"I'll be back soon!", Sage said as she stepped out of her house.
"Okay baby be safe!", she heard her mother shout from the kitchen.
She shivered as her face and hand made contact with the frosty night wind. She pulled her hood up and the fox fur-lined inside instantly warmed her. She dug her numb fingers into her cloak pockets and with her head down joined hurried along the cobblestoned street towards the night market. It was the end of January, the coldest month for the kingdom with winds that chilled one to the bone and snow that fell as frequently as every few minutes. However, for the sake of their livelihood people of the night market sold their wares thrice a week.
The night market was bustling as always despite the cold weather. The streets were lined with various shops, from those that sold spices and wine to those who sold weapons and precious metals. Snowflakes were slowly drifting down and covering the ground. A thin blanket of snow had been created on the ground already. Sage increased her pace and pulled her cloak tighter around her, with one hand pulling her hood down in the front to hide her white hair to prevent her from grabbing any extra attention. Her boots crunched on the fresh snow as she headed to one of the dark corners of the street where a scrawny young boy was selling what seemed to be dried merchandise.
"Ah Yi!", she called out.
The boy's head snapped up from where he was inspecting a plant and she saw him looking at her with a smile stretching across his face. His brown eyes twinkled as he called out to her in Mandarin.
"Jiejie, you're here!"
Sage went over and hugged him. She looked at the foreign boy lovingly and kissed him on the forehead. He immediately blushed.
"So, what do we have today?", Sage asked him as she looked over the shop's wares.
"I have the white fungus you wanted.", he replied.
"Then what are you waiting for? Give it to me.", she said as she rapped his head.
"Jie!", he protested as his neat hair was ruffled, and went to get the fungus. Sage chuckled lightly.
In a few minutes, his head popped from behind a stack of boxes.
"Jiejie, you want anything else?", he asked.
"I also need some Yulong tea leaves and scar medicine.", she replied.
"Got it! Anything else?", Ah Yi asked again as he went to the back of the shop to rummage for what she asked.
"No, that's it."
Ah Yi came around and handed the paper bag to her and took the silver and copper tokens she offered.
"Thank you. Bye bye.", Sage smiled, waved, and turned to go to the weapons stall.
"Zhou Ruo Yi, what are you doing?!", Sage heard Ah Yi's mother scolding him just as she slipped into the other alley where all metal wares were sold.
Sage saw the blacksmith hammering away on another new weapon as the doors of the weapons shop came into view.
"Hey uncle Jev.", she greeted the shop owner who was trying to convince a few street brats to buy some claws.
"Sage, what brings you here today?", he asked smiling.
"Mom wanted a few knives. And of course, I need a new dagger."
"Bastian! We need kitchen knives and a dagger for Sage.", he turned and shouted.
Sage looked at Bastian pounding away on the sword. Dark, brooding, muscled, and silent.
"Still not talking? ", Sage asked with her eyes on Bastian.
"Nope. Still as mute as a rock.", Jev replied.
Just then a painful cry was heard from the street. On high alert now, both Sage and Jev ran out to see a crowd formed outside. Sage quickly pushed past the people when she heard another cry of pain and the small broken voice of a child begging for help. Jev followed her and the crowd parted seeing the 7-foot muscular man.
Sage came to a stop when she finally made her way up front. A fat paunchy man was holding a whip in his hand, the end of which was glistening with fresh blood. A small girl who looked barely 8 was lying in the street trembling, exhausted from the crying, and screaming. Her back and body were littered with whip lashes. She was wearing a thin grey dress whose sleeves and hems were torn and were exposing her legs and arms to the chilly night weather. Sage saw the girl's lips turning blue due to the cold and that she was on the verge of fainting. She clenched her fist, seeing red in her rage.
"BAYEN RATHOFFE!", she hollered, pushing off Jev's hand on her shoulder.
Her shout caught the man's attention, and he turned his face towards her, his horse like protruding face looking sinister. His face broke out in a wicked grin.
"Sage Evellora.", he said.
"Let go of the girl. ", Sage said as she ground her teeth.
"What if I say no?", Bayen said.
"How about I beat you up like last time?", Sage replied and looked up with her green eyes burning with anger and rage.
At the same time, the wind blew hard and pushed the hood off her head exposing her white hair. She heard people around her gasp, some with fear at her strange appearance and some dazzled by her fair skin and sparkling green eyes. She paid no heed to them. Bayen narrowed his eyes and moved forward, his hand armed with his whip rising to strike again. The little girl had already fainted, and people looked away as the whip came down because they knew clearly that this was a death strike, something they wouldn't wish upon their children. They couldn't do anything about it either because the Rathoffe family with the front of being a butcher had the back business of being one of the influential underground families.
Some families had tried to retaliate and that had resulted in the death of all their offspring. It was clear the Rathoffes had backing. After that incident, no one poked their nose in any business involving the Rathoffes. Even now no one made a move to stand in Bayen Rathoffe's way.
Just when they thought the whip would hit the girl, the crowd heard a loud crack. They saw a large body being hurled swiftly towards the closing wall of the cul-de-sac and heard the crack of bones as it hit the wall and crumbled. They turned their heads away from Bayen's body and towards the other side and the sight froze them in shock.
Sage was standing there with her hand outstretched, palm facing the place where Bayen had been standing with an icy light fading from her fingers.