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"All things must come to an end, as all beauty is temporary."

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There had to be a quota for how much bad luck one person could have in a single year because this was just ridiculous.

A quick count revealed no less than a dozen soldiers blocking her path back into the village, all dressed in rough-looking iron armour, the red stripe forged into the metal the telltale sign of Endeavour's men. Though she hadn't seen many with that weird-looking helmet, she assumed those sporting it had to be squad leaders.

Aside from all that, where had these clowns even come from? Didn't the old man say that they weren't due here yet? Though it appeared they weren't here for that, they made a clear line straight for her out of everyone, eyes locked on her bright red hair.

She really should have considered wearing a hat.

"Tell us where the dragon rests, and Lord Endeavour will grant you a swift end." The one with the ridiculous helmet boomed in a voice that made her ears ring.

"What?" Kirishima had a moment where she felt the cogs in her head come to a stop. They didn't know she was a changeling, after everything? There was a limit to how stupid people could be, but how did they mess that up?

"You want a dragon?"

"Did I stutter, girl?"

"Can you, uh, describe it?" Kirishima tilted her head in mock confusion.

"..." The soldiers muttered among themselves before the leader spoke again.

"The red beast! The unholy spawn that has been plaguing this land since the last moon Play dumb with me, and I'll have your tongue, witch!" The spiteful figure drew his sword and pointed its crude blade towards her.

"Ohhhh, that dragon..." Kirishima held up her hands in front of her as he stepped close, the tip to her throat. Ok, so playing dumb didn't work.

"Well!?"

"I'll just bring it on over. Hey, 'Red Riot', lunchtime!" She looked to the sky and shouted, a wide grin on her face.

Everyone present followed suit like a row of sky-bound sunflowers, looking to the heavens with a mixture of awe and confusion among them. Several seconds passed with little to no results, a stray bird overhead catching everyone's attention for a moment before looking back to the redhead. Or to where she should have been, that is, a stray cat pausing from licking itself as all eyes focused on him.

"She turned into a cat!"

A loud smacking sound could be heard, followed by yells of 'shut up, fool' and 'find her." By then, however, she was long gone.

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Well, that had been amusing; there truly were all kinds of people in this vast world. She would have loved to stay and mess with them more, but she was afraid that it would reflect badly on the town. She didn't wish to cause trouble for those who had shown her such unwavering kindness.

Kirishima looked back at the village fondly as it glowed with life behind her. She would have loved to say her farewells in a better way, but by now she was sure that the guards would be scouring the countryside for any sign of her. She promised herself that she would visit again one day. Perhaps it was wishful thinking, but she hoped that they would welcome her as warmly as they learned of her true nature.

She had barely made it over the horizon when the wind picked up almost violently, and the redhead spun on her heel. There would be no time in her life that she didn't recognise that scent, no matter how faint.

Kirishima's eyes widened in horror, and her heart sank painfully as the black cloud rose from the village. She stumbled as she took off in a sprint, leaving her pack in the snow, forgotten.

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She had never truly felt the heat of flames as she did that night. While resistant, this form was far from fireproof, and as the flames roared that night, she felt as if the fury of a thousand suns were bearing down on her. She could only imagine how the mortal population felt.

Harsh coughing drew her attention back, and the redhead tucked the smaller form in her arms in an attempt to shield him from the smoke. It was getting hard to breathe, and her usually fire-resistant lungs were burning worse than they had ever before. If it continued like this, then the boy would surely suffocate, and that wasn't something she was willing to accept.

Kirishima cursed herself for being a fool and rushing in without thinking; had she transformed, the fire would have been but a formality. It was too late to even think about it anymore; if she even tried, she would surely bring the building down on their heads, and she wasn't confident she could protect the boy from the debris.

"Hang on tightly, Shiki," Kirishima warned, instantly feeling the child's small hands ball tightly on her shoulder. If there was no exit, then she would make one. Her hardening had improved, but she had been maintaining it thus far, and the strain was building.

How many had it been? She had lost count at this point, and she feared that there were more people that she wouldn't be able to reach. Each second that passed whispered sick songs of death into her ears.

Steeling herself, she charged at the splintering, burning obstruction, shattering her way through the weakened wood and thatch. She shielded Shiki as best she could but took on the burns in his place, adding to her souvenirs from the night.

"Shiki!" Akari's voice yelled in a mixture of relief and fear. Kirishima handed the boy to his mother, watching as she hugged him tightly to her chest along with Hikaru. The redhead's heart eased slightly at the sight of the other child, grateful he had not been in the same place as his brother.

"Kirishima-"

"Into the forest, make it to the river!" The redhead yelled over her shoulder as her superior hearing perked up at more signs of life.

As she ran, she felt her heartache as she heard the following whispers of 'thank you' in the distance. Kirishima felt tears gather in frustration and grief; she deserved no words of thanks.

She had brought this upon them; what had she been thinking about staying here so long? She knew they would find her eventually but at this speed? Had someone figured out who she was and given her away? There were so many questions and no time to find answers, and she feared there would be no one left to ask.

"If you can hear me, where are you?" Kirishima had no choice at this point; the buildings were too unstable and weak to search for her true form. Now, "Please, say something!" She called desperately with no answer and feared the worst when no reply came.

It ate away at her as she heard another scream from the distance and had no choice but to run to the next place. She had been too late. There was no time to search every corner, no time to soothe her wounds, even as parts turned black.

Eventually, there was no longer anyone left to save; one way or another, everyone was gone, and all that was left were the towers of flame.

Kirishima finally came to a stop, sinking to her knees in the snow to the point where she was unable to even feel the bite in her skin. Black snow continued to fall all around her; she didn't know if it was ash or snow anymore, or perhaps a mixture of both. Her skin was an unnaturally dark and blistered colour; her once bright red tresses burned away to stubs on her scalp; and her clothes were nothing but a memory.

She had nothing left in her.

Her hardening had gotten her this far, but this form was done for now. The thought lingered for a moment before she succumbed to her draconic form and towered above the very spot she had once knelt.

Her human form may have been broken for now, but the majestic beast that took her place glowed with a rage that sought to be quenched. Even among the burning earth, she found the scent of the vile creatures that had started this hell, and with a mighty beat of her wings, she took to the skies to end it.

A night filled with the souls of the damned set fire to stories that would later spread to every corner of the continent, to both the ears of friend and foe. With the assistance of an anonymous travelling merchant, the story of Red Riot and her Crimson Dragon withstood even the interference of Endeavour and his men, becoming a new symbol of hope among the debris.

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I suck at scene transition; sue me. . (p.s. I thought I would post one of the chapters I wrote in advance early.)