R. E. N. E. G. A. D. E.

Reckless Energy

Never Emerges Gracefully

And Dies Easily

So History has taught

And History is a part of all of us

It belongs to us all

It has shaped who we are

And we shape it by what we remember

By what we conclude about those who have gone before

History so often paints a biased picture

As I pace these echoic halls so empty

Brittle glass crunching beneath my boots

Think of those who have tread the same path

Their thoughts, their dreams

Their fears, their plans

All a part of who I am

Twi, who is not invincible

Ject, who would do anything for his friend

Revel, who will rule them all

Xlack, who will become a legend

Before I can tell of me

One must understand these heroes and duty-seekers

Revolutionaries, rebels, and renegades

For my survival depends

Upon proving the truth

Of a simple statement

One person can always make a difference

—The One They Misplaced

Collector of memories

Teller of tales

Including this one

Rali noun

'ra-lē

plural: rali

Usually capitalized

1. The competition to determine who will rule the hybrids of the Napix Empire. Takes place after the current title holder's death. Though the official event lasts less than one day, the contenders, most chosen in their infancy, often express that this competition encompasses their entire lives. Every move has meaning, every friend made, lover spurned, and word spoken.

2. The title of this series, formed of the first letter of each book. This is book 1, Renegade.

NOTE

This book is part of a vast and detailed universe. For example, each culture has its own system for measuring time, distance, speed, weight, and volume. However, this book is in English, and for ease of reading, the author has chosen to convert time measurements into units familiar to an English-speaking audience. For other measurements, comparisons are given. These do not result in exact dimensions, but they get the idea across.

These worlds also have their own web of languages, and certain cultures use titles, honorifics, and labels that do not match up with any English equivalent, nor should we expect them to. Even so, the author has chosen to render many of these with an English term such as Protector, Lady, or beastling. Capitalization is very important in these instances. Some vocabulary has been transliterated either because these have no near-match in English or to preserve a cultural quirk, feel, or pun. These appear in italics. Rest assured the author worked hard to make this universe understandable, and we ask for your trust that it will all make sense in the end. An index with pronunciation guidance is provided in the back of the book.