The Blind Bandit (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 1: A new day begins

Somewhere deep in the mountains, far, far away from civilisation and the lively activity of its inhabitants, a young woman walks peacefully along the trail. She listened close the sounds of the forest. The birds chirping. Small creatures munching on nuts. Feeling the cool, gentle, breeze against her. She stretched up her arms, took a deep breath and gently exhaled. Appearing to be at peace and feeling totally relaxed. She felt something tugging at the bottom of her dress. The woman gazed down and smiled. She kneeled down and allowed the white kitten to climb onto her shoulder. It nuzzled against her cheek before settling on her shoulder.

"Ahh, what a lovely day. The sun is warm, the air is clean, and of course the day's promise of another adventure." She said, petting the kitten's head. "Wouldn't you agree, Kururu?" Kururu gave a happy mew, agreeing with her. The woman laughed to herself as she continued on her way to who knows where.

"How do you think everyone else is doing? Do you suppose they're hyping each other up and are competing against one another as usual?" She said as she laughed to herself.

"Well, then again, I think that's not a bad thing, it does serve as good motivation for them. How else is one going to complete their Full Course? Though, I am one to talk, I haven't made much progress." The woman was a Gourmet Hunter. Known far and wide as one of the best. Many have come to her asking for top level ingredients, and she never disappoints her clients. Like most hunters, she has a Full Course Menu, however, she is a bit picky about what it is she's searching for, and didn't feel a spark of acceptance with the food she's tasted, but they were still satisfying nonetheless. Because of this, her menu is completely blank. But she didn't mind. It just means she'll have more journeys to take until she finally completes it. Besides, the world is vast and wide, why wouldn't you seize the moment to travel across the many wonders this life has to offer?

She tends to not stay in one place for very long. Once her task was complete, she would go off and wonder the land. Guess you could call her a nomad. Besides, if you don't have a home to go back to...or don't have anyone to welcome back, then why not travel the world? Besides, she prefers the great landscapes, as well as The Gourmet World, in comparison to the big cities. Not that she really mind them, it's just that they were so loud and chaotic, it smells half the time, and there's so many people that it gets too crowded. Still, it's nice to enjoy a nice cup of tea at a cafe once in a while.

As she walked, the woman gasped, suddenly remembering something important. "Oops, how could I forget, today's the day! Hmmm...at least I hope it is. After all they only shows themselves once every ten years. Haha, what fascinating creatures. If I remember correctly, they prefer to lay their eggs in the Cavern Lagoon's waters. If that's the case..." She giggles to herself. "Then we should get going ourselves to get some." She said to her furry companion.

"Oh, wait. We're a bit far off from the city, going by foot is definitely not an option. Kururu, would you do the honor?" Kururu gave a happy mew and was about to jump off her shoulder when they caught sound of a vehicle just coming behind her. She placed a hand on Kururu's back and smiled. Perfect, a ride. She stepped to the side of the trail once the sounds were getting closer. When it was in her range, she raised her hand and waved it down. The driver of a truck came to a stop and asked the woman. "Hey there, miss. You need a lift?" He asked.

"Yes, please. If it's not too much trouble, could you take me to the nearest town. I need to catch a train."

"Sure, no problem. Hop on." The woman smiled and thanked the man. He opened the passenger side door and the young woman climbed on in. Once she was secured, they were off towards the first bustling city they'll come across. Since it was going to be awhile before the arrive, she decided it was best to take a quick nap. Kururu seemed to have the same idea as she made herself comfortable on her lap. Once she let out a little yawn, Kururu fell fast asleep. The young woman smiled at her little companion and then gazed upon the passing scenery. On days like these, she couldn't help but smile.

This feeling of being free. The feeling of excitement as she explores the world. The feeling of freedom has always been a unique experience of her life. A fullness of her being. A fullness of her life. And, of course, experiencing a feeling of expansion, moving toward an experience of, if not, into the infinity of one's being. At least, that's what she believes. Maybe she was just overthinking the whole thing, but that doesn't matter. Not to her. Especially when you think about on how you want to live your life. Whether you take one step at a time or go live on to the fullest and go nuts. The woman petted Kururu's back and let the smooth ride lull her to sleep.

Later on, the woman woke up to the sounds of multiple voices and footsteps. Car sounds and that strange smell she could barely recognized. That smell was more than enough to tell her she was in the city. "Oh good, you're awake. And just in time too, we've arrived at the train station." Her driver said.

"Thank you so very much. I must be going now." She said as she got of the truck and bid the man farewell. Before she went any further, the man called, "Excuse me, miss? What's your name? You look familiar that's all."

The woman turned her head to him and gave a smile. "My name's Sarafina, The Blind Bandit."