The Mlinzi by Deborah Chanley

Deborah Chanley

Henderson, Nevada

Creating lives and new worlds is a passion, Having someone enjoying your work is priceless. Disabilities can be overcome with determination. Adaptability is the key to life.

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About the author

I always loved to write. Yet I had a problem. I was diagnosed with severe dyslexia when very young. I wrote because I loved to make new worlds and lives become real in my mind and on paper when there were only typewriters . My family were my editors and muse. Fast forwards to the present, I am a COTA and was hired at a poorly run nursing home that I had to drive over and hour to get too each way. In my traveling I invented Sora, a sanctuary world, to occupy my mind.

I have developed a web author page with the domain name at djchanley.com. I also have a Facebook page and plan to utilize Facebook advertising, amazon adverts and other platforms to first promote the per-order 1 to 2 weeks prior to release date. I also plan on opening a blog on my web page. I am new to marketing and am learning fast.

The Mlinzi is written for young adult both male and female ages 12 to 21+. This story lines is about coming of age and achieving one's goals regardless of difficulty. Young adult to adults who are interested in Sci-fi/fantasy/coming of age novels will enjoy the Mlinzi. The main two character will draw in both young males who will want to become a Mlinzi and young girls wanting to be the Matka-Zem.

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The Mlinzi

The Sorain Chronicles I

Thane was a unique young man with particular abilities. Striving to become one of the Sorain's elite warriors, he must learn how to survive the Trials to be a Mlinzi.

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	YA Fiction Sci-Fi
	53,135 words
	100% complete
	12 publishers interested
	View publishers • Express interest

Synopsis

The Mlinzi – Sorain’s elite military, bound to protect Sora and their deity, the Matka-Zem (Mother Nature). Revered throughout their galaxy for thousands of years, the Mlinzi were now shunned by their deity and the Sorain people. Falling into obscurity, they were mere shadow of their once glory.

Sora orbit’s Geynus, their red, gas giant planet, in an egg-shaped trajectory. Drawing too close to Geynus every one hundred-seventy years, Sora is severely affected, as it barely escapes from the tremendous gravitational pull. The Mlinzi struggled to convince the Matka-Zem that the unpredictable weather was more than mere climate change. The Passing was no myth and she was needed to stabilize the stressed planet as it orbits around Geynus. Yet still, she refused to leave the comforts of the Torpek towers, not caring for her people.

Abandoned at birth and raised in Kifo, the Mlinzi fortress, Thane was a unique young man. Although most of the warriors accepted him, there were some who were unnerved by his particular abilities. Thane soon learns that life outside Kifo’s walls was not what he had envisioned. The balance of nature was expected to be brutal. Yet, the cruelty from within the Sorain society was beyond his imagination. Too young to solve the worlds problems, Thane strives to become one of the Sorain's elite warriors. First, he must learn how to survive the Trials to be a Mlinzi.

Outline

Prologue: The birth of the main character Thane. Introduction to Naji a female Mlinzi who was present at Thane’s birth.

Chapter 1: Introduction of four minor character’s who help Thane learn about friendship. Naji tests Thane’s abilities. Thane leaves the city, Kifo.

Chapter 2. Thane loses himself within the wilds. The reader learns why the people of Sora hate the Mlinzi. Thane gets swept out to sea and lives with the Nereii for four months, learning to breath underwater using his gills. Thane also learns compassion for a little-known race.

Chapter 3: Thane returns to land and meets the new born Matka-Zem.

Chapter 4: Thane returns to kilo, fights his adversary, and becomes squad lead of his for friends. Thane finds a rare gem in a spooky place.

Chapter 5: the team arrive at the underground city of Dorinet, then fights off reptilian creatures that were smuggled onto Sora, Thane and Alana become close.

Chapter 6: Thane leaves the squad to start training as the Matka-Zem personal Mlinzi. First a visit to Oras Argint, the city of silver where he learns of a secret society plotting to harm the Matka-Zem.

Chapter 7: Thane meets the six-year-old Matka-Zem and realizes how powerful she was. Thane learns the identity of the leader of the secret society .

Chapter 8: Thane learns that the Matka-Zem true feeling and The Torpek plans for her. Thane takes the Matka-Zem outside the city.

Chapter 9: Thane tries to educate the Matka-Zem on her people and her role on Sora. Thane saves the Matka-Zem’s life.

Chapter 10: Thane goes through the five Trials to become a Mlinzi.

Competition

I Am Four by Pittacus Lore (Author)

John Smith seems like an ordinary teenager, living a normal life with his guardian Henri in Paradise, Ohio. But for John, keeping a low profile is essential, because he is not an ordinary teenager. He’s an alien from the planet Lorien, and he’s on the run. A group of evil aliens from the planet Mogadore, who destroyed his world, are hunting anyone who escaped.

Nine Loric children were sent to Earth to live in hiding until they grew up and developed their Legacies, powers that would help them fight back—and help them save us. Three of them are now dead. John is Number Four, and he knows he’s next…

Avatar James Cameron (Director, Writer)

a sci-fi epic meant to trump all previous sci-fi epics. Set in the future on a distant planet, Avatar spins a simple little parable about greedy colonizers (that would be mankind) messing up the lush tribal world of Pandora. A paraplegic Marine named Jake (Sam Worthington) acts through a 9-foot-tall avatar that allows him to roam the planet and pass as one of the Na'vi, the blue-skinned, large-eyed native people who would very much like to live their peaceful lives without the interference of the visitors. Although he's supposed to be gathering intel for the badass general (Stephen Lang) who'd like to lay waste to the planet and its inhabitants, Jake naturally begins to take a liking to the Na'vi, especially the feisty Neytiri (Zoë Saldana, whose entire performance, recorded by Cameron's complicated motion-capture system, exists as a digitally rendered Na'vi)

The Maze Runner – August 24, 2010 by James Dashner (Author)

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround them is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying: Remember. Survive. Run.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (Author)

Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!

The Hobbit (Lord of the Rings) by J.R.R. Tolkien (Author)

Bilbo, along with his friend Gandalf the Wizard, embarks on an adventure with a band of dwarves that sends them into the wild and the depths of the earth to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from a dragon. Along the way, he meets elves, men, giants, goblins, spiders, eagles, and a strange creature named Gollum.

While the tale of the Lord of the Rings has become highly popular in our modern society, The Hobbit is the original story that laid the groundwork for this epic tale to take place. What transpires as a game of riddles and escape from the creature Gollum in the Hobbit is, in fact, the foundation for an entire adventure for the whole of Middle Earth in Bilbo's later years.

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	Boyle & Dalton 250 copies • Completed manuscript. Boyle & Dalton was founded in 2014 and publishes works of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. The world of publishing is changing, we're changing with it. Our founder Brad Pauquette, conceptualized a hybrid model that balances the financial and rights model of self-publishing with the quality controls and production excellence of a traditional publisher. Our designers and editors produce exceptional books that are distributed in both print and digital formats to all major retailers, including Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. Boyle & Dalton carefully consider all submissions for publication, based on manuscript quality. We do not accept erotica or children's books. Hybrid publisher Christian Fiction, Comics & Graphic Novels, Commercial Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBT Fiction, Literary Essay, Literary Fiction, Mind & Body, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Mythology & Folk Tales, Poetry, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Women's Fiction, YA Fiction, Art & Photography, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Children Non-Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction, Coloring Books for Grown-Ups, Comics & Graphic Novels, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Communication Skills, Corporate Culture, Crafts & Hobbies, Creativity, Current Affairs, Economics, Education, Entrepreneurship & Small Business, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Humor & Entertainment, Illustrated Books, Journalism, LGBT Non-Fiction, Management & Leadership, Marketing & Sales, Mindfulness & Happiness, Money & Investment, Motivation & Inspiration, Nature & Environment, Parenting, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Philosophy, Politics & Social Sciences, Popular Science, Productivity & Time Management, Psychology, Reference, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Sex & Relationships, Society & Culture, Sports & Outdoors, Technology & the Future, Travel, YA Non-Fiction Worldwide
	Brandylane Publishers, Inc. Looking for titles that teach, promote, and encourage understanding, tolerance, peace, environmental preservation, health, and wellness. Brandylane is a small, independent press, founded in 1985, that publishes fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoir, and children’s books. We publish under a traditional arrangement and also offer a cooperative track for emerging authors. We believe that books make a difference, that lives and the world are changed by the power of words and images, and that large publishing houses neglect a wealth of good writing. We are not looking for mainstream read-it-before self-help. Under our cooperative arrangement, we invest a portion of the publishing costs and offer a stepped royalty structure from 30% to 60%--higher than the industry average. One distinguishing feature of our program is that our marketing effort includes a one-year launch, followed by two additional years of promotion through our social media, website, our seasonal genre, and subject matter email campaigns, and continuous support from our PR team. Hybrid publisher Children Fiction, Children Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBT Fiction, LGBT Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mind & Body, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Women's Fiction, Women's Fiction, YA Fiction, YA Fiction, Children Non-Fiction, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Humor & Entertainment, Illustrated Books, Mindfulness & Happiness, Nature & Environment, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Politics & Social Sciences, Popular Science, Technology & the Future, YA Non-Fiction, Science Fiction & Humour Worldwide
	Cranthorpe Millner 250 copies • Partial manuscript. Cranthorpe Millner operates a hybrid publishing model. This means, should an author pass our editors’ strict filtering system, we can offer different kinds of agreements depending on the author and the manuscript. With some authors, we work under a ‘traditional’ model, whereby we cover the full cost of publication and the author is offered industry-standard royalties (8-10%). To some authors, we offer what we call a partnership or contributory agreement, whereby the author is asked for a financial contribution so that we may share the risk and enter into a partnership together to publish the author’s book. In this case, the author receives around 60-75% royalties. Hybrid publisher Children Fiction, Literary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Mind & Body, Mind & Body, Romantic Fiction, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction & Fantasy, YA Fiction, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Biography & Memoir, Health, Fitness & Dieting, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, History, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Science, Science, Sports & Outdoors, Sports & Outdoors, Travel, Travel United Kingdom, United States, Canada
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	Atmosphere Press 250 copies • Partial manuscript. Atmosphere Press is an independent publisher dedicated to author rights. We publish in all genres and have an exceptional editorial, design, and promotional staff. We stand for Honesty, Transparency, Professionalism, and Kindness. We want our authors and their readers to be blown away when they first hold that book in their hands. It needs to look good inside and out, and feel good to the touch. And, of course, the words need to be top-notch, and our editors are devoted to making that the case. Service publisher Children Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mind & Body, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Journalism, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Politics & Social Sciences, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Society & Culture, Sports & Outdoors, Technology & the Future, Travel Worldwide
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"You’re the one?” The elderly man rocked in his porch chair, watching her with squinted eyes. His words were more of a statement than a question. With a sigh of resignation, he slowly rose to his feet and gave her a grim smile. She admired his poise as he straightened his bent frame. With his head held high, his aged, brown eyes held no fear, just determination, and devotion.

“Yes.” She quietly answered, bowing her head in respect, “It’s the will of Sora.” Promptly closing the distance between them, she firmly seized his arm. “It will be quick and painless.”

“Hold, Mlinzi! No need for roughness.” He peered into her eyes, placing a wrinkled hand over hers. She was surprised by his strength at his advanced age. “I know what must be done.”

Squaring his shoulders, he marched past her, towards the empty field. Without a word, she followed. The parched soil crunched under her boots as they climbed a small mound. Glancing at her feet, she wondered when the land last supported life. As they crested the summit, she saw a pit, no more than three-foot-deep, and lined with pink pampa leaves. She raised her eyes to meet the man’s and saw his determination by the steadiness of his gaze. He faced the pit and took a deep breath.

“I’ve been waiting for this day... for a very long time.”

“Me too.” She whispered as they stared at the pit. “What we do today will save our planet.”

“What’s your name, Mlinzi?” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

“Naji.” Answering with a single word, she casually placed a hand on her knife.

“For Sora, Naji!” As he bravely knelt inside the pit, she positioned herself behind him, silently drawing the blade from its sheath. Tilting his head towards the twin suns, he raised his hands to the blinding orbs. “I am Braylin, the youngest son of Gizem, The last true Matka-Zem. May my sacrifice heal Sora!” His last words gurgled as her blade sliced through his vocal cords. Preventing him from falling, she guided him onto the leaves. Leaning over him, she kissed his forehead.

“Do not fear. You’re with Sora now.” She tenderly brushed a strand of hair out of his eyes as she watched them dull. When she felt his body relax, she honored him with a salute, fist to heart. After a moment of silence for his sacrifice, she covered him with the remaining leaves. Silently filling the pit with the parched soil, she shielded the mound with the pile of black stones, sitting a few yards away.

This granite is only in the mountains of Kifo. It must have taken Braylin months to gather the stones for his grave. she thought, letting her mind wander as she labored. She didn’t cover the summit of the mound, exposing a small, circular patch of soil.

Kneeling besides the circle, she made an indent into the soil. Hesitating, she took a deep breath. Both with excitement and foreboding, she paused, unsure for the first time in many years. Taking another deep breath, she slowly exhaled, allowing all thoughts to leave her mind. From underneath her cloak, she withdrew the object she had been carrying for most of her adult life. An orange seedpod.

“What are you?” She questioned as she studied the seed. Shaped like almond, the large, orange pod was bigger than her hand with pulsing, blood-red veins. As she stared at the seed, the heat it generated penetrated her gloves. Gathering her inner strength, she raised it above her head.

“FOR SORA!” she screamed, plunging the seed into the dry soil. As soon as it disappeared under the ground, a bolt of lightning cracked the sky. Menacing, black clouds, appeared from nowhere, swirling above her. Despite its fearsome appearance, a gentle rain began to fall, nourishing the thirsty soil.

"Now I wait.” She didn’t know how long it would take for the seed to grow, so she made herself comfortable in Braylin’s cottage. As she sat in the rocking chair, Braylin had just vacated, she thought back to when she had received the seed.

She always wanted to be a Mlinzi. The elite warriors from a faraway world, had followed their commander, with the first Matka-Zem, as they fled to make a life together on Sora. Over the millenniums, the Mlinzi flourished into a mighty nation. However, during the last century, the Mlinzi had dwindled into obscurity, their numbers a mere fraction of their once glory. Once respected throughout the planet, it seemed to Naji that the residents of Sora now mistrust the Mlinzi. Yet, she still wanted to be one.

She was on the last test of the five trails needed to be passed before becoming a Mlinzi. Spirit was the decider. Young recruits, called tyros, could pass the other four tests of Wind, Fire, Earth, and Water by wit, brawn, and agility. Yet, Spirit was different, and the most feared. No one can hide their inner thoughts, feeling and insecurities when facing Sora’s spirit. If your heart is filled with greed, malice, and pretension, Sora will claim your soul. Only the pure of heart may become a Mlinzi.

Bonding to Sora is a personal experience and is unique for each. Yet, hers was different, above all the others. As she floated within the heart of Sora, a tiny seed materialized into her palm. A voice, male and female, loud and soft with all emotional tones blended into one, ordered her to protect it. Without question, she obeyed and placed the tiny sliver into the locket she wore around her neck.

As the years passed, she followed the ways of the Mlinzi, protecting Sora the best she knew how. From stopping illegal smuggling operations to searching for rare crystals on far away worlds, she faithfully performed her duty.

All the while the Matka-Zem never left the Torpek towers. The deity was the descendant of the first Matka-Zem, who was designed in a laboratory to be a conductor for Dradus’s (her home world) energy, hoping her ability would physically control their dying world. She escaped before being forced to perform the ceremony that bound her to the planet. Hiding on an unstable moon and in fear of capture, she quickly preforming this ceremony, binding her to their new world. To everyone’s surprise, the Matka-Zem unexpectedly awoke Sora’s spirit. Since the Awakening, this connection had been passed down to all her descendants thereafter

When the Matka-Zem chooses a mate, they are bond mind and body to each other. During their first coupling called the Kleben, they conceive the next Matka-Zem which is held in a separate womb until it’s her time to rule. Either by injury or will, when the Matka-Zem’s reign is ending, the baby held in stasis, begins to grow. At her birth, the old Matka-Zem passes away, transferring the link to Sora into the newly born deity. The Matka-Zem’s mate, the Regent, raises the new deity, until she binds with her own chosen mate.

With the suspicious death of the Regent, the Matka-Zem lost the will to live and fell into a deep depression, no longer caring for her world nor people. Refusing to leave the Towers, she slowly declined, lingering in despair for fifty years. Upon her death, Eshe was born, yet her gift was only half of her mothers. Not seeing their own folly, the Torpek pampered the new Matka-Zem, brainwashing her to believe it was beneath her to travel Sora. The Matka-Zem grew into a cruel woman, refusing to give up the luxuries provided by the Torpek. Due to strict treaty’s and environmental laws most of the high-tech gadgets the Matka-Zem enjoyed couldn’t leave Torpek lands. Not caring about her responsibilities, the Matka-Zem did nothing to help stabilize their world.

Sora’s elliptical orbit moved into the perigee phase of Geynus every two hundred and fifty years. Drawing close to the swirling, red /white gas giant, stressed the planet. According to historical events, ‘The Passing’ would take eighty years to swing around Geynus before Sora heads out into space again. Earthquakes, catastrophic weather changes, and other destructive disturbances have been recorded and was the explanation as to why their weather was changing. During that time, the Matka-Zem was meant to control the land, surviving the Passing with minimal disruption. As Sora’s orbit moved closer to the Passing, the Matka-Zem refused to help her people. When the strong gravity of Geynus began changing the weather, she laughed at their suffering.

Eleven years after Naji received the seed, Eshe attempted to bind with Sora. However, something went wrong, and she fell into a coma, triggering the growth of the new Matka-Zem within her. The baby grew while she lay in her death sleep. To the Torpek’s dismay, Avina, the infant Matka-Zem, showed very little of Sora’s gifts. In their illogical thinking, the Torpek feared she may be too weak to protect Sora, hoping she had enough strength to protect their small part of the world, forgoing the rest of the planet. The Torpek remained in tight control over their ‘princess’, encouraging her to follow in the careless and selfish ways of her belated mother.

Shaking her head to bring her mind back to the present, Naji focused on the rain. She took a deep breath, enjoying the pleasant scent of the wet soil. It had been a year since she last smelled the clean scent of rainwater.

“Sora is nurturing her seed.” As the rain continued to gently fall, the cracked soil darkened, and sparkled with moisture, “Somehow this plant will save the planet.” All she could do was wait and protect the field while the plant grew. “At least, I think it’s a plant. What else could it be?” She gave another rare laugh as she slowly rocked in the wooden chair.

Within the first day, the seed sprouted into a bright green, three-leafed sapling. She had only seen green plants on Earth and it looked out of place, surrounded by the many shades of blue foliage that grew on Sora. Enriched by the slain man’s decaying body, the plant quickly grew like a vine. Its twisted, green tentacles had no pattern, as it covered the mound with thick, pointy thorns.

Days passed before she noticed the bud in its center. She had to look twice to believe that the tiny white nub existed. Its white petals turned bright red as the bud grew and reached towards the heavens. With steady patience, she watched over the plant as the bud grew heavy and bowed towards the soil.

“Is it time?” The bud laid gently upon the damp ground. She held her breath in anticipation, as each petal slowly curled, freeing its host - Sora’s savor.

Jaw dropping in astonishment, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Laying on the bottom pedal was a male child. Frozen in place, her mind was numb. Shocked by the baby’s presence, she was unable to move. When the baby stretched in sleep, she inhaled in surprise, staggering backward.

“What more do you want from me?” Crying with anguish, she already knew the answer. She never wanted to be a mother. Even went off-world to make sure there were no ‘accidents’. Now, she must raise Sora’s child.

“How ironic!” Overcoming her shock, she pulled out her sword. With a growl, she cut a path through the thorns to reach the child. Peering down at the slumbering babe, she quietly studied him.

You’re a little thing. She thought as she cautiously stepped forward to peer closer. Developed like a six-month-old, he had a slim body, and a head full of dark brown hair.

He looks like a normal baby.

In a deep sleep, he barely stirred when she lifted him from the petal. As she inspected the child, she saw that he was well nourished, with toned muscles throughout his tiny frame.

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Melanie Marsh
on Oct. 6, 2018, 10:07 p.m.

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Deborah Chanley

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The Mlinzi

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