This story and birthday card is in honor of @theycallmedan - one of Hive's founders and a true warrior.
@theycallmedan is fully invested in our unique, incredible home, and is in this for the long haul. Happy birthday, Dan :)
Valhalla Celebrates A Living Legend
Leif looked around the great hall, his eyebrows raised. "What are the cakes and cupcakes for, Master Odin? I thought you preferred roast boar."
The Norse god picked up a fork, and sampled the edge of one of the larger cakes. "Ah, usually I do, Leif. But today's feast is in honor of a warrior whom we shall not entertain for many more years."
"Then how can we celebrate him, Master? Perhaps he will pass from the mortal realm in his sleep, as an old man."
"He will pass exactly as you said, Heimdall already confirmed this. However I will still call him to Valhalla, because he has already won one of the biggest battles one could ever hope to be in."
"What sort of battle, Master Odin? Did he defeat an entire army without assistance?"
"Not exactly, Leif. Dan defended those he considered family, even though those people were spread out farther than even we knew was possible. And he did it from his own home. The battle was truly fierce! The enemy laid both traps and temptations. When that didn't work, they simply attempted an all out assault. They never had a chance against Dan..."
"Is he a sorcerer, or a god?" Leif asked.
"Neither. He used his intelligence, and the newest tools of his time. This is why I want him at my side during Ragnarok. He could be the one to make a difference, and spare me from the prophecy."
Leif took a large chocolate cupcake, and ate it in two bites. "I don't understand, Master Odin. How could he have defeated his enemies from his home, unless they attacked him directly?"
Odin took his rightful place at the head of the table. "There is a story being made about this battle. It is to be both words and pictures. Not paintings, but something that seems alive. @lordbutterfly is in charge of this quest."
"I hope this warrior you call Dan is as worthy as you think. Because if he is, we are sure to win the battle!"
Odin stood, clenching both fists. "Do you dare to question me, Leif?" he whispered.
Leif bowed respectfully. "Of course not, Master. This just seems too easy, is what I meant."
Odin nodded, and regally settled back into his chair. "There is nothing easy about it. @theycallmedan was put through the worst of trials, the same as countless others. However he was the only one who triumphed in both character and skill."
"It sounds like his challenges were more of the mind than what we are used to? He might be an excellent strategist, but how will he fare with a sword?"
Odin shook his head, and made a small clucking noise. "He will have many centuries here to perfect his sword work. He already has what is needed to become much more than exceptional. You must learn to trust me, youngling."
Leif ground his teeth, but remained silent. "I can't believe he thinks he has found someone better than I to be his right hand man," the Viking warrior thought bitterly.
Seconds later, the rest of the warriors entered the great hall. There was much laughter, and the walls rang with toasts to @theycallmedan .
Cover image / birthday card made in Canva Pro using my original fractal artwork. Sword, Viking, and ship is from the Canva Pro gallery
The first thing I did was create the fractals using Apophysis. I adjusted the shape, color, and position / rotation to suit the mood of the finished card. Then I uploaded them to Canva Pro.
I added the fractals to a plain black background for the ones of the Viking and the ship. I then selected the images I wanted, and used background remover.
After adding the objects, I put fractals over them, at around fifty percent transparency.
For the sword image, I did not use the background remover. Instead I added my fractals to the original picture.
I used different fonts and placement for the text, which was intended to complement the image.
Last but not least, I selected to download all three images as a single gif.