“All right, boys and girls,” he addressed us once the room had gone quiet. “I know there’s been some disagreement about what to do in the face of this catastrophe, but it’s time for us to pull together and do our job. The Enforcers Guild was originally founded to serve the people of Solantha, and the whole state of Canalo. Regardless of whether or not we think the Mages or the Resistance are in the right, the people still need our protection, and our help.”
“What about us?” a female enforcer close to the front shouted. “Don’t we deserve protection and help too? Or is the Mages Guild going to continue to arrest us and treat us like criminals? Let them fight their own battles. I’ve had enough!”
Several enforcers began to shout their agreements with her stance, and soon, the entire hall was in an uproar. Anger filled me at some of the more inflammatory statements, and I wished I could march back to the Palace and shove my boot up the asses of the idiotic Council members who had caused all this bitterness to begin with. Hopefully, Captain Galling could sway the crowd, because if not, we were in big trouble.
“See?” Widler muttered into my ear, pitching his voice so he could be heard despite the shouting. “It’s crazy town over here. You should go home.”
“Enough!” Captain Galling boomed, silencing the crowd again. “I understand your grievances, perhaps better than anyone else in the city. In case you’ve forgotten, I, too, was arrested, and in fact was only released this morning. The rest of the enforcers who were wrongfully imprisoned, and the citizens as well, are going to be released sometime today. I’ve spoken to the Chief Mage, and we’ve come to an agreement.”
“Is that why you’re so willing to forgive them?” someone sneered. “A pouch of gold is enough to make up for all the bullshit they’ve pulled?”
“It isn’t,” Captain Galling said, his voice hard as his gaze snapped to the enforcer who’d spoken. I smirked a little as the man in question hunched his shoulders beneath Captain Galling’s intense stare. “But this isn’t about me, you, or any one of us individually. This is about making sure the people in this city stay safe, regardless of the outcome of this civil war. The Mages Guild has agreed to issue a public apology for the wrongful arrests, and now that the Chief Mage is back, things will be under control on their side once more. They’ve also agreed to double the bounty for any criminals we apprehend during this emergency – actual criminals,” he added with a scowl. “I don’t want to see you guys hauling in citizens unnecessarily, or for inflated or imagined infractions. We don’t have the time or the resources to deal with that kind of bullshit, and besides, we’re no better than the Mages Guild if we start pulling that kind of shit.”
There were a few cheers at the mention of the increased bounties, and the tension in the room began to ease off. Only a handful of the enforcers, mostly shifters, called Captain Galling a sell-out and stormed out of the hall, refusing to co-operate with the mage regime regardless of financial incentives. But once they were gone, the others seemed to relax. More questions were shouted, and details were hashed out between Captain Galling and the crew foremen. Eventually, an agreement was reached that the enforcers would concentrate on policing the streets, discouraging looting and other criminal activity. It was also agreed that in the event of an attack, the enforcers would be responsible for ensuring civilian safety, though they were not required to engage in any battles themselves. The paperwork for claiming the increased bounties would be simplified, so as to waste no time with red tape.
One of the shifters making his way out of the hall bumped into my shoulder. He was about to move off, but he froze, nose twitching, then swung his yellow wolf eyes in my direction.
“Oi,” he protested. “Who are you? You don’t smell like Tansom.”
I stiffened as suspicious gazes swung in my direction, cursing inwardly. I’d tried to get Tansom’s scent right, but evidently, I hadn’t quite succeeded.
“Well?” the wolf shifter demanded, crossing his arms. “Show yourself!”
Reluctantly, I dropped my disguise. Gasps echoed through the crowd, followed by exclamations of surprise and anger. The words ‘bitch,’ ‘whore,’ and ‘traitor’ echoed through the halls, and I fisted my hands at my sides, claws digging into my palms as I fought to remain calm.
“Nice to see you guys too,” I sneered. “You’re welcome for bringing the Chief Mage back in one piece, and for rescuing all the shifters who were being kidnapped and enslaved by the Resistance.”
Quite a few of them – the shifter who’d called me out included – shifted uncomfortably and averted their eyes.
“We shouldn’t be so harsh to judge her,” one of them murmured.
“She has done good work lately,” another one said.
“Very good work,” Captain Galling confirmed in a louder voice, and I flashed him a look of gratitude and relief across the room.
“Who gives a fuck?” Widler shouted, and it was then I noticed that he’d backed away, a look of disgust on his face. “She still works for the mages, doesn’t she? I bet they sent her in here as a spy, to make sure we’re good little peons and to report any of us if we don’t do what we’re told!”
There was a roar of agreement at that, and the crowd surged forward, murderous looks on their faces. The captain shouted at them to stop, but nobody listened.