Zap

Zap

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Zap is the second Stormchild born into the Clan of the Striking Bolt, and after Sadira, the clan thought they had things down to a science. Just keep the Stormchildren away from heavy effort or other tasks that might unleash their full power, and clan life can continue in peace. His hatching was celebrated, his existence was praised, and then it was expected that he would live a life of minimal labor. But Zap wasn’t happy being delegated to a life of serenity and distance. Zap wanted more. Zap wanted law and order. Zap wanted justice.

So Zap became the clan’s judge. A courtroom is all the more intimidating when you can look into the judge’s eyes and know he could fry you with a wink. There aren’t many crimes committed in the Clan of the Striking Bolt, and most “crimes” are rather small, civil affairs, like custody of a found egg, accusations of thievery or scamming, or lair space disputes. Zinni ate somebody’s journal article here; Blister gave somebody food poisoning there. Pitch enchanted somebody’s pillow here; Anasa’s spending habits broke the budget there. Someone trampled Kholin’s flowers here; one of Setham’s snakes escaped and gave somebody a scare there. Minor inconveniences moreso than anything, just petty disputes. Zap is somewhat bored by these minor affairs, but does his job fairly and justly.

But when there is a crime to be dealt with — that’s when Zap shines. His entire body crackles with excitement, and every word is underlaid with the booming of thunder. Zap’s role as judge alone has resulted in an extreme decrease in crime, out of fear that he might get so excited he electrocutes every dragon in Electrician’s Edge. The pounding of a gavel against podium, the demand for order in the court, heavy-handed debate between representatives — Zap sees his position as a courtroom drama, where he is the star.

However, his literally electrifying excitement and self-centered dramatic delusion doesn’t keep Zap from doing his job well. He is always careful to listen to all sides, to get all facts of the case, to hear everyone’s opinions, to weigh the pros and cons of each outcome. Just because his excitement is not just contagious, but potentially deadly, doesn’t make him a bad judge. He is very fair, and by the end of the spotlights and proceedings, almost everyone exits the courtroom satisfied with the outcome.