* - * - *

Later, when the stars emerged, Sascha looked up at them, and tried to guess their direction of travel. From what she could recall from her school days, Akfek was leading them roughly west. But to where? She squinted into the dim distance, trying to see what was ahead. What was that? A forest? Yes, she could make out the trees. Now, what could be in there that was so interesting? Whatever it was, she had a strong suspicion that it had something to do with that strange, large-footed creature she had seen in the inn. She smiled slightly upon recalling how Akfek had fooled it with that coin trick. He truly had a genius for deception! 'Stick with him, Sascha,' she told herself, looking briefly at the tall white-haired man walking ahead of her, 'and you'll never be bored again...'

Sascha's thoughts returned to the matter at hand.

"Are we going to that forest?" she asked her companion.

Akfek thought for a moment, then decided it would be useless to deceive her about something so trivial. "Yes. I believe we will find what we are looking for in there."

"And just what _are_ we looking for?" inquired Sascha, ever curious.

Akfek smiled, ever so slightly. He had seen _that_ one coming. "Patience, patience, Sascha!" he answered. "Curiosity killed the cat, and all that sort of thing. You'll find out very soon; trust me."

'Oh well,' she thought, 'it was worth a try.' Actually, she didn't really mind. Whatever Akfek had planned, she knew she was in for one heck of an adventure. 'Imagine if the people back in Kohlingen could see me now!' she mused. There were many back home, including her own family, who had been, well, less than supportive. 'I'll show them!' she vowed silently, 'and soon...' Sascha's thoughts turned to other things as she looked up at the moon, and yawned. She realized she hadn't slept in quite some time.

"I'm tired," she said. "Are we stopping soon?"

"Not tonight, I'm afraid," answered Akfek. "There's too much to be done. You really should condition yourself to sleep less on this journey. Otherwise, too many hours are lost to the darkness. My brother never slept at all..." his voice trailed off.

"Well, _he_ must've been a healthy, well-adjusted person," Sascha retorted. Akfek said nothing, but was mentally kicking himself for having said too much. Fortunately, Sascha didn't seem to think anything of it.

From then on, Akfek kept a brisk pace, and towards midnight, they reached the edge of the wood. As they approached, he stopped abruptly. "Yessss," he said softly, "it's here... I can feel it..."

"What? What is it?" asked Sascha. "I don't -" But then she felt it, too. A strange force, very powerful, coming from deep inside the forest. 'This must be what Akfek is searching for,' she thought. What could it be? But then she saw that he was heading into the forest.

"There is no time to lose, Sascha," he called back. Without hesitation, she followed him into the darkness.

"I can't see the stars anymore," Sascha said, looking up briefly. This was certainly odd, but given recent events, she wasn't completely fazed. She was learning to expect the unexpected.

"Yes," said Akfek. "We must be getting closer..." Sascha didn't bother to ask 'closer to what'. Akfek noticed this, and was pleased. 'Good,' he thought, 'she's learned not to ask pointless questions...'

Actually, the reason she hadn't asked was that she had her own idea of what was ahead. She could still feel that strange force at the back of her mind. It seemed to get stronger the further in they went, just like the darkness. Sascha became curious. She stopped walking, and tried to concentrate on it...

She could feel it more distinctly now. An intense presence, very close. It radiated an aura of dark power that danced at the edge of her psyche... It was an extraordinary force, as ancient as the earth itself...

Akfek noticed that Sascha was no longer moving, and turned to see what was keeping her. He had just opened his mouth to utter a reproach when he saw her. She was standing dead still in front of a fallen log. Her eyes were shut tight, and she wore a look of intense concentration.

"Sascha, what _are_ you doing?" he asked, puzzled. Her eyes flew open. She could feel the connection slipping away...

"I could feel it," she half-whispered, "it's here... very close..."

"Hm. Interesting."

"This," she began, still slightly dazed, "this is what we're here for, isn't it?"

"Yes," he replied slowly, "I am surprised you were able to sense it..." Surprised, and pleased. 'The girl has a keen, strong mind,' he thought with satisfaction as he resumed walking.

Shaking off her daze, Sascha followed, eager to find the source of the dark power she had sensed.

They didn't have to go far. After about twenty minutes, they came to what appeared to be a wall of darkness. Beyond it, they could see nothing. It was if it just swallowed up the light...

Sascha approached it, fascinated. She reached out to touch it, but her fingers merely disappeared into the inky blackness. Startled, she pulled back her hand. To her relief, it remained intact.

Akfek took a step closer and eyed the darkness ahead. 'Behind that wall,' he mused, 'is a creature that can give me power unlike any my brother ever had... Yes, Kefka! Not only will I surpass your abilities, but I will succeed where you failed! This world will be MINE!...' Without further ado, he stepped into the void, and vanished. Sascha was right behind him.

They stepped into a circle lit by an eerie purplish glow. At its centre stood a small creature unlike anything either Akfek or Sascha had ever seen. It looked like an obsidian statue.

The 'statue' looked at them serenely. The power it exuded was immense.

"So," it said, in a voice that seemed both soft and booming, "you have come..."

"What... _are_ you?" asked a bewildered Sascha.

"I am Shade, the Elemental of darkness, the master of shadows," it replied, with no small degreee of egotism.

Akfek took a step closer to it.

"We have come to -"

"I _know_ why you have come," it said, and laughed. The sound that fell from its mouth was very strange, like cracking bones. "Naive mortals! I _led_ you here! You seek power," it continued, "and I am going to give it to you. I will give to you my power, and each of you will be able to use my dark magic."

'Magic?' thought Sascha. 'So that's what I was feeling...'

"The girl too?" said Akfek, somewhat skeptical. Sascha shot him an indignant look.

"Yes, Akfek, her too. Do not underestimate her. With the proper training, she will undoubtedly prove a valuable asset. But I tire of this talking..." The elemental's eyes glowed purple, and its body appeared to become darker. It held up its arms in a melodramatic gesture. "Receive now the powers of darkness," it intoned, "the powers of SHADE!"

A blackish purple haze envelopped the two travellers. 'What _is_ this,' thought Sascha, slightly alarmed. Then, she felt a dark energy flow through her, and her whole body went cold. The glow subsided quickly, but she could still feel the energy inside her. She could sense the power at her fingertips. 'So this is what it's like to have magic,' she mused. 'And _black_ magic, yet! I like where this is going...' No one would laugh at _her_ again...

Akfek's mind was busy too, as he mentally flexed his new power. 'My goal is now within reach...' he thought with satisfaction. He looked at Shade.

"Are there any more elementals like yourself in this world?" he asked. The more magic they could acquire, the bigger the advantage they would have, especially in a world where magic was in such short supply...

"I am aware of other elementals in this place," the creature began, "but they are hardly... like me. They would require some... persuasion to join your cause."

Sascha was puzzled at this exchange, and wondered yet again if Akfek was ever going to tell her what was going on. But she was too pleased and excited about her new gift to make an issue of it.

'You really shouldn't keep her in the dark like this, you know.' Akfek was surprised to hear the elemental's voice in his mind, but kept his face composed. 'She will follow you anyway, and you will be able to proceed faster if she is aware of your plans.'

'A viable suggestion,' thought Akfek, 'but I don't know..'

"These other elementals," he said aloud, "could you lead us to them?"

"Yes. But we must make haste. I sense that some of my cousins have already been, ah, recruited... Let us depart immediately."

"Very well," said Akfek, "but we must first go to Thamasa, and purchase supplies."

At this, Sascha looked up abruptly. "I hate to interrupt," she began, "but won't you -" She motioned towards Shade. "- stand out, um, just a _little_ bit?"

"Do not worry," the magical being replied, "I can easily conceal myself. You will not be able to see me, but I will always be near. Now, let us waste no more time..." The elemental made a quick motion with its hand, and disappeared, taking the darkness with it. It was dawn in the forest.

"Well then," said Sascha, looking about eagerly, "let's go to Thamasa!"

'She trusts me so easily...' he thought bemusedly. As he stepped through the door, he noticed a man leaning up against the wall outside. He was tall and unshaven, with short dark hair and brown eyes. He didn't seem to notice him. Akfek could swear he had seen him before, but couldn't remember where... Ah, well, it didn't matter. He cast one more glance at the man by the door, then shook his head, and headed for the store.

He quickly discovered that the merchants of Thamasa were not particularly eager to sell to strangers. He had to haggle extensively to get anything at a reasonable price. 'Damn peasants...' he thought, as an item salesman tried to convince him with an impressive oration thatone could always use another Tonic, and for the low, low price of just 200 GP! What a deal...

Much later, Akfek left the store, with his pack full of items, and his mind filled with nasty ways to kill the troublesome merchant.

Walking back towards the inn, he saw that the man was still standing by the entrance. This time, he looked straight at Akfek, and he could see a look of recognition flash across the unkempt man's face, which was sprouting a devious smile. Akfek still had no idea who this man was.

"Akfek!" the man called out, walking towards him, "my old friend!" As the man approached, Akfek could smell a great deal of liquor on his breath. Then, it hit him.

"Connor," he said aloud, trying to sound enthused. Connor had been a fellow soldier in Geshtal's army. He was also a drunk, and possibly the biggest fool Akfek had ever met. 'But nevertheless,' thought Akfek, 'he might have some useful information. You never know...' "So, what brings you to this den of spent magic?"

"Oh, the usual," replied Connor in an offhand manner. "Looking for excitement, and of course, taverns! But, this place is dead. I'll probably be leaving today..." Akfek was disgusted. What a useless piece of...

"Well, I guess I'll see you around then," he said aloud, starting away, but Connor spun around and grabbed at his arm.

"Oh, before I forget! A bunch of us from the old army are gonna get together in a week or so." Akfek stopped, and shook the man's hand away.

"What?"

"Yeah. Some of us have been thinking about some stuff..." he looked around, and adopted an air of great secrecy. "But I can't say just now. Top secret, you know!" Akfek nodded knowingly.

"Where will it be?" This was getting interesting...

"There's some nut lives up north of the Veldt. We're gonna use his house... whether he likes it or not!" Connor seemed to find this very funny, and doubled over laughing. When he got over his fit, he asked, "See you there?"

"Yes.." he answered. Connor wandered off, and he watched him go. This was working out better than he had planned. So many things were falling into place... 'But,' he thought, 'if this is going to work, Sascha will have to know what's going on...' He would have to tell her his plans. And if she tried to back out, he would have to kill her. It was not a prospect he favored, though; he'd gotten used to having her around.

Sascha was siiting on the bed when he walked in, stretching out her arms. She looked like a cat after a particularly good nap. When she saw him come in, she sprung to her feet.

"Did you get everything?" she asked eagerly.

"Yes. But that is not important right now. Come with me to the back room. There are some things I need to tell you..."

"Are you... serious?" she asked hesitatingly, srutinizing his face for some clue. She didn't see anything to indicate he might be joking. She'd known he was alittle odd, but this?

"Yes," he answered, in a matter-of-fact tone, "quite serious. And now, you must answer this question. Will you join me?"

Sascha didn't answer right away. She was confused; this was so much to take in, in so little time. Take over the world? She didn't quite know what to make of Akfek's vision of the future. The allure of power was undeniable, but what would happen to her family back in Kohlingen, to the countless others in all the towns, if his plans proceded to completion? And what of the world itself?...

'What indeed...' Sascha heard an odd voice in her mind. She realized that it belonged to their elemental companion, Shade. 'Why should you care for this miserable world?' it was saying. 'It has shown you nothing but cruelty and indifference. And as for your so-called family... what care have they ever shown you? Did they not laugh at you, at your dreams? They tried to crush you with the weight of the tedium of their little world..."

'Yes, but...'

'But _nothing_! They gave you nothing; you owe them nothing! The only person on this rotting planet who has not forsaken you is he who sits before you now!' Sascha knew Shade was right. Her family didn't care one iota for her. Hell, they were probably taking bets as to where her corpse would turn up. Everyone had laughed when she'd told them that she wanted to be an adventurer. Only Akfek had been willing to take a chance on her. He had saved her life when she'd eaten that poisoned meat. He had shown her things she'd never dreamed of. He had revived her ambitions. Certainly he was a little weird, but he was the closest thing Sascha had to a friend.

'And think,' the elemental's voice continued in her head, 'when you and he rule the world, how they will finally respect you. How they will _fear_ you...' it trailed off.

'Yes,' she thought, 'fear.' She was beginning to like this idea. A lot. There would be no more snickering behind her back; people would instead whisper her name in reverent terror, and cower when she passed... Power called. Sascha answered.

"Yes." she said with finality. "I'll do it."

Akfek scanned her face for signs of uncertainty. Her long silence had worried him slightly. But when he looked into her eyes he saw no indecision; only eagerness, and a lust for power to rival his own. Sascha would not falter.

"Excellent," he said slowly. He was pleased that he would not have to kill her.

"When do we leave?" she asked.

"The meeing is set to take place in a week. That doesn't give us much time to get there, let alone look for elementals..." That bothered him, maore than anything. He wanted to accumulate as many as he could...

Shade chose that moment to appear.

"Do not worry," it said without preamble, "This journey will not set you back in that respect. Near the place that you speak of, in a forest north of the place called the 'Veldt', one of my more benevolent relations is hiding. If you could trick, that is, persuade her to help you, her powers would be very useful. As always though, speed is of the essence...'

"Perhaps my... good friend... Captain Mikail could be of help in that regard," said Sascha. A vicious smile appeared on her lips, and her eyes danced mischieviously. Akfek raised his esteem of her another notch.

The two kept mainly to the shadows as they walked, and thusly managed to avoid any travellers along the way. That is, until a red headed teenaged boy barreled into Sascha, knocking her over. She loked up at her assailant from a somewhat undignified postion, expecting at least an 'excuse me'. That was not, however, what she received.

"Geez, lady!" the boy exclaimed, "Why didn't you get outta my way?" Sascha's jaw dropped, her good mood broken. Akfek glared at the impudent youth.

"And just who do you think you are, young man?" he asked icily.

"I," he replied with a flourish, "am Palom, the great mag - er, _ninja_!"

"Of course you are." Sascha's voice dripped venom. At this point, a girl appeared. She was apparently the offender's twin.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Please excuse him -"

"But sister! She was in my _way_!" Sascha could feel her anger start to rise.

The girl was speaking again. "My brother is just a little, um -"

"Your brother," interrupted Sascha, as Akfek helped her to her feet, "is an _idiot_! And _you_- "

"Not _now_, Sascha," Akfek whispered. Sascha quickly calmed herself.

"And you," she continued, her rage barely contained, "had better get out of here, before I do something you'll regret..."

"Sheesh, lady!" said the boy, looking indignant. "You don't have to get so uptight just because you're a klutz!" His sister looked mortified, and more than a little frightened. She was clutching at a pendant around her neck.

"Palom..."

"Leave _now_," commanded Akfek. The girl needed no more encouragement. She dashed off, dragging her brother along. The latter was protesting quite loudly.

"Let _go_, Sister! I can take 'em! Hey! Come back here and fight, you pansies! I'll take you! I'm invincible!" The boy's voice faded in the distance.

"Sorry to rob you of your fun," Akfek said to Sascha as she dusted herself off, "but it wouldn't do to have a magical 'incident' so close to Thamasa."

"Brats," muttered Sascha. "If I ever see those two again..."

"Ah yes," Akfek affected a sigh, "they have such little respect for their elders nowadays.."

****

Some time afterward, they approached the dock. Sascha's mood had deteriorated substantially since the incident, and she wasn't altogether sure that her mind hadn't been playing tricks on her. She almost thouht she'd seen those two pesky children out of the corner of her eye... But no, it was just her imagination. In any case, they were insignificant, really, in the grand scheme of things. She dismissed the two rude adolescents from her thoughts.

They soon learned from a friendly sailor (over-friendly, in Sascha's opinion) that Mikail's boat was actually docked about a mile down the coast. He was apparently about to receive a particularly large shipment, and wanted it to be discreet. "Discreet! HA!' thought Sascha, 'That man couldn't be _discreet_ if he were invisible!' After the man left, she asked her companion, "Why do we have to go on _his_ boat again, anyway? I _hate_ that guy!"

"I know," replied Akfek with a wicked grin. "And that, my dear, is why you are going to _love_ this plan! Come, I'll tell you on the way..."

"Errr, thaait would not be a good ideaiii. Ei'll have to passs this one. I got some 'important shipmiieeent' todiiaay."

Akfek scanned over the shipment covered by long sheets of blinds. "What type of shipment could this be?" pondered Akfek. Nevertheless, Akfek walked over and attempted to lift the sheets but was restrained from doing so when one of Mikail's men drew a sword and pointed it at Akfek's chest. "Fool, your weapon is a useless commodity," affirmed Akfek with a chilling laugh, "against my powers."

Akfek lifted his hands, with his fingers widened and curled up, and chanted a few words quietly; suddenly, a dark gate opened and swallowed the sailor - the gate was called X-Zone. "Your friend here is gone forever," announced Akfek with a sharp, terifying voice. "Any further resistance will be dealt with severely." Akfek continued towards the sheets but this time Mikail drew his sword and lunged towards Akfek. Unfortunately, his trip through the air was shortened when another dark gate opened up directly in front of Mikail and he was swallowed into oblivion. The gate closed and the rest of the sailors trembled with fear.

"Fool. His death was inevitable. Haa haa haa ha..." Akfek laughed coldly as he advanced towards the hidden shipment. Akfek lifted the blinds and saw before him Magitek armor - but the Magitek Armor did not contain any magic that Akfek could detect. Akfek meditated upon the machines before him. "Magitek Armor? Where could this have come from?" Then he dropped the blinds. "Where did you get this Magitek Armor from?" asked Akfek sternly, but the sailors remained silent. "I will kill each of you one by one until my question has been answered."

Immediately, an old sailor with an a curly grey beard responded, "We do not know where this shipment came from. Our job is to deliver the shipment. The shipment's destination was also unknown. Mikail never tells us the destination until we set sail - this way, nobody can sneak off the ship and report our destination to authorities. But now that he's gone, we'll never know the destination." Akfek did not know if this sailor was decieving him or not so he decided to confirm this statement by asking another member of the crew.

He glanced to his left and saw the next victim standing on the shipment. An invisible force surrounded that poor soul and the sailor screamed in agony. "Ahhhhhhh, cut this pain! I can't stand it! Please, stop at once!" The victim's face reflected pain and he continued to scream in agony as sweat poured down his face and his eyes squinted in the most unusual fashion.

Akfek smiled as the sailor continued to holler and queried, "Feel the force of darkness, you squealing imbecile. Now, is your friend with the curly grey beard telling the truth? Do not lie to me or you will die a 'very' torturous death."

"Yessss, he's telling the truth. I only know as much as he does!" uttered the sailor as the pain continued to flow through him. At once, the torment ended and the helpless man held his neck and gasped for air slowly as he knelt on the shipment. Akfek focused his attention on the man with the curly grey beard again. "You were wise to tell me the truth. Now, who is the assistant to Mikail?"

The sailor with the grey beard replied, "My name is Pukcus. I am Mikail's assistant."

"Good. I am going to be this ship's captian now. Are there any objections?" inquired Akfek. The crew was dead silent as expressions of terror continued while they were all looking at Akfek.

All the time, Sascha was standing there, watching as the events occurred. She knew none of the sailors were a match for Akfek or her, but Akfek did not require assistance - neither did he ask for any, so she stayed as an observer. "I like his style," mused Sascha. Sascha had only heard of the legendary Magitek Armor used by emperor Gestahl. Now they had possession of it, but it was useless without magic. That was a minor problem, though - if the others like Shade were found, there would be plenty of magic for the Magitek Armor.

Akfek by now was leaning over the rail of the upper deck. "Excellent. I hope I have gained your fidelity. Pukcus, we will set sail to a location north of the Veldt and west of Triangle island. My friend here, Sascha, is the my assistant. You must all listen to her. Puckus, you'll be my second assistant, but you must listen to Sascha's commands too," asserted Akfek.

"Aye aye, captain," responded Pukcus, and they set sail for the forest north of the Veldt.

After a few days of sailing south, the ship docked to the north of the forest. Akfek had ordered the crew to remain there until he returned and left Puckus in command of the crew. He then left with Sascha and Shade, who uncloaked after the ship was in the distant horizon. Shade could sense the magical force emitted by the elemental within the forest, and they followed the directions given to them by Shade. As they reached the center of the forest, Akfek could feel the strong magical energy emanating from the new elemental as they approached it. A few minutes later, Sascha could feel it too.

Their journey succeeded when Akfek spotted a clear patch of space within the mighty forest and discerned a tree-like figure standing right in the middle of the forest, about the size of a doll. Leaves protruded from its head and two black pointed eyes resided on its face. It had small arms and feet but the overall form of it was somewhat like a mini tree.

"This one was _easy_ to find!" whispered Sascha.

"Ah, yes," said Shade, looking as wistful as one can when one is a Mr. Potato Head-shaped statue. "My relatives are not as interested in drama as I..."

"The question is," continued Sascha, "how are we going to get it to join us?"

"Luna is the Elemental of the Moon, and thus is somewhat... unpredictable," answered Shade. "But, we should be able to convince her to join us..."

"Yesss..." said Akfek slowly. "I'm getting an idea. Sascha, we're going to stage our own little drama..."

* * * *

While all this was going on, Luna was minding her own business, engaged in a fascinating conversation with herself concerning the political status of chocobos in Pandora. Enthralling, really.

Suddenly, she heard a twig snap behind her. She spun around, startled.

Entering her clearing were two humans, a male and a female. The man was tall with long white hair, and was dressed in a long black cloak. The female was petite and redhaired, and was also dressed in dark clothing. Both appeared to be tired, and extremely haggard. The girl was leaning heavily on a walking stick. When the two spotted Luna, they stopped short, with looks of amazement on their faces. The girl took a step forward.

"Is that...an elemental?" Her voice was thin and trembling. She seemed about to collapse. Luna wondered what the heck they were doing here.

"No, it...it couldn't be. But, it _does_ look like one..." The man squinted at the small creature. Luna spoke.

"Greetings, and hi, how's it going? I am Luna, the Moon Elemental. I am also... Oh, darn! I forget... Oh yeah! A pelican!" With that, Luna began to jump up and down with excitement. The man's face lit up.

"It _is_ you! Oh, this is truly a blessing! A blessing from the Lord!"

"God be praised!" the woman chimed in. "We were so afraid that you had been... destroyed." Luna was confused - but hey, that was nothing new.

"What? Destroyed? By the Hermaphroditic Elven Mosquitoes, what are you talking about?" And how did these mortals know of elementals, anyway? It was supposed to be a secret!

At this point, Shade appeared. "You have been watching the stars for too long, my friend. Many things have occurred in your, er, absence. We now live in a hostile, confused world."

"Whatever do you mean?" The world turned hostile? Were passing ruffians saying Ni at will to old ladies? What was going on?... The man had begun to speak.

"These are indeed sad times. I will tell you how the planet came into this sorry state. A short time ago, a group of misguided individuals was seeking to destroy all magic in the world. Through perseverance and propaganda, they became very powerful. They used this ill-gotten power to destroy all magic that they could find..." The girl picked up the tale. Her voice was sad and melancholy.

"They did a very thorough job. They managed to kill it all. All, that is, except for the Elementals. This they were unaware of. But, they have since learned of your existence, and now want to destroy you too!" The woman's voice became urgent. "Their actions have already thrown the world into chaos. Magic must be restored soon, before it is too late. We must re-establish the balance that Nature intended!"

"That," the man said, when his companion paused, "is our quest. We have come here to humbly ask for your aid." Luna was flabbergasted. She looked to her fellow elemental, Shade, for confirmation.

"It is all true," the dark one said. "And there is more. We have heard reports that these twisted crusaders now want to destroy _all_ Mana, even that which is contained in the powers of Nature, and the Earth herself. There have even been rumors of... defenestration." The two humans nodded solemnly. Luna made up her mind. This could not be allowed to go on. Defenestration! The very _height_ of perversity!

"It seems," she began, "that my choice in this matter is clear. This blatant silliness must not be permitted to continue. I shall give you my power, and help you in any way that I can. Now, step forward and receive my gift." The humans approached and respectfully knelt before the diminuitive elemental. Luna could sense their storng spirits. 'Good,' she thought, 'they'll need them if they're going to be Junior Woodchucks, and their quest will none too easy, either...' She closed her hypnotic eyes, and directed her power to them, by bonking them each on the head with a stick.

* * * *

Sascha and Akfek glowed gold for an instant as the transfer occurred. Sascha closed her eyes, and savored the feel of the power flowing through her. It was different from Shade's, but no less enjoyable. She had to try very hard to keep a self-satisfied smile from spreading across her face. She looked over to Akfek, who was getting to his feet. She did likewise.

"I hope that this will be of help, " the elemental was saying.

'Oh, I'm _certain_ it will,' Sascha thought. 'Sucker...'

"You now have all my power, and some of my ju-jubes," it continued, "and I shall accompany you on your journey." Sascha didn't like _that_ idea. What would happen if if it found out what she and Akfek were really up to?

'Don't worry, Sascha,' she heard Shade in her mind again, 'I can keep Luna out of the way.' She exchanged a look with Akfek, and knew that he had heard too. Shade spoke aloud.

"You should travel with me in my cloak of darkness, cousin," he said with a 'smile'. "It will be safer for both of us in this cruel world."

"You are right, of course, Shade," Luna agreed. The two disappeared.

'You may speak now. She will not hear you...'

Sascha sighed, then rearranged her hair, and cast aside her walking stick. "That was _easy_! I should've been an actress!" Akfek smiled.

"We should be going now, Sascha. We don't want to be late for our meeting..." They returned to the boat, and Akfek ordered the terrified sailors to head for a small inlet near the meeting house. Their cringing and cowering never faled to amuse Sascha...

That evening, they reached their destination. The house where the gathering was to take place was large, and loud shouts could be heard from within. It reminded Sascha slightly of the tavern at the port. But this time, she was not intimidated. Not with the power of magic tingling at her fingertips.