Part Two!

I've done some small edits and revisions to part one - feel free to go back and look.

Now to our present story!

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So this is it, Sage thought calmly. I'm going to die here. Like so many others I've seen. I'll be trampled and then food for the rats in some alleyway.

Reaching out the man gripped her angrily. "Out of the way, wench!" He yelled at her, throwing her to the ground.

It was then that Saje saw him. A young boy, no older than seven. He was gaunt from hunger, and the dirty rags he wore hung off his malnourished frame. She could see his ribs through the holes in his rags. And she could see the shock on his face as the crowd gathered round. "Beat him!" someone shouted. "Break his scrawny neck!" another voice called.

Oh no, Saje cried in her mind. With all she had been through, she still had compassion on children. They reminded her of Alainaa. Tears burned in her eyes, I wish there was something I could do! More than anything else, she wished that little boy could be safe, that she could somehow protect him. But she knew that if she did anything, they would kill her, too.

The crowd was closing in, calling bloodthirsty threats to the child who began to cry. And then it was all clear to her. Standing up she yelled, "Get BACK!", her voice booming over the square. Her green eyes turning black, she stepped towards the boy. "This one tried to curse me!" Glaring at the crowd, she called out, "He's MINE!" Wheeling on the boy, she grabbed his arm. Show time!, she thought. "I'll show you, Cursed boy!" Saje yelled. Closing in on him, her face softened so no one could see but the boy. "Trust me, I'm a friend. Pretend I'm hurting you. Scream out if you understand me." As she pretended to twist his arm, the young boy screamed in pain. Turning her back to the crowd, she pasted a sick grin twisted across her face.

"What should I do with this little Curse?" She called. "Break his legs! Break his arms! Smash his face!" the crowds suggestions mingled. "How about I break his little arms?" She yelled back. As she did, she twisted his arms. I hope this works, she thought. She felt power rush into his arms as she twisted. With two loud cracks that echoed across the square, his arms fell awkwardly to his sides. Then the boy screamed painfully, but she could feel that he was totally calm. As he fell to the ground, the crowd cheered viciously.

With relief, she hoped this would all work. Picking the boy up by his hair, she strengthened the roots of his hair so it wouldn't hurt. Again he shrieked in false pain. This kid is good, Saje thought to herself.

"How about I break his scrawny little neck?" She yelled out, her face twisted grotesquely, eyes glowing red in the lamplight. The crowd replied as one, "BREAK IT!"

The boy screamed, and as she turned around, she lifted him off the ground by his head. Saje quickly and softly said, "Sleep!" as she pushed power into his neck, softening the bones. With another loud CRACK!, she quickly twisted his head. She dropped his limp, broken looking body to the ground. The crowd let loose an evil cheer. Shaking her head in mock disappointment she called out, "Huh! He wasn't even worth the effort! Let's go get drunk!"

The crowd let loose a cheer as she kicked the body into an alley. She walked with the crowd, ignoring the pats on her back as she walked to the other side of the square. Quickly slipping into an alley, she hid in the shadows and broke down sobbing. After an hour, Saje finally calmed down, and began making her way through the back alleys around the square.

Seeing the small, crumpled body in those dirty rags, Saje began to sob again. Grabbing his arms she felt the bones knit and strengthen beneath her hands. After she did the neck, she whispered, "Wake!"

She had no idea where those ideas had come from. But as the young boy opened his eyes and looked up at her, she hugged him against her chest, and sobbed some more. The boy began to squirm restlessly, and she let him up. Standing there in front of her, she noticed he had blond hair that was extremely dirty. His bright blue eyes looked back into her emerald green. What's your name and where are you from? Saje wondered to herself.

Saje nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a voice whisper in her ear, "I don't think he can really hear you. After all, he's not gifted like you..."

Turning swiftly around, Saje saw a man standing an arms length away. The first thing she noticed was his clothes. They weren't the dirt rags most of the Central wore. They weren't even the more drab attire worn by the Centrals that the Outsiders hired.

He wore finery that she had never seen before. Outsiders would never come this far to the inside without an escort! Fearfully she looked around for anyone else and saw he was alone. Cowering in fear, Saje held the young boy protectively, and asked with more bravery than she felt, "What do you want?"

The man smiled at her. She wasn't sure how he felt about that. Most of his features were hidden in the shadow that fell across him, but his teeth seemed to shine in the darkness. "You're a brave girl... what I want isn't particularly important at the moment. I am, however, curious as to what you want."

The entire time he was speaking, Saje was trying to think of a way to escape. If she ran out into the square, he could simply tell everyone she was Cursed. And if that wasn't enough, she had the boy who was supposedly dead... And this stranger was blocking the end of the alley. Perhaps she could push past him... but with this child? It was too risky. Saje suddenly noticed that it seemed to be getting brighter. It couldn't be morning already, could it? Quickly she glanced out to the square... it looked just as dark as ever. But turning back to the stranger, she noticed that she could begin to make out his features. He had an unruly tangle of hair that sat on top of his head, much like some sort of wild creature. Beneath his tangled curls he had eyes like a pair of ice blue eyes that seemed to pierce through her. She noticed they held a rather bemused look, with the corners of his eyes and lips twitching like he had some amusing secret. He was an average build, and seemed to be a little over a head taller than Saje.

Still leaning against the side of the building, like he hadn't a care in the world, the stranger asked, "There's nothing you want?"

Shaken from her reverie, Saje realized she had never thought about what she wanted... she only worried about staying alive. And helping the few people she could... like this child who had been strangely quiet the whole time.

"He's quit an interesting fellow. He doesn't know his name, or where he's from. He's been wandering around the streets for as long as he can remember." Saje stared at him. "And he's quite fine, he's usually quiet so most people won't notice him." Softly, the stranger finished, "You certainly were theatrical out there." He softly clapped his hands in applause.

"Who are you?" She finally managed to blurt out. Letting out a belly laugh, the strange man replied, "I was wondering when you'd ask that! That thought has been buzzing around in your head the whole time I've been here... all in due time, and really you have nothing to fear from me."

Is he reading my thoughts? Saje wondered. She started as she heard his voice inside her mind. It's a lot more like hearing your thoughts than reading them. It does take some effort and skill, as does speaking into someones thoughts. But all in due time.

"It's actually a lot easier to talk out loud. I'm sure you and the child are both hungry after the performances you put on out there. Oh, and forgive my not introducing myself earlier," Bowing theatrically, he offered a black silk gloved hand, "I'm know Ralenby as William Ringwall, the Third. Hmmm odd that there's no First or Second. Ah it seems I'm becoming quite scatterbrained in my old age." William tapped the wall he was leaning on, and it a hidden door swung open, darkness inside. "Please, follow me!" And he stepped into the darkness.

The child looked expectantly up at Saje and began squirming out of her grip. Sucking on his thumb, he smiled at her and took her hand, pulling in the direction of the door. I give you my word as a gentleman, it's quite safe in here. You may find it rather interesting!

Saje still wasn't sure if she trusted this strange character, but the little child seemed keen to go inside... and at that moment she smelled the savory scent of hot meat, bread, and stew wafting from the doorway, and her stomach growled. The boy looked up at her, eyes wide, and then giggled. Sighing, Saje let him pull her through the doorway. Closing her eyes she realized what a long day it had been. This strange fellow who was apparently well off, taking an interest in them, her rescue of this child...

As they stepped inside, the door slid shut, closing with a soft click. Then a dim light began to grow in the room. "You know, you probably should give him a name. I assume you're planning on taking care of him, as he has no family. At least none that he remembers."

"I... uh... wait, what?"
Adopting a high accent, he replied, "Well darling, you did rescue him. And he has nothing else for him here. Besides, you can't just leave him here when we leave Ralenby."
"Wait, WHAT?!" Saje almost shouted.

Smiling sweetly, William said, "Well, you are quite talented and have tremendous potential... but here in Ralenby? Bah!" He muttered darkly, his eyes flashing like the sun off hard flecks of ice.

As William dropped into a chair at the table, Saje took the time to study the room. It was a dingy sort of room. She guessed it was about twenty paces by thirty. The only furnishings were a table that looked like it was about to fall apart, with three chairs, and a table by the wall. The shocking thing was the amount of food piled on the table. Tearing her eyes away, she looked around the room. It looked like much of the other buildings around Central. It was a lot nicer that what she remembered of home... and suddenly tears came to her eyes. This was the first time she had been inside a building for nine years. She had spent those years outside in the elements, huddling up to building, sleeping wherever she could find.

"Well?" he asked sharply, "What do you think?"

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More later!