It was a stupid move in retrospect, but that's desperation for you. Rin ran as quickly as her legs could take her. Cursing her rotten luck in between breaths. How couldn't she have seen those two old crones by the laundry? Or the fishermen within ear shot when they cried thief? She looked down at her burden, a bundle of thick rough cloth. She just wanted to stop the bleeding, it was too much. Rin continued to run cursing her shitty luck and her shitty body and her shitty dead parents. If they were still alive, She caught herself thinking for the first time in a while.

"You can't run forever bitch!" Called one hoarse voice. She looked behind and didn't remember them being so close, didn't remember them being so many. The muddy and sun baked villagers rushed closing the gap. All sneers and ugly faces some hefting weapons some with farm equipment both equally menacing to the unarmed girl.

"Stop that thief!" Another cried out, the men ahead snapping to attention. She was really at a loss as to how this could have gotten worse, and then the cramps started. Sore and seemingly doomed Rin stopped resigning herself to her fate. Why didn't she just ask for the clothes? Or for some assistance, they seemed friendly enough. Hell why hadn't she asked one of them just what was wrong with her. If she made it out of this, she decided that she would put more thought into her actions. Hadn't that always been her problem? Just jumping headlong with no thought on the consequences? It seemed a strange thing to her, getting all introspective when it was far to late to make good on past ills. When the men caught up with her they quickly formed a ring around. No way out now, not that she was in the mood to run anymore.

"Got no way to run now eh girl?" Said one particularly ugly mad all pock marks and missing teeth. He had a mad sort of look to him that didn't give her the most confidence, that and the spear in his hand pointed straight at her. He licked his cracked lips as he stepped closer. "You won't like what we do with outsiders, 'specially not thieves." He chuckled as he made a pulling movement towards his groin.

"No need for that Jin, by the gods she's younger than your daughter." Said another no less hideous man shooting the first a disapproving look. "We'll just get back them clothes, rough her up a bit and kick her out of town." He spat out the remaining words hands held fast around a cruel looking truncheon as he moved up with her.

"For pity sake are you two not men?" Shouted a bigger, stouter man so piggish Rin wouldn't have been shocked if he were sired by a boar. "She's just a girl! Get in there and knock her about!" He raised the club and prepped himself for a charge. What an utterly stupid way to die Rin thought closing her eyes and bracing herself for the ugliness to come.

There were screams, but they were surprisingly not her own. She cracked her eyes open and then quickly spread them wide. Blue flames lashed and danced though out the mob. The flaming snake broke the villagers, some running back to the river, some rolling in the earth and some of them just standing there frozen holding themselves in agony. Rin chuckled to herself in triumph. The world has gone mad. She didn't celebrate long however, having traded a cage of men for one more problematic, one of fire. Rin stood there mouth open at a loss of what to do now.

"Grab my hand!" A shrill voice pierced through the screams and agony of her pursuers seemingly from above. A rain of fire? A voice from the sky? She wondered. What next? Am I to be some dragon's breakfast? Not outside of the realm of possibility given my luck. Still she could see herself welcoming that scenario that standing here wait. She clenched her teeth, closed her eyes and reached for the sky. Trusting herself to whatever fate designed for her and felt the earth disappear beneath her.