”

Day left the nursery, winding her way through the tunnels to get to the prison area. It really was quite far.

The tube-like tunnels were lined with either metal or brick. Water dribbled in a small stream through the whole system. There were a few off shoots that led to the outside, but before moving in, the scouting team had blocked off a lot of the tunnels to prevent discovery.

The sleeping quarters were close to the kitchens and dining room. Family units were mostly divided into different rooms throughout the base, whatever wasn’t taken, really. Some people like Ryuu and Armel had their own rooms. The rest slept in gender divided sleeping quarters.

Apart from those rooms, there was space for the hydroponic farms, an engineering space, a weapons arsenal, and a space for a market. Day was particularly excited about the hydroponic farms. Before, food was brought in from the fairy enclaves, but it was very dry, old, and tasteless. Now, they could grow grass and other things! It tasted so fresh.

The market was less an actual market and more of a place to meet. People did trade things there, but others gave away what they did not need or want. Sometimes, on her day outside above ground, Day would find something to take back with her to show to the others. Sometimes she kept it, and other times she gave it away. Stealing was not an issue. If someone stole something, everyone knew. Everyone knew what everyone else did. And if you stole, you ended up outside of the base.

Day shivered.

She was glad she decided not to go out to Mark when Ryuu asked if she wanted to join them.

It would have been exciting, but Day would have missed the children.

And she would have died.

“Hey, Day!” Unter greeted her, holding up a hand as she entered.

“Hi, Unter! How are you?”

“Oh, you know, here and there and everywhere. Polly sent me here to help out you and Armel.”

“That’s great! Did you see the baby?”

“Yes, he’s pretty bright looking!”

Day squealed a bit, “Yes! Look, I brought some more diapers, a small bin, some food, and there’s some more soft blankets for him and baby clothes. As best as will fit. I also brought something for…um….for…Heartless.”

She pulled out a container holding a bit of salve. If Armel was in bad shape, Heartless definitely looked worse for wear. Doc Havoc had plenty of salve, but it didn’t smell like anything. This salve that she found one day smelled nice, like the sun and plants. Like flowers found in the cracks between the concrete.

“I’ll go with you over to her,” Unter said, standing up. A light shower of dust puffed into the air.

“Oh, well, okay. Just be quiet. The baby sounds like he’s still sleeping.”

They moved as quietly as they could down the hall to her room. It was not that quiet at all, but Day peeked around the edge of the door frame and had to pause for a moment.

Heartless was passed out, sleeping soundly, free arm wrapped around the baby who was tucked in close to her side.