For once in her life, Sybil was happy to be away from the Outcropper district.

Surrounded by good food, friends and a cosy nook inside a wooden cabin was all she needed for a little while. Sliding over a fresh plate of jackalope pancakes, Amira's mother gave her a tired but contented smile while the other two ruffians tried to fork wrestle each other for the biggest one. 

"Oi! That's mine!" Malik protested, attempting to use both hands to wrench it away from the lightning fast Nightspell elf.

Amira grabbed her slice victoriously stuffing it into her mouth as the bunny shaped pancake was gone in a matter of seconds. Sybil didn't mind, already eating her fill of both greevy burgers and her own jackalopes. But Malik was still sulking, not liking the news that The High Nightcaster had pinched the crops and dropped off at the Warren not too long ago.

"How is Dewdrop, Syb?" A much older voice asked, setting her own plate of pancakes away from any thieving buggers who wanted to snatch them.

Sybil smiled, resting a hand against a snoozing Dewdrop who had recently returned twice the size as normal, content to rest in her lap. His antlers were shedding and changing colour which was natural for the amount of Sunspell he had received from her mother's familiar. According to the High Lawmaker's hidden archives it was tradition for every firstborn to produce a familiar ever since her great grandfather Claus Daybreaker created the cabin atop the hill.

"He's OK, Zaria. Just sleeping for now."

Sybil sighed, toying with the sliver of jackalope pancake left on her plate with the stray redderbies. It helped her figure out a little part of why she was the way she was but a niggling feeling kept eating away at her to uncover the full truth of her lost history. It still hurt knowing that her mother had kept so much from her yet she couldn't ask her the things she needed to. Siara was just like her yet had never once admitted to having power like her own. Was she different or was she just the black sheep in the family?

Suddenly the door burst open, a bedraggled group of Combat Mages still covered head to foot in the prickly, purple fruits stumbled in. Rayner was in the front of the entourage, completely embarrassed and his regal High Nightcaster robes looked more stifling than imposing.

"My Lady Sunstress."

All the mages present bowed in unison, Rayner leading the front as Zaria glared at him as if he'd just stepped on her foot, all that was needed was a yowl of protest and she'd be strangling him with her oven gloves. Sybil however did not appreciate the sudden attention and shrunk away from the uncomfortable display of inferiority. 

Amira grabbed her hand gently just as the overwhelming feeling of insignificance caused Dewdrop to blink out of existence, leaving her colder and more alone than ever. The young Nightspell's stony expression didn't match her mother's outright fury at such a daring mockery in her own home but it was bloody close. It wasn't until a brazen Stormspell elf finished his meal and stared at the sudden commotion at the front door did Malik do what he did best.

 "Piss off, Rayner."

His abrupt dismissal of such a high ranking Caster made the trio of women snort with laughter, Zaria almost going as far as to slap the table in hilarity. The Combat Mages immediately went on the defensive and the High Nightcaster's face went from flush to stone grey anger. But the rush of pride for Malik grew inside Sybil's chest, thankful he had spoken up when no one else would.

"How dare you speak to me you insolent-"

"Enough of that. You aren't his High Caster and you certainly aren't mine so quit your unnecessary grovelling and learn to read the damn room." Sybil snapped, standing up to face someone she had wanted to for moons on end.

Zaria raised an impressed eyebrow, it disappearing into her indigo fringe as she brushed the flour out of her short hair and untied her apron. She was dressed mostly casual in a cropped grey shirt paired with a long purple skirt with lots of wooden bangles, earrings and hairpins each with their own meanings and runes attached. Each one had been given to her by her husband on important days in her life and the last was the necklace recently given to Sybil as if carrying on a long held tradition. The newest one: a choker held the sigil of the High Lawmaker.

"Oh, bugger. Have I missed all the fun?" A sly voice said from the widening door frame almost bumping into a horde of pissed off Combat Mages.

Claud gracefully sidestepped the stunned High Lawmaker with ease, his Cloudswell trailing behind carrying an army of books, parchment and an assortment of expertly catalogued plants before ceremoniously dumping them on the table in front of them. His lilac cheeks were smudged with soil and ink, just about managing to flop down on the nearest bench furthest from the darkly garbed mob glaring daggers at him.

"What are you doing here, Apprentice Stormsurge? Surely you have better things to do than annoy us with your party tricks and unnecessary pranks. Perhaps I should get the High Stormcaster to reevaluate your usefulness to Floodbound."

Claud raised an amused eyebrow, not unlike the High Lawmaker had done only moments before and flat out ignored him. Taking off his mucky boots he set them near the end of the bench, scattering soil in the wary Combat Mages direction before sorting through his things.

The Shadeleaf plants floated to Amira with ease, the Nightspell elf almost hugging them in relief as she gently reassured her beloved Drooplings that everything was OK and half skipped into the gloom of the room nearby to make sure they were safe. Next, the books went to the High Lawmaker marked with a variety of complex symbols and runes. Taking each of her 'trinkets' around her wrists, Zaria unlocked the book with ease and left the group dumbfounded as she gestured to Claud to begin.

"Lady Sybil Nightspun, formerly from Daybreak hill in Floodbound, has recently had myself and Zaria Shadescribe, our new High Lawmaker draw up a new decree based on the current situation of the new royal Sunstress."

Amira snuck back into her seat just as the drama began, snickering at the deadly Combat Mages bickering amongst themselves.

 "But she can't make new decrees! She can only edit...old one's." Rayner exclaimed, the realisation on his face turning from shock to pure horror.

Zaria gave him a winning smile and it was then that Sybil felt a rush of gratitude for Amira's mother. She was a Peacekeeper, widowed after her husband died suddenly of Feversun and was constantly shunned by Niasi for not protecting her family and 'taking in another's offspring.' Now she was the new High Lawmaker but instead of sitting down and barraging Sybil with questions and formalities she allowed her to rest and arrive at what she wanted with a few bullet points.

Then spent the rest of the time asking whether she wanted jackalope pancakes, waffles or redderbie muffins. Those brief distractions and decisions had allowed her to come up with a contract quicker than making a fourth batch of jackalope pancakes. 

While Zaria took care of her home, she sent Claud on ahead to deal with the logistics since 'no Combat Mage wanted to waste their time with a Backwater elfling.' He had been given signed permission after all and no Peacekeeper would deny the seal of a newly forged High Lawmaker. No one wanted a coux when a new leader had just been chosen.

"Don't worry, Rayner dear. You've always been slow on the uptake. Had you realised how important Floodbound is to Sybil we wouldn't be in this mess now would we? Now take a seat before it gets cold, hmm?" Zaria said, her voice changing to suit a sickly sweet mother who had no intentions of letting stupid traditions hurt either of her children.

Rayner quietly obliged, sitting on the end of the bench next to the dreaded High Lawmaker who was determined to drain him of every bit of credibility he had left. With a nod of approval Claud began unfurling the golden parchment detailing the terms of Siara's old contract. A lump formed in Sybil's throat as the insignia of the royal Sunstress along with the inscribed words changed with the arrival of the morning sun.

"In this official document it states that with Siara's passing all of her possessions go to Sybil including the remainder of her Sunspell, making the Solar ceremony to replace all of the previous royal Sunstress' existing sigils imbued within the realm null and void."

As if to prove the Stormspells very words the parchment began to glow a soft amber, detailing the very page with a jackalope and imbuing it automatically with Sunspell and more importantly, with Sybil Nightspun at the top. Rayner's mouth dropped open, stunned by the immediate display of magic as the Combat Mages huddled closer towards the door before one protested. 

"But...that's tradition! You broke tradition just to make things easier on yourself! That's-"

Claud Stomsurge glared at the usurper, daring him to call him out as blasphemous. Sybil jolted backwards, almost being able to feel the static lightning coming off his skin. If it was one thing that all Stormspell elves hated it was being interrupted. Unfortunately, Malik was too oblivious to know when he was or not.

"Siara herself stated that due to our current situation changes must be made not just in Waterdown but all over Neirida. Therefore the newly appointed Sunstress has chosen to stay where she is needed most: Floodbound. This includes the Outcropper and Backwater districts." Zaria explained, folding her arms for finality.

"She can't, the Stone Bouy has been dismantled, those districts are unsanitary-"

Claud proceeded to interrupt him since Rayner had no intention of listening to his previous warnings.

"As such, my brother and I have been appointed her retainers in exchange for our services along with Captain Amira Lightbane both natives of Floodbound."

Sybil's mouth fell open, very grateful she had just finished eating a good while ago. Retainers based on the royal Sunstress' choice of home wasn't anything new but it astounded her to hear that it wasn't Waterdown. For generations a royal Sunstress remained in the capital along with the High Suncaster, ruler of Neridia. The sun watched over all and it was her duty to stay by her side despite the illusion of choice given to her by the royals. Yet here they were, challenging tradition.

"Seriously?" Amira blurted out, just as shocked as she was, raising her hand up just to prove to everyone present that she had no intention of interrupting.

Claud nodded, acknowledging her passive attempts to make her point known but Sybil had a niggling feeling that things wouldn't remain so civil for long.

"You have been named the current protector or Runeknight of those aforementioned and now lead both the Combat Mage Corps and can challenge any of the High Casters if their decisions disrupt the royal Sunstress' wellbeing."

"But...but that's my job! Siara asked me to-"

"Yes. It was." Claud replied simply, giving a look very similar to the one Rayner had given in his youth.

The young Stormspell had been interrupted three times while going through the decree. Three times too many. Claud set aside his official notes and decided to 'enlighten' everyone on the recent events that had eventually come to this decision. Simply put, the duo of Claud Stormsurge and Zaria Shadescribe were here to read him and his battalion the riot act.

"You are still part of her royal advisers but as I recall Rayner you willingly allowed her to publicly humiliate herself all for a young elflings petty revenge because...you wanted to protect her from your wife?"

"She would have killed Sybil with that Gathering rune and her Peacekeepers-"

Zaria intervened expertly, seeing a flicker of hesitation from Rayner's eyes and decided to latch onto it.

"No matter how you spin it, High Nightcaster you are still responsible for your actions and that does include emotional and mental manipulation, after all. Had I been informed of your situation I might have been more lenient but Claud is right." 

The young Stornspell gave his new mentor a small smile, sending a slightly nervous shiver down Sybil's spine in defense of anyone who wanted to cross them. It seemed despite his loyalty to her as a royal retainer Claud had other plans to follow in her surrogate mother's footsteps.

"You didn't have to sabotage her Nightspun career but you did. You also didn't have to gloat afterwards or were your constant visits a way to keep tabs on your own self importance?"

Rayner was furious, clinging to whatever he could to turn the tables on such a tight knit pair.

"I pointed you in her direction! I told you to keep an eye on her and anyone who would…"

"That is exactly what we are doing, sir." Claud said, his eyes full of determination.

Zaria was far calmer, hands clasped together in silent victory as she watched the Combat Mages show varying shades of anger, confusion and disgust at the thought of their High Casters abusing such power. Rayner knew the damage had been done and had no intention of allowing them to stand and gawk at him any further.

"Leave. Now." Rayner ordered the Combat Mages for the last time, his voice harsh but tinged with sadness.

He stayed seated for several minutes, quietly listening and processing as if he couldn't quite believe what had just happened. No one spoke. No one moved. Sybil didn't really know how to feel, her mind was a mess of guilt, grief, fear and...strangely happiness. Until the three Nightspell elves simultaneously took out a strange, glowing, indigo rune. Placing each one on the table they Ignited them simultaneously and the room was shrouded in darkness for a brief moment.

Sybil was completely flummoxed but the reassuring smile from her new found family was all she needed. Then, with a wide grin Zaria hugged her brother tightly and whooped loudly with joy. Rayner looked as if he had swallowed his own tongue until the stress and worry lines on his face were replaced with utter joy and relief. 

"You conniving, little...genius."