Shinju (just need to finish history)

[Shinju 'Torrent']

Contact Information: me email

Roleplaying Experience: 3 years

How did you find us?: Fates Embrace

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Is He/She a Canon?: nope

Nationality: Earth Kingdom

Location: The High Seas me harty

Alliance: Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom

Is He/She a Bender?: psh... bending... who needs that?

Character's Name: Shinju 'Torrent', the EK girl with as radically tempered as the sea

Gender: female

Age: 17

Height: 5 feet 4 inches

Appearance: (

GENERAL:
Her mahogany hair falls down to her waist in very few waves because it is very choppy and layered from messy cutting whenever it became too much of a burden for her. The auburn locks are arranged in random braids wrapped with bands of dark raw hide appearing in a total of twelve different places in her long mane.

Behind the piecey strands of hair that frame her heart shaped face are two olive green eyes with a glittering ring of topaz around her black pupils. Her skin is richly tanned from spending most of her time on the either swimming in the gigantic sun reflector that is the sea, or on the pirate ship where there is very little refuge from the sun's relentless rays. One small spot on the bottom right corner of her lip is a darker shade of rouge then the surrounding pink. It came to be through an old nervous habit of Shinju's where she finds herself constantly ripping of the top few layers of skin from her pouty lips. Long arched brown eyebrows lay above her dark lids. A thin scar traces along the edge above her right eyebrow, a shiny white deliberate mark, earned after her first few months spent on the ship, a lucid reminder of her place and purpose.

Shinju stands at a decent height of five feet four inches, although she wishes she was taller she isn't one to ever let height become a disadvantage. From constant drilling, fighting, and scourging for meals Shinju is very toned with only slight curves marking her body. However her slender and pixie-like features from her heart shaped face to her willowy hands make her gender a dead giveaway, and almost a weakness that has always made proving her strength and worth in her world a tough task. Multiple scars streak her tanned torso, received either from sword training or battle confrontations. Some have tanned a shade darker then her skin, others white as snow, or some nearly perfectly blending in with her skin, all depending on the depth and age of the initial wound. Rope burn marks are prominent as well as permanent on her palms from constantly manning the sails of her ship, small nicks mark them as well as her fingers from sword play. Four round puncture scars dot her left arm, received during her battle with one of the Unagi of Kyoshi island, they were unnaturally stretched into an oval-like shape to aid healing. Last put not least on her right shoulder is a brown puffed up burn, in the perfect shape of a lotus, a brand courtesy one of the darkest bands of pirates to sail the sea, the crew of the Fire Nation's Raiden.

On top of her under garments is first a billowy white, long-sleeved, cotton blouse with a neckline that plunges far below her collar bone, laced up with a braided cotton drawstring. Over that is a russet leather corset that serves as very basic armor and is laced up in the front by rawhide string. It has a burnt pattern of two dragons, winding up from her chest and both meeting in a spiral at her back and is of Fire Nation origin. Her top layer is a pine green, sleeveless, woolen tunic with a neckline that extends only a few inches down from her neck in a steep "v". It is cut a few inches below her waist covering a quarter of her thighs, with slits at the sides that go up to her waist. The tunic is tied up around her waist with multiple, inch think, leather belts. There are five in all, two dark umber ones that has mother of peals swirls and circles sewn onto them. The other three are studded with iron bolts. Under the three belts she hides her sai and a few Unagi fang daggers. Her woolen pants are a faded teal, covered with multiple pockets cut from various burlap and woolen fabrics in varying shades of grey and dark blues, (each with a small flap to cover them and either two ribbons or a hole and shell to button or tie the pockets closed). Dark green turtle shell knee guards are fastened over her calf length Unagi hide boots which are dark grey and blue in hue. Thick navy laces constructed from the same hide hold the boots closed and serve also as a scabbard for her butterfly knives. From her wrists to her elbow are russet leather arm guards, laced together on the under arm side, with quite a few scorch marks. Above them golden brown miniature belts that buckle are the cotton blouse making the material less of a burden. Under the upper arm bands she keeps her bamboo pan pipe and a few other Unagi fang daggers. Shinju is aware the dangers of traveling alone, not even counting the fact of her gender. She always makes sure that as much of her body as possible is covered up by her layers in the hopes to make herself as uninteresting as possible. But if that fails her very noticeable supply of weapons, including her crowing glory, two chicken saber swords (which are slung behind her back in long dark brown pouch with a pattern of swirling lines burned into both it's bottom and top), would be enough to ward away anyone with bad intentions.

Shinju wears a sage headband/ sash spun from cotton with small glittery mother of peal beads sewn around the edges that used to keep sweat and hair out of her eyes. The only piece of jewelry she wears in her attempts to appear nondescript is an olive green and light brown striped moon snail shell necklace that is tied around her neck with braided rope.


Personality

Knowing the art of trade (and yes it is an art) is any pirate's source of bread and butter… among other things... no one picks up a life of piracy expecting to get just bread and butter. Having the proper skill and knowledge to determine the value of your merchandise is paramount. A pirate never wants to be cheated, it ruins your reputation, because after all it is they who are supposed to do the cheating. The keen skill of determining worth is something Shinju has finely tuned over her years of trading with and for a broad range of interesting items. Her aptitude of appraisal has branched off onto objects beyond the realm of materialistic items. Her acute perception makes her a good judge of character, taking note of every minute detail of movement, tone, opinion, and most importantly action to structure her analysis. Although her occupation hardly gives her the right to judge people, (which is sometimes sarcastically pointed out to her), she can't help but judge, more than anything it is a survival instinct.

Another product of her pirate lifestyle is a strong sense of the world around her. Good observation only skims the surface of Shinju's knowledge. For the past eight years she has traveled the world stopping at ports through out the kingdoms. It was her job to know these people, and to know their needs and wants. It was her job to know about the six month drought long, the rise in popularity of ginseng tea, the latest inventions in weaponry and the newest fashion trends throughout the kingdoms. Despite the necessity for such knowledge her undying curiosity was definitely a key factor in her success of gathering so much information. Through that constant searching, digging, inquiring she gained something priceless. Shinju had become a very cultured pirate, with enough street smarts to survive in any city in the four kingdoms. The job of course is a constant one, Shinju continually keep tabs on everything and anything, getting left behind was never an option. Moving on is survival, especially in the fast paced world Shinju was raised in. There was no time for steps backward. Any delay in your reflexes was an immediate death sentence.

Always being able to keep two steps ahead is a talent of Shinju's, and even better creating an entirely different path all together. Shinju just has a knack for problem solving and inventions, and loved anything that challenges her creative abilities. Along with her amazing problem solving abilities is the added skill of resourcefulness, something greatly needed when stranded in the middle of the ocean with hardly any supplies at hand. "Imagine the Possibilities", quickly became one of Shinju's most used slogans. Her mind is constantly going at the speed of light, buzzing endlessly with new ideas, slowing down and stopping for no one. Needless to say Shinju is always the idea girl, with an accompanying action plan included. Despite her highly active imagination she isn't one to pitch a plan without having a way for it to be actually brought to life. She hates people that are all talk and no action, so of course she refuses to be that way.

With the entire ocean as a back yard Shinju's unrelenting adventurous spirit is one of the strongest traits she has. Even before Shinju ever walked on a pirate ship she had it, she was born with it. Life at sea only fueled her wild heart, bringing her face to face with constant battles and challenges, epic ventures she could only dream about back in the Earth Kingdom. Shinju also has a love for risks and gambles. Whether it be the uncertainty, the unbeatable odds, or the satisfaction of seeing the shock on everyone's face when coming out the victor, she honestly can't decide. But above all it is truly the thrill and adrenaline rush of trying to put all the pieces together, getting it all just right, the chances of getting caught or killed, (an idea totally downplayed in most of Shinju's early life). It all built a sense of excitement and arrogance in Shinju, a childish aspect of Shinju's life that never will die.

She is easily romanced by the unknown, and even more the idea of being the first to know it. With her unquenchable curiosity she constantly chases the horizon, being hardly one to handle the same scenery for long periods of time. She arduous fixation on the mysteries that lie beyond the shore before her, enough to preserve their beauty and wild freedom and keep them from falling into the hands of those who wish to tame it and rape it. As a pirate she fights a constant war with the Fire Nation Navy, whose only wish appears to be to claim every foam capped wave and sand covered shore.

Along with her love for adventure is a love for freedom itself. As a pirate Shinju had little to answer to besides her captain. She wasn't bound to laws, religion, or patriotism, her will and capabilities were her own, or at least that was the way she envisioned things. That is one way she relates to the sea, and has such a connection to its temperamental spirit. She shows her anger as cruelly and freely as the waves. Crashing, thrashing, crushing, with unrelenting fury. She is not one to hide anger when the offense warrants it, along with other emotions. Being expressive was the only way to get your point across when you live with a bunch of clueless men, subtle hints get you nowhere. Shinju is also very stubborn in her freedom. She is accustomed to having to rely on her own strength and brains to get her through trouble, and she often does not trust the strength and intelligence of others. There are only a select few that she would ever listen to, and possinly change her mind from their advice. For those reasons her choice to start her own crew may seem unwise. Being neither a trustworthy person or a trusting person herself claiming responsibility as captain can definitely be viewed as a haphazard decision. But in her line of business, alliances (no matter how fragile or unstable they are) are important because the sea is not a place you can travel alone, and a ship is not a one man vessel. The adventures she will face in the future will require the help of others, and although as a captain she will have enough creative power to choose her own missions and battles, through her alliance with her crew she may be willing to yield to their opinions as well as willing to accept their service.

Along with her comfort of fully expressing her feelings she is a very blunt person. Beating around the bush is just not an option for Shinju who clearly states her mind with a very little amount of care for offending or hurting the people hearing her. She never lets a problem or error go uncalled or unpunished. While her lack of patience may not be the best attitude with which to lead a group, its the most efficient way she knows, and she holds back no anger or criticism no matter how cruel. That cynicism is simply having a sharper perspective of the world in Shinju's mind. A perspective clouded by neither fear, courtesy, religion, and lies which she believes all the above are.

Despite her major flaws and slightly intimidating connotations drawn from her dark background there is something that draws people to Shinju, her undying sarcasm. When growing up on a ship full of men learning to take a joke comes naturally, or naturally if you want to survive. The ability to make any situation laughable makes life more enjoyable, more livable, more of a breeze. Having a sense of humour never hurts, although when caught in the moment Shinju can get slightly out of hand, sometimes making victims of her jokes. Sure you can say that a good joke doesn’t need to bring a person down to be funny, but sometimes a few comments could just slip… like a slap in the face, which are at times very deserving. So you can consider one of her greatest social skills one of her greatest weapons. With her undying wit and originality (not to boast to the extreme) getting a crowd of strangers to laugh is easy, making her pretty fun to be around. Whether it is used it to cheer up a sad face or just to warm up a crowd, humour definetly works it's magic, and after all where's there's laughter there's happiness...at least in Shinju's opinion. Entertaining is what she loves to do, either with a quick tune on her flute, an imaginative tale, or a hilarious joke Shinju is a constantly animated person. Her highly argumentative nature also makes her a fan of bantering back and forth with (only) someone she considers an intellectual equal. All in all she is a very lively and outing person, willing to strike up a conversation with any person that crosses her path. Her social and easy going manner makes her a very charismatic individual, able to hold the attention of large audiences and even sometimes persuade them to her side or cause.




Strengths:
[x]good judging character, can see through all the 'b.s.'
[x]eagle-eyed
[x]innovative
[x]creative
[x]entertaining
[x]outgoing
[x]speedy
[x]street smart
[x]good at improvising
[x]witty, snarky
[x]clever
[x]charismatic
[x]good leadership skills
[x]ruthless

Weaknesses:
[x]too risky, likes a gamble
[x]outspoken, snarky, blunt
[x]does not have a huge amount of body strength
[x]flighty, not too trusting or trust worthy
[x]overly passionate
[x]obstinate
[x]quixotic
[x]impatient

[Shinju 'Torrent']

History: (A couple paragraphs will do..) hahahaha i'm the same girl who wrote sayuri's

Roots
Shinju was born into a lower class family of farm laborers in small village on the southern end of the Earth Kingdom Continent. The village was located on a large river that led right out to the sea forming a great delta which provided the village with the fertile soil needed to cultivate the rice which not only fed her family but nearly every family in the Earth Kingdom. Shinju's family did not own their own farm but instead worked in the rice paddy fields the belonged to a large land owner who also played the role of village chief in the small farming community Shinju spent the first eight years of her life. From the age of four Shinju waded out through the flooded rice fields with her family each harvest season gathering up the small grains from the fields and laying them out to dry in the baking sun. The process was tedious which was the reason why nearly every pair of working hands was needed to aid the effort. That's what life was like in the faming village. Each family had it's own small clay hut with no more then two rooms, making privacy an unheard of luxury. Dirt floors where covered by simple wool mats that also served as beds during the night. Neighbors shared a small clay oven outside and contributed to the kindling that fed its fire. Entire generations of families lived within walking distance of each other making her village a very close-knit one. That strong principle of family was something their community relied on and their livelihood survived on. Despite their obvious poverty her family lived happily hardly acknowledging it. Shinju was one child out of five others, with two older brothers, an older sister, and one younger brother, and even still she never felt attention starved because her family extended to every person in her village. Her parents were hard working field laborers who also labored just as tediously to instill in their children pride out of making their living off the bounty the earth gave to them.

As a child Shinju's adventurous and curious spirit always managed to get her into trouble. Whether it be something as simple as leading her troop far past the boundaries of the farm lands or letting loose groups of stampeding cow sheep through the village fields and sandy coasts. There was never anything exciting happening in the village. Only whispers of a far away war reached Shinju's home, but it was enough to feed her lively imagination. She created countless battle reenactments, epic adventures in search of the missing avatar, and raids inside the fire nation palace, each staring Shinju and her friends. Entertaining was something Shinju greatly enjoyed to do by leading herself and friends through countless antics and adventures to help make the long days on the farm a little more enjoyable and a little less lengthy. She loved knowing she was the source of laughter or happiness to the people she was with, the thought that her energy could inspire so many people in a sense inspired her.

When out in the fields Shinju was usually the first to find the easiest way to get a job done. What her mother often scolded as laziness Shinju turned into innovation. She would organize and divide the already simple tasks into even simpler ones. She even crafting a new harvesting tool out of her aunt's "old rags" (laundry) she had left hanging outside. Shinju created pouches with the rags and attached them in a fishing net style to some sticks, which she and her friends would scoop up rice and water with and letting the water soak through the fabric. Shinju just always had a knack for finding the easy way or efficient way of doing thing, easy or efficient depending on the perspective, and the way.



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The Invasion
In the fall of Shinju's eighth year the once rumored war led by the fire nation became a reality. It was midday when two village boys came down from the cliffside pastures where they were watching the cow sheep grazing there. They swore they saw smoke clouds rising from the sea. What first looked like a nasty storm about to break on the shore proved to be much worse. All the woman children were called inside. Shinju kept her ear glued to every crack she could find, hoping to hear some news. Metal rigs were appearing on the horizon, speeding across the waters at speeds that surpassed any wind powered vessel that had ever passed the village before. The Fire Nation Navy would be too large for the men in the village to take on, and the Earth Benders who were few in numbers, could not bend sand, the paddy fields, or the metal in the rigs. A wave of hopelessness washed through the village as the black rigs drove closer and closer to the shoreline, by nightfall the sleek vessels hit the coast.

There was little resistance. The few earth benders that took a stand were taken as prisoners onto the rigs. Soldiers raided homes for food, striking down some of the men who tried to defend their families. Soon they took the paddy fields, and under the orders of their commanders worked to destroy the crop. Any farmer who dared to protect their prized produce were killed, left dead soiling in the fields. Their attack was quick, their leaders aim was to destroy every Earth Kingdom farm and eventually starve the entire continent into surrender. Once the village had been crushed and its harvest destroyed they moved on to the next location on their map.

Despite the clean cut invasion the village was devastated. Shinju was lucky enough to have both a mother and father at the end of the day, but many of her friends lost older brothers and fathers some being her own cousins and uncles. Shinju began to resent the Fire Nation after the attack. How could they be so heartless, how could a war drive them to kill so many innocent and weaponless people, how could they kill just to kill? These questions were only the beginning of a transformation 8 year old Shinju's mind was making. As the village tried to bring itself to deal with the loss it had been hit with more trouble was just on the horizon.



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Displace Me
It was a smaller, less anticipated attack, one that Shinju's village believed they could defend themselves against. But there was a difference in these invaders. Although they lacked the brute force that the Fire Nation operated with these men fought their battle with a different tool, their minds. Like vultures the pirates followed the Fire Nation Fleet, ready to attack the already devastated village. They set off explosives, stirring the village into a chaotic frenzy. Many of the village's warriors were killed instantly in the shrapnel and debris from the blast. In mobs the pirates landed upon the shore, sweeping through every hut, grabbing what they could before fleeing. It all appeared disorganized, the pirates appeared to be easy opponents, sword waving fools. But that was the genius of their plan, the chaos was on their side, it gave them victory. The attack was just a façade, that's not where their true strength was being applied, but instead the burglary of every valuable object in sight.

Amidst the yelling, screaming, and crying Shinju hid herself inside a large wooden truck in her parents bedroom. She tucked herself beneath the soft fabric of her mother's kimono, hoping to stay hidden until it was all over, that maybe once she raised the lid again everything would be back to normal. Through the wooden walls of the chest Shinju heard smashing and stomping. Light suddenly flooded through the many layers of fabric over her face, before darkness came back as the lid above her was slammed. The wooden chest tipped suddenly, sending Shinju into one of its wooden walls. She felt it rock back in forth as she was paralyzed with fear. Was the floor beneath her shaking, was she being carried away?

Voices exploded around Shinju, screaming, crying, yelling all echoing off the walls surrounding her head. Shinju felt herself being thrown upwards as the chest was dropped to the ground. Her face stung, her ribs and knees ached as she squirmed in the tight space, hugging her mother's wedding kimono. She let her tears stain the soft fabric, as her fingers knotted through it, not wanting to let go of the little bit of comfort she had. She wasn't sure how long she stayed like that, or even if she managed to fall asleep, but she knew when that lid opened again she would not be at home.

She was awakened by the rough voices of two men, arguing over the closed wooden lid. Shinju shielded her eyes as light flooded through the chest again, the voices growing louder. Shinju wrapped herself in the kimono above her as she realized what the two men were arguing over, the contents of the chest. She would not let them have it! It was her mothers, it was going to be her own one day! Shinju refused to let her treasure go into the hands of the two men. She emerged from the pile of fabric, her little eyes narrowed on the two arguing men.

"A child! How did she get on here!?", exclaimed one of them, eyes filled with shock. "This is my kimono, you can't have it!", screamed little Shinju as she did her best to grab as many of the sheets as possible before jumping out of the box. She was caught in mid air by the other pirate, and no amount of kicking, punching, or biting could get him to release her.

Shinju was carried out side on what appeared to be a ship's deck. She stopped fighting instantly as her eyes readjusted to the light of her new surroundings. Salty air hit her nose as her eyes followed a wooden railing that seemed to cut them off from the plain of endless blue below. Shinju's scenic tour came to an instant end as the pirate carrying her dropped her onto the wooden ground. "Hey!", she yelled in defiance, an action she regretted as she looked into the eyes of the man in front of her.

He was massive man, seated in what appeared to be a wooden thrown that over looked the entire ship. He had thick eyebrows that seemed frozen into a constant scrutinizing frown and dark glaring eyes. A deadly curved sword gleamed from under his belt and a large dark hat rested upon his stony head. Shinju tried to concentrate on that ridiculous hat, wondering if he was in charge because he had the biggest one... that seemed rather silly.

"A stow-away from the farm we invaded last night Captain Sao Feng", reported the man that had carried her there. "

The Sao Feng examined the girl before him for less then a second before making his decision.

"She is too young to be of any use to us, and we cannot change our course. Keep her in the cargo hold. We'll drop her off at the next port we stop at.", ordered the Captain, waving away the pirate and the girl.

Shinju felt tears sting her eyes, "But... I want to go home! I WANT TO GO HOME!", she broke out into a tantrum, screaming at and kicking every pirate within reach before she was wrestled down. Her arms while bound, and a gag tie fastened around her mouth as she was dragged away, back into the darkness she came from. A few curious pirates would visit her, wanting to see the cause of the excitement on the captain's deck earlier, but otherwise Shinju was left all alone, growing homesick. Later on that evening an gentle looking, squinty eyed man with long graying hair entered the cargo hold. He carried a small bowl of rice with him, and knelt down before little Shinju. The man untied her gag tie as well as her hand bindings while introducing himself. He fed with her with a pair of wooden chopsticks while asking her question about her home. His name was Yoshio, the giver of the only acts of kindness Shinju had yet received aboard the pirate's ship, that she later found out was named The Sea Serpent. Yoshio had brought her dinner, and even gave her company as she ate it, amusing her with tales about their sea ventures. For the next few weeks Yoshio became her best friend, even convincing the captain to let Shinju journey from her prison to explore the ship.

Those weeks with Yoshio passed quickly, and Shinju began growing more comfortable in her new home, becoming almost a little pet to the men on the ship. She was always willing to watch and learn something knew, or to sit around for a lengthy anecdote about past raids and battles. But land was coming into view again, marking an end to Shinju's stay on the ship. Despite her fear of the pirates Shinju held an even greater one for the large oncoming port. She had never seen a place with so many people before, she knew she would be immediately lost and forgotten. Captain Sao Feng ordered another pirate to drop her off, knowing of the friendship between Yoshio and Shinju. She became close to throwing a tantrum as she was dragged away from the cargo hold, the threat of the pirate's blades finally silencing her. Cooperatively she walked off the ship, following her guide through the maze of booths and stores. Dropping off their unwanted cargo was not the only business the crew of The Sea Serpent were taking care of at the port. The entire island was a treasure chest of merchandise, and with just one second of inattentiveness from the merchants the pirates were able to stealthily make that treasure there's, or so they thought. Only one pirate managed to reap in some loot that day, the one with Shinju to distract the salesmen and woman at the booths and shops, with her large innocent eyes and never ending inquiries.

Shinju was not abandoned at the port that day, but instead was invited back onto the ship by the treasure bearing pirate, eager to share with his captain the fruits of his day's labor. Captain Sao Feng disliked his man's disobedience, but was enticed by the beneficial prospects Shinju's charades could result in. Shinju provided an opportunity never explored in the world of pirates before, the chance to create the perfect pirate. The perfect fighting, gambling, swindling, conning, deceiving, innovating, master even known. All the perks of a male heir without the threat of having him one day cry mutiny and over throw his father once he grew too old to take orders. Sao Feng believed a woman would be too submissive to rebel so harshly, the young farm girl would be bent to his will easily. And from that moment Shinju's life became a never ending crash course in the dangerous art of piracy.



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Yo ho Yo ho a Pirates Life for Me
Her name was not always Shinju. She was born Mayumi Haruki, but that name as well as the family it belonged to was something Shinju was forced to leave behind her. She wasn't sure how it happened. Perhaps it was the combined fear of the pirates and the strange kindness from Yoshio which caused Shinju to forget the place she called home, to forget the faces of the family she once belonged to, to forget even her name. Of course this was Sao Feng's plan. His perfect warrior could not have any ties or loyalties to anything but him and The Sea Serpent, her past life needed to be erased.

Yoshio had been assigned the task of being her father, one he had taken up willingly the moment he met the little bandit. Despite Shinju's initial home sickness Yoshio had a way of making everything better, mainly by turning Shinju's kidnapping into a sailing adventure. Shinju became entranced and romanced by pirate lore, wanting to make herself a reputation among the many rebel names she had heard of through songs and stories during her time on the ship. But soon enough the dazzling epic adventure Shinju was having took a less dazzling turn. Yoshio's excessive compassion would become less common as Captain Sao Feng demanded the beginning of his prodigy's training.

Shinju was first taught a skill, some form of entertainment to distract merchants while the crew went about their business. Shinju's first choice was to serenade the merchants with the same instrument that she fell asleep to each night, the pan pipe. Yoshio taught her this skill, along with playing the flute. Both tasks took little then a month for Shinju to learn and soon enough she was displaying her talents at every port they stopped at, catching the attention of every passerby with her sweet, simple melodies. Shinju realized her importance, enough to challenge the captain when he demanded that she spend less time with Yoshio and more out at the ports aiding the crew's thieving efforts. However Sao Feng would not allow his chances of training the perfect pirate be spoiled by such arrogance, so he instead left Shinju with a little warning, a deep cut running smoothly against the edge of her right eye brow.

Obedience was the quickest lesson learned. Despite Shinju's usual reaction of rebellion she had learned to pick her fights, at least while she stood no chance against any opponent. Reading was another skill needed for the savvy bargainer, and a process that took well over six months for Shinju to reach a point of being able to read packages and scrolls with little struggle. She always had a creative mind and naturally was a master of scheming up plans and inventions. Sao Feng saw to it that her blessing of innovation would be applied to more darker uses, his uses. Shinju now needed to learn to think like a pirate, a task that found Shinju prowling through city streets lead by any one of the Serpent's crew as they schooled her in the basic principles of conning and thieving. She was taught to be swift, gliding through crowds and their pockets without her presence being noticed. Stealth was able to keep her alive when strength could not. In a world ruled by money every rule is rewritten. Stealing took on many new definitions and many other names. Some of those various tricks taught to Shinju by her "mentors", others creations of her own. It was no longer simple stealing, it much more complex, noble even. It was beating the system, the cruel system that kept the rich growing richer and the poor growing poorer, Shinju was just evening out the bounty. To further test her "new abilities" she would be left alone at a port for a week or a weekend. Every meal she would have and every copper piece she had to buy it with had to be "earned" by Shinju on her own. The fear of being caught and the floggings received when she was proved to be one of her most powerful teachers. And soon enough during those tests she was able to purchase a five star room to spend the night in with all over her "earnings".

As Shinju grew she began to appreciate the ship as a floating library, a menagerie of innumerable cultural artifacts that managed to capture every aspect of the many lives lived in the four nations. While Sao Feng refused to have his student turn into a scholar he often would show his pupil around the cabins of the ship introducing her to the culture of every nation through the diverse merchandise on the Serpent. It was hardly equivalent to a course at The Earth Kingdom University or the Fire Nation Academy but it sufficed for Shinju's future in trading, after all she would have to know her customers in order to know what they wanted, and even more she needed to know her potential enemies in order to defeat them.


It was a few years later Shinju began training for combat. Despite her captain's wishes to begin at age 9, Yoshio fought for at least two more years where he would not have to watch his adopted daughter be trained to be a killer. When the time came Sao Feng wished for his warrior to be trained in the style of the Fire Nation so she could match up to the soldiers they were often fighting against. Shinju's early training consisted of basic blocks, kicks, punches, and some more advanced training with dual swords. Despite her fellow crewmen's success in schooling her when it came to wielding a blade, or in Shinju's case two, it was clear the Shinju was not receiving the best training when it came to hand on hand combat. As a pre-teen Shinju found herself constantly thrown into fights with Fire Nation villagers and students of the Fire Nation Academies spread through all of the islands of the nation. Despite the initial failures most of her fights proved to be they gained her the most knowledge and experience when it came to honing her technique. But the time she was 14 she was able to come out of a fight with a soldier as the victor. After that moment many of the young boys either training or entering the Fire Nation army became her favorite sparring partners, both opponents managing to take away a new skill or technique by the battle's end.

Shinju was beginning to mature into the pirate Sao Feng had always dreamed of, but Yoshio's constant lectures about honor, love, and respect for human life began to put a few road blocks in the process. Shinju began to question the life she was leading, but not enough to even imagine another life besides it. But Yoshio remained persistent, not wanting to watch Shinju be consumed by the greed and selfishness that nearly every man on that ship had already fallen slave to. And so he decided to explain just how he came to be a pirate.


The Sea Serpent was not always a pirate ship. It was originally part of an elite group of sailors and rebels who fought their own war against the Fire Nation's Navy. But soon enough the war fought by volunteers was not proving to be profitable enough to keep the interest of the crew any longer. Many left and were replaced by a new kind of rebel with dark intentions. Yoshio was a part of the first crew. He spent 5 years of his life, devoted to crushing the Fire Nation's Navy. He left his home and family as a war hero, he was not about to return a failure. After a few years with the Serpent's new crew Yoshio had earned enough money to send his only son to the Earth Kingdom University in Ba Sing Se to receive a proper education. But the secret of The Sea Serpent's dark dealings were soon exposed. Yoshio was titled pirate along with the rest of the crew. And when his son found out his education was paid for with blood money he refused to ever talk to his father again.

Yoshio lost a son, and he wasn't about to lose a daughter. He informed Shinju of a dowry he had saved up for Shinju in the hopes she would marry a good husband who would take care of her. He suggested one her sparring partners in the Fire Nation Navy, a concept hilarious to Shinju, she hated the Fire Nation Navy. They threatened the free spirit of the sea, closing in over every empty space on the map, making it less of the eternal frontier it used to be. Aside, Shinju assured Yoshio of her gratitude, but in truth she could see no other life then the one she had been living for the past eight years. She thought it unfair to be asked to leave everything she had worked for at that point, and she also was far to independent to consider being under the care of any man besides Yoshio.

[Shinju 'Torrent']

A Warrior's Rite of Passage
The Sea Serpent was making it's way around the waters of Kyoshi Island around Spring. Cherry blossoms dotted the coast line making Shinju's mouth water with dreams of plum sweet ice. Along with the New Year Shinju celebrated the passing of her 16th birthday, and she believed her time had come to prove herself capable of being the warrior she was born to be. It is not that Shinju had never participated in a fight before, or never assisted in the raiding of Fire Nation vessels. It was more a matter of the fact that despite Shinju's constant participation in battles and raids and even despite her many victories she still had not managed to stand out more then any member of the crew, and it was something that haunted her.

Captain Sao Feng had the crew on extra alert as they passed through the deep water surrounding Kyoshi which were famous for its Unagi population. No one was said to ever survive an attack from those ferocious sea monsters and no amount of preparation could prepare any crew their attack. They employed the ingenious tactic of wrapping their ropey bodies around the hulls of ships, squishing and squeezing until the ship's timber would give into the pressure.

It was mid day when the water under the hull of The Serpent began to grow turbulent. The ship was rocked and tossed as the water below began to grow even more violent. A dark mass moved through the water as Sao Feng commanded his crew to catch any amount of wind possible to get them flying into a different direction, but it all was too late. The mass emerged, rivers of water flowing down it's scale-less back. It writhed and twisted it's way around The Serpent, trapping it in it's grasp and tightening. Spears, swords, arrows, all proved useless against the beast. Blasting jelly, the one weapon that could be used against the monster, was only sold in the Fire Nation, the one place they had not stopped yet. After failing to do any damage to the Unagi's under belly with her butterfly swords, Shinju gazed hopelessly into the creatures opened mouth when suddenly she realized, it had only one row of teeth. One row of teeth meant less of a change of getting impaled by one of it's dagger-like fangs when eaten, meaning the possibility of being swallowed alive, meaning she could do some major damage from the inside.

The crew stared at their youngest member in disbelief as she surfed her way along the creatures massive spine before finally scaling it's neck along it's spikes. She yanked on one of the monster's whiskers, holding on tightly as she was suspended into the air. The thing screeched in pain, opening it's abyss of a mouth while Shinju swung herself onto it's tongue before disappearing. Silence took over as the creature calmed itself down. But second later the Unagi erupted in screams again as two dark spokse protruded from it's neck. Shinju began to notice streaks of light shining through the holes she was creating. She continued to drive her sai into the wet walls surrounding her, slicing her way from the monster's throat. The headless body sunk back into the water, leaving Shinju wet and exhausted still resting with half her body lodged in the back of the Unagi's mouth.

For the first time Shinju felt appreciated, she had fulfilled her destiny in a sense, proving that everyone's efforts in her training were not at all put to waste. Sao Feng was finally beginning to see the brilliant prodigy he had longed dreamed for. Eight years of hard work were finally beginning to reward him, and he was only beginning to scheme ways to put his new weapon to his advantage.




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Distant Horizons
Shinju swung her butterfly swords across the length of her arm, alternating the blades from before and behind her. The slicing movements would have proven fatal on the man before her, fatal if the dull edge of her blades were not facing the man. The blows hit the man's arm with a deafening crack, followed by screams of his own, before he went crashing down. Shinju brandished the burnt blades with a smirk as her eyes traveled up and down the red and black uniform fastened to the man's body. "I just cut off the flow of your chi to your arms and hands. If you attempt to fire bend with your legs I'll be forced to break them as well." Shinju raised her blades up showing she had every intention of doing so. The threat sunk in and the Fire Nation Soldier dragged himself away from the cabin Shinju was about to enter.

As she entered through the door it was obvious the poor man inside had managed to hear every scream, yelp, and cry that escaped the lungs of the soldiers on the small Fire Nation clipper. Shinju raised her eye brow as her smirk widened, sure it was a small ship but she hadn't expected it to be so terribly guarded. She bore into the man's eyes with her own, waiting for him to give something away. One small glance to Shinju's right sent her into a dueling stance as she placed her blades defensively before her. There was one more man hidden in the cabin to guard the helmsman, which made two against one, and Shinju only had her eyes on one opponent...crap. The helmsman had obviously decided to make himself useful by picked up a small blade. Shinju quickly deflected the soldier's attacks before spinning around to kick the helmsman back into the controls of the ship. The ship lunged left sending Shinju's opponent off balance. With another powerful sidekick Shinju knocked the man into the waters below.

Shinju thanked Agni for the stroke of luck, she never handled well against more then two or three opponents. A few seconds later Shinju had disarmed the helmsman sending him to the sea below along with his bodyguard. Shinju shook her head, she never understood why helmsman were never trained well for battle. Besides the captain of the ship they were any invader's biggest target. She continued to stare out the window, glad that her two opponents made a safe landing in the shallow waters beneath the ship. Of course they had no idea just how shallow it was, their imagined shock filled faces forced a chuckle out of Shinju. An explosion sounded as a dazzling blue cloud streaked the air. At night its full effect would have been ten times as brighter but for now it served as an adequate signal. Shinju maneuvered her hands along the ship's control table steering it sharply into the direction of the flair. The ship jolted violently as it hit the sand bar Shinju found while swimming days before.

The raid was successful, Shinju's creative plan earning the crew of The Sea Serpent a good supply of weapons and blasting jelly. It was not a lot, considering the small size of the ship, but it was enough of a profit for the amount of effort put into the attack. When Shinju reentered the ship she was met with a welcome worthy of a war hero. A few burly pirates swept her off her feet and carried her on board the Serpent. She was even offered some of the roast turtle duck stolen from the clipper's captain's table. Queen of the Seas, Queen of All Pirates! Nothing else describe what she felt like more at that moment then those two titles.

She noticed a few faces were missing, a given when you take on the likes of the Fire Nation Navy. They were not faces she knew too well. Shinju was hardly close to any of the crew members except for Yoshio. She spent many nights laughing and joking with all of them, but the age gaps between her and them far too large to establish a form of camaraderie. Age was not the only thing that kept Shinju from getting to close to them. The problem was pretty obvious, she was the only woman on a ship full of men, the only woman they would be close to for months on end. As a child Shinju was never aware of how much as risk she was, but she was older now and she knew first hand the pigs that men could be. Luckily for her she knew how to defend herself, and it if ever got to bad she did have one man she could trust to bail her out, Yoshio. And he was the only man on the ship she trusted, and then she realised his face was missing too.

"The captain wishes to see you Shinju", sneered Qin. Qin, like many of the pirates had taken a disliking to Shinju's presence of the ship. Not only had she had more training and education then any of them ever had, but she was also their competition. A smirk played on Shinju's lips as her worried mood changed to a smug one. It was clear she was over reacting, or at least that is what tried to convince herself.

Qin returned the smirk, a reaction that made Shinju's stomach turn, he knew something she didn't, something bad. "The Captain has news for you... but let me save you the anxiety...", Qin began, taking in Shinju's shocked face with pleasure.
"Yoshio's dead. He was killed in the ra-"

Shinju's fist slammed into Qin's stomach before he could finish his sentence. "You sick liar! Agni curse you...you sick liar!", Shinju screamed tears scream down her face as she slammed her fist into Qin's face before she lost all her strength. She ran to the Captain's Cabin and fell through the door. Her eyes met her Captain's. Pity looked so alien on Sao Feng's face, so out of place. Shinju's mind wondered whether it was forced, but it didn't have much time to investigate. Shinju's emotions took over as she collasped onto the floor and broke out into sobs.

"I'm sorry Shinju", responded her Captain cordially but without any emotion. "I imagine that you would want some of his personal items.", stated the captain, kneeling down and handing over a small bamboo pan pipe. The charade ended as soon as a bleeding Qin burst in. He took no time to explain his wounds, he had other mischievous plans in mind. "Cho gathered all his personal items, per your wishes Captain", stated Qin. As he leaned over to hand the woolen blanket carrying the objects to the Captain he was careful to fully expose all the items inside to Shinju. The Captain's greedy eyes surveyed the brilliant pair of iron antique broadswords before him, as well as a bulging maroon money purse.

"What are you doing with his things! They belong to me!", screamed Shinju outraged at the lack of respect being shown to her dead father's possessions. "Nothing belongs to you", stated Sao Feng coldly. "What exactly do you think we are here? Your family? Nobody gives a d**n about you! We don't owe you anything! It's every man for himself here, and it's about time you realize that. Fools like Yoshio all die too easily."

Shinju was becoming a fool like Yoshio. It was Sao Feng's greatest fear. The wretch, that he spent the past eight years training, was beginning to develop the idea that she was not going to be a pirate forever. Sao Feng could not have that, not after so much time, so much money, his investment could not back out on him! And he would make sure of it. Fools like Yoshio do not die easily. Even amidst the chaos of the raid he put up a good fight against Qin. Friendly fire was a common thing among pirates, especially when a Captain grew tired of a particular mutinous man in his crew.




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Slave Trade
In early autumn as the trees in the coastal villages where turning into a glowing honey hue, The Sea Serpent was making its way North along the cliffy coast of Chin Village, along the southern end of the Earth Kingdom continent. Summer was hard on Shinju because she was at odds with it. The death of Yoshio, and even more the crew's response left her broken, feeling just as alone and alienated as she did when she first stepped onto that ship nine years before. Shinju found no comfort from the loss as her crew began their nonstop trip to the Merchant's Port located just north of the Earth Kingdom's west strait.

All year long the pirates prepared for anchoring at the Merchant's Port docks because it was where they made their biggest profits. Providing the right quantity and quality of merchandise was what obsessed the minds of Shinju's fellow crew members as summer drew to its close. Luckily for them the ultimate business opportunity was about to sail into their path. The Raiden, a ship belonging to a band of ruthless pirates well known for employment of fire benders happened to be in the neighboring Minori Harbor. With seven bamboo sails it surpassed the speeds of every wind powered vessel on the seas, and was the competition of every mother's son called pirate.

Despite the Raiden's reputation Shinju's captain wanted nothing more then to steal their treasure, not only freely earning a hoard of innumerable riches but also earning the reputation as a Pirate King. Among the treasured cargo rumored on board the Raiden there was one type of cargo they carried that separated them from most pirates, living cargo. They were mostly peasant women between the ages of fourteen and early twenties kidnapped from their village to be sold into slavery. Their only sin being that they chose the wrong day to take a walk by themselves. The Raiden's systematic kidnapping hardly provoked any real mayhem, the missing were just penniless peasants after all. Shinju's display of maturity skill during her battle with the Unagi was not forgotten by her captain and his invasion plan revolved around Shinju becoming a part of the Raiden's precious cargo.

After being wrapped into a modest cream tunic, which clung tighter around Shinju's curves then she would have liked, she was sent off into the nearby village with a water filled clay jug. Shinju walked aimlessly through the small merchant town, until finding the one place that reeked of pirates… the tavern. It was twilight when she stopped there, standing outside and placing her heavy load down before she let out a sigh, emphasizing how tired she was. She leaned against the cool wall, before running a slender hand through her hair. Shinju had been around enough guys to know what they liked to look at. She noticed two shadows appear next to her, she didn't think it would work that fast. Two large grizzly men grinned at her, as Shinju glanced back shyly at the ground and picked up her clay jug to leave. "Wait pretty lady, come back, we won't hurt you.", Shinju broke out in a run winding her way through the thin dark alley, leading them to the dead end she saw before. As she watched the three stone walls close around her Shinju tripped clumsily over her costume, ending her performance with barely audible cries for mercy.

The iron brand glowed white as a fire bending pirate drowned it in flames. Shinju closed her eyes, the image of the advancing flaming lotus searing into her mind as it was seared into her arm. She must have screamed, but she could not think to scream or even think to stop herself. Through flesh and blood the brand burned, leaving an engraved black flower surrounded by the red festered skin of her right shoulder. She was thrown into a cage in one of the Raiden's cargo holds, corralled with at least twenty other women, each bearing the same brand, each marked as property of the Raiden and its men. The pain took long to ease, and despite her desire to sit alone and concentrate on her escape plan the hospitality of her fellow prisoners was impossible to refuse. With either caring words or cool rags to ease the burning each gathered around to comfort her. Some of the women had been in there for months, having been carted hundreds of miles from their former homes, and yet they still found it in themselves to comfort her, despite the discomfort they had already been subjected to. Shinju was awed by the bond the prisoners shared, hardly believing that friendship could be formed in that kind of an environment, and that she as welcomed to become a part of it.

But Shinju soon began to grow anxious as her supposed quick stealth mission stretched into its third day. She had been dragged around the ship enough to have a decent idea of it's structure. Whenever the pirates wished to switch around she and her fellow inmates to mess with their minds or when some tidying up was needed around the upper decks she would take advantage of every space and room she was exposed to, forming a basic map in her head. And for the empty spaces that remained still she relied on the memories of her fellow captives. Shinju promised to repay the kindness of the strong women she had been imprisoned with, and that time was just about to arrive.

The usual guard came down into the cargo hold with a tray filled with boiled rice and whatever scraps left from left over from the captain's table, Shinju's dinner. The tray was slid under the door, and the dinner time ritual completed the same as it was every day, except for what happened next. As the guard turned around he found two blades dangerously close to his neck, the arms below them pinning his own to the iron bars. "Stay still and do exactly as I tell you. If you dare let out a single sound I will not reconsider slitting your throat." Shinju wasn't sure how much of a threat her words posed, because she had never considered slitting anyone's throat, but the razor edges of her sai must have been convincing enough, keeping the man still and quiet. "Now remove your keys and hand them to Megumi", stated Shinju as she motioned her left sai to the right without moving an inch away from the guard's neck. The man shakily removed the keys from his belt, placing them into Megumi's slender hands. "Very good…now I"- Shinju was cut off as a flash of silver flew over her soldier, landing with a bang on the guards head. The man fell to the ground, out cold, setting off a series of surprised gasps through out the cabin. Shinju quickly spun around to be met with the smirking face of Hotaru, another young prisoner in the cage. "You're going to need a disguise, it's easier this way to take his clothes", stated Hotaru sharing an identical smile as the rest of the women surrounding them. The phrase "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned", came immediately to mind as Shinju's lips curled up into a smirk as well.

Dark leather boots creaked up the stairs, as the rough burlap material of Shinju's newly acquired slate britches scratched against her legs. The head bandana she now had wrapped around her mouth smelt foul and greasy, and the three cornered hat was loose on her head slightly obscuring her view. She wasn't sure what she looked like, a young boy perhaps with fragile feminine features, hopefully her garments would not be too obviously huge for her small frame or remembered by other members of the crew… hopefully. The ship's main weapons were the fire benders themselves, something impossible to take out on her own, she would have to aim her attacks on the less powerful artillery. Once on deck Shinju worked her best to blend in with the other pirates, giving a curt nod to each passerby, keeping her almond eyes narrowed and concentrated. She walked in long strides making sure to move her arms in the same long pattern, in attempts to look as boy-ish as possible. She received a few strange looks, but did not dwell on them for too long, most of the pirates probably figured she was a new recruit anyway.

Shinju first worked on destroying the catapults on the starboard and port of the massive junk. Her methods were subtle, but in three hours time the ropes that gave those weapons their deadly swing where slashed and gnawed through. She swabbed decks, and even the floors of every cabin. Whatever blades, arrows, and explosives she came across Shinju managed to sneak into her water bucket, dumping it over board when ever the weapons began to become visible . But despite her best efforts she knew she could not remove every weapon, only attempt to limit the ones that the fire benders could use to their advantage, including the very air around her. She wasn't quite sure how she was going to do it. She had saved a few smoke bombs from the weapons cabins, hoping that it would be enough to effect the breath that fire benders depended on so much. But she couldn't be too sure, fire benders fought through flame and smoke all of the time. Shinju replayed the plan in her mind over and over as the prepared to give the signal. The Serpent's pirates would attack, she and a few others would loot the ship and rescue the women, then they would leave and let the Raiden burn in the flames of its masters. It all seemed flawless.

Green sparks exploded above Shinju's head before spiraling 50 feet into the night sky. The Raiden's crew all glanced towards the sky, expressions of utter confusion plastered to their faces. Shinju did her best to remove herself as far away from the scene as possible, sprinting from the back to bow in a matter of seconds. The emerald light faded, crackling away the last few seconds of its short life. Shinju spotted the sight of three sails coming through the warm fog, and closer to the water the dark shadows of ten smaller vessels. "Fishing ships… how classy…" thought Shinju with an inward sigh.

Noise exploded near the Captain's Cabin, "Who did it!? Who set off the explosives!? You scurvy dogs answer me!", screamed the Captain Ryuu Toru, Master of the Raiden, and the oceans. His blazing amber eyes glared through each men assembled before him. Fire exploded from his fists as he advanced towards the crew, "Who signaled them to us!?", spat the Ryuu Toru, pushing, pulling, and smacking every body he walked into as he made his way through the crowd. What about you boy… what are you hiding behind that cloth besides your hideous mug!?", jeered the Captain bringing his large hands to Shinju's face, ripping off her makeshift mask. Shinju jumped backwards, her cover blown, as the crew examined the runaway before them. "WENCH! Tried to escape did you… and your scourged clothes… you set off the signal!?!?!?!!", enraged, Captain Ryuu Toru rampaged forwards again, wrapping his thick hands around Shinju's neck. "You'll pay for this…", he threatened inches from her face before pulling his head away. "Let this serve as an example for all of you", announced the Ryuu Toru. "Traitors never leave this ship alive!", Shinju gagged as the Captain raised her higher into the air. "Rin… please give our escapee a demonstration.", commanded the Captain with a cruel sweet edge to his voice. Shinju gasped as a bald man appeared beside the captain. He was middle aged, and hardly as burly as any of other fearsome men on the ship, but Shinju could tell he was powerful, the entire crew seemed to shiver in his presence. Rin stared impassively at Shinju, before breaking into a bending stance, his index and middle fingers pointed up in the air, while the other two stayed balled into a fist. Shinju stared perplexed, she had never seen such hand work in any of the fire bending she had witnessed. A sudden blinding blue light flashed across Shinju's face as the ship shook violently. Once Shinju's eyes adjusted to the light they followed a spiraling smoke trail led up to the dead body of a young pirate, his corpse literally fried.

Shinju felt tears burn her eyes as every hair brained escaped plan was deemed hopeless in her mind. It would be quick, painless, instant, but the realization of her mortality prevailed over any words of comfort she tried to provide herself with. "Kill the sea witch!", commanded Captain Ryuu Toru, Rin immediately flashing his cold eyes back to Shinju's fear stricken face. A metal claw flew from the side of the ship, soaring over the heads of the crowd before being pulled back and gripping into the ship's railing. Several more came flying over, some even landing on top some unfortunate pirates. Shinju squirmed her way through the frazzled crowd doing her best to avoid Rin's gaze. The entire deck was in chaos as the captain barked orders at his men to ready their weapons. Fire benders sent volleys of fire towards the invaders, but many of the flames were blocked by the bodies of the Raiden's own men, as Shinju's crew managed to break through the blockade despite their few numbers. The boat was rocked again as another stream of claws flew up on the other side of the ship. Shinju immediately ran over to the reinforcements. Some joined the battle above while Shinju took the others towards the cargo holds. The guards were easily taken by the stampeding horde pirates she brought with her, and with hardly a minute of fighting they had gained access. Shinju supervised the pirates as they grabbed as many treasures as they could fit into their arms, sometimes directing them towards the items she knew were more valuable. In the few minutes spent searching through each cabin Shinju and her men managed to clear the ship of it's most precious merchandise.

Before leaving the last cabin Shinju did a quick sweep of the chests littering the room, finding one filled with scrolls each bearing a blue Water Tribe seal on it's side. She examined it curiously, wondering just who the pirates had taken it from, and how it's former owner could be parted from an item so valuable as a water bending scroll. Shinju heard someone enter the cabin. To protect herself from whatever attack she may be dealt she flung a silver shield in front of her. Blinding light flashed before her eyes, the spider web-like lines clinging to the metal shield making it glow for a few seconds as the web circled the shield in a frenzy, before going out. "Rin…", panicked Shinju before letting out a few choice words. The lightening bender released another explosion, shaking the ship as Shinju flung a sword in his direction, redirecting the lightening away from her. "Wait… metal attracts lightening…?" Shinju had hardly any time to think further on the theory before picking up numerous goblets, armor, weapons, and metal made plates, hurling them towards Rin every second her arms could manage. The same result appear again and again, the lightening entangling itself in the metal objects Shinju sent its way. Rin was obviously losing his patience, no matter how strong his blasts were Shinju managed to out maneuver him.

As Shinju prepared to strike Rin with a metal helmet she noticed his stance changed, and his face no longer held the impassive expression that haunted it before. Instead it was flooded by rage, as Rin rampaged across the hull smacking Shinju into the hard wooden walls. Shinju found herself gasping for air as he strangled her. He had her and now there was no way of escaping the lightening, she had now way to evade it and no way to redirect it. But to Shinju's surprise Rin did not deliver his blow right away. Instead he waited, as the anger slowly washed away from his face. Shinju fought hard to grab her sai stored under her stolen belt, as she stared wide eyed into Rin's face. The impassive look returned as Rin loosened his grip, keeping both his index and middle fingers jabbed deep in the skin of Shinju's neck. With a thundering yell Shinju pulled her arms up, the blades of her sai meeting Rin's hands as a bolt of lightening was freed from them. It traveled to Shinju's sai, scourging that leather grips protecting her hands as it returned towards Rin. He fell down to the ground, spasms breaking all over his body until he went still. Shinju was paralyzed as she stared at the lifeless body below her, she could not have just killed him… could she have? Sure her knives have managed to kill a few men in the past, that was something inescapable for Shinju, but never had she stared a man she just killed right in the eyes, never did it feel so personal. Despite the tired relief that spread through her body her mind was still replaying all that had happened, all that she had done.

Shinju was broken from her trance as The Serpent's pirates reentered the cargo hold, no longer fearing the possibility of being hit with stray bolts of lightening or metal merchandise. They all looked just as surprised as she was, although they had seen the battle with their own eyes, Shinju had killed the lightening bender with his own weapon. The Serpent's pirates guided Shinju up to the deck, because she was too numb with shock or guilt to get anywhere herself. But once the clamor of battle reached her ears Shinju was freed of her paralysis, the memory of the duties assigned to her before blaring through her mind like a million alarms. She told her men to prepare to retreat, before setting off to the middle mast. She tore through the fighting straight towards red sail, hugging the timber pole once she reached it, where she tugged her way to the top. While balancing her feet onto the bamboo pole Shinju released thirty smoke bombs towards the battle below, her hands moving like lightening as they lit and pitched the bombs. The sorrowful tune of a choir of sumki horns began to play in the distance as a screen of smoke surrounded the ship. Shinju followed the music which led her to what felt like the ledge of the boat. She felt around for one of the grapple hooks that were used to board the ship, and once finding one she began her descent. The air was clearer near the water where she found the small fleet of stolen fishing boats waiting for her. She boarded one as the rest of her men leapt and climbed down the ship, the smoke screen beginning to engulf the air around them down there as well. Explosions sounded from the Raiden, as an orange glow broke through the smoky air. Shinju and the rest of the pirates continued to frantically paddle their small vessels towards the hum of the sumki horns. Finally after a half hour of hard labor Shinju and her pirates reached The Serpent, the last miniature fleet to return home.

They were greeted on the ship with roars of applause, the Raiden had been destroyed and its treasure plundered, without so much as a scratch being delivered to The Sea Serpent. Her captain was ecstatic, gifting each of his warriors with a share of the loot, proclaiming his joy for their victory. "We'll throw a feast as soon as we trade in some of this treasure for the fattest cow-hippos on the market!" The ship burst with cheers again, before the captain motioned them to rest. "And let us not forget to honor our bravest warrior, Shinju Lightening Blades! As that lightening bender was blasting away at our crew, Shinju was able to defeat him by bending the lightening with her blades, killing her fearsome opponent with his own weapon! We are now the most fearsome pirate ship on the sea! Neither fire or water can ever defeat us! Now what can I give to the pirate who has given us this honorable title?", asked the Captain Sao Feng as all eyes flew to Shinju's face.
"I want us to invite the women we rescued to our feast before we set them free. I would not have been able to--- without---", Shinju's words were cut off by the explosion of laughter that erupted around. "What is wrong with my request, you owe me…".
Sao Feng let out a laugh…"Do you expect me to give up that much treasure… after so much work, after so many lives were lost?"
"Since when have we stooped to trading people? That's what the wretches on the Raiden did, need we continue that tradition where we can stop it all right here?", pleaded Shinju, but she could tell her words fell on empty ears, none of the men could imagine the prospect of becoming a slave like she could.
"Shinju, ask for anything else…", commanded Sao Feng threateningly.
"You asked me my desire and I gave it to you. I'll not waver in my decision…", rebuked Shinju folding her arms. She knew her importance, she was his prize fighter, he would do what it takes to appease her.
"Don't you forget that I am the captain!", bellowed Sao Feng as he snatched the scroll secured under Shinju's belt. "I command this ship, and despite the fighting skills you possess I have an army of men at my call! Admiral Chan of the Fire Nation is expecting these woman to be delivered to his rig by tomorrow, I do not plan to disappoint him!"


The women were delivered, a feast held, Shinju's honor celebrated through the ship that entire evening, culminated in the gifting of the Raiden's Captain's sword onto Shinju. It was only a half of Captain Ryuu Toru's broad sword pair, but the message was clear. The Sao Feng was really trying hard now, but that did not matter, she still hated him. She was in agony as she heard the women being taken off the ship and brought to the Fire Nation General. They took care of her, nursed her wounds, even aided Shinju in her escape, but despite the power that Shinju had she could do nothing to help them. The ship she once viewed as eternal freedom was beginning to look imprisoning. Not since early summer had she felt so hollowed, and alone. Not since early summer had she drifted off to sleep tasting her tears.



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A Change of Wind

Days past, missions came and went, but Shinju still wasn't with it. Apathetic a more fitting word for her attitude towards her job and her crew. She lacked all enthusiasm in battle and all creativity in Sao Feng's counsel, choosing instead to sit silently in a world of her own. It didn't bother Sao Feng at first, so his little prodigy was bored with the business that they had been conducting as of that point, but he was planning something big that would definitely catch her interest. But she wasn't bored, and she wasn't seeking another battle or another mission. There was only one thing that she was obsessing over, one thing that would not leave her mind. How could she be so unhappy living the life she always wished she could? The adventures, the action, gold, booze, parties. A life entirely unbounded by law, with the freedom to go where the winds in her ship's sails would take her. She savored that liberty and that raw explicit lens she viewed the world from. But what was different now, what had changed?

It had been a month since the destruction of the Raiden, and Sao Feng was eager to trade again with his new Fire Nation ally Admiral Chan. This time they weren't only after rival pirates, or the slave women they were carrying, it was something even more dangerous that would require subterfuge and craft, just Shinju's expertise. The Admiral was having trouble seizing a small fort near the Southwestern coast of the Earth Kingdom, due to his sparse supply of weapons and men. The basic strategy for seizing a heavily supplied fort is a simple one, cutting off a weapons and supplies until you enemy surrendered. But the Admiral's troops were already spread to thin, and he was going to need some help to kill off the fort's supply line, the help of men willing to do anything for the right amount of gold pieces. Sao Feng knew the moment he heard the request that the mission may just be enough to shake his little pet's mind out the confusion and anger that had consumed it. His pet however was not sure if she wanted to push aside those strange feelings or lose those new thoughts just yet.

Orders of course, are orders and Shinju quickly found herself shoving all her perplexing rage and emotions away in order to prepare herself and her crew for the oncoming mission. Shinju spent a week in the villages surrounding the fort. Being the least harmless looking of the crew she was able to party it up with the locals while gathering information about the movement of weapons and supplies throughout the area. What she came back to the ship with was enough to put the pirates on the move.

After the names were given and the locations marked out on the map, the crew was sent out under Shinju's command and began taking out the trade caravans one by one. The attacks never happened in the towns, where there would be too many witnesses. For as long as possible the crew worked to keep the fighting as far away from large crowds, digression being their main concern, but not every battle could be kept so isolated.

It was four weeks into the mission and the Serpent's crew was nearly at the bottom of the list of suspected tradesman. The next group was



shinju begins to help, but throws the job, warning the earth kingdom soldiers of the ongoing robbery

she confronts Sao Feng

he rebukes her, accidentlally tells her he had yoshio killed

shinju flips out, Sao Feng nearly kills her, she pretends to calm down and reclaims her loyalty towards Sao Feng

gets out and raids the treasure room in the brig

kills all who gets in her way, and is badly injured herself

flees ship



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From Pirate to Rebel

Decides to create her new crew