Odesvale's Miner Festival was in full swing. The town was constantly caked with grit and dust, and the plaza during the festival was no exception, but the rugged townspeople were quite used to it. If anything, the thin layer of smog from the foundries made for relief from the brutal heat of the sun.

Though not intended as the festival's centrepiece, the large cook-pot and serving table did have a long lineup of people waiting to be served. Samson Orden, the town's chief foreman, was famously known for the curry he prepared for his employees as a side hobby. And for the other townspeople, this would be one of the few chances they'd have to see if it lived up to the hype.

With the dense crowds, nobody paid much attention to the hooded urchin girl–no older than sixteen–blending in with the crowd. On her back, she carried a large rucksack with nothing inside but an empty cast-iron pot.

One of the town's miners was about to take a bite of curry, when the girl darted out and snatched the entire plate–and his fork–right from his hands, leaving him to bite down on empty air. "Hey!" he exclaimed, but the girl disappeared back into the crowd before he could even see who did it.

The girl stuffed her cheeks to the brim with curry, then stealthily made her way past the line.

Soon, a hush came over the crowd when the town's mayor, Sasha Vance, took the stage. She was a sharply dressed woman with a youthful energy despite her visible age. Her grey hair was slicked back into a handsome crew-cut, and her smile was warm and inviting. "Thank you all for coming!" she announced, "And thank you all for showing so much support and excitement for Odesvale's Miner Festival!"

The crowd hooted and cheered, and the mayor laughed and waved down at their reaction. "Thank you, thank you!" she said. "Now then. Our town has come a long way since the days of—"

The girl stopped paying attention to the mayor's speech. The townspeople were all distracted, and that gave her the perfect opportunity. She stealthily brought herself close to the giant curry cookpot. Then, she opened up her rucksack, and used the smaller pot inside to take an enormous scoopful. The aroma wafting from inside was so spicy, it made her eyes water and her throat burn.

"Hey!" barked a town guard, spotting the girl in the act. "The Bandit Princess! Seize her!"

The girl clasped a hand to her cheek and smiled. "Oh drat," she said, rather flatly, "they spotted me!"

She threw her pot back into her rucksack, and clambered on top of the cookpot, standing with each foot on opposite lips. She threw off her hood, revealing a huge and wild mass of green hair. Boldly, she declared, "That's right, folks! I'm Sayuri, the Bandit Princess! Many thanks for this tithe of delicious curry!"

The crowd gasped at the scandal. As the guards closed in on Sayuri, she tugged down on her eyelid and stuck out her tongue. Then she jumped off the cookpot, back-flipped over one of the guards, and took off running.

"The Bandit Princess got away!" cried one of the guards, at the top of his lungs.

"What do we do?" asked another. "Should we go after her?"

"No!" answered the mayor. "The festival is well underway, and there's still plenty of curry—"

But Mr. Orden interrupted. His fists clenched, and the edges of his moustache curled up in anger. "That curry is symbolic of the hard work that goes into keeping this town afloat! It is not meant for freeloaders like her!" he shouted, shaking a finger. "Send every last guard after her!" he demanded.

The guards saluted, and took off in pursuit.

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Sayuri dashed through the winding alleys of Odesvale, her vibrant green hair flowing behind her like a wild mane. The guards, hot on her tail, shouted at her to stop. Sayuri only laughed in response, a rebellious glint in her eyes. Her bare feet made no sound against the dry, dusty ground as she navigated the maze-like backstreets with practised ease. She had done this dance with the town guards countless times before, always staying one step ahead. It was almost a game to her - one she excelled at playing.

A canyon runner pulling a wagon of goods strode in front of her, but Sayuri dropped to the ground and slid between the legs of the large, flightless bird, eliciting a startled squawk. Darting around a corner, Sayuri's eyes widened as she saw a dead end looming ahead. Tall walls of sandstone rose up on three sides, offering no easy escape route. Her pursuers closed in, their footsteps echoing in the narrow alley.

But Sayuri was not about to be caught so easily. With a mischievous smirk, she scampered up the wall like a gecko, her nimble fingers finding purchase in the tiniest of cracks. The guards skidded to a stop below, craning their necks to watch her ascend.

Atop the wall, Sayuri paused and took a deep bow. "Thank you for the chase, gents! I do so enjoy our little games!" She straightened up, a taunting wink in her eye. "Until next time, farewell!"

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But Sayuri was not out of the woods yet. On one of the town’s rooftops, not far away, two guards– Benji and Lulu– were already preparing for her.

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"You sure we should be here, and not at the festival, Benji?" asked Lulu, frowning slightly as she leaned against a chimney. Her muscular arms crossed over her chest, and her curly blonde hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail. Clearly, she was itching for action.

Benji pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, scanning the rooftops with a keen eye. "We're exactly where we need to be, Lulu," he said confidently. "There's only one person who knows these alleys and rooftops nearly as well as she does, and that's me! Because I've spent hours studying her routes!" His face cracked into a grin.

Lulu gave a huff of amusement, her expression softening. "Only you would use strategy and study to catch a thief," she teased, playfully nudging his arm with her elbow. "But hey, that's why you're the brains of this operation, right?"

"Exactly," Benji said with a decisive nod. "We've prepared a special trap for our little Bandit Princess. She should be…"

As if on cue, Sayuri sprang gracefully from the rooftop onto a neighbouring building, only to land right inside their suspended net made of barely visible minerbane spider silk. She let out an "oop!" of surprise, then shot the two guards a nervous smile.

"Well, well! If it isn't my favourite duo!" Sayuri grinned. "How's life treating you? Staying in shape?" She said, throwing her hands behind her head and kicking one leg over the other.

Benji smirked, pushing his glasses up once more as he circled around Sayuri. "We're doing just fine, thanks for asking," he replied. "Though I think we'll be doing even better once we've brought in Odesvale's most notorious criminal: The Bandit Princess herself!"

Benji ducked down and leaned in closer to Sayuri. "It's a good thing we caught you when we did. There's still a chance for you to become a productive member of Odesvale society. But in a few years, you'll be an adult, and the law won't be as kind..." he said.

Lulu picked up the net and hoisted it over her shoulder. "Don't bother," she began. "There's rocks in her ears, that one. Just focus on the positives! There's a promotion in our future for sure! Ooh, think of the glory we'll get! The accolades!"

Sayuri's hands finally found what they were looking for– a knife tangled up in one of her locks of hair. She quickly cut it free, then cut a hole through the net. "Your accolades are getting away," she said, directly into Lulu's ear.

Lulu's eyes widened in surprise as Sayuri wriggled free from the net, her green hair tumbling around her face. "Benji, she's getting away!" Lulu shouted, reaching out to grab the slippery bandit. But Sayuri was too quick; with a cheeky wink, she bounded off the rooftop and vanished into the maze of narrow streets below.

Benji cursed under his breath, already moving to pursue her. "Come on, Lulu! We can't lose her now!" He called over his shoulder, his brow furrowed in determination.

Lulu growled in frustration, tossing the tattered net aside. "You're right," she agreed, breaking into a run after her partner. "I'm gonna clobber that smug little thief!"

The two guards descended from the rooftops and gave chase, their feet pounding against the dusty cobblestones. Sayuri led them on a merry dance through the town, her vibrant hair always disappearing just around the next corner.

Sayuri threw her head over her shoulder, thumb on her nose and tongue sticking out– then nearly bit down on it as she saw Benji's shocked visage inches away from her own. Lulu had picked him up and thrown him at her like a javelin, and Sayuri barely had time to duck as he flew overhead. A cloud of dust erupted as Benji crashed through a large pile of dried mealworms. Egg lizards that had been nesting nearby scattered in a frenzied panic. Lulu watched with grim satisfaction, dusting off her hands.

"And that's why they call me 'The Living Cannon'!" she boasted.

"A name you came up with yourself, I'm pretty sure," Sayuri mocked.

"Quiet, you!" Lulu snapped back.

Sayuri sprinted around another corner, nearly colliding with a merchant pushing a cart laden with juicy mineapples. She skidded to a halt, apologized hastily, then darted in the opposite direction– but not before snatching a glistening fruit the size of her fist from the cart.

"Gah, she never gives up, does she?!" Lulu growled, dodging around the indignant merchant and his cart with surprising agility for someone of her stature. Benji followed close behind, brushing stray mealworms out of his hair.

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"There goes the Bandit Princess again."

"Eeyup, and that's them two guards, Benji and Lulu right behind her."

"Think they'll catch her this time?"

"Hahahaha!"

"You know, the other day, the Bandit Princess stole a mineapple pie right off my windowsill, she did."

"Ooh, that sounds like a darned shame."

"It was! Had to spend most the afternoon baking a second! Prolly turned out better than the first one, though."

"That's how it often goes."

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Sayuri had led her pursuers through the winding streets of Odesvale, always managing to stay just out of reach. Her laugh echoed through the alleys, as if the thrill of the chase was the most entertaining thing in the world to her.

As the pursuit continued, Lulu clenched her fists, feeling frustration welling up inside her. "Why you…! Just stop running for once!" she shouted, her voice booming through the alleyways.

"You mean like this?" Sayuri replied, flipping over into a handstand and sprinting at the same speed as before. "Oh, this is fun! Thanks for the suggestion!"

Lulu gritted her teeth, her face turning red with a mix of anger and exertion. "You know that's not what I meant, you little thief!" she shot back, her voice rising in volume.

Benji, panting heavily, pushed his glasses up his nose and looked at Sayuri with a mixture of annoyance and admiration. "Sayuri, you know we can't just let you go," he called out, his voice strained from the effort of keeping up. "The things you do… they may seem harmless to you, but they affect the people of this town. You have to stop this foolishness and start contributing to society."

Sayuri glanced back at Benji, a hint of melancholy in her eyes. But her smirk soon returned, wider than ever. "Now where's the fun in that, Benji my boy?" she said, executing a flawless backflip and landing deftly on a clothesline suspended between two buildings. "Anyways, this has been fun, but I'm afraid we'll have to call it for today. I'll see you both at my next scheduled workout session, 'kay?"

With a cheeky wink and a wave, Sayuri leapt from the clothesline, grabbing onto a passing ore delivery rope and zipping out of sight, leaving a trail of glittering dust in her wake. Lulu and Benji could only watch in exasperation as their quarry once again evaded capture.