Ifrailian Tales

Shade Hunter PT. 2

“Good work Layla.”

“Thank you sir.”

“This specimen will advance our research ten fold! Thanks to your efforts, hundreds if not thousands of lives will be saved… but are you sure you don’t want to return?”

“With all due respect, I’m a hunter. And Ifrailia doesn’t have shadowy monsters roaming around the countryside.”

The man on the monitor chuckled, his wide rimmed glasses slid down his long and thin nose, “I see, well may the hunt serve you well Layla.” 

She nodded, and turned away only for the man behind the screen to speak up again, “Oh and for what it’s worth. Golden Axium will always have its doors open to you.” 

The monitor shut off. The white light that illuminated the chrome tinted walls, floors, and ceiling all blinked out of sight. Still, Layla knew there was little else  but bulky radio and video equipment stuffed behind her, contained within these metals walls. She strode through the room, exiting once the mechanical door opened to her presence.

Outside, sat down on the chipped wood of a bridge that extended off the pier. Maxis looked out onto the waterfront, watching the sea lap against the shore and the hulls of ships. Which were docked all around him, their sails flapping in the wind. The sound of footsteps caught his attention, Maxis looked over his shoulder, spotting Layla moving towards him. He swung his head back to the blue ocean as the human took a spot next to him. 

Maxis c****d his head to the right, “So, that hulking beast is an Ifrailian sea faring vessel?”

Layla looked in the same direction of Maxis, the large, steel plated battleship was beginning it’s departure. Pulling out from the modest dock, the two towers embedded within the ship's base poured out blackened smoke as it’s engines kicked in. Pushing the modernized ship away from the harbor, which appeared ancient by comparison. She thought the answer was obvious, so she didn’t respond. Instead, she raised her arms and stretched them out. Her yellow bodysuit seemed to glow amidst the sun’s orange hues as day turned to night.

“Your home must be a place full of all sorts of wonderful inventions. Luxury very few, if any experience here in Terovia.” 

“Mhm? And, what’s your point?” 

“Straight to the point as always,” The Ozork laughed softly, “I’d like to know why you are still here. Why not return to your homeland, human?” 

Time seemed to stall, motionless while Layla pondered the thought, 

“... When I was a kid, my dad would tell me a story from his past as a hunter. Out of the hundreds of tales he had, the man only wanted to tell this one…”

Maxis shifted in place, the sun beamed off his hardened scales. Layla felt a strange, warm feeling inside herself when she caught his gaze. There was an obvious expression of worry smeared across his face. Maybe he worried about offending her, or perhaps he was afraid of prying too deep. Regardless, Layla carried on with her story. 

“My dad was only twenty, acting as a town guard. It was a midsummer day, the birds were singing, kids were out playing in the fields, life was good. But then, he heard one of the children scream. He rushed into the tall grass, barreling towards the cries only to find four children huddled together. Cowering before a tall, dark shadow, which seemed to be dripping some sort of black sludge. Probably the best representation of a boogeyman he had ever seen.” 

Layla brought her knees up into her chest, hugging them tightly as she recalled the memory, “Obviously Dad was scared, but he wasn’t going to let a monster devour the kids. I’ll spare you the details, but the fighting was intense and my father nearly lost his life. But in the end, he was the one left standing. Standing in the liquified remains of the creature.” 

“The way his eyes lit up with passion whenever he told the story,” Layla smiled, “I wanted to experience that same pride, I wanted to take down a monster that seemed like something out of a children's story. I… I wanted to make him proud.” 

The sun edged ever closer to the horizon, coming to a close with the hunter’s recollection, “He passed away a few years back, and I made a living hunting animals back on Ifrailia. That was, until a man from Golden Axium approached me. He wanted to hire me, use my skills to capture a beast from a forien land, capture a Shade. Like everyone else, I’d heard rumors that other places around the world had to deal with giant, supernatural monsters, but now here was a man from the A.C.G asking me to capture one alive? It doesn’t take a genius to tell you which option I ended up choosing.” 

“So that’s why you came to Perova?” Maxis interjected, “Although, that still does not resolve my inquiry. Why did you choose to stay?” 

 “Isn’t it obvious? I may have fought a bunch of demon wolves, but I hardly broke a sweat and you even did most of the work. Sure, I captured that Shade but that was hardly a story I can tell with the same level of glee my father did.”

“I take it you stayed to find the fight that will bring about the same pride and joy he felt?”

 “Correct! Ifrailia doesn’t have Shades wandering the countryside, or specters that haunt and eat the dreams of babies, and it definitely doesn’t have a race of intelligent lizards roaming about.”

Layla sprung to her feet, arms at her side. Maxis snarled and took a step forward, 

“That is highly offensive to Ozork everywhere!”

"Wow, who would’ve thought someone with such thick skin would literally be a sissy to joke insults.” 

“My physical appearance has nothing to do with my personality!” 

“That confirms it, all Ozorks are pushovers.” 

Maxis growled, he opened his mouth to speak but before any words came out. Layla extended her hand to him. He looked down at her hand, then up at Layla.

“That’s fine, I’ll just take charge of where we go next.” 

Maxis blinked, “Uh...um… what?” 

“Our next assignment,” she said with a sigh, hoping he would have picked up what she was putting down, “I’m asking you to stay as my partner. After all, it’d help a lot if I had a native to help me navigate this land.” 

Finally it all clicked for the Ozark, the sun had fallen behind the curtain of the world. Only the slightest sliver of orange tinted light flashed across the sky. Maxis grinned, and wrapped his much larger hand around Layla’s shaking it up and down.

“If that is what you wish, I’d be glad to assist you further human.” 

The two pulled their arms back and smiled, setting off down the rickety wooden floor of the pier. For better or for worse, Layla would remain in Terovia for a bit longer. She knew, deep inside her heart, that this was her chance to find a prey that would forever alter her life. And Maxis would stay by her side throughout all of it. That alone made her feel better about the prospect, Layla Moren would make a name for herself, with a little help of course.