where we came from — return

[Warringkingdoms]

  [font=trebuchet ms]Rin had observed a cycle of sorts in her life, having attributed it to many different causes before finally settling on the explanation that it was inherent to the universe. Even if the constant cycle of life and death was natural, however, it repeated far more quickly and far more often around her than it did elsewhere. Lively, healthy individuals were brought to ruin in the blink of an eye, sturdy buildings collapsed in freak accidents, clans that should by all rights have survived decades instead faded within two or three years.

  She didn't believe she was truly immortal, the kind of immortal that nothing and no one could remove from the mortal plane. Still, compared to her family, she was absurdly long-lived, having remained on this earth for more than four years where the others were lucky to make it to two. Those four years hadn't been consecutive, granted, but the fact that death's grip was so comparatively loose on her was worth noting nonetheless. Perhaps the gods beneath the surface thought her to be not worth dragging into hell. (They were probably right.)

  Part of her wondered if any of her fallen comrades would make a surprise reappearance right before she gave up hope, or some schmaltzy turn of events like that. Probably not, she figured. She'd run out of any good will she'd had with them, not that she could blame them for growing tired of her failings.

  The sand cat at the border held a strong enough resemblance to Tena to make Rin wonder if they were relatives. She would likely find out soon enough. "In a good mood?" she remarked as she walked over, her eyes catching onto the stranger's smile. Stifling a wince at the twinge in her burnt shoulder- she had patched it up, but bandages couldn't ease pain by themselves- she asked, "What business do you have here?"