“Oh mighty PAST, tell me, why is it that some of your glorious abilities require payment to unlock?”

  (no response)

  - Lazlo Smith, Level 31 Patriotic Paladin,

  PAST woke me again the next morning with that stupid song. I was actually considering spending the two eagles just to get it changed to something else… Maybe after we finally sold the loot from the dungeon. We each spent a bit of time getting cleaned up to the best of our abilities, then put on our ‘nicest’ civilian clothes for the appointment with the Magistrate. Mason sent Vale and Hassan off to purchase some supplies while the rest of us headed to the main square.

  East Bank’s courthouse was just a single large room in the same three-story building that housed the Mayor’s office and their few jail cells. We arrived five minutes early at Mason’s insistence, and a Guard showed us into the room and had us sit on some wooden benches near the front, facing a large wooden desk. Ten minutes later, more guards entered, escorting Elin – who was still manacled.

  Following along behind her were the three men who’d attacked us. They had cleaned up and were unrestrained. The three of them were put on a single bench in the front row, while Elin was seated behind them by herself, though a couple of Guards were nearby looking bored.

  Five more minutes passed by slowly before a door behind the large desk opened and an older man wearing black robes strode out.

  (Name: The Honorable Judge-Magistrate Orlan Chissen

  Class: Magistrate

  Tier: 3)

  Even as I read the notification, a Guard ordered us all to rise while the Magistrate took his seat behind the imposing desk, then we were allowed to sit again.

  “I am Orlan Chissen, Magistrate and acting Judge for East Bank. Our first case of the day involves three gentlemen and a young lady who were reportedly involved in a brawl in the streets of our fair town this past Saturday night. Veteran Guard Alric, please provide your report.”

  I watched the prisoners’ faces as the Guard recounted the incident, including the questions he’d asked us. The three men looked more bored than anything – they certainly didn’t seem too concerned with their punishment. Elin sat rigidly still, her face stony. She was clearly still pissed off and I wondered if she was going to lose her temper in front of the Magistrate.

  “Thank you Veteran Guard Alric. Let us dispense with the simple part of the matter first. Mr. Liasson, Mr. Gerland, Mr. Abrams – we are disappointed, but not surprised, to see you in our courtroom again. Do any of you contest the account of Veteran Guard Alric?”

  It was the Laborer, apparently named Gerland, who spoke up. He’d also been the one who initiated the confrontation, I recalled.

  “We was just gonna teach ‘em a lesson, Magistrate. They’re with that… thing,” he paused to spit in Mason’s general direction, earning himself a cuff on the back of the head from the nearest Guard. “We don’t need no mutants around ‘ere. The girl’s the one that pulled weapons first, she did. Then ‘er friend showed up and we was having some good, clean fun when she Spelled me. I swear I never felt nothin’ like it before. Worst pain o’ me life! She’s t’ one as should be punished ‘ere!”

  “There are punishments enough to go around, Mr. Gerland. For you and your friends, of course, it will be the standard fine for brawling. One eagle for Mr. Liasson,” – that was the Tier 1 Farmer – “ and two eagles apiece for Mr. Gerland and Mr. Abrams.”

  The Magistrate picked up a small wooden hammer from his desk and brought it down with a bang

  “You are dismissed, gentlemen. Please move to the back of the room if you wish to observe the rest of the proceedings.”

  The three men shuffled back several rows and Elin was moved to take their place in the first row.

  “Before we discuss young Miss Summers' fate, I wish to confirm with Veteran Guard Alric that no charges are being brought against the other participants in this fight, namely Mr. Block and his other three young wards.”

  “That is correct, Your Honor, my findings are that Delver Block acted in the defense of his companions and used reasonable and proportionate force. The other three Delver recruits were merely bystanders.”

  “Very good, Guardsman.” The Magistrate turned the weight of his attention to Elin, who stiffened further.

  “Miss Summers, you are accused of escalating a simple matter of fisticuffs with a dangerous Spell, the use of which is forbidden in town unless in defense of your own life or that of another. Do you contest the charges?”

  “Of course I do! I used my Spell to defend Block from that thug!” She turned, pointing at Gerland.

  “I see,” the Magistrate responded in a skeptical tone. “Do you swear that you feared for the life of your comrade, despite his experience and fighting Skills?”

  “I do!” she said loudly.

  The Magistrate sighed. “Young lady, as this is perhaps your first time standing trial, I will grant you this brief reminder – any false statement you make to me may be grounds to add perjury to any penalties you face. Understanding this, do you wish to change your statement?”

  “No!”

  “Mr. Alric, do you concur with my assessment?”

  “Yes, Your Honor, she was lying that she feared for his life,” the guard responded with certainty.

  Bang!

  “Seconded and recorded! Miss Summers is convicted of one charge of perjury!”

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  “WHAT?!” Elin shouted. “This is crazy! You can’t just say I’m convicted like that!… Don’t I get a Lawyer or something?!”

  “Regarding your offense of perjury, I most certainly can, Miss Summers. Under Lost Angels Civil Code 104.3.81, two officers of the law, of a Tier higher than that of the person in question, and ascertaining a lie in court using truth-detection Skills, provides sufficient ground for an immediate summary judgement of perjury. Mr. Alric and I have concurred, and thus, I find you guilty of perjury.

  “Now, you of course have the right to appeal, and you have the right to a Lawyer to contest the charge of illegal Spell use. Unfortunately for you, you are looking at the only person in East Bank with experience in criminal law. If you choose to exercise your right to a Lawyer, you will need to wait for the esteemed Ms. Hastings, Esquire, who regularly visits East Bank with one of the larger trade caravans. I believe she should be here within the next two months, isn’t that right Veteran Guard Alric?”

  “Sounds about right, Your Honor. She was here just a month ago.”

  Elin’s face was turning bright red. “Two MONTHS?! And what, I have to just sit in a cell until then?”

  “That is correct, Miss Summers, unless you can make bail. Which, in this case, I would set at… hm.”

  The Magistrate looked directly at Mason for the first time and I thought I saw a flicker of distaste, but his expression quickly returned to neutral.

  “Mr. … Whitmore. You are the person in charge of this group of Delvers?”

  “That is correct, Your Honor,” Mason replied smoothly.

  “And you are merely passing through East Bank, is that correct?”

  “It is, Your Honor. It was my intention to have left yesterday, before the… incident occurred. Now, my preference is to leave as soon as it is concluded.”

  “I see, Mr. Whitmore. In that case, Miss Summers, I set your bail at twenty-five eagles, and you will be forbidden from leaving town until this trial is concluded. Should you prove unable to make bail, you would of course remain in custody for the duration.”

  Elin glared at Mason, “Can’t you do something about this?!” she asked, indignantly.

  “I already have, Elin. Judge Chissen kindly moved this hearing to this morning, so that we could attend. Otherwise, you would have been waiting in jail until after we’d left. You can settle this today by cooperating, and hopefully leave with us, or you can wait for a Lawyer, in which case we’ll be long gone and you’ll be on your own.”

  I saw her hands flexed into fists, and her jaw clenched, but eventually she calmed herself down enough to speak.

  “Let’s get this joke over with, then.”

  “Oh, it is certainly not a joke, Miss Summers, and you would do well to take it seriously lest I hold you in contempt as well.” The Magistrate’s voice was icy cold.

  “Now, Miss Summers, do you contest the accusation that you used a dangerous Spell on an unarmed man, while not fearing for your life or that of any other?”

  “I… do not,” Elin hissed.

  “T’ weren’t just one Spell, Your Honor! I was ‘it more’n once!” Gerland broke in with a loud voice, standing up.

  “Mr. Gerland, please be seated. Mr. Alric, what have you to say?”

  “I’m afraid I didn’t inquire as to how many times she cast her Spell, Your Honor,” the guard admitted with a frown.

  “An oversight to be corrected, next time,” the Magistrate reprimanded him and he flushed, but nodded.

  “Miss Summers, how many times did you cast Pain Bolt?”

  “I… don’t have to answer!” she replied triumphantly. “Isn’t that right?!”

  “For these charges, I may not Compel an answer, Miss Summers, you are correct about that. Mr. Liasson, Mr. Abrams, what say you?”

  “I was knocked out, Yer Honor.” “I was fighting the big ‘un.” The two men responded at once, equally unhelpfully.

  “Well then, what about our other participant, Mr. Block?”

  Block denied seeing it clearly, and the Magistrate’s gaze shifted to us. “And how about the three of you? Remember that witnesses may also be convicted of perjury.”

  I swallowed, then looked quickly at Zaire and Raylan. Zaire seemed unbothered, but I didn’t know if that meant anything. Raylan, on the other hand, looked uneasy.

  I stood slowly and cleared my throat. “Your Honor, I believe that she cast four times before I stopped her.”

  Chissen’s eyes widened and his face grew even more stern. “And did you see how many of her Spells were cast his barrier was broken?”

  “I ,” I emphasized the word, not wanting to get in trouble if I was wrong, “that I saw his barrier shatter on the second hit, but she was casting so fast, she might not have realized it…”

  “You bitch!” Elin sneered at me, seeming not to care that I didn’t have a choice but to answer truthfully.

  “That’s quite enough, Miss Summers!” The Magistrate cut her off before she could say anything else.

  “Given this additional information, I find there were four counts of assault by way of Spell or Skill, the penalty for which is – “ he was interrupted as the courtroom door slammed open and in strode a heavyset man wearing a dark suit with a red tie. He looked to be in his forties or early fifties, and he walked like he was someone important – at least, in his own mind.

  “Mayor Sherman, what can I do for you?” Chissen asked, surprised.

  “Your Honor, I was just informed of the change in schedule of this case! I insist on speaking to you at once!” The Mayor’s voice was strident, far too loud, as if he was performing for an audience instead of simply speaking to the Magistrate. He strutted down the aisle between the benches, and I was suddenly struck by the similarities between this room and Hazel’s church in Sunland. Replace Chissen’s desk with an altar, add some religious sculptures and paintings, and you’d basically have a replica of the CLA.

  My attention was pulled back to the moment as the Mayor circled behind the desk and the Magistrate swiveled his seat to face away from us. I realized they were using some sort of privacy ward or Skill, as the Mayor began to gesture aggressively. At one point, he spun and pointed a fat finger at Mason, then said something to Chissen with a disgusted expression before they both turned around again.

  A minute or so later, the Mayor left the desk with a nasty grin directed primarily at Mason, who was unmoved. He took a seat in a vacant row several rows behind us. The Magistrate looked at him for a moment, then surveyed the rest of the audience.

  “As I was saying, I hereby find the defendant Elin Summers guilty of four counts of assault by way of Spell or Skill. I might have been inclined to leniency originally, but between your attitude, Miss Summers, and the plea of our Mayor to see fair compensation for the victim, I assess the maximum fine of four eagles per charge for a total of sixteen eagles. Adding the four eagles for the perjury conviction, you owe a total of twenty eagles, Miss Summers.”

  There were tears on Elin’s cheeks, but from the set of her shoulders I was sure they were tears of anger. She turned to Mason with a contrite expression that I she was faking.

  “Mason, can you help me pay?” she begged.

  Mason looked at her calmly, his arms folded across his chest. “How much do you have?” he asked after a moment.

  “I…” she started to say something, then trailed off with a quick glance at the Magistrate. “FINE, I’ll pay!” she snarled, standing.

  “Payment received. Guards, release Miss Summers. Case closed!”

  Bang!

  I watched in shock as the Guards unshackled Elin and she immediately turned and stalked out the door without a backwards glance.