Oct 12, 2025
Some recent drawings of Nona. I gave her a haircut! And also some alternative outfit ideas idk. I also wanted to draw the little guy Finn more. Sorry I haven't been posting at all, I've been too busy decomposing in an abandoned shed.
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Some recent drawings of Nona. I gave her a haircut! And also some alternative outfit ideas idk. I also wanted to draw the little guy Finn more. Sorry I haven't been posting at all, I've been too busy decomposing in an abandoned shed.
Little Thief by Theo Martin
Giant Attack by Fabrizio Durigon
DUMPLING ch 60
The trees were shapeless shadows against the night as she ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Blood pumped hard in her ears, and even with her gasping breaths, she could still hear them coming for her. Beneath her feet, she could feel their heavy footfalls as they crashed into the earth, and it was as though the very ground vibrated. Seven of her steps to one of their own, and even at a slower pace, their wider strides more than made up for the difference.
Her saving grace was the narrow gaps between the ancient trees. Additionally, her pursuers were just as hindered by the dark as she was. If she used her fire, she would reveal herself and her advantage would be lost. As it stood, she was not in a good position to face off against a large group of bloodthirsty giants.
She was lucky before, she doubted any chance at a repeat performance. The others had not expected their fellow to fall as easily as he did.
As Thrist fled with Jae, Nenani had turned to face the marauding group that attacked them and left Andy dead. The giant with the dagger had rushed her. His enormous frame had been cast in deep shadows against the stark white of her flames. He barreled towards her, dagger raised and shining. The blade was nearly as long as she was tall, glittering with the white and blue of her fire.
Nenani ran to one of the closer trees, whipping a vine back and upward towards the giant as he drew closer. Instinct rather than real calculation drove her. But it had been a lucky strike, with the end of her vine catching the edge of the giant’s jaw just as he passed. It curled around the back of his neck, and the thorns snagged into his flesh and began to slice as the vine pulled taught. The whites of his eyes grew large as he fell forward, dropping his dagger to reach for his neck as he fell. Nenani made it to the shelter of the tree just as he slammed into the earth, and the shock of it nearly threw her off her feet.
But Nenani did not bother to look back to gauge how devastating her hit had been. Instead, she ran onward, using his fellows’ momentary confusion and shock to her advantage. She had the barest head start before they began to follow after her. The height of their hubris was diminished, but not altogether extinguished.
And now they were angry.
“I thought you said you knew how to fight fire mages!” demanded one of them.
“I do!” snapped someone else. “Killed three during the war, but I never saw one do anything like that!”
“Then what fucking good are you?”
“Just shut up! New magic or not, it’s a damn child!”
“Go tell that to Baeu!”
“Sooner rather than later the little bitch is gonna lose steam,” snarled another giant. “And when we do catch her, I’m gonna pull each of her fucking limbs off one by one. And then peel her skin off.”
……………….
She was growing tired and slow, with her legs becoming clunky and dumb with fatigue. She found herself tripping over small twigs and mud holes until at last, she had to stop. Her lungs were on fire, and no amount of air seemed enough to satisfy them. Nenani huddled miserably under the heavy brush of a bush at the base of a small cluster of yearling trees. Their leaves were still thick and green, but their points were hard and thorn-like, gripping at her hair and dress and stabbing her hands and legs as she scrambled into them to hide.
The giants were moving as one group rather than splitting up, and their enraged prattling had not ceased. Nenani waited quietly under the prickly bush until she could breathe evenly again to move to another hiding spot.
Several times she dove for the cover of a bush and waited for them to move on before running back the direction she had come, just to try and throw them off her trail. Then the giants’ voices began to draw closer again.
In the dark, Nenani moved slowly in the other direction but continued to eye the brush and trees behind her. She was sure that any moment they would come into view and spot her and the chase would begin anew. But if she could keep her steps slow, perhaps they would not hear her at all and she could put more distance between them without having to kill anyone else.
The fleeting moment of power she had felt earlier in the day now tasted putrid and bitter.
A hand slipped through the dark to rest upon her shoulder. Nenani started, nearly leaping clear out of her skin as she whirled around, arms erupting into orange flames. There stood a human boy with short cut hair and grayish-green garb regarding her and her flames with a dour expression. It took her only a moment to recognize him as the boy in the tree who they had come across earlier.
The one who said she smelled like fire.
“Oh,” Nenani said, her flames dying away. “It’s you...”
“Come with me,” he whispered. The hand resting on her shoulder gripped hard, and he bodily steered her forward. She went without a fight, more out of bewilderment than anything, and by the time she came back to her senses enough to ask him anything, they were a good distance away.
“Where did you—” she began.
“Say nothing,” he warned in a harsh whisper. “Just keep moving. The tree with the hollow there. Go to it. Inside. Hide there.”
“I can’t see very well. And there are giants...”
“They won’t find you,” he said shortly and pushed her along at a quicker pace. She could see the dim outline of a large ironwood tree, the base of it wide and dark. When they got closer, Nenani could see better that the dark area was actually the hollow itself. She felt a hard push between her shoulders and fell forward. Gracelessly, she tumbled into the patch of wet leaves and muck, grimacing as her hands fell upon the slimy debris. Turning back to the boy, she opened her mouth to berate him, but he silenced her with a hand. With his other, he traced along the edges of the hallow, and a thin iridescent sheen fell across the opening. Through it, she could see the world beyond in better light. “No one will see you if I do not wish for them to. So long as you stay inside there, the charm will shade you from prying eyes.”
Nenani took a moment to watch the swirling colors, reminded of how light and colors danced across the surface of a soap bubble. She turned her eyes to the boy.
“Are you helping me?” she asked. “Why?”
“You are a walking wildfire,” he told her.
She blinked at him and frowned. “I’m sorry?”
“Left alone, you will burn my forest to the ground. I would fail in my duties to not stop that from happening,” he explained bitterly. He studied her for several moments and the severity of his expression softened. “But I also see a little of the Green Mother in you. It is very small, but it is there. Like that little boy who ate the ironwood sap. But your fire is far more a part of you than the green. Strange oddity, you are. You must have uncommon parentage.”
Though Nenani knew she should feel offended by the way he said ‘uncommon parentage’, she decided to ignore his tone.
“Our father,” Nenani answered. “He was Thorn.”
The boy gave a small nod in understanding, regarding her again with an enigmatic expression.
“I have knowledge of them. Lost cousins, we call them. So that makes us distant cousins as well I suppose,” he said at last, a spark of amusement in his eyes. He knelt down to her level. “I have never seen fire and earth merged into one being. Your magic was a wonder to behold, cousin. But there is a great imbalance in you.”
“Imbalance?” she asked. “What do you mean?”
“One side is pulling you to fire. Anger and fear and destruction. Revenge and blood. The other pulls you towards the Green Mother. Kindness and love and healing. Protection and trust.”
Nenani bit hard into her lip, his words ringing truth loudly in her head.
“Do not feed the fire so willingly,” he warned. “Fire is power, yes. But it is also unwieldy and short-lived if not tended and nurtured properly. Fire is a forever hungry beast, and no matter how much you feed it, it will never be satiated. It will take all of you until you have nothing left to give. You are on a path of destruction. Your fire will consume you if you allow it.”
Nenani looked down at her hands, just barely visible in the dark. “I need to be strong. I have to save my friends. My family. I can’t just do nothing. The...the giant who rules this place...the lord here. He is an evil man. The people you put in your gardens. That is his doing. They escaped his prisons. And there are others. Many.”
The boy regarded her for a long moment. “It is not my place to interfere with the affairs of outsiders. My priority is the safety of my people and the preservation of my forest. But this false lord concerns me greatly. There are giants all over my forest tonight. Fighting one another. Killing one another. I cannot breathe without smelling their blood, and I very much wish for them all to be gone.”
Nenani got to her knees and crawled closer to the barrier.
“Lord Colem came to help us,” Nenani explained. “He wants to bring Lord Brennan to justice. If we can do that, your forest will be yours again and we can rescue the people he has prisoner. My friends are already trying to free them. Could you help? You can do magic too. You’re a mage like me. Could you help us?”
“I cannot promise you anything,” the boy said, rising back to his feet and stepping back. “But we will make sure this forest is protected. When the spell drops away, it means you are safe to leave the hallow. Until then, stay inside. Regain your strength.”
“I can’t just sit here,” she replied. She pushed a hand towards the shimmering veil, but as he fingers brushed against it, her hand stopped as though pressing against glass. “What?”
“You should practice patience,” he suggested. “When the danger has been dealt with, the spell will fade.”
“No!” she snapped and began to bang her hands against the barrier. “Let me out!”
The boy tapped it with a finger. “You are a child who has wandered too far from her minders. You want to fight a foe as tall as the ironwoods who would snap you into bloody little splinters.”
“I’ve already killed two of them,” she shot back. “I’m not weak. I just need rest.”
“And I am giving it to you.”
“Not like this!”
“Do not mistake brutality for strength,” he quipped. “Stay here. Rest.”
“Fine!” she said. “But please! My friends are at the big house trying to save the humans there. If you can help them, please do it.”
“I will do what I must,” the boy said after a pause. “But I make no promises.”
As he turned to leave, Nenani called out. “Wait! One more thing. What’s your name?”
The boy tilted his head around just enough that she could see one green eye. “Ezra. And you, cousin?”
“I’m Nenani,” she replied.
“Like the river,” he said, the ghost of a smile creeping along his jawline. “I will leave you to rest, cousin Nenani. And heed my words about the fire.”
With great reluctance, she looked around her and at last nodded, giving into her fatigue. “Thank you, Ezra.”
With a nod, Ezra ran to a tree and scaled up the trunk as fast and as agile as a squirrel before disappearing into the branches above. She did as Ezra had instructed her to do and waited. For what seemed like hours, she waited, and as a deeper night fell upon the forest, Nenani found the pull of sleep pulling at her more and more.
It was not until she awoke to find the first whispers of dawn brightening the sky that she realized she had fallen asleep. For the briefest of moments, she did not know where she was and thought she was back in Vhasshal. But her chilled skin pulled her back to reality with a sickening crash.
The barrier was gone and the early morning quiet. Set just outside was a bright orange leaf, and set atop it was a pile of shriveled dark things. Picking one up to examine it, Nenani realized they were dried berries. She ate them quickly and with abject relish. Only after the fact did she realize it was probably not a very wise thing for her to eat random berries.
But if Ezra wanted to kill her, he was going about it in a very roundabout way. After she had finished her meager breakfast, she crawled out from the hollow and began to walk. She let her instincts guide her but still kept her eyes and ears open for any signs or sounds of giants. After a half hour, she came upon the first of them.
The vines had no thorns, but they were as thick as ropes and of such a deep green they almost appeared black. They snaked up from the ground in great numbers, wrapping around one foot and up the leg, squeezing hard against the body. They wound across the chest and under the arms, around each bicep, down to the wrists. Wrapped tightly around the neck, Nenani did not have to wonder what it was that had ultimately done the giant in. His lips were blue and his tongue swelled out from his mouth.
The giant was entangled with the vines against a large ironwood much in the same way the humans they had found had been. But instead of being preserved in a peaceful forever sleep, the giant’s remains were more akin to a warning than anything else. She did not linger.
After a few minutes' walk, Nenani came across another much in the same state and two more close by. As she studied the last one’s face, she marveled how someone who looked so human could behave like such a monster. Lost in her own musings, she did not hear the approaching footsteps. It was not till she heard the soft squish of damp leaves that Nenani turned to face the sound. Above her she saw the mouth of a large bag descending upon her, and then all at once, everything went dark. The walls pressed in as large hands gathered her and the bag up and into the air. She flailed and kicked at the fingers that held her and cried out.
“Easy there, little thing,” said a voice. “It’s dangerous out here all alone – OW!”
The rough spun fabric was dry and brittle and caught flames in mere seconds. The owner of the giant hands at the very least had the presence of mind to not immediately drop the flaming bag and instead quickly sat the whole bundle down very quickly.
The vertigo sent Nenani’s head spinning and she was tangled up in the charred remnants as she desperately swatted and pushed her way free. Arms still aflame, she scrambled to her feet and looked up to see an unfamiliar giant. Balls of fire materialized in her palms, but the giant was already putting a good bit of distance between her and himself.
“Gods above!” he squawked, nursing his singed fingertips and staring in open shock and fear at Nenani. “Why did you do that? I was just trying to help you! I didn’t mean no harm!”
Nenani glared. “Liar. You’re trying to capture me!”
The giant’s shock was rotating towards incredulity. “You could have said you were a fire mage!”
Nenani returned his incredulous look. “Who are you?”
“I’m the fella you just burned!” he snapped.
“Do better than that,” she snapped back. “Or I’ll do worse. So who are you? What do you want?”
The giant made a face and took several large steps back. “Captain told me to do a sweep for any stragglers and that’s what I’m doing. Cripes and crackers, I think you burned my finger prints off!”
Nenani paused. “Wait. Stragglers? What sort of stragglers?”
“Human stragglers!” he replied. He wasn’t even looking at Nenani anymore, seeming far too preoccupied with assessing the damage to his fingers. He stuck one in his mouth, wincing. “A few got lost in all the chaos of last night and we’re looking for them. I thought you were one, but clearly you’re…wait.”
The giant’s eyes widened and he turned them back to Nenani, seeing her in a new light. He pulled his hurt finger from his mouth. “You...you’re a fire mage.”
Nenani raised an eyebrow and looked pointed at the still flaming balls in her palms.
“I mean,” he continued. “That means…uh, well. You aren’t...the Princess by any chance, are you?”
Nenani eyed him more seriously. “Are you with Lord Colem’s men?”
The giant nodded. “I am.”
Nenani slowly lowered her hands. “Uh, then yes. I am. The princess I mean. Nenani. My name is Nenani.”
“But...I thought the rangers took you and the prince to safety already?” he asked. “What happened?”
“We were attacked. One of the rangers, Andy, he was killed,” she explained. “I told Thrist to get Jae to safety.”
The giant regarded her as though he thought very little of her actions. “Why didn’t you just go with him?”
“I could fend the attackers off better than Thrist could,” she answered.
The giant looked down at his fingers and back at her before his eyes drifted over to one of the dead giants still strung up in Ezra’s vines. “You...you did that then?”
“No,” she replied. “That was someone else.”
The giant shook his head in disbelief and ran a hand down his face. “Well, all that doesn't matter much right now. I need to get you back to camp and be quick about it. Our scouts reported earlier last night that the line we pushed back was a distraction and two more are sweeping in on our weaker side. Probably gonna try and take manor back. Colem won’t give it up easily.”
Nenani perked up. If they had taken the manor then surely Farris and Keral’s mission would have been successful. “Do you know if they were able to get the humans out? The ones down in the kitchens?”
“Most of them were moved last night,” the giant explained. “A lot of them aren’t too keen on us though, and a few ran off the moment they were free. I was to do a sweep to try and find them before Brennan’s men come through.”
Relief swept over her and she broke into a smile. “I’m glad,” she said quietly. “They did it then...”
He regarded Nenani cautiously and held his hands up. “Now, if you promise not to burst into flames, I can escort you back to the camp. As I was saying, those bastards are supposed to be coming through this way soon. I’d imagine these fellows all strung up were a scouting party.”
Nenani opened her mouth to answer when a rustling of foliage overhead drew both their gazes upwards. Pressed between the branches, Nenani spotted green gray garb and the now-familiar face of Ezra. He looked ragged and tired, and there were several rips along his sleeves.
“They are coming,” he said. “Many. We tried to slow their march, but we do not have the numbers. My people have moved away for their safety.”
“What the...” said the giant, squinting up at the human. “Who are…?”
“How close are they?” Nenani asked with renewed anxiety. “Ezra?”
The boy looked down at her with a defeated expression. “They will be upon you soon. You must flee from here, cousin. I am sorry. I did all we could.”
Before she could ask anything else, her ears pricked up as they caught a strange sound on the wind. Like a strong gale pushing trees. Her feet could feel the faint vibrations of many moving feet. An army on the march.
Ezra looked off behind them and sneered before turning back to Nenani. “Leave now!”
.
.
.
.
BONUS ART
Chapter One
Part Two Part Three
It was a miserable wet night when I reached the tavern. The moon was a silver faintly glowing behind light clouds. The rain was just letting up, that hadn’t helped with the fact I had been walking through hours of downpour just to reach this town.
By wrist ached its pain slowly crawling up the rest of my arm, and my stomach felt ready to lose itself any second if I didn’t get something to eat. If I wanted to eat I’d have to earn it, my pockets were as empty as a temple during a bacchanal.
I kissed my fingertips and raised them to the sky before pushing the door open to the tavern.
It was a decent tavern, if not on the smaller side. The furniture was well made and clean, worn but still presentable. It smelled like beer and unwashed bodies but that was to be expected. It wasn’t like we were in the cities where people bathed daily. Patrons scattered across tables all farmers and work men. I grimaced slightly, not the type to appreciate fine art much less loosen their purse strings for it.
I could be wrong of course. I could always be wrong.
Not that it happened much.
I made a beeline for the bar and to the man behind it. He was the best dressed in the room, under a stained apron he wore fitted clothes of muted purple and reds. Money to spare it seemed. I gave my most winning smile, pushing my hair out of my face. “Hello kind sir, I was wondering if you would allow me to let me perform in your most fine establishment?”
He gave me a once over. Noting my soaked dirt stained, ripped and soaked clothes and my bandaged wrist. “You won’t get any coin from me bard, but it’s no skin off my nose if you do.”
“Understandable, thank you.” My smiled was much more strained than before. When I was turned around I couldn’t help my shoulders falling slightly. I chose the emptiest corner of the room.
I unfurled my shawl from my hair stuffing it in my bag. I hummed slightly, realizing I wasn’t going to have time to properly warm up my voice.
It was going to be fine. I was sure.
My first song was a quick ditty about the Gods. It was the story of how the Nine divided the earth. It got a few glances my way but that was it. I moved onto a more bawdy song about a farmer's daughter which was a poor choice I got more glances some guffaws but mostly scathing looks. My voice was strained and it keep cracking. I only had one more song in me before I hurt my voice too badly.
I looked over the patrons some of the snoring into their drinks. I caught a trio pointing and snickering at me.
If that was the way the wanted things. I pulled off my bag and left it on the floor.
I started to stomp rhythmically, chanting an old prayer and heads started to turn.
I paid them no attention as I started to move my footsteps rattling drinks on tables.
I began to sing. “Eyes of gold, hands of hair and meat, the giants who wait for your sleep,
“The love the smell of blood, they wish to stomp you into the mud,
“The men who live in the mountain,”
“Hide your wives, hide your daughters,”
“They come, they come, the men of the mountain”
As I moved across the tavern for a few moments I remembered why I chose to live my life like this. Eyes watched me, memorized by me, by my song. They forgot drinks and worries and focused only on me. The song is more about proper rhythm and enunciated than it is about vocal power.
When I was done, I was happy with my work. Sure that they would show their appreciation. Two men gave a copper each and the rest turned back to what they were doing.
I hated small towns.
Defeated I slinked back to the bar and put my two coppers down. “How much is will this get me?”
The bar keep looked down at me before slinging a towel over his shoulder. “How much do you want?”
“A warm drink and dinner?” And spiced wine and a bath and a bed and dry clothes.
“One or the other”
I stifled a groan and pushed the two coins toward him. “Give me the dinner,” purposely leaving off the please. He scooped them up and put them into a pocket, he turned toward the back.
Two more copper coins fell on the counter. “I’ll pay for the drink” a new voice said.
The bar keep looked to me and shrugged turning away before I could say anything. “One dinner and warm drink coming up.”
I turned toward the man who paid for my drink. The first thing that hit me was his height. He towered above me, and it was a wonder why his head didn’t brush against the ceiling. He was built solidly, like an oak. Dark brown hair that pulled up and away from his face.
“Thank you,” I started unsure of what to say next.
He pulled at the chair next to me and sat down. “You’re welcome friend.” My eye brows rose at his forwardness. “You shouldn’t blame them too much you know.”
“Pardon?”
He jerked his head to the rest of the tavern. “Its been a bad winter, money’s tight.”
I huffed. “If money is tight then they shouldn’t be drinking, they should be saving their coins.”
He grinned and I noticed his green eyes for the first time. They looked as if they were built up of hundreds of tiny dots all different shades of green. It was like there was a forest in his eyes. “You can’t blame a man for wanting a bit of comfort in dark times. You always sing, or do you do anything else?”
“Of course I do” I snapped. “I was trained to sing and to play the lute.” I held up my hand and the other man’s smile faded. “I wouldn’t be just singing if I had another option.”
“What happened to your hand?” He asked eyes still on the purple and brown bruises, still slightly swollen.
“A man thought my services included late nights. I got it for my trouble.” The barkeep came back dropping a meat pie and a mug of what smelled like spiced cider. Both me and the man nodded to him.
I picked up the pie with my good hand and took a bite. It was cold and fatty and to my stomach the best thing I had in a month.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you or pry. I liked your singing but I can tell that its been awhile since you’ve had time to practice at it.” It was warm apologize and a glance to his face told me he was sincere. “My name’s Pyotr.” He held out his hand.
I brushed off my hand and shook it. “Bria.”
His smile returned. “That’s quite a lovely name, got any good stories for me Bria?”
His smile was so wide and earnest, I hadn’t seen one like in almost a year. It melted my cold heart too quickly. “Only if you have a few yourself.”
I told myself it was worth it to have a reason to stay in the warm dry tavern. That was the only reason.
We talked for hours. Pyotr was quick to laugh and it made him a good listener. He was quick witted as well, and I didn’t have to water down any of my stories like I normally did. He had good stories as well, mostly stories about him and brother. One story of how they tried to steal a cow, had me howling. I begged him if I could rewrite as a song and he said he’d be honored.
He also paid for drinks which made all of the stories much more funny. When I was into my cups and I couldn’t help myself. I hummed softly under my breath as he told another story, and watched the colors around him change.
He was outlined in purple. And if I wasn’t drunk I would have been more interested in that.
With magic I see colors that surrounded a person. Most ranged in earth and jewel tones. They told me if the person was touched by magic in any way and what type. Most had none or slight earth colors showing something but nothing they could call on. The more intense and thick the colors the more intense the magic ability. Earth tones meant simple magic, little spells things for witches and mages. But jewel tones, like myself meant different more unique talents tied to a skill. Singing was mine, but for another it could be painting or farming.
I had never seen purple before, not once in my entire life. But I couldn’t say anything. Magic was forbidden unless you were under the service of a noble. I couldn’t risk outing myself and him. So I brushed it off.
By the time we were done it was just before dusk. I picked myself off my chair and thanked him for the wine and the company.
“Where are you going?” He asked as I started to stumbled off.
“I’m going to go sleep all this off somewhere.” I said, slightly swaying as I stood.
“Ah, I see, stay safe friend.” I waved to him before turning toward the door.
“Hope to see you soon again friend.” I said. He said something but I was too far away to hear it clearly.
The moon was gone, and sunset was soon. What I needed was somewhere to sleep. I cursed as I stumbled through the underbrush my night vision failing me.
I stumbled around for maybe half an hour before I found a clearing.
A loud yawn escaped me as I stretched out my arms. I started to pull out my sleeping kit, when a rush of birds flew above and away from me. I turned towards them spooked myself, just in time to see something rushing toward me.
I raised my hands, stumbling back. Something pushed my legs out from under me and I fell backwards arms failing.
Something encased me and my vision went dark. I was still on my back my hands still failing hit something warm, something pulsing with life. My chest grew heavy as I looked my my sight returning.
I realized what I was staring up at was two giants hands encasing me.
My entire body went limp my head slamming into the warm flesh. Quicker than I would like to admit, I passed out falling into a safe dark place.
Giants 2. After browsing through some fantasy references today, I decided to sketch an old haggard witch giant. Think I'll come back and render this one at some point. Somewhat happy with the design, but it can definitely be pushed further. Still exploring drawing processes and styles, worked more loosely when I approached this.
giant by kim_daegyeom
MyL - Tom Thumb by adfodelo