It was a typical day in the town of Nabias, a bustling and remote marketplace bordered by seething ocean on one side and bloodthirsty forest on the other. For such a seemingly unlikeable piece of real estate, it prospered rather well. Adventurers and the insane always made this a stop on their journeys, as it was their second stop for supplies and
only stop for kilometers of untamed wilderness.
As such, it also bragged of having the world's largest hospital facility.
Aside from the steady flow of journeymen both injured and well, the town sported a rather large barter-style marketplace, where goods such as food, bandages, exotic pets, and even small trophies from hunts most manly were up for sale for the distant home's mementos, such as a clean pair of socks.
Among the traders, there were a few regulars, and among the traders, there were sometimes some very exotic or valuable things exchanged, but none came close to the regality and wealth of the bi-weekly white-haired blind girl, Feint. She lived nearby, she claimed, and had simply run out of grains for her meals, so would this golden locket, pure and in perfect condition, be enough for a pound or two?
Sellers were ecstatic when Feint came into town.
Adventurers themselves were wary--where would such a finely dressed young woman such as herself live in that dense, frightening wilderness? She was called a demon, a monster in disguise, a witch that robbed travelers for ingredients for her wicked spells, and above all, a liar. Her name was familiar to most, and whispered with sneers or suspicious glares along with a disbelieving shake of the head. If a new traveler did not know her, older ones were happy to share their made-up stories of all the fantastical riches in the world she paid to those that sold grains, and the occasional pair of shoes. Though most took the stories in humor, an occasional few would attempt to follow her back to her home, hoping to steal a glance or a gem from her supposed piles and piles of gold jewelry.
None ever came back, but whether she had been at fault or they simply did not return to Nabias after they had gotten their prize was never made clear, and no one truly cared.
On this particular fine day, Feint had once again made an appearance, dressed in her favorite sky blue robes with a knee-length white skirt and handcrafted black sandals. Draped across her closed eyes was, as usual, a blindfold of the purest black cloth. She came with a tan bag on her hip, and requested a guide to whomever was selling fruits that day. Normally she did not need a guide, but seeing as she had never bought fruits before, did not at all know where they might be located and could not find them easily with all the moving bodies and noise. The nearby amigos squatting on a half-mashed park table noticed her helplessness and whispered cruel blind jokes and women jokes, each laughing louder than the one next to them and glancing 'round to be sure their foolish behavior was noticed. Ignoring them patiently, Feint again requested an aid, this time with a bit more volume.