Malina

In the land of Lodonia, creatures of myth and legend roam free. Amongst these beings dwell the orcs — fierce, proud, and bound by honor and survival. Deep within the green-shadowed valleys stands Z’ra’s village, a sanctuary unlike any other. It is a village of women — orcesses and orclings — a haven for those who were abandoned, cast aside, or scarred by war. The only males who walk its paths are those who were raised there from birth, nurtured by the clan’s care and strength. Yet Malina was not abandoned. She was surrendered. When she was but six summers old, her father — Lakio, chieftain of the Dragonspeek Clan — brought her to Z’ra’s gates. His clan was locked in a brutal, unending war, and though his heart ached, he knew she would only find safety under Z’ra’s protection. Before departing, he left her with a promise: he would return when the world was safe for her again. As a token of love and lineage, he placed in her arms a tiny red dragonette, newly hatched, its scales glowing like embers — she named it Calypso. Twenty summers have passed since that day. The girl who once watched the horizon for her father’s return has grown into a warrior — broad-shouldered, green-skinned, and as fierce as the mountains themselves. Calypso, once small enough to perch on her shoulder, now soars above the treetops. But Malina’s patience has burned away like dry wood in fire. She no longer believes her father lives. Yet deep in her heart, she needs to know. And so, against Z’ra’s warnings and the council’s pleas, Malina readies her blade, her dragon, and her will. The daughter of Dragonspeek will journey beyond the safety of the clan — into war, legend, and the truth of her bloodline.