ã€ŠSky Driftersã€‹


 Chapter 1: The Sweetwind makes landfall.

    I¡¯ve had some ask me what it was like, you know to be alone in the vast skymarches of Endaria. To some the idea of being free and aloft all on my own is something I¡¯ve seen them get all dreamy-eyed looks over as if the idea of that sort of freedom was something that appealed to them, and others just don¡¯t downright believe me when I tell them about it.

    I¡¯d have to say it was a time that was both terrifying and exhilarating, but one of deep loneliness. A tiny skiff against the mighty tempest winds of the marches is dangerous enough when you have a full crew. When my journey began, I had no crew and the only thing I had was my own wandering spirit.

    On your own, there is no margin for error, one tiny mistake and you disappear without a trace swallowed by the expanse. I had to be very careful. In my case there was only one person to charge the crystal, the beating heart of my beloved airship. There were many times my little darling had trouble staying in the air. The best part of my time was spent coasting on my sails as I used my zephyrscope, tracking the shifting winds at different altitudes. My fingers were on the pulse of the sky, and I rose and fell with the heartbeat of the world. To people like myself, there is a highway up there, some winds fickle, but most well known and mapped even as I watch them shift with the seasons and carry my hopes and dreams into faraway lands.

    In those days I made coin as a courier. I can still remember it, even after all these years. On my little mast, several banners streamed like ribbons of fire. One was my own personal sigil that identified me as one of the many freelance operators. Beside it was my rating streamer. At that time, it was only a bronze one, something I had to bootstrap my way up from with sweat and blood. I had defied all of propriety and expectation that a single lone captain could.

    Above both of the banners flew the standard of the Endarian Messenger¡¯s Guild. There were many types of messengers, but airborne ones like myself were the most prized, though most of us took to the sky on various airborne creatures rather then an airship.

    Airships, even my little skiff were expensive to both operate and maintain. In those days, only the wealthy, the masters of kingdoms and experienced skyfarer¡¯s like my family every attempted to own and operate them. I had grown up working on my little vessel, and was taught how to repair and maintain every warding, enchantment, lashline and sail aboard. Still, there are times when I wonder even now how I managed in those days as they seem so very far away now. It¡¯s almost like a dream as I try and look back into time and imagine those unspeakable first years on my own, with only my grief as company.

    My father had invented the name of our skiff, Sweetwind after my mom¡¯s pet name they used, but everyone in my family had always called her ¡°Sweetie¡± for as long as I could remember. It was a very old, of a truly ancient design and had probably gone through many names through its long life. Sweetwind had been well cared for by our family and treasured even more than my father¡¯s harvest ship when he used to follow the great sky whales and collect their shed scales.

    Every inch of the airship was a work of art bound in polished ironwood with conductive channels etched into the hull along the keel in an ancient technique that had been discontinued countless centuries ago. Unlike modern airships of the time, Sweetwind wasn¡¯t built in the typical donut shape with the ballast exposed in the center, but looked more like a predator of the skies then a lumbering giant.

    My little Sweetwind had the ballast in the interior of the ship, and used enchanted conduits to channel the force of the ballast along the hull. This had the effect of making the skiff very fast in the air, but sometimes tricky to control, as it took an expert at the helm to ride the winds with such a design.

    I had spent my entire life aboard ships like her, but truly found my calling in helping my mom who had used the Sweetwind to scout out pods of the giant sky wales and mark them for father when she wasn¡¯t running for the guild. She had taught me how to pilot the little skiff just as father had taught my sister how to help him onboard Harmony, his harvesting ship.

    Sweetwind was seventy-three feet in length and had a beam of twenty-three feet. Although only a skiff, she¡¯s was not much smaller than many kingdom gunboats or courier craft. Her sleek prowl was carved into the body of a winged horse, with its wings folder over the bowsprit. Each part of her had been enhanced as it passed through my mother¡¯s family, who had often added more intricate enchantment and adornments, with such an eye-catching result that it always got remarks when I stopped in port. If I recall correctly, more than one artist had asked me to let him render its visage onto canvas or slate. All of the sky folk decorated their ships like mine, but very few of us had such a truly ancient vessel.

    There were two large winches on Sweetwind for grappling onto sky whales, something that I did whenever I could, in order to leave my magemark. Mage marking aerial objects or creatures were good way to make a bit of gold on the side, and it was an excellent way to kill time between my deliveries, or just to take a break when I need it. The skiff¡¯s primary armament consisted of a single bow lance, so old its make was lost in the fog of time. My mother had installed a couple of deck swivel lances, but luckily, we had never needed to use them.

    Keeping Sweetwind¡¯s hungry crystals charged was taxing work and tired me out quickly when constantly pushing at forward ballast and using up energy to gain speed for a delivery. I preferred to coast on the comforting envelope of the planet¡¯s life force and save my energy, but I was a messenger and there was a premium paid for a quick delivery. Back then, in the early days I needed every scrap of pay I could squeeze out of my clients to keep Sweetwind in good working order and to support my nomadic lifestyle.

    On that fateful day I was on course for Mageos, with a bundle of messages and a small delivery for one of their outposts. There was thankfully no real time constraint as it was a set of merchant ledgers and some supplies of some sort that one of the large shipping houses needed at the port city of Bagliona. I was also carrying a few packages from the guild that were stamped and bound to the same city, and in all it was light work. I had been taking it easy for the last couple of weeks as I had just finished my last major job and was still trying to recuperate.

    I soared upon the merry southwester at around four thousand feet up. Lashed to the helm station, I was sipping Kava from a waterskin and leaning back in Sweetie¡¯s forward helm chair, my harness holding me in place along the spinal lashways. My little skiff had several helms, and were used differently depending on what task I was about. The spinal prowl helm is typically where I pilot the vessel from, just below the bow. It¡¯s a glass bubble that extends out and under the ship just under the winged horse¡¯s defiant head.

    Sometimes I liked to pilot Sweetwind from one of the other helms, especially since I¡¯d passed into a warmer climate recently and was at such a low altitude. The day I spied the island where my destiny was truly set in motion, I was truly exhausted with a bone-aching weariness, and it really wasn¡¯t in me to prance around the deck or climb up into the rigging. As it was, it was the Kava that was keeping me alert more than any sort of decent rest. Even on an easy run, decent sleep was more a luxury for myself then a certainty.

    The skysails were out and the small spans that Sweetie could boast were riding a lazy current as I was soaring over vast ocean, my mind wandering even as my bleary eyes adjusted my zephyrscope as I tracked the winds, and kept my tiny vessel on a steady bearing.

    Far below me, the glare of the noon sun was almost blinding even through my tinted goggles as it reflected off the azure waters of the sea. As distant as the eye could see, there was nothing but white caps on the rough tropical seas. My course tracked a path that was far off from any shipping routes on the ocean below. I was more than a bit distant off the normal routes as I followed the winds, riding along the edges of a developing storm in the distance.

    The massive wall of clouds went thousands of feet in the air and I could see the grey haze of distant rain and the occasional shuddering flash of thunder. I rode the outer edge of the storm with the ease of familiar practice, following the twisting breeze as the storm slowly started to form in to a late season typhoon.

    Scanning the horizon, I saw a small chain of islands far below and picked up my map slate and rolled it to the right position manipulating small dials in it as the slate molded and reformed into the shape of the surrounding area as I worked the enchanted device.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Horsehair islands, yes right on track.¡± I yawned as I spoke to thin air, my voice coming out in a gravely croak from the dry air of the small helm cabin, my throat dry. I blinked and lifted my goggles and rubbed eyes that felt dry and sore. I knew for a fact wouldn¡¯t be able to make it all the way to the mainland at this rate. I had to land somewhere and a deserted island out in the middle of nowhere seemed to be a better prospect than a sea landing in the heavy swells that surrounded the massive storm. My skiff could float like most wooden built airships, but it wasn¡¯t very stable in rough seas and could capsize even if I extended the outriggers.

    Besides, my delivery wasn¡¯t due for nearly three days, and the miserly early delivery bonus from those penny-pinching merchants just wasn¡¯t enough to lose sleep over.

    Pulling levers on my control panel, I looked up and out the enchanted crystal glass and watched as the sails fanned back into the masts, then the masts folded back into the ship, leaving just the deck mainmast, bare of any cloth. Grunting with the pleasure of a stowing well done, and without any jams I grinned, my body yearning for what was next.

    Grasping the helm tightly, I placed my hands on the crystal conduit that was a link directly to the ballast and prepared myself to shunt power out of the ballast and cycle it down into lower output ranges. The crystal around my neck glowed and my hand tingled from the rush of power, slowly pulling me out of my fatigue. I stopped pulling power into myself and shifted the rest into the storage banks with a flick of a control.

    Kava was good for waking up, but nothing beat that rush of power I could get from reclaiming my energy. My entire body hummed and tingled, power filling my core. Occasionally there was the crackle of a leak as I grasped for control of my gift after the sudden surge. Small static charges ground out into my harness and were absorbed by the conduit crystal. My head spun from the sheer rush and my eyes watered from the feeling of power as my altitude indicators spun wildly with the plummet.

    The Sweetwind plunged first straight down, then I leveled out a few hundred feet above the churning waves as my heart pounded with excitement. I gave a whoop of glee as Sweetwind became a thundering streak as it roared over the waves at its full speed, the reverberations of the pushing ballast throwing up a wake that broke whitecaps below me with contemptuous ease. In the distance the specks blossomed into a series of tiny forested islands surrounded by golden beaches and tidewater swamp that were being pounded by the surf of the storm.

    Scanning over the prospects, I decided on a large one that had a small stunted hill on it, surrounded by sporadic swampy jungle and the occasional flat rock plateau. Pulling up on my helm and twisting my body harness sideways and manipulating the rudder, I banked Sweetwind in a wide arc, gaining a bit of altitude briefly while I studied a likely spot to land. I needed fresh water, and it wouldn¡¯t hurt to get some hunting in. I saw a small valley between two rocky plateaus and grinned when I spotted a flat strip of turf that would fit my little vessel nicely. I flared the ship, coming close to a stall as I reversed the ballast thrust causing the entire ship to creak and groan as it pivoted.

    Gritting my teeth, I popped the outrigger controls and wooden pontoon landing legs descended from the sides of the Sweetwind then popped and hissed as I settled onto the ground, the pistons in the legs of the pontoons absorbing the impact, then carrying the weight of the Sweetwind down until its keel settled onto the rocky ground and the entire vessel shuddered with resounding creaks and bangs.

    I wiped streaks of stinging sweat out of my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Landings were always the worst, but I had managed this one well enough. What would be even more terrifying was what would come next.

    I eyed the release catch around my waist, and my stomach clenched as I released and my feet settled onto the deck. My heart pounded and I automatically tried to feel the rhythm of the winds and ride the ship but everything seemed to just spin as nothing moved, the ship stayed still and the only wind was the howl from the storm far away. Bile started to form in the back of my throat and I gripped the railing next to the helm and tried not to throw up. I hated the land, it wasn¡¯t where I belonged.

    Stumbling, and trying to stay upright I staggered along the connecting hallway, using the railings to steady myself as my body kept trying to find the windsong and kept failing. My fingers slipped on one railing and I wind milled my arms and gave a squeak before my harness tugged and I realized I had unconsciously clipped it to the railing out of reflex.

    Unclipping the harness snap, I sagged to the floor and covered my eyes. Tears started to flow and I just sat there and cried for a few seconds as my world spun around me. It wasn¡¯t being on land that had me depressed. It was being so tired, so very tired and just wanting to sleep for a few days.

    I couldn¡¯t sleep until I warded the landing area, and concealed the ship. This ship would stick out like a beacon to anyone with any drop of power in them, and I wanted to make sure I was undisturbed. Also, the wards would cause the ungifted to not notice the ship, and monsters would hopefully avoid the warding.

    Using the railing I pulled myself to my feet, my legs feeling like quivering jelly as I moved down through the Sweetwind to it¡¯s aft cargo hatch. Around the compartment, boxes were strapped to the deck with ropes and clamps. This was the delivery I was making, mostly contained on a small wooden pallet at the top of the hatch ramp. I pushed around it, scraping myself on a rough crate in the small confined space and made it to the hatch where I turned a ward stone. The hatch hissed open, two watertight shutters folding into the hull of the Sweetwind. Pulling a second ward stone, a ramp unfolded from the keel of the ship and crunched into the gravel not eight feet below.

    I squeezed around the box and adjusted the hood on my flight jacket as a mildly chilly breeze thundered into the cargo hold. Twigs, grass and leaves carried on the gust blew in and I felt my goggles deflect the dust out of my eyes as I blinked and peered around for my casting kit.

    I spotted it on a clip rack on one side of the hatchway and unfastened the small leather roll-out pouch and threw it over my shoulder.

    As my shaky legs carried me out into the thick, heavy air of the island I gasped and licked my dry and nearly chapped lips. The smells and sounds around me were intense. The creak and groan of nearby trees as gusts tossed branches and the screech and hoots of local wildlife almost made me run back up the ramp. I took a deep breath of the rich air, the swiftly approaching storm filling my lungs as I tried to calm my pounding heart.

    There was so much humidity in the air I felt like I was smothering. The rumble of the distant storm drowned out the cacophony around as I clutched my casting kit and darted my eyes around the ground. It was perfect for a warding circle.

    Reaching inside the pouch on the end of the roll I flicked out a small metal dowel and clenched it in my hands as I focused on it. Power washed into the dowel and the faint glowing lines of a circle began to extend outwards, covered in the script and runes I would have to imprint onto the ground. Once the circle was set, I quickly pulled out a metal tracing rod and went to work, racing the possibility of rain washing out my circle before I could contain the warding with my imprint.

    It felt like an eternity before I finally finished. Once the tracing was complete, I carefully walked the imprint and poured in a faint dusting of powdered crystal into the circle¡¯s power channels. I sighed, knowing what trial came next, and placed my hands on the incomplete working, thrusting my gift into it forcing my ward structure into its prison.

    My arms burned as power poured from my body into my work, rushing through the imprinted grooves and channels. The powdered crystal glowed and the wind around me solidified into a thick dome for an instant as the barrier snapped into place. I bit back a scream of pain and swayed, nearly doing a faceplant into the damp earth around me. It was always difficult setting a warding alone, with no one else to share the charging with. Groaning I toppled over onto my side, the warding finished as the sounds of the world around the Sweetwind faded and were muted slightly by the wards.

    I lay there with my entire body feeling wrung out before I finally mustered myself up off the damp ground. Collecting my kit, and quickly stowing the tools, I stumbled back up the ramp and clipped the kit back into place above it. My head throbbed with every step and I had to stop and catch my breath as I choked on the humid air that hung like a mist in the hold. Eventually I managed to stumble back down the spine of the Sweetwind and crash into my cabin in the stern.

    Entering the captain¡¯s cabin, I first knelt at the altar of Zeus, lord of the sky and thanked him for safe landings. Lighting a stick of sky pine incense at the altar, I nodded as I kissed two fingers and tapped them to my forehead, then to the figurines of each of the winds.

    I felt the comforting surge of power from the altar in return, as my energy reflected back through it and I smiled as I murmured a thankful praise to my patron. My headache eased and I sighed as I pulled off my flight harness, then my aviators¡¯ suit. It felt good to be out of the garment. It was already into sunset but this was not a climate suited to heavy clothing despite the chilly breezes from the storm. I was a child of the sky and I longed for the burn of the cold on my face rather then the sweat that was trickling down it. I mopped it off with a cloth and climbed up to my top bunk, looking down at the neatly made bunk below me with mom¡¯s picture frame on it.

    ¡°Good night mom!¡± I said and pulled a light sheet over my aching body after setting out the mosquito net and secured the sleep straps to hold me in place without even remembering that I was on land.

 Chapter 2: Visitors

    The next morn brought with it what felt like a combination of a nasty hangover and some serious sinus congestion. I woke up and immediately sneezed, wincing at the burning in my lungs and my sore throat.

    Well I felt like crap, but at least I got a good amount of sleep. Peering out a brightly lit porthole next to my bunk gained me a spike of pain that made my head throb, and my frustration with my fatigued condition grew. It was well after sunrise. I had missed the cool of dawn for any attempt at hunting.

    Changing into light hunting clothing, I checked my old and heavily customized cutlass in its scabbard, then strapped on my best fighting harness. It had belonged to mom, but she wouldn¡¯t be needing it anymore and I was starting to grow into it now.

    Not long ago, it had fit me too loose to be safe, but now it was easy to adjust the straps for my quickly growing frame and it¡¯s well worn and oiled leather straps were becoming as familiar as my old fighting rig. The crystals in the fighting rig were different than what I had on my normal flight harness, and more importantly, there was a larger ballast stone secured to the back in a small artifice called a skimmer.

    Rigs like my mom¡¯s were the most expensive to own and they allowed a magi to pour some power into the ballast and ¡°skyhop¡± for short flights, or use stored power from containment crystals, in the case of people who didn¡¯t have any way to charge the ballast. The rest of the body harness could morph into a wingsuit and would direct the energy from the ballast along the body much like the enchanted hull of Sweetwind channeled and focused her own energy for more efficient propulsion. It was the best way to board enemy airships or sky whales, and could save your life if your hold fast line was cut by acting like a slowfall in just the same way most fight harnesses could.

    After a quick visit to the head, I gave a splash of tepid water on my face from the small rain barrel on deck. Clipping myself to the mainmast¡¯s assist rail I used its enchanted clip races to hoist myself aloft into the Sweetwind¡¯s small mainmast and up into the lookout.

    There was a small auxiliary helm up there that could be used by the watch tender to make an emergency course adjustment. More importantly, there was a telescope mounting. I pulled the little brass telescope from its waterproof case on the side of the watch compartment, and fixed it to the mounting.

    The telescope could be traversed along the rail all the way around the mast¡¯s lookout post and I used it to try and scan up along the cliff walls in the valley and scanned the treetops of the thick canopy.

    There was little to see along the cliffs, and my search for any sort of game along the tops of the canopy didn¡¯t seem to be bearing much fruit.

    My eyes narrowed as I zeroed in on a large flock of colorful birds erupting out of the morning mist far down the little valley. Squinting I and bit the side of my lip as I tried to consider what had startled them. Finding little to indicate the culprit, I sighed and turned the instrument around until I spotted a small heard of grazing dwarf deer that I knew were common to these islands from previous stops. They were from past experience, quite tasty. My mouth watered with the possibility of fresh meat, something I hadn¡¯t had for nearly a month.

    Unclipping the telescope, I gave a feral grin of expectation in the direction of the small herd as I secured the waterproof case and slid down the small mast, easing my slide with a slight thrum from my harness.

    I floated gently across the deck from the mast, the harness carrying me as I slowly fed power into it, opening my arms and letting the breeze catch my wingsuit webbing on the harness, lazily riding the breeze as I slowly drifted downwards.

    Grabbing the railing I yawned and arched my back against the side of the ship as I stretched out, taking a deep breath and trying to steady my shaking hands. I felt a lot better now that I was back in my harness, but I still longed to be a thousand feet aloft, with the wind at my back. That was where I belonged, and not landfasted like some sort of grubber.

    I exulted in a weightless hover there as I closed my eyes, counting to ten and scanning the area around. Giving a bit of a giddy whoop I did a summersault as I pushed off the side of the skiff and extended my arms, using the wingsuit to control my trajectory as I slid slowly through the shimmering barrier around the Sweetwind. My skin prickled and my hair frizzled out a bit then lay back down as I passed the structure of my warding. Squinting through my googles with one hand I began adjusting a dial on the side of them manually, raising the tint to block out the morning sun shining in my eyes as I drifted silently towards the small heard of dwarf deer.

    Reaching into one leather snap pouch in my harness I pulled out a small round shocksphere and clenched it in my hand as I charged it with my power and concentrated on my target, a larger buck that was looking around and sniffing the wind. I turned the ballast in the harness and slid back as I wound up my hand and thrust it forward, focusing my will on the sphere and my arm.

    There was a hissing crackle of power and the sphere hurled forward at deadly speed, aimed with the precision of long practice. The object raced the short distance like a burning, fizzling ember and slammed into the side of the buck. It gave a startled bleat, causing pandemonium in the small herd who all bolted as the buck tumbled onto ground, twitching. Angling downwards I gave a war whoop and pounced onto the deer. With perfect grace, my body grappled it, and a hand flashed to the side of my harness for a weapon. A split second later the dirk slammed into the deer¡¯s heart in one quick stroke and I clutched the creature tightly as I felt it struggle it¡¯s final gasps under me in a death spasm.

    After it was still, I tried to stand up, my world spinning and my stomach going in circles as I tried once again and failed to catch my balance. Crouching down I took a deep breath and hunted around the ground until I found my shocksphere and pocketed it, my hands still shaking and my heart still pounding.

    Fishing around in the same pouch as my shockspheres, I pulled out a small piece of ballast in a gyroscopic mounting along with a small net that I wrapped around the carcass. I wanted to get this kill away from any predators, and I was feeling uneasy about what was inside the nearby tree line. I had always known I had a sixth sense for danger, and something wasn¡¯t right. The unearthly silence was more than just the startled break in the morning routine I had inflicted. Things were still hiding, even after I had made a kill.

    Quickly pushing a drop of power into the ballast to lighten the burden, I pushed off and pulled the kill behind me as I fled towards the Sweetwind. Behind me I heard a piercing cry and I turned to see nothing but the ominous dark interior of the nearby jungle. I gulped, and tried to swallow the dry lump forming in the back of my mouth and gripped the small net my kill was held fast in as I propelled myself hurriedly away.

    It wasn¡¯t until I was back inside the barrier and had collapsed onto the deck of the Sweetwind that I took a deep breath of relief. In an instant my spyglass was at my eye from my waist and scanning the canopy again, blood thundering in my head as I tried not to panic. It took a few seconds until my nerves recovered and I allowed myself to look at my prize with a grin of triumph.

    I dressed my kill at the bottom of Sweetwind¡¯s aft cargo hatch, a lifting boom holding the small buck up as I drained the blood and butchered.

    When I was done, I used the external water tap to wash my hands off and I sagged down against the ramp, trying to think about the fact that I would have meat in my diet for the first time in weeks instead of waybread, jerky or cooked rice. Even the prospect of a savory stew for dinner couldn¡¯t draw my thoughts away from that feeling of dread that had overwhelmed me.

    I was scared yes, but also curious. These small islands typically didn¡¯t have anything more dangerous than a hexapuma or, the occasional primitive gnoll infestation. What if it was a drake? I could make good money selling wyvern or drake scales. Even a small one would net me enough to finally finish Sweetwind¡¯s overhaul. Her ballast mounting needed replacing and I was missing the reagents to do a full tracing of all of her wardings. If I could bag something valuable while here, I could make my delivery then lay up for a bit at the local dockyards and get my service time in. I bit my lip and rubbed my damp hands over my tired eyes and groaned as I stood up.

    Whatever was out there, I didn¡¯t feel like running from it until at least I figured out what it was. As I looked out through the shimmering bubble of my ward, out towards the nearby meadow in front of the tree line I froze and my blood went cold. There were figures out there where I had made my kill. I gave a yelp and nearly fell over in my haste to jump up while feeding power into my harness so I could get a vantage point from the deck of the Sweetwind

    I peered through my spyglass just in time to see the group of what had to be humans disappear back into the jungle. There was no way those had been gnolls or pygmy gnomes. My blood froze as I realized that they may be pirates or something. There were no recorded friendly tribes of islanders or trading outposts here according to my charts.

    Well that settled it. I would have to lift ship and get the heck off the island. Unnatural monsters I could deal with, even a small flying menace like a wyvern or a skycat, but other people could mean anything. I had heard chilling stories about some of these islands recently. Ever since the travelers had returned, some of the islands were becoming pirate havens, some were saying by the travelers themselves.

    While that hardly made sense, given the legends about the travelers, from ages long past. Something about the new tales I had been hearing did make me uneasy due to a few new experiences with them. I had run into some of these new travelers while in Port Salwar a few weeks ago and they were very odd.

    They really didn¡¯t seem to understand much about Endaria, and were often exceptionally rude and demanding. One had been trying to book passage on my skiff and somehow had expected that I was supposed to put up with them for the journey for a pittance. It wasn¡¯t that I wouldn¡¯t have minded the company, but with how much of a little shit that guy had been behaving, I knew that I¡¯d end up tossing him overboard halfway there.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    I spent the rest of the afternoon in the lookout, my telescope scanning the treetops, as I tried to spot any more activity. After a while, I gave up and worked on dinner. Fresh meat was an event that I hadn¡¯t enjoyed for a long time, and as darkness fell I sat around the small galley and prepared my gamey stew using an old skyfarer¡¯s cookbook. The damm thing ought to be called the scrounger¡¯s handbook as it called for more than a few oddball spices. It did give it a more of a spicy and heady kick I had to admit.

    Nevermind I had to use a bit of fire root, from a casting kit, and a few shavings of nakerwood from a shaping pin. It still tasted fine.

    I was just about to turn in for the evening, my belly pleasantly full for the first time in days when I felt a shiver over my body just as my wards around the ship crackled and arched. There was a shriek of pain and I bolted out of the galley and up onto the deck to peer over the railing. A figure was sprawled across the ground and through the sparkling shimmer of my barrier I saw several others dragging the figure back as she twitched and jerked.

    I could hear surprised shouts of panic as the small group of people below peered back up at the shimmering barrier. One of them picked up a nearby stone and threw it at the warding. There was a flash of power and I felt my body shiver as the warding drew power out of me and the stone exploded into glowing fragments as bolts of power swam up and down the warding.

    Dashing back into the galley, I grabbed my combat harness and belted it on, my heart roaring in my chest. They couldn¡¯t see me or the ship, but they knew something was there! How had they found me? I knew my wardings well and it was impossible for any amount of power to have seeped out of them. They were designed to throw the eye and attention away when someone, or something looked directly at them and they weren¡¯t in the warding¡¯s weave.

    Thundering out the aft ramp I reached up and grabbed my kit and touched the ward stone at the side of the ramp¡¯s entrance to trigger its closure mechanism.

    As the ramp hissed up and closed behind me, I stared at the small group on the other side of the barrier as they peered blankly back, their eyes constantly skipping off the warding but, somehow, they still could see something was there.

    They were garbed in an odd assortment of rag-tag clothing, bronze armor pieces and animal skins. The group contained five in number, including a pair of rather formidable looking women, one of whom was standing groggily up being supported by the other as she flexed her hands stiffly and looked dazedly back at where she had collided with the barrier. There were two other men, both who carried themselves like warriors and a small teenage boy who they pushed out in front of them. He was holding a glowing wand over his head and he gestured towards it.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, something is there! Obviously! She didn¡¯t just run into thin air, and something shocked her!¡±

    I glared at them, a cutlass in one hand and a shocksphere in the other, daring them to try my warding again.

    ¡°Well no shit sherlock! Now get rid of that whatever it is, or I¡¯ll just send you back to your spawnpoint noob! You want to get griefed by the Beachlords again?¡± One of the men poked the youth with his spear and he yelped and nodded as he held up the rather worn instrument I recognized as a focus wand, probably water crystal focus from the shimmering glow of the blue stone atop the small wand.

    He gave a shriek and I felt his will smash into my wardings. I presented the kid a smirk, even if he couldn¡¯t see me, I had to give him credit for actually trying.

    But as I expected, he had no grasp of the skills required to break a warding. He was trying to slam his power into my circle with brute force and all it was doing was grounding out, and causing him feedback as he hissed in pain.

    There was a flare of blue light as the crystal pulsed then it fizzled out as he screamed and dropped the wand, rubbing his numb fingers and wincing. He was rewarded with another jab in the side with the spear as his comrades burst out laughing.

    Turning around in a rage, he glared at the bigger of the two men and gave him the same middle fingered gesture I had been given by the traveler I had refused passage to. This caught my rapt attention. Were these travelers? Well apparently, the stories about the islands being populated by pirate travelers were quite true.

    I had to admit I was curious, and I really didn¡¯t feel that this group was particularly dangerous. There truly wasn¡¯t anything they could do to break my warding so I ought to introduce myself, was only proper after all.

    Concentrating on the invisible threads of power that connected me to my working, I tweaked the pattern slightly, removing the parts that kept myself and the Sweetwind invisible to them, or more accurately I added them to the mental list of what could see though my circle.

    They all gasped and backed up as I stood there just on the other side of my barrier with my hands on my hips, and the crackle and hiss of glowing energy running up and down my cutlass at my side as I lifted my goggles and glared at them.

    ¡°What be you grubbers about, speak up! Be you pirates?¡± I snarled as I narrowed my eyes in suspicion at them.

    They gawked at the skiff, their eyes going up and down the vessel then locking upon my steely gaze. The teenager stumbled backwards falling onto his bottom as he gaped up at me.

    ¡°I know what that is! It¡¯s an airship, or sort of looks like one anyways! I¡¯ve seen pictures of them on the forums, guys this could be our ticket out of here!¡± One of the men cried and completely ignored me and common sense as he took a step forward towards the Sweetwind¡¯s starboard side and right into the barrier.

    Letting out a shriek of pain and earning wry grin from me as he jumped back, I gave a hearty laugh at their expense. One of the women, the same one that had originally collided with the barrier when they had discovered its location locked her gaze with mine and leaned on her spear as she eyed me.

    ¡°This your ship?¡± I nodded, and gestured to my skiff. ¡°I be Becca Marshall, at your service. I be a registered member of the messenger¡¯s guild and this the fair courier skiff, Sweetwind.¡±

    They looked stunned, and I saw yearning and hope and anguish on their faces all at once. The boy just looked at the vessel in pure wonder.

    ¡°This has to be some sort of really weird random encounter or something!¡± One of the women enthused as she gave an excited look at one of the men and he nodded. I cocked my eyebrow at the odd statement, and wondered why I always ended up dealing with the oddball or completely madcap travelers.

    There were nods all around, all except for the teenager. He just kept staring at Sweetwind with his slack jawed expression.

    ¡°Are you here to rescue us?!¡± One of the women, her haughty expression and severe gaze settling on me and I just shook my head wearily. ¡°Na, afraid not mam I¡¯m not taking passengers if I can help it, and I hardly imagine you could afford my wayfare anyways.¡±

    The downcast eyes and sighs of regret from the group was pitiful, so I shook my head and smiled at them. ¡°I be willing to trade for supplies though! I landed to rest and restock a bit. I¡¯m sure I can barter something with you lot.¡± I beamed them a cheeky sunbeam smile and I saw the group exchange excited glances.

    ¡°Well was too much to expect from the devs anyways, the island spawn was supposed to be a survival challenge, would be too easy if we could just fly out.¡± The larger of the men chided the woman, and looked at me.

    ¡°Just what exactly do you have to trade, and what do you need?¡± He asked and I scratched the back of my head, causing a few crackles of static to frizzle my hair a bit as I gave it a ponder. ¡°Well, I need clean water. I have the barrels if you want to fill them two large rain barrels would tide me over, more than I need really and if you have any dried meat or fresh game I¡¯d be willing to trade. I do have a variety of small items to trade such as knives, tools and the like.¡±

    I tried to think of what they might be interested in, and wondered if my mother¡¯s collection of old sewing cloth would be of interest. ¡°Oh, and I have some cloth too, sewing cloth and extra sackcloth.¡± One of the women perked up at that and tugged on the larger warrior¡¯s tattered tunic with a grin. ¡°You have any sewing needles? All we have is bone needles, and they are a pain to work with.¡± Her eyes were wide, and I saw excitement on her dirty face. ¡°You mean metal ones?¡± I replied and she nodded.

    ¡°Aye, mahaps I can spare a few, there be several different types of sewing kits.¡± I grinned at them, my naturally mercantile mind whirling at the prospect of cheap victuals.

    I also had a treadle powered mechanical stitchery I used on sail repair, but that wasn¡¯t something I was going to part with. I silently thanked the small gods that my mother¡¯s hobby had been embroidery.

    ¡°Magic! You have any books on magic?!¡± The teenager finally sputtered out and I looked at him quizzically, wondering if he meant the magicraft. It was generally referred to as a magic path, one of many.

    ¡°If I did lad¡­ well they wouldn¡¯t be for barter that¡¯s for sure.¡± I chuckled weakly. My mother had a small library in our cabin on the craftwork of the wind riders, but something that valuable was a family heirloom.

    ¡°We can get you supplies! how long you going to be here?!¡± The haughty woman cried out in joy and the group looked at each other with predatory grins and I sighed.

    I would definitely have to make sure I casted purity rites on anything I got from these¡­ er pirates? I wasn¡¯t so sure now. They seemed more like castaways.

    It wouldn¡¯t do to get my water, and have it laced with what passed for the local knockout herbs, or something of the like. Not that I¡¯d use most of these supplies this leg of the journey anyways. I was less than a day or so out from Bagliona now if the seasonal squalls held up.

    Perhaps when I landed at Bagliona I¡¯d inform the governor about the situation. He could send messages to any ships passing by. At the very least, I knew he would pay me well for information about a colony of travelers on this island.

    I¡¯d rather get the supplies myself, but then again, I also didn¡¯t know the dangers of this island, and I was betting they had a decent variety of foodstuffs. None of them looked like they were suffering from malnutrition, although the wannabe magi did look a bit worse for the wear. Looking closely at him I could see a lot of bruises all over his body, and one heck of a shiner over one eye as if someone had socked him a good one and almost caused his eye to swell closed.

    Oh well, wasn¡¯t any of my rub. If I could use them to restock my stores on the cheap all¡¯s the better for me. I had a few light trade goods, like inexpensive cruddy steel daggers, a few short swords, glass beads and of course my mother¡¯s old sewing stuff. It wasn¡¯t like I¡¯d use much of it, considering much of it was for fine needlework and not the utilitarian repair usage I normally employed.

    As they dashed off, running off into the treeline, I started to ransack Sweetwind for any bits of forgotten knick knacks that were no longer of use, or were just deadweight. I started to pile old half-worn tools, forgotten junk and other stuff I hadn¡¯t even realized that I still had, on the deck.

    They came back with food and took the barrels I used the deck block and tackle winch to lower off of Sweetwind¡¯s aft riser and the big guy, who called himself Kirk, startled haggling with me as I showed him my meager barter. He was impressed with just about everything, especially the tools and I made sure to drive a hard bargain on my castoffs, eager to milk every bit of victuals I could out of them.

    Through out the entire exchange I saw several more people that hadn¡¯t been in the original group, and all of those were acting as lookouts for something, or someone. It seemed they were pretty nervous. After I turned in for the night they camped out nearby, and climbed trees, not even lighting a fire. This was curious, and I did pick up talk about a few rival groups.

 Chapter 3: A small matter of pest control.

    The next morning, I was awoken to the sounds of combat outside.   Shouts and screams and the clash of weapons wasn¡¯t really what I was expecting to wake up to but I rubbed my eyes sleepily and tried to wrap my head around what had taken place, apparently around dawn.

    There was a large crowd of travelers now, and I saw Kirk fighting another older man, he was dressed the same as him except he was using a large stone mace and shield instead of a spear.   They were surrounded by two distinct groups of travelers who were egging them on as if it was some sort of sport.

    I heard cheers and catcalls exchanged between the two groups.   I looked around and spotted the teenager I had seen earlier sitting next to my barrier, ignoring the conflict.   He had his wand out and was studying my working carefully as if trying to figure out how it was formed.    I could feel the subtle probing at the outer layers of the warding and I smiled.

    Throwing a rope ladder over the side I climbed down, cinching my battle harness tight and adjusting my sword bandolier as I approached him.    He didn¡¯t even notice me until I mentally prodded him out of my warding. Toppling backwards with a yelp, he winced and looked up.   ¡°Oh hey, morning!¡± He said cheerily and I nodded towards the combat.

    ¡°Some sort of contest?¡±  I asked and he laughed bitterly.

    ¡°Asshats¡­ yea the Beachlords found out about our little deal with you.   They want in and Kirk don¡¯t want to let them get a cut so they are fighting over who¡¯s top dog¡­ again.¡±

    I gave a critical eye to the combat, and it looked less like a fight to the death and more like the two were just having fun.   The larger man with the stone club had knocked down Kirk and laughed and stood back to let him get up and get his spear.   Kirk was grinning and gave him a few friendly insults and they went back at it.  It didn¡¯t look like either one was trying too hard to kill the other.

    ¡°You don¡¯t like that other group?¡±  I asked the boy, and he shrugged as he studied the shifting patterns in my warding with interest, I tweaked it a bit mentally to make the symbology and scripting more visible, pulling back some of my encryption for a few moments.  The look on his face was most entertaining. His eyes narrowed and he scratched his stubbly hair as he muttered darkly to himself.  I tried not to laugh. This kid really didn¡¯t have much of a clue what he was trying to puzzle out or ever how to read basic warding structure.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t really matter to me either way, both groups don¡¯t like me much, it¡¯s just that Kirk¡¯s group doesn¡¯t kill me on sight and tolerates me enough to let me tag along.    I¡¯m really not much use in a fight, and really that¡¯s all they care about.¡±  He spoke absently and he went back to muttering to himself and fuming as he tried to puzzle what he was looking at.

    Idly, my hands rubbed across my brow as I pondered just what he meant about that.   I knew if I tried to think too hard about travelers and consider all their peculiar traits I¡¯d just hit the great seal and that wouldn¡¯t do my morning any good. However, there were a few things I knew from some of the stories.   Like how supposedly they were immortal.

    Asking direct questions was out, I had already tried that with the last travelers I had met.  Best I could do was remember some of what my grandad had said about them.   I felt my mind slip away from his stories the harder I tried to remember, and I flinched and rubbed my head.  The great seal was always stronger as you got older but some people like my grandad had just been less gripped by it.   It was annoying.

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t know any battle forms?¡±   I asked and he considered me with a look of complete confusion as he shook his head sadly.  ¡°Nope¡­ not really.   I mean I can move water¡­ well somewhat.  I can make a bit of a glowing shimmer around me when I get angry and when I¡¯m holding this wand but that¡¯s just about it.¡±

    I considered him for a bit.   He was probably at an early stage in his development, and I wondered just how set his attunement was yet.   Either you were born with a strong attunement as a magi, or you were born with power in your blood and you gained your attunement over the course of what you worked at.   Anyone could break their attunement and settle their pattern in a different direction.   The degree of a magi¡¯s strength in any attunement varied but normally everyone discovered or was born into what they were good at.

    In my case, I had been born to the winds, and my family was descended from godsborne of the wind.   Our attunement was especially strong.    I had no idea what a traveler was capable of, but some of the tall tales I had overheard about the exploits of these new travelers was quite daunting.

    ¡°Aright lad.¡±  I bent down until I was at eye level where he sat on the ground outside my warding.  ¡°You want a job?¡±   I asked and his eyes lit up.

    ¡°You¡­ will take me away from this shithole?¡±   He gestured at the two distracted groups of travelers and winced as he saw Kirk get knocked down again, this time with the big guy sitting on him trying to get Kirk into a painful arm bar.

    ¡°Not so fast¡­ I¡¯m not just going to give you a berth aboard my fair skiff, you have to earn it.¡±  I smiled at him sardonically.   I reached into a spellfolded pocket on my vest and pulled out a small toy I had trained on when growing up.  It was a tiny ballast crystal on a silver chain.

    ¡°If you can keep this thing floating at will, I¡¯ll consider you.¡±   I said and tossed the trinket to him.  It passed through the barrier with a hiss and crackle.  He caught it and looked fearfully at the others to see if they had noticed the exchange.

    The teenager stared at the small crystal that sat inert in his palm and looked up at me confused.   ¡°What is this thing?¡±  He asked and I just stood up and flicked an errant bang out of my eyes and I turned my back to him and walked over to the rope ladder I had off of Sweetwind¡¯s stern.  Yawning, I climbed up to get a good perch above the little scuffle outside my warding.

    Kirk had tapped out and the other man was pulling the man to his feet and they shook hands.  They both turned to the rest of the gathered and the older man raised a fist in victory.   I guessed what was coming and mentally added the rest of the newcomers to who could see the ship.   The older man blinked and I glowered down at him as his jaw dropped in a parody of what the others had gone through the day before.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding Kirk! Shit, and that thing is just a little messenger ship? Tis huge!¡±  He called out to me.

    ¡°Lass, my name be Tombason! I¡¯m ur new negotiator!¡±  He cawed and I saw Kirk roll his eyes and stalk off.

    ¡°I want the agreed cut Tombo!¡± He jeered and was given a disconcerted wave of affirmation by the other man.   The man hefted his stone club and shield as he stalked up to the shimmering barrier and looked at it quizzically.   ¡°Ye ah already tried to get the squealer to break it for us?¡±  He called at Kirk and he shrugged and nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we have any other magic users, heck we tried that stupid wand with everyone and he¡¯s the only one that gets it to glow.  And no, he¡¯s still just a noob, look at that NPC, she¡¯s some kind of high-level magic user or something. I doubt anything on the island save old broke fang would even make a dent in it.¡±

    Listening to their banter away as if I wasn¡¯t even here, I just sighed and crossed my arms as I glared at the stupid travelers.  ¡°So are you fine gentleman going to deal with me or should I just upship and move on to Bagliona?  I have enough supplies to make it there easily.¡±   I growled, frustrated that all of my previous haggling was just a waste of time if I now had someone new to try and foist my junk onto.

    ¡°Bagliona?¡± The older warrior¡¯s shrewd eyes fixed on me and he rolled up a nearby rotten log and sat down to peer at the stuff I had been dickering over with Kirk the evening before.   I had moved most of what he had wanted to cloth mats just inside the barrier and he gave an appreciative whistle at the collection of old tools, junk and bits of cloth, beads and fancy embroidery kit I had arrayed out on it.    It was much easier to see the collection in the light of day instead of swiftly falling twilight.

    I slid down the rope ladder and pulled up a small folding stool I had used the day before and stretched out, peering at the man with a relaxed gaze.  Smirking, I gestured grandly to my meager heap of junk as if it was the king¡¯s own ransom.

    ¡°Lady Becca is it?¡±   I nodded.

    ¡°Becca be fine, I¡¯m no noblewomen or anything.  I work for a living.¡±  He nodded sagely and sighed.

    ¡°No offence to your fine offerings, Becca but they are all a bit worn.  We are working on getting our bloomery up and I think we can manage better in a few weeks or so at least with the basic tools and knives you got there.¡±  He licked his lips and stared up at Sweetwind longingly.   I grinned at the sly old fox, remembering how my father used to introduce me to some of his more¡­ colorful associates.  This guy was probably born crooked if I¡¯d ever marked anyone for such a role.  I knew a certain cousin of mine with the same familiar attitude about him, and it was something that most sky folk held in great esteem.   Other nations called us scoundrels, or worse but I liked to think we lived by our wits more often than not.

    ¡°Well I¡¯m really not asking for much, a skiff really isn¡¯t a trading vessel, it¡¯s meant to travel light and this was pretty much all I could dig up. I¡¯m sure you could use any of this stuff and be all the better for it.¡±

    He nodded and looked at Kirk.   ¡°She looks like she can handle herself, think she can take out broke tooth?¡±   I frowned at the two and he pointed off into the distant tree line.  ¡°You see we have a bit of a dragon problem.¡±  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    ¡°Why should I kill anything that¡¯s worrying you for free?¡±   I asked and he just smirked at me.  Even my shrug couldn¡¯t hide the small spark of interest that had me intrigued.   I knew I had felt something odd about that side of the island. The wind folk can always sense other predators of the skymarches.  It didn¡¯t quite feel like a dragon though, that wouldn¡¯t have felt even remotely the same, even if it was a tamed dragon.

    ¡°It¡¯s no dragon, I¡¯d know if it was.¡± I said, rolling my eyes and grinning.   If it was a dragon there would be more evidence.   Dragons were typically quite large and very intelligent, and tended to leave a bit of a trail of destruction.   They also preferred volcanic islands.  One reason I had picked this island was that it didn¡¯t have anything I could see from the air that could be home to a dragon roost.

    Nope, had to be a drake or wyvern, I was betting more on it being a wyvern as drakes preferred upper elevation jungles and not so much the salty swamp sort of jungle like this island had. Wyverns also had a particular affinity for water and tidal swamps, something that was in abundance on the island.

    The rest of them were exchanging glances, and I saw one of the women from the first group, the haughty one about to speak but someone else elbowed her.   Sighing, I stood up and eyed the travelers with blatant distrust.

    ¡°I be guessing you will offer to show me it¡¯s lair, for some of my¡­ goods?¡±   I asked and Tombason gave me a cautious nod.

    ¡°Two things¡­ first I need to be provisioned, heck if I go look at your little issue and I find it¡¯s out of my ability I¡¯m not going to try and solve it for you.   I still need supplies, and you will give me what I ask.¡±

    Tombason nodded, and grinned at me.   ¡°Whatever you want lass, I know you people consider those creatures valuable for their loot, so I¡¯m not going to pay you for killing it, it¡¯s been a thorn in our side since day one.¡±

    I nodded.  ¡°Second, do know if somehow you do manage to break my warding, the ship won¡¯t work for you people.   It¡¯s keyed to me and also has a mind of its own.¡±   I glared at Tombason and he raised his hands in mock surrender.

    ¡°Figured as much, from what I¡¯ve heard about those airships.¡±  He said and pointed at Sweetwind.

    I gestured at the bundles of supplies on the other side of the barrier.  The group of travelers still had yet to return my water barrels, but there were plenty of strings of dried fish, and meat as well as bundles of fruit and other items scattered around.  I had particularly asked for some sweetroot, and described the tuber to Kirk who had found several baskets of the stuff.   It was like a potato, and I knew that it was a common plant on these islands.   It tasted quite good when properly prepared, and could also be turned into a paste and dried for making different types of ration.

    ¡°Tombason, I¡¯m going to make sure I cast purity rites on everything, if you want me to stop by here on the way back from Bagliona don¡¯t try anything cute.   I don¡¯t mind picking up something better to trade with in port for you fine¡­ fellows.¡±  I gazed skeptically at the motley crew gathered around my warding.

    ¡°Ah lass, I¡¯m willing to deal on the level.  And I do have a list of a few things I can give you to shop for us, and in return I¡¯m willing to offer a few more¡­ valuable items we may had acquired.¡±  Tombason¡¯s grin was shrewd and calculating.   I shivered, and made a promise to be more careful in where I decided to set down next time if I came back.   And to spend time making a proper landing circle here I could activate from the air as I approached.

    They were up to something, of that I had no doubt.  I had dealt with his kind all my life, and I could get that sort of uneasy feeling that I was missing something here.   I looked around for their little magi, but he had vanished as soon as Tombason had come up to chat.

    I looked up at the sky and judged the winds as I tried to gauge the air pressure.   I¡¯d have clear skies today for a bit, but I could feel a storm somewhere nearby.   Felt more like a small squall then a real blow though.  I would have to lift ship by the evening if I wanted to make my delivery at Bagliona on time.   I had rested enough.

    ¡°Right then, let¡¯s make this exchange! Where be my water barrels?¡± I asked and Tombason held a muted conversation with Kirk.   ¡°They will be back soon, there is a spring nearby, but they had to dam it so they could quickly fill the barrels.¡±

    I sighed and walked over to a roll of canvas sail patch I had rolled up next to my stuff and I tossed it through the barrier.   ¡°Put the stuff on that and I¡¯ll pull it through.¡±  I said as I dragged the cloth mat with my junk on it to the barrier and pushed the corner of the mat through so they could grab it.    They pulled the stuff out and complied with my request.   I pulled their barter back in the barrier and piled it in the cargo net I had set out.   Cinching the net, I climbed up to the deck on my rope ladder and wheeled up the goods with the block and tackle winch, then moved the cargo boom over the deck and set the stuff down.

    Out of sight of the crowd, I passed my detection medallion over the stuff they had given me and nodded when I didn¡¯t see any flash of script on the surface of the tool.    It was clean, or at least I couldn¡¯t detect any real issue with their provisions.

    Taking the time to stow everything in warded perseveration bins, I finished in a few minutes and slid back down my ladder and pulled out a small navigator slate.   Focusing on it, I mentally outlined the island and set it in the slate.    Handing it through the barrier, I pointed at the island, with my own position marked.

    ¡°Where is your little beastie? I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±   I sighed.

    Tombason studied the device a bit, marveling at it as he used his finger to poke and prod the terrain of the island as he tried to figure out how to manipulate it.   I rolled my eyes and huffed.  Everyone knew how to manipulate a basic slate; my navigator¡¯s slate wasn¡¯t much different from standard ones.

    ¡°Just point to where the beastie is, I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±   I snarled with impatience and he turned the slate towards me and pointed to the swampy jungle that started at the tree line and extended down out of the valley to the sea.  Where his finger set, was where the sea met the jungle.  He reluctantly handed back the slate to me and I studied the location.   It was as much as I suspected.  It had to be a wyvern, right next to where swamp met sea was an idea spot for one of them to have a nest.

    Pocketing the tablet, I climbed back up into Sweetwind and descended down to the tiny armory next to the captain¡¯s cabin.   I would need a few things if I was right about hunting wyverns.  The vile creatures were infamous for their caustic breath, among other things.

    It took some time hunting down what I needed from the armory but I emerged wearing a small pouch containing a protective mask that I could breath though to protect my lungs from their toxic emanations, and a few general poison antidote vials.    I was gambling that the wyvern was of the more common species that tended to live in tidal swampland and not one of the more dangerous varieties.

    Adjusting my battle harness and pocketing a few extra containment crystals for emergency power, if I had to overextend myself, I gave a running leap and poured power into my harness.  Leaning forward, I directed it out and over the meadow as I angled towards the tree line and the swamp downhill from it.    The crowd below me gasped and pointed up at me as a few of them gave surprised waves and I did a barrel roll for them as I spread my arms out and steered myself through the winds.

    The feeling of finally being back in the air even if for the small glide, was uplifting to my spirits and I gave a small whoop of joy.  Below me, the island spread out in all its rugged glory.  It wasn¡¯t a very thick jungle as far as jungles went, more like a scrubby tropical swampland that had the elements of some jungles.   There was a lot of color though, the green trees were bracketed by giant colorful jungle flowers, some of which I knew from experience, to be carnivorous.   There were the large armored sea turtles basking along the banks of a lazy river that flowed down out of the hill and added to the tidal marsh that stretched out around the island in a sticky, hot and smelly embrace.   Even high up above it I could smell the wet decay of the swampy undergrowth.

    There were several subspecies of wyvern, and if it was the common variety it would be semi-aquatic as well as a passible flier.   They more often soared on thermals and hunted fish or small game in the swamp.  My mother had made me study almost every type of aerial predator on within Prime¡¯s skymarches and many other varieties of airborne threats that weren¡¯t as common to this realm, but did exist in abundance in others.

    I had never been outside of Prime, but my mother¡¯s family was supposedly from Talscar, a realm that had an active greater worldgate at the great northern spire of Keserwan.    They had come to Prime several generations ago and settled in Swapper¡¯s Needle with other Celestial Elves.  Or so claimed the lore from my ancestors, that was still bound within mother¡¯s small library.  When growing up, I had been made to study much of it and I had only begun to master a fraction of what was contained in my grimoire, much less those ancient records.

    Sometimes people did remark on my oddly colored eyes or my blue-black hair that was slightly iridescent, the mark of someone who had a bit of the fey blood in them like many of the races of other realms.  In my case it was celestial elvish blood. My slightly pointed ears and the odd hair, I always made sure to keep hidden my aviator¡¯s cap, and I made sure to dye my eyebrows to get the bluish hints out of them.

    Humans, and even half-bloods mistrusted other races.  They blamed them for just about everything that went wrong in Endaria, a sentiment that wasn¡¯t always without merit.   There were some very violent non-human races, even a few of them were of elvish decent.  It mattered little to humans if celestial elves had never made war against the races of man residing in Prime, paranoia towards all non-humans tended to be more the norm than not.

    My eyes picked out a large ball of sticks and dried mud, a nest of gigantic proportions and I squinted at it.  Oddly enough there was a small footbridge raised above the water leading to it.   That was definitely a wyvern nest.   I recognized it from drawings in my mother¡¯s books.   But why the footbridge?

    Gliding down, I was careful to settle on the largest of the massive swamp trees nearby as I pulled out my spyglass and lifted my fogging googles to peer through it.   This was strange to say the least.   I felt the shiver of dread wash over me again and I shrank back into the vines covering the canopy of the tree as a dark shadow fell over me.   I looked up and gasped as the largest wyvern I had ever seen slowly glided out of the sun and landed on the bank next to its nest.

    That thing was monstrous!  Usually wyverns were less than twenty feet from snout to the end of their barbed tail¡¯s tip but this thing had to be almost twice that!  There was someone on the back of it, and I saw that it had a black flying rig of finely tooled leather.

    My hands shaking, I lifted my spyglass to my eye again after rubbing the moisture from the lens.   In the distance I heard a call and I saw one of the castaways sprinting down the footbridge towards the creature and its rider.  The newcomer was dressed like the others from the group that had been trading with me and my eyes narrowed as he shouted at the rider and pointed uphill towards the small valley than to the sky as he peered around.

    I would be having some words with Tombason.  For now, I had to get back to Sweetwind at once and up ship now.   There was no way I could fight that thing by myself, especially if it was tamed by someone.   I was betting it was one of the types of beastkin that had the ability to talk to reptiles.   I couldn¡¯t identify the rider¡¯s race from this distance but that was the most likely reason I was looking at certain death rather than a quick purse of gold.

    Cursing Tombason and all of his ilk, I clenched my fingers around my focus crystal and carefully wove a distortion into the air to hide me from the sharp eyes of the wyvern.   Launching off, I sped away, pouring speed into my flight as I fought not to panic.   Behind me I heard the piercing cry of a creature and its rider on the hunt.

 Chapter 4: First kill

    As I crashed back through the barrier and tumbled onto Sweetwind¡¯s deck, the massive wyvern gave a screeching roar as it gained altitude over the island, searching for the spot my little skiff was hidden. Sprinting for the aft pilothouse, I slammed the emergency dump to flood the ballast with energy. I knew that if that creature put enough effort into a siege on my barrier, it wouldn¡¯t last. Sweetwind¡¯s battle envelope was stronger and I had to get it powered up. If I could fight that creature with the skiff¡¯s main lances I¡¯d have a chance.

    I shifted power into the battle wards that made up the protective envelope around Sweetwind and snarled a battle cry as the ancient little skiff seemed to scream in joy as it powered up for combat. Long ago, this hadn¡¯t been a sky herder¡¯s skiff, it had been some sort of warship and it still had teeth and still lusted after the blood of its enemies.

    Strapping myself into the seat, I pulled down my googles and stared at the winds, pulling Sweetwind into a gust blowing up and over the island from the swamp and let it carry me along as the ballast continued to fill with power. The power pulsed along the hull, as the ballast gained more strength and power. I needed more distance and more time. Kicking the rudder around I angled the bow of the ship towards the approaching creature and started tapping the heliograph, even as I pulled a lever that released my family¡¯s battle standard. A compartment popped up from the deck and the small banner rose along the tag line to the top of the mast, settling in beside the clan flag and the messenger¡¯s guild sigil.

    Tapping away at the heliograph at the other rider didn¡¯t really seem to have any effect. If that other flyer understood the message, it was being ignored. I wondered exactly what those treacherous travelers had told the rider. Probably nothing good I surmised. There was no response, no flashing of light and I couldn¡¯t see any battle pennants from the wyvern as it raced up to meet me. I pulled the altitude mask from the side of my pilot¡¯s chair where it connected with the Sweetwind¡¯s pneumatic system and pulled it over my face as I tightened my goggles.

    Just as I expected, it opened up with a torrent of poisonous vaporous liquid that rolled over the Sweetwind in a fog even as I fired the bow lance.

    A crackle of iridescent, fiery lightning met the creature in the air and it screamed as the bow lance nearly burned it out of the sky before it did a barrel roll away from the stream of power. The lance coughed out and I shifted my feet and slammed the steering arm to the side, turning and diving the Sweetwind under the creature, the wyvern¡¯s talons missing my rigging by a few feet. As I dived, I shifted the ballast and angled the Sweetwind forward and picked up speed before leveling out over the waves, bringing the ship around for another pass.

    The wyvern was limping along, and its rider seemed to be thinking better of another try at the ship as I began carefully feeding power back into the bow lance, watching its swiftly rising thermostat carefully. The small open cockpit on the stern was slowly filtering out the haze of poison, but the gas had burned my skin where it was exposed and I shuddered to think of what could have happened if I had gotten even a single breath of it. Once again, I tapped out a message on the heliograph, the bright signal crystal on my skiff¡¯s bow franticly trying to signal the other pilot to stand down.

    I couldn¡¯t sustain combat much longer in any case, my stomach clenched as I looked at the swiftly falling indicators that showed the status of Sweetwind¡¯s storage crystals. This ship may have once been a warship, but those storage crystals had been nowhere near full to capacity even before the start of the fight. By myself, I could barely keep up the reserves and I had only a couple of days of my own power built up. While I had been taking my rest, there hadn¡¯t been an opportunity to cultivate more power for the storage crystals. Normally I just flew with a small reserve and linked myself with the ballast.

    Cursing my own stupidity and complacent behavior, I pulled the steering column back and started to climb carefully into the sky, using an economic increase of power instead, a trickle compared to what the ship was capable of. Even then I gave a groan of frustration as a twittering low power alarm flared, and several storage crystals bottomed out. The one advantage of an airship was its climb rate, and I poured everything I had into the ballast, watching more crystals flatline as I turned upwards, my ship pushing the power along it¡¯s hull and clawing at the sky.

    Sweetwind became a streak, soaring into the sun¡¯s glare as the wyvern shrieked in protest and gave chase. I gave a feral snarl of my own as I judged the distance and the right moment.

    I slammed the rudder around and yanked the Sweetwind into a spin as my bow once again aligned with the wyvern. The sun was directly in the other flyer¡¯s eyes and I doubted the other pilot knew my ship could spin on its axis so quickly.

    I gave a shrill shout of triumph as power lanced out in a rumbling, sputtering line of energy and once again and I flatlined all of my storage crystals, nearly blacking out as the extra power was pulled out of me and I screamed as I slammed the emergency shunt to cut off the bow lance. My eyes teared up with the shattering throb of feedback from the lance and my world spun as Sweetwind nearly went into a death spiral as I frantically tried to add more power to her ballast and trim her out. Below me I saw the blackened form of the wyvern falling away to slam into the ocean far below, raising a huge plume from the impact.

    I was losing altitude quickly now, and I had to drain both my spare containment crystals I had pocketed earlier just to stay aloft. Blinking away tears of pain and terror, I began to desperately search for a place to set down. I wouldn¡¯t make it to the other side of the island where that valley was, barely to the beach I surmised. The ship shuddered and dipped as the ballast¡¯s mountings jammed and I wept in frustrated terror as I tried to unsuccessfully rock the steering around to unjam the mountings.

    My poor Sweetwind didn¡¯t like be wrenched around like that, and it had been a while since I had been able to do a proper overhaul. The ship spun in a lazy arc as I shrieked and cursed in panic as I fought with the jammed mounting before using the rudder to try and straighten her into level flight. There was a wrenching snap from far below and the Sweetwind heaved up in screaming protest as the ballast unjammed and I breathed a sigh of relief, before I gritted my teeth again. There was a lot of grinding and rasping from the ballast now and I knew I would be working on fixing it for ages.

    I didn¡¯t make the beach, so I pulled Sweetwind into a sheltered bay on the far side of the island and deployed the outriggers as she skipped, then slammed into the slowly rolling sea with massive rooster tai of washing spray, crashing the protective envelope for a few moments from the force of the impact. I winced up at the crackling barrier as it fizzled for a few moments, trying to reform. I hoped and uttered a quick prayer to my patron there wouldn¡¯t be a feedback blowout.

    There was a shuddering, cracking roar that shivered up and down the ship, but somehow there wasn¡¯t a massive explosion from the foci on the mast and bow. The envlope did manage to properly power down without overloading. I whispered a heartfelt thanks to the ancient artificers that had designed my ships¡¯ robust enchantment structure and sagged with relief.

    Quickly popping my harness, I stumbled across the deck and rigged the bilge pumps, pulling off their protective coverings and setting them up. Sweetwind wasn¡¯t a sailing ship, but she was watertight and was designed for water landings. Ocean though, even this sheltered bay was asking a bit much. I stumbled on my way to the bow, and trying not to pass out, as I kicked a small anchor overboard from its rack and made sure it caught.

    I felt the Sweetwind spin as the anchor held it from the current trying to push it ashore and I sagged to the deck and gasped. Remembering the blackened form of the wyvern and the rider I had downed, I was suddenly sick. My stomach roiling, I rolled over to the railing and vomited. As I heaved up all of that delicious stew I had earlier and I just clung there for a bit and sobbed. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Never in my entire life had I ever killed anything that horrifically before, much less downed another flyer. It had all happened so fast, and¡­ I had liked it. That feeling as I had poured my will and fury into my lance was something that was alien to me. It just made me nauseous to think that I could like to kill so easily, and it also left me a bit terrified. Yes, I had killed many flying menaces in the past, but those were just monsters. I had never killed another Endarian before. I hadn¡¯t seen the pilot bail off, so my lance must have ended the other flyer along with the monster he or she had been riding.

    The skymarches were a dangerous place, but few would ever dare to tangle with an airship, even a small one like mine. In the past, it had been enough deterrent that I was flying the guild seal on my mast. No one wanted the ire of the messenger¡¯s guild and had always left me alone. I had also picked routes that I knew were relatively safe, far from the small wars that habitually plagued Prime.

    I slowly stood up, gripping the railing and riding the soft swells that Sweetwind had settled on as I made my way belowdecks to survey the damage to the ballast¡¯s mountings.

    Sweetwind¡¯s design wasn¡¯t a fixed ballast design like most modern airships, but the ballast was cut in a way that could flex its lines of force along Sweetwind¡¯s wardings at different angles, allowing such violent maneuvers that had managed to save me in that fight with the wyvern. The ship, was quite elderly however, and hadn¡¯t had its mountings rebuilt for many years. I had done my best with her, but it was quite apparent that I had pushed my luck too far and had done some serious damage.

    The gyroscopic mounting of the single massive ballast crystal that kept Sweetwind aloft was a mess. I worked on her well into the stifling heat of the afternoon. The longer shadows of near sunset were when I crawled out of the refractory compartment, nearly in tears from frustration and weariness, my body covered in grease and sweat.

    I had managed to get the crystal turning properly again but I would need quite a bit of time in port to work on her. The repairs would wipe out my meager line of credit with the guild and I¡¯d be in debt to them for ages. I would also be late with my cargo, earning me no favors. It would take me at least a day or so to build enough energy to lift ship again and I had to get out of here fast. I would lose my deposit on the posting and would have to wait at least a week in penalty for the late delivery.

    It was all almost too much. I had been far too cocky, so sure that I could take on what I thought was just a normal wyvern. I should have heeded my own intuition.

    ¡°Ahoy! Becca!¡± I heard the call from the distance and I nearly stumbled and fell as I spun around and saw a large canoe with a dozen people paddling towards me. There were two more canoes behind it, and I saw that they were dragging something with their tow lines.

    Pulling up my spyglass, I could clearly see Tombason jumping up and down on the deck of his war canoe waving a white rag and pointing at the carcass of the wyvern, blackened and charred, its wings splayed and the blackened beak open with its tongue extended in a frozen death gargle. They were dragging it behind them and cheering. I gave a half-hearted laugh of irony as I saw the state my downed foe and its frozen expression of surprise.

    Well at least they were upholding their end of the bargain, in giving me my share of the ¡°loot¡± much as it was. My stomach clenched and a cold shiver passed over me when I realized that I was a sitting duck. There was no way I was strong enough to fight all of them if they decided to swarm my ship.

    I ran to one of the small deck lances on the starboard side and nearly fainted as I tried to trickle power into it to charge it. I cursed myself again for not keeping extra containment crystals in their prescribed racks next to the lance. The racks were all empty of crystals, and I had to use my own energy to try and charge the weapon.

    Moaning as streaks of pain shot over my vision, my head throbbed I turned the barely charged lance to track the war canoe and my hoarse voice echoed out over the pounding of the surf and rushing wind.

    ¡°That¡¯s far enough Tombason!¡± I croaked and he just laughed at me as he saw me using the weapon to keep myself propped up as I swayed on my feet. It was obvious I was not fooling anyone munch less that old sweat.

    The war canoe slowly turned as it came up alongside the Sweetwind and Tombason directed his rowers to keep their distance as he crossed his arms and stared me down as I shakily leveled my deck lance at him.

    ¡°U¡¯ don looks so good Becca! Do you want mah to leave this here beastie for you? I do thank yaw from the bottom of mah heart! You just did mah a big favor!¡± He barked with laughter at my scowl and he cocked back his arm and tossed a line towards my deck. I had to release my death grip on my lance and stumble over to jump on their tow line before it slipped off the deck and plunged back into the water.

    I tied off the carcass and sagged against the railing as Tombason motioned to his group of travelers and he waved cheekily to me as they turned back towards shore. I gave him a half-hearted rude gesture back and he bellowed with laughter, his voice echoing out over the bay.

    I had to strip down and jump into the sea to get a cargo net around the massive creature so I could pull it out of the ocean. I was sick a few more times as I gagged on the smell and got bits of burnt wyvern flesh all over me as I worked. Eventually, I got a net around it and slowly used the stern and mast block and tackles to winch the monstrous carcass up onto the deck. I knew I had to work quickly before any sharks or other oceanic scavengers started picking at it. Already the gulls were circling and landing all over the ship as they cawed and squealed at me.

    I saw that the blackened saddle on the beast was empty of the corpse of its rider, but most of the pouches and gear were still on it. I carefully unbuckled the wreckage of the flying rig and slowly went to work trying to salvage what I could from the roasted creature.

    Surprisingly, I did manage to fill several buckets with intact scales. I had only destroyed one side of the wyvern, and as I butchered it from my mast I discovered much of it¡¯s internals were intact. I harvested several quarts of blood and managed to separate the valuable poison glands from the rest of the creature. As the evening wore on and I lit my storm lanterns to work into the night, my spirits improved and when I trudged off to wash and collapse into my bed, dead to the world and finally feeling victorious.

    My nightmares chased me from sleep long before dawn and I tumbled out of bed and tried not to gag at the miasma of stink that lay over my fair skiff. The butchery had revealed that wyverns smelled just as bad on the inside as they did as they did on the outside, all charred and burnt.

    I packed up the valuable organs, blood and scales in enchanted preservation jars to keep them, and was considering how to rend the carcass away to get at the bones. I wasn¡¯t quite sure of their value, but either way I needed whatever I could salvage to pay for repairs to Sweetwind. I knew that the meat was completely inedible at least to me, though the scavenging gulls seemed immune to the toxins.

    Not that most of it was fit for consumption after the scorching it had gotten. Yawning, I made my way sleepily to the galley and set to brewing a cup of Kava as I did figures on my navigator pad to try and calculate what it would take to get Sweetwind¡¯s mountings replaced once I got into port.

    I could repair the mountings enough to lift ship, but I knew even before I had wrecked them that they were on their last legs. As dawn broke over the far horizon and revealed the sleepy little island, I saw a trail of smoke from the nearby beach and pulled my spyglass out to look upon a small camp. The canoes were pulled up and there was a cook fire being tended by a few early risers from small palm-frond shelters spaced out in a circle around it.

    I sipped my Kava and pondered what to make of these strange travelers. They were a rough lot, but I had a feeling that Tombason knew that he could have taken my ship, and decided against it. It didn¡¯t seem they wanted me for an enemy. I smirked at the thought. They had to have seen the entire aerial battle and somehow, I had earned their respect.

    I finished up the grim task of rending as much as I could to get at the valuable bones, and tossed the rest overboard to the delight of the gulls and sharks. I had to pull up anchor and drop a bit of my mainsail to get away from the grizzly wreckage I left behind to the scavengers. Later as the day dragged on, I used my bilge pumps to spray off the deck and I got to work scrubbing after I had moved far enough away that the screeching racket of the gulls no longer hurt my sensitive ears.

    Even after a few hours at trying to clean off the mess I was barely making headway. I sighed and decided to burn some incense and ask my patron for a stiff squall to scour my deck and help wash out all the bits of gore that had gotten stuck in odd spots. I could feel the beginnings of a blow in my bones and hoped those small dark clouds on the horizon wouldn¡¯t miss the island. I could also use the storm to help cultivate my energy reserves. Any sort of storm would do and it would go a long way to let me get Sweetwind in to port more quickly.

 Chapter 5: A new apprentice

    Towards midafternoon, I spied a smaller canoe being paddled out by a trio of the travelers.  Pausing my work, I pulled up my spyglass and picked out Kirk along with the two women and the teenager onboard.  I watched them warily and tried to consider what they wanted from me.   Kirk wisely kept his distance and called out his hail as I glowered down at them, my ruined work clothes covered with burnt muck and wyvern blood.

    ¡°Becca, can we come aboard?¡±  Kirk hollered up at me.   In response, I reached behind me and tossed my rope ladder down to them.  They pitched a line up to me and I tied them off and they climbed aboard Sweetwind.

    I kept my hand on my cutlass as I glared at the small group and pointed to the open door to my galley across the deck.    ¡°I got some hot kava still on the kettle if you want some, let¡¯s have us a chat.¡±  I said warily as I eyed them with unreserved suspicion.

    They gawked around the ship in awe as I led them into the galley and refilled my own Kava mug from the steeper as I poured boiling water through the crushed beans.

    ¡°Is that coffee?!¡± Kirk sniffed the beverage as I poured more water slowly through the steep and handed him a cup.  I shrugged and pointed to the stoppered bowl of cane sugar grains on the mess table where it was held into place by galley clamps.

    I looked with intense scrutiny at the teenager and the two women. The lot of them nervously shifted their patchwork armor and crude weapons to their sides as they sat down at the table.   I sat down at the other end, my hands scraping my sides, automatically trying to clip myself into the harness fasteners along the mess table until I remembered that I wasn¡¯t wearing my harness and wasn¡¯t airborne.

    Sighing wearily, I rubbed my tired eyes and studied them with curiosity.   I didn¡¯t sense any malice from any of them, or I¡¯d not let them aboard.   I did have a suspicion what they wanted from me anyhow.    Kirk had spooned a bit of sugar into the covered cup of kava I handed him and was sipping it daintily as if it was the ambrosia of the gods.

    ¡°You know, I can¡¯t even get this stuff IRL anymore, prices are astronomical in New Highland.¡±   He told the younger of the two women who smiled as I showed her how to steep the kava.

    ¡°I¡¯m Amber, and this is Triss.¡± She pointed to the older women who still wore her habitual scowl.   I looked at the teenager who was keeping his head down.

    ¡°Never did get your name kid¡­¡±  I said, and all three of them glared at the teen who just looked back up and grimaced.   I could see a few new bruises on him.  Scowling at the three other travelers I shook my head.

    ¡°He hasn¡¯t named himself yet¡­ just spawned in a couple of days ago, and he¡¯s useless.  We brought him along, because if we left him with the Beachlords, they would just keep kicking him around and probably send him back to respawn for a lark.¡±

    ¡°Zeus¡¯s beard! He¡¯s a magi! Why do you people treat him like filth?¡±  I stammered and Kirk just rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Would help if the little squirt would stand up for himself sometimes, but he just lets people push him around.   I¡¯ve tried to talk some sense into him, but some players just don¡¯t take this game too seriously and they don¡¯t have the training for it.¡±  Kirk grumbled.

    The words just floated over my head as I felt the tug of the great seal on my mind and I rubbed my head in consternation.   I hated dealing with travelers when they talked like this.   ¡°Lad where is that task I gave you! Bring it out!¡±  And I saw the boy¡¯s face fall and Kirk smirked.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re the one who gave him that little plaything?¡±  He laughed and he fished around in his pocket and tossed me the toy ballast as I glared at him.

    ¡°Had to get it back from the Beachlords, they caught him with it and kicked the crap out of him when he tried to get it back after they stole it from him.¡±   Tess piped up and smirked.

    Rolling the toy across to the kid I pointed at it.   ¡°Well?¡±  I studied him and reached deep into my flickering well of power to pull a working over my eyes to study his aura.   I was hoping that I could use this kid, if he could help charge my storage crystals I could get out of here more quickly.

    I watched him try to wrap his power around the ballast instead of trying to form a link, and I rolled my eyes as beads of sweat broke out on his brow as he struggled to make the crystal float.   Eventually once he wrapped enough power around it, I saw some leak into the crystal and it slowly lifted up out of his hand and weakly bobbed on its chain.

    ¡°Enough!¡± I chuckled as I tried to hold back a grin as I remembered my own first attempts at that task.   Well I suppose we all have to start somewhere.  He gasped and the crystal pattered onto the table and he caught it before it could roll off as the Sweetwind rocked in the gentle bay swells.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m going to really have to work on that with you.¡±   I said and the others looked at him wide-eyed as they realized what I meant.   ¡°You¡¯re going to take him with you?  When you leave?!¡±  Kirk gasped, almost spilling kava all over his tunic as he stared at the other traveler.    I nodded.

    ¡°I need another magi around to help me with the ship.   I don¡¯t need you lot though, you have anything to offer for your passage?  I looked at them.  They had been trying to work up the courage to ask me for a berth but I decided to break the ice first.

    ¡°We can fight!¡± Amber exclaimed and I laughed.   ¡°Deadweight¡­ unless you can help me charge my ballast or stand a watch, and none of you have any airship experience.  I¡¯m not a pirate, I¡¯m a messenger and this ship needs to go fast, that means the more passengers I take the more weight I have to carry in provisions.¡±  I pointed to the teenager.

    ¡°He can help me charge my ballast, though I doubt he¡¯s going to be ready to stand a watch for a very long time, if he can even hack it.¡±   I shook my head.  The skymarches were no place for a slack crew.   I had mostly survived by the grace of Zeus and sheer wit up until now, and I was barely scraping by.

    ¡°How about this¡­ when I get to Bagliona I¡¯m planning on telling the governor about you lot, he can send the navy to check up on you fine people.   I¡¯ll also try and stop by on my way back from Bagliona, though I¡¯ll be grounded in port for a long while until the late penalty runs out and I can catch another job out.  I winced as I thought in the loss of rating I¡¯d sustain because of the late delivery.

    They looked crestfallen but Kirk nodded.  ¡°Well thanks, though before we get going you have any maps?  I scrutinized them with suspicion and they shifted uncomfortably.    Nodding, I got up and left to retrieve an extra map case.   I had plenty of copies of the maps in this area, one of the older ones would work for them.

    I sat down and unrolled one of the maps as all off their faces lit up.   ¡°Where the hell in Endaria are we Kirk?¡±   Amber exclaimed as I pointed out our current location, and they gasped as they saw the huge chart laid out for them.  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Holy shit! We are nowhere near where we thought we were.¡±   Kirk mused as he laughed.    ¡°Tombason¡¯s gonna love it when I tell him! He owes me my bet!¡±   He shook with laugher and Tess joined in, her shrill voice causing my sensitive ears to prickle.   I rubbed at them through my flyer¡¯s cap and sighed.    Yes, these lot would drive me bonkers within a week if I had them as deadweight.   At least the kid knew how to keep quiet.

    Rolling up the map, I set a sheet of copy flash over it and focused on my power as I pulled a scribing roller out of the map tube and rolled it over the map, causing the lines of the map to burn into the copy.   I shook it out and held it up to the light to see if there were any imperfections from the roll as the enchantment from the copy faded away.

    ¡°You can have this copy, as it¡¯s an older set of general charts.  The guild doesn¡¯t allow their own charts copied but this will do for starters.   It¡¯s not very good to navigate by though unless you have the proper instruments.¡± I explained as I pulled out some beeswax paper from one of the galley drawers that I normally used to wrap food in.   It would work to keep the damp out as they rowed back.

    They took the map from me as if it was the greatest treasure of kings and beamed.   ¡°Yea well I suppose this will do, I appreciate it!¡±   Kirk exclaimed and I escorted them out to their canoe and waved them off as the three paddled excitedly back to the group on shore who were just now noticing that they had been speaking with me and were all waiting for them at the beach.

    The boy was still sitting at the mess table when I came back inside and I glowered at him as I thought about the fact that I now had a new crew member.  At least until he pissed me off and ended up going over the side.

    He was staring at me with nervous eyes and I reached down and picked up the deck brush and bucket and set it down next to him as I crossed my arms.

    ¡°Well if your going to stick around, your going to work.   My name is Becca Marshall, but to you I¡¯m captain, or mam! Do I make myself clear kid?¡±

    He stood up, nearly falling over in his haste and nodded at me empathically.    I sighed and pointed to the brush and bucket, the long-handled brush sticking out of the bucket.  ¡°Grab those and follow me.¡±

    I showed him how to operate the bilge pumps and wet the decks, and how to use the holystone as well as the deck brush, when I learned he apparently hadn¡¯t ever scrubbed a deck before.   I sighed and as he got to work trying to get the last of the wyvern blood off of my deck I descended back down into the refractory compartment and kept working on tuning the quick fix I had performed on Sweetwind¡¯s mounting.

    As I worked, I heard something above.  Sitting down my tuning wrench I pulled up my cap and twitched my long ears as I heard a clear alto voice singing out over the roar of the waves.

    I couldn¡¯t quite make out the meaning of the words, but they sounded beautiful.   His accent was a bit odd, but I peered out of the hatch at the boy as he sang and I saw the winds begin to curl around him wrapping around his aura and I felt Sweetwind give a yearning peal of pleasure.   It was very odd and like nothing I had ever seen before.   I had heard of wind singers, but this was the first singer I had ever seen.

    When he realized I had been listening, his voice trailed off into a startled squeak and he looked back down at the holystone he was using to try to scrub at the deck.    ¡°No, it¡¯s ok¡­¡± I smiled at him.

    I had thought he was water attuned, but this was more evidence of something else.   Not all magi could manipulate in the same way, he could be a bit of a mix of elements.  That would make sense if he was a wind singer, since they could call storms and the like.

    Looking over the deck I saw that there wasn¡¯t too much more to be done, the rest could keep for a bit.   ¡°Stow the brush, bucket and holystone over there¡± I pointed to a wooden locker along the side of the aft cabin.

    ¡°Follow me¡­¡±  I trailed off and motioned for him to follow me as I led him through the cabin and past the galley, deeper into the stern of the skiff until I pushed open a stores locker that was spell sealed against damp and rot.   Inside was an assortment of clothing and I pushed past them until I found a few flyer¡¯s harnesses.    They were the basic ones, with simple ship hand¡¯s lashings and pre-charged ballasts.

    Popping out the containment crystal I tossed it back in and fished around for suitable light clothing for him.   I would have to have proper aeronaut clothing sized for him, but judging by his short stature he might be able to fit into some of my own older sets.

    ¡°Take this, and get changed out of those rags while I get cleaned up.   Then I¡¯m going to show you how to use a harness.¡±   I shut the locker abruptly, tossing the pile of gear into his surprised arms as he blinked at me in astonishment.

    It took me a while to get the grease and remaining dried blood sponged off and I changed into my own light duty clothing and pilot¡¯s rig.    Walking out onto the deck I saw him trying to puzzle out how to get into the harness that I had left with his clothing.  He looked slightly better with proper clothing, but I was still tempted to wash him down with the pump.  Streaks of grime still peppered his body and he did need a haircut.

    ¡°You get into it like this.¡±  I proceeded to show him how to buckle himself in and how to stow his lashings at the sides of his harness on clips.

    ¡°The most important thing you have to remember is that you always are lashed in when we are aloft.   I want you to travel up and down the ship, and lash yourself to the points as you go.¡±   I watched him as he did so, pointing out all the lash points and the raceways where his lashing could travel on rails.

    When we went up and down the ship I slapped his ballast on the back of his rig.   ¡°This is your ballast. You are a magi, and you need to learn how to use you¡¯re harness ballast.¡±   I laughed when I saw his face turn pale when he realized what the device on his back was.

    ¡°It¡¯s like a bigger version of that toy?¡±  He asked, dread echoing across his face.

    ¡°Right you are, and it¡¯s what could save you if you are ever swept overboard.  These are expensive harnesses, so you lose it I¡¯ll toss you overboard without one and I¡¯ll see how well you imitate an anchor.¡±

    He gulped and I laughed at his expression.

    ¡°Aye I saw how you were trying to use this toy.¡±  I held up the small device and pointed to it.

    ¡°You don¡¯t push power into it, you feel for it and link to it.  Any magi can sense a ballast, no matter what kind of magi they are but, elemental magi are the best at using them.¡±   I explained and I pulled the toy away from him as he tried to strain his neck to see his ballast.

    I shook my head at him.  ¡°You don¡¯t need to see it, feel it on your back with your mind.   The harness can focus your aura around to the ballast easily enough.¡±   I tapped my skull for emphasis as he squinted and tried to grasp my instructions.

    Taking my goggles off I focused my will on them, laying down a small working and handed them over to him.    ¡°Look through these for a second and tell me what you see.  Watch me.¡±

    He put them on and I focused my own will on my harness and slowly I rose up into the air a few feet above the deck, the reel of my lashing pulling tight as I adjusted the slack on the mechanism.   I hovered there and slowly for a few seconds, then pulled my will back, pulling power out of the harness.    I smirked at his wide-eyed stare as he watched the ebb and flow of my power and I smiled at him.

    I held out my hands for the goggles as my feet set back down and he handed them back.   Through the fading spell I watched him slowly, try to wrap his aura around his harness.  It took him a few moments but he found the ballast crystal.  I shrieked as I saw him pour far too much power into his ballast and threw myself at him, my secondary lashing clipping onto his harness as he shot into the air.

    ¡°Pull back your power!¡± I snarled as I gripped my own lashing and thrust a boot under a toe hold to get more leverage as I tried to pull him back down to the deck.

    He slowly started to descend, and with a sigh of relief, he settled back to the deck.  ¡°That was my fault, should have known you¡¯d launch yourself.   I did the same thing first time.¡±   I chuckled.

    I had managed to do more than that, I remembered, but he needn¡¯t know that.

    Looking out at the swiftly sinking sun, I sighed and motioned towards the galley.   ¡°Let¡¯s go make dinner.  I¡¯m starving, you?¡±

    We ate dinner silently, more of my leftover venison.   He never complained at all as we made dinner and I examined blisters he picked up while working over the deck.   His soft hands didn¡¯t really seem to be those of a castaway.   It was like he had never worked at all in his life.

    I set the night wards, and I ushered him to one of the small berths under the captain¡¯s cabin.    I had to show him how to hang his flyer¡¯s hammock and he nodded.   ¡°I¡¯m going to log off in a bit.¡±   He said and I shrugged.   ¡°You will do that disappearing thing travelers do?¡±   I said and he nodded.

    ¡°Thanks for taking me aboard captain¡­¡± he said and pushed himself up into his hammock.   I watched him as he suddenly went still, then a few seconds later there was a flash of green and he vanished into motes of fizzling light.  Shrugging it off as the seal pushed away any questions I could think of, I ascended the nearby ladder and collapsed into my own bed.

 Chapter 6: Delivery Request

    ¡°We are going to lift ship, she¡¯s ready to go.¡± I sat in the charge room next to the refractory array, testing the storage bank as I frowned and wrenched out a dead crystal. Sorting around in a small supply closet in the charge room for a spare crystal came up empty as I expected. The closet was filled with dead crystals and burnt out cables. Looking back at the racks of storage crystals I winced, seeing that less than a third of the racks were full of functional storage crystals. Some of them were flickering, and starting the slow decline before they too would burn out.

    The boy was sitting next to me watching my work with rapt attention. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to leave those two water barrels behind, don¡¯t need the extra weight for the trip anyways.¡± I muttered and wondered just what had happened to my loaned rain barrels.

    I began explaining the basics of how an airship worked. ¡°You can shunt power directly to the ballast in a pinch, but it¡¯s generally a better idea to feed it from the storage banks.¡± I showed him a dead storage crystal.

    ¡°Storage crystals are low-grade living crystal. They are a lot different than your typical ballast which is grown in higher concentration to raise the grade. Some are ancient crystals like mine and no one knows how to make ballast like that anymore. I don¡¯t exactly know how old the Sweetwind is.¡±

    ¡°Grown?¡± I nodded at his question.

    ¡°Yes, well all crystal is grown, but typically ballast is grown in a specific way. There are different ways to grow ballast, and use it. Some ships have one large crystal like mine, those ships are typically small craft, larger craft will have sacks of smaller ballast crystals or several large crystals in an array.¡±

    ¡°How do they do their thing?¡± He asked and gestured up with his hand. I smiled and pointed at the nested ballast crystal in the refractory compartment.

    ¡°The ballast pushes against the lifeforce of the planet, and the enchantments along the hull and keel enhance and shape that energy. There are trim crystals on the stern of the ship that help me balance out the ship, typically it¡¯s called the rudder.¡±

    Pointing at the rather worn and patched mountings around the ballast crystal, I winced and continued. ¡°The crystal can also turn, and move the ship, inverting the lines of force to let me do sharp maneuvers without trimming the ship itself completely around with just the rudder. That mounting does the turning, but I kind of wrecked it fighting that stupid wyvern and had to do some emergency repairs.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like a gyroscope?¡± He said and I nodded, surprised that he knew what he was looking at. ¡°Yea¡­ well sort of.¡± I said and he smiled and traced his fingers over the dead crystal he was holding.

    ¡°Its actually pretty efficient once we get airborne. Just staying in the air doesn¡¯t take much energy, it¡¯s pushing with the ballast to get more speed or maneuver that uses up my strength. That¡¯s why we have sails, so Sweetwind can ride the winds whenever possible.¡±

    Outside I heard the distant rumble of thunder and I smiled. That storm had obliged me and decided to rain its fury over the island as it hurtled past. It was a boon for me, as I knew I could cultivate the energy from the storm and get enough charge to quickly lift ship. I could probably fill a few of the storage crystals too.

    ¡°You¡­ are going to help me fill crystals.¡± I pointed up and gestured towards the approaching storm.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to do a tandem cultivation with you on the storm. It¡¯s easy, I¡¯ll show you.¡±

    He looked at me skeptically and I gestured for him to follow me as we wove our way through the narrow corridors to the bow control pod. I pointed to the mechanician station and showed him where to place his hands. ¡°Those are the charge leads.¡± I sat down in the second harness seat next to him as we strapped in and I directed him to place his hands down on the leads.

    Around the ship I could feel the pounding of the waves as the chop picked up and my body buzzed with the energy of the storm. I yearned to draw on its wealth of power, and I felt myself tremble in expectation.

    The mechanician station was a more advanced version of what I used on the pilot¡¯s console and easier to manipulate and control the flow of power. After he placed his hands down on the leads, I placed mine over them and I took a deep breath and let my awareness flow out and into the ship¡¯s systems.

    I felt for the weave of the enchantments that would let me siphon off some of the storm¡¯s power from inside the ship. My racing heart was beating in time with the ship, and the expectation of power. Mentally I could feel the boy¡¯s aura hovering on the edge of my awareness and I spoke softly, calmer than I had a right to feel.

    ¡°Try to imagine your mind drifting into the ship, try to follow me. Shadow my presence and mirror what I do.¡± I instructed and I felt his power slowly flow into the ship. It tasted different than my own crackling of wind and lighting. His was the ebb and flow of the wind and rain, the turning of tides and the energy of motion. It was different, yet familiar to me somehow.

    I could feel his heartbeat, as if it was my own ponding heart and feel a touch of his nervousness and anxiety at the task as well as his own reaction to the approaching storm. I pushed calm towards him on an instinctual level and I felt his heartbeat slow along with my own.

    ¡°Right now, stretch yourself out from the ship towards the storm. Follow me, I¡¯ll show you.¡± My own awareness expanded outwards and I let the energy of the storm carry me along. I was racing through the clouds, my body tingling with the crackle of power and the roar of the wind and rain. He was beside me riding in my wake, trying to stay with me as I began to slowly absorb. He shuddered along with me as the rush of power filled us.

    ¡°Push that power back through the link, the ship will feed off of the link and pull the power into its storage cells.¡±

    With the two of us, the link was stronger and we could fill the storage banks swiftly. It took only a couple of hours and finally, when the small squall had blown over, we released the hold on our cultivation and were both left tingling and gasping as we rode the after affects of cultivation.

    ¡°That¡­ was weird.¡± He said and I laughed. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen nothing yet, that was just a squall. Wait until you do that with a typhoon or something, it¡¯s much more intense.¡± I smiled as his expression of horror and nodded.

    ¡°Most aeronauts don¡¯t do cultivation, as it takes a properly equipped ship, and someone who knows the technique. Luckily we have both.¡±

    ¡°Are there other types of cultivation?¡± He asked and I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s possible to do it with all the elements if you have an attunement to that element. You can probably also draw on the tides or the flow of water in rivers or streams. I¡¯m better able to draw on the heat friction and static charge of the storm, the lightning and the wind.¡±

    I watched him stare at me and I smiled back. ¡°You can use me as a conduit to help you draw off of storms, and it widens the channel of power we can send back to the Sweetwind.¡± I explained and he just shook his head in wonder.

    Glancing over at the gauges, my eyes bugged out when I saw that we had nearly a full charge in the storage crystals. ¡°Great gods¡­¡± I cried and tapped the gauge in disbelief as I shook my head in wonder, hoping that none of my crystals had blown during the cultivation.

    Pulling down the zephyrscope, I tracked the winds and smiled. It would be a bit tricky. As I trained the view out to above the low hanging squall, I saw that we could ride the winds higher up and make very good time towards Bagliona. If all went well, we could be in port before sundown.

    ¡°Well let¡¯s get changed, I think I¡¯ll take us up to around ten thousand. It¡¯s not going to be too cold here but won¡¯t be very comfortable in our duty clothes.¡± After we got into our full kit, I adjusted my cap and pointed to the altitude mask hanging next to the mechanician station. I had to explain how it worked and had it put it on him while I adjusted the straps on his head for it. ¡°It unclips like this so it can hang by its straps.

    ¡°Alright, going to do a quick inspection and make sure everything is tied down. Stay here. I left and did my quick tour of the ship, stowing a few loose tools in the refractory and checking cargo straps in the two small holds at either end of the ship. Stopping by the galley I snagged my small silver thermos and filled it with some leftover kava and stuffed it into it¡¯s slot on my pilot¡¯s harness. I had tooled that slot when I had first started soloing with the Sweetwind and it was invaluable.

    On the way back, I stopped at my small altar to my patron and knelt, offering a short prayer as I always did whenever possible before taking Sweetwind aloft. When I was finished, I rose and kissed my fingers, tapping them to the images of the winds and closed my eyes. Steeling myself, I turned and made my way back to the bow.

    When I was strapped in, I ran over the checklist in my head as I checked gauges, moved the shunt into position and slowly fed power to the ballast as I flipped the outriggers back up into the hull.

    Sweetwind slowly lifted off the steely grey chop and I tested the trim for load distribution. It felt well balanced, and evenly distributed as I swayed the ship back and forth. The boy had turned his chair and was gazing out over the island. ¡°Look!¡± He pointed down towards the beach and I saw tiny figures waving at us.

    If I squinted just right, I could make out the hulking forms of Tombason and Kirk watching us as we tilted up and I poured power into the ballast. I could hear the grinding of my jury-rigged fix on the mountings and I winced as I went easy on my old girl.

    The climb was slow, and I relaxed and leaned back in my harness as Sweetwind took her time leisurely passing upwards into the heavens. Soon the islands were all visible on the horizon and I pointed out each of them. ¡°These are the horsetail islands¡± I pointed along the vector I had set the navigator¡¯s lens to and marked the compass bearing.

    I did some quick calculations in my head while I set the vector and bearing, moving my map tablet along as I plotted our course, consulting the zephyrscope as I tracked the winds. There would be quite a bit of tacking for some of the ways, once we got around the storm I could set the autohelm and let it keep course.

    The flight to Bagliona was shaping up to be a smooth one and that was just what I needed right now. It felt like I had come home, and that anxiety of being disconnected with the windsong was over as I felt the ship riding the winds once again as I spread sail and cruised high above the ocean.

    ¡°So, lets find a name for you.¡± I said kicking my feet up and leaning back in the pilot¡¯s harness. I looked over at the boy and thought for a bit. I didn¡¯t know much about travelers but I had heard about their odd naming conventions.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°My name is Neil¡± He huffed and I turned to study him. ¡°Well Neil, welcome aloft the Sweetwind it¡¯s good to have ya.¡± I reached into my pocket and pulled out a special token that was keyed to the ship. Reaching over I slapped it against his forehead where it pulsed and a small sigil glowed there briefly before it faded.

    ¡°You are now a member of the Messenger guild, as my apprentice on a registered guild ship. Do you confirm?¡± I asked and he meekly nodded. I shook my head at his typical lack of conviction that made me cringe inside a bit. It was definitely something I would have to work on with him.

    ¡°You need to confirm or deny. Once we land in Bagliona you will be officially inducted, but it is important that I make sure you are my charge before we land. I¡¯m not permitted to allow non-guild magi to crew my ship as it¡¯s registered as a messenger. Doing so can compromise my writ of neutrality.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I confirm that I¡¯m your apprentice.¡± He said and the sigil on his forehead flashed and faded again.

    He had a thoughtful expression for a bit, and smiled. ¡°What are messengers anyways?¡± He asked and I pointed out the cockpit towards the horizon. ¡°We are a guild that carries messages all across Endaria, everywhere even to the other realms.¡± I explained and he stood up in his harness suddenly and stared at me.

    ¡°Other realms?¡± He asked and I shrugged. I knew that other messengers used the worldgates to travel on foot around but there were few worldgates that an airship could fit through, even one as small as a skiff.

    ¡°We are on what is called by humans, Prime. There are other places though, that only the worldgates go as well as a few realms that are accessible by¡­ other means in Endaria. I¡¯m not too familiar with those other places as I was born and raised only in Prime.¡±

    Neil looked at me for a long while then out over the expansive ocean. I could see his steely blue eyes lit up with the prospect of such a massive world that he was just now discovering and I smirked at him.

    ¡°Prime is big enough to get into plenty of trouble. Besides, the worldgates are hard to get access to. They are tightly controlled and heavily regulated. Me, I prefer the freedom of the open sky.¡± I sighed and sipped my cold kava and smacked my lips as the brew numbed my tongue with its bitterness.

    I glanced down at the altitude on my gauges and secured my mask. I pointed to it and he nodded as he clipped his own on. The concentrated air woke me up a bit and I yawned, breathing in a sigh of contentment as the wardings on the enchanted crystal glass a bit against the glare of the morning sun.

    Something caught my eye, and I squinted and peered down through the canopy at small white dots blanketing the ocean far below.

    Pulling out my spyglass, I pushed some of my power into it, reinforcing the enchantments as I brought up the colorful flags and banners streaming from the massive fluted sails. They were Yamani, and two of them were dragon carriers. A small war fleet sailing along the coast north. I had heard rumors that fighting had broken out between the League of Silvania, and the Samarak Republic as they and a few other kingdoms fought the Empire of Nadir, but this display made me shiver and be glad that I wasn¡¯t a mercenary.

    War was reaching it¡¯s grasp all over Prime, I could feel the fear and uncertainly everywhere I went. It was only a matter of time until Mageos chose sides and when that happened it would be a truly massive conflict. The Yamani were already siding with the Empire against their rivals and Mageos had started to back up it¡¯s threats with troop movements.

    I handed the spyglass over to him and pointed to the tiny dots circling the ships with a grin on my face. He peered at them and I heard Neil give a squeak of alarm as he saw his first dragon. ¡°That thing is¡­ a dragon!¡± He gasped and I laughed. It was truly ironic that the travelers had thought for even a moment that a wyvern could ever closely compare to a dragon in size or majesty.

    ¡°Yep, those are the Divine Order¡¯s pride and joy, the Yamani draconic forces. Each one of those dragons is nearly three times the size of Sweetwind, and could burn us to cinders without even breaking a sweat. Of course, I can easily outclimb them and outrun them, that¡¯s what makes airships so valuable.¡±

    His jaw was slack as he looked upon them in horror. ¡°There are people and tent-like structures¡­ all up and down the dragons, they have a crew?!¡± He asked in astonishment and I nodded towards the dragons.

    ¡°They have to, when dragons fight, they fight in close quarters where boarding actions play a big role. The large crew are mostly their marines and the Yamani priesthood.¡± My jaw clenched and my eyes narrowed at the disgusting sight below me. I hated the Divine Order, those conceited bigots. They considered non-humans and half-bloods like me in the same category as animals. Them and the slave holding Empire of Nadir were born for each other. It was my deepest hope that their enemies would manage to wipe them out.

    Last time I had been in their territory I swore never to return for any size of purse or treasure. I had almost been burnt at the stake for the crime of simply being a half-blood. Only one of my fellow guildmates had managed to save me in time by bringing his own ship down between me and the mob that was chasing me. He had paid for it by nearly losing his writ. It still galled me how badly the local messenger¡¯s guild had come down upon him for saving my life.

    It wasn¡¯t always that way. I had quite fond memories from my childhood spent in Yamani¡¯s cities as my father would often stop by there to trade, his massive harvest ship landing and hordes of merchants flocking to bid on our stock.

    That had all ended with the ascension of the One Prophet, and the extermination of the royal family. Since then, it was only conquest and war that Yamania exported, not the beautiful textiles woven from sky whale husk. Now their priests weren¡¯t Prime¡¯s most endeared scholars, they were crusaders bent on exterminating the other races, and any unbelievers.

    From far below I saw flashes of light from the lead ship. Recognizing the pattern of a heliograph, I quickly gestured for the spyglass, dreading what I was reading in their signals. They had spotted my guild sigil and wanted to call in a message delivery. Just great. If I refused to carry their message and they complained to the guild I would have to come up with some sort of believable excuse and honestly, I didn¡¯t have one.

    Yes, I was late, but my own charter dictated my actions, and perhaps I could used this at my board of inquiry over my late fees. I knew I would have to declare the wyvern¡¯s pilot¡¯s belongings before a prize arbitration and swear by a truth stone over the events of the fight or I could be branded a pirate and my ship seized and my writ revoked. The fact that I had stopped and picked up a message wouldn¡¯t hurt when they considered my case.

    ¡°They are calling for a delivery.¡± I grumbled and leaned forward as I shunted power out of the ballast and pulled in my sails. Sweetwind dropped like a stone as I streaked downwards, the entire ship shuddering with the force of the dive. I pulled slowly out of it, going as gently as I could. Even so, I winced at the pops and crunches I felt through the ship and the jerky way my ballast trimmed out.

    If this kept up, I may have to land in the sea for repairs before I made it to Bagliona. If I could manage to make proper repairs at all. The mountings were ready to fracture, I had already done what I could for them.

    I felt sick with fear and dread as the massive forms of the dragons rose up to escort me in. Banners of each of the prophetic sects unfurled. The image of a book, and a white sunburst whipped in the wind on either side. Grim armored figures clung to the sides of the harnesses glaring at my vessel with distrust, and the priests stood gripping podiums behind the heads of the dragons where they were lashed in their spots on the harness. Holy scrolls and warded tassels fluttered behind them, affixed to their bodies with seals of spell wax.

    ¡°Um¡­ Neil you are going to have to receive the message.¡± I suddenly blurted out, my breathing coming quick and my head turned down, trying not to attract any attention from the aloof gaze of the priests.

    He gave me a nervous look, and his face went pale as parchment. Quickly I explained the etiquette of receiving a message and what to say to whomever was sending it. I prayed to Zeus that somehow, they wouldn¡¯t be insulted at me not coming in person.

    As the signaling vessel drew near, my stomach dropped at the sheer size of the massive dragon carrier. My vessel was tiny in comparison to even the smallest of the dragons, and dozens of them clustered around the deck being tended to by a small army.

    I deployed the outriggers and followed the directions of the ground crew as they waved flags and directed me to a spot between two dragons, both of whom regarded me grumpily as they were shifted away to make more room by their pilots.

    I could hear the bellows and roars of protest from the sleepy creatures and my heart pounded in my chest as my worst fears echoed in my mind. There were few times an airship was more vulnerable than when it was landed. Landing next to an irate dragon was something that was pure nightmare fuel. If the priests found out what I was, I had a feeling I wouldn¡¯t survive the encounter.

    Sweetwind groaned and shuddered as the outriggers absorbed the landing and I tried to shut my eyes and calm my breathing. One glance at Neil told me he was about to be sick all over my deck, and I doubted it was from the sky jimmies. Just great, I get some stupid kid who is scared of his own shadow talking to a bunch of crazy zealots who were easily offended by any unbelievers.

    ¡°Just stick to what I told you to say! Whatever you do don¡¯t start talking religion with them, and if they say something insulting just ignore it.¡± He nodded and I saw him stagger towards the hatch under the cockpit. The rope ladder unrolled until it thumped against the deck of the carrier and I watched him from the compartment¡¯s bubble glass as he shakily climbed down and rushed to meet the small procession that came to receive us.

    Wincing, I saw him nearly trip over his own feet and the looks of pure distain form on the face of the priest who was clutching a message scroll. A tall looking priestess was fanning her face and preaching to him from a scroll while one of her underlings handed him the message tube. They made him sit on a small folding bench and listen to the little impromptu sermon before they pointed back towards the Sweetwind and snarled at him.

    As he turned to leave I saw the looks of outrage on the faces of the priests and groaned. He turned and quickly bowed to them after they kept yelling at him, but the priestess gestured to my ship and started shrieking at him. I glanced nervously around at the agitated dragons, one dragon was wincing and trying to curl its head between its wings to muffle the agitated screeches. I could see it start to build steam as its agitation grew.

    Pulling my goggles over my eyes and making sure my aviators cap was secure, hiding my ears and hair I ran for the ladder and quickly slid down it, my legs feeling like jelly as I pounded down the polished deck and skidded to a halt next to Neil who was clearly terrified at whatever venomous threats the priestess had been hurling at him.

    Bowing low, in the grand bow of submission then standing up and clapping my hands, I recited the great tenants back to the priestess in greeting. She smiled at me condescendingly and fanned her face in return as she clutched her holy book to her chest and looked down her nose at me. Her painted face was a mask that could barely conceal her irritation.

    ¡°The ancestors smile upon us all on this day most holy one.¡± I nodded to her and pulled Neil back to me.

    She studied me closely and I saw her eyes soften. ¡°You are not an unbeliever? You know of the prophet¡¯s most holy message?¡± I nodded and recited the five pillars of ancestry.

    Grinning as if I was but a small dog that had done a neat trick she reached into her pocket and flipped a coin at me. ¡°Take my favor with you child and remember the light of his words wherever you go.¡± She bowed by the first degree of general accent and turned her back with a flourish as she stalked away.

    My heart was still thundering in my chest and I tried to keep my legs from shaking as I quickly grabbed Neil and pushed him towards the ship.

    ¡°Go!¡± I bellowed and he took off like a terrified rabbit, clutching the message tube to his chest as I walked at a relaxed pace, as if I belonged nowhere but on the deck of this wretched ship. I had to give the image of a confident captain who had just been praised by a high-ranking priestess.

    At each step I half expected someone to call out for me to halt, but nothing happened and my heart leapt as I finally climbed up the ladder and back into the bow helm compartment. Pulling up the ladder I looked behind me and saw Neil wouldn¡¯t meet my eyes.

    ¡°Can I see the message cylinder?¡± I asked and he nodded. I checked the address and gave a sigh of relief when I saw it was to be dropped off in Bagliona. They must have tracked my heading.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I finally got out as I eased Sweetwind aloft, wincing once again at a few grinding shudders from the refractory compartment.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± He stammered and I just shook my head at him.

 Chapter 7: Landing at Bagliona

    ¡°You didn¡¯t bow to them properly. I think the fact you were clearly an unbeliever in their eyes was just more reason they took a dislike to you.¡± It wasn¡¯t his fault. I hadn¡¯t actually mentioned to him about their custom of bowing according to station, I had grown up interacting with Yamania culture and just took that sort of thing for granted.

    I should have been clued in when they had made him sit through the whole of their sermon for unbelievers. That should have told me they would be extra touchy, as they especially didn¡¯t tolerate what they would deem as insolence when he didn¡¯t respond properly.

    I looked at the coin that the priestess had tossed me and flicked it to Neil who fumbled it and had to pick it off the deck before it rolled under a console.

    ¡°Consider that being your hardship pay for dealing with those¡­ self-absorbed ninnies.¡± I grumbled.

    We flew in silence, soaring back up to our cruising altitude. A cold front buffeted the Sweetwind and I carefully tried to keep her as level as possible, using only the rudder to assist. Luckily the tailwind it provided made up for lost time and it wasn¡¯t long before I turned the ship to follow the coast that was now in view. The seas were steadily filling with trade vessels, fishing ships from various costal villages and a few warships on patrol.

    The great ridgeback mountains ran down the coast, cutting off into sheer white cliffs and rocky beaches. The low-lying hills were filled with lush undergrowth and beyond them I could see the green stretching for miles until it thinned out in the distance to a brown haze of the great Hattrack expanse.

    Neil was glued to my spyglass, tracking all of the local traffic, asking short, excited questions as I described the lands of Mageos to him. Several small airships passed us on a Sothern heading, their sails furled as they powered up against our tailwind. Greetings were exchanged and I waved to the small patrol ships as they banked side to side in a friendly salute.

    The colossal sprawl of Bagliona began at the foot of an expansive floodplain, surrounded by giant dikes to keep the water out. Even from this height I could seen the spinning windmills that constantly pumped back the sea from the lowlands. The sky around the city was filled with all manner of flying creatures and airships. The port was swarming with ships.

    I saw a massive war fleet anchored out in the bay, and I shuddered. Mageos, like the rest of Prime was preparing for massive conflict. It was near-bedlam out there. The sheer scale of activity was difficult for me to gauge accurately.

    Gigantic war machines were visible even from this height as they were loaded aboard their transport ships in preparation for the voyage north. If it was one thing that Mageos was renowned for, it was their artificers. If the great artificer engines were being sent towards war than things had gotten quite serious.

    My approach was long and slow as I followed the port committee¡¯s instructions as they flashed at me, the behemoth lenses of their heliographs tracking Sweetwind as they directed me into a holding pattern. I gritted my teeth with every shuddering turn I had to make until after nearly an hour I was directed to the Messenger¡¯s Guild and the extensive aerodrome it sat next to. Many other small skiffs were clustered around hangers, repair yards and docking cradles. I turned towards the repair yards, using my rudder to slowly turn the ship as I tried to ignored the pings and pops from the mounting. Signaling for a repair team from the ground crew I flashed back at the field tower with my bow heliograph and they directed me to an empty repair cradle as it was slowly wheeled out of a nearby hanger.

    With expert hands I danced across my control board, shunting power and slowly falling down towards the waiting cradle. The cradle enclosed around my hull and I gave a final sigh of relief and patted the steering column, silently thanking Sweetie for holding together long enough to make it.

    A man in grungy yellow coveralls ascended the side of the cradle and pounded on my bow hatch with a large pipe wrench waving to me. I beamed at him, recognizing the scoundrel.

    Unlatching the hatch, I stepped back as he poked his face up and stared in astonishment at Neil and laughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you picked up strays Becca!¡± I put my hands on my hips and glared at him.

    ¡°You of all people Costas be one to talk!¡± I pointed down at his ground crew which mostly consisted of reformed street kids, and a few fresh from the academy apprentices.

    ¡°Oh, you know, the press gangs keep taking all my good ones these days.¡± He grumbled. Looking up at me he pointed in the direction of my ballast.

    ¡°I could hear you long before I could see you I swear, when I tell you to replace your mountings you better do it. I¡¯m grounding your ship until you get that thing fixed!¡± He snarled at me and I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°If I had the coin to do it last time I would have. It would have been fine if I hadn¡¯t wrenched it badly fighting a wyvern.¡± I boasted and he squinted skeptically at me.

    ¡°In this wreck? It¡¯s almost four centuries old at least!¡± He roared with laugher and I glared back at him. Even he should know better than to belittle my ship in front of me.

    ¡°I keep telling you, just sell her and get a new ship! I know a guy¡­¡± He trailed off as one of his ground crew called out to me and I nodded and lowered the bow cargo ramp. I had to offload my cargo first.

    I watched as a customs inspector ran out from his cozy office in the hanger and onto the field, trailing a string of his own minions with him.

    ¡°Stay here Neil, I be going to settle my deliveries first and get them sent off. Everything is already a few days late.¡± I rushed down into the ship, and spent the next hour offloading my deliveries under the watchful gaze of the customs inspector. The ground crews from the guildhall carted everything off in carefully guarded and watched carts and I winced at the summons I had been given to appear before a penalty board as expected, it also incorporated my prize court determination.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    I also had to send for the adjudicator and log in the gear I had recovered from the downed wyvern rider. Giving my oath over a stone that I had sealed and not tampered with the prize goods, meaning the saddle and all of its contents. I was lucky that they didn¡¯t intend to adjudicate what I had gotten off the carcass itself. They carried off the gear, and I had to go into the hanger office and give witness statements. Afterwards, I went back and fetched Neil.

    ¡°Follow me, and don¡¯t talk to anyone.¡± I instructed him and we marched for the colossal stone messenger hall on the far side of the aerodrome. The building was a towering fortress of ivory stone flying the messenger¡¯s seal from every tower. Waves of artificer devices rolled, crawled or flew from it, horses rode to and from it and far above flying creatures streaked into its massive upper story eyries.

    The Bagliona Messenger¡¯s Guild was one of the largest in prime, and was also home to one of the most prestigious branches of the Academy Aeronautica, the foremost flyers college on the continent. The nearby academy was where most of Mageos flyers were trained on various beasts, airships, and even dragons.

    I steered Neil through the coursing bedlam with practiced ease as I made my way towards the register¡¯s hall. We entered a long line of cubicles where many young lads and lasses were wearing the academy uniform and taking their fist oaths into the guild. Their sponsors, or their commanders were forming them up and calling out names.

    Blinking in confusion, I realized what time of the year I had landed and nearly laughed. It was end of term for the academy. This could be a long wait. All around us the newest class of the academy was eying Neil with curious gazes, as they realized why I was leading him towards the sign in desk.

    My own flyer¡¯s jacket was decorated with Sweetwind¡¯s patch and they could clearly see my captain¡¯s insignia. The sheer amount of envy in their eyes as they glanced with hatred at Neil told me all I needed to know.

    ¡°Like I said¡­ definitely don¡¯t¡¯ talk to anyone.¡± I chuckled and wondered just how many of these kids here in the hall were looking for a berth or a mount, or were going to be in the upcoming qualifications. Most of them would happily kill to be in Neil¡¯s place.

    Neil, didn¡¯t understand any of the looks, but he did see the hostile glances and the clenched fists and kept his head down, and eyes from making contact. I watched his cowering and wanted to kick him, tell him to stand up straight and walk proud, but refrained from doing so in the presence of so many watchful eyes.

    Grumbling to myself darky about how much paperwork I was about to fill out, I signed in at the desk and pulled him over to the waiting seats as the uniformed academy graduates treated him like the plague. They hopped out of the nearby seats, sneering at him and whispering to each other darkly.

    I gave them my best captain¡¯s glare and they withered under it. The murmuring around us quickly abandoned any attention to Neil as they waited in nervous silence for their own names to be called. ¡°What¡¯s up with them, who are they?¡± Neil whispered to me as he eyed the scene around him in confusion.

    ¡°Academy brats! don¡¯t mind them, it¡¯s just Mageos culture. They tend to think here in Bagliona and other Mageos cities that you need fancy education and paperwork to be a flyer. Utter rubbish! Especially since you¡¯re a magi.¡±

    He looked around in surprise and I grinned at him. ¡°You mean they aren¡¯t?¡± I shook my head.

    ¡°Most of them aren¡¯t magi, they will be crew or officers, or if they have creature affinities they will be rider qualified on something.¡± I said and pointed to the different types of insignia on their uniforms.

    ¡°Their uniforms have patches on them, indicating their specialty, mechanician, piloting, or other types of skill sets. You can see that none of them have ship patches, or wing insignia, etc. Most of them are here to try to get registered into the messenger¡¯s guild. Some are just here to sign up for their qualification exams or whatnot and will likely get scooped up by the Mageos Air Corps.¡±

    His eyes widened and he stared at me. ¡°So¡­ you mean that you taking me on as an apprentice¡­¡± He trailed off as realization dawned on him just how lucky he was.

    ¡°Yep, the small messenger airships run by the wind folk rarely take on apprentices, it¡¯s a real honor to get chosen. Not that many of us will put up with those little snots.¡± I chuckled.

    I bitterly remembered my own treatment by academy kids when I was younger. They had hated me too for my own apprenticeship with my mother, despite the fact that I had been born to the wind folk.

    I had gotten the crap kicked out of me by a group of them when I wandered off from a tour of the Academy Aeronautica. The incident had left me with a broken rib, and a nose that had to be fixed by a healer. My parents had been furious, but I had refused to tell them any details about the attack, as I was ashamed and embarrassed at losing a fight to a bunch of groundhoppers. They had quickly abandoned any hope of foisting me off on the academy for a few seasons.

    ¡°Um¡­ word of warning. Just stick with me and don¡¯t wander off under any circumstances.¡± I said and he nodded as he wilted away from the gaze of a steely eyed girl who was glaring at him from across the aisle. She huffed at Neil and turned her back to murmur to an older youth who gave Neil a venomous sneer. I looked at their insignia. Both of them were Griffin riders, qualified flyers with their own mounts. I saw how they both sat separate from their group and chatted with others from their own training wing.

    ¡°Captain Rebecca Marshall and Probationary Apprentice Neil!¡± I heard the clerk call out, and the chatter around us died as crowd exchanged my name and I winced. I did have a bit of a reputation.

    The fact that I flew a skiff by myself for the past two years had been a source of constant wonder and gossip. It was almost unheard of, sure there were a few soloists but none as young as I was.

    As we stood up to leave, a tall man who was riding herd over the new graduates strode over to us and hailed me. ¡°Captain Marshall! So, you are still flying about in that old tub of yours¡­ I thought I saw it limping into the repair cradle again.¡± The man sneered at me as I clenched my fists and glared at him.

    ¡°Wing Leader Stefano, so how is the new crop of brats this year?¡± I got out through gritted teeth. My expression was pained as he gestured towards the filled seats around us.

    ¡°The finest class we have turned out yet!¡± He beamed at his graduates and I rolled my eyes. ¡°Well then as usual it¡¯s a pleasure to meet Mageos¡¯s finest.¡± I plastered a strained smile on my face as I looked over the crowd with and my gaze settled once again on the pair of griffin riders that had snubbed Neil.

    They didn¡¯t dare act out of turn in front of their minder, but I saw the disapproval for both me and my new apprentice written across their faces. ¡°And you two are?¡± I asked with a grin on my face. They both shot up to attention and sounded off. ¡°Cadet Natasha Yard!¡± The girl sounded off in a tense voice and the other youth clenched his jaw and hesitated for a second before he gave his own name.

    ¡°Cadet Mark Wilder Mam!¡± He called out and I waved my hand at them in dismissal. ¡°No need for all that posh with me, I¡¯m not from the academy, and I¡¯m a civilian! You two can relax.¡± I said easily and it felt odd to think that I was barely older than they were and they had to address me as a ranking officer.

    ¡°You on your exams?¡± I asked jovially, giving them a wide smile. They both nodded stiffly and I turned back to the Wing Leader. ¡°I¡¯m going to be laid up for a while, perhaps I¡¯ll watch the qualification exams. Are any other of my folk in the yard?¡± I watched the grimace quickly hidden in a strained smile that didn¡¯t reach his lips as he nodded.

    ¡°There are a few independents on the field, I think I saw Argos and Fortunate touch down together a few hours ago. Yes, I think we can arrange for you and¡­ your apprentice to attend the qualification exams as an observer.¡±

    ¡°Good, would be a pleasure.¡± I nodded to the two griffin riders and walked away, steering Neil towards a very impatient clerk who was glaring at us and tapping his foot.

 Chapter 8: The Messengeréˆ¥æªš Guild

    I had to leave Neil to fill out his side of the paperwork and get his interview and induction over with as I spent over an hour working my way through all the bureaucratic nonsense that Mageos tended to saddle me with every time I tried to do anything in one of their messenger halls. This whole apprentice business was starting to turn into a headache I was starting to not wish on my worst enemy.

    It wasn¡¯t unusual for an independent messenger to take on an apprentice, but usually that apprentice came from an existing family that was well known to the guild, or it was one of the local snots from the academy on the rare occasion that one managed no not piss us off and showed real promise.

    The fact that Neil was a traveler wasn¡¯t explicitly mentioned in the paperwork, but it caused me no end of headaches. As far as I could tell after hours of getting the runaround I was the first person to ever take on a traveler as an apprentice and somehow that meant I had been unlucky enough to set a new precedent, well at least here in the Bagliona messenger¡¯s hall.

    It was an uphill battle to get everything settled in time on my end, but I still had to wait for another two hours before a very drained and tired looking Neil stumbled out of the induction offices and sagged into the chair next to me as I pulled up my now tinted goggles and yawned sleepily at him. I had kept the goggles tinted to ease my tired eyes and had been in a light doze when he had sat down.

    ¡°I just want to go and log off, it¡¯s getting late, I need sleep.¡± He complained. I nodded and looked out a nearby window, surprised to see that the sun had long set and the lamplighter was just finishing his rounds. ¡°They have rooms for us in the guesthouse. I already sent my shore bag there.¡± I pointed to his filthy clothes.

    ¡°Bath first then you can get to bed. We have to be up early tomorrow to watch the first of the qualifications. I want you to see them, it¡¯s pretty interesting.¡±

    We trudged wearily out of the guildhall across the street that ran along the aerodrome to a stately looking building of ancient construction. It had once been the original Bagliona messenger¡¯s guildhall centuries ago, or at least this was a replica of it. The original had been wrecked in some long-forgotten war or some such.

    The guards at the gate recognized me and gave polite greetings as they opened the gate for us and I glanced at my key to see which room they had tossed me this time. I had taken a two-bedroom suit on the ground floor of the captain¡¯s quarter.

    As I passed the common room where other independent captains were huddled around a crackling fireplace, sharing a drink and strumming out a few odd songs to pass the time, one of them looked up and called out to me.

    ¡°Becca! Hey it¡¯s Becca!¡± She called out in an astonished voice and the small somber group turned and grinned at me as an old woman with an eye patch and Fortunate¡¯s insignia on her shoulder rushed over to me to sweep me up in a crushing bear hug. The others gathered around me and I smiled weakly at them as I exchanged handshakes and pats on the back. The old woman turned and her single beady eye alighted on my shadow.

    ¡°Who is this fine lad?¡± She cawed and the other captains studied my apprentice with open astonishment and evaluation. The fixed scrutiny from nearly a dozen sky captains caused Neil to shrivel as I held him out.

    ¡°This is Neil, he¡¯s my new apprentice.¡± I said weakly, trying to keep a straight face as the slack jaws around the room and the looks of wonder told me that I¡¯d not hear the end of the gossip on this for ages.

    ¡°You finally caved in and took on some crew?¡± One of the ship captains, a man in his late thirties shook his head as if trying to make sure he wasn¡¯t seeing things. ¡°Yes, I finally took on some crew, but he¡¯s a full-blooded magus with at least water and wind attunements. The woman turned and pinched Neil¡¯s arm. ¡°Needs a bit of filling out Becca. Looks as green as one of the brats he does.¡± I smiled at my godmother and nodded.

    ¡°Yep, and he¡¯s a traveler!¡± I remarked and they all froze. Staring at him with renewed interest, I winced as I could feel the barest touch of the great seal as several seemed to try and ask questions before getting distracted by something else.

    ¡°I bet they loved that when you told the induction office.¡± One of them laughed and I rolled my eyes and reflexively shook out my weary hand that was still sore from the hours of writing up paperwork. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a traveler so young before, mostly they are all adults.¡± The old woman remarked and bit off any more questions abruptly when she saw how uncomfortable and tired Neil looked. I felt as drained as him and handed him the key to the room and pointed down the hall.

    ¡°Ring for a bath, tell them to set one in each room. There is a bronze cart in there with coat hangers, make sure you leave your clothes on it to get cleaned by the staff.¡± I instructed and he nodded and I watched him go as I turned back to the captain of the Fortunate, my aunt, Gracie Marshall.

    ¡°Good to see you Aunt Gracie. How¡¯s Uncle Roark?¡± I said with a wide grin as she slapped me on my back and invited me over to a seat by the fire. It was a rare treat to run into family, especially since there wasn¡¯t many of us left. ¡°Ah you know, he¡¯s off at the pub with the rest of his crew. I¡¯m here to give old Forty her yearly overhaul.¡± I nodded. Ben Roark was the captain of the Argos and while not related to me by blood I had grown up with him as an honorary uncle.

    Because Bagliona had one of the best repair facilities on the continent it was a favorite stopover for the wind folk for overhauls. I had been lucky to have blown Sweetwind¡¯s mountings so close by.

    I settled in to listen to them, and try to catch up on a bit of news. Small gatherings of captains like this was probably one off the best ways available to catch up on stuff, as in this small group were people that had been all over prime, soaking up what was going on.

    There was muted talk about the ongoing war between the Empire of Nadir and one of the loose alliances of kingdoms, and I realized that much of the depressive atmosphere of the gathering was because of the prospect of war. Mageos hadn¡¯t chosen a side yet but there was no doubt in anyone¡¯s mind that they were getting ready.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    I thought of the message cylinder that I had sent off with my deliveries from the Yamania priestess and wondered just why Mageos was allowing a war fleet to sail to the Empire¡¯s aid when it was quite possible that they would soon be fighting them. I had no doubt that the extensive air patrols had already long ago spotted the fleet and let them be.

    There was no real reason to hash over thoughts of a future that I had little to no part in. Messengers didn¡¯t fight in wars, we were neutral. Few of our airships were armed with anything more than the odd lance or flame caster. Mostly to deter the odd attempt at skyjacking, or piracy. There were more than a few aerial threats from various monsters, but airships could fly higher than most of them and escape rather than fight.

    Thinking back at my fight with that wyvern, I know that I could have outclimbed it, but would I have had enough reserves of power in my storage crystals to stay aloft? That was the biggest issue with an airship, while a vessel like mine was a bit faster than most larger airships in terms of burst speed, I really didn¡¯t have Sweetwind in top shape at the moment and my reserves were very small. I could be run down if a chase lasted long enough. If I was being chased by a large airship it would easily be able to catch me with its massive reserves of power once I exhausted my energy trying to flee.

    I needed a proper crew. Not just Neil. At least one other Magi and a good artificer. That would allow me to hold proper watches and not rely on my autohelm while I slept. When I did that I had to keep Sweetwind high up, and sleep with a mask on. My ship was very old and I was fortunate to have a rather unique guidance core that was able to do a lot of compensation for turbulence and could track wind shifts rather well.

    The artificers had long ago lost the art of making such devices and modern airships were fully crewed or used old cores from salvaged airships. No doubt Costas would spend months carefully disassembling my poor Sweetwind and recovering every scrap of value he could if I would ever sell to him. They didn¡¯t build airships like her anymore. While I could probably buy a larger airship with the money I¡¯d get selling Sweetwind to Costa¡¯s family, I¡¯d never forgive myself for disposing of a family heirloom. If I was partial to the quack that the Yamani professed, I¡¯d be afraid that my ancestors would come and howl over my bed at night.

    Not that I didn¡¯t believe in ghosts, spirits, wraiths, and everything else within the unseen as I had had my fair share of encounters with odd things over the years, but I always suspected that they had better things to do than to bust my chops if I did something they didn¡¯t like.

    ¡°Aunt Gracie, you know I be thinking I do need a crew. I¡¯ll go looking over the brats tomorrow, see if there are any promising ones.¡±

    She nodded, her beady eye looking me over. ¡°Just watch yourself, a new crew, especially a few green brats will probably need an old hand or two to help out, at least until they are broken in. I recommend you find a couple of old windogers that are looking for a few last fights or are swapping halls.¡±

    I thought about it for a second and grimaced. Neil would be hard enough to train, and she was right, if I picked any of the brats I¡¯d have my hands full retraining them on the older vessel. They would have been trained on newer ones, and probably never even dreamed of serving on a messenger skiff.

    It would likely be better to go though the hall and find the best crew I could, but I knew that wouldn¡¯t work for several reasons. The first being that I just couldn¡¯t afford to pay any senior flyers that could ask for a higher rate. The younger ones would do it for free if you came right down to it. To them flight hours would be more valuable towards their journeymen¡¯s papers than any pay, although I would still have to pay them. Neil, as my personal apprentice should be getting a decent wage, something I¡¯d have to discuss with him later. Fortunately, I had the feeling he was so enchanted with the idea of flying he wouldn¡¯t really consider it a big priority.

    The older windogers would all talk pay first, risk first, and I¡¯d never get any decent ones on. Especially once word got around about the state of my ship. The older ones knew just how dangerous and unforgiving the skymarches were, and what I¡¯d end up with were the incompetent ones, the crazy ones or the desperate. I had seen those type aboard before and they never lasted long, and one had tried to shank my da and run off with a sheath of skywhale scales. Those types were just trouble.

    The brats would be a pain, they would be arrogant and insufferable, but I knew they took well to discipline and would obey my orders. Say what you will of them, I¡¯d rather take my chances with someone who disliked me but wanted to be there rather than someone who would resent being shortchanged or was an old sweat no one else wanted.

    After talking with the captains, who also had been following the grapevine on who to watch at the qualifications, I made mental notes on who to pay special attention to. Many of them would also be there tomorrow. The wind folk may dislike the Academy Aeronautica¡¯s graduates but they wouldn¡¯t pass up a chance if they could scoop up the odd prodigy or two.

    Returning to my rooms, I opened the main door and noted that Neil had already finished his bath and was sitting at a desk in a white bathrobe, trying to read one of the books from a nearby bookshelf. His face was a mask of confusion as he tried to read. His wet hair had been combed back and I reminded myself again to take him to the grand bazaar and later have his hair shorn as tight as possible. My own was cut short to fit easily inside my cap, to help hide my heritage. Long hair was good for the covers of copperback romance books about flyers, but in truth you had to stay cleanshaven and close cropped for very good reasons.

    Reading the cover, I smirked. He was trying to read a book of wind charts, with figures and small diagrams covering the pages. It was also written in Salazar scripting, something that was nearly impossible to read even if you knew it.

    Walking over to the small library maintained in the common room, I selected a book on basic geography that looked like it had been left behind by some previous apprentice. Later, I would have to ask the desk if I could pay for ownership of the book, or rent it until my next stay. I sighed and groaned about all the stuff I would have to buy Neil. He would need a full mage kit, new flyer¡¯s equipment and many other items. Books would also be important.

    I handed him the book and he squinted at it. ¡°Can you read the book?¡± I asked and he stared at it for a long while, squinting and concentrating, then his eyes brightened. ¡°Yea the text is rearranging itself, and I can read it!¡± Neil remarked and I nodded. I had heard that travelers could do such things from grandpa and had expected it. If legends were correct, the seal would let travelers understand any written language. I knew that the issue with Salazar scripting wasn¡¯t in the language, it was the symbology that took learning because it was a magescript and needed training to read the patterns properly.

    That was what grandpa had told me about them. I looked at the book on wind currents, and noted it was like my own. The book would update off of masterbooks as conditions evolved, or changed in various areas. I seldom used a wind almanac, but had been taught to read most common forms of symbology and scripting styles from a very young age.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pay for that book, and in return I¡¯m going to constantly test your knowledge on it ok?¡± I pointed at the basic geography book and gave him a hard glare.

    He nodded and seemed awed by the information he was finding inside it. Highly suspecting that I wouldn¡¯t have a hard time getting him to pay attention to his studies, I walked over to my room and saw that a bath was drawn for me in a metal tub. Now this was bliss¡­

 Chapter 9: Cadet Watching

    The next day, I was pouring over a handwritten report Costas had dropped off for me on the state of Sweetwind. It wasn¡¯t looking good, but I had confidence that my haul of wyvern scales could cover some of the work.  I¡¯d have to really scour the bazaar for buyers of the bones and other parts though.  I would also not be able to take any jobs from the guild until my penalty was assessed but it was possible I could take on an independent contract from someone.

    I had spent time the previous night writing a sealed message to City Governor Vukmir about the travelers and he had replied to me this morning suggesting that I¡¯d talk with the other guilds about going back with sponsorships for them.  I had expected him to tell me he would send the navy out there but apparently there was no way that was possible with the current state of things.

    The idea of getting commissions for all of the travelers, made my mouth water but I¡¯d not be able to take on many passengers, especially if I found a few new crew members here.  It was a depressing thought, but I knew I could pass on the commissions to other captains in exchange for favors, especially if those favors would enrich my relatives and make them more inclined to help me with my repair work.

    Walking out into the commons, I noted that Neil still hadn¡¯t returned to Endaria yet so I left a note and pinned it to the door telling him I would be talking with the other captains in the officer¡¯s mess.  I gave him directions to where the apprentices and stewards dined, and explained when I was expected back.

    It was breakfast time, and I knew that no captain in port could resist the guesthouse¡¯s food.  It was truly one of the reasons they stayed here, as the cooking was of no small renown.

    My mouth watering from the smells of food, I quickly put on my best captain¡¯s uniform and belted on my cutlass before following my nose to a small officer¡¯s mess, my formal captains cap tucking my hair away and pressing my ears down.

    The small oak paneled room was covered in paintings of famous airships, and the walls were adorned with relics from the depths of time.  The tables were about half-filled with officers, captains and their senior officers all discussing one thing.  Conversation was buzzing with energetic intensity about the qualifications, heated arguments and debates about which training wing was going to give the best showing.

    I smiled as I ran my hand lovingly over the bowsprit of the Farstrider.  My eyes slightly tearing up as I remembered my grandfather¡¯s old ship.  The bowsprit was one of the only objects recovered from his wreck, and he had it shipped here before he died brokenhearted and gripping a bottle.  After¡­ the night our holdings were burned this could possibly be one of the only remains of my past life that wasn¡¯t aboard the Sweetwind.

    Bitter anger swelled in me, a familiar burning that I had to take a deep breath and push back down, to once again contain my fury.  I didn¡¯t want any of the other captains to see any loss of composure.  I smiled and caressed the bowsprit again.

    The bowsprit was a beautiful woman, with outstretched hands, as if she was flying through the air.   The woman was wearing a flying harness and a look of unrestrained mischief was in her gaze, with eyes fixed upon a far horizon.

    I knew it was my grandmother, as he had her immortalized in the beautiful work of art when he had dedicated his new ship.   Now it hung from one wall.    This had been his favorite stopover, and I knew why he wanted her smiling face here welcoming all those who entered this room filled with so much history.  She had been a native of Bagliona and called this city home before she had met him.

    ¡°Becca!¡±  I heard a gruff voice call and I saw Auntie Gracie and Uncle Roark sitting together and waving a set spot at the table for me.  Apparently, I was expected.

    I set down and pulled out my correspondence from the governor and passed it to Roark, who was surprised for a second before he set aside a goblet of Pango Juice and started to read.  His eyes went wide and he stared at me.

    ¡°Well?¡±  I asked and he had to take a gulp of juice before he asked the question.  ¡°How many of them are there?¡±  I shrugged and bit my lip as I tried to recall my encounters with the travelers.

    ¡°I¡¯d Guess around fifty or so.  I¡¯ll have to go around and get a number of sponsorships from different guilds, as I doubt they will all want to be messengers.  Some will of course want to try for other guilds, most will want into the adventurer¡¯s guild if what I¡¯ve heard about the travelers is correct.¡±

    Roark nodded and handed the letter to a glaring Aunt Gracie.   She looked it over and nodded.  ¡°Hah! Sounds like the navy does indeed have its hands full.  You going to head back after your penalty hearing?¡±  I nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be able to take a few of them, but Sweetwind just wasn¡¯t built for a large crew, and especially passengers.  Uncle Roark, you got the largest ship here, I¡¯m guessing you will also want to take a few on as prospects too if you like what you see.¡±   He nodded and I told him about Tombason.  He laughed uproariously.

    ¡°Like the ole sweats back on Swappers Needle!¡±  He cried and I nodded and told him how I had been tricked into getting rid of their ¡°dragon problem¡± for them.  He nearly fell out of his chair with laughter until my furious glare tamed him somewhat.

    Those kinds of old sly skydogers were the ones that served on my uncle¡¯s ship.  Uncle Roark wasn¡¯t a messenger, he was more of a troubleshooter.  He had a small mercenary group that flew with him as marines and he would provide escort services for other airships, or he would deliver valuable cargo.    Tombason was the kind of hard man that would fit right in with him.

    ¡°He¡¯s a right bastard, but he honored his end of the deal with me.  I could see it in his eyes uncle, he knew he could have taken me when I was tired and broken from that fight and he didn¡¯t.¡±  I remarked and Allister nodded.

    ¡°Well I¡¯ll grab a bunch of sponsors for them from the Adventurer Guild, Gracie you want to go talk to ole Shiverbones for me?  He is going to be in the master¡¯s booth at the qualifications and you¡¯re the only one of us wind folk that our esteemed guildmaster will talk to.¡±  The old woman nodded and I sighed with relief.   I hadn¡¯t enjoyed the prospect of trying to secure a meeting with the Bagliona Messenger¡¯s Guild head.  I was far too junior for anyone like that to want to see me without a booked appointment.

    After breakfast, I stopped by the junior mess to pick up Neil.  He was indeed there, nervous and keeping his distance from the curious stares from other apprentices. He had left his jacket and flying gear out for the staff of the guesthouse as I had instructed him to do the night before, it was clean but I did see that he would need proper formal wear and fitted clothing.  Currently he was wearing one of my sister¡¯s old flying jackets and the rest of his clothes were an ill fit.  It had been all I could find for him before we left the Sweetwind and I grimaced as I realized we would need to make a quick stop at the guild provisioner before we went to the qualifications.

    A short walk later, I was sitting in the provisioner¡¯s office browsing his catalog, looking over a very inadequate list of used gear I could request for him.  I had two options, I could pay the deposit on the gear, buy it, or I could have my new apprentice go into debt with the guild until he could pay them back.

    I shut the book and talked with the beady-eyed supply clerk until I saw samples of the apprentice gear he had in stock and then bid him good day, dragging Neil away from a rack of glidepacks he was eyeing with envy.

    ¡°Rubbish, glidepacks are for talentless hacks¡­well at least they had a better jacket in your size.¡±  I remarked as I looked up from my talk with the supply clerk.  They had taken his sizes and I had them transfer the insignia and ship patch from Lilly¡¯s old jacket and onto something that fit him perfectly.  I had opted to pay for the jacket out of my own coin and I winced at how light my money pouch was becoming.  The jacket had been particularly expensive, as it had small spellfolded pockets.  I could have settled for something cheaper, but I knew the value of good equipment.

    He also had a new parka and harness pants.  I shoved the new clothing to him and told him to change at once while I found a cap in his size and paid for it.

    When he came out, I tossed him the cap and we left to go to the qualifications.  The guildhall was bedlam with the early morning rush, and it took us a while make our way out of the hall and walk back across the aerodrome field to the stands.  At the sign in desk I found my writ of entry waiting and had to sign in Neil as my guest.  He gawked at the massive crowd forming in the stands and the small band playing for a group of Mageos committee members as they wined and dined around the master¡¯s booth.

    I sat down in the observer¡¯s seating and pulled out my spare spyglass which I tossed to Neil, pulling my own spyglass out of the small spellfolded pocket in my uniform jacket.   Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I want you to watch closely!  I¡¯ll try to explain some of the stuff to you, but ask questions, that is one reason I brought you here, I wanted you to see this and learn.¡±  I chided him and he nodded, his eye glued to the instrument as he panned it around excitedly.

    All of the normal morning and afternoon traffic would be shut down while the qualifications went on.  The field was filled with beasts and craft of all kinds.  A crew bustled around an adolescent sun dragon and it roared in the brisk dawn breeze, drawing a few remarks from the captains next to me as they studied the field with their own instruments.

    One older officers had set up a small field scope on a tripod and was adjusting it as he hopped from foot to foot. I had to stare the man for a second until a dawn of startled recognition crossed my face as I remembered who he was.  The man caught my gaze and grinned at me.

    ¡°Ah, Captain Marshall! I saw you land ship yesterday, knew you¡¯d want to be here!¡±  He said and I groaned inwardly.   ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too sir!¡± I said and he grinned at me.  Just great, if he hadn¡¯t set himself up next to me to get a story for his aviation gazette I¡¯d be surprised.

    Luckily, I had a feeling that Neil would be a good distraction for him.  ¡°Sir Patrick! This is Neil, his is my new apprentice and a traveler!¡±  Quickly pulling a startled Neil away from his rapt attention to the various flying beasts on the field of the aerodrome, I pushed him in front of me like the sacrificial lamb he was.

    The old man¡¯s face lit up in a wide grin as he quickly shook Neil¡¯s hand and as expected, the seal¡¯s power slammed into the man as he tried to bombard him with questions.  The man staggered a bit after a few tries and then decided to phrase his questions better, mostly asking about his own impressions of Bagliona.  When he realized how untalkative and nervous my new apprentice was ne turned on me.

    ¡°What¡¯s this I hear about you burning a Wyvern and it¡¯s rider?¡±  I winced and wondered just how much of the gossip had leaked.   I shrugged.

    ¡°Not much to tell, I was attacked. It didn¡¯t go so well for the other chap.  It¡¯s all in my official statement if you want to request for it after the penalty board.¡±  I huffed and he beamed at me as I narrowed my eyes.  I had a suspicion that Sir. Patrick would be one of the people on that penalty board.

    ¡°From what you said over the stone, it sounded like self-defense. I¡¯m betting your penalty will just be a week or so and 50% deposit.  They won¡¯t reduce your rating over this.¡±

    I nodded weakly and groaned.  I hadn¡¯t had a late delivery for nearly a year now, and my rating had been steadily climbing, but that would be put-on hold if they board ruled against me.  They could rule that it was an avoidable fight, and certainly I didn¡¯t have any business taking an outside contract on the guild¡¯s time.  If the ruling was bad enough they could reduce the rating, and I¡¯d get stuck with the jobs no one else wanted and perhaps short jobs instead of the long-haul deliveries I preferred.

    From behind us, a gong rang and Neil scampered to the railing along the edge of our bleacher and he gawked at the sight.  An announcer sounded off, describing the various events, the participating training wings, airships and the full formal names of the dragons.

    It took a very long while, and I made small talk with the old officer while I responded to the occasional question from Neil.  My own spyglass was studying the field.   There were several qualifications, most of the ship crew performance qualifications were being carried out by Academy Aeronautica instructors aboard the airships and the dragons, and those two groups were what I wanted to pay attention to.  I wasn¡¯t interested in the riders aboard individual flying beasts.

    I explained the various simulations the ships would perform to Neil as the first ship entered the qualification maneuvers.  It was an old Marantic make, with a bag of ballast in the center.  The vessel, about the size of Sweetwind performed maneuvers, and I watched the crew of the vessel carefully.  The lead cadets were giving the orders and I watched as they manually operated the sails, and performed emergency maneuvers.

    There were a few small mistakes I could see, and the morning wind gusting in from the sea was one thing they had to contend with.   I explained each maneuver to Neil, doing the same thing my own mother had done with me, as I gave my own running critique of their performance.

    As Sir Patrick realized what I was doing with my apprentice he also joined in.  His nearly fifty years of experience with the Mageos Air Corps far outstripping my own as we exchanged our own comments, and I let him explain some of the finer details about why you needed to tack, and when they had to raise or lower sails for certain maneuvers.  The old retired captain had once been an instructor and knew how to explain stuff in a through manner.

    Neil was getting an education, the same practical way my mother had given mine.  I would have my work cut out for him if I could judge by his questions.  He had obviously never flown a day in his life, although he did seem to have a very good grasp of some aspects of physics and easily understood the principals behind wind resistance, lift and drag.

    One handler in particular caught my eye.  I watched as one cadet easily swung from his harness and grabbed a dangling line that had snapped loose, displaying catlike agility.  He tied it off, and slid down into a crouch as he grabbed a loose line and secured it before clutching and balancing properly as the ship abruptly swung around, his legs easily riding the angle of the deck.   I memorized the face and shifted my spyglass to another prospect.

    Other captains were doing the same, as they watched how the crew performed.   This process repeated again and again until all the airships had gone through the first round of qualifications.   Then the riders launched and formed into wings.  The rider qualifications were judged on how well they could fly in formation, and perform maneuvers.  While I wasn¡¯t interested in the spectacle, nor were many of the captains, the group of observers from the guild were paying close attention, and I saw them point out the two I had seen in the induction hall.   They both were indeed very good, and probably two of the best riders in their class.

    ¡°Is Natasha Yard related to Trevon Yard, the owner of the continental champion racing stables?¡±  I asked Sir Patrick and he nodded as he trained his field scope on the maneuvers.   ¡°Aye, she is!  This is one of the best displays from her I¡¯ve seen all year.  I heard her parents were furious and tried to pull her out before graduation when she informed them she wasn¡¯t returning to lead the wing.¡± He cackled and I smirked.  I had met her father, Trevon Yard several years ago.  I had a feeling that there was more to that refusal than teenage rebellion.  The man was a cad, and I had seen how he had talked to Uncle Roark, almost inciting a duel.

    I had been a bit disappointed when the situation was diffused by the man¡¯s wife who was in no hurry to see herself a widow.  She had made up some excuse to beg pardon from the meeting they had been in and it had left Uncle Roark in a foul mood for weeks.  Trevon was a bigot, and a pig, and his high position in the government only made him more of a pain in the butt.  My eyes narrowed as I looked towards the masters seating and as I expected, Trevon Yard and his wife were there watching their daughter.

    The man didn¡¯t look happy at all, and his face was red from drink as he teetered and babbled with his wife who was looking as if she wanted to get him home early before he caused a fuss.  Already, I could see several disapproving gazes directed at the man¡¯s behavior.

    That man was a bit of a disgrace, but was unfortunately typical of what passed for nobility in Mageos.   It was one reason I heavily disliked the bureaucracy in that country, as it was full of a need to make me get approval from self-important bloated warts like that for everything.  The committee held immense power over the guilds, and the Bagliona Messenger¡¯s Guild was infamously wrapped in layers of bureaucratic muck.

    After the training wings landed, it was the turn of the two dragons on the field.  Once again, I watched closely, and ignored Neil¡¯s gasps of awe and appreciation as I concentrated on close inspection.  While I wasn¡¯t interested in the dragon pilot or how well he performed his maneuvers, I was watching the crew in each dragon¡¯s harness with close scrutiny.

    I doubted that any of them that qualified would sign aboard an airship, but it was still something to watch for.   The two dragons simulated a boarding action on the ground and we watched the well drilled crew repel each other without the benefit of their own marines.   I was impressed.  It had been a while since I had seen such a display and I had to explain the mechanics of dragon combat to Neil who was fascinated.

    ¡°So their goal is to capture the other dragon¡¯s pilot?¡±  I nodded and explained the link between pilot and dragon and how it was used.

    Dragons, are immensely curious and warlike creatures.  They are actually, despite popular opinion, very intelligent.  They thought of the various wars humans fought with each other as good training for their youngsters, or just developed alliances with various countries where their clans were living.  Once in a great while, they would form bindings with a person who was sensitive to the dragonsong as they called it.

    The extent of the bonds that dragons formed with their pilots was something spoken about in legends.  The dragons themselves had a form of chivalry they shared with their riders and a massive fight with dragons was often more akin to a vicious dance of flying knights dueling for supremacy.   A captured dragon would usually be ransomed to the kingdom or dragon clan the dragon belonged to.

    Although, a kingdom could capture a dragon and compel it to fight, the dragon would not fight against other dragons in that dragon¡¯s clan.   It made them of limited use at times, which is why they were usually ransomed and not forced to fight their kin.

    Sometimes a blood price would be demanded if a dragon¡¯s rider was killed, especially if that slaying was intentional.  A blood price from a dragon clan was often known bring down kingdoms so understandably, it was another major reason your goal was to capture a pilot alive.

    The crew of a dragon also helped keep the dragon¡¯s health in good order, stitching and healing wounds, helping to clean the dragon and protect the dragon from magical assault.  The dragons themselves often used their own forms of magic, but in large battles you needed all the help you could get, and that¡¯s where dragons really excelled.

    I explained this all to Neil as he gasped at the intense mock combat, then two more dragons as they startled to circle in on the aerodrome.  I smiled as I remembered the first time my own parents had shown me these qualifications.  I had been to several of them, mostly with my mother but the one that I still remembered was the very first time.  It was an unforgettable sight, truly.

    Once the dragon qualifications were over, the day¡¯s events began to wind down.  I knew most of the qualifications weren¡¯t in the flashy practical stuff.  There would be interviews, and officer¡¯s boards as well as practical evaluations conducted on the ground.  Officer boards, and the like were sort of like Mageos Air Corps induction interviews, and they were also essential to testing command and leadership knowledge.

    While they were graduates and had completed the academy, the guild headhunters were looking for how well they did in practical situations. and the total ratings they received overall would make or break them.  If they didn¡¯t qualify they would have just a set of certifications from the academy and no ship, wing or dragon posting.

 Chapter 10: The fallen rider

    As the cadets slowly formed up and then dispersed to their various groundside evaluations. I pulled Neil away from Sir Patrick who was still trying to answer his barrage of questions. The man waved to us as we left. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the hearing!¡± He yelled to me and I nodded to him, my suspicions about him being on my penalty board confirmed. My hearing was scheduled for later that evening.

    Making my way through the crowd, I waited in line to check the roster listing to find my prospects. While walking across the field, I passed the masters seating and froze as I saw a pale faced Natasha Yard and the other cadet I¡¯d seen with her earlier, Mark Wilder in an argument with an infuriated Trevon Yard as he screeched at his daughter.

    It was drawing a bit of a crowd, so like any other dutiful gawker I watched the scene unfolding. Trevon was standing in front of his wife sneering at the pair as he gesticulated wildly and bellowed.

    ¡°He belongs to me! Chaitra is not yours! I¡¯m not letting you take our best racing griffin so you can¡­ run off with your stupid boyfriend!¡± Trevon bellowed and I saw Mark Wilder pale.

    ¡°He is not my boyfriend! And he joined the Air Corps, he¡¯s just here for his officer¡¯s qualification!¡± She bellowed back and spat at him. ¡°Chatty isn¡¯t yours! He¡¯s my mount! You can¡¯t take my mount!¡±

    ¡°You!¡± He pointed at his daughter ¡°I am going to disown you if you do this, and I made sure Chaitra was blood sealed to the team! If you try and take your stupid mount I¡¯ll call it in, I¡¯ll be dammed if you get to keep him!¡±

    The girl paled and I saw that the man was looking at her in triumph. I clenched my fists at the man¡¯s victory. He didn¡¯t care about his daughter as much as her mount? I had a feeling that he wanted both, and that blood seal had just been insurance. He knew that a rider¡¯s bond with their beast was something that couldn¡¯t be easily severed.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ illegal!¡± She hissed and the man shook his head. ¡°You agreed, in your waiver that if you break your contract to the team all blood pacts are called in!¡± He cawed and I saw Mark grip his saber at his waist in a look of pure outrage.

    ¡°I¡­ won¡¯t go back¡­ take him if you want I won¡¯t go back!¡± She sobbed and then turned and ran from the field with a cackling Trevon calling out to her. ¡°You¡¯ll come crawling back! You always do you silly girl!¡± He jeered and turned his back on the crowd and let his wife shoo him along and out of the growing outrage of the spectacle from the onlookers.

    I froze as I realized what that meant. No one would take her on if she didn¡¯t have a mount, and it looked like she had fled the qualifications. I didn¡¯t blame her. Mark Wilder was still standing there fuming, and I saw him giving a look of pure hatred that bored a hole in Trevon¡¯s back as he walked off the field, one that I had once had for the man when he had called me a halfblood.

    ¡°She is bonded?¡± I asked and the youth nodded. ¡°They would have to perform a severance on her mount, and it¡¯s doubtful it will be worth much except as breed stock afterwards.¡± His eyes narrowed on me and he gave me a calculating glance.

    ¡°Why is it any business of yours anyways?¡± He said and I shook my head. I needed crew and as a bonus she would want to get as far away from Bagliona as possible, and likely do it for little to no pay.

    ¡°I need crew¡­ and well she needs a ship.¡± I remarked and the cadet¡¯s eyes went wide.

    ¡°Your willing to take on a rider? But you¡¯re an airship captain?!¡± He looked completely confused and I honestly didn¡¯t blame him.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, she¡¯s a flyer and I need crew. With me she will get enough hours for her journeyman¡¯s papers. Who cares if it¡¯s on an airship or on a griffin?¡±

    He laughed and shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s the craziest thing I ever heard, but well she may just go for it. I wish you luck trying to convince her Captain Marshall.¡± He stopped for a second as I walked away in the direction I¡¯d seen Natasha run for and called out.

    ¡°If she does sign on¡­. Keep her safe! You hear me wind rider?!¡± He bellowed and I grinned at him and nodded.

    I found her next to her mount, which was now being watched over by a pair of adjudicators who were trying to convince her to stop brushing her griffin as she sobbed and resisted their efforts to take the griffin from her. The griffin was agitated and tossing its wings and looking around with murderous intent. He was a very unhappy griffin, and I wisely kept my distance, knowing full well how deadly even a young griffin like that was. Two magi were behind the adjudicator and they were charging their focus crystals on their staves, readying a set of stun castings.

    ¡°There has to be some mistake! You can¡¯t take Chatty!¡± She wailed and I saw the adjudicator showing her the blood mark of ownership that was now glowing on the creature¡¯s forehead as they read the contract to her. No doubt she hadn¡¯t suspected a thing, as the mark hadn¡¯t been apparent.

    ¡°He gave him to me as a gift! When I was five!¡± She bellowed as she dripped tears on the contract as the adjudicator pointed out the glowing mark.

    The scene made me so angry. Many countries respected the rights of mounts, but I knew from past experience that Mageos was the exception and not the rule. It stank of slavery, as Griffins in particular were highly intelligent and smarter than some people, even smarter than a Pegasus.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­ all these years and I didn¡¯t know.¡± She screamed in rage and tried to rip the contract up but, like most enchanted documents, it was nearly indestructible and the adjudicator flicked it out of her grasp before chiding her and threating to call the city watch if she got violent.

    She whispered into her mount¡¯s ear and it let out a mournful screech of grief. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him!¡± She pleaded and I watched in horror as the magi didn¡¯t even wait for her response, they just enveloped the griffin with a heavy stun spell. The creature squawked feebly, then collapsed. A litter was being wheeled up by a team of horses and Natasha gave a moan of horror as they rolled the senseless creature onto the litter and secured it with heavy chains.

    ¡°Nooooo! Nooo!¡± She screamed once they started moving and a few of her classmates ran over to restrain the girl and she fought their grasps as an instructor ran over, a look of outrage and pure revulsion leveled at the scene.

    ¡°This is my cadet¡¯s mount!¡± The woman called and I saw her face fall as the adjudicator once again waved the contract at the woman¡¯s face pointing to the glowing section. I saw that the woman was the leader of the training wing I had seen the girl performing in. Her glimmering patches and medals out in full glory in her formal uniform. Telling Neil to go to the hanger to meet me at Sweetwind I pointed at the repair docks and sent the boy off.

    Despite how I felt about the Academy, and how it often treated the wind folk, this was a scene of horror for any flyer to witness. I wondered what it would have felt like if someone had just stolen away Sweetwind from me and I shuddered, bile filling my mouth as I thought about what kind of toad would give their daughter a lifelong companion and then take it away out of spite. It was monstrous.

    I sat on the discarded griffin¡¯s harness and bowed my head, not wanting to bother the girl in her grief. After a while, Natasha¡¯s mentor looked up at me from where she was holding the flyer and whispering to her.

    ¡°What do you want¡­ Captain?¡± She said, her eyes going to my ship patch and my rank and her face going up in a sneer. Natasha, looked up, hearing her mentor¡¯s ire and stared at me.

    ¡°Your father is no friend of mine either.¡± I pulled off my flight cap, and there were gasps from around me as my ethereal hair and pointy ears were revealed. The girl nodded and looked at me in confusion.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°You¡¯re a¡­¡± I nodded

    ¡°I¡¯m what some refer to as halfblooded. My mother was a celestial elf.¡± I watched her carefully but I didn¡¯t see the normal sort of haughty expression in her gaze, but a calculating stare as if she was just now realizing why I was here.

    ¡°You realize if you want me as crew, he will hunt you down and probably kill you right?¡± She asked, eliciting gasps from her classmates. I nodded, knowing that Trevon would never forgive me for letting his daughter run away on my ship, particularly because I was a half-elf and as such it would probably be taken an insult.

    ¡°He has to catch us first. I admit, my ship isn¡¯t in the best of condition at the moment. I can¡¯t offer much in the way of pay, but I don¡¯t see any better prospects for you right now.¡± She nodded and stood up.

    ¡°Let me get my flight bag.¡± With great difficulty she tried to compose herself and straightened her uniform tunic as I beamed a smile at her. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you at the repair docks, need to check up on a few other prospects.¡± I said and she nodded and stalked off as I carefully secured my cap and turned to leave.

    ¡°May the sky embrace its own.¡± The instructor intoned the ancient words as she clicked her boots to attention and saluted me. I obtained a grin of pleasure from the wing leader as I returned the salute, a rare thing for any of the wind folk to do.

    It took a great deal of time to finish up at the qualifications, I had to search the roster and ask around for some of my prospects. I did find the one I had seen with that superb agility earlier. Unfortunately, so had a few other captains. I watched helplessly as one of the local mercantile ship captains scooped him up with a much better offer than I could have possibly made.

    This was often repeated as I tracked down others and I was tired, frustrated, and exhausted as I trudged alone back to check up on Sweetwind in the repair yard. The repair yards were like a kicked over hornets¡¯ nest, and packed with swarms of repair equipment and desperate activity. About a half-dozen Mageos warships were getting an overhaul and there were countless small craft being worked on as most of the wind folk and guild ships were getting serviced.

    Fighting my way through the bedlam of shouts, the pounding of hammers the hissing whine of air wrenches and the crackle bang of spellcasting, I tried to make sense of the bedlam.

    I finally spotted Sweetwind¡¯s tiny form nestled under the massive hulk of the Triumphant, a massive vessel that towered over my little ship and cast an enormous shadow that swallowed almost everything in the hanger. Within the shadow I could see the flashing crackle of a linking cast and gave a wave as I spotted Costa¡¯s artificer, Jeb Grison working in the exposed refraction compartment and shaking his head in consternation.

    He paused after he finished his cast, his focus gauntlets still glowing in red ruby light as he took one off and wiped his brow. I climbed around a sea of parts and equipment that were littered around my ship and looked up through the exposed frame, trying to figure out how to safely get up to where he was working.

    ¡°Knew you¡¯d want a peek today Becca.¡± Costas laughed, his wiry form setting down next to me in his worker harness, the ballast on the back of the harness dimming softly as he stretched and yawned. I saw he had put my apprentice to work helping to hold components and tools for one of his workers who was retracing some of the starboard hull¡¯s force lines. He was watching, entranced at the old woman who was tracing the inscriptions that formed the master warding along the hull. The glowing symbology flashed and glittered as she cleared the lines of force and watched the flow of power carefully.

    I smiled, glad that he hadn¡¯t just loafed around, and was interested enough in his ship that he wanted to learn about the artificer side of her construction. I looked around for Natasha, and spotted her talking with a few of the academy graduates who were wishing her goodbye and were wearing the Mageos Air Corps uniform and Triumphant ship patches.

    Far above us swarms of workers were aboard the massive vessel and I could see that they were just finishing up, and the ship was getting ready to lift off its cradle. Officers called down to their wayward midshipmen and they scampered off to leave Natasha standing there gripping her flight bag as she sadly watched her former classmates clip onto raceways and streak up the sides of their ship, waving back at her.

    A bell sounded far above, and every hair on my body stood as end as waves of power made the Sweetwind shudder in its cradle as the Triumphant¡¯s ballast was flooded and a small army of ground crew heaved and pulled her out of the cradle, mooring lines gripped in teams of dozens of men and women as they expertly maneuvered her towards the gigantic hanger doors.

    It was a truly extraordinary sight, the vessel lite up in a wonderous blaze under the scorching afternoon sun, it¡¯s hull glimmering with golden gilt. There was a booming salute from the aerodrome¡¯s signal tower on the other side of the field and a peal of a massive horn from the vessel that had me gripping my ears and wincing in consternation at the sound as it rebounded back into the hangar.

    Soon it was aloft, and slowly ascending into the clear blue sky. Massive banks of sail falling from it¡¯s four main masts, then from six additional wing masts along its sides. The stiff breezed caught her and her ballast glowed as the wind pushed down against it and into her sails as they filled and propelled her off towards the sea.

    Two of her escorts followed from the far side of the field and the small flotilla banked and formed up far above the city as they flashed messages back and forth between the ground tower and fell into a battle formation.

    Sweetwind looked small and forlorn as she was washed in the bright sunlight and I studied all the other massive warships around me, many of them making ready for lift. The sheer scale of the preparations made my stomach churn with bile and I felt sick as I thought of just how many flyers would die in the coming conflict.

    How many of these majestic ships would lay broken across the far corners of the world? Would I ever know? I didn¡¯t want to be part of the approaching storm but I knew that I would be caught up in it all the same. It wasn¡¯t the first time, and would be far from the last.

    It had been the flames of civil war in Yamania that I had grown up in, and lost everting. Now war had finally caught up with me once again. Once more like before, the sky folk would be caught in the middle, and I suspected that messengers or no, we would fall just like the rest and lie broken upon some distant land.

    I walked over to Natasha who looked shattered and alone on that field, watching her friends and classmates gathered on the aerodrome field, so many of them were raising their fists in oath around the stands of the Mageos Air Corps. So many more were being led off the fields with their happy families who were congratulating them on their qualifications.

    The pain of what should have been a triumph against her father looked bitter on her face. Beside her I nodded and turned her around to face me. Her hard face belied her youth, and she stepped back and went to attention. I waved the courtesy away and smiled.

    ¡°I understand you work through military discipline at the Academy. While I will need you to stay professional, I don¡¯t need courtesy or overblown signs of respect.¡± I gestured to the Sweetwind.

    ¡°I will be trying to find a crew for her, one that can get me through what is coming. I need someone beside me, an executive officer if you will. Can I count on you?¡± I asked and she gave me a wry salute and smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯m not crew trained, I¡¯m a pilot.¡± She said and pointed at the ship. ¡°I can fly her if you are willing to teach me her quirks, I have certifications on small craft and a class two navigators license.¡±

    ¡°So be it, let¡¯s give you the copper bit tour.¡± I gestured for her to follow and easily hoisted myself up a ladder. Behind me her flight bag was heaved onto the deck and I dodged around equipment and workers alike.

    ¡°She¡¯s an old design, no one really knows where her keel was first set, or even if it was on Prime. It¡¯s an angled refractory ballast with trim aft. One wing mast that can extend from either side, though I normally just use the main mast and the bowsprit.¡± I gestured to the ship and she nodded.

    ¡°Arrmament?¡± She pointed to the deck lances and I nodded.

    ¡°While she was originally more heavily armed, probably a small warship in her first incarnation, all that is left of that part of her life is her bow lance. There are also two grapples on the bow and stern, and as you see, several mobile deck lances that can be moved between action stations.¡±

    I pointed to the various helm stations. ¡°Forward is main control, there is a deck helm as well as an aft auxiliary where the trim is. There is also a watcher¡¯s turn in the mainmast.¡± I pointed up to the observation station in the mainmast.

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit¡­ much for a small vessel.¡± She gawked at me. I smiled and thumped my chest.

    ¡°It was designed for a small crew, or refurbished over the years for just a couple of people. There is an autohelm that is rather advanced and I think would be the envy of any Mageos ship of the line.¡± I pointed to the exposed charge compartment.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to try to get us more charge, but right now It¡¯s just myself and Neil, my apprentice that can charge the ship. You¡¯re not a Magi are you?¡± I asked and she shook her head and laughed.

    ¡°Would my father have let me be a flyer if I was?¡± Her bitter expression went darks and her fists clenched as she glared at me. I nodded and shrugged.

    ¡°Would have been too much to expect. Any suggestions on hands? We need a few crew to help with watches, and I can¡¯t pay diddly squat so it will have to be from the academy.¡± She grinned at me.

    ¡°Well, you know any of my friends would kill to fly with us, but I think the good ones will mostly be aboard warships in the next few days. I do know where I can get you a good artificer though he is a bit eccentric.¡±

    She pointed back at the academy. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I know just the person who would be¡­ enchanted with your quaint vessel.¡± I narrowed my eyes at her in warning and she grinned. ¡°Ok our vessel.¡± She smiled and tossed her flight bag down into the hold and gestured for me to follow her.

 Chapter 11: Revelations

    We walked across the aerodrome grounds and towards one of the smaller stone buildings that abounded on the nearby academy campus.  The expansive parade grounds that bordered the aerodrome gave way to small ancient buildings with twisting alleyways.

    The campus coursed with jubilant academy students as they celebrated with the graduates and I saw instructors and students alike all giving us curious glances even as the celebrated.  Natasha waved to a few of them who returned the gesture and peered at the unusual sight of a wind folk captain on academy turf.

    We entered a section with pounding forges, glowing crystals and the hair-raising tingle of elemental forces surging through power conduits around courtyards filled with working students and artificers.  I saw a ballast from a small vessel being rewrapped in it¡¯s netting, the individual round ballast stones being tested by an artificer with a large peaked cap.  He raised his spectacles and glared at us when Natasha stopped to ask him a few questions.

    ¡°Cid?  You looking for that madman?¡±  He cawed and his shrill cackle turned into a cough as he wheezed for a second before pointing us to a nearby workshop that was trembling and shaking.  I could see multi-colored sparks spouting from the forge¡¯s chimney and I gave the sight a bit of a skeptical glance.

    Inside I couldn¡¯t hear anything over the crackling roar of artifices and the pounding of a massive mechanical hammer.  A team of assistants were holding a large masthead with a glowing focus crystal atop it as a young man held both hands over it, one with an inscription rod that was carving glowing symbology into the crystal. His head was covered in a silver mask, with a blast shield over his eyes.   Grinning he cackled and set the last of his work into the inscription.

    Turning the crystal, he slammed his foot down on a pedal.  There a hissing whir and the massive mechanical sealing hammer descended and slammed into the crystal, binding the inscription.  The whole room washed over with a flickering burst of static energy and two of the assistants were nearly blown off their feet.  They rode the blast wave with practiced ease as they stumbled back forward to resume their grip on their master¡¯s work.

    Natasha was pushed back into me as I grounded out the power of the blast of energy through my body and into the ground.  I was staggered a bit, but I had to admit, that rush of power had felt good.

    The man inspected his work and pulled off his protective mask to wipe his brow.  I gasped when I saw that his eyes were slit like a cat¡¯s.  He nodded to Natasha and looked me over as he gestured to his recovering assistants.  ¡°Get da foci to dee containment bench.¡±  He bellowed with a hissing roar and pointed at a workbench surrounded by a cage of glimmering metal.  They rushed the large crystal over to the cage and place it inside where it floated sullenly.  Arcs of power lanced from the crystal and into the cage every few seconds.

    ¡°Natasha, zu what do I owe da pleasure?¡±  He grumbled and blinked soot out of his eyes as he peeled sweaty gloves off of his hands, and grabbed for a corked bottle sitting on a nearby shelf.  Flicking the cork off with a clawed finger he eyed me with interest.

    ¡°You wanted to get out for some field work right sir?¡±  She pointed at me and the man narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about ziss Captain, aren¡¯t you de one with da broken mounting in zee main hanger?¡±  He smiled at me and pointed to a pile of broken bronze equipment in one corner.  Next to it was a workbench with a scriptorium and a looking glass trained on one of the pieces.

    ¡°Costas subcontracted ze to help rebuild dee main gimbal.¡±  He explained and I rolled my eyes.  It was just like that skinflint.

    ¡°Zee wuld be nice to get out, especially now¡­¡± He grumbled and shoved a small flyer towards Natasha who picked it up and read it.  ¡°They¡­ are what?!¡± She shrieked and he nodded.

    ¡°Ya! Zee trustees, zee are kicking me out! Zee humanist league has gained more power on za board and I¡¯m turning in me resignation.  I thinks I¡¯ll go back home.  I hears there ziss zee new king and he ziss the next bearer of Kinforge!¡±

    ¡°You mean that traveler?  King Roger I think his name is?¡±  Natasha asked and the man nodded.  ¡°Yes! Zat is him! I has received a message from ze cousin a couple of days ago.  I thinks zit vud be interesting working with travelers.  They have a lot of exciting ideas!¡±  The man¡¯s eyes seem to daze with the thought of some new gadget to tinker with, and he grinned, showing a set of small fangs in his teeth.

    He turned his intense gaze on me, his cat¡¯s eyes fixed on me almost like he was sizing me up.  I returned his scrutiny, noting the burn marks on his face, a face that was lightly furred and had small thin whiskers.

    Pointing to my gimbal, I explained.  ¡°I burned out on a full rotation, with a reversal of momentum, sheer force and both planes reversed.¡±  I made the motion with my hand and he nodded.

    ¡°Yes! Ziss I know! I¡¯ll be rebuilding most of za containment enchantments on da gimbal where you locked it, then spun your mountings.  I understands Costas, zee is installing the new mounting container right now.¡±  I nodded in acknowledgement and he smiled at me.

    ¡°Zis is not too worry! Ziss is not too badly damaged, your gimbal is quite sturdy! Zis only needs one axis replaced, and I have zee necessary parts on hand to do za rebuild.  It vill take a day or so though to finish za work and reinstall zee gimbal.¡±

    I sighed with relief.  I had half expected that the entire gimbal would have been shattered beyond repair and had to be replaced completely.  I doubted even my expected haul from the scales and other wyvern parts would account for half of that cost or that I could have found anything that was compatible with my vessel¡¯s design.

    He smiled again at me, and his eyes narrowed. ¡°Just how ziss old is vuu ship captain?¡±  He said, and a small funny little smile of expectation was set on his face as his whiskers twitched in amusement.

    Grimacing, I thought he was thinking ill of my old vessel before I noticed the glint of excitement in his eyes as he waited for my response and realized that far from that, the ship intrigued him.

    ¡°Not sure exactly, it was my mother¡¯s family that left us the vessel when her grandmother¡¯s estate was divided up.  My father chose the new name, as is tradition when a new owner takes command.  My mother¡¯s family have been sky folk for longer than anyone can recall in living memory, and celestial elves have both long lives and even longer memories.¡±

    The man listened to my response then walked over to a large bookshelf that was covered in a glass slide to protect the tomes from the occasional flying ember or static arc.  He selected a massive volume that was covered in protective enchantments and glowed to my mage sight.  I blinked when he set it down and started paging through it, until he stopped and pointed.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    I looked at the silhouette of a massive warship, and drawings of its crew.  Next to the warship were smaller attack craft, dozens of them all with the same lines as Sweetwind.  The hull configuration of the smaller craft was completely unmistakable.  It was my ship.

    ¡°Ziss be the Arcadia one of zee only druid-built ships of za line known to have survived dee cataclysm. It vuss a carrier, and your ship, zit was one of it¡¯s small fighting craft.¡±

    I gasped, and many things seemed to click in my mind about how Sweetwind responded in combat, and the positioning of her bow lance.  It would make sense if it was an attack craft, designed to work in formation.  ¡°Where¡­ did you get this book?¡± I asked and turned it over to look at the cover.

    ¡°Ah¡­I¡¯s has zit for some time actually.  Your father, zee was da one who wuz interested in Sweetwind¡¯s past and wanted to surprise ye mother with the information and zee asked me years ago to look into Sweetwind¡¯s¡­ fascinating pedigree.  I would really like to finish za task, if vee don¡¯t mind.¡±  I could see a near fervent look in his eyes now as he gently pulled the book to him and stroked the page as he longingly stared at the massive vessel pictured in the description.  It was actually a bit creepy, and I winced.

    Reading the gold guilt on the cover, I realized that this volume was one of the last records from just after the collapse, about parts of the reconstruction and the exodus of the druids.  How a professor at the college had been able to find this record, much less keep it in his workshop was something that baffled me.  There was something very strange about this artificer.

    ¡°Zee says that those druid-built ships, zee could open za own worldgate portals, and travel between realms.¡±  He said in a dreamy voice, enchanted by the picture of the massive warship.  I just shivered and goosebumps formed on my skin as I considered how much power that the ancients from the before-times had wielded.

    ¡°You mean the Sweetwind can do that?¡±  I asked and he burst out laughing and shook his head.  ¡°No no no! Zatts why zit vus a carrier, zee know.  Zee carried ziss small craft and it traveled with them.¡±  He chuckled at my look of disappointment.

    ¡°But¡­ vell, vile have to see¡­¡±  He looked around at his assistants, who were trying to downplay their interest in the proceedings, but were failing miserably.  He narrowed his eyes and slammed the book shut, and quickly pushed it back into the shelf and shut the glass door, locking it with a press of his palm.

    ¡°I need passage to ziss¡­ new kingdom zass has formed.  I think zee need an artificer yes?¡±  He gestured to the wreckage of my gimbal and I nodded.  ¡°I¡¯d be glad to have you, even if it¡¯s for a short time.  My ship hasn¡¯t had a good artificer look at her since I had to flee our holdings, about three years now.¡±

    He nodded and I saw him grin, his whiskers twitching as he looked over his workshop with sadness.  ¡°I¡­ am no longer welcome at ziss place.  Za trustees have made vitt clear I must leave or, soon zee will just find an excuse to force zee to leave.  I has lived here vee nearly ten years¡­ teaching many fine students of artifice, but now I guess¡­ time has turned on zee and now I go.¡±  He sighed and I was taken aback by his words.

    I knew that those with beast blood in them did sometimes age slower, like I had when growing up due to my elvish blood.  However, he barely looked like he was twenty. Admittedly, however I wasn¡¯t very good at judging the age of other non-human races.

    Natasha hadn¡¯t been paying much attention to the exchange as she talked with one of the working assistants, a small girl with bright red hair and a battered and soot streaked leather artificers¡¯ apron. They were laughing and exchanging gossip, almost complexly oblivious to the revelation that I¡¯d just been introduced to.

    She had grown up in a life so very different from my own.  My earliest memories were aboard ship, tracking the great sky whales as they migrated.  We hadn¡¯t spent a whole lot of time at our holdings in the islands of Skye, but they had been so beautiful, and our hanger for father¡¯s harvester and grandfather¡¯s trade ship had been constructed in imported redwood.  Our family¡¯s estate house was built into the side of the hanger.  We had lived next door to several other sky folk, and the small community on our island had been a happy one.

    It brought tears to my eyes as I remembered what it was like, when my mother and father had taken me to Akiraho, the Yamani capital and we had first set eyes on Sweetwind.  The light in mom¡¯s eyes as she told me of her own memories of sailing on her as a child, then her look of consternation at me when I had declared that I wanted to sail on her too.

    I thought about the odd features of Sweetwind and I realized now why the mainmast could retract, and why it had originally been designed with large doors in the bottom of its holds.  They were never cargo holds, they had been some sort of bombardment bays, like the larger warships typically had in the Mageos Air Corps.

    The wing masts also folded to the sides, and I thought of many of the Sweetwind¡¯s redundant systems, including the various helms.  It all made sense in the context of a smaller craft designed to fight in formation with an entire wing.  I tried to imagine the sight of a dozen strong wing of craft like mine, and realized that the Arcadia must have been truly gigantic to hold so many.

    I felt my stomach flutter at the thought and once again an involuntary shiver ran up my spine as I wondered just what had happened to the grand old warship.  Then¡­ I froze.  If Sweetwind was here on Prime, that meant it had been carried here by the Arcadia that fact entailed that it was likely that Prime had been its last destination.  What if it or its wreck was still here on Prime somewhere?

    My eyes went wide and my breath caught at the thought and I saw the look of rapture on Cid¡¯s face as he sat down at the scriptorium table and just studied the piece of gimbal he had under the glass, his fingers tracing the metal as if it was a holy artifact.  Yes, I¡¯m sure he had considered the same thing.

    ¡°When do you want to move aboard?¡±  I asked and he looked up, as if I had snapped him out of a trance.

    ¡°Ah, zee vill move equipment and luggage aboard veen I install zee gimbal.  Veen I came to get za gimbal, I saw dat you had two shielded artificer¡¯s berths next to your refractory.  I¡¯ll use von for myself and I think I refit zee other one into work area.¡± He grinned at me as I realized he had probably intended to approach me, but Natasha had simply sped up the process.  I looked at Natasha suspiciously and narrowed my eyes.

    ¡°Natasha, how exactly did you know that Cid would want to ship with me?¡±  I inquired and she grinned and pulled out a small short-range communication crystal.

    ¡°Aria here has me on her crystal and I told her what happened and how you took me, she told me about Cid.¡±  She gestured to the girl who beamed at me and they both laughed at my expression.

    Cid¡¯s whiskers twitched and he give a bit of a chuckle at my expense.  ¡°Hah! Zee should know zat short range communication crystals, zee are standard issue at za academy¡­ unfortunately zee do have¡­ drawbacks.¡±  He burst out laughing again as my groan of horror reached his ears.  Teenagers, and their gossip.  I wondered just how many people now knew I was depriving the academy of one of their best artificers.  I would have to speak to her about keeping this stuff about Sweetwind under wraps though I suspected that it would get out eventually anyways.

    I thought about how Costas had pitched me yet another offer for my ship, and an unsettling suspicion crept into my mind.  Did he know about Cid¡¯s research?  Probably.  In fact, it had likely been Costas that had recommended Cid to my father if he was looking for someone like him.

    My blood froze as I realized that I would have to be very careful once Sweetwind¡¯s pedigree became common knowledge, as I¡¯d have every government in Endaria trying to acquire the ship, if not just to study it.  Most would have no problem killing me and any crew aboard her in the process.

    Just great, first I piss off one of the most powerful chairmen in Mageos, or I would once he found out about who was about to run off with his daughter, now I had this to deal with.  Yes, all of this was just fascinating, but it was also trouble with a great big fat T.  I didn¡¯t like trouble.  I had been trying to avoid trouble.

    Well, it would probably be a good idea to find a few good adventurers to ship with me, ones that were experienced in aerial combat, as I suspected I would need them.  I would also have to get Sweetwind into fighting trim, as it was in bad need of not only a full complement of storage crystals but the smaller standard containment crystals that were used all over the ship.

    Just who could I trust?  If Cid was right about my ship, it was absolutely priceless and when you are talking about that much coin, anyone can be bought.  I would have to be very careful about who I selected.

 Chapter 12: The winds of war

    By the time we got back to the repair dock, most of the large warships had already departed and only a half dozen small craft were left. I saw the Fortunate¡¯s overhaul being supervised by the stern-eyed Aunt Gracie. She was pouring over a navigator¡¯s slate that had schematics of her vessel displayed and was arguing with Costas about something.

    As I approached the pair Costas turned to me and beamed. ¡°Ah Becca! Missed ya earlier, we just finished setting the new bracket around your crystal. Just waiting on the gimbal install now. The retracing work is done, and I¡¯ve worked my way through your maintenance request, that should be finished by tomorrow.¡± I nodded curtly and looked over his shoulder at Gracie.

    ¡°Need to talk to you, in private for a sec Aunt Gracie.¡± I saw her single eye narrow at me and she snapped her discussion closed and excused herself from Costas as he frowned.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get to my ship, I¡¯ll set the wards.¡± She said and I clipped myself onto one of her side raceways and we streaked up Fortunate¡¯s stern to the top deck. I looked out over the larger ship and tried to suppress a bit of envy.

    Fortunate was a newer design, about thirty years old or so, which is pretty young for an airship. It was built sort of like a stretched-out circle with its ballast in a tightly packed wire net in the center, the edges of the net were on rails so you could spin the ship around the ballast to turn the entire vessel. The ballast bag was secured to the races by a spiderweb of cables and, it rested the entire weight of the ship on that network of supports.

    The holds were along the sides of the ship and smaller compartments fore and aft of the vessel. Still, the dimensions of the design dwarfed the size of Sweetwind with a beam at the center of the ballast of nearly 80 ft and a length of around 250 ft. On either side of the ballast there was a large mast, and there were wing masts folded into the sides of the ship both at the forward section and the stern. It was a beautiful vessel, and it was home to many of my cousins as well as Gracie.

    It was like a small piece of home had survived here, untouched by the events that had transpired over the last few years. I teared up when I saw my father¡¯s family crest etched into every familiar nook and cranny. I had played here with my cousins when I was little and the family gathered at the holdings to celebrate marriages or a change of command. I remembered climbing up into the rigging and pretending that I was a fierce sky pirate, and Archie, my cousin chasing up after me and calling out oaths to defend his dear ship with his life. Now he was dead, along with so many others.

    Grandfather had once commanded Fortunate before he settled down and bought his much smaller trading ship and did short runs in his retirement to help resupply the islands and keep his hand on the helm. Father had also once served on her, and it had been where he had earned his journeymen¡¯s papers.

    Aunt Gracie saw my tears and hugged me as she realized what it meant to be standing on her ship. ¡°I never did stop to talk to you about¡­what happened."

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it!¡± I yelled and tried to compose myself. I just didn¡¯t want to dwell of those memories, or I would jut fall apart. I couldn¡¯t fall apart, not now.

    She stepped back from me and nodded. ¡°I understand, but it¡¯s been three years Becca, you have to talk to someone about it, I can see how it¡¯s changed you¡­ how it¡¯s changed all of us.¡± She trailed off and I saw her face go hard with bitterness. I nodded, and knew that she had lost people too.

    They had all tried to get me to tell them what had happened, but I had refused. I had limped into nearby Spinner¡¯s Point one day, my ship battered and full of wounded, with my grandfather in my bunk shivering from fever and my mother¡¯s body wrapped up on the deck next to Archie and Kent.

    I had only told the adjudicators what they needed to know to transfer ownership, and certify my captaincy. How could I have told them about my failure? I didn¡¯t know if anyone in the family would ever trust me again when they found out the truth.

    Never, would I bring myself to tell them what happened. It was a shame that I simply wanted to keep in my past, a past that didn¡¯t need to be revealed. I knew that in some ways that Aunt Gracie still blamed me, and I loved her, and I didn¡¯t know what I would do once she finally knew the truth.

    ¡°I need to tell you something, it¡¯s about Sweetwind.¡± I said as we climbed belowdecks and into the corridor that led to her captain¡¯s cabin. She nodded and palmed the wards on her door and let me in.

    The door opened up into a small study, with doors on either side that led to berths for her and her husband and into a small observation ball at the stern of the ship. We sat down in the comfy leather chairs around the map table in the study and she fixed me with her gaze.

    It took a while, but I told her about my conversation with Cid and how I had gained my new executive officer, and the fact that her father would likely hunt me down for the insult of a half-blooded elf running off with his daughter.

    She chuckled when I told her about that and grinned at me. ¡°Well at least I¡¯m not the only one with enemies on the committee now. Girlie you have your hands full of a pot of trouble.¡± She cackled and I glared at her.

    Walking over to her desk she pulled out a stack of papers and set them down on the map table. I looked at the stack and grinned. They were sponsorship contracts from the adventurer¡¯s guild and from the messenger¡¯s guild.

    ¡°Captain Roark was by about an hour ago, and was looking for you. I told him you would be along later and I¡¯d give you these sponsorships he picked up.¡± She said and I nodded. I would still have to stop by the Magisters Guild and a few others, but I figured that I had all I needed here for the castaways.

    ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to attend your penalty board, along with a few others of the family that are in port. It¡¯s in a couple of hours yes?¡± She asked and I nodded, my stomach clenching in dread.

    She laughed at my expression and shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much about it! I¡¯ve been to many of them and your board will go well, especially since you have plenty of evidence to show the reason for your delay.¡±

    I nodded meekly and stood up, and Aunt Gracie offered me a document case to roll up all the sponsorship contracts into and I took it and carefully stowed the enchanted contracts into the case before slinging it onto my back.

    ¡°Fortunate and Argos will be by your side when you lift ship, don¡¯t worry.¡± She reminded me and I clenched my jaw as I realized that my situation could probably put the family in danger in the long run. In any case I would have to leave this side of the world for a while, and get as far away from Mageos as possible.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go north, um afterwards.¡± I said and she nodded but looked at me closely before speaking. ¡°Right into the war?¡± She said and I nodded.

    ¡°Your crazy Becca!¡± She sighed in exasperation and rubbed a hand over her tired looking face and then placed it on my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll not have you go there unprepared. We will spare some crystal for you and I¡¯ll talk with Captain Roark about getting you some extra hands, I trust that man with my life, and he is my son-in-law after all.¡± She chuckled at my frown and I shook my head.

    My older cousin Sally Marshal had married Allister Roark four years ago, and it had been no surprise at all to the clan when they had started courting. The Roark clan was one of our family¡¯s closest allies and had been a long-time trading partner for the past several decades. I had known him as an honorary uncle since I was old enough to speak, as he had been my father¡¯s best friend.

    ¡°Remember Becca, we are here for you¡­ if there is anything you need just ask.¡± She said and gave me a crushing hug. My stomach sank and I tried not to shake. I hadn¡¯t asked for her pity, or for handouts but right now I was desperate. I needed that crystal badly, and there was no one I could turn to find people I trusted.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    It had been a mark of pride in myself and my independence that I hadn¡¯t needed a crew to fly Sweetwind but now that time was over. I was going to be flying into troubled skies, and now I needed to swallow my pride and do right for my ship and my new crew. I had to preserve my family¡¯s legacy and ride the wind to wherever it may blow me.

    As we emerged from the captain¡¯s cabin, I heard the whistle-call of a ship¡¯s horn and we both silently watched Lynx float off her cradle and get pulled out of the repair hanger. The ageing warship ran up its battle standard and with a few cheers and waving, ascended into the darkening sky. ¡°Even the Lynx?¡± I stammered. Costas nodded to us and pointed at the elderly warship. ¡°Yea, they pulled her out of mothballs last week and we have been doing her refit.¡± He said with gritted teeth.

    ¡°But, I thought they decommissioned her years ago!?¡± I gave weak laugh and shivers went up and down my back. The grim faces on everyone in the hanger as they watched the leisurely climb from the old vessel told me just how desperate the situation was.

    "Word is, the entire Imperial fleet was recalled from the quarantine zone, and there was a battle at Raider¡¯s Point a week ago. The League took heavy losses. They even lost their new flagship Victory in the fighting."

    I had remembered seeing Victory last year when I had passed through the league airspace. That was an immense airship, one of the largest I had ever seen. It had been even larger than Triumphant by a decent margin. If the Empire of Nadir was mobilizing all of it¡¯s might into the conflict then things could go very badly. ¡°Also, we got some rather¡­ disquieting rumors.¡± Costas said and his face paled.

    ¡°What rumors?¡± I asked and he shook his head and waved his hand in dismissal. ¡°They say that the black avatars have returned, and the underdark have broken from the quarantine.¡± He gave a shaky laugh as if the idea was absurd but I didn¡¯t see the laugh draw a smile from anyone. We all just stared at him in horror.

    ¡°But¡­ that would mean that¡­¡± I trailed off and looked in horror at the evidence all around me that Mageos was near panic, and I now realized that it wasn¡¯t from the prospect of war with the Empire of Nadir.

    A lot of what I had been seeing was now making more sense, in the larger context if there was more to the fighting up north than just a spat the Empire was having with a small province that had been blown up to massive proportions.

    I had heard of the Underdark, the vile twisted creatures that were contained outside the world tear of Narkas, the sunken kingdom. Everyone had heard those tales of horror told around cookfires and to scare children into behaving. The Empire of Nadir had been holding them at bay for centuries, hadn¡¯t they? Had something happened? Had they finally found another way into Prime? I shuddered at the implications. If that was true, the results would be nothing short of catastrophic.

    Costas saw the look of panic on my face and raised his hands in supplication. ¡°Just rumors Becca, you know how it is, people tell stories and I listen. It doesn¡¯t mean I believe everything I hear.¡± His shaky voice betrayed him however, and I saw Aunt Gracie giving him her piercing gaze as he went suddenly silent.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about what we have no control over. Just worry about that ship of yours and get her ready to lift.¡± Aunt Gracie chided me and I nodded, clipping my harness to a raceway and sliding down it.

    Walking over the Sweetwind I saw that Neil was nowhere to be found. I could see Natasha in the bow helm compartment inspecting the controls and I climbed up the ladder under the compartment and popped the hatch.

    ¡°Where is my apprentice? I need him to tag along to the penalty board.¡± I said and she shrugged. ¡°He did his traveler thing and vanished on me.¡± She chuckled as she tried to puzzle out the highly customized helm controls my mother had rebuilt when she had first taken over as captain of Sweetwind. ¡°How am I supposed to pilot this thing? All the ballast controls are¡­ well built for a magi.¡± She grumbled.

    ¡°I still have the old consoles, I can have Cid rig them up for you. Steering is still the same standard setup everyone uses. Oh, and we are getting more storage crystals so you shouldn¡¯t have any issue as long as you keep your power consumption under control.¡± I explained. She nodded and I gave her a run down of the current setup.

    ¡°Its not too bad, I think I can manage once you let me shunt directly from the ballast into the storage crystals, but I¡¯ll likely need someone on the mechanician console to help with the frequency balance. I know you do that mentally but I need manual control.¡± I nodded, already having expected the request. I was impressed by her immersive knowledge of how my ship design worked. It showed that she had some artificer experience as well as practical airship piloting.

    ¡°Neil can work the mechanician station on your watch. It will let me get some sleep, and I can do everything myself when I¡¯m on duty.¡± I said, and she gave me a curt nod. Normally when I shunt power, I controlled the release of the energy, and it was done using my own self-control, but that isn¡¯t how the ship had originally been designed. It did give me a very finite control over lift and decent. The old shunt controls that operated the process manually had started to degrade and were a bit temperamental now, so my mother had removed them.

    ¡°Well not sure about that apprentice of yours, if he¡¯s going to just disappear on me in the middle of a watch I might have some issues.¡± She grumbled and I nodded. She did have a valid point. I did need to find another person to help man the mechanician station. It would be a challenge, but if Cid could help me install the old controls and hopefully figure out why they had started acting up it wouldn¡¯t be a problem.

    It did occur to me then that Cid himself could keep an eye on things from the refractory¡¯s mechanician station or man the one here in this compartment. I knew that he was a magi, and from the power I had sensed in his workshop he had a similar attunement to my own. I rubbed my hands across my brow in frustration. In fact, that it would probably be a good idea if I convinced the artificer to help me instruct Neil in his own powers. He was a teacher, unlike me and would probably be better at explaining things.

    In all it had been a godsend that I had found the man, but I did worry if his obsession over my ship was a bit creepy. I knew how all artificers liked to tinker with things and it did worry me a bit that I¡¯d have someone like Cid poking around and likely tearing things apart to figure out how they were built or worked at any chance he got.

    My mom¡¯s old artificer had been like that, and it had drove her insane. Eventually she had gotten fed up with him and he had transferred to my father¡¯s harvester ship for the last season we had before we had lost our holdings.

    The familiar pain of loss still felt sharp, like a stab in the gut even after all these years when I remembered how Harmony had gone down, with old ornery Tankersley, the ship¡¯s artificer killing himself by burning up his own lifeforce to try to set her down. I could still hear a phantom of his dying mental voice flickering out as I grasped the com crystal and screamed as I watched the ship plunge into the ground, breaking apart, tumbling and burning¡­

    I had to turn my back and take a deep breath to push the memory away and regain my composure before I turned back and explained how to use the Zephyrscope. It was an older type, but had a very good range to it and Natasha¡¯s look of awe at the definition on it as I trained it into the darkening evening sky made me grin and pat the relic.

    ¡°They don¡¯t make them like this anymore.¡± She said and fiddled with the dials on the scope. ¡°You say there is another one on the stern helm?¡± I nodded and winced.

    ¡°Yea but it¡¯s a newer model, I don¡¯t think we ever found the original scope that was mounted up there. Do you have a pair of enchanted flight goggles?¡± I asked and she nodded.

    ¡°Standard issue, I paid them off last year so I don¡¯t have to turn them back in.¡± She said and pointed to the set of goggles on her brow above her flight cap. I smiled at the prospect of not having to equip another flyer on my limited budget. It seemed that Natasha had quite decent gear with her.

    ¡°Battle harness too?¡± I asked and she nodded.

    I smiled and gestured for her to follow me as I gave her a tour of the ship. It wasn¡¯t a very long tour, as there just wasn¡¯t much to show, but we ended up at my cabin a few moments later and I stopped as my eyes fell on the neat, empty bunk under mine with my mother¡¯s picture on it. I had intended to berth Natasha under my cabin with Neil, where there were a couple of single and double berths, but honestly, I could do with a roommate.

    I walked in and knelt by the altar, belatedly remembering that I haven¡¯t given my grace to Zeus since I had last lifted, and never thanked my patron for sending Natasha my way. Natasha saw my piety and didn¡¯t move, she just bowed her head and offered her own prayer to her own god, and I realized I had never bothered to ask about her faith.

    ¡°The sky father is my patron.¡± I said and she nodded mutely as I lit a small stick of incense and let my mind drift into the altar as I thanked Zeus for his assistance. I felt the warm, cracking energy flow back into myself and it was as if he was giving me his reassurance. I smiled and stood up, pressing my fingers to each of the other figurines on the altar, to honor the winds.

    ¡°Natasha, you can bunk with me.¡± I said, and walked over and reverently picked up the framed portrait of my mother¡¯s beautiful smiling face, peering back at me as I struggled to control my grief. I unclipped the stay fasts on the bottom that had secured the picture to the bed and moved to a shelf where my father¡¯s portrait hung, placing the picture back into the same spot it had occupied for years before she had died, clipping the painting back into place. It felt like I was finally letting her go after all these years, finally accepting the fact that she was no longer here for me. I kissed my fingers and whispered the words ¡°May the sky embrace its own, mom.¡±

    She watched me and said nothing. ¡°Is that your mother?¡± She asked and I nodded, and turned my face to wipe a tear away. If Natasha had seen my lack of composure she ignored it as she left to go fetch her flight bag.

 Chapter 13: The Unexpected Prize

    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. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°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.

 Chapter 14: Of Duels and Dracons

    The next morning, I was up early, and saw that Neil was already waiting for me when I left the captain¡¯s mess, haven eaten only a light breakfast.  I still had a bit of sport ahead of me, but Tony did only agree to meet with me on the court in a few hours.

    There were a few other things I had to take care of, and the cool morning wind was refreshing, blowing over the aerodrome field as I walked across it.  Neil trailed along, gaping at the spectacle a morning training class, the first of the new recruits into the Academy.

    There was a small training airship, the Goldbeam if memory served, doing circuits around the field.  I chuckled as one turn tossed a recruit off the ship¡¯s deck and he plummeted downward for a few moments until his training harness automatically trigged and he just floated there until his ship swung around and under him where one of the instructors caught a hand and hauled him back aboard.  I could hear the enraged cries from across the field as the man gave the terrified cadet a serious dressing down.

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you always stay lashed in.¡±  I laughed at Neil¡¯s horrified expression.  ¡°You know they don¡¯t issue rigs with ballast to normal hands, just a parachute pouch on their harness.  They use those more expensive training harnesses because, without fail, on almost every first cruise someone goes overboard.¡±

    He nodded and kept staring across the field.  I looked at where his gaze was fixed, and my eyes lit up in wonder as I saw a very rare sight.  Two sun dragons were shepherding a young dragon without a rider past a gaggle of recruits looking for imprint candidates.

    The elder dragon, an old patriarch of the sun dragon clan was nuzzling the fourteen-foot hatching dragon who had curled into a ball and seemed utterly disinterested in the candidates the academy had picked out for it.  A huff of frustrated steam billowed out of the ancient dragon¡¯s muzzle and she spun around.

    The little dragon was more than content to just sleep away the morning.  Neil looked longingly at the dragon as we passed, but the creature didn¡¯t even look up, it just kept dozing there in the morning sun.

    The candidates filed dejectedly away and the patriarch gave another huff of irritation and stomped off in the direction of the colossal hanger that I could see a few other tails and snouts of various dragons poking out of.

    Neil¡¯s longing made me chuckle a bit and I shook my head at him.  ¡°Just be glad you aren¡¯t a dragon¡¯s pilot boy, that¡¯s not life for anyone.¡±  I pointed to my tiny ship.  ¡°Sweetwind can outrun any dragon, and you don¡¯t worry about becoming nothing more than a pawn to those that want to use your dragon half.¡±  I chided and he gave a forlorn nod and ran to catch up to me.

    ¡°How are they chosen?¡± He asked and I just shrugged.

    ¡°No idea, most of the time it¡¯s by someone who is sensitive to what they call dragonsong, but I be not knowing the what the heck is meant by that. Mostly the gift runs in families, but still the dragons are pretty picky beasts and won¡¯t take on just anyone who can hear their speech.¡± I said and he nodded.

    ¡°That dragon must be a late bloomer, as they try to bond their first pilot at a hatching, and I¡¯m betting that didn¡¯t work either or he wouldn¡¯t be so old and without a pilot.¡±  I looked over the bustling activity surrounding the skiff and spotted Cid as he hung out of the refractory compartment guiding the completed gimbal down the stays along the keel.  It was carefully being lowered in by the gigantic boom that was built into the ceiling of the hanger and ran along tracks near the roof.

    A team of his assistants swarmed around him as he called out for tools and equipment.  A clicking thud sounded from inside the refractory and he grunted and heaved the repaired gyroscopic gimbal¡¯s frame into its place and his assistants rushed to help him secure it as a second line held the ballast crystal inside the device while he sealed it¡¯s wardings back into the ship with a portable inscriber.

    The ballast crystal spun in its new mountings as if it was trying to get its bearings and then settled down as Cid chided it and worked to help calibrate its alignment.  Even from here I could feel Sweetwind¡¯s glee at the long-awaited repairs.

    There was a commotion behind us and I looked back onto the field and saw that a draconic head was peeking up out of his folded wings as another dragon set down on the field.  This one was one of those polar dragons.  Instead of the long, snake-like body of the sun dragon it was the classical large hulking lizard form of a Noria Greatwing.  It gave a screech of greeting towards the hanger I had seen the other dragon disappear into and I saw the golden snout of the patriarch peek out then come galloping across the field.

    Crew from the massive white dragon poured off the back, and I saw a short, stocky girl, who was its pilot slide down the side and coo at the tiny sun dragon as her own dragon exchanged polite greetings with the patriarch. The young sun dragon yawned and pranced around in a circle for a second, then curled up and went back to sleep.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve always likened dragons to cats, those things are born grumpy, just like griffins.¡±

    Natasha grinned at the display outside as she slid down out of the bow helm of the Sweetwind and nodded the scene.  The perplexed pilot of the white dragon prodded the coiled form of the other dragon, shrugged and stretched as she ignored the delegation of Messenger Guild representatives that had exited the nearby customs and way building.

    She pointed to a man in strange uniform that I didn¡¯t recognize who was unloading items from the back of the harness, the delegation broke around her as she walked towards our hanger, watching with interest as Cid manipulated and calibrated the ballast of Sweetwind.

    ¡°Never saw a ship like this little one.  She yours?¡±  The woman¡¯s burr was exotic and it turned more than a few heads.  I nodded at the dark-haired girl who had skin in a shade of light brown that was of an ethnicity unknown to me.  Slowly, I gave a curt bow of respect out of reflex.  ¡°Captain Becca Marshall, be at your service Dracon.¡±  I gave the formal title and rank that in some cases, was equal to Captain of an airship.  Most dragon pilots held a very high honorary rank in their crew, but were not always in charge of anything other than the piloting side of their dragon.  It often depended on the culture, service or military the dragon served in.  Of course, there were independent dragons, but they were exceptionally rare.

    Shaking her head, she pointed to the unfamiliar ranking insignia on the front of her leather flight tunic and gave a bit of a laugh.  ¡°I¡¯m no Dracon, I still have a few turns of the sky mother yet before I has my own crew.  Right now, I¡¯m bound into the tutelage of Loremaster Naraka. My proper rank is at Novice I¡¯m afraid.¡±  She pointed back at the large man who was glaring at his charge as he dealt with a small crowd of officials from the guild and the aerodrome¡¯s custom offices.

    The girl rolled her eyes at my astonished expression and extended a hand in greeting.  ¡°Novice Amka Kadima to your honor Captain Marshall.¡± Her clipped voice chirped and I smiled as I returned the gesture.

    ¡°No need for all that captain stuff, I get enough of that from the academy brats.  Becca will do just fine.¡±  I returned and she gave me a grin.

    There were few people that instantly met with my approval, but Amka was one of those few free souls that my instincts inclined me to trust on first sight.  She wasn¡¯t the kind of person that had a devious bone in her body, she was just a free spirit like myself.

    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with that uniform, and I¡¯ve been around a fair bit, what country is that?¡±  I asked, perplexed.  The uniform did look like I had seen it before, but in a book or something.

    ¡°We a special envoy sent by Silverberg Spire, in the south pole.¡± Her thick accent rasped, I narrowed my eyes, confused.  I knew that the south pole was inhabited, but it was on the other side of the great rift.  I had heard of the group of eccentrics that were rumored to live out there only in passing.  Scholars and Magi worked with the Walkers of the spire, and braved the great labyrinth of sorrow, a massive sunken library from before the cataclysm that was filled with all sorts of horrors.

    ¡°Us sky folk don¡¯t get past the great rift very often, as ballast tends to be unreliable near it.¡±  I explained to her and she gave an empathetic nod.  I had actually been near the rift a few times, when I was a teenager and our family was chasing the sky herds along the edge.  Those moments of sheer terror still stuck with me the few times Sweetwind had gone into crash dives to escape force void areas, spots where the ballast wouldn¡¯t catch the planet¡¯s lifeforce.

    ¡°Ah yes, I have heard tale of that.  You know it is not only ballast that acts¡­ strange around there.¡± She studied the hull of Sweetwind with longing, as if she wanted to climb aboard and get a closer look.

    I nodded, remembering having to work on corrupted enchantments for months after returning from the rift areas.  My mother had taken the opportunity to teach me the special scripting that the inner workings of Sweetwind were written in.  We never did quite get everything working right, that was when the older equipment on the helms had started acting up and my mother had cobbled together a workaround. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    I had always pondered the mystery of the rifts, and why they existed around each pole of Prime.  From what I had gathered, they were from the very formation of Endaria, and there was nothing like them in any other realm.

    Also, the area at each pole that the rifts encircled was¡­ odd to say the least.  They overflowed with wild forces of the elements, and there were all sorts of weird phenomena in them including the occasional wandering world tear, sort of natural occurring world gates that could lead almost anywhere in Endaria.

    The wind folk were terrified of the area, and many of the ghost stories we told about spectral airships were centered around that part of Prime where the natural laws of Endaria tended to break down into confusion.

    Still, the mighty sky whales would migrate between the poles, and follow the rift each season along with all the other biota that would accompany the herds.  It was the best time to locate a good harvest, even if you had no intention of going anywhere near the herds.  How the massive creatures managed to navigate them were a popular mystery that was one of Prime¡¯s great unknowns.

    ¡°He is a traveler?¡±  She gestured at Neil who had wandered back to Sweetwind.  I nodded and sighed as I saw the quizzical look on the woman¡¯s face.

    ¡°We have one traveler with us at the library.  He has made a hermit of himself, and I have not seen him for more than a few years now.¡±  I nodded knowingly at her words, about how oddly most travelers behaved.

    Neil looked up, I guess sensing our eyes on him and I saw his face redden at our gaze before he ducked back down into the refractory to watch Cid work.

    At that behavior we both laughed and the woman nudged me.  ¡°He is kin in spirt to my brother.  I can see his aura, it dances just like his.¡±  She said, with a distant expression and I frowned, wondering just what this strange girl could see that my own gifts could not.  I casted a working over my eyes and studied her own curling whirls of power that surrounded her like a cloak and she grinned at me as I followed the strange patterns with my mind.  Glancing back to her crew, she caught a gesture of beckoning from her minder from across the field.

    ¡°Becca, well I do need to be off, I can see that my little chat has caused some impatience with Loremaster Naraka.¡±  As she bounded off, I could see the man¡¯s stern gaze track me like a hawk.  Unlike her, I didn¡¯t get the same sort of feeling in my mind when I focused on him.  His eyes seemed to study me intently as his pupil caught up to him and he turned to her to start giving some sort of stern lecture.

    I smiled and wondered if she would be sticking around for a while.  It would be nice to have someone to talk to other than my often quite annoying family or infuriating bureaucrats.

    As if on cue, I looked up and smirked as I saw Tony stalking across the aerodrome field, in full dueling gear, looking uncomfortable in his borrowed combat rig, that looked maladjusted and tight on his massive frame.

    ¡°Hey Tony! Over here!¡± I called and he narrowed his eyes at me before grinning like a wolf.

    ¡°Read for your beat down?!¡±  He roared and I hunted around for Neil before pulling him away from Cid who was using his as a tool monkey.

    ¡°Let¡¯s be off Neil, I have to give my honored cousin a good thumpin.¡±  I laughed and he slunk behind me as I shrugged into my combat harness after I had Natasha fetch it for me along with an old set of worn dueling armor that Tony handed me from a flight bag.  Judging by the fit I assumed that he had borrowed it from Aunt Gracie.

    I tossed Neil his own flight harness and he gave me a look of surprise when I told him to put it on.  ¡°Your my second, so you will need this.¡±  Tony and I both tried to keep from laughing at the astonished traveler as the mix of panic and bafflement warred on his face.

    Tony and I headed onto the far side of the aerodrome, and I saw that Tony had already marked out the circle.

    I saw a small girl, of about twelve already in the air high above us, and I looked up, my goggles tinting as the sun struck them and gave a whoop as I pushed power into my harness and gave it a leap, rocketing into position at one side of the circle.

    Neil, not to be outdone, clumsily pushed himself up into the air spinning head over heels a few times before he finally righted himself, causing a peal of laughter from the girl that was watching his antics from above us.

    ¡°Gina get down here, you¡¯re supposed to be Tony¡¯s second!¡±  I scolded the girl and she blew me a raspberry and tucked her arms out, the wings of her flight suit, flaring as she dived on Neil, cackling with glee.

    He gave a surprised squawk and I saw him lose control over the power he was feeding to his harness and went spinning away, end over end before I smoothly caught him before he could go into a dizzying, out of control spiral that I knew from experience was often the result of such a mistake.

    We both rotated, weightlessly around each other as I pushed against his spin with my harness and we came to a halt in the air, Gina sliding up behind me as she studied the unsteady boy with incredulous eyes.

    ¡°Sorrrrry!¡± She finally said when I gave her my best ¡°I¡¯m gonna to get you.¡± Look.  Gina knew from experience that I was quite inventive in my revenge.

    ¡°Gina, help him to his side of the circle!¡± I smiled at the girl and she nodded quickly and grasped Neil, gently pulling him to the other side where he bobbed uncertainty, as he fought to stay in position against the brisk wind blowing over the aerodromes¡¯ field.

    Far below us I could see the little dragon glancing sleepily up at our antics, his head on his forepaws as he watched our activity with lidded eyes.  I could also see the academy brats that had been offering to bond with the dragon watching us intently, their instructor handing one of them a spyglass and cheering something at Tony who waved at him.

    I had cleared this corner of the field with the tower for only a half hour.  The sky folk often used this side of the field for their little bouts and it was nothing remarkable to them.  Still, I was betting that they were watching us intently through their massive spotter scopes and taking a pool on which one of us would win.

    Tony floated up to me, and I crossed my arms and grinned at him as he pulled his goggles over his eyes and gave me a sarcastic salute.  I returned him with a rude gesture as Gina cackled with laughter.

    ¡°Hey Tony!  First of three or code Thaka rules?¡±  I said and he just shrugged and grinned at me, and I rolled my eyes at him, as his cracking shield of energy flared around him expanding, filling the special enchantments of the dueling armor.

    I did the same, feeling my heart thump and my excitement climb at our coming clash.  I formed balls of flaring power in each hand, and I saw him harden his own palms as they began to glow.

    We charged.  Power shot between us as the air shuddered with a cracking boom, our fists meeting and striking out at the glowing point circles on our armor, each one of us directing wind and power, pushing away blows and reflecting attacks.

    I fell into the fury of the conflict, with a zeal and glee I had missed in the many years since I had last fought Tony.  There were few equals of my power among the sky folk, but Tony and I had always tested our strength against each other over the years, much to the disapproval of our family.

    The family discouraged conflict, but our relationship was more friendly rivalry than any sort of feud that it often appeared to outsiders.

    With a cry of glee, I found an opening and slammed my power into Tony¡¯s ward structure and watched it shatter along with his deflection.  He careened off the blow and his dueling armor lit up with a flashing red glow as he righted himself and saluted, then held up two fingers as I grinned at him.

    Best of three it was.

    He got me in the next exchange, slamming past me as I pushed a feint away and attempted to break another side of his shields.  The blow blasted through my barrier and knocked the wind out of me, sending me sprawling through the air before I caught myself just bare inches from passing the circle and being disqualified.

    We grappled in the next exchange and, and our spell structures fought a desperate battle as we both tried to shatter each other¡¯s defenses.  They burst at the same times and in a fiery flash both our dueling vests lit up with angry red.

    My body started to bubble with laughter as Gina shrieked in triumph and gave Neil a nasty smirk.  I was about to call the little girl off, but it was far too late, as she went bouncing towards my second as we both ducked below them to watch.  I wish I could have said it was like watching a perfect falcon release, but it was more like an over-enthusiastic puppy performing a running tackle.

    I really should have explained things to Neil beforehand as the confused countenance he presented made it quite apparent, he had no idea what to do.  I still remember that expression on his face, it was priceless!

    The girl barely gave him any time to react as she flipped over at the last possible instant and planted both her tiny boots into his stomach, sending the boy flying out of the circle. She crowed her victory and zoomed around him as he tried to right himself, spinning end over end, the wind merrily blowing him down the field.

    ¡°Gina, bring him back here and stop fooling around!¡±  Tony called to the girl who waved to him then grasped one of Neil¡¯s flailing legs and latching onto it as she arrested his tumble and towed him back to the circle.

    ¡°You planned that!  Tony accused me and I tried to keep a straight face, but we both failed and burst out laughing at the queasy expression on my apprentice¡¯s face as he tried not to heave.

    ¡°Well, he needed some practice in the harness!¡± I said as Tony admonished me and shook his head as I considered just how hard it was to stay angry at my cousin.

    ¡°When did Gina become your responsibility anyways?  I didn¡¯t know you needed that little bandit as your partner in crime.¡±  I laughed and he shrugged.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t my idea, sis thought her little imp needed to get out and see the world, so I got stuck with her when she found out Gracie was sending me along with you.¡±  He groaned and we all winced as Neil lost the battle to keep the contents of his stomach.  I had a different theory, and that was that her mother needed some Gina free time, and just wanted some peace and quiet.

    My face resumed its snarky grin as I remembered the first time I had encountered the little fiend, she had jumped onto mom¡¯s harness as she was flying over to Sweetwind from Argos, laughing the whole way with mom shrieking and spinning, trying to grab her and unlash Gina from her harness.  They had both plowed into the mainsail and startled me at the helm nearly causing me to slam the deck up into them from below as they landed.  I couldn¡¯t quite recall whom my mom had been more pissed at, me or the reckless brat.

    ¡°Ewww¡­ he actually gets the sky jimmies Aunt Becca?¡±  She looked at Neil with fascinated horror that only someone practically born wearing a harness could.

    ¡°Well, not normally, I think.  I don¡¯t think¡­ that blow to the stomach was very nice of you Gina, you could have just pushed him out!¡±  I admonished the girl who suddenly became the picture of hurt innocence.

    ¡°I was Uncle Tony¡¯s second! OK? So there!¡±  She gloated as I shot a glare at her role model.  ¡°I know where she get¡¯s her sense of fair play from!¡± I accused, my glare boring into my cousin like a harpoon.

    Tony shrugged and pointed at the little dragon below us who was looking up and sniffing the air.  ¡°Is that normal?¡±  He said and I saw the long form of the sun dragon turn its snout upward and give a keening cry.

    We looked at Gina in shock as she had frozen and locked eyes with the dragon.  Almost in unison Tony and I uttered choice curses as we both realized what was happening.  We had both been present at dragon bondings before.

 Chapter 15: Can I keep it?

    A few minutes later there was a massive crowd gathered around the dragon, as well as a bunch of other dragons, their pilots, and some of their crews who had all come out to see the most unlikely dragon bonding in recent memory.

    Sally Marshall stood there, glaring at us, her hand on her hips and the odd leak of flashing energy causing her hair to frizzle as she fought her temper.

    ¡°I told you to keep an eye on her! What the heck am I going to do with a dragon?! You have any idea just how big a dragon gets? How much they eat?! It¡¯s not like that pet cloud cat she picked up last year, I can¡¯t very well tell her to just train the dragon to hunt skeebats! The woman shrieked.

    Gina was laughing and bouncing on the young dragon¡¯s head as it turned its snout around in an odd contortion, still keening at her and occasionally licking it¡¯s long forked tongue while letting out excited snorts of steam. Her father was there next to her looking at the girl¡¯s newest companion with a dazed expression of shock. I had always wondered what it would take to surprise that old sweat. I supposed I had found something that finally did the trick.

    ¡°Well we can¡¯t take her with us Sal!¡± I cried gesturing to the dragon, then to my own Sweetwind and miming claustrophobia. The dragon, could possibly fit if it curled around the mainmast, but it¡¯s weight would be ruinous for the craft¡¯s flight characteristics, speed and efficiency. I shuddered to even contemplate the power consumption.

    Tony¡¯s twin sister glared at her brother in grim accusation and gave a sigh followed by a hysterical laugh that ended with a sob. ¡°Why¡­ just why¡­I just wanted her to get out from underfoot for a bit! All I wanted was for my stupid brother to keep an eye on her for us and stay out of trouble!¡±

    Rolling my eyes, I mentally congratulated myself for nailing the real motivation of Sally¡¯s sudden need to inflict her daughter on us. It had been spot on. I swear, when I looked closely I could see there were a few early strands of grey in her hair, at least what hadn¡¯t been frizzled and split by angry power surges.

    ¡°The Argos is the largest ship in the family! Unless you want to leave her at the academy for training you¡¯re going to have to look after your own daughter!¡± I snarled and I blanched as I saw how pale and drained my cousin looked. She gave me a look of deep pleading and I rubbed my eyes.

    ¡°I can¡¯t haul that stupid dragon around! I wouldn¡¯t be able to take any cargo, or at least nothing worth mentioning! And I¡¯m trying to build a crew!¡± My bellows of pure rage at her expectations on me drew a few stares. There was a polite cough next to us and I glanced over a very disapproving glare from the Academy Aeronautica¡¯s Comandante who had snuck up on the lot of us.

    ¡°Ah I do have to interrupt for a second here, but I must interject. We have a treaty with the dragon clan that young Kantar is from. I¡¯m afraid that the concept of a sky folk Dracon never occurred to them, and you would have to sit down and negotiate any changes to our agreement first, or they may just take their young hatching back with them along with your daughter to their holdings in the Hattrack expanse.¡±

    I saw all the color drain from Sally¡¯s face and my own blood froze at the thought. I hadn¡¯t even considered the implications this odd occurrence had on the dragon clan¡¯s treaty.

    We all turned to see the very annoyed sun dragon patriarch staring all of us down with a look that promised nothing good. My heart nearly stopped and I felt dizzy with horror as I considered just what it would mean to piss off a dragon that was one of the oldest and largest sun dragons that I¡¯d ever laid eyes on.

    Sally squeaked and I saw her own look of complete and abject terror in her eyes as eyes the size of dinner plates stared intently at her directly deeply set in a head that was so massive, it could easily bite the entire bow off of Sweetwind in one gigantic snap of it¡¯s jaws.

    <My grandson has found his first! It is¡­ unexpected but interesting¡­ are you this one¡¯s mother?>

    We all winced as the dragon¡¯s mind voice drove us to our knees. Gina let out a shriek and hugged her new friend tightly, pain etched across her features.

    In my entire life I had never actually heard a dragon speak, as it was so rare for anyone without the right ability to actually talk to a dragon, and only the eldest of dragons had developed enough ability to talk with anyone they wanted.

    I tried to pull my shattered mental barriers back together, but the dragon just sniffed at all of us with abject contempt before I felt it try to reduce the power of its projections after seeing the effects it had on every soul around us. Only the strange novice from the great library of sorrows seemed completely unfazed. She grinned up at the dragon and put her hands on her hips and the two exchanged a silent conversation. As they conversed, the girl was shaking an admonishing finger at the dragon.

    ¡°Is she scolding a dragon the size of a warship?¡± Allister Roark asked, rubbing his temple and coming to stand by his wife, helping Sally up with one strong arm.

    Watching the heated exchange and the expressions flickering between the two, I had to agree with the man¡¯s assessment. It really did seem the case.

    At the end of the exchange I saw a snort of wry amusement cross the dragon patriarch¡¯s horrific muzzle followed by a blast of mirth as it fixed its gaze upon Amka. The steamy, smoking cloud washed over us all and I realized that the dragon was laughing.

    Amka¡¯s own dragon seemed to be trying to do the draconic equivalent of a face palm as it shuddered with snorts of laughter as well.

    <I like this one! She will join us when we make treaty! It will not be boring!>

    I looked at the mischievous and happy expression on Amka¡¯s round face, her eyes danced in triumph as she giggled and turned to me.

    ¡°They all the same¡­ so very grumpy.¡± She giggled and it was a bit odd as she was the only one laughing. We were all staring at her with a mix of awe and barely concealed panic.

    Neil was standing next to me and shaking his head. ¡°So, it¡¯s not going to eat us?¡± He asked and got a look of frustrated consternation from Amka who rolled her eyes at him.

    ¡°Despite what you may have heard traveler, we do not taste good with ketchup. Too stringy, or at least that¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard them say.¡±

    She laughed at Neil¡¯s expression and I had to grin at the good-natured novice and wonder just what it was like to actually be able to converse so openly and casually with something that made me want to pee my pants every time it looked at me cross-eyed.

    ¡°They tried to eat someone with ketchup?!¡± I heard Gina pipe up and she walked over to hug her mother. Her new dragon nearly bowed the both of them over with its snout before the girl gave it some attention to distract it, scratching just under its muzzle. It cooed, then snorted at her, right before Gina made the mistake of tweaking a nostril.

    The dragon seemed to scrunch up it¡¯s nostrils, sucking in a bit of air, shuddering. When I saw Amka dive to the ground I followed her, Neil landing in the grass beside me right before it gave a massive sneeze showering everyone with steam and dragon snot.

    ¡°Yep¡­ best not to do that around the nostrils, they are sensitive there.¡± Amka chided the girl and I saw Sally, Allister and a very surprised Gina all with identical looks of shock that rapidly resolved into disgust as they flicked heavy mucus off in giant globs.

    Neil burst out laughing for one of the very first times I had actually seen my typically somber apprentice laugh at anything as he pointed at Gina, then stood up and fished around in his flight jacket to hand the girl a large rag.

    Gina let out a peal of laughter even as the grease from the rag left spots around her face as she tried to soak up the mucus, beaming at her dragon as if it had performed the best prank ever. I looked at the pair and a deep feeling of foreboding entered my mind as I realized just what sort of mischief that this little brat could get up to with a monster like that at her side. I exchanged a knowing look of horror with Tony as he pulled off his goggles, and tried to clean them with perhaps the only dry spot he could find on his clothing.

    It looked like most of the crowd had escaped the blast radius of the sneeze, including the venerable Comandante of the Academy Areonautica who must have also known what was coming, his face peaking out from behind one of the other dragons he had dived for cover behind.

    He shook his head and rubbed his eyes as he smirked. ¡°Just be glad it is not an adult dragon¡­¡± He gave a shudder as if from past experience and cocked his head, studying the Gina and the dragon.

    ¡°I remember my first time too¡­¡± He sighed and gave a wry chuckle. I looked at the man, whom I had been introduced to so many years ago and realized that he was talking about his own famous dragon that had fallen in battle nearly fifty years ago. He seemed lost in the memory for a bit before he crouched down to look at Gina closely.

    ¡°Young lady, this is a grave responsibility you have stumbled into. Do you understand what it means to be a Dracon? You will have to teach and guide Kantar. He is not your pet, or just a lifelong companion. He will learn from you child, and grow along with you.¡± He said solemnly, making sure that the girl¡¯s attention was fixed directly on him as he spoke.

    The girl considered his words for a moment, then nodded as some of what had just happened was slowly starting to sink in.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°Are they going to take me away? I¡¯ve heard stories, is it true?¡± She said, her own eyes wide with fear as she looked between all her family members and then at her dragon.

    ¡°They may and they will if their terms are not met. I know Saranska very well. The honored patriarch is shrewd and discerning. This is no wild dragon foisting her brood off on humans to be shown the art of war, she is well educated and has had generations of Dracon serve her over the years. For the last century she has led her clan with both wisdom and honor.¡±

    The Commandant¡¯s words seemed to sober the normally freckless girl. ¡°Am I going to have to attend the academy now?¡± She stammered, and I was disappointed in the girl when I saw the familiar look of distain most sky folk shared when considering anything about the academy. As much as I hated the academy, I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d turn the man down myself.

    The wizened old man shrugged and gave her a fixed smile. ¡°I did not study with my Falanaka at the academy. I was found by a wild dragon when I was your age. She was much older than young Kantar here, like you, our paths crossed by mere chance.¡±

    When he saw her piqued interest, he continued.

    ¡°What you may learn here is something that I never had and it costed us dearly as we fought to survive on our own. I doubt I would be here if not for Falanaka¡¯s own fighting prowess, even for a dragon that had never had a rider before¡­ she was formable. There are many dangers for a young dragon abroad. That is why Saranska will take you to live with her clan until she is satisfied you are ready. That is if you do not choose to stay with us, at least until Kantar is a little bit stronger. Even so, you will both be tested with the trials of her clan before she will be satisfied.¡±

    Frowning I gazed across the field at the old patriarch dragon and saw that she had slunk back to rest in the shade of the massive hanger across the field, her massive eyes still narrowed as she stared as if in warning and wariness at our conversation.

    ¡°What sorta stuff they gonna test me on?¡± She said, her eyes lighting up with a slightly bloodthirsty gleam. I shook myself, and considered that this little girl had grown up on what was for all intents, a combat vessel. It wasn¡¯t for nothing that Uncle Rorark had the best troubleshooting vessel in our family.

    It was likely the girl was already an accomplished battle magi, even the young on such ships were taught how to fight and defend themselves. The man grinned at the girl¡¯s attitude with a toothy smile then looked at her father¡¯s icy expression. You only had to glance into the hanger behind us to see the scars of a recent battle that was being patched up as the Argos sat like an old warhorse. Aboard her was one of the toughest and most savage crews I had ever laid eyes on.

    There was a reason the girl was such a handful, and behaved as she did. I wondered if her dragon knew what he had gotten himself into when selecting the girl. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered if that was exactly why the dragon had chosen as he had.

    Turning away to let the two speak, I pulled Neil along as I left the Roarks to settle their own matters, and walked back to the hanger to make sure Cid wasn¡¯t taking notes about dragons rather than working on my ship.

    Natasha called down to us as she slid off the mainmast, her spyglass clinking into a pocket. ¡°That was something else! Who¡¯s the lucky girl?¡± She asked and motioned for her to follow me as I pulled myself up into the refractory to watch Cid work. I wasn¡¯t sure if he had even noticed anything, so fascinated he was with the chance to work on Sweetwind¡¯s systems.

    ¡°Trouble¡­¡± I muttered to Natasha when she continued to pest me for Gina¡¯s name.

    ¡°Wait¡­ she isn¡¯t from the academy?¡± She cried as she gripped her little communication crystal, no doubt attuning herself with a gossip network I was coming to respect, made up of her former classmates and other students of the academy.

    ¡°Nope, she¡¯s a cousin of mine.¡± I affirmed and the look of confusion on Natasha¡¯s face was comical.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know that was possible.¡± Natasha muttered at me and I shrugged. I hadn¡¯t known any of my family were dragon sensitive until today, but I did look a bit askance at Natasha¡¯s comment.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m not the biggest fan of the academy, so I¡¯ll be the first to point out that there are over fifty known species of dragon, on Prime alone and they inhabit almost every part of the world. It¡¯s not like the academy has a monopoly on pilots or anything.¡±

    Natasha gave a forlorn look, and then a bit of a chuckle. ¡°Well I suppose, it¡¯s just that I thought that sky folk were just airship pilots and the like.¡± I laughed and shook my head.

    ¡°I need to show you Swapper¡¯s Needle sometime. In actuality sky folk are a bit thin in number around these parts ever since the Yamania civil war. No, there are a lot of different types of flyers within our ranks, and more than a few dragons. Although, I¡¯ll admit I can¡¯t recall there being any Dracon in the last couple of generations of our family.¡±

    ¡°Swappers Needle?¡± Natasha asked and I nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯s a¡­ unique location that is pretty much only accessible by air. A titanic spire that tends to wander between several locations. Some sort of pre-cataclysm artifact that has a mind of its own, or so I¡¯ve noticed from our visits. It¡¯s one of the very few places you will find sky folk who manage to live anywhere near the ground. All of us can instinctively feel where it is, at any given time.¡±

    I cast my mind out for the needle and smiled. It actually wasn¡¯t too far away, considering it normally preferred to haunt the great northern oceans. About 400 miles northwest or so from where I was standing.

    The rather¡­ unique place didn¡¯t get its name from the fact it was a titanic spire of rock, but because if the sky folk have a center to their culture and lives, the needle was where the heart of us all resided. Every family had a vault on the needle and we were all bloodbound to defend it in times of need.

    Not that it was very easy to attack considering that everyone lived near the top of the needle, and the damm thing towered thousands of feet above see level, and was¡­ difficult to climb. You almost had to attack from air and, then you would have to cope with both the ire of the needle itself, and the best fliers in Endaria not to mention the layers of wards that successive generations of Sky Folk had laid into the structure. The thing had so much power coursing through it, that it was sentient, with a very capricious will of its own.

    ¡°Only thing I¡¯ve heard about it that it¡¯s a nest of sky pirates.¡± She muttered, causing me to laugh again and nod my head.

    ¡°Well not all of the folk are merchants or sky farmers, we are more often than not mercenaries or privateers. Outright piracy though will get you outcast and branded with the mark of dishonor.¡± I explained and she sighed and apologized.

    ¡°I did not mean to disparage your kin, accept my apology Captain Marshall.¡± I nodded and smiled at her. She couldn¡¯t help growing up on stories of the sky folk. I knew that more often than not the stories that spread were the more infamous ones, and that was the way with all things. It didn¡¯t take more than a few bad apples to muck a reputation up.

    ¡°Ah I do know how it be so don¡¯t apologize. I¡¯ll be the first to admit there is good reason to be wary when I meet another of the folk. We don¡¯t all get along you know.¡± I shuddered at some of the age-old feuds and a few of the rogue families I had the misfortune of stumbling into over the years.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be stopping by the needle on my way north, its actually closer than normal for the time being.¡± I explained and she gave me a quizzical look.

    ¡°It¡¯s the only place where we store our lore, and I need to get something from our family vault.¡± I explained and Cid looked up from his work in distinct interest at the mention. Brushing himself off, he gave me a fanatical look.

    ¡°Viss zit true? Vut they says on the needle¡¯s construction yes?¡± I nodded and his feline eyes flashed in wonder as his tail twitched.

    ¡°Yes, each block fits together nearly seamlessly. The interior of the needle has some¡­ very odd properties.¡± My stomach twisted at just the thought of making the change over at the eye.

    Neil perked up when I started to describe how the needle twisted gravity around the walls of the inside, and he asked a few very specific questions.

    ¡°Do the buildings curve around the inside? And build out of the walls towards the central part of a circle? He drew a finger around the air in a circle and I nodded.

    His eyes lit up as if in sudden understanding, and then, not long afterwards he vanished back to his world. Startling us as his body dissolved into green motes of light.

    ¡°I am never going to get used to him doing that.¡± Natasha grumped as she handed Cid a tool as he worked.

    I turned my thoughts away from travelers, and we worked the morning away. We completed the repairs and refurbishment work to Sweetwind shortly before the noon day bell sounded from the Bagliona chrono tower.

    Neil returned and pestered me with endless questions about Swapper¡¯s Needle as I tried to describe it as best I could.

    ¡°It really does sound like a spacehab¡­¡± He muttered and I looked questionably at him as we walked across the aerodrome field. My intention was to go into town today and find a buyer for the wyvern stuff, and secure a few more storage crystals for our power bank. There was also a myriad of other things I needed to replace on Sweetwind. Over the past few days I had written up a long list of parts and equipment that I knew I could find on my own, rather than incur the added expense of having Costas track them down for me with his runners.

    Tony was still distracted, sitting in on the negations that were going on between the dragons and his family when I checked in on him before I left. I made sure that both of us had weapons with us and a fully stocked battle harness. There were no illusions to be had about the very real possibility that a bounty had been placed on my head.

    My head was beginning to pound as Neil was trying to describe what he thought Swapper¡¯s Needle was and I asked him to stop, his eyes going wide as he saw my state and he winced.

    ¡°The great seal, really that powerful?¡± He asked and I nodded.

    ¡°What is the great seal anyways? It¡¯s like it prevents me from trying to describe anything from my world to you, among many other things.¡± I groaned and clutched my throbbing head.

    ¡°It¡¯s part of the fabric of Endaria, you could say that everything is the great seal. It is bound into the fabric of all power everywhere. It is not just in what we say or do, but in every aspect of all things.¡± I tried to quote what my own grandfather had told me of the seal when I had asked him.

    Remembering the rhyme, I had been taught as a child, I recited it to him.

    ¡°One to bind us, one to blind us, all to seal us and Endaria keep us.¡± I said, and my skull pulsed in time to the words as I winced.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that truth stones are made by using the great seal to compel the truth.¡± He said and I nodded. Picking up a small pebble from the side of the road as we walked, I explained.

    ¡°The great seal has many direct applications. Truth is only one aspect, you can also use your own blood to bind yourself to an oath or others. The blood has to be given willingly and in good faith. The gods themselves are the only ones that can resist the power of the seal.¡±

    He looked at me in wonder for a minute then hit his head with one palm. ¡°I¡¯m so freaking stupid¡­ my respawn point! You have an altar, right?¡± Neil grinned like a lunatic and I nodded, wondering what he was talking about.

    ¡°Yes, I have a consecrated altar aboard Sweetwind It is primarily dedicated to my patron, Zeus but I do honor the other winds with it.¡± I couldn¡¯t see where this was going.

    Directly outside the wall around the aerodrome, there was an expansive market dedicated to the needs of the flyers, both from the academy and the messenger¡¯s guild. I made sure to stay on the main street, and keep my personal shield strong as I scanned the crowd and walked towards a massive wreck of a crashed airship centuries old. It had been remodeled into a large store that everyone in Bagliona who considered themselves a true flyer frequented.

    I could feel the powerful wards envelope me as we walked under the ornate sign and entered the Wandering Spirit. I gazed around for the proprietor and spotted the little gnome arguing with another flyer over an enchanted set of boots.

    Both looked up as I walked in and I recognized the flyer, my eyes narrowing. ¡°As I live and breathe the sky, if it isn¡¯t the Rusalka!¡± I said, and the mercenary woman grinned at me and fingered one of her throwing knives as she shot me a nasty expression. Rus was one of the most infamous characters I had ever had the misfortune to run into, and was also one of my childhood friends.

    ¡°Why Becky, good to see you again.¡± She said and I flinched as I rubbed the side of my shoulder where I still had a scar from our last encounter. She grinned manically at the reflex as she sized up my apprentice when he stepped from behind me to see why I had frozen in my tracks.

 Chapter 16: Bounty Hunters!

    ¡°Oh, a traveler¡­ how fascinating! You know a few of these bastards try to jump me for the price on me head every morning. Persistent little shits.¡± She grumbled and I saw her give Neil an evil grin as if challenging him.

    ¡°Neil isn¡¯t a bounty hunter, he is my apprentice!¡± I smirked at the look that crossed her face before she shot a more scrutinizing glance at the teenager, and then adjusted a few lenses on her complex set of goggles and scanned him with a spell.

    ¡°That is one powerful aura he has mate! Gods, where did you find him?¡± She said all the while licking her lips at the information she was gleaning.

    ¡°Who is she?¡± Neil took a few steps back at the feral smile on Rus¡¯s face and I gave a wry chuckle.

    ¡°Information broker, or a spymaster. Your pick. She is generally called The Rusalka or Rus for short.¡± I said and glared at the woman my hand on my hips.

    ¡°Rus, stop it your scaring the lad.¡± The gnome next to her said and gave her a stiff elbow. She lifted her goggles and blinked as if she was adjusting her eyes before she returned to her haggling over the boots.

    I walked over to the display case in one of the most heavily warded sections of the shop, scrutinizing the selection of storage crystals that were on offer, reading their capacitance and other properties.

    In all I wasn¡¯t terribly impressed by the selection. Crystals suited to my very demanding needs were hard to come by, and one of the most expensive parts within an airship. I saw only three crystals that would suit my needs, and they all made my stomach twist when I gulped and read the asking prices.

    Rus pushed her newly purchased boots into an unlikely sized spellfolded pouch as she skipped over to see what I was considering. ¡°You know we never did finish our¡­ business earlier.¡± She whispered to me and grinned evilly. I had to wonder which business she meant, the task I have given her, or her demands for a rematch.

    It was no accident I had ¡°happened¡± to just bump into her here, of that I had no doubt. Likely she had been keeping an eye on my movements since the moment I had set down Sweetwind in the aerodrome.

    ¡°What do you want Rus?¡± I snarled and she backed up her hands spread wide. ¡°I heard you have a very interesting wyvern battle saddle¡­as part of your prize loot.¡± She cackled and I groaned, remembering in horror what sort of beast she was bonded with. It was a giant black wyvern she had given a rather unique name.

    I never understood why Rus had endearingly named her mount Cuddles but considering it was a massive flying lizard with a temperament of a cranky dragon that spat acid instead of fire, everyone who knew of the Rusalka thought she wasn¡¯t quite right in the head.

    ¡°It¡¯s up for lease if you want it. I put it in trust with the messenger¡¯s guild.¡± I fished around inside my jacket and pulled out the lease agreement I had brought with me today.

    ¡°Oi! You want me to compete for the right to use it with the guild?!¡± She snarled and I shrugged.

    ¡°Hey! First come first serve, you didn¡¯t contact me when I landed, and I didn¡¯t even know you needed another harness for Cuddles. Besides, it¡¯s still being repaired. I did a number on it in the process of acquisition.¡±

    The Rusalka looked over the lease agreement and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re not asking for an excessive amount here. I¡¯ll consider your terms Becca and get back to you.¡± She gave me a feral grin and I shivered and wondered just how secure my acquired wyvern harness was in the guild¡¯s vaults.

    Stalking out the door she gave me a look and a nasty wink that guaranteed I¡¯d be looking over my shoulder for her for weeks, and probably scanning the skies when I lifted ship. I shivered. It was never a good thing to have the Rusalka interested in you or anything you owned.

    ¡°You know, I think she considers it a personal challenge, finding ways to get her bounty increased.¡± I muttered and turned as the door shuttered open and I spied several travelers who had been following the Rusalka scan the store before they settled on me.

    I saw one nudge the other and they looked down at a slate in his hands and grinned. I gaped at the complete lack of subtly that these fledgling bounty hunters possessed and rolled my eyes at them.

    Neil was also looking at a point over their heads, his face going pale. ¡°Pkers!¡± He stammered and he glared at them as they turned to look at the boy.

    ¡°Oh my¡­ is this your bit of digital tail nooblet? She is a looker, I have to admit.¡± One of them, a big oversized thug with shoddy armor and a perpetual sneer gawked at me and licked his lips. My own temper flared and sparks started to creep around my fingertips, as I didn¡¯t enjoy just how he was looking at me up and down.

    ¡°She¡¯s my friend! If you have a beef with her you have a beef with me assholes!¡± Neil snarled and I felt him begin to draw power into himself, though I had no idea just what he expected to do with it. I had never taught him how to use his gift offensively.

    ¡°Not inside! Take it into the streets, but you know the law! No serving bounties in city limits!¡± The gnome snarled, as he reached into a pocket and pulled out a clear crystal that thundered with power. I shivered as the aura from the device washed over me and my apprentice.

    It was deeply connected to the wards inside the owner¡¯s shop, and could likely cause them to fry us on our feet, shields or no. He glared at the bounty hunters who obviously had no understanding of how perilous was their position. Grinning at us, they turned and stalked off.

    I gave a wry chuckle. ¡°Cassidy, since when have bounty hunters ever observed the niceties?¡± I asked and looked down at the enraged gnome who returned my stare with a wince.

    ¡°Becca you just don¡¯t understand how stupid that bunch is do you? They have been killed a half dozen times trying to ambush their bounties. I think it¡¯s starting to become something of local entertainment, as the guards don¡¯t even bother intervening and exchange bets whenever they start stalking someone.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve killed other players¡­¡± Neil muttered and he gazed with rage out the door, watching them through a window as they slunk to a nearby corner and leaned against it, watching the shop.

    ¡°Murderers? Those morons? I¡¯m surprised that they know which is the pointy end of their weapons!¡± The gnome laughed.

    ¡°Mabey not here, but they¡¯ve killed other travelers.¡± He stammered and I looked out at them. It could be that they were a part of a larger group. These could be just their watchers who informed and tracked bounties. That was normally how it went with people from the hunter¡¯s guild. Information on a bounty¡¯s whereabouts was also exchanged, for small fees.

    Cassidy looked at where I was standing next to his storage crystal case, and I could see his piggy little eyes light up with the prospect of fleecing me for a vast fortune.

    I narrowed my eyes at the shrewd little man and pointed to my selections. We began the process of haggling, and when we were done, I still felt distinctly cheated as I composed a bank writ for him to take and nearly clean out my recent earnings with.

    Neil had been browsing the shop and I saw him eying a spellfolded bag that was almost worth more than what I had paid for one of the crystals. ¡°Dream on flyboy!¡± I laughed when I saw him practically drooling over Cassidy¡¯s sales pitch on the object.

    ¡°You have some storage in your jacket, that¡¯s way more than any flyer needs anyways.¡± I muttered and saw that it could soulbind and recall as well as vanish. I itched to buy the bag myself but I knew I really didn¡¯t¡¯ need it.

    ¡°Mabey I can learn to make one someday!¡± He said and both of us laughed hysterically at the boy, who¡¯s hopeful expression evaporated in the face of just how ridiculous we considered that statement.

    ¡°Neil, even Cid probably would have trouble trying to make something like that! You want to know why your jacket was so expensive? Even the smallest of such enchantments are insanely difficult to lay.¡± I explained.

    Cassidy wouldn¡¯t be deterred. ¡°Now Becca, he is a growing lad and would greatly benefit from a bag like that. I could lease it to you if you want¡­¡± I laughed and shook my head.

    ¡°No, I¡¯d buy it outright if I wanted it, nice try Cassidy.¡± I looked at the feigned disappointment on the gnome¡¯s face and he shrugged.

    Pulling out my shopping list I looked it over then inquired about a few things I knew he always kept in his stock. Another exhaustive haggle later, I signed another bank note and paid for the deliver fee, with an armed escort.

    ¡°It will go with the evening bankroll deposit.¡± Cassidy said and I nodded. Most of my list were too bulky for easy carry anyway. ¡°Thanks Cassidy, we need to get going.¡±

    As we exited the shop, I looked around for the bounty hunters but they were gone from their corner. I still felt as if I was being watched as I walked towards the apothecary.

    On the other side of the street from the Wandering Spirit was the shop I normally used. Between the crowded market stalls and down a narrow alleyway was a dingy little doorway with a brass placard over it.

    No solicitors! No loiters! No rat tails!

    Under it, was carved: Xantar¡¯s Cave. The ancient stone the shop was built with a sort of material that looked much different than the surrounding buildings. It was a considerably older structure, and some would have said that when the city was last razed to the ground this shop hadn¡¯t even noticed. Others said that the shop was here long before the city. I really didn¡¯t know which one in the right, but it was where I liked to shop for all my alchemy needs.

    Entering the structure and feeling it¡¯s wards encase me, I shuddered and descended down a long staircase that ended in a torch lit room that was filled with strange and exotic hanging plants, thick shelves and a miasma of aromas that caused the both of us to sneeze violently.

    As if that familiar sound had alerted the dozing woman at the counter across the room to our arrival, she blinked her eyes open and fixed me with a grin.

    ¡°Ah I knew you would be here dearie, when I heard you had downed a Wyvern, I knew it! I told my Georgie I did! Becca would be here, before she asked anyone else!¡± I sighed and slumped down onto a stool by the counter. It always disturbed me talking to Xantar.

    Reaching into my jacket, I pulled out the list of what I had salvaged from the beast and handed it to her. She reached into a pocket of her stained work apron and found a set of battered and multi-lensed spectacles to put over her eyes as she tried to focus on my offer.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the blood and the poison glands¡­ right enough! I don¡¯t know about all of the bones, but the wing ones I¡¯ll settle for!¡± She cackled and I nodded. ¡°Thanks Xan, at the normal rates?¡± I didn¡¯t even try to haggle, one didn¡¯t haggle with this woman. You either paid what she wanted or not. She didn¡¯t seem interested in the scales at all, and I groaned inwardly as that was the most valuable part of my haul from the wyvern.

    She rolled her eyes at my consternation, then fixated on Neil who was looking with an entranced interest at a set of books along one shelf. ¡°I think I may have something for your apprentice, something Georgie says he needs. I don¡¯t argue with my Georgie!¡± She cackled again and I gave her a dubious glare as she reached below her counter and pulled out a small black book with a glowing golden lock on it.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Neil bolted over and looked at the book with an intensely speculative glare. ¡°How did you get one of these?¡± I asked, but I knew that this creature had been here longer then perhaps the city and that fact had always sent shivers down my spine.

    It was a personal grimoire, a teaching tool for young magi that they could study from. I had used my mother¡¯s family grimoire to learn from when I had first started out, and it was an ancient book that had been passed down from generation to generation. If this thing was anything like our family grimoire it was probably semi-sentient.

    ¡°What portion of my soul will I have to part with to pay for something like this?¡± I glared at the woman who shook her head at me.

    ¡°Not for you to buy, for him. It must be bound to him and bought by him.¡± I laughed at the statement and wondered if the boy had any coin on him at all. It¡¯s not as if I¡¯d paid my new apprentice yet.

    ¡°How much!?¡± He said as he closely examined it, his eyes wide.

    ¡°One Yamanian gold noble!¡± She grinned at the boy who looked surprised as he pulled out the coin that the haughty priestess from the Yamanian warship had given me for praising her stupid prophet. I had completely forgotten that I had given it to him.

    The coin was out and into the woman¡¯s wizened hand in a flash. The woman made the coin vanish into a grubby pouch in her apron and fixed the boy with a toothless grin as she held up a silver binding disk to the boy. ¡°It will be soulbound to you Neil, just touch the disk wandering one.¡± Her solemn tone was at odds with her usual jovial demeanor, and she seemed to hold her breath as Neil bound the book to himself.

    I didn¡¯t even deign to ask how that woman knew exactly what the boy had in terms of coin, or how she knew his name without even asking. Xan was just like that, and no one was brave enough to inquire deeply into any of those sorts of questions. Personally, I was a bit scared of the woman but she was the best alchemist in the city. One does not argue with an alchemist like her, if one wants to live a long life.

    The book was quickly tucked away into Neil¡¯s jacket and I wondered if I would ever be able to take that grin he now had, off his face. I knew that this was no ordinary grimoire, not if it was from Xan.

    Picking up a few items from my list, I organized another delivery, and pocketed a few healing tonics, and stim tabs. Her creepy eyes never left Neil as we made our purchase, leaving the store and ascending back up into the bustling market.

    Looking at the small alleyway that led out into the sprawl of the market, I saw a man crouched by a stall who locked eyes with me before he clutched a communication crystal and moved away. Neil followed my glare and looked a bit wary.

    ¡°That was a player!¡± He said and looked around in panic before I nudged him.

    ¡°Let us get back to the ship¡­ I really don¡¯t want to pay for any damages in the market today.¡± I grumbled and he nodded as he adjusted his harness and we stalked out of the alleyway.

    The group that met us near the gates of the aerodrome was substantially larger than the one we encountered in Cassidy¡¯s shop. There were about two dozen bounty hunters.

    I glanced around for the city watch, but noticed that the watch booth was empty. The gates themselves didn¡¯t really need guards as they were powerfully warded to keep out people not of the academy, the guild or didn¡¯t have a pass. The watch still often retained a presence there, but apparently it wasn¡¯t one that was beyond being bribed. The normal brisk traffic through the gate had vanished at the prospect of a serious confrontation involving bounty hunters.

    The leader of the group pushed into the front of the mob and sized me up as he grinned at the both of us. I tried to keep my temper under control as he gave me the once over like the other travelers had. ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding Gravedigit, she is an eye-full!¡± He laughed, with self-assured arrogance and then glared at Neil.

    ¡°Hey noob, ready to go for respawn? Don¡¯t worry we have people camping the respawn points here in the city, and we won¡¯t mind keeping you around for our entertainment for a bit, just like her!¡± He laughed.

    I wondered what they were waiting for, and why they were trying to get my apprentice all riled up. I nudged Neil and shook my head. ¡°Let them strike first, I¡¯ll shield us.¡± I said and he nodded, his fists clenched.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you lady, but sorry your boy toy there is toast. I do run into serious problems killing NPCs, but no one really seems to mind if I take out other players around here as long as we avoid any collateral damage.¡± He mused, and nudged his companion as I tried to understand what he was talking about.

    ¡°I love this game! You have any idea how much his gear is worth?¡± He asked his companion, all of them eyeing Neil speculatively.

    ¡°He¡¯s with an airship NPC, don¡¯t you have to be like as rich as a king to own one or something? I wonder if he has any soulbound items we can extort from him. Those always worth a pretty penny.¡±

    Turning their envious gazes back to us, they stalked around our shield like a pride of circling sky cats. I could see Neil start to sweat and tremble as a few of the travelers started to flare into needless pyrotechnics, revealing shields and wards of their own.

    I studied their amateurish castings and tried to hold in my laughter, as they were flashy, but of little substance. The castings were crude and were typically only single-layered with no real thought given to encrypting the structure. Even Gina could do better if she really felt like it. I suspected the little girl would easily wipe the deck with the lot of this rabble, and probably feed them to her newly acquired companion afterwards.

    Shaking my head, I looked at my apprentice, and was disappointed in his lack of faith in me. Still, there were a whole lot of them and they might get lucky. I wasn¡¯t quite at my full strength after my morning duel with Tony.

    ¡°What about it noob? Just fork over your stuff and we won¡¯t camp you. You know, if we do kill you often enough there are... consequences. I¡¯m not sure if you haven¡¯t died enough to find out yet, but trust me, it will be better if you just delete your character if we put you on our blacklist.¡± He sneered and glared at Neil who already had his cutlass out and looked at me, and I shrugged at him.

    ¡°Just use your harness Neil, I¡¯ll take care of these idiots and be along shortly.¡± I told him and he shook his head at me, I was surprised at his sudden gain in bravery. Where was the timid Neil? I could clearly see he was terrified out of his wits, but he refused to leave me. At my glace towards Neil, I felt one of their magi start to agressively probe my defenses, slamming deep into the structure and trying to figure out how to break it.

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± I shrieked and I thrust out my shield. The first rank, and the leader were slammed off their feet, the barrier crushing bone and sending travelers flying. I drew my cutlass and used it to channel an arc of energy straight into one of the magi they had with them, electrocuting the woman and knocking her senseless, ending her probe into my defenses. Taking a deep breath, I drew my shield back to us and started to project a casting through it.

    Rings of power flowed up and down the shield as it flashed and sizzled, building up power for my strike. I could feel my reserves dropping like a stone, but I gritted my teeth and pushed through the pain as I thrust blasts of power into the nearby travelers who were gathered outside, forcing them back off, killing a few outright.

    Giving another scream of rage I channeled a ball of raw power through my sword and whipped it around my body then forward, flinging the cracking, howling ball of energy into the leader who was carried off his feet and through the open gate, where he rebounded back off the gate wards with a sickening crunch before slumping to the ground in a lifeless heap.

    My energy began to bottom out and I gasped for breath before I felt soft fingers intertwine in my own and power flood back into my body as Neil fed me his own energy. I looked at my apprentice and grinned.

    As my barrier spun down and I could see more clearly through the haze of crackling energy. The fight was clearly over. There was only the dissipating dust kicked up from the street by the travelers as they ran for their lives. The bodies of the fallen were littered around us like broken dolls. The smell of scorched flesh, blood and ozone invaded my nose, causing it to burn.

    I was startled out of my momentary fugue when there was a bit of clapping and a maniacal little cheer. Glancing around, looked up and saw the Rusalka munching on a pango fruit and grinning wickedly at me from a nearby rooftop as if she had sat there and waited for the show. Dropping off the roof she lightly landed as graceful as a cat before prancing over to start digging around in the leader¡¯s belongings, pocketing a few coins she found.

    ¡°Got to be quick with these idiots, they have friends that will be along in a bit.¡± She kept digging around until she found the leader¡¯s slate and pulled it out in triumph. She tossed it to me, and I let the slate pass through my barrier, catching it awkwardly.

    I looked at a list of names and faces until my jaw dropped when I saw the amount in bounty next to my name. It was even more than Rus¡¯s and she seemed to make a dedicated hobby of trying to get it raised every few months.

    ¡°Six hundred gold!?¡± I stammered and she nodded.

    ¡°I already know who you pissed off mate, but really? Since when does straight arrow Becky go making enemies of a chairman?¡± She grinned at me as I pocketed the slate.

    ¡°I am definitely going to challenge this bounty!¡± I snarled at the look of gloating from her and glared across the city to the hunter¡¯s spire in the distance. Annoyance coursed through me as I stared accusingly at massive guild flag waving merrily in the ocean breeze.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t really matter mate! The contract will just go underground if it¡¯s overturned, we both know that.¡± She laughed and I gave her a rude gesture, which just caused her to laugh harder.

    I had always given the woman grief because of her dubious reputation and the very real criminal offences that she was accused of. It had always been a sore spot between us that I enjoyed playing high and mighty with her. Now it seemed as if we were both wanted by someone and for a prince¡¯s ransom no less.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised it was just bounty hunters and not assassins. Chairman Yard must really want you alive, and that would be a first. He¡¯s personally tried to kill me with assassins on multiple occasions, the rotter.¡± The Rusalka mused as she finished off her pango and spit out it¡¯s pit right into the open mouth that was the frozen expression of the leader, his neck had been snapped. It lulled to the side when the rogue gave it another vicious kick with one of her new boots for good measure.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired of these stupid travelers lording it up over my city!¡± She shrieked and punctuated each word with a stomp onto the leader¡¯s helmeted face, burying it into the cobble stones, her eyes rolling with the feral glint of madness that everyone knew her for.

    When she saw my expression of horror she stopped and turned to me. ¡°It¡¯s like this everywhere now, not just the bounty hunters but all of the guilds love hiring and training these undying pricks. Granted these are like the scum on the bottom of the barrel, but it is infuriating! I¡¯m not used to my enemies coming back from the dead!¡± She bellowed and jumped up with both feet, stomping on the head of the leader. When the chin strap of his helmet broke, she punted the rolling helmet up and over a building across the street. She stood there, pain and loss in her eyes as she breathed heavily, the tantrum seemingly taking a lot out of her.

    ¡°They killed Batzy! They killed him! And for what? For their own amusement! He was just a kid, they killed a poor defenseless street kid who they offered a silver to, so he could lead them around the city and show them the sights!¡± I grimaced, remembering some of my own encounters with travelers.

    The Rusalka was known by other names too, the black lady, the deathstalker, but there were a small group of street kids that she used as her runners in almost every part of the city that knew her and her underground criminal network as their protector.

    ¡°How long have you been slaying them?¡± I asked, a sinking suspicion in my stomach.

    ¡°For about a week now, ever since¡­they murdered him!¡± She revealed, and I saw the normally impassible woman blinking away tears.

    Neil looked stricken at the story. I saw him waver as he looked around in confusion. ¡°They don¡¯t think of any of you as real people.¡± He muttered and I saw him clench his fists.

    The Rusalka shrieked and glared at Neil. ¡°That¡¯s what I always hear them say! I don¡¯t know why but they don¡¯t really care how they treat anyone around them. What sort of monster kills a child simply because they can?¡±

    ¡°Sickos, who just like to watch the world burn.¡± Neil grimaced and turned to me as he spoke. I shook my head.

    ¡°Did you ever find the information I asked you for?¡± I glared at the woman, and she shook her head. I had gotten angry enough to challenge the woman to a duel the last time we had met, on the forfeit being, that she would find the killers of my family.

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t Becky, though I know now which of the priesthood ordered the cleansing of your holdings.¡± She fished around in her pouch and tossed me a wax sealed scroll. I cracked the seal and read her report. My stomach dropped in astonishment and as my heart thundered and I quickly rolled the scroll up and thrust it into my flight jacket.

    Neil looked between us and then at my jacket pocket. ¡°Your family?! What happened?!¡± He stammered. When I gave him a cold glare he quickly turned away, a stricken look on his face.

    ¡°Just leave it be kid! She already stabbed me once for asking her the same thing, well after challenging me to a duel.¡± The Rusalka chortled and jumped up and pointed to a large group of running figures in the distance.

    ¡°We have friends of the fallen on their way here, and I¡¯ve got places to be. G¡¯day to you Becky! I¡¯ll be about my business. I¡¯ll send for that saddle mind you, don¡¯t give it away to the guild before I get to it or I may not let anyone else lease it!¡± She gave another maniacal cackle and I groaned. The guild was going to love this, they had probably been expecting to give it to one of their best riders.

    ¡°Will do! Just make sure you have my deposit up front and you pay what the guild asks for first use!¡± She waved my inference away as she practically flowed up the side of a building, and dashed away across a rooftop.

    ¡°What the hell is she?!¡± Neil stammered and I grinned at him. ¡°She is my friend, well when we aren¡¯t stabbing each other.¡± I winced and rubbed my shoulder again. I swear that stupid enchanted dagger of hers had taken ages to heal up from.

    When I had first met the Rusalka as a child, she had been around my age, and like a street kid from hades itself, she had her own, nearly feral Wyvern. We had instantly become good friends, which shows you something about my personality. Back then, Cuddles had been small enough to ride on her shoulder, and I was left to summer with grandmother at the guild along with several of my cousins and some of the other skyfolk children.

    ¡°She¡¯s crazy¡­¡± He muttered and I nodded, catching the comment with my sensitive ears. ¡°That be the truth of it! She¡¯s always been gone a half sail into the wind.¡± I beamed wickedly, happy memories of childhood mayhem quickly recalling as I muttered under my breath and motioned for Neil to follow me as I walked through the gate into the aerodrome, the crowd of travelers sending venomous jeers at us as they skidded to a halt and eyed the wall warily.

    I turned around and gave them the same rude gesture that I¡¯d seen Neil use on other travelers whenever he could. Neil laughed and complemented my gesture with one of his own.

 Chapter 17: Departure from Bagliona

    There were many times in my long life that I remember fondly. That last night around the officer¡¯s canteen table before we all departed Bagliona with nearly a dozen ship captains was one I¡¯ll always remember. The entire table was packed as all the other captains wanted to throw me a bit of a prize party, something that is traditional to celebrate after a captain¡¯s first prize.

    ¡°Teh the most dangerous of us all! Dread Captain Rebecca Marshall! May her name be known!¡± Sir. Patrick rose a toast, and we joined him before hauling one back. A half dozen ayes followed along with a raucous cheer.

    In addition to my ship lifting in the morning there was the Fortunate, Argos, Cloudsark and Intrepid. My Aunty Gracie and Uncle Roark were coming with me to pick up the stranded travelers. Intrepid was Captain O¡¯Malley¡¯s vessel and he was going to lift with us, and break off once we started back down the coast. Cloudsark was a small skiff like mine, different design though and I knew her captain well. Captain Rathmore commanded another of the small packet ships that abounded in the region, and he was making a short hop across the edge of the Hattrack expanse and back.

    I had invited the two naval officers that I had returned property to and they joined in on the toast, Lieutenant Samika and his brother Vern were both there, the elder of the pair wearing his recovered property. I raised my glass to them. ¡°To House Trebond, and their Justice delivered!¡± I cried and they raised the toast with me as I smiled. There were other nobles that had put in claims on my prizes, but I left the mess to the adjudicators to sort out. They would get the right of it and keep all the items with bindings on them in trust, and I¡¯d get my indicated ransom.

    I¡¯d had to stop off at the inquisitorial offices and sit down with the investigation team to figure out just what I had stumbled into. They were sending one of their people with me to check out the island and the home of my vanquished foe. I had already told them that I wouldn¡¯t be returning to Bagliona, although I wanted my flight plan to say I would be with a sealed final destination. I wasn¡¯t taking any chances, and had no illusions that staying too long in this city was bad for my health.

    The earlier I could through off any pursuit, the better. I would take only those that wanted to accept messenger guild contracts, as crew, and drop them off at another guildhall, or if they worked out, keep them with me.

    The investigators would be returning aboard Argos and I was planning on heading north towards Swapper¡¯s Needle. It was somewhere off coast about two days flight I reckoned. After bouncing my plans off of Aunt Gracie she had agreed with me on my assessment and said that she would be stopping by the needle in a few weeks too, if I was still there.

    Sir. Patrick slapped me on the back and I grinned when he pulled out a small package from his uniform jacket. ¡°I wanted you to have this. I found it useful in my early days as navigator aboard Perilous, and I think you will make good use of it.¡± I untied the ribbon and looked inside and gasped.

    It was a shiny brass compass with a long chain meant to be secured onto a flight harness, but instead of being any sort of magnetic device, the surface of the dial swam with flowing script that pulsed in a single direction, the entire dial shifting as I turned it. ¡°This is a Leyfinder!¡± I stammered in shock. My hands shook as my eyes dampened when I recognized the family crest on device and he squeezed my shoulder. ¡°This was grandpa¡¯s Leyfinder?¡± I said, my voice breaking as I read the inscription etched on the inside of the brass cover.

    ¡°I knew your Grandfather very well Becca. We served together you know, and I¡¯d have given anything to have him with us here today to celebrate your first prize. He would have been right proud of you! I still remember the day gave this to me when I made captain, after Captain Arnos got killed in the battle of Langar Bay.¡± He sounded sad and I saw a distant look in his eye.

    ¡°It only seems right I return it to his favorite granddaughter.¡± Sir Patrick smiled at me and I struggled with my composure as he stood up and raised his own toast. ¡°To the winds! May they carry us safely on their backs!¡± Another round of ayes followed.

    We celebrated long into the night, and the next morning I was saddled with a nasty hangover, and nearly fried my apprentice when he startled me awake.

    ¡°Someone is looking for you!¡± He poked me again with the scabbard of his cutlass and I startled and leapt out of bed, my sheets falling away, as I landed in a combat stance, power flaring then rippling down my arms as I stumbled, then gripped my throbbing head as my casting fizzled in backlash as I came to my senses. Neil quickly turned around, his face going a heavy shade of red as he dashed from the room, a pillow slamming the door shut in his wake along with my undignified shrieks.

    Pausing to get properly dressed, I glanced at the chronometer on the wall and cursed my apprentice. It was a bit early, we still had an hour or so until breakfast. There was a knock on my door as I blearily blinked my eyes and downed a glass of water before spitting it into my sink to clear my mouth of the rancid taste of bile. I had the sinking suspicion that I hadn¡¯t kept my drink down last night.

    ¡°By the winds! Who wants to depart for hades this early in the morning!?¡± I bellowed and heard muffled argument between Neil and someone else before I finished fastening my blouse over my undergarments and threw on my flying jacket and laced my trousers.

    ¡°The Adjudicator office want a word with you Captain!¡± I heard someone say from the room outside and I poked my head out to see two adjudicators and a guard sergeant glaring at my apprentice who didn¡¯t look any happier than them.

    ¡°This better be damm good!¡± I grabbed my boots and kicked the door open to sit down on a nearby chair and put them on.

    ¡°There was a complaint filed against you a couple of hours ago when your flight plan was entered into the docket. You have to settle it before we can let you lift, I¡¯m afraid.¡± The guard sergeant looked warily at me and I gave a simmering stare at the adjudicators. ¡°Well what¡¯s it about? I have all my accounts settled, my bills are paid and I¡¯m not carrying cargo. My passenger was already aboard and cleared last night!¡±

    ¡°We have a complaint from the Bagliona Hunter¡¯s Guild, and need your statement.¡± The guard sergeant gave me a cold glare and I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Form the stone then! I¡¯ll give my statement. If it¡¯s about yesterday, they attacked first and I will so testify!¡±

    One of the adjudicators pulled a round ball of glass, and said the ritual words. ¡°Bound by truth and nothing but the whole truth! So mote it be!¡± He sounded off one of the typical appeals to the great seal and the stone glowed white for a second, indicating it was consecrated free of all magic then a deep blue for a moment before fading. Nothing could affect this truth stone.

    Generally, you could use almost any object as a truth teller, but the adjudicators preferred to use glass balls or other such objects.

    I gave my testimony, and described how one of their battle mages had struck first, trying to break my shield before I attacked. The guard¡¯s eyes went cold when I explained how they were illegally trying to claim a bounty within city limits and how the guard station by the gate had been conspicuously empty.

    ¡°We apologized for the inconvenience Captain Marshall! I will personally return inquiry into this matter!¡± One of the adjudicators was now giving an outraged stare at the guard sergeant who looked no happier at the testimony then them.

    ¡°How did they get away with sending you to me? Didn¡¯t you honored gentlemen take statements before you rousted me out of bed?!¡± I snarled at them and one of the adjudicators looked abashed.

    ¡°We were given our statement by one of the bystanders. We did not know they had tried to take your bounty, and because it was a magical attack into your defenses there was no outward sign that they had struck the first blow.¡± The wincing adjudicator wilted under my murderous glare.

    ¡°Two dozen bounty hunters block a registered ship captain from returning to her ship and you don¡¯t think they weren¡¯t trying to collect a bounty? Why didn¡¯t you question one of the attackers?¡± I shrieked

    This was not a good time to piss me off. My hangover was in full force and I really didn¡¯t want to deal with this right now. ¡°You will desist Captain Marshall! We came here on official city business, and had to clear it with you before you lifted, we just got the report a couple of hours ago.¡± I looked at him confused before I sighed and pulled my flickering aura back into myself, trying to ease the power back before I suffered another fizzle.

    ¡°Why wasn¡¯t I questioned yesterday?¡± I yawned and sat back down and propped my feet out as I leaned back in the chair and motioned for them to continue.

    ¡°The complaint wasn¡¯t submitted until now.¡± I laughed. This was far from the typical glacial pace such complaints were dealt with. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that! What rating was the complaint? It must have had a high priory one if you got past the front desk with this nonsense.¡± I shook my head as the door banged open.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Neil was carrying a few flasks of steaming kava and he quickly set them down in front of me on a nearby table. ¡°The winds bless you Neil!¡± I stammered and quickly started sipping at one of the flasks before I winced and reached into the spellfolds of my jacket and pulled out a packet of wakesprig and dumped it into the flask, putting the stopper back on the metal container and shaking it to mix the herb into the coffee. It was the best hangover cure I knew of.

    ¡°Um it was a gold priory since we knew you would lift in a few hours.¡± I shook my head in annoyance and decided I¡¯d had enough of their company.

    ¡°I thank you honored gentlemen for your time, now let me nurse this hangover in peace, and good day to you.¡± I waved them to the door and the adjudicator bowed to me as the guard sergeant turned and gave me a salute before they clambered out the door.

    Neil was giving me an odd look and I yawned again and downed more of my enhanced kava. ¡°Just what was all of that about?¡± He asked and I laughed and explained the reason for the visit.

    The teen shook his head and groaned. ¡°You know they will blacklist me here after that.¡± He muttered darkly and I inquired my eyebrow.

    ¡°Does it really matter? It¡¯s not like they can hire out an airship to track us down, I saw the sort of coin that the Rusalka had been pulling from their leader¡¯s purse. None of it was gold.¡± I chuckled and already knew that no airship, or any other flyer for that matter were likely to be stupid enough to try to follow our small flotilla when we lifted and headed out. The Argos was a warship in all but name. Not even the most desperate were stupid enough to tangle with Uncle Roark.

    In addition to that, I had my new crystal in my banks. In addition to the three crystals I had acquired from Cassidy, I had gotten two more from Argos and one from my Aunt Gracie. It wasn¡¯t even a tenth of Sweetwind¡¯s main bank filled, but it was a damm good start. I could probably get several blasts out of my lance before I¡¯d have to worry.

    I could certainly outrun anything now long enough to get to ground, or disappear into a cloudbank, once the crystals were all full.

    Finishing my kava, I tucked the other stoppered flask into my belt and stood up and began to pack. After we were done, I sent Neil off to the ship with our gear and I went to lounge around and wait for breakfast.

    Meeting Uncle Roark and Aunt Gracie around the breakfast table, we exchanged charts on our slates and finalized our preparations. I waved to them as they left and Neil returned.

    ¡°Natasha and Cid are waiting.¡± He reminded me and we left from breakfast and walked across the field. Four cradles waited for us on the field, and I saw Costas give me a wave as his team was wheeling out the Cloudsark and prepping it for launch. Tony was waiting for me on the field, in full battle gear, a massive smirk on his square jaw and I clasped hands with him. ¡°Ready for an adventure cousin?¡± I asked and he guffawed and slapped me on the back as the ladder fell down from the bow cockpit and we climbed aboard after Neil.

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s is never dull around you Becca!¡± He said and threw his flight bag over his shoulder as he followed me up the ladder and we climbed aboard Sweetwind.

    I strapped myself into the pilot¡¯s station, Natasha beside me on the co-pilot/navigator¡¯s console. Tony tossed his bag into the spine corridor and then took a seat at the mechanician¡¯s station. As we both poured power into ship, it began to stir and awaken.

    I looked out over the field and saw the flashing heliograph from the tower and gave a feral whoop of glee, my body shivering with the prospect of being aloft once again. In unison, all three ships lifted from their cradles, Argos pulling into the lead and Fortunate taking one side of our formation and my own ship the other.

    The Intrepid roared under us and banked side to side in greeting. A few moments later I gave Captain O¡¯Malley a return gesture from my own ship as Tony gave a chuckle and exchanged a rude gesture with someone in Intrepid¡¯s mainmast. I pulled out my spyglass and saw that is was Kessa O¡¯Mally, Shamus¡¯s daughter, hanging from the mainmast and blowing kisses at him then spanking her rump.

    ¡°What did you do to get her ire this time Tony?¡± I laughed and gave my cousin a lusty wink which caused his face to go scarlet. Natasha suppressed a giggle with great difficulty at the antics.

    ¡°Not my fault, and Kessa knows if I actually took her up on any of her offers, her da would castrate me!¡± He winced and I saw the captain of the Intrepid shaking his fist at his daughter from the aft helm.

    Almost in unison, once we were with the brisk wind blowing at seven thousand towards the south, all four ships let their sails go and we surged forward, the larger ships letting only enough sail out to set the pace. I adjusted the sails and grinned at the smooth transition when I set the sheets. The overhaul had really helped, and Cid had worked wonders on the temperamental mechanisms that controlled Sweetwind¡¯s sails.

    An hour later, we waved goodbye to Intrepid as we turned to the sea and set out over the shining expanse. The sun had just risen, burning its brilliant morning glare, until we adjusted our goggles and rode the morning turbulence as the winds shifted with the sun.

    Far below, we would see the occasional sail and wake of a vessel plowing the waves. Once our course was matched, I stretched and looked over at Neil. Tapping on the heliograph, I signaled to open formation a bit so we would have more room, then I unstrapped myself and lashed into one of the support poles next to the pilot¡¯s seat as I flipped the ship onto autohelm.

    ¡°Neil, strap in. Natasha take the controls.¡± Neil looked at me in shock as he strapped in next to Natasha who flipped off autohelm and began slowly rocking the ship up as she got a feel for Sweetwind and tracked the shifting breeze we were following. I adjusted the zepherscope and smiled at the iridescent curls of the winds in the glass lens.

    ¡°Lifting thermals, good tracking starboard bow, zero two one.¡± I called off and she nodded and turned slowly into them along with the other two ships. The entire fleet slowing rising, sheets tracking with the thermals.

    I could see her carefully adjusting the collective, the control that manually adjusted the flow of power to and from the storage banks to the ballast. Her hands were steady on the yoke, her eyes never leaving her tracking of the winds out the canopy glass as she made minute adjustments with the pedals, trimming the ship as it turned.

    I explained the maneuver to Neil as he watched Natasha work. The pilot¡¯s yoke also had leads on it that the pilot could push or take power directly from or into the ballast or storage banks. That was the only yoke that could do it, and had been installed by my mother. Normally I¡¯d use the charge leads though on the side of the console as they could transfer more energy at the same time.

    Pointing to each instrument on the console and above it, I explained the altitude indicator, the airspeed indicator, and waveform gauge that showed how strong we rode with the ballast. That was normally always the same, though it could flux near a ley line, becoming stronger or weaker, depending on the area. You would have to adjust power to your ballast accordingly.

    I explained the direction system, pointing to the compass that was affixed at the navigator¡¯s section, and at the artificial horizon instrument on the console.

    ¡°Forward is dead ahead, each point is off the bow, then beam when at the side, then quarter when you direct aft. Going clockwise, until you end back at the bow from in a 360-degree turn.¡± I mimed and he nodded. Then I explained how the same thing worked in three dimensions off of the current level, pointing to the artificial horizon.

    We quickly passed the time as I had him familiarized with the controls. One day he would have to hold a watch on his own, and the sooner the better. I didn¡¯t want him on the helm yet, but had him pay close attention to what Natasha was doing ash she fought the winds and rode Sweetwind with a grace that made me smile. I could see she was enjoying the challenge too, she was truly a natural born pilot.

    My fingers itched for the controls, and it felt odd not being at the helm. I had normally been able to feel Sweetwind grip the winds even when her auto helm was on as the ship tracked herself along, but this was different. Natasha had a different feel to the way she piloted than I did or the ship did, as she couldn¡¯t make the minute adjustments that the ship could on its auto helm, or I did without even thinking, adding or lowering power to the ballast smoothly. I had made the collective quite sensitive when Cid had reinstalled that old console, but I could feel it was still a bit out of adjustment.

    Every pull or push of power I could feel through my body as the windsong of the ship gripped me. It was an odd sensation to be sure. I could even feel Tony¡¯s influence as he moderated the power draw, using his station as a bit of a dampener, smoothing out the flow. Sweetwind was practically purring along and he really didn¡¯t have much to do.

    Before long, I spied the tiny chain of islands far below, they spread out in long lines, curving like a spiral and in the clear skies I could see the entire chain.

    I knew the horsetail was mostly uninhabited, except by the odd trade station or isolated village. There were a set of larger islands to the northeast that had more of a presence by Mageos. All of the islands were technically in their territorial waters but no one really paid much attention to them.

    Argos was in the lead, and had my charts on which island we wanted. A bright series of flashes blared out from her fore topmast and I gave a wolfish grin. I sent back my acknowledgement when the Argos signaled the decent. I flashed back my confirmation along with Fortunate and we fell in unison, going in a lazy spiral as we lost altitude. As we approached the island I frowned. Something was very wrong.

    Far below us I saw three ships anchored, flying the flag of the Empire of Nadir. They were three bank oar galleys. My blood ran cold when I recognized the crest of the Slavers Guild. This couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence. It looked as if the ships had just recently entered and lay anchor.

    Peering through my spyglass I could see the signs of recent combat and a pair of circling griffins. Drawing out my communication crystal, I quickly connected to Uncle Roark.

    ¡°As holder of the contracts to the stranded travelers I formally submit for your mercantile services. Let it be entered into the log that I have registered a plea for assistance in carrying out the contracts and protecting my interests.¡± I quickly both spoke to Allister Roark and intoned to my crew. Tony nodded and reached for the logbook.

    I felt his confirmation through the link and Argos broke off, it¡¯s massive bow lances and fire casters glowing. I could see the deck swarming with activity as the mercenaries ran for action stations. The Argos and the galleys below started a very heated conversation via heliograph.

    Slavery was forbidden in Mageos territory, but I doubted that little technicality ever stopped slavers. Tony had my log book out; its golden chain extended and was recording my official plea that I had filed.

    This was so I wouldn¡¯t violate my writ of neutrality. I could safely now try and resist the slavers and their attempts to take the travelers.

    It seemed they weren¡¯t having an easy time of it, while I did see a group of tied and bound travelers on the beach, there were nowhere near the numbers I knew existed on the island. The griffins were combing the swamp and jungle but they weren¡¯t having much luck. They quickly reformed up and streaked to defend their ships as Argos took up a bombardment position overhead.

    ¡°I think someone at the one of the guilds was bought.¡± I snarled. These slavers would never have risked such a large expedition unless they had gotten a tip off.

 Chapter 18: The Slavers

    From the larger of the three ships below I saw the arch of power and shields glittered and formed over the vessel as some magi activated its defenses.  Shortly after, the other two activated their own bombardment shields.  The conversation between Argos and the slavers increased in fervor.

    ¡°They are signaling for parley.¡±  I snarled, joining in with the signaling, my own conversation flashing out as my fingers danced across the heliograph controls.  They were a formidable force.  I could see a total of seven griffins and a single dark blue Stormdrake circling back towards us.  They all flew the slaver¡¯s guild crest and were in a tight, well-drilled formation.

    Argos was a rather nasty ship to tangle with, but even against those odds, it was doubtful it would triumph unscathed. Even if both the Sweetwind and Fortunate joined the fight we would be sorely pressed.  My aunt¡¯s ship had couple of fire casters, and a few deck sweepers but wasn¡¯t a warship.  It was also not very maneuverable.

    ¡°Natasha you have the con, I¡¯m going to ground to the parley with Uncle Roark.¡±  I ran for my cabin to get into full battle kit.

    When I returned, I saw Neil waiting for me, a look of near terror on his face as he looked down at the scene before him.  ¡°I¡¯m coming with you!¡±  He stammered, and I nodded.  I hadn¡¯t asked him to come, but perhaps he could be of some help in trying to figure something out.

    ¡°If our parley fails, get back to the ship!¡±  I ordered as I opened the hatch and dived through, the winged webbing on my battle harness shuddering with the freefall.

    Sweetwind banked sharply overhead, its sails furling and wing masts folding back as it prepared for combat.  I knew that Tony and Cid would both be feeding as much power into its banks as possible.  I could feel Sweetwind¡¯s feral glee in the back of my mind as it¡¯s windsong increased in tempo along with my own pounding heart.

    Neil was beside me as we fell and I pointed to where my uncle and a dozen strong landing party were streaking down to a circle that had been hastily drawn in the sand, with a white flag planted at its center.

    He landed, fully decked out in his heavy battle rig with a massive explosion of sand thrown up by his rig¡¯s powerful battle envelope. Turning his plumed helmet, he scowled at the gathering on the beach and planted our family battle flag down with an enraged snarl at the small, and very dangerous looking slaver delegation that had turned out to meet us.  Hatred was etched across his face, as he seemed to dare the slavers to do anything to piss him off.   Most sky folk detested slavers with every fiber of their being, and Allister Roark had a rather longstanding feud with several of the slaver houses in the empire.

    Skidding to a halt behind him, I kept one hand on my focus crystal and one on my cutlass.  Power raced through my barrier as I tightened it and formed a deep encryption, layering my defenses against intrusion.

    The delegation waited until the storm drake far overhead was signaled, it began to spiral down and landed with a spray of sand and a crackling roar.  A dozen men poured off its harness, and I looked up to see that the pilot, who was wearing a slave collar around her thin neck got a disapproving glare from a man in finely dressed silks who swung down out of the back of the harness from a very elaborate and comfortable looking saddle.

    I gritted my teeth, as the man gave me a grin of superiority and pulled his house¡¯s own battle standard off it¡¯s fasteners at the side of the storm drake¡¯s harness.

    Planting it in the sand on the other side of the circle he looked at me curiously, then at Neil.  Fishing around in his silk robe he pulled out a slate and studied it for a moment before he grinned at me.

    ¡°Captain Marshall, I presume?¡±  His cheery smile beamed brightly at me.  He looked at Neil as if sizing up a possible acquisition and it made my teeth grit in anger.  Uncle Roark sneered and stood in front of me as he approached.

    ¡°I am Sir Fusarium Samos, and I¡¯m here as the guild representative.¡±  He nodded to a rather large man with captain¡¯s insignia.  ¡°This is Captain Sadir Samos, of the Ravenger.  He is my client.¡±

    ¡°Since when has the Empire condoned, the acquisition of slaves from friendly territory?¡±  I snarled, my cold eyes burning hatred as I fought for control of my temper, a losing battle when presented with this¡­ creature.

    He burst out in a rather creepy giggle that was half wheeze, half chuckle.  ¡°Now then, honorable Captain Marshall, Captain Roark, I know that the Empire has a trade agreement and we are legally entitled to pass through territorial waters.  We simply stopped here for sustenance.  Our own slaves are not of your concern.  They are our property.¡±

    Neil snarled and pointed at the nearby group of chained travelers.  ¡°Liar!  Those aren¡¯t your property! I know some of them!  They weren¡¯t slaves last I looked!¡±  I glanced over at the group and my heart fell as I recognized Tess and Amber in the group.  I could see no sign of Kirk or Tombason though.

    ¡°Silence your charge Captain!  Or I will ask for satisfaction!  I assure you, won¡¯t endure my champion¡¯s bite!¡±  He hissed, and I glared at Neil and shook my head as my knuckles tightened on the hilt of my cutlass in anger.

    ¡°I can swear by truth stone, of the freeborn status of several of those you have detained over their Sir. Fusarium.  I do by enter an official challenge to the status of those detainees.¡±

    The slavers shifted uncomfortably as I glared at all of them in turn.  ¡°The legality of birth, when it comes to travelers is still a legal grey area Captain Marshall.  I do not indeed consider your challenge valid, nor do I need your pardon to take what is mine with me when I leave.¡±  He gave me another beaming grin as I narrowed my eyes at him.

    A small shadow fell over us, and I looked up to see a figure plunging down off the side of Sweetwind I frowned for a second before I recognized the spindly form of Inquisitor Markholm.  He set down carefully, as he manipulated his palm control on his battle harness and gave a curt bow to the slaver leader who returned the bow.

    ¡°I am Inquisitor Markholm of the Messenger¡¯s Guild, on task to investigate an incident that occurred here on the island.¡±  He introduced himself, and stood beside me as he studied the slavers with intense interest, adjusting his enchanted flight goggles as he focused on something.

    He held out a small badge that indicated his status as a guild inquisitor.  Fusarium stared at the inquisitor as if he was a rather disgusting bit of dung on the underside of his gilded sandal, and gave him a deep frown.

    ¡°I was not aware of an ongoing investigation, what is the nature of your presence here Inquisitor Markholm?¡±  His tone was of one of near hostility.

    ¡°I will not impede your¡­ negotiations.  I may however have to conduct interviews on some of the inhabitants of this island.  The nature of my investigation is not for your ears.¡±  He gave a hard stare at the bound captives, and then at the sheer size of the slavers¡¯ expedition.

    ¡°My property is not to be interviewed!¡±  He stomped his feet and I saw a look of near panic cross the faces of several men.  I grinned at him.

    ¡°So, you admit to not only taking slaves here in Mageos territory, but trying to claim them as your property?  I bet the Means and Way committee would be glad to hear you were taking untaxed goods from Mageos.¡±  I shared a look of pure satisfaction with the Inquisitor and he beamed back at me.

    The slaver turned a dark shade of red and blanched when he realized his slip.  Slavery was illegal in Mageos, but they were also considered a taxed good. If he was buying or selling here it would be considered smuggling as well as being against the common law.  Since he had just stated he was here to take on provisions, it was his official position.  He had no rights to take slaves, even if he didn¡¯t recognize the freeborn status of travelers, and trafficking them would probably piss more than a few people off in Mageos. Considering just how useful travelers were when recruited into guilds, there would definitely be an inquiry and some very ruffled feathers.

    He gripped a communication crystal unobtrusively for a few moments as he nervously glanced at Allister as my Uncle shifted his weapons and strengthened his shields.  My own heart thundered in my chest as I looked around.

    ¡°Are you accusing me of smuggling?¡±  He said in a very dark and ominous tone.  I shook my head and glared at him.

    ¡°No sir, I am merely noting the flaws in the claim you made.  I do know that you have detained a few of the inhabitants here.  I have no proof that you intend to take slaves, but you just did say that you would not let your property be interviewed.  Do you consider those travelers your property?¡±

    I saw him step from foot to foot, rage blistering his face as he muttered darkly under his breath.  I had given him an easy out, and I had a feeling he had been taking slaves all along these islands and had simply been in the area when someone tipped him off.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°They were detained¡­yes I officially submit I do not intend to take that group of detainees as my property.  I merely meant you will not investigate me or any of my own lawful slaves!¡±  He spoke slowly, choosing his words very carefully.

    ¡°Very good sir, now I have business with the inhabitants of these islands.  I will let you go about yours and I wish you well.  If you feel that the travelers will be any trouble just leave them there, we will interview them.¡±  I shot back.

    I tipped my head to him respectfully as I saw pure hatred cross the man¡¯s face as he realized that I intended to leave him no one behind when I lifted from the island.

    ¡°You are making a grave error, Captain Marshall¡­I will remember this.¡±  He snarled and ripped up his battle standard and stalked back to the waiting stormdrake.  I nodded to him and had a cheeky shark¡¯s grin on my face as he screamed at his pilot to take off.

    The massive wings of the stormdrake showered us all in a blistering rain of sand, barriers lighting up as it glanced off of our defenses.

    Neil looked at me in shock.  ¡°I don¡¯t get it.  He isn¡¯t supposed to be here?¡±  I nodded.

    ¡°We need to inform the Mageos that they have some upstart slaver scouring their frontier islands for new¡­ acquisitions.¡±  I responded grimly.

    Walking over to the guarded circle of captives I pulled out my dirk and glared fiercely at the guards as I slit the gag on Amber¡¯s face and cut her bonds.  She leapt to her feet and glared at one of the guards in particular as she rubbed a black eye.  ¡°I¡¯ll end you, you bastard!¡±  She snarled and I quickly gripped her arm, and shook my head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t attack them, I can¡¯t guarantee your safety if you do.¡±  I spoke quickly to the woman and she nodded.

    ¡°Where are the rest?¡±  I whispered and she smirked.

    ¡°Kirk died, but they aren¡¯t going to find any of us and we aren¡¯t telling.  We¡¯ve dealt with this scum before and got good at hiding.¡±  She hissed.

    Speaking to all of the detainees, I smiled and fished around inside my coat.  ¡°I have official guild contracts from a large selection of guilds in Bagliona who are looking for new recruits.  If you take the contracts, part of my duty will be to either take you as crew if you wish to sign with me or any of the other ships if you wish to join the Messengers guild, or you can take passage back and be inducted at any guildhall of your choice.¡±

    Amber glared at me.  ¡°How do we know we can trust you?¡±  I shrugged and smiled at her.  She had been desperate enough to trust me to try and take her as crew earlier.  I couldn¡¯t blame her for being wary considering the present situation.

    ¡°I will swear by the seal if you¡¯d like.¡±  I said and walked over and started to free more of the captives.  With each one I freed I saw the surrounding slavers grow more tense and give me a deeper look of loathing as their prospective slaves glared back at them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to spread the word and get everyone to log back in.¡±  One of the men said and I saw him looking around at the two groups glaring at each other nervously, with deep apprehension.

    ¡°They take anyone onboard their ships yet?¡±  I asked, eyeing the three vessels offshore in the bay.

    Tess shrugged and gave a worried glance at the ships.  ¡°I don¡¯t know, but this is the third time we¡¯ve seen ships like that in the area.  Beats me why they decided to stop and scour our island.  Normally we keep out of sight of shore.¡±  I winced and sighed.

    ¡°Well, I think that may be my fault.  I didn¡¯t consider that someone would be the kind of little wart that would tip off slavers when I was going around securing contracts for you lot.  Once you get back to Bagliona I suggest you submit a formal complaint to your respective guilds, or to the Adjudicators.¡±  I said, and I saw nothing but looks of confusion. I gave a sigh and reminded Allister to make sure the complaints were filed.

    Uncle Roark nodded and gripped his communication crystal as the Argos and Fortunate slowly started to sink down towards the bay.  They didn¡¯t quite land though, deploying rope ladders and mooring lines into the nearby vegetation to hold position.  A landed airship was a sitting duck and no one was taking chances with this lot.

    ¡°Gain altitude, and keep watch Natasha.¡±  I gripped my own crystal and took some time to explain to her what had transpired.

    I wasn¡¯t sure if the slavers would completely back off.  If that toad Fusarium was desperate enough, he may just try to take us all on, but it was a very risky chance for him.  Airships could outrun his griffins in a chase, and if we had sworn testimony that Mageos had violated their treaties, the Emperor would have his head, quite literally on a silver platter as a peace offering.

    And I¡¯d do just that, I wouldn¡¯t recommend that Argos try to defend us, we would all just put on as much speed as possible and get out of here.  Let the navy deal with this lot if it came down to it.

    ¡°Why do all of you have bruises all over you?¡± I asked as I glared at the guards.

    ¡°They have to kick us or punch us every once in a while, to make sure we can¡¯t log out on them.¡±  Tess said and I frowned.  I wasn¡¯t quite sure what she was talking about but, I really didn¡¯t want to push my luck with the slavers and start anything I couldn¡¯t finish.

    ¡°RIGHT THEN!¡±  I called out and beckoned over the travelers as I turned them over to Aunt Gracie.  She had lowered down a small foldable table and chair and was setting up a desk.  Gracie had the bulk of the contracts, and had everything organized and ready to go.  She quickly started to call out order to the chaos.

    Neil was looking around for someone and he caught Tess by a shoulder.  ¡°How much time left on Kirks respawn?¡± He quickly stammered and eyed the slavers nervously.

    ¡°Should be back in an hour or so along with the others that died.  He only had a four-hour death timer, as it¡¯s been ages since the last time he was smoked.¡±  She explained and Neil nodded.

    I ignored the conversation and grinned at a massive figure pushing its way to the beach, a very heavily armed group of travelers flanking him.  I had to blink at the quality of their gear, they evidently had been holding back on me or had a bit of an upgrade.  Tombason gave me a beaming grin as he approached.

    ¡°Knew you¡¯d be back! Sweet Jesus! That my ride?¡±  He pointed at the Argos and I glared at him, thinking quickly.  I knew Uncle Roark would be glad to take him, but he was very quick witted and dangerous.  I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted him on my ship but I sure as heck could use him.

    ¡°If you¡¯d like.¡±  I nudged Allister who was studying the massive figure and sizing him up speculatively.  ¡°This that the old sweat you told me about Becca?¡± He asked with a grin as he extended a hand.

    ¡°Mah name be Tombason!¡± The two men gripped hands tightly, and I rolled my eyes at the battle of wills going on before me.

    ¡°Tombason¡­ I think you would do well with my uncle¡­ but how about shipping with me?¡±  I felt sick as I asked him, and a look of worried surprise crossed Allister¡¯s face. He looked at me as if I was crazy, I knew he had quite well taken Tombason¡¯s measure and knew instinctively he was trouble just like I did.

    Tombason looked up into the sky, squinting at my tiny little airship high overhead.  ¡°What¡¯s in it fer me little lady?¡±  I bit my lip and shrugged.  ¡°Well I know you¡¯re a right bastard, but I¡¯ll be entering into parts of the sky that a right bastard like you would probably quite enjoy yourself in.¡±  I grinned wolfishly and he sized me up carefully.

    I needed a good man for Tony to take under his wing, and I had a feeling that Tombason and him would get on like a ship on fire.  It gave me the shivers just thinking about the pair the two would make.

    He looked around at all the people on the beach, and they looked back at him, then at the sky.  ¡°I¡¯m betting I¡¯d fit in right well with this fine gentleman, but an adventure you say lass?¡±  I grinned and nodded.

    ¡°Yep, we will be going straight into a war, we will probably all die but why not?  When the wind blows, I be one to follow it.¡±  I knew I had pegged his type to the letter.  He was a hard man, but I could see that wistful longing as he compared the warship, and the tiny skiff.  Yep I was betting Allister Roark would going north eventually too, but he would probably be helping to escort convoys of airships as they fared their cargo well.  Lots of fighting yes, but this man was one I knew liked the edge of death more than not.  He reminded me a lot of grandfather, at least when he had been at his more bloodthirsty.

    ¡°Aye, I¡¯ll ship with ya.¡±  He saw all of the disappointed looks from his men and roared.  ¡°Well, I ain¡¯t ur daddy!  Go with the rest, and get away from these rotten slavers!¡±  He looked at them and I saw a young man shake his hand and clap him on his solder.  As he went around and exchanged farewells I grinned.  He might be a snake, a weasel and a real rotter, but I could easily see he was a leader, and not the tyrannical kind.  His people didn¡¯t fear him, they loved him.

    I didn¡¯t want Tess, but Amber and Kirk interested me if I could convince them to tag along.  Tess didn¡¯t seem to interested in signing aboard an airship either way.  I saw her take a contract for the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and she climbed quickly up to some waiting friends aboard Fortunate without even looking back at us.

    Amber was looking worriedly around the beach, and I approached her.  ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind taking you and Kirk, at least for a little while.¡±  She shifted her scarlet hair around her and glared at me.  ¡°You didn¡¯t want me last time, why now all of a sudden?¡± She muttered bitterly.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t really looking for a crew last time.  Also, having Neil along has shown me that travelers are an interesting lot, and I wouldn¡¯t mind seeing what a few more would bring.¡±  I smiled at her and she stared at my apprentice before just shaking her head and storming away darkly.

    ¡°He¡¯s different now.  I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to get away with calling him a noob anymore.¡±  She murmured almost too faint for my ears to pick up.  I grinned.

    While Neil was hardy the picture of a self-confident apprentice, he was no coward and that was one thing I respected about the boy. I could often feel his fear, but he also held onto his determination with an iron grip and I could feel that about him when my mental barriers slipped.

    I studied Neil and could see his intense concentration; his narrowed eyes never left the slavers as they pretended to go about their business.  The slavers for their part were watching us like skulking wolves, just waiting for us to turn our backs on them.

    Above us, the massive humming crystals of the Argos¡¯s fire casters turned to track any suspicious activity in their broadside mounts on either beam of the ship.  I could feel the twin bow lances thrumming with a full charge, just waiting to be loosed.  While Allister¡¯s ship wasn¡¯t quite aware like mine was, I could still sense the collective tension and the readiness of a well drilled fighting ship.

    As the day wore on and tension built, we finally collected all the travelers we could.  There wasn¡¯t as many as I had initially assumed, and Tombason told me that a few fishing parties weren¡¯t with the captives on the shore.  He suspected that they had been captured and taken aboard the ships before I had arrived.

    I wasn¡¯t part of the Mageos government, military or anything, and I had no right to inspect another captain¡¯s vessel without permission.  I could be arrested and tried before a board for even trying.  There was nothing I could do.

    We had saved forty-eight of the travelers and they had signed on with their guilds and would get back to Bagliona.  I had netted myself a tidy little sum with their contracts but I left the details to Gracie, and upped her share to over half.  Kirk came sprinting down the beach right before we left along with another five travelers.  He and Amber declined in the end to go with me to my great disappointment and I wished them well as they took crew berths aboard Argos.

 Chapter 19: The Missing Dragon

    I was unfortunately right on two counts. The first and perhaps worse of the two, was that my black sheep cousin Tony, and Tombason were a match made on the fields of Elysium itself. The second was that the slavers weren¡¯t about to let me off easily. I spent hours trying to push scrying casts off of Sweetwind¡¯s wardings and was getting really annoyed by the time we were at our cruising altitude.

    They would have probably followed me with one of their flyers if they thought they could catch me. I had pushed Sweetwind hard as we separated from Argos and Fortunate trying to mask my separation from their formation with a simulacrum that was being towed from the stern of Fortunate. From a distance it looked as if I was still in formation, the illusion being maintained by the warded decoy tow that Aunt Gracie kept for fooling would be shipping raiders or privateers. Normally it was set to look like Argos or one of the family¡¯s other large airships.

    From what I could tell, I was doubtful our ploy had worked. They had some very powerful magi with them, and the decoy wasn¡¯t much good against that sort of attention. I had been able to slip up into a cloud layer, making it difficult for a good visual but it was only a matter of time. The sheer amount of their attempts at trying to scry the ship had made it evident that they didn¡¯t know my heading.

    Well I had no doubt they would make my life a living hell, and likely increase my bounty. I had seen how that slaver had been looking at his tablet. He likely had been looking at my bounty information. It was probably the Hunter¡¯s Guild that had spilled the beans on my activity, and thinking back on it I wondered if that complaint about me had been designed to give the slavers more time to get to the travelers and take them.

    Most of my time during the journey towards Swapper¡¯s Needle was spent with Neil, trying to get him familiarized with life aloft. Mostly that meant a lot of teaching, a lot of very frustrating teaching. I was not a good teacher. For years I had been used to working under my mother who had been nearly seventy when she had me. All celestial elves live for a very long time, and stay in their prime for almost two centuries. That mostly meant she had forgotten more about being an airship captain than I could even begin to imagine.

    Then¡­after she had been killed, I had spent many years on my own. Even before I took Sweetwind back from the brink of being sold off to someone like Costas, I had been on my own. I had avoided other family members like the plague.

    For most of the theory of being a magi I left Neil in the hands of Cid, who was more than happy to give him lectures to alleviate the boredom between his constant tinkering. But there were some things that I had to teach him myself.

    ¡°Feel the deck under you feet Neil! Move with her and extend your senses!¡± I was moving between the forms of a martial form that my mother had taught me, all the while flowing with the movement of the ship as it¡¯s autohelm rode the winds. Well I was flowing, and Neil was stumbling and often falling. He had already nearly gone overboard twice and managed to tumble into an open hatch just a few minutes ago.

    I had done these forms whenever possible, usually every morning aloft for as long as I could remember. ¡°Channel your power between your limbs, flow it as you move and use it to anchor you to the windsong of Sweetwind.¡± I tried to explain, but I could see his aura and how he couldn¡¯t hear the ship¡¯s song or match his own power to intertwine with it. Tony was lashed into the stern helm position and had extended the map table with Tombason lashed into the navigator¡¯s position next to him. They were playing sago, a game played with magnetic discs and a grid-like board. Tony was puffing on his pipe as he talked quietly with the traveler and they exchanged betting stakes as they played.

    Far aloft, Natasha was in the mainmast lookout, the telescope out on its rail next to her as she scanned the sky with a spyglass. I could feel the happy thrum of Sweetwind¡¯s song a she roared along, bouncing on the wind and muttering to herself merrily. The ship liked when I gave her at least a little time on the autohelm a day, it kept her happy.

    Each time Neil stumbled and landed with a sliding thud along the deck was normally proceeded by a shift in course as Sweetwind tracked our course. I was getting suspicious that the ship was in fact amusing itself at Neil¡¯s expense a little bit. The shifts normally occurred right when they could most easily throw the boy off balance.

    I knew that my vessel had a wicked sense of humor, and enjoyed small pranks like that. I had once been woken up when I slept in one time and Sweetwind cut her ballast and freefell for a thousand feet or so. Such a maneuver was sure to wake any good captain in a fit of outright panic.

    Frustrated, I watched the boy stumble over a loose line that I was sure had gone taunt just for him to trip over. He landed with a thud then he panicked once again as he started to slide towards the port beam railing, Sweetwind banking at just the right moment to toss him across the deck. He gave a yelp as his hands flailed and grasped at the deck until he found a lash point and slammed his harness clip into it to catch his breath.

    I rode my way across the deck, my own clip not secured to anything. He wilted under my disappointed stare and then unclipped himself and tried to stand up. Just as he was getting to his feet I felt Sweetwind give a slight buck and he lost his balance and I caught him awkwardly.

    ¡°I think we need to try something else Neil.¡± I said weakly as he nodded. Motioning him over to a small, sealed bin just under the mainmast I palmed the catch and undid the oilcloth drawstring on a set of rolled up mats. I spread them on the deck between two lash points and motioned for him to clip in and take a lotus position next to me.

    He awkwardly shifted into the position and I nodded. I had been trying to teach the teenager to meditate, but it was slow going. Thinking for a while I got a bit of a brainstorm.

    ¡°Sing, pick a song and sing in your mind.¡± I said as we both tried to relax. I automatically timed my breathing to the thrumming roar from Sweetwind¡¯s windsong as she thundered along. As he closed his eyes, I spoke to him.

    ¡°Reach out with your power and when you feel something time your song to it.¡± I said and I felt him relax. Soon his body started to glow softly. I just rode along in the windsong with him and kept my own rhythm as I waited for him in my mind. I don¡¯t know how much time passed, as I often lost track of it while meditating. I could feel his power on the edge of my awareness and hear his song. In the background, I felt Sweetwind pause in her usually merry babble to herself that I could never quite understand, and just listen.

    As the power grew, I felt him slowly become aware that someone else other than myself was there, listening to him. The music was quite alien and lovely at the same time, something I suppose from Neil¡¯s world, the one that the travelers came from.

    I was abruptly shaken back to my senses by a shove, then a painful slap. Tony was standing over me and screaming something at me, and I felt heavier. It was harder to breath and much colder. I startled out my drowse as I realized we had gained significant altitude and were likely above safe altitude without masks. I was already feeling the effects of our altitude.

    The sails had furled and I looked at the wispy clouds around us and a distant forest of gigantic white spheres with grey specks flying around them. My eyes bulged in my goggles and I stood up, pulling my mask out of my harness and securing it around my face as I looked around for Neil.

    I gasped as I saw him floating there, only his harness keeping him from drifting away. His form waivered, as if he was bending the wind around his body and his aura was quite visible to the naked eye. I cursed and tightened the Sweetwinds¡¯s wards hoping that none of his power was leaking out of them. It would be sheer stupidity if his leaking power was noticed by some unfriendly magi.

    Instead of trying to wake him, I pulled his mask off his harness and strapped it over his head and zipped up the hood of his flight jacket to enclose his reddening ears. I felt the exhilarated joy from Sweetwind as the ship sang along with Neil on some level, I wasn¡¯t privy to.

    The ship had let its attention on the autohelm slip, and I saw Natasha desperately working with Cid at the aft helm to try and get the ship back onto a sensible course, hopefully one that wasn¡¯t heading directly for the floating spore island that was rapidly getting larger.

    I ran for the aft deck helm, riding the angle of the ship as we climbed with expert ease before I lashed myself in at the pilot¡¯s console, switching off with Natasha as I grasped the charge leads and tried to pull power out of the ballast and back into the storage crystals. Slowly, with Cid working the mechanician station we got the wild surge of power under control and I tried to trim the ship away from the swiftly approaching mass of puffy white.

    I saw a hunting pack of cloud cats in the distance who were chasing down a fleeing Mythrax across the collection of gigantic round spore pod, growling and hissing as they drove hard at their prey. One broke off to streak past the Sweetwind as we turned and dived towards the underside of the spore bulb. The very tip of the mainmast barely cleared the puffy white surface of the bulb as we plunged. Gritting my teeth, and pushing hard on the rudder, adjusting the crystal to roll us away from the side of the bulb slightly, I cursed and growled under my breath.

    The young cloud cat landed on the bowsprit and folded its wings while it preened, ignoring myself and my crew completely. Its furred head tracked the side of the bulb with interest as we plunged down into the trailing tendrils from the spores. The tendrils avoided the wardings aboard the ship like the plague, parting to let us through like a drawing curtain.

    The young cloud cat gave a hissing roar and alighted off the bowsprit as we emerged into the clear sky beyond, its massive white furred body and wings difficult to pick out against the bright sunny sky. I caught my breath and wearily sunk down into my harness. I watched the predator streak back upwards along the side of the bulb towards it¡¯s circling pride. ¡°Curious little beasties, cloud cats.¡± Cid laughed and I saw him with a spyglass out, watching the fauna around us that inhabited the underside of the spore colony.

    Leveling the ship off, I began to circle the spore colony and study it intently with my own spyglass. My mouth went dry at the size of the collection of round bulbs and the swarming biota around them. Such finds were very rare. I debated whether to put a mage mark on it. I had seen a mythrax, and they were very valuable finds indeed. It would take at least a day to find a spot to secure the working to and I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to linger here that long, much less take the time to lay a powerful mark on it that would easily let anyone in the area know where I was.

    With a deep sigh of regret, I turned the Sweetwind back on course and watched the colony recede into the distance. ¡°That¡¯s zee first time I¡¯ve ever seen one ziss my own eyes.¡± Cid muttered wistfully. I nodded, I had seen ones larger but that was a really healthy spore colony with no one harvesting it. It looked completely untouched.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make a note of it, and it¡¯s heading. Perhaps I¡¯ll cross paths with it again someday.¡± I said with regret still in my voice.

    Tony was explaining the encounter to Tombason who nodded when my cousin told him how long it would take for me to mark the colony, and how it would likely reveal our position.

    I looked at my still drifting apprentice and groaned. If our position wasn¡¯t already compromised. I had great faith in Sweetwind¡¯s protective wards, but there was always the chance the ship had lost her grip when the stupid boy and her melded.

    ¡°What the heck?!¡± Neil gave a squeak as he came back to his senses, then landed softly on the deck, and looked around at everyone staring at him. I saw his hands go to his mask and I chided him. ¡°Leave it on, we are above safe limits right now. I¡¯m taking us back down, but it will be a bit. ¡°Make sure you keep the pneumatic compressor¡¯s crystal charged unless you want to go hook into the ship.¡± I pointed to his side pouch where his mask had been secured and the little device inside that the breathing hose snaked out from and he nodded. Natasha was hooked into the ship¡¯s pneumatic system next to me and shook her head in exasperation at the boy¡¯s antics.

    I hooked my own mask into the console next to me and refilled my harness¡¯s containment crystal as I yawned and tracked the sinking sun high above. We had at least another three hours or so of daylight left, but I was hoping we would make it to Swapper¡¯s Needle before dark. I scanned the horizon, looking for its towering line. It should be visible soon.

    I was shortly proved correct, I saw a giant needle glimmering in the setting sun as we approached it. The structure towered almost to eight thousand feet, a massive tower in the middle of the ocean and I knew that was only the tip of the needle.

    The bulk of the needle actually went far down into the ocean, then into the bedrock below it. I wasn¡¯t quite sure anyone knew just how deep the structure went, as the lower levels were notoriously hard to navigate, especially once you passed the civilized floors and descended into the wilds.

    Tombason gawked at the sheer scale of the massive construction as we plunged downwards towards a small curving loop at the top that glowed like a beacon. That was often called the eye, and it was the entrance to the tower.

    All along the sides of the glowing eye, a town had been built, that was Safe Harbor. It was the first of the needle towns, and the gateway to its massive interior.

    As soon as we were in sight, I saw the bright flashes of heliograph from the port authority. Several small airships circled towards our decent and I exchanged friendly greetings as I spotted the Infamous and laughed as the old warship gave us a fizzling salute with its port broadside. The ancient caster crystals flashing merrily at Sweetwind as I waved and gave them a glow from my bow lance.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    As the massive vessel thundered past, vibrating our timbers, I saw Captain Fredrick Holms give me a curt bow from his stern helm and I returned the gesture before giving a friendly bank as I slowed Sweetwind down to port speed. We drifted slowly in towards the eye of the needle and the extended cradles of the port office.

    Sweetwind shuddered softly as we set down in a skiff sized cradle, the same one I always used when I landed here at Safe Harbor. Several men in the official robes of the folk were waiting for me with grins on their faces at my arrival. I frowned when I saw an adjudicator with them, as well a young man in Mageos uniform and the seal of a Dracon on his shoulder.

    As the small gangway extended out of the side of Sweetwind¡¯s railing I pulled my flying jacket straight and pushed my hood down.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked and I saw the excited faces of the men turn into frowns as they looked around the deck of my ship for something.

    They began a heated argument and none of them looked angrier than the man in Mageos uniform. ¡°Where is she?!¡± He bellowed and I gave him such a look of confusion that he paused for a second and groaned in consternation.

    ¡°My apologies Captain Marshall, let me explain what has been going on since you left.¡± He said and seemed to deflate under my piercing gaze.

    Tony however, just looked at the Dracon directly and asked a question that I should have considered from the beginning. ¡°She ran off didn¡¯t she?¡± He asked and I was confused for a second until I realized why a Dracon from the Academy Areonautica was here waiting for my arrival at my next possible port of call.

    ¡°That stupid girl!¡± I screamed when I realized that Gina had run off. I was betting that Uncle Roark had arrived back at Bagliona to find his daughter missing and sent word here.

    ¡°Yes, she has been missing since yesterday.¡± The man confirmed and I growled under my breath. Gesturing the men towards the aft deckhouse we descended past the helm and into my cabin. I pulled down the conference table and gestured to it as we sat around the wall alcove. ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing they think she got cold feet about the whole academy thing?¡± I chuckled and I saw Tony grinning ear to ear.

    It had taken us most of the rest of yesterday to finish up at the island and we had been tacking all day today after the hard push away from the island to make it to the needle, slower going than usual after that first sprint. I thought for a bit and realized that they had thought that the girl had been following us towards the island while we traveled there, if she had left the same day.

    ¡°You know I have no idea where she is right?¡± The adjudicator held out a truth stone to me and questioned me to verify I had no knowledge of the girl¡¯s hairbrained scheme.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have made sense to try and link up with us while Argos was still along with me, and she knows Fortunate has a decoy, and probably asked where I was planning on going.¡± I mused out and Tony nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m not to familiar with young sun dragons, just how fast do they fly, what is their range, and how the heck can she fly without a harness?¡± I stammered out weakly, seeing the growing alarm on the faces around me.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know, and sun dragons have a protected frill under their necks that pilots often ride on when they are younger, before the dragons get too big for the pilot to straddle the neck. So is possible she could fly without a harness.¡± The Dracon mused as he grumbled darkly to himself.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve been introduced. Whom do I have the pleasure of Dracon?¡± I asked and he beamed at me. ¡°Eric Trask, Dracon Senior Grade of the Mageos Air Corps.¡± I nodded, and realized he had a comparable rank to my own, but wasn¡¯t the commander of his dragon. He would be a Dracon Master if he held the rank of captain aboard his own dragon.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid if she tried to fly directly here from Bagliona it would have be very taxing on Kantar, but she should have already been here. That¡¯s why we were looking to see if she had linked up with you instead.¡±

    I looked at them and grinned. ¡°What makes you so sure she isn¡¯t already here?¡± I asked and I saw them all exchange glances. We looked out a nearby porthole at the gaping maw of the interior entrance to the needle.

    ¡°We would have seen her!¡± One of the men from the port authority cried as Tony laughed and shook his head.

    ¡°Not if she didn¡¯t want you to. I know Gina very well and she is a sneaky little squirt. She can also pass the wards without setting off any of the alarms, as she is of the blood. Check with the Sky Patrol, they likely spotted her on the way down.¡± Tony said and pointed to the growing darkness around us as the sun fell below the horizon.

    ¡°She flew directly here yesterday, and waited for darkness to sneak inside the needle, she¡¯s somewhere inside. That is if she came here at all. If she flew the Roark standard from her dragon no one would have questioned her and if they did, she could have just verified her identity with a truth stone.¡± Tony winced and frowned for a second after his comment, until his face brightened and he pulled out his communication crystal.

    He closed his eyes as he sent his power into it, searching for her connection and then he smiled. ¡°Yep, she¡¯s close by, I can sense her crystal. She isn¡¯t picking up though.¡± I saw looks of relief wash over the delegation, and fury cross the Dracon¡¯s face. He glared at Tony.

    ¡°You sky folk! You have no right to Kantar! He is bound by treaty to the academy! I will bring the girl back with me, or one of the elders of Kantar¡¯s clan will take her and that stupid hatchling into protective custody! If that happens decades of careful negotiation will be thrown to the dogs!¡± He roared.

    Tony and I exchanged angry glances and I rounded on the Dracon. ¡°I frankly don¡¯t care Dracon! It¡¯s her choice, and while we can probably talk sense into her, I¡¯m not going order her to return if we can even find her in the depths of the needle!¡± I stood up, my anger causing my body to tingle, curling sparks of power leaking out to course along my harness as I glared at the man. He gave me a thin smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s not up to a silly little girl what she does with Kantar, that dragon¡¯s clan has promised him to us for over fifteen years, since we lost Nethrax! She wasn¡¯t supposed to be his chosen!¡± He snarled under his breath and I could feel his own aura darken, power gathering around his body.

    The adjudicators went pale beside us and raised their hands. ¡°We will not condone violence in our presence! Calm yourselves good people, we have to discuss this civilly!¡± I saw them give us both hard looks and I forced my temper under control. It wouldn¡¯t do me any good to acquire a fine just to satiate my temper and give this irritating Dracon a good zap.

    ¡°Her name is Gina, not silly little girl and not even stupid brat, although she does act like that sometimes. She isn¡¯t stupid, she grew up on the Argos after all and spent her entire life aboard a warship.¡± Tony said and I saw the two men exchange a long glare before the Dracon gave a sigh and nodded.

    ¡°I know of the reputation of the Argos. It is¡­ an interesting one.¡± Eric mused as he stroked his growing stubble at his chin. I rolled my eyes. The Argos was more often privateer than not, if times were lean. All of them were some of the toughest fighters in the family and the ship had an impressive list of battle honors to prove it.

    ¡°Kantar is in good hands, even if that girl isn¡¯t from the academy.¡± Tony soothed and I nodded. I knew Gina and her parents well. The girl was frankly a little terrifying when you got her angry. She wasn¡¯t as heavily trained as I was when her age, but she knew how to fight. Even the perils within the depths of the needle were not going to deter her. ¡°Think she is heading for the Roark family holdings?¡± I asked Tony and he shrugged.

    ¡°It¡¯s not easy getting down there. Our holdings are as you know, on the fortieth floor of the needle. We like our peace and quiet.¡± He chuckled.

    I rolled my eyes, more like the Roark family was just plain batshit crazy. My own family vault was in the public concourse on the third floor in Trader¡¯s Reach. The Marshalls had abandoned their holdings in the needle almost a century ago. My mother¡¯s family lived in the Chrono Spire on the fifteenth floor, but I had never been there.

    ¡°How safe is the decent this season?¡± I asked the representatives and they shrugged. ¡°Same as it typically is. Right after a transfer, it wakes everything up for a bit you know.¡± He chuckled and I sighed. I always hated taking Sweetwind down the needle. Even with mom around to help, it was a pain in the butt and could get very dangerous in the lower levels. I had never been below the tenth floor, and even then, the memories of that trip had been enough to raise goosebumps as I thought about it.

    ¡°Floors?¡± Neil asked and I grinned at him.

    ¡°You will see shortly.¡± I glared at the Dracon.

    ¡°You know the rules, you can¡¯t go into the interior farther than the third floor, even with a diplomatic pass if you have one.¡± I said and he quickly nodded.

    ¡°Captain Marshall, do be aware that if she is hiding somewhere inside the needle, I¡¯m not the only one you will have to worry about. Kantar¡¯s clan will come looking and I wouldn¡¯t want to anger the most powerful dragon clan in Mageos. Their battle formations would darken the sky, and defenses or no, it¡¯s not going to slow them down much if they want to get inside and look for him.¡±

    I gulped and glared at Tony who had turned a bit pale and was clutching his communication crystal in a white-knuckled grip. I knew he was desperately trying to reason with Gina if she had in fact decided to respond to him.

    Personally, I doubted his crystal could reach past the wards of the needle. He could probably feel her crystal through the connection, but not connect to it. It was always like that with short range crystals.

    ¡°Well let¡¯s cast off. Where is your dragon Dracon?¡± I asked and he pointed below. ¡°First floor, at a guest hanger in Oak Hollow. Parthenos is waiting for me to return, and she is getting quite irritated, as she doesn¡¯t like the other dragons down there, and I think the feeling is mutual.¡±

    I exchanged a nervous glance with everyone else and got up as we filed out of my cabin and up onto the deck. Dracon Trask nodded to me as he lashed himself to the railing as the representatives left the ship, one of them handing me a small message scroll with a wink before he left. I looked at the address and grinned back as their dockhands lit their lamps and waited for me to take the helm and lift off the cradle.

    Climbing up out of my cabin I waved to the departing officials as I slid down the forward hatchway. Settling myself into the bow helm, I nodded to Tony as he settled into the mechanician station. Natasha slid down the ladder and hurried to lash herself into the navigator¡¯s station, a look of awe on her face as she stared at the glowing maw that was the entrance to the needle.

    Neil had opted to stay on deck with the Dracon, and I suspected he was likely climbing up into the mainmast. Turning and glancing up out the bubble I saw that I had been correct. I could see him carefully ascending the mast, his gazed fixed on the sights around him as we lifted off the cradle.

    I could feel Sweetwind roar with expectation as we entered changeover at the lip of the maw and fell. The ship spun around and around was we plunged downwards then righted itself as my perspective changed.

    The inside of the first floor was slowly fading as the central glow was fading in strength with the coming night cycle but I could see expansive towns, farms and a busy traffic of airships and flying beasts roaring, screeching or hooting as we ducked past, plunging slowly down the center decent. The massive central axis was filled with defensive emplacements, their gigantic lances of energy humming as they tracked us down the first ring. Then we passed it and everything changed.

    My stomach twisted at the unnerving sight of seeing upside down towns all around us, but that was how it was in the needle. The distance to the walls, which were also the ground was nearly two thousand feet in either direction. The interior sky was filled with condensed fog, and artificial clouds. Condensation formed on the bow bubble as we descended and I realized we had entered a light drizzle, a condition common to the evenings and mornings within the needle.

    Arcs of power from the central axis thrummed up and down between the rings as we passed them and stopped almost to the dividing line to the second floor the floor divider was denoted by what looked like a flat, lichen covered floor far below us, but if we were out of the central spine it would look like a gigantic wall. That thought made my head spin and I blinked and looked around for Oak Hollow.

    I knew the small fortified village where the guest dragons were normally housed. It was a heavily defended town that seemed sideways far below to one side as I pushed the ship out of the odd distortion of gravity in the central spire and the entire ship flipped as we righted to align with the new down. I felt my stomach twist and my entire body tingled as we passed the powerful magics that isolated the central corridor of the needle from the sides of the first floor.

    I blinked as I saw a spray of vomit shoot past the bubble as gravity flipped and peered up at Neil, who was shuddering at the top of the mainmast and gripping the watch post. Even his nausea couldn¡¯t keep him from eventually recovering and pointing his spyglass at the approaching forest we were descending toward. All around us was a sky pine nursery, with an ancient stone castle in its center and a sprawling merchant town around it between massively thick walls, and towering defensive emplacements.

    I signaled the town¡¯s small watch post next to a field and a massive hanger built into the side of some of the defenses on its outskirts, and slowly descended towards the little aerodrome. The wardings pushed away the condensation from the drizzle and I saw the ground crew waiting for us, signal lamps lit and directing me into another cradle next to the hanger. I settled into the cradle and locked my landing clamps.

    It always felt decidedly odd the first time I looked up when I arrived anywhere in the needle, instead of seeing the depths of the sky above, I could barely make out the far wall of the needle and fields, towns and villages, forests and lakes above me.

    This time was no different. I swallowed down my slight nausea and embraced the familiar thrum of the needle¡¯s pulsing energy as I stepped onto in the wet grass of the aerodrome and nodded to the Dracon as he slid down the side of the cradle and pointed at a large golden-white sun dragon who was curled up away from the massive doors of the main dragon¡¯s quarters. I could see irritated and annoyed snouts of other dragons poking out of the door and eying the interloper with hostility.

    Indeed, it didn¡¯t seem as if Eric¡¯s dragon was very welcome here considering it had chosen to sleep in the damp rather than to endure the attentions of other dragons. Most Sun dragons weren¡¯t much loved by the many of the other dragon clans, much less the dragons of the sky folk.

    The massive beast poked it¡¯s head up out of its curled form and gave an irritated snort at her Dracon as he held up his hands in placation and ran to her. It nuzzled him as his crew filed out from a nearby barracks, a screaming non-commissioned officer calling them out. Officers from Eric¡¯s crew were already waiting for him and they exchanged salutes as I saw the man begin to fill them in. One of them glared at me with loathing and started walking towards me as I stayed by my ship¡¯s cradle and waited for him, leaning against it and yawning. I was dead tired and needed some sleep. It had been a long day of boring travel from the island and I need some rack time.

    Far above us, the rings finished their daytime fade, and glowed slightly with the light I normally associated with night within the needle.

    I saw the captain¡¯s insignia on the Mageos uniform and tried to stand up straight for a proper greeting and almost swayed a bit with fatigue. I still managed a curt bow, as was customary for a civilian captain to a military one and gave him a tired smile.

    ¡°I am Captain Rebecca Marshall, at your service sir.¡± I introduced myself, but only got a curt nod from him.

    ¡°Captain Gerard Saros, it is a¡­ pleasure Captain Marshall.¡± He replied and I tried to place the name, it felt familiar. I shook off the feeling and nodded to my vessel. ¡°Sweetwind will be making the decent, did your Dracon explain the situation?¡± I asked and he gave me a cold nod and glared at me.

    ¡°We will be leaving in the morning to return to our prior duties. I will leave the situation in your hands, but do be aware that when we left, the patriarch of Kantar¡¯s clan gave a deadline of only a week to find and return her missing hatching. After that deadline falls, they will come here in force to¡­ resolve the situation themselves.¡±

    I grinned at him. Dragons had tried to bully the needle around before and I doubted this time would be any different than the many other times. The needle had its own dragon clans, and they disliked outside clans with a nearly xenophobic fervor. Still, the dragon clans here at the needle weren¡¯t very large or extensive and they mostly kept to themselves. The other reason why I wasn¡¯t overly worried was that the needle could quite take care of itself, and despised any hostility towards its inhabitants. The last time anyone had even made it past the fifth floor was nearly two centuries ago. It hadn¡¯t gone very well for the invaders.

    ¡°Well I¡¯ll do my best, but no promises. We will find the girl, and her dragon.¡± I said and he gave me another curt nod and stalked off towards his men. The crew were forming up for review and I could see Dracon Trask waiting for his superior.

    After the officer dismissed them, I saw him angrily stalk off back towards the guest barracks. I yawned again and ascended up the rope ladder. I had a long day ahead of me tomorrow and a runaway dragon and its pilot to find.

 Chapter 20: Fateful Meetings

    ¡°So where do you think Gina went?¡± I asked Tony sleepily, it was early morning and I had just crawled out of my bunk and returned to my cabin from my quest for kava. Outside the Sweetwind, the rings were just starting to glow again. Despite wanting to turn in last nigh I had to finish quite a bit of work around Sweetwind, and it had eaten into my sleep.

    ¡°She could still be on the upper levels, but her goal is probably grandfather.¡± Tony was talking about his grandfather, the retired or self-professed retired explorer and adventurer who lived on the lower frontier of the needle. I personally thought Fredrick Roark was a madman. He was obsessed with his research, but he was also the unofficial leader of the Roark clan, after Allister. The last time he had been rousted from his lair, as I think his family tended to call it was when his son Allister had gotten married. I hadn¡¯t seen the man since.

    The fortieth floor, was as low as almost anyone had made it down into the needle, except for perhaps the celestial elves. Since they were the self-professed caretakers of the needle, no one really knew just what secrets they understood, or how deep they had delved into the depts of their home.

    My mom¡¯s family was from the Chrono Spire, which was on the fifteenth floor of the needle and they had pretty much ignored me my whole life, or tolerated was a better word for their treatment. Mother had only been there a couple of times. When grandmother had left the needle to marry, she had taken her daughter and two sons with her to live in the outside world. This was considered a grave breach of tradition among the celestial elves, and that rift in the family had never quite healed.

    When mom had died, I had lost my last link to her family and I hadn¡¯t bothered to try and rekindle it. Half-bloods were looked at with a¡­ lest then favorable attitude by other full-blooded celestial elves to say the least. I had only met a few other full-blooded members of the elvish race, and they were notoriously stuck up and had a superiority complex that was only exceeded by their arrogance. The only time I had seen any members of my mother¡¯s family, was when they had inexpiably shown up during the refurbishment of Sweetwind after it had been transferred to my mom. It had been just as much a shock to her as anyone else.

    It was a wonder they actually tolerated the sky folk in what they called their ¡°Sacred Temple.¡± Their willingness to work with the sky folk was a deep mystery that only the celestials could shed any light on. Everyone knew the celestials weren¡¯t native to Prime, but no one really talked about how this particular population of them came to be in the needle, or where the needle actually is from for that matter. That sort of knowledge had been lost along with many things during the cataclysm, and the dark years that followed it, or so the celestial elves always claimed. Personally, I doubted that statement greatly considering how well they kept records. Grandmother had also passed down a few myths and legends of our origin to my mother and I. My mother¡¯s grimoire also contained a lot of information that it didn¡¯t want to share with me.

    For the most parts, the two groups within the needle got on well enough, mostly by avoiding one another. There were other factions in the needle. Even a few wild dragon clans deeper down in the needle, as well as a bunch of other races. Gremlins, for example had a pretty strong presence in the underwork levels, the non-habitation floors and they often worked directly with the celestials on the mysterious work they were always about.

    Gremlins were like dwarves in statue, but spindlier, even more so than Goblins, and had a high degree of aptitude for the mechanical artificer skills. They were often companions, or servants to the celestials and were used to run errands on the upper floors, which is the only times I had ever seen them.

    ¡°Becca, you awake?¡± I yawned and blinked at Tony and realized that I had missed his last comment.

    ¡°I said that she probably took one of the ring lifts down, but she had to have stopped in Trader¡¯s Reach to get updated on current conditions, supplies and other things.¡±

    Nodding to him, I walked over to the other side of my cabin and opened a spell-sealed safe in one wall and ruffled around inside. A few moments later I pulled an old dusty book from the contents of the spell-folded space, then I shut the safe and rebound the locking mechanism with a touch of my power.

    Before Tony could inquire about the book, I quickly pocketed it and glared at his attention. It was my mother¡¯s journal, and it had been her grandmother¡¯s journal before her. I knew it contained many things I¡¯d need to know about the needle, and I wanted to keep it on me.

    ¡°Are the traveler¡¯s back yet?¡± I asked, and Tony shrugged. ¡°Tombason slept in his bunk, I didn¡¯t see him vanish like the other traveler.¡± He said and I nodded.

    These travelers had varying lengths of time they could spend here with us, but I knew if Neil reappeared it would be aboard Sweetwind. He had made it plain that he would reappear wherever he left, even if it was aboard a moving vessel.

    My mind drifted away from the constant questions I had about the travelers and I shook myself as I motioned to Tony.

    ¡°Natasha should be back from Oak Hollow, I sent her to get a hot breakfast from the guest hostel.¡± I yawned, and wondered if any of my new crew knew how to cook. I could make some types of food, but breakfast normally consisted of leftovers or waybread and cheese or something as I worked. It wasn¡¯t a situation I was comfortable with.

    Clutching my flask of hot kava to me, like it was the last one on Prime, I staggered out of my cabin and descended down into the spine passageway to look for Cid, Tony on my heels.

    My ship¡¯s new artificer was at work in his workshop, where he was paging through the massive tome he had pointed out the Sweetwind in a few days ago. I saw diagrams of different types of refraction chambers, and he was comparing sketches of my ship in his little journal to what he was looking at in his book.

    He was so engrossed in his work, he startled when I greeted him. ¡°Er morning Cid, that¡¯s some light reading you got there.¡± I yawned and he glared at me, his hand steading an ink vial he had almost knocked out of it¡¯s movement clasps on his worktable.

    ¡°Ah it is zee good morn, Captain Marshall a bit early yes, we lift soon?¡± He asked in a very quick sentence as he licked his lips and peered out of the workroom into the refraction chamber as if he was waiting for his favorite thespian play to start. His catlike eyes were fixed greedily on the softly glowing ballast crystal that pulsed sleepily in it¡¯s slumber.

    ¡°In a bit, going to decend to Trader¡¯s Reach and try to get news of our little runaway.¡± I pointed towards the illustrations in his massive book on airships. There was a picture of a strange, spindly airship with celestial elves around it, most of them looked like they barely were tolerating the artist.

    ¡°You ever talk to celestial elves?¡± I yawned and he looked at me quizzically before he laughed.

    ¡°No one talks zee elves, unless zee want you to. Zee are about as elusive as za forest pixie.¡± He gave a meowing cackle and I saw his whiskers twitch in agitation.

    Pointing to the sigil on the side of one of the illustrations I told him what I knew of it. ¡°That¡¯s a mark of the way you know. More specifically it¡¯s the aspect of time, and space.¡± I said and he stared at me.

    ¡°How zu you know ziss?¡± His expression was very guarded and he gave me a narrowed and disconcerting stare with his unsettling eyes, their slit pupils glinting at me in the light of his workshop.

    ¡°I know because that¡¯s the same symbol that represents the Chrono Spire, where my mother¡¯s family is from.¡± I glared at him and crossed my arms, not very happy at the hostility I saw in his demeanor.

    He gave a startled laugh, then rubbed a furry paw across his face as he nodded. ¡°I apologize, its just that I wasn¡¯t aware that your family was of the way.¡± I shook my head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not, but I know of their teachings and it is a basis for most of my own knowledge and practice of my power. I just was never initiated into the way, nor do I think that my mother¡¯s people would ever have me.¡± I growled, a sore spot from my own childhood and for that matter, a sore spot that my mom had always held coming to the surface.

    Cid studied me carefully for a long while then smiled. ¡°Ah zee may be surprised, and not all of zee way honor the aspects zee same. Vee family may be a bit¡­ close minded but not all of zee way be like them.¡± He chided me and I nodded. My own bitterness felt a bit sour when I considered a few other encounters I had had with the secretive practitioners of the way. They were an odd lot, but often accepting of others.

    I stood there for a moment until I remembered what I had come down to ask him. ¡°Cid, before we get off track here, I wanted to ask you if you¡¯ve been able to get the main mechanician console working yet.¡± I pointed to the mess of dusty consoles, artificer devices and wires that were in one corner. He winced and shook his head.

    ¡°Ah on it, even for me ziss a serious challenge. You say zee main board never been operational?¡± He asked and I nodded.

    Yea, you could get basic functionality out of it for balancing power, and other simple operations but that station was the physical interface between the Sweetwind and its crew as well as the encoded information depository of the ship. If there was a way to trace the origins of my vessel it would be likely that getting all of Sweetwind¡¯s original systems restored would be the place to start. I knew that my grandmother had inherited the ship from her own father when he had left it to her, but beyond that I didn¡¯t know much of my vessel¡¯s history.

    It had always been in sorry shape, and every artificer that had tried working on it, just seemed to make the problems worse. Cid wasn¡¯t exactly a miracle worker, and I wondered if he would ever get it repaired. Looking at the story state it was in, I had my doubts. There were missing crystals, trashed panels, and whole sections of the artifice were dark, long dead and looked like that had been their state for a few generations.

    ¡°Mabey grandfather can convince his gremlins to help with the restoration. He has a few working with him as assistants.¡± Tony said and my eyes widened and I groaned.

    ¡°Well, I think we can try stopping at the Chrono Spire on the way down, I¡¯m sure your father¡¯s gremlins are quite good, but I wonder if I can get one of the elves to look at it.¡± I said, and even to me my voice sounded decidedly unhopeful.

    Tony burst out laughing and I glared at him. ¡°Worth a shot, I don¡¯t think they will try to kill me on sight or anything, they aren¡¯t those prophet bigots, they are just¡­¡± I tried to search for the right words that would describe them before Tony supplied a few choice descriptions.

    ¡°Arrogant little pissants? Freaking stuck up elves¡­¡± He laughed at my half-hearted glare and I shook my head before I smiled. I pointed to my own pointed ears and he nudged me.

    ¡°I¡¯m not like them, you know that!¡± My protests just caused him to laugh harder. ¡°Becca, you remember when you challenged me to a duel on your fourteenth birthday for calling you a preening git?¡± He just kept laughing, and enduring my smoldering glare until it turned into a wince. It was hard to forget how stuck up the family thought of me until I mellowed out after a few years to myself.

    ¡°Yea, and I¡¯ll do it again if you keep it up!¡± I snarled and he just shook his head and nearly fell over when Cid joined in, his whiskers twitching.

    ¡°Oh you two¡­uahhh!¡± I turned my back on them before I downed a gulp of kava from my flask and stalked off to look for Neil. Where was my wayward apprentice anyways?

    I found him on deck with Tombason, they had the geography book that I had convinced the guest house in Bagliona to part with, and they were in a heated argument as I approached.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you Tom, this is Earth!¡± Neil bellowed and pointed to a section of mountains along the roof of the world far the north east of our position.

    Tombason let out a deep belly laugh that shook his frame as he shook his head. ¡°Your saying that Endaria is a post-apocalyptic game not a fantasy?¡± He smirked at the boy as he flipped through the book pointing at the different continents.

    ¡°Looks nothing like Earth at all! So what if some things look a bit similar, it¡¯s not like the developers wouldn¡¯t put in Easter eggs or references to reality in it. Doesn¡¯t mean anything, you¡¯re looking at it too deeply shrimp!¡±

    ¡°Yea the coastlines are all different, but look at this. The elevation of Everest is almost exactly the same mentioned in the book, and the mountains are all in the same configuration as the peaks around it. And this!¡± He stabbed his finger at the pages that described other planets in the same system as Prime.

    ¡°Same planets! Same configuration! I bet if I started mapping the stars, I could spot familiar constellations! He yelled excitedly.

    ¡°So what? Even if your right, what does that matter kid? It¡¯s just a game! You want to try to figure everything out? Start with learning how to fight properly. I¡¯ve seen you try to do those katas that the captain has you on it was a bit painful to watch! Did you ever get through your mandatory militia training?¡± He accused and crossed his massive arms at the boy and glared.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Neil seemed to wilt. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ disabled.¡± He said and I saw the man¡¯s stern gaze soften. ¡°That explains a lot kid, sorry didn¡¯t mean to bring that up. Well I¡¯ll work with you, if you want.¡± The boy nodded and grinned.

    ¡°Well at least I finally got my class! It¡¯s about time!¡± He said and I saw Tombason shrug at the mention. ¡°Still looking for mine, the interface is still ranking me as a D rank and I don¡¯t see any tree yet other than just the basic combat one.¡± He seemed to deflate a bit in frustration before Neil shook his head and grinned.

    ¡°I¡¯m betting it will be awesome! Just wait!¡± He said, bouncing on his feet and then noticed my look of abject fascination, and bewilderment as I warred with the great seal, trying to understand what they were talking about.

    They both studied me with a very odd expression for a moment before Neil grinned. ¡°Morning Captain!¡± He looked decidedly more awake than anyone had a right to this early, and I reflexively took another gulp of kava before I nodded to them both.

    ¡°Nice to see you two back aboard! I¡¯ll lift ship when Natasha returns and I clear things with the port.¡± I pointed to a tiny figure trudging across the aerodrome field from the guest hostel, laden with cloth bags and carrying an insulated box. ¡°Go help Natasha with bringing us our breakfast.¡± As Neil scrambled down the cradle, I saw Tombason give me an incredulous stare.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a cook?¡± He asked and I shook my head.

    ¡°Not me, I am only good at forage cooking, and at that I¡¯m still barely passable at it.¡± Tombason grinned and looked down into the galley hatch. ¡°I¡¯ll manage if you want mam, I¡¯m betting I¡¯m more than passable.¡± I shrugged it couldn¡¯t be worse than my own cooking.

    ¡°You won¡¯t have much to do elsewise, until I can get you trained up.¡± He nodded and quickly disappeared to check out the galley. I heard his grumbling through the galley flue next to me before I stalked off to the mainmast and its heliograph tapper. I started blinking out a request to launch, and initiated the customary exchange that proceeded every lift from an aerodrome.

    A few minutes later we were in the bow helm, strapped in and munching on breakfast wraps that Natasha had secured for us. I smacked my lips as the delicious egg and mushroom, and cheese settled in my stomach. Food like this was a rare treat and I liked to enjoy it while I could.

    Sweetwind throbbed under me as I called out my orders and Natasha eased the ship out of the cradle and we made our way towards the central axis. I had advised Neil to wait until after changeover to eat his breakfast and he was clutching his wrap in one hand and looking with deep trepidation at the stream of inverted ships and flying beasts plunging down the axis or in ascension. Between the rings, I saw the flickering movement of the lift system exchanging goods between floors, surging with the morning rush.

    We hit changeover and the ship flipped, and began its plunge. Neil gasped, even as my own breakfast churned slightly. Not really fazed this time, he grinned at me and started to take careful bites of his breakfast.

    I nodded to the boy, it seemed he was adjusting quickly. It boded quite well for his future as a flyer. We quickly plunged past the first floor and into a much more populated second floor. Small towns and massive farms took up every inch of the space on the walls of the needle around us as we fell, streaking towards the next floor.

    When we passed that floor, I heard a collective gasp from my crew and I smiled. The entire floor was a mix of grasslands, and a massive city around a lake on one side, small towns and hamlets covering the walls around us. Titanic fortifications were built into every ring, their massive casting stones tracking us as we fell.

    Leveling Sweetwind off near Trader¡¯s Reach, we crossed changeover and dodged and weaved through the brisk morning traffic. I gave cheery salutes to passing ships, some flying familiar sky folk markings, some from other kingdoms. A flying menagerie of beasts, giant avian forms and other creatures screeched, roared or howled as they passed in greeting, their pilots saluting as we fell towards the massive aerodrome in the center of the city.

    Following my instructions from the port authority, I guided Sweetwind into a cradle sandwiched between rows of small skiffs, ground hands directing Natasha¡¯s deft maneuvering as she set the ship down in the cradle.

    Around us was a hive of activity, as ships from dozens of different families and nations swarmed with people unloading cargo, doing repair work and maintenance on their ships while their crews took to the busy market around us.

    The aerodrome was surrounded by market stalls, shops and massive merchant warehouses streaming with goods. In the distance I could see the spires of each of the major sky folk trading houses, their massive banners streaming in the morning breeze that rolled around the inside of the needle as the morning heated up the land.

    My broad grin at being back in my homeland and seeing the sight that had me homesick for so long nearly brought tears to my eyes. This was the heart of my people. The swap.

    As the Swapper¡¯s Needle traveled around Prime it picked up and traded goods wherever it landed. Merchants bought and sold, picking up goods on one side of Prime, then storing them until they were valuable when the needle moved once again.

    The fact the needle had landed so close to Bagliona was obviously causing a frenzy. The merchants were trying to take in new goods and offload them as fast as they could. I hadn¡¯t landed at the trading fields in Bagliona, so I hadn¡¯t realized that the traffic was so intense. From the heart Trader¡¯s Reach, it felt like an overturned ant hill.

    The Marshall family was one of the smaller sky folk families, most of the larger ones had thousands of members and dozens of airships all plying the skies under their banner.

    The larger cargo beasts were also coming and going in a steady stream. I watched as a massive black thornback dragon was landing, it¡¯s cargo nets setting down as crew streamed off the harness and secured the cargo as it backed up, reared and curled down to rest.

    The glowing light of the axis shown merrily in the moist morning air as I popped open the bow helm¡¯s hatch and slid down the ladder, a familiar face waiting for me below.

    Aunt Gracie Marshall gave me a hug as we met and I looked down the field to see Fortunate taking on cargo far down the line. ¡°Just arrived a few hours ago Becca, good to see you!¡± She said and I nodded looking around for Argos when I didn¡¯t see it anywhere, I turned on my aunt.

    ¡°Am I truly going to be stuck finding Allister¡¯s kid?¡± I grumbled and she nodded.

    ¡°They have a contract with the Campbell¡¯s you know that. They are on a north tack right now on a heading towards the expanse.¡± She sighed sadly and nodded to my look of disappointment. I had always known it would be me, my last hope that I¡¯d have some help for the decent was washed away.

    ¡°I have word of her by the way. Gina is in a convoy heading towards the thirty-sixth floor, I don¡¯t know why that dunderhead Trip Matterson took her on as a guard, he is heading back to his holdings for the season.¡±

    I nodded, and gave a groan of consternation. At least she had the sense to make sure she was in a convoy. I frowned as I tried to remember anything about the convoy leader. The Matterson¡¯s and the Roarks weren¡¯t exactly on the best of terms. I had to wonder how the girl had managed to convince that old crook to take her.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to take on some supplies here, and see if there is another convoy leaving. Looking at Tony who had just slid down next to me, I pointed to his communication crystal and he shook his head. I doubted that the thing could transmit between floors, given to how thick the interference was.

    Aunt Gracie frowned at Tony, then relayed a message for him from his parents. ¡°I pretty much can sum up their words, but they wanted me to pass this on for you. ¡°Get her back, or there will be trouble!¡± She growled and we both nodded and I ran for one of the hawkers on the field calling out goods prices.

    After dispatching a runner with my list of supplies I grabbed Neil and we entered the city, going straight for the central bank of the sky folk. The building was a massive fortification on one corner of Trader¡¯s reach, its spires towering into the sky around us.

    Steering him around swarms of trade certificate vendors at the entrance lobby, I pulled the message cylinder out that that eye¡¯s port authority had given me the day before and stalked towards the manager¡¯s office.

    Entering the archway, I was greeted to swarming cubicles, and a small thronelike desk raised up around the bedlam of clerks and tellers counting coin and exchanging enchanted script around him.

    ¡°Rebecca Marshall!¡± A tall spindly mand with a neat set of robes, covered with his family sigils and wearing an odd top hat with a feather in it bounded down off the dais and we clasped arms instead of bowing, a sign of how high the Vermis family was related to the Marshall family in the complicated web of family alliances that I had to navigate.

    I handed him the message and he read it, nodding. ¡°You need to access your family vault?¡± I smiled.

    ¡°Yes, and Neil here needs to open an official partnership account.¡± I saw the man turn and stare at the traveler, then at me. ¡°With you as guarantor?¡± I nodded at the man¡¯s perplexed expression and tried to hide my grin.

    ¡°Very well, it¡¯s not without precedent. However, I think this is the first time it has happened with a traveler in nearly a century.¡± He stammered and I saw Neil perk up.

    ¡°Wait, I thought that we are the first travelers, you know to be in Endaria.¡± We both stared at him in barely concealed astonishment.

    I burst out laughing, shaking my head at the sheer look of incomprehension on Neil¡¯s face. ¡°No travelers until now have been rare, granted but they¡¯ve been part of Endaria since the cataclysm.¡± I explained and he had a thoughtful look on his face before he brightened.

    ¡°You mean the beta testers? But that was only a couple of years ago, and they weren¡¯t even on Prime from what I¡¯ve gathered. All the material I could find looks like an entirely different planet.¡± His words made both of us go blank for a second before I shook the fuzziness out of my mind and glared at him.

    ¡°No, this is the first time a large group of travelers was ever seen as far as I know. And you lot act much differently than any of ones from the legends.¡± I explained and he just stared at us with a look of confusion.

    He shook himself off, and for a second, I realized that the great seal was starting to affect his own line of questioning, as he quickly shifted topic. ¡°What¡¯s a partnership account?¡± He asked and I smiled.

    ¡°It¡¯s like a joint account, it allows Rebecca to pay you directly from her own funds, and you can withdraw a limited amount in script in her name. Though you have to be acting in good faith for the benefit of Sweetwind.¡± The bank manager explained.

    I nodded at the explanation. ¡°I¡¯m also paying for your account, as I doubt you could afford trying to open an independent account.¡± I explained and he nodded.

    ¡°At a discount, too lad. Be thankful that I¡¯m not charging you the outsider¡¯s tax, as it¡¯s in partnership with one of the folk. This account is good between any bank branch on Prime.¡± The manager nodded to me as he pulled up the documents and we got to work opening the account. After we were done, I left him in the lobby while I descended into the depths of the tunnels below to access the Marshall family¡¯s vault here in Trader¡¯s Reach.

    When I was done, and I had the items I needed, I picked up Neil on the way out and we made our way back towards the central market. We had nearly made it back when I felt a familiar touch on my power. Looking around I stopped. Around Neil and myself the street we were on flowed with the folk, some turning towards the bank and some pulling carts, or carrying heavy loads in the direction of the landing fields.

    Neil looked up for me for a second as I narrowed my eyes and adjusted my goggles, pushing a complex aura sensing working into my lenses, scanning the crowd. My hairs were prickling on the back of my neck and I spun just in time to freeze in a twisting knot of pain and heartbreak.

    There he was, watching me, my former fianc¨¦e and his new wife. Neil must have sensed the barely contained hatred and fury washing over me, cracking out of my mental barriers because he backed up and shook off one hand as it must have gone numb from the crackling energy rumbling up and down my harness, occasionally grounding out into him next to me.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d see me again?¡± Connor Trelawny called and I gripped the hilt of my cutlass as a tall blond-haired man with sparking blue eyes glowing with power advanced. His crew filed around him along with a smirking woman who held a glowing focus rod, her eyes two red pits of malice.

    ¡°What are you doing, here Connie? I thought the needle had banished you!¡± I snarled and he laughed and shook his head.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good joke! You think the council of clans would banish me just for snubbing the penniless orphan Marshall girl? Come now, you should know better.

    ¡°You betrayed us! All because my father called off our marriage! Why, why did you do it Connor? I never did get a chance to properly ask you!¡±

    The man laughed and shook his head, his own harness flaring with cracking blue energy as he strengthened his own shield. ¡°I never betrayed you¡­ it was your fathers lack of compromise that did that. You could have had it all Becca, power wealth, and¡­ protection¡­Me. All you would have had to do was support the right people and none of that unpleasantness would have occurred.¡±

    The woman next to him looked at her husband critically before turning to see the look of heartbreak on my own face, and the pain etched there. I knew I was leaking enough emotion for that woman to know the truth. I didn¡¯t care. I had grown up beside him always knowing I would eventually be wed with him. I had liked his family, up until I had learned the truth of his father¡¯s involvement with civil war in Yamania.

    I wanted to tell the assembly what I knew, but that was exactly what his new wife probably wanted. Kara had always been scheming, plotting and I blamed her and her family as much as Connor¡¯s.

    I took deep breaths, trying to strengthen myself and get my emotions under control. For some reason, I no longer felt the overpowering rage and sense of betrayal that had drove me away from society for years following the death of my family. I wanted justice yes, I did want revenge but I wasn¡¯t without all sensibility.

    The Trelawny family was one of the most powerful and influential among the folk. Yes, they had violated a scared compact between mine, and in other cases I would be blood bound to avenge their betrayal, but my own father had called off the union to avoid a blood feud. Feuding with the Trelawny family would have swiftly ended all of us.

    I didn¡¯t want to dishonor his memory by dying stupidly for no good reason. I recognized the powerless position I held, there was no way I could win against Connie and he knew it. Even if I called him to account, he would just challenge me to trial by combat despite my own testimony, and he would kill me.

    ¡°I hear you made a few powerful enemies Becca. Despite what you may think of my family I bear you no ill will, and I do not wish to add to that growing list you are swiftly acquiring.¡± He laughed, his hansom face that had once hung around my neck in a betrothal locket since I was nine called to me and mocked me at the same time.

    Kara looked between us and narrowed her eyes, red rings of power flowing along her body as she fumed in rage. I felt a bit of leakage and I blinked at her in astonishment. The woman was jealous! I cracked a smile and almost laughed at the slip before I got my mirth under control. She could have that backstabbing monster and I¡¯d wish her well.

    Neil was gripping his own weapon in a white knuckled grip and I put my arm on his shoulder and shook my head. ¡°They won¡¯t try anything. Neil, I give you the¡­ dubious pleasure of meeting Connor Trelawny, he is the Captain of Skybreaker. Connie, this is Neil, he¡¯s a traveler.¡± I gritted my teeth as Captain Trelawney nodded and grinned at the traveler as he sized the lad up.

    ¡°I just dropped off a pair of travelers. You people are a¡­ fascinating lot, I have to say.¡± He beamed at the patch on the boy¡¯s shoulder and looked up at me.

    ¡°Your new apprentice? Now that is a remarkable idea Becca.¡± He thoughtfully stroked his elaborately shaped mustache and looked back towards the market.

    ¡°I heard that these travelers, they are undying yes?¡± One of the crew spoke up and his wife nodded.

    ¡°Yes, so they say. I¡¯ve not actually seen one come back so far but it hasn¡¯t been very long since the travelers returned to us.¡± She hissed, looking over Neil as if she would be interested in a bit of an experiment at my apprentice¡¯s expense. Probably involving burning him into a pile of ashes.

    ¡°You know, according to ancient law of the folk, the travelers are the only other outside group other than the ones already here in the needle that can make a decent without being in a crew. I never knew about it until my mother pointed that fact out to me this very morning.¡± Connie looked towards the central merchant district and upward at a massive spire that held his family¡¯s sigil streaming in the wind along with the other twenty head families of the assembly. They were arranged around the top of the central tribunal hall, and I glared at the building, bad memories resurfacing.

    ¡°Ever wonder why that is Becca?¡± He said and gazed at Neil as if the boy was hiding something. Neil looked about as confused as I had ever seen him and the man grinned at him maliciously. ¡°I¡¯ll get to the bottom of it eventually lad and when I do¡­ I¡¯ll be looking for you lot. Lots of uses for people like you.¡±

    He gave a wry chuckle and beckoned to his crew as he turned and stalked off towards the market. Wincing I turned to watch him go, seeing the look of pure hatred on Kara¡¯s face as she stared me down.