The penalty board was to be held at the admiralty house, and I got into my best uniform, leaving Natasha behind to wait for Neil with instructions to bring him if he showed up. While it wasn’t really necessary, I had a distinct impression that the board would probably want him to testify.

The penalty board is made up of high-ranking captains in the messenger’s guild and representatives from at least two other major guilds in the city. It’s mostly filled by retired captains or wing leaders well past their prime, that for whatever reason, didn’t get out much. I had always hated the practice, as I felt that the board was often a bit impractical in their expectations of flyers, even with their past experience. It didn’t make up for the fact that they rarely understood current events, unless it was by proxy.

I had only been in a penalty board once before, and that had been when I was late to a delivery due to bad weather, in my case it was a hurricane that I had unsuccessfully tried to navigate. It had resulted to some damage to my ship and I’d nearly been sunk trying to get clear of it. The treacherous blow had reached well up over my ship’s flight celling and I had to try and break out of it. When I had limped into the dock, I had also been out cold for nearly two days trying to recover from overextending myself.

Despite all of that, I had still been fined for my late delivery. Luckily it hadn’t reduced my rating, and I had gotten the impression that was only on the board’s own sufferance.

This time was a bit of a tossup. I was pretty far back in their docket and was only one of three guild members being assessed today. The boards are usually conducted in the morning, but the qualifications had pushed back the time to well after they were over, as most of the members had been participating in the qualifications in some capacity or had been observing them.

I saw Sir. Patrick on the board as they filed past me in the antechamber, but there were a few members I didn’t recognize. As I was waiting for my turn, I was engrossed in my slate, as I calculated the cost of the repairs to Sweetwind and my ability to pay a fine if one was leveled on me, which I had no doubt would happen, even if they reduced it or waved any other penalty.

The large oak door that led outside into the street banged open and I didn’t look up until I felt a massive wave of hatred course over me, swamping my empathetic barriers and causing the hair on the nape of my neck to stand on end. My eyes shot up and narrowed when I saw Trevon Yard glaring haughtily down at me. I sighed as I had half-expected the overgrown toad to try and make trouble for me at my hearing.

Frankly I’d have been shocked if he hadn’t.

“I know you… that half-blood brat that was with that… Captain Roark.” He sneered as he choked off his insult as if he had remembered Uncle Roark’s vow to demand satisfaction if they ever crossed paths again.

I gave him a toothy grin. Oh, he could chew out a wayward daughter, but not a captain, at least not in public.

He curled his fists in rage and glared at me. Standing up, I gave him a polite bow. “Good eve to you Chairman Yard, to what do I owe the pleasure?” I said politely and the man glared around at the other witnesses to any impropriety, of which there were a great many in the antechamber. Clerks sat at desks going though complaint reports, and other nervous captains were waiting their turn to get chewed out by the penalty board around me.

Edging in closer he began to whisper to me venomously. “You know why I’m here, I want my daughter off your ship! You have no right! She isn’t even a rider anymore!” He snarled and I gave a deep sigh as I thought of how to deal with the man. I really didn’t want to make a serious enemy here, especially if it would make trouble for me in the guild.

“Sir, she has no mount yes, but does possess a perfectly good pilot’s certificate. I asked her and she accepted. She is already a member of the guild, and intended to fly for them as am I. She is of age and as such can legally make her own decisions.” I said calmly.

He glared at me and shook his head. “Your making a mistake here Captain Marshall! I’ll give you one last chance…” He growled at me and I saw him grip the top of his cane. I had practiced standing up for myself against much tougher bureaucratic and aristocratic bullies than him over the years as I had fought to earn my place after I had passed my captaincy qualifications. I had been one of the youngest captains to ever hold a ship in the history of the guild and had earned my rights and privileges.

One of those rights was not to be threatened by outside officials not in the guild, especially in public. “Sir, with respect to your situation as her father, I understand. I submit to you, let her choose her own course, as is her right. If you intend to bluster, threaten or bully me into turning her away when she is laid up without a mount, and is a perfectly good pilot I assure you sir that I will not stand for it! I am not a member of your government, and I have a writ of neutrality that I’ve sworn to uphold.” I said, my voice steely and my eyes flashing menace at the man as I stood to attention and glared at him.

There was murmuring in the room as my words seemed to hit him like a whip and I could feel the indignity of being struck down by whom he and his humanist friends considered an inferior race. My very existence as a flyer was an insult to him, but he was also a politician, and unlike the last time I had seen him, cold sober. I supposed the news of his daughter’s new benefactor had come as quite a shock.

I could see the look of assessment and calculation that passed over his face as he sized me up. He gave me a sneer and snarled at his coachman who was waiting just outside the door, holding up a lamp. Before he left he turned to me. “So be it then!” His look of pure hatred and rage vanished as the door slammed and I heard the clatter of hooves as and rolling wheels as the coach pulled away.

“He’s a mean one! I’d think I’d as soon befriend a rattler than make an enemy of that rotter!” One of the captains shuddered and I grinned down at him.

“I’d have thought you would have had more confidence in me Captain O’Malley. You’ve seen me in that last duel I fought.” He grinned up with me through his white beard and I heard a weak laugh from one of the other captains.

“Well if you don’t get to him first, I’m sure Allister will.” Captain O’Malley chuckled. I heard a voice from the door to the board room and looked up to see that Sir Patrick was motioning to me to enter, he must have come to get me and seen the whole exchange. I grinned at his look of disapproval and walked into the room.

It wasn’t a large room by any standards, but there was a small observation deck above, and it was filled with a few people that I knew. I saw Aunt Gracie waving to me and Uncle Roark was sitting next to her, flanked by a few other family members. I had stood in this anchient, skypine paneled room before, and a familiar sense of dread and foreboding clenched my stomach as I studied the solemn faces of the board members as they filed in and sat down. Each one shuffling slates and papers as they organized themselves.

They convened the board and read the charter to me and called in an adjudicator to swear me in. After I was sworn in and given a newly consecrated truth stone, bound by the great seal itself with my blood I recounted the entire events that had led up to my encounter with the wyvern.

“So, you took it upon yourself to delay your delivery on account that you wanted some sport?” One of the admirals glared at me and I explained about, how at the time I had not known fully about the situation. My explanation failed to impress him.

When I was done, the members of the board convened briefly to discuss the hearing in detail. I waited for their return, sick to the stomach. It didn’t seem to be going well for me. When they returned, they read off their decision.

“We of the members of the Messenger’s Guild board of Penalty find you guilty in regards to failing to meet a lawful guild contract.” My heart sank as I saw the glares that the board members were exchanging with each other.

“However, we will not be lowing your rating at this time. Although your own actions contributed to the late delivery, your incapacitation after a clear case of self-defense is evidence that you did uphold your duty to defend your cargo.” I breathed a sigh of relief.

“The prize court has also given me their own decision on the case, as clearly self-defense. The possessions of your attacker have been assessed and a tax of one hundred eighty gold has been sealed to it, you may pick up your prize goods from the assessor.”

I frowned, that was quite a bit. I hadn’t had a chance to actually see what was in the Wyvern harness but for that much tax it had to be at least been assessed at over one thousand gold pieces. There were gasps from the audience and my face paled in a look of shock. Just what the heck had been in those bags?

“We have levied a fine of one hundred twenty gold, and forfeit your deposit of eighty gold in penalty. In addition to that you are not in privilege to take another posting on the general board for a period of two weeks.”

I groaned, but once again I was intensely curious about what they had found in that harness.

The penalty board adjourned and I sat there frozen in shock as Sir. Patrick passed me and went to the door of the lobby to usher the next captain in.

Captain O’Malley glowered down at me a few moments later and I looked up. “Get a move on Becca, I want to get back to the pub!” He roared and I grinned at him and got up and hurried towards the beckoning lobby door and then down the hall to the prize office, my heart thundering in my chest as I thought about what riches awaited me.

In front of the prize office door stood a dower and rather beleaguered clerk who was clearly waiting for me. Next to him were two Mageos Air Corps officers that I didn’t recognize who were arguing with an adjudicator.

“She has no right! Those are stolen goods!” One of the officers roared and I narrowed my eyes at him. He glared venomously at me and snarled. I looked over his aristocratic bearing and his lack of courtesy to an independent captain and sniffed with distain as his behavior.

“Is there a problem adjudicator?” I asked and he gave a weary nod as he gestured to the two officers.

“Some of the property we found in the spellfolded bags on the harness contained some… items that this gentleman contests are his property.”

“I thought the prize court considered confidentiality a byword of merit, or be I mistaken about the conduct of the adjudication office?” I glared at the adjudicator and he shriveled.

Either way, I wasn’t really up for the challenge of trying to make more enemies, so I decided to hear the two officers out.

“What property are you referring to Lieutenant?” I asked the enraged officer. His companion was trying to calm him down and he seemed to be trying to regain his composure with great difficulty.

“My father’s sword! And probably more!” He held up a glowing amulet that had a bright pulse on it as it flashed every time he pointed it in the direction of the prize court offices. I sighed and rubbed my face in my hands.

Beckoning to the adjudicator to enter the prize office I saw several members of the messenger’s guild inside talking animatedly. They looked up at me and their faces fell, then darkened when they saw the two officers accompanying me.

“Captain Marshall, it is a pleasure… we have been waiting for your presence for over an hour now.” One of them glared at me and then looked suspiciously at the officers and the adjudicator.

Very confused indeed at the scene, I looked at the secured cage on the other side of the expansive prize office and saw that the mangled and charred mess of the Wyvern’s flying harness had carefully been picked apart, the contents of the bags and pouches laid out. I blinked at the flashes of gold and gems laying in piles around the floor. There was indeed a sword glinting among the bounty spread over the floor.

I nodded to it. And gestured at the adjudicator. “You have a stone on you?” I asked and he nodded and pulled out a simple rock. He uttered the timeless words over it, consecrating the truth stone so that the great seal itself would be able to determine the validity of the Lieutenant’s claims. I nodded and gestured to the two guards in front of the cage. They opened the door and I stood over the sword and looked at it closely. It was, not the traditional weapon of a flyer, which was typically a saber or a cutlass but it was a well-crafted broadsword. I picked it up and my whole body tingled with the power that the scabbard was containing within. I looked skeptically at the hilt and decided not to try my luck on drawing it. If it was indeed a family heirloom it may be keyed to their bloodline. Trying to handle such a weapon would be perilous for me.

“That is my father’s sword! I swear it by the seal!” He said and I looked back and saw the truth stone wrap him in power then it flashed green indicating that he did not tell me false.

The man released the stone and I held the sword out to him. “I’ll not ask for a ransom good sir, as I do believe in the sanctity of one’s family heritage.” My wry grin, as the man snatched up the weapon and cradled it like a lost child fell a bit when I saw the looks of anger an shock on the faces of the Messenger Guild representatives who were looking pensively at the rest of my prize.

“I do owe you a great debt for returning this item to me Captain Marshall” The officer bowed to me, his ecstatic grin on his face wiping away my irritation at the man’s previously rude behavior.

“I do not have the pleasure of introduction here, whom have I managed to fall into good favor with?” I laughed and beamed at the two officers.

“I apologize for my earlier behavior and beg your pardon Captain Marshall, but my name is Samika, Lieutenant Samika of house Trebond.” He gestured to his companion. “This is my brother, Vern of house Trebond.” The younger man bowed to me and they both grinned at their recovered property.

I sighed and looked at the riches out before me and wondered if I would be able to keep most of it. While legally all of it had been awarded to me, I was guessing that I had downed some sort of pillager, thief or pirate that had… appropriated all of this from others.

If there were claims against me on any of it, I didn’t have to return the goods, but I would have to consider fair ransom for their return, or face fines by the penalty court for unbecoming conduct. This did not include any currency however, and I did see a few fat purses and piles of gold, silver and copper coins laying about.

I could easily had asked for fifteen percent of that sword’s assessed value in ransom, but good will that I was severely lacking in Mageos was far more valuable to me than any amount of gold.

“Where is the inventory list?” I sighed and pulled up a chair that had been placed in the cage and sat down as a lengthy list was handed to me. I looked it over and whistled in astonishment.

There was nearly three hundred gold here listed, but most of the value had been assessed into the other items, including the flight harness and it’s spellfolded bags. The harness could be repaired and reused by some other flyer, and I had a suspicion that was why I had a gaggle of glowering guild representatives present.

I looked up at then and gestured to the wrecked flight harness. “I take it you want the harness?” I asked and one of them approached me and grinned.

“Most of the equipment and bags are intact. Only the leather fittings itself were mostly destroyed. I am willing to compensate you if you indulge us.” The man said and I nodded to the harness.

“Take it, though I want a look at the flyer’s instrumentation and other items on the harness. Standing up, I walked over to the harness and looked closely at the saddle, which had survived completely unharmed, a detail I had not noticed before I had put the gear into a sealed bag for the prize court. Crouching down I peered over the rest of the harness for closer inspection and noticed that much of it was indeed useable. All the bags had been inscribed with powerful enchantments. The instrumentation on the saddle, that indicated airspeed, altitude and bearing were of fine craftsmanship, and I was puzzled as to how this stuff had ended up on the back of my enemy.

Reaching out with a casting, I carefully tested the latches on the map slate compartment for any traps, before I grinned and withdrew the flyer’s navigation board.

I studied it with interest and looked at the guild representatives who were staring at it with fascination over my shoulder. “Some of these charts, are not from Prime.” I grinned at them and they nodded at me.

“That was why we were called to the prize court! You are charter bound to share any new navigational discoveries with the guild!” I nodded, knowing they had the right of it. That was why the adjudicators had made an exception.

“I will make a personal copy, and it will be bound by guild charter to not be in public distribution.” I haggled with them and they nodded quickly. This surprised me, and I realized that they didn’t want to piss me off by throwing their clout around, in hopes I would aid their investigation into this strange flyer I had downed.

“You have questions on the origin of all of this too?” I gestured at everything around me and they nodded again.

“I am inquisitor Ramon Bernick, and these are my aides, I would appreciate any assistance and support you can lend us Captain Marshall.” He grinned at me and I rolled my eyes.

“I better be getting a promotion out of this.” I grumbled and I saw the smirk on the inquisitor’s face. “That is already in the works, you have done the guild a great service Captain!” Reaching into my spellfolded jacket pocket I pulled out my sigil stone and placed it onto the navigator’s slate. My clan’s sigil burned itself into the charts and I nodded.

“I have laid my mark, and I will expect copies of my prize on my master plot tomorrow.” I gestured at the rest of the gear.

“The rest of this gear, including the saddle with its instrumentation will be placed in trust with the guild, I will retain partial ownership and will get ten percent of any lease of this harness, once it is repaired. I will not cover the repair costs however, is that acceptable?” I looked at the grim faces of the guild inquisitors and when their leader finally nodded and gestured for an adjudicator, I beamed predatorially at them.

Ten percent was quite generous as this rig, even as damaged as it was had an assessed value of almost two hundred gold. It wouldn’t be much of an income, but it would be an investment that I could easily see was worth it.

“That is all?” I asked and inquisitor Bernick nodded at me. “We will discuss the pursuit of an investigation on this matter later, just visit our offices before you up ship.” I nodded and mentally rubbed my hands in glee as I considered the rise in guild elevation that my participation in their investigation would represent.

I looked around for the two Air Corps officers but saw that they had left me alone and had gone about their business. I gave a sigh of exasperation as I saw a few more people waiting at the doorway of the prize court’s offices. They also had their own tracker pendants.

Why couldn’t people just put proper recall enchantments on their stuff? I glared at them and got up to talk with the adjudicator. I knew that the fact that all of this stuff was outside the spellfolded pouches was the reason that everyone could now track their property, not to mention I was betting that despite the supposed sanctity of adjudicators, word had probably gotten out, probably through now fault of their own, but the fact that so many trackers had lit up at once all around the city.

Upon further consideration, I realized that there must have been enchantments in the bags that dampened the trackers and, the thief had probably had some of the recalls removed from his booty. I knew that the cage we were in likely had dampening spells on them that prohibited recall as well. I would have to get each item examined carefully for recalls before I removed them from this cage, or they would just vanish and I would be out of a well-deserved ransom for them.

Calling over an adjudicator I wearily requested assistance on setting up a ransom list for the stolen property. They were all too happy to oblige me and call their magi back in to look over the goods. It turned out most of the weapons, armor and even some of the jewelry were added to the ransom list and I looked grim when I finally left the prize court with an armed guard to the bank to deposit my actual earnings. I had simply left most of the stuff with the prize court and told them to sort it out and set a reasonable ransom percentage on each object on the list.

In all, far from what I had expected I had only managed to rake in around six hundred gold in total not counting what I owed in taxes for my prize, and that was if all the ransoms would be claimed. I after paying my fine, the taxes and getting a few more ransoms sorted out, I only had around four hundred gold to deposit in the bank when I left the prize court, keeping out around one hundred for personal use.

Too bad I hadn’t recovered the pilot’s body. I had no doubt that the best stuff had been on the wrenched thief’s person. I froze at the thought, and my eyes narrowed. Had those travelers cheated me? They had brought me my downed foe, but I hadn’t seen the rider anywhere. I had likely made an over-hasty assumption that the rider had been separated from the mount, but I knew, like every other flyer that that rider should still have been lashed onto the harness, even in death.

Cursing them loudly I grumbled darkly to myself as I trudged back across the aerodrome to the guest quarters. I swore that I would have all of them over a truth stone when I picked them up off their island, looking back I just wish I would have remembered that oath to myself in the events that transpired later.

When I arrived, I saw that Neil was in a heated conversation with a large man who had him by the scruff of the neck and was bellowing at my apprentice. Already in a very dark mood I was about to yell for the man to release my apprentice before he turned and grinned at me. I put my hand on my hips and glared at my older cousin.

“What business do you have with my apprentice Tony?” I roared and he dismissively tossed the boy onto the ground before laughing at my expression. “Becca! It’s been far too long!” I glared speculatively at my childhood nemesis, and couldn’t help but lose the edge in my frown. Antony Roark was a notorious black sheep in the family, and I loved him for it.

Gesturing to the pair, I pointed at the building. “Let us get some dinner, I’m sure you have a perfectly good reason for inflicting yourself on me, you rogue.” He bellowed with laughter and pulled my wilting apprentice to his feet, brushing the dust off of his back.

Neil gave me a nervous look before I gestured to him to follow us as we passed by the now closed dining halls and entered the small restaurant in the back of the building. I sat down, and figured that it wouldn’t hurt to spend a small amount of my prize money. The food here was just as good, if not better than the meals that were included with my stay.

Fishing around in the spell folds of my flight jacket, I tossed my apprentice a new spyglass. I had found it unbound in one of the piles I had sorted through and I was tired of him borrowing my spare. “Bind it to yourself and don’t break it.” I grumbled as he caught it, then gripped the little silver binding tab that was secured to the spyglass on a small chain. It flashed and vanished, binding the instrument to him.

“It has a recall on it, in case you drop it, but don’t lose the thing regardless, it can still be stolen or destroyed.” I explained as he peered through it in wonder.

“Tt-thanks Becca.” He stammered and I looked up, knowing that it took quite a bit for my normally silent apprentice to talk. Nodding and giving the boy a smile, I called over a waiter and set my order for all of us, not trusting my cousin to order anything but the most expensive stuff that I’d be stuck paying for.

“So, as I said Tony, what be the pleasure that I owe for you tracking me down?” I grinned at my cousin and he shrugged. “Ma sent me to crew with you, said you needed a bloke you could trust.” He grinned at me and the utter look of incomprehension on my face caused him to burst out laughing.

“Trust you?! After what you pulled on me? I almost lost my ship!” I shrieked and, all heads in the establishment turned to glare at me. I gave an apologetic nod and deflated in my seat.

He held up his massive hands in surrender and grinned wolfishly at me. “Let’s let the past be where it lays Becca, I know you need my expertise and… contacts. That is why ma wanted me along.”

I fixed him with a deadly stare, and I saw Neil’s eyes widen when I slipped one of my work gloves out of a jacket pocket and stood up. Tony didn’t even flinch when I slapped him with it, my face white with fury.

“Let you and I settle accounts! If you can beat me on the court of balance, I’ll let you on my ship!” My snarl drew another few admonishing gazed from patrons before he nodded and stood up.

“The usual then Becca? Sure! I’ll take you up on it, and don’t think Gracie won’t give you hell for starting our little contest up again. I accept, and will meet you on the court of balance. Ur going down little cousin!” He laughed and I rolled my eyes at him.

It wasn’t a formal duel challenge, but a friendly match or as friendly as such matters of honor got with rival sky folk.

I rubbed my hands together in glee and looked up as the appetizers were set down for us. “Now, how is my favorite niece doing?” I grinned at him and he gave another crackle of laughter as he tried to get me caught up with the current gossip.