"What's all this?" asked the senior guard, a corpulent man with bear fur covering his massive arms.
"We are workers," Chen responded calmly, his voice carrying the patience of someone who had dealt with stronger people for decades. "Many families don't have jobs on the Goldcrest side. You know we must seek opportunities on the other side."
The second guard, younger and with the reddish, scaly skin characteristic of infernal salamander users, frowned.
"This is irregular. We should call for reinforcements, I don't like seeing so many people here."
Chen watched the young man make a signal with his hand, expelling a fireball upward, probably trying to contact other patrols. But the signals seemed to receive no response.
'Yang and Wei's distractions must be working.'
Chen noticed that most of the original workers who had been waiting began approaching his group. Desperation and hope were contagious emotions that spread through crowds like wildfire.
