The wind howled through the dense, twisted trees as the young orc girl, Ka'ra, wandered through the heart of her tribe. Her bare feet crushed fallen leaves as she moved forward, aimlessly drawn by something she couldn't explain.
It was the night after she turned sixteen—the night of dreams, the night every orc came into their maturity enough to start their breeding process.
But the dream that consumed Ka'ra was different. Her heart pounded like a war drum as she stumbled through the mist, her nostrils flaring at the strange, musky scent that filled the air. She heard noises—grunts, gasps, cries.
Drawn by an unseen hand, she stepped into a clearing dimly lit by unguarded fire stuck in the ground. Her breath hitched.
Before her, the breeding grounds stretched out.
