Graft Blossom of Remorse

BLOOM & GLOOM
CHAPTER TWO: Nomad and dog arrive on Antheia, a garden world that has long prospered with its plentiful blossoms and fruits. Upon entering the royal citadel, it is clear that everything is in a state of disarray. Nomad is told that the Empress’s husband had recently passed away from illness, and the Princess, unprepared for the death, was particularly distraught. She made a hasty deal with a witch, who promised her twice her normal lifespan, in exchange for pardon from her previous malfeasance. Nomad and dog enter the quarters to see the Princess trapped in a magic sphere where she exists at half the speed of the world around her. Moving in slow-motion, she cries out in a low voice to her mother. The Empress, wiping away tears, asks Nomad and dog if they would help her daughter.