"No need for that," Lionel said from beneath his umbrella.
Blood fell from the sky like rain drops. Lionel had arrived at the protest, and made his way to the front of the line, strangely dressed, missing for three weeks. Almost skipping as he made his way there. He opened his umbrella and in an instant the white supremacist marching and the police officers guarding them vanished. A few moments later, the blood began to fall. Confusion, panic and fear filled the people still walking. LaTrell spotted his friend right away.
They had gone to the Mage' College together. LaTrell would recognized him anywhere. They were mages in a mostly human society, still they were black in a mostly white society. Brazil's racism had grown out of control these last several years. Millions had taken to the streets to protest peacefully. They had been met with force and hundreds dropped dead at the hands of militarized police forces across the country.
"They say you sold your soul to a demon," LaTrell keeping his wand trained on his best friend.
"Aye, I did. Almost unlimited power was mine in return. Please put the wand down. If you're going to kill me with a spell at least do it with your hands like I know you can," Lionel smiled.
He remembered the old days when they were in school. LaTrell always struggled to cast spells with just words, his hands or a thought. He was reliant on the old way of using a wand. Lionel knew different. He had saw LaTrell casting spells in his sleep. Mumbling incantations. He knew LaTrell had untapped power and only needed to apply himself.
"Why?"
"Because I was tired. Our people are disrespected, murdered, lynched, in modern times. I'm not talking about the 40s, 50s or even 60s. Our people are being lynched, and nobody cares but us."
"I get that, but why sell your soul?"
"I sold my soul to kill these devils. Free our people from the tyranny, even if I'm trapped."
"Let's go."
"You can't go where I'm going," Lionel responded.
"Are you going to die today?"
"No."
"Then we have time to go get your soul back," LaTrell tossed his wand aside and met his friend for a hug in the middle of the falling blood.
