Prologue: The Changes

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The Tenets of the Rykanthé, this dogma, these beliefs, opinions held as true by and for the Rykanthé, the beasts of mortal's flesh.

Hold fast to these tenets, for the beast of and within the blood seeks to devour you. These words held as truth will serve you, and be as a bulwark against the beast to hold it fast, and far from you, that you may live as you might,
unencumbered, free, and true.

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I don't remember all of what happened that night.

All I know is now I'm cursed.

If I hadn't been there that day. Had things been different she wouldn't be dead, and I wouldn't be cursed.

Even now the bite still throbs at night.

I'm told that's the first sign of the change. A throbbing pain, then the night sweats, then the cravings.

Soon after that the smells, the sounds, sensitivity to light. Flowing strength, increased speed, agility. Worst of all is when sway the moon has over me.

Changes to my personality.

Like the thing that killed her, and bit me, I will devolve into a mindless beast, that only lives to satisfy its hunger.

One by one everything that makes me, me is being wiped away.

I'm told there's no cure. I'll be like this till the day I die, if that day ever comes.

I've become a beast, a wolf in human skin.

A Rykanthé.

Since the incident, and I was saved by those hunters, I've been under lock and key. Soon I am to leave the village. This is the rule of the nomadic group, The Brotherhood. Most countries don't want to deal with the Rykanthé, so those bitten are forcefully taken with the Brotherhood, wherever they travel.

I'll never see my family or friends again. Not that they would want to deal with a cursed thing.

Everything is now disappearing before me.

All I can see is darkness before me.

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