It was another day in Crocus for the blonde haired female. The sun was falling into slumber as the sky was deepening from a blue to a purplish hue. She was rather tired and hungry, not to forget. Xandra let her lilac gaze wander around until it landed on a rather large two story inn with the bold words written over it "Batra's Inn" . A small growl erupted from her stomach. Eating some rather good food this evening didn't sound like a bad idea as the female was planning to start a journey towards another town the next morning so have something rather delicious before leaving the capital city should be a must. And so, she strolled into the inn. Opening the door, she was instantly hit with the alluring smell of food. Her stomach seemed to agree as it continued rumbling, begging for food. Around her sat people eating their food and chatting along with their family or friends. She also noticed that some of the customers seemed rather upset for some reason but that didn't matter to her. Sauntering over to the man tall, dark man, she stood before him glancing at the food menu that was kept on the table beside him and had instantly decided on what she would prefer to have.

The bald man seemed rather tense but when he looked at her, it was as if his worries had vanished. Hope lingered in his gaze as he looked at the female, "Are you perhaps a mage?" Confusion seeped through her. What did her being a mage have anything to do with him? She stared at him monotonously for a few moments before giving a small nod. She once again looked over at the menu, wondering if there was something else she could order. "That's great!" The man exclaimed before pulling her over to the side and into the kitchen. Annoyance delved into her. What was the matter with this man? Xandra was prepared to launch a few punches at the man if the situation called for it but before she could do anything, he spoke once again. "I'm really sorry but can you please help me? One of my chef's has quit so suddenly and we're short on staff here. I would like you to help." All she could do was continue staring at him. Her small finger started twitching as she was slightly annoyed. She had no reason to help the man, she came here to eat and her stomach right now was in dire need for food. "I'll pay you for it." Now this drew her interest, but not enough for her to give up her last and free evening in this town to cook food for other people. And so she continued staring at him with her lilac eyes, holding the same expression as she did before. It was a little sudden when her stomach cried out once again for food. That was embarrassing, but she didn't, or well, couldn't show it on her face.

It seemed as if the man, who she assumed was Batra, noticed. "I'll throw in a free meal there." Yup, that was it. That definitely caught her attention. A free meal is not something she would decline, especially if it meant that she could save money for her trip as well as taste the delicacy of this restaurant. She took a few moments to decide. It seemed as if Batra took her expressionless reply negatively as he released a defeated sigh. As he was about to say something, she cut him off, "Alright, I'll do it." A smile adorned his face. An so began her last night in crocus, making and serving food for others. All she had to do was make a few quick appetizers and then she was done. As a food lover, it was natural for her to be good at cooking. She wasn't amazing or as good as the other chefs but she could manage, she was confident enough for that. Grabbing her hair, she pulled it into a ponytail and ties it up before proceeding to wear the apron that was handed to her by Batra.

She quickly moved to the kitchen, where two orders had awaited her: 'Breaded Chicken and French Fries' and 'Hot Dog'. Xandra wasted no time. Grabbing the ingredients she needed, she quickly worked through it as these orders were rather simple. They were something she often eats and cooks for herself. Putting the frozen french fries into the fryer, she quickly put the breaded chicken onto the plate and heated the bread for the hot dog. Once the french fries were prepared, she sent out the first order through the waiter. The hot dog too was prepared and had left the kitchen. It was then that she received a little break so she could eat her fill. putting the crispy chicken into her mouth, the flavor exploded and she felt like melting in happiness because of the goodness of the taste. Of course, no one who looked at her at that moment could tell as her joy was concealed by her impenetrable poker face. It didn't take her long to finish the two plate which still weren't enough for her but it was time for her to get back to work. She had to show her gratitude for this amazing food through her work.

Time passed by as orders rolled in, driving her attention into making the baked potatoes and one more request of breaded chicken. She found herself engrossed in the art of cooking. Orders kept coming in, one after the other for hamburgers and more hot dogs and she made them as fast and as perfectly as she could. By the look on Batra's face when she took a quick glance, he appeared to be happy with her work. Three hamburgers and four more hot dogs later, midnight had arrived. She was exhausted but she had her share of fun. This even helped honing her cooking skills for when she needs them in the future for her own selfish use. Wiping off the sweat from her forehead, she looked around as the chef's cleaned up the kitchen and the waiters assembled the tables and cleaned the floor. She took off the apron as Batra walked towards her, "Good job today and thank you for your help." He put her reward forward, "Here is your promised reward for your hard work." She accepted it gratefully, "What is your name, young lady?" Once again, she stared at him before replying in her robotic voice, "Xandra Queen." He smiled, "Well then Xandra, if you ever need a place to stay in Crocus or want to eat some good food, then you're always welcomed to come here." She was grateful but couldn't express it, so mumbling a small thank you, she left the place so return to the place where she was staying so she could collapse into her bed.

[Word Count: 1163, 1000]