ATLANTION - LAYLA BOOK1

Part 8 Fray

The sun had not risen yet as Frey gazed upon the monstrous clouds that covered the sky. Something was changing, rearranging the apocalyptic landscape before him. Veins of lightning illuminated the tumultuous waves, casting an eerie glow over the dark ocean.

The sound of crashing waves echoed through the air, making it tremble with each boom. An explosion of electricity momentarily blinded Frey. Light flooded the room, pulling him beneath its crushing energy.

A moment of silence followed, as if the entire world had stopped breathing. The atmosphere was void of noise and embraced Frey with an eerie stillness. He didn't realize how long he remained frozen in place, but he eventually stepped away from the open window as his mind cleared.

Frey was in shock and awe as he observed the breath taking battle between the two monsters. The coast was destroyed, with dunes of gravel crashing along and shattered trees and rocks scattered everywhere. Giant waves continued to crash on the shore, washing away the debris.

Grey smoke swirled and danced with the currents and lightning as the storm of light and air fell upon the monster creature. It struggled and eventually dove out of the sea with incredible speed, colliding with the electricity monster. The earth shook with the sound of their impact.

An enormous water dragon screamed in the embrace of the twisting thunder. The electricity dissipated into the ocean and it's massive body crashed into the depth. The sky cleared as a ray of light penetrated the heavy mist like a golden sword. Frey ran out of the house and toward the beach.

He saw a colossus emerge from the bubbling water holding Kai. Frey could see that his friend had several sharp cuts on his face and a red splat on his temple. His armor was gone, and the skin on his arms was raw and bleeding. Kai was leaving a trail of blood as he was dragged across the wet sand.

Frey was frozen in place, unable to move as he gazed upon the chaos hunter before him. "Do you know who I am, Freeeyy...," the hunter asked, trying to smile, but the expression was strange and unfitting on his face.

Frey knew of the hunter, a legendary figure feared by many in the underground world. As an enforcer, he maintained a delicate balance between the different factions, taking down some of the most notorious criminals. Few had ever laid eyes on him and even fewer had lived to tell the tale, leading some to dismiss him as a mere myth.

 "Yes," he replied, his eyes fixed on his injured friend.

"Is he dead? I hope not," Frey asked, fear and terror in his voice. No one survived an encounter with a chaos hunter who was the ultimate punishers and took their prisoners to the council of justice.

"He's alive, for now," the hunter replied with a grin. "Your friend was a good opponent." The hunter was known to be emotionless and could read people's faces, but Frey was slippery and could maneuver around the truth.

"So, how is your friend involved in the death of a human and several disappearances?" the hunter asked, scanning Frey's soul with his terrifying gaze.

Frey was dumbfounded for a moment, not knowing what to say. "All," he replied, trying to maintain a straight face.

"I am not implicated in the kidnappings," Frey added with a chuckle. "Why would I kidnap women? I am good-looking enough, so they come on their own." He hoped that his sharp tongue would save him this time.

The hunter could read the fear and pretense on Frey's face, but his words were valid. He had to figure out the right questions to get the information he needed without leaving room for implications.

"This morning, police discovered two missing youthful women and another man," the hunter continued. "I have reason to believe your friend is involved."

"My master was here this evening. He is a Master from the House of Blue; a man of his stature would never sully himself with petty crimes," Frey spoke, desperately hoping Lord Kai's position would deter the hunter from making any rash decisions.