Work

"Come to pay your dues?" Mick asked

"I've come to give you a warning. Leave the children alone, or you'll regret it."

They laughed, a harsh, grating sound.

"You think you can scare us, boy? You're a child of dirt."

I took a deep breath, feeling the mana stir within me. I raised my hand, and with a thought, the air around them crackled with energy. Flames appeared out of thin air and floated around me in worship.

Mick's laughter died in his throat, replaced by a look of fear. "What—what are you doing?" he stammered, backing away.

"*Sigh*, this is something you can't understand," I said, my voice low and filled with power. "If you ever threaten the children again, it will be much much worse."

I flicked my wrist, and the flames roared and twisted into the form of a giant dragon. Mick and his men stumbled back, their faces pale with terror. Without another word, they turned and fled, their footsteps echoing in the narrow alley.