Shifted

31. General

"How many of them are in there?" I snatched up the first guard I saw by the front of his shirt.

"We aren't sure, the only witness has been sobbing and went into shock when we tried to question her. She said there were so many of them and they had weapons, had tried to kill her, stabbed her, must have missed her side and hit her arm instead and left her on the sidewalk."

My eyes roamed around at the guards trying to hold back the sobbing and angry parents. Some people swayed on their feet, others weren't thinking clearly. Most were drunk from the holiday. It was perfect. Those damn animals! When this was over, I would make sure to ban alcohol of any kind. We had to be clearheaded at all times, it was why I never drank more than a glass of wine at dinner. These fucking animals, how dare they take notice in our holidays and our faults. It was that catgirl, I knew it deep down she would be a nuisance. I had allowed the imperfect side of me to let her off easy. I never imagined she'd be so smart. I figured at most she would prove for entertainment, little kitten scratches. I had imagined how much I would punish her, more than I've ever punished anyone before. But I had gotten distracted as of late, due to trying to marry of Joselena and gain more power.

"What about the rest? What do the guards at the gate have to say? Are they rioting inside the gate? Are they standing by?"

"I-they"

I shook him, "Spit it out."

"They came here sir, most of them, there's still a couple guards they said it was silent inside-," I shoved him away and looked around. Idiots! Of course, this was most likely a distraction. Possibly, it couldn't be ruled out. The ones holding this school hostage had to know, they wouldn't make it out alive.

"Get-" I started to say, but my damn booming voice had everyone turning to me.

"The general," I heard cries from mothers. And then as one the parents were surging towards me. "Help our children!" "What's being done?!" How could you allow this to happen?" "Let us go inside-"

"Everyone," I called out. "I assure you, we will make sure your children get out safety, those halfbreeds know in there that if they harm even a single hair on your children's head, they will be killed, without mercy. Please, in order to help your children, my guards and I need space and no distractions. If you'll all wait in that building," I pointed across the street to the diner. I nodded to the guard next to me. "Escort them there. Find the owner, get them to serve coffee and water and bread and sober everyone up." He nodded and called for them to follow him.

What a mess, I thought as I faced the school building again. Sure enough that damn bitch with her ears poking out her black hair flashes across the window as she peered out. We made eye contact for a second before she pulled away.

Once the parents were out of hearing range as they cried and spoke in angry whispers as they milled about in front of the diner, I gathered my guards close.

"Anyone have children in there? Or a family member?" a few raised their hands. "You're too close to this, I assure you, we will get them out safe," they nodded with somber faces. "But I have a job for those of you who are too close to this one. Most likely this is just a distraction, and I need you to go back to the gate, make sure no halfbreed scum get out, and once this issue is resolved, we will be there shortly." I sent them off.

Turning back to the rest, I had to let them know, "Look, we don't have many options here. This was a well thought out plan, I must admit. Our priority is to get to the gate, to make sure we don't lose the halfbreeds. If we do, this village will be taken over by the crown, and ran with an iron fist, and none of us wants that. Unfortunately, with the families of these children watching us, we are forced to deal with this situation first. Our only option is to go inside, weapons blazing and kill the halfbreeds within, and hopefully calling their bluff. The teachers inside aren't a priority. And whatever deeds we have on our hands, we'll blame it on the halfbreeds. And if anyone had a problem," I snarled looking at everyone's widened worried faces. "Just remember how much I let slide. How I know how you like to indulge in halfbreed company," I glared at a few who I have known has a knack for sleeping with halfbreeds. "You are my team, my loyal guards, and I let stealing, fraternizing, murder among other things to go without punishment. Do not make me list your crimes for all to hear, for your families to hear. Know what we do today, we do for the sake of this village, to ensure our future freedoms from the crown, remember our history, and know we don't want to live as halfbreeds. So grab your fucking weapons and prepare. We burst into the school, we kill and drag everyone out. We do whatever necessary."

"Whatever necessary, " They repeat like the good little soldiers they are. We had to hurry. Even if everyone died inside that school, it would be ok, these were only the smallest children, people could birth more, there were still preteens and teens at home safe and sound. We could always get more families with small children to move into the village from the surrounding ones. And this would reenforce that all halfbreeds were animals and monsters at that, something to be feared and caged. This might work out in our favor. If people lost their children, oh well, it was their fault. After all there's been doubts about halfbreeds being nothing but animals. And I'll make sure everyone never doubts their evil ever again. We'll blame any death on the halfbreeds and anyone we save we will be praised for.

But we needed to finish this and head back to the gates, with the back up guards, any halfbreed who tried to escape that gate would be killed this night. And once I get there I'll make sure to drag out half of the halfbreeds and string them up. Make a lesson they'll remember for generations to come.