Sascha sat in wide-eyed silence as Akfek told her his plans. She was almost
in shock.
  "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.