HOME | DD

Description

His name was Ulmus
  In a place of serenity, a large oak creature stood watching over his forest. Ulmus had been in this forest for as long as he could remember. He recalled every season and every living creature who came and went like he was flipping through a picture book of life and death in his mind. New people took their ancestor's places, and new trees and shrubs blossomed in the soil of ancient groves. The fauna lived alongside this large tree and thrived under his careful direction, giving him gifts and praise for all of the happiness he had brought them. He truly was at peace in this mystical forest he called home.
  But the grove wasn’t always so peaceful. Man always had an affinity to tarnish the wellbeing of his forest, scrounging for resources and material. Thus, the grove became protected by the magic of his people. But sometimes, magic wasn’t enough to defend his forest from the fire and steel that the humans threw upon them, and the forest would lose the beauty and serenity it once had. It was because of these recurring events that Ulmus became hostile toward human invaders, or any human that entered his forest. He thought that any human who entered was going to destroy the livelihoods of his people, which he swore to protect, so he made sure that he would chase out any human that entered.
  Therefore, he never liked humans entering his forest. He lost all respect toward them when they ruined his forest in order to gather resources in his forest. Although he lost his respect, his hope was revived.
  ...Revived, by the simple, kind act of a human girl.
Her name was Rosaline
  Rosaline lived a very comfortable life at six years old. Her family lived in a city full of wealth and prosperity, and residents rarely suffered from food shortages or housing problems. In those rare instances where that was the case, however, her father would graciously take in whomever was needing care or shelter. So from a young age, she quickly became exposed to kindness and the act of giving without expecting anything in return.
  One day, she wondered what lay outside of the great city. The curiosity nagged at her very being; a certain adventurous energy washed over her, like an ocean whose seas were calling her to sail on its waves. She couldn’t resist the temptation any longer, and on a cool spring morning she left her city to fulfill her curiosity.
  Her travels brought her to a beautiful forest with lush green trees and sparkling rivers. She took in the sweet scents of flowers that were just starting to bloom, and the crisp morning air which tickled her nose. She traveled through light brush and found the dew was sticking to her clothes and shoes. Brushing her hand across the tall shrubs, the dew went flying through the air, sparkling elegantly as the sun’s light hit the droplets. Then she came across a small opening in the forest not far from where she entered. This small place had many flowers already in bloom, and one particular one was fairly pretty to her. She picked it from the ground - a keepsake that would remind her of this beautiful place.
  She went farther into the forest and came across a large oak tree. The sides were jagged and cracked, revealing a glowing yellow interior. Its bark was dark and washed out compared to the vibrant trunks of the other trees. Curious, she stepped closer to this magical tree. Right before her eyes, it moved violently and suddenly had transformed into a large creature with yellow eyes and massive arms. He glowered at her and looked like he was ready to strike at any moment. He looked truly terrifying. Though this would scare most six year olds, Rosaline was fascinated. She had a feeling that this creature was kinder than it seemed; that he was just acting big and tough because he was a large tree. So, she stepped closer to this tree beast and held out the flower she picked just moments before. She wanted to deliver a message to this bestial creature that she meant no harm and that she wished him well. The tree glanced down at her offering and immediately took on a softer face. He lowered his shoulders and leaves fell from his back. He paused before he gently took the flower from Rosaline’s hand. He stood there for a while, looking down at the red flower that she offered. After some moments of silence, the tree looked back up at Rosaline and simply smiled at her before it camouflaged itself back into a regular tree again. Without much else to explore, Rosaline started back home.
  As Rosaline was heading back to her home in the city, she thought about that strange beast in the forest. It was odd - she would have never expected a tree to smile at her, especially after how hostile he originally seemed. Maybe he was just upset about something in his past, she thought to herself, and maybe… he just needed the kindness of someone else to help him cope with it.

:{|}:
Using the characters from a mobile game called AFK Arena, I decided to make a somewhat serene looking illustration with a story to match. (And if you read the whole story, you are amazing! (^w^)~) It was really fun to try this storybook-esque style for this drawing and I'm really happy on how it turned out!~ :D Hopefully you guys like it too! <3

**DO NOT COPY, TRACE, OR REDISTRIBUTE MY WORK IN ANY WAY WITHOUT MY PERMISSION**
**AFK Arena and its affiliated products belong to Lilith Games, NO COPYRIGHT WAS INTENDED FOR THIS WORK**

Description

His name was Ulmus
  In a place of serenity, a large oak creature stood watching over his forest. Ulmus had been in this forest for as long as he could remember. He recalled every season and every living creature who came and went like he was flipping through a picture book of life and death in his mind. New people took their ancestor's places, and new trees and shrubs blossomed in the soil of ancient groves. The fauna lived alongside this large tree and thrived under his careful direction, giving him gifts and praise for all of the happiness he had brought them. He truly was at peace in this mystical forest he called home.
  But the grove wasn’t always so peaceful. Man always had an affinity to tarnish the wellbeing of his forest, scrounging for resources and material. Thus, the grove became protected by the magic of his people. But sometimes, magic wasn’t enough to defend his forest from the fire and steel that the humans threw upon them, and the forest would lose the beauty and serenity it once had. It was because of these recurring events that Ulmus became hostile toward human invaders, or any human that entered his forest. He thought that any human who entered was going to destroy the livelihoods of his people, which he swore to protect, so he made sure that he would chase out any human that entered.
  Therefore, he never liked humans entering his forest. He lost all respect toward them when they ruined his forest in order to gather resources in his forest. Although he lost his respect, his hope was revived.
  ...Revived, by the simple, kind act of a human girl.
Her name was Rosaline
  Rosaline lived a very comfortable life at six years old. Her family lived in a city full of wealth and prosperity, and residents rarely suffered from food shortages or housing problems. In those rare instances where that was the case, however, her father would graciously take in whomever was needing care or shelter. So from a young age, she quickly became exposed to kindness and the act of giving without expecting anything in return.
  One day, she wondered what lay outside of the great city. The curiosity nagged at her very being; a certain adventurous energy washed over her, like an ocean whose seas were calling her to sail on its waves. She couldn’t resist the temptation any longer, and on a cool spring morning she left her city to fulfill her curiosity.
  Her travels brought her to a beautiful forest with lush green trees and sparkling rivers. She took in the sweet scents of flowers that were just starting to bloom, and the crisp morning air which tickled her nose. She traveled through light brush and found the dew was sticking to her clothes and shoes. Brushing her hand across the tall shrubs, the dew went flying through the air, sparkling elegantly as the sun’s light hit the droplets. Then she came across a small opening in the forest not far from where she entered. This small place had many flowers already in bloom, and one particular one was fairly pretty to her. She picked it from the ground - a keepsake that would remind her of this beautiful place.
  She went farther into the forest and came across a large oak tree. The sides were jagged and cracked, revealing a glowing yellow interior. Its bark was dark and washed out compared to the vibrant trunks of the other trees. Curious, she stepped closer to this magical tree. Right before her eyes, it moved violently and suddenly had transformed into a large creature with yellow eyes and massive arms. He glowered at her and looked like he was ready to strike at any moment. He looked truly terrifying. Though this would scare most six year olds, Rosaline was fascinated. She had a feeling that this creature was kinder than it seemed; that he was just acting big and tough because he was a large tree. So, she stepped closer to this tree beast and held out the flower she picked just moments before. She wanted to deliver a message to this bestial creature that she meant no harm and that she wished him well. The tree glanced down at her offering and immediately took on a softer face. He lowered his shoulders and leaves fell from his back. He paused before he gently took the flower from Rosaline’s hand. He stood there for a while, looking down at the red flower that she offered. After some moments of silence, the tree looked back up at Rosaline and simply smiled at her before it camouflaged itself back into a regular tree again. Without much else to explore, Rosaline started back home.
  As Rosaline was heading back to her home in the city, she thought about that strange beast in the forest. It was odd - she would have never expected a tree to smile at her, especially after how hostile he originally seemed. Maybe he was just upset about something in his past, she thought to herself, and maybe… he just needed the kindness of someone else to help him cope with it.

:{|}:
Using the characters from a mobile game called AFK Arena, I decided to make a somewhat serene looking illustration with a story to match. (And if you read the whole story, you are amazing! (^w^)~) It was really fun to try this storybook-esque style for this drawing and I'm really happy on how it turned out!~ :D Hopefully you guys like it too! <3

**DO NOT COPY, TRACE, OR REDISTRIBUTE MY WORK IN ANY WAY WITHOUT MY PERMISSION**
**AFK Arena and its affiliated products belong to Lilith Games, NO COPYRIGHT WAS INTENDED FOR THIS WORK**