Journey to Tristan - [Note: Come Join In]

[Cindy Ardheim]

Shana scratches her forehead , questioning his intentions.

''Huh..? Well I don't mind , but my services are not free..
Besides , you didn't tell me your name , I mean I would like to know
to who I am working for.''  

[Xoul Leonheart]

"Oh sorry bout that, I'm Xoul, Xoul Loenheart and this is.."

Azure showed up beside him in a form of an imp, and greeted her.

Azure: "Hello, im Azure. Nice to meet ya~!"

Xoul: "Oh stop being all gullible infront of the lady you 2 faced imp."

Azure: "Pshh be quiet Xoul, im working here. *Tries to look Cool*"

Xoul shakes his head while with the palm on his hand on his face.

"Well of course we'll pay you for your services, all we need is safe passage towards Xordon and we're all good. How's that sound?"  

[Azasael Leonheart]

In the kitchens, a flurry of activity near the pantry door was taking place. Four scullery maids and the Cook were holding back a struggling white haired girl from entering said pantry.

It had been a year, and Azasael was no longer the redhead she had been previously. Her fighting skills were improving somewhat - though she still spent more of her time eating and indulging herself than practicing and brushing up her skills. She was also less of the lunatic she had been, due to the massive shock that she had gained several pounds over the past few months. Overall, she was healthy and capricious and loquacious as ever.

"I need to get food! Lots of food!" she explained hurriedly to the irate maids and Cook. "I'm heading to the Kingdom of Volcrom! I heard the people there are decidedly stingy with food, so I'm gonna pack all I can eat! I'm a growing child! Really!"

Her protests were in vain, however, as she was thrown out the back door by a hefty looking guard.

"Lord Xoul and Lady Evangeline aren't here to protect you anymore, squirt!" the guard hissed at her. "You're banned from the kitchens until you learn to control your diet!"

"What a p***k," Azasael muttered as she walked off as haughtily as she could, back into her quarters to resume packing her provisions.  

[Misabeli]

"Mmmhmm? That was strange" Evangeline muttered as her eyelids fluttered open. Brushing away the thought, Evangeline stood up.

"I better get going"  

[Cindy Ardheim]

Shana looked at Azure with a confused look.

"That's your traveling companion Xoul? He sounds like he could get you in trouble by talking too much."

She sighs and answer the previous question.

"I think it sounds good , I will help..
but coming from you I would have expected you to pick a fight with the bandits instead of avoiding them. But a job is a job , I'll lead you in a safe path until you can reach the capital."  

[Azasael Leonheart]

Once everything was packed, Azasael grabbed her trusty scythe and skipped down the stairs, narrowly missing chopping off a servant's head with her weapon. She was off to Volcrom, ready to explore and taste the dangers that lay ahead of her, she would gladly welcome it with open arms...

She missed a step and tumbled headfirst to the floor below. Several maidservants ran helter-skelter to avoid her flailing scythe. Apparently Azasael was ready for everything except getting out of embarrassing situations.

"Oh geez. I miss Evangeline already," she muttered as she felt the large bruise on her knee sulkily.  

[Misabeli]

Evangeline sneezed.
"Wonder who's talking about me" Evangeline said aloud as she rubbed her nose.

~*~*~*~

"This is taking longer then I thought it would be...Tristan can't be any further" Evangeline complained as she rubbed her aching legs.

"I should have brought a map along. Argh...Stupid desert" She cried as her foot got stuck for the third time.  

[Azasael Leonheart]

She proceeded to walk through the town, heading in the direction of Volcrom. She didn't exactly know the way there, but she figured she could survive on asking for directions from passersby. Along the way, she marched on the gutter while chewing thoughtfully on a ham sandwich.

"I suppose," she said loudly to herself as she walked, oblivious to the stares the townspeople gave her, "I could go left. But what if I get lost? No wait, I'm already lost. Which way, which way, oh which way? AHA! I shall do what normal people would do!"

She headed to a sundry store with a gleeful smile. "One map, please?"  

[Misabeli]

"Argh" Evangeline cried as she tried to yank her leg from the sand.

Why didn't I bring a horse along?? Or maybe a map?? Evangeline thought to herself as she continued to tug.

Suddenly, a thought struck her. "What if the sand bandits appear?"  

[Azasael Leonheart]

"I say!" Azasael squeaked as she wandered aimlessly through a vast stretch of grass that seemingly led to nowhere. "That man in the store practically swindled me! THAT SWINE!"

Apparently said swindler had peddled a cheap rip-off inaccurate map to Azasael, who was fuming mad at the moment as she made her way through the wide expanse of land. This was entirely unexpected, but being the careless person she was, Azasael hadn't bothered to check the map properly before leaving the town far behind. It wasn't until noon when she realized she had no idea where she was and decided to refer to said map - only it turned out to be...

"Entirely ridiculous piece of junk!" she hissed at the offensive parchment and tossed it to the ground. "How on earth am I supposed to find my way out of this place?"

Muttering crossly to herself, Azasael trudged on, stopping at a bubbling stream to refill her water canteen. She sat cross-legged on the grass and looked around blankly. All of a sudden, she leaped up and gasped. There was an old creaky signboard not far up ahead - this could be her ticket out of here!

She grabbed her canteen and rushed towards the signboard, only to find it had rotted with age. She could still read part of the engraved letters, though.

"Two hundred something miles to Tristan," she read aloud. Her eyes bugged. "Man, that's really far. But I'll get there, even if it takes years without food."

...Hopefully.  

[Xoul Leonheart]

"Azure? Yeah he's a loud mouth, but he's also a part of me, so there's nothing I can do about it."

Xoul picks up Azure and shakes him around.

"Hey hey!! Stop that Xoul!!"

Xoul then raised his leg backwards and with full force kicked Azure into the air. He then shifts his attention back at Shana.

Azure: "Whaaat the heeeeeeeelllllll..........!!!!!!"

Xoul: "Well I don't mind the fighting, it's the package we're guarding there is what i'm worry about. It might get damaged or even stolen if we encounter them."

Xoul raised up his arm and closed his eyes, whispering Azure's name. A form of shadow was seen around Xoul's arm and Azure was summoned on his shoulders.

Azure: "What was the kick for! I'm not a ball!"

Xoul: "I was just showing a point to Shana that I can never be apart from you."

Azure: "Well you could've at least tell me first!"

Xoul: "So you'll take us there right Shana?"  

[Cindy Ardheim]

After watching Xoul and his violent ways to show his proofs , Shana replies.

"As I said , I will help.. Lead the way until we reach the danger zone."

Shana grins wickedly at Azure.

"Hey , Xoul , you would let me kick it next time , right?.."