[Cards] Life's Flower Restorative (Patreon)

Life's Flower Restorative
Lin awoke gently. She was sore, and the last thing she remembered was falling, the airship above her shrinking to a miniscule point in the swirling clouds. She'd known she could do nothing, known she was going to die. Then the cold embrace of water struck at extreme speed, and—

She tried to push herself up as she reached a hand to wipe the haze from her eyes, before she stopped short. There, where the familiar old war scars and weathered skin should be was beautiful, polished wood in the form of a smooth, perfect hand. She experimentally tried to move her hand, and the limb mimicked her intention; it was hers, the small flowers growing on its surface somehow feeling as much a part of her as her remaining arm.

Taking in this discovery, she was shocked when someone tapped her gently on the shoulder. Soldier's instincts firing, she spun around to face the unknown person and was met with the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen.

Lin tried to ask...anything really, but the dryad before her pressed a finger to the fighter's lips and laughed, softly, before gently handing her a small stone bowl of clean, clear water.

She could feel tears welling in her eyes, nobody had shown her kindness for years; she'd always projected an air of confidence and unapproachability, but here, at her most vulnerable....

Lin always told herself she was just resting until she had regained her strength, but even as the flowers on her verdant arm grew ever more vibrant she never had the heart to go.

Now, years later, she cannot imagine life without the flowers, the forest, or her love.