Where the Heart Is | nftshowroom X alienarthive challenge for November: Theme - the feeling of home - No. 4

Two years ago, they met.

They met in a desolate wasteland. He, on patrol seeking illegals invading their realm. She, chained by both feet and hands, trekking through the barren area to market. Not to buy or sell, but to be sold into a fate worst than death for her kind.

He'd heard of those people encased in a strange clay-like substance. A mask perhaps. But her beautiful features were exposed. She's never make it, Andrux said to himself. What price to pay bearing no birthright.

Their eyes met briefly before the overseer flung out his whip and ordered the caravan on foot to continue on.

She did not ask. He did not offer. But in the end, her helpless cries propelled him forward to her aid. Despite the danger ahead, only thoughts of reaching Georgiana in time consumed him.

Not of his world, Andrux fought hard to forget the lovely face, although partially wrapped in mud vines. But his nightly torment wouldn't allow him to. Nightmares of her world he'd only read about plagued him for a month.

Desperate to understand the dreams, he sought out the old woman who dwelt in the mountains. A mystic and foreseer, she would guide him how best to achieve his heart's desire.

"Tread carefully, young warrior. For the love you seek is the key to both your freedom. She's under the protection and influence of a power yet unmatched in our world. If you continue down this path of salvation, the end may come to you both. For she has the mark. The unbreakable curse."

"I will find a way. Just arm me with the knowledge and tools I need to locate and free her."

"It's not as simple as you envision, young savior. The way is fraught with danger. Once you leave our realm, you can't return. And her planet won't welcome you. Lost sheep in the wilderness you both will be. Where then will you make your home?

"Home is where the heart is, old woman. You of all spiritual beings should understand that. Now, show me how to get there and what I'll need to defeat the tyrant."

The old woman turned slowly. Unaware of her smile as she gathered the resources he'd need, his pulse beat faster anticipating she'd not assist him as promised. Why she wouldn't stemmed from his childhood.

Andrux left the old woman armed with what he thought would protect them both. The next morning, he st out on a journey across the badlands.

A journey he thought he could overcome, but proved treacherous beyond anything his twenty years had prepared him for.

Finally, Andrux reached the outer realm, where the Medusa people dwelled.

[to be continued]

In the post, nftshowroom X alienarthive challenge for November: the feeling of home, NFTShowroom has featured all the month's feeling of home themed Art minted so far on the NFT Showroom's home page / twitter. Also, Alien Art Hive will be curating participants' blog posts. This challenge was intended for the full month of November. Participants were required to:

• make art incorporating the feeling of home theme;
• mint it on https://nftshowroom.com/;
• make a blog post about it in Alien Art Hive; and
• use #nftshowroom in your tags

Below are the steps I took to create my fourth design for this theme.

The information for my mint on NFTShowroom.

My Creation Process:

For creation of the "feeling of home" scene in this design, I knew I wanted to create a short story of two lovers that would depict the adage "home is where the heart is". I discovered a cyborg image I felt was perfect. For the love he wants to protect, I also found a female with her face encased in roots. An unlike couple with mysterious past, a long and perilous road ahead, and a story to tell.

The background was key to meshing the theme of a fiery sunset with that of an all-consuming love. Uploading all images into Canva, my design program, I added layers of elements.

After completing the still version, I called upon Deep Dream Generator to produce a video of two lovers whispering words of love to each other. The program did an awesome job depicting a tragic love story.

Below are the images I included in my theme.

^{Fiery sunset with watery landscape ~ Thunderstorm ~ Fiery clouds ~ Male cyborg ~ Female encased in roots}