Rhodri is a warrior from tribe that lives deep underground, thought to be the last humans alive after the dragons burned their empire to ash. When a dark curse set on them by a dragon-tyrant from long ago begins to slowly kill them, the warrior is s...
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Rhodri the Curse-Bearer
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The next several days were a grueling nightmare to Rhodri. No longer human, the warrior constantly stumbled over himself, still completely unfamiliar with his new, terrifying body. He had to stop and cut apart his pants, tying them together and refitting them so they wouldn't constantly fall down. It was humiliating, walking around in the form of an abomination, trudging through this unfamiliar plane, far away from anyone who cared.
As his misery and shock faded after the first time he'd seen his own reflection, Rhodri realized that even though he hated being in his body right now, the beastly form did seem to bestow inhuman abilities upon him. His vision was sharper than it had ever been, by a staggering margin. His ears, or at least, his earholes now, picked up all kinds of far-off sounds that the warrior didn't recognize. The noises were extremely easy to pinpoint, even from a great distance. Chirping, wind, rustling of leaves and other things. At first he had tried to avoid them, but after several hours he learned that these lands seemed to emit sounds all on their own.
It was true, at least he thought. There was never anyone around, yet the sounds came from every direction, even close to him. He had seen something scurry between trees, and another few things flew above. He had no idea what any of the creatures were, but they appeared to be animals, like the reptiles and bugs in the clan's cavern.
The journey had been especially hard for Rhodri the last day. He'd spent hours in a stupor, blindly stumbling forward while countless thoughts swarmed through his harried mind. He'd noticed something very peculiar as he pressed onward; A deep feeling of elation and joy. Despite all the trauma brought on from his disguise, he could feel mirth in his heart, and a feeling of love of this marvelous land.
It terrified and sickened him. These feelings were unnatural, brought on despite the grim circumstances he found himself in. This horrid form was warping him, making him something he wasn't. It seemed limited, at least for the time being. Every time he felt the urge to cry in jubilation, to grin and leap for joy, he reminded himself of the position he was in. His people were cursed, dying slowly and painfully. The human race was about to be exterminated forever. He was stuck in a world he knew nothing of, expected to discover how to do the impossible with the weight of all humanity on his shoulders. He might become a beast, roaming the surface just like the rest of them. These dark thoughts were enough to counteract his new mind, and wipe the smile from his face.
This approach did lead to bouts of deep grief, however. In another one of his episodes, Rhodri collapsed to the ground and began wailing. He missed his home, his friends, his family, even his old self. No one here cared about him. He was going to die in this endless expanse, and then humanity would die too! His screams and sobbing echoed throughout the forest. After several minutes, he managed to compose himself. The young warrior wiped the tears from his eyes, sniffling as he got back to his feet and kept pressing on.
