We all tensed up and our stress levels skyrocketed to a level where I was surprised that none of us had a stroke yet. You would scoff and say that we seemed as normal as we ever could be, but that came from a lifetime of learning to not show anything on our faces to the Taxmen. They themselves were hardly anything to be scared of, just a regular old human that doesn't exercise and spends all day on the couch, but The-Powers-That-Be behind them were something to be wary about like a hunting hound to a rabbit.

I remember when they first appeared, demanding that we give them the taxes that were supposedly long overdue even though we never had to pay a tax in our entire lives, and we just killed a few of them without a second thought. Then the people that didn't pay up got murdered in ways both unsettling and morbidly amusing; a gorgon choking on her cereal, a man getting his bones melted, a god simply disappearing.

By now, none of us wanted to even remotely offend lest we be killed in ways we couldn't defend against in any way. Bowing, scraping our heads, and making a joke out of ourselves just because we were too scared of a simple thing such as death. Our Father wasn't scared when he marched right up to them, laughed in their faces, and to not come anywhere near his children or he'll show them what he learned in Hell.

With that thought in mind, all of my fear of them disappeared like smoke on a windy day and a cruel half-smile came into existence in my face. "Bring it on you bureaucratic sons of bitches, I'll show you what a Hailstone can do when someone thinks they can bully us,"

Almost as if they were waiting for my declaration of rebellion turned war to walk in, they strode in a group of six that formed a pentagram; five at the points and the captain that was distinguished with a white cap from all of the other sorcerers draped from head-to-toe in federal grey. Their sauntering swagger was either the product of hundreds of hours in the field or a few days posturing in the mirror. I knew it was the latter since they would never be that overconfident if they knew who I was. Their leader spoke and my suspicions were confirmed when I heard the tacky portmanteau between a Southern Drawl and British Oxford Accent, it made him sound like pretentious and a hick at the same time. 

Neoma's eyes were still wide but when she heard that preposterous accent of his, she seemed to be less scared and more amused. He could tell that we weren't taking him seriously and his face twitched in annoyance. "Ms. Gorvano, I do hope that you have managed to scrape up the few funds necessary to stay in business here?" 

Her face burned with cold rage as she said "You know damn well that your rates are outrageous and that you gave me the worst spot possible for a bar. A bar is supposed to be relaxing and feel like home, how does putting my bar over a fecking a house where a family was brutally murdered count as sensible real estate?" 

The little dandy sprat simpered with false sympathy that dripped with condescension "I am a firm believer in what a human can do with a little pressure and suboptimal starting conditions but unfortunately it seems like you aren't. Now let's talk about possible restitution-," I had enough of this clown thinking he can walk in a battle formation from The Middle Ages and thinking he can get anything he wants.

"Now look here, Nigel, you seem to be under the impression that you're some kind of hot stuff. I'm here to demonstrate to you that you're not," He frowned at how I knew his name and then a flash of realization hit him as he looked down at the name tag on his chest. Before he had a chance to speak, I said "Nope, good guess but no cigar. I read your mind," I actually didn't of course since telepathy wasn't my forte but it helps to keep an opponent on his toes. I could see the aether warping around his head as he concentrated on keeping an imagined threat out, it's pleasing to see that before you go into a fight that the other guy some of his focus elsewhere. 

Ilianna interrupted me before I could dig myself into a deeper hole "There must be something we can do to help her out," I had a feeling that her idea of repayment and Nigel's were quite different. He looked at her with thinly disguised lust and actually licked his lips. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the illustrious Ilianna Ganis, I'm shocked to see you here and not hiding out in some bunker or giving it all up at one your infamous...social gatherings," 

I looked at her with not disgust but wry amusement "Really? You didn't strike me as one of those types that spent their time engaging in the ah....more carnal sports," She blushed and told me that when your entire bloodline is being killed, you didn't have time to play around anymore. 

"I'm not judging, you can do it whatever you want. But it is good to see that you're taking this a bit more seriously," She beamed at me and I could tell that she liked that I didn't judge her.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Nigel asked "But perhaps you could make an exception this time for me in order to save your friend," 

We all looked at him with an expression that asked if he was really serious. He shrugged his shoulders with chagrin and said "You can't blame a guy for trying. Come on boys, take them down," 

With those words, the dams of Hell broke loose. Neoma let loose a few ear-shattering shots that caught one of them in the chest and sent him fluttering backwards with a dull thud. They dove for cover behind the tables that were useless at protecting them when Neoma pegged another one and his head burst like a powder keg before they remembered they were sorcerers and put up magical shields. Ilianna was just full of surprises when she took out a trio of sacrificial blades that glowed with green light and held them between her fingers like she was a movie or something. There was no way she could have-. Well, I'll be damned, she actually managed to hit with them all. 

The blades seemed to be stopped by the shields and they had smug smiles on their faces that quickly vanished as the green energy lashed out of the blades, through the shields, and leapt towards their hearts to kill them without leaving a mark. Nigel spluttered with indignation when he realized that he was the last sorcerer standing. "Get back! I have a Færie wand!" He brandished a unicorn horn carved into a wand that had gold thread etched into it that let out a blood-curdling scream each time it was waved. 

They all froze as they realized that it was the real deal. A wand of the first people to emerge from the primordial soup of life that weren't bat-shit insane and who were the first to bend reality to their will. There wasn't any kind of magic any of us could muster that wouldn't me taken over by the wand. 

Good news I was old school and while they were all slinging magic around like it a as the OK Coral, I snuck behind Nigel and waited for an opportunity to smash his head in. 

I threw a roundhouse punch at the back his head and he went staggering forward like an unwieldy bull. He spun around and raised his wand at me but before he could even say a syllable, I grabbed his wrist and snapped it with a sound like a branch falling in winter. He let out a yelp of pain and threw a weak punch at my face that I didn't even bother blocking, he managed to split my lip and a few drops of black blood fell to the floor. He threw a series of wild punches that I evaded with the simple act of stepping backwards. 

Filthy casuals, Nigel couldn't even cast magic without a wand. Once he had exhausted himself, I leaned in and sent a pulse of dark energy towards his heart and he fell clutching his chest as he died from a heart attack. 

I looked at the bodies that littered the floor like leaves and said possibly the biggest understatement in my life "Well, I think we should run. Like right now," They all agreed and we were put in less than a minute after Neoma picked up more ammunition from her gun safe. 

Ilianna's Perspective

Eric was more...intimidating than I had thought. He wasn't just another wizard too impressed with his own power, he was an actual human being. I wonder if all wizards were like this before...The Collapse. So much has changed since he last was here, I wonder if he'll change too when he finds out about all of the...opportunities available to him. I couldn't risk someone of his caliber turning bad and leaving us powerless. 

Glancing around me, making sure there was no one watching, I scraped up his blood that fell on the floor before it became dry and suspended it in a magical solution that would stop it from degrading any further. 

I went outside before they got suspicious and he gave me a smile that told me he didn't know how handsome he was, I found that so much more attractive than the asshole guys who were all puffed up on daddy's money and cargo shorts. 

I really didn't want to kill him, but what needs to be done needs to be done.

----------------------------------------Author's Comments----------------------------------------

Releases might slow down a little since I'm going to be going back to school now from spring break but I'll try to get them out on a regular schedule if I can. 

Random Topic:

I don't know why though but I find pho delicious. If you never had it, it's a type of Vietnamese noodle dish that's absolutely amazing. You need to go on google and find the nearest place and try some right now. I'm not kidding, it's delicious. Seriously. Go and try some right now. Go. Now. Or. I. Will. Hunt. You. Down.