You Guys Blew It

…

The Castle Island Police were an interesting group. While the Castle Towns of old were usually looked after by the Royal Knights of Hyrule, the population of Castle Island had grown so large and widespread that it was difficult for an organization like the Royal Knights to keep track of criminal activity and protect the royal family at the same time. So the governor of Castle Island, Governor Lore, petitioned the Crown for permission to establish a separate protection force which served the civilian population exclusively. This became the Castle Island Police Force. Usually identifiable by their distinct, navy-blue jerkins, the police were often confused with Skyrider airmen at first. The police dealt with this problem by having their officers carry distinctive equipment, often a pair of handcuffs and a circular shield which they could sling on their backs. Along with equipment, the police had been given their own horses from the same ranchers who bred the Royal Knights' steeds and even had a handful of junk-rigged airships at their disposal.

Their facility in the port was equally impressive. At first an abandoned brewery, they had cleaned out the stone-walled cellar and put in dividing walls with steel bars to make temporary jail cells. A few of the Grand Sail's airmen had the pleasure of experiencing the humidity that could build up this jail when people were in it.

Line, standing with his arms between the bars while he leaned on the door's lock, whined, "Come on! It was an accident."

"You blew up a powder magazine, Line," Airman Kero, seated on the floor in one corner of the cell, told him. "Two warehouses destroyed. Seven people injured. And I'm pretty sure that police sergeant is still picking up all his teeth."

Line spun. "Wh—who the hell packs a powder magazine like that and never bothers to sweep it up? That guy was inviting trouble!"

"Weren't you the one who took a lantern into the magazine in the first place?" Airman Awan asked.

"It was dark! Not one window! What was I supposed to do, wander around in the dark all day?"

"At least we would've gotten back to the ship on time," Kero pointed out. "Now, not only is the ship short a few airmen, but the Moon's Shadow and the Grand Cannon aren't gonna get their powder shipments like they're suppose to."

"You know, though," Awan said as he stroked his stubble-laden chin. "You were still inside the magazine when it went up. How'd you survive long enough to end up on the roof of that other warehouse?"

"Are you kidding?" Line said. "I hauled ass out of there the moment I knocked the lantern over! I wasn't gonna be a hero!"

"I guess it's only our fortune that we keep our powder magazine clean," Kero chuckled. "With airmen like you around, we'd've probably been sunk before now."

"Screw you!" Line shouted. "I know poor upkeeping when I see it! It just happened to be our turn to point it out in the worst possible way. Did they even charge us when they arrested us?"

"If they did, I sure couldn't hear it," Kero said. "My ears wouldn't stop ringing until they threw us down here."

"What do you think they charged us with?" Awan asked.

Kero shrugged. "Negligence at best."

"What about worst?" Line asked.

"Probably homicidal mischief."

Line scrunched his face in irritation. "You made that up."

"No, I've heard about that one," Awan spoke up. "I had a buddy with Zephyr Sail who got busted on that charge. Nothing as spectacular though."

"What'd he do?" Kero asked.

"He got mad at one of his superior officers and chucked a barrel of grog overboard. The port authority on Drift Island had him charged with homicidal mischief because the barrel almost hit passengers disembarking from another ship."

"Oh, come on," Line groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "No one died."

"We've been in this cell for a while," Kero pointed out. "And we look like we've been rolling in dirt. We can't exactly count on not having our asses handed to us right now, either by the police or the captain."

Awan chuckled. "Can you imagine what Captain Alfonzo will say once he realizes that we were the ones that caused that explosion?"

"You mean Line caused the explosion," Kero said. "We were just sitting outside with the cart."

"Well, two of us were," Awan said as he cast his eyes to the other corner.

Their fourth accomplice had been sitting in the same corner since he was brought in. Unlike the other three, he was clean and without any visible wounds. He sat with his arms crossed and a pouting look on his face, mostly because he was mad at them. They had spoiled his mood, and he had refused to talk to them for a while.

When all three of them looked at him, Link took in a deep breath.

"I don't even know why I got arrested! I wasn't anywhere near the magazine!"