image [https://imageshack.com/i/pmtXa1rpj]

Chapter 1

The village of Frenris was a quaint little coastal town, nestled in below a horseshoe of old dormant volcanoes.

Volcanoes which had slowly evolved into mountains due to the ever irrepressible march of nature and time.

These mountains were named

"The Old'fathers"

With a peninsula that slowly arched out from the ring of the old father mountains, it curved out and around the town shielding the bay that housed the few thousand people who called Frenris home.

The town of Fenris was a quaint place. The buildings and homes were comprised mainly of a mix of wood and stone giving it a homey medieval feel.

The dwellings connected by meandering cobblestone roads surrounded the small docks and the few fishing vessels, which had been moored before the imminent monsoon that was expected to arrive any day now.

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Just as the early rays of sunshine begun to shine over the horizon.

Peeking through the buildings and lighting up the morning mists.

A clatter of poorly tied boots on cobblestone and a laboured breathing could be heard

As a shabbily dressed boy comes hauling around the corner and sliding to a skidding stop just outside the window of his friends bedroom.

Sef, our shabby kid in question, gulps in one last lung full of air pauses, puts his hands to the side of his mouth and hollers!.

"OI GET UP JARED YA LAZY BASTARD!"

image [https://imageshack.com/i/pmOQy8TQj]

Vigorously rattling his knuckles on the window pane without one whit of sympathy for the contented look of sleep on his friends face

Sef stares through the dew covered glass.

Waiting with baited breath for a reply.

A sly smirk gracing his features knowing his friend won't be happy about being woken up.

Up Jared pops

Looking bedraggled, his hair akimbo and seeming confused.

He does a double take and looks mildly annoyed for a long moment or two

followed by a wary narrowing of the eyes hopping out of bed.

"Sef it's waaay to early to have that look on your noggin. I'm suspicious! ...... Suspicious and scared"

Jared mumbles and grumbles whilst rubbing his eyes and squinting at his friend .. this disruptor of his morning bliss.

"Suspiciousness? Sef queries.

"There's no time for suspiciousness!

Only suspense!... suspensesnous? ......... ummm not a word!

Anyhow the monsoon! it will be today!

I can feel it! can you feel it?!

The spark is in the air! Oh the suspense!".

He leans forward pressing his forehead against the glass "I've had an idea!

We need to get the kayak down to the beach! No hiding back this year!

We must get amongst it!

The storm she calls!..

he calls?... Does a storm have gender?

anyhoo It calls!!"

Sef his disruptor yells gleefully through the dew frosted glass

"I'm not taking the kayak anywhere you wind driven lightning blasted lunatic!" Jared hollers as Sef pulls away from the window in mock shock gasping.

"Last year we nearly got frazzled by a bolt of lightning just by sitting on the headland!"

Jared continues to grumble under his breath while looking away.

"messing with the monsoon is a fools game you won't catch me anywhere near it this year!"

Utterly oblivious to his friends complaints... (or at least seemingly so)

Sef exuberantly exclaims

"I know how good was it!

The lightning so close! It was awesome!

How can you not enjoy the excitement the charged air! The wind blowing wild and free! might even be a twister this year!".....staring up at the sky arms raised he pauses and takes a peek back at his friends face mid ramble to gauge his reaction....

"I'm guessing that's a no?" He asks letting his arms drop followed by a long drawn out sigh after seeing the look on Jared's face.

"fine fiiine!" He relents raising his hands in surrender

"if you won't come with me? how about if you just lend me the kayak?"

"I'll bring it back safe n sound I promise!" Sef asks with a pleading look in his eyes.

"Yeaah that's not Gunna happen buddy" Jared eyes him up n down crossing his arms.

"If my dad found out that I lent you the kayak so you could go pretend to be Mr Suicide storm chaser?... instead of Mr El'Disruptor of my morning bliss??"...."He would kick my ass to the docks and back!" As he steps back from the window.

"Now begone with your windy shenanigans Mr Disruptor!

Begone I say!" ducking away from the window making shooing hand motions Jared furiously jumps back into his bed and wraps himself in his bedding never to be woken again

image [https://imageshack.com/i/pnqJdrv4p]

"aww c'mon!" Sef Huff's out in disgust.

"Jared!"...."" "JARED!!!"

Not one to give up easily he cries out his friends name a few more times as he rattles on the window with his knuckles in a futile last ditch effort to rouse his inattentive compatriot.

"ahh bugger it!"..... "It looks like it's just me and you this year Mr stormy stormington!" as he looks at the sky.

Musing to himself he ponders.."hmm welp!"

"seems the headland will be my closest and only option for viewing nature's spectacle again this year!"

and knowing Jared

(that filthy sloth) will come to no aid whatsoever he heads off jogging back down the cobblestone street from whence he came setting a path toward his own cozy little stone dwelling where Sef lives with his mother and grandfather.

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His mother Tilly was a kind lady

small of stature, long dark hair and piercing blue eyes

If one was to describe her they might say she was one whom always wore a constant half grin, A smirk that was confusingly put somewhere between cheeky and motherly

The small lady was always quick to hug and even quicker to sass.

You just never knew which one you would receive.

Oftentimes it could be both!

Tilly was the backbone of the family

between running the ledgers at the small dock masters office or the occasional shift filling in at the tavern, she was the one that kept the family afloat

The boys would pitch in around the home with cooking and cleaning but Tilly was the driving force of that there was no doubt

Sef's grandfather Jed on the other hand was a wiley old fox

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A man who just seemed to breeze through life each day

Pinching fruit from someone's garden on the way to the tavern here, a sip of an unattended beverage getting there.

A day in the life of Jed was always grand!.

Although people grumbled now and then they generally overlooked Jed's sticky snack pilfering fingers as he usually brought a smile to most people's faces by either entertaining the local children so parents could work or regaling every person who'd listen of his outlandish fishing tales,

his younger days when he used to battle the seas as a 1st mate of one of the local trading vessels

"from the freezing cities of Portismouth to all the way down south on the scorching desert coast's of Yalambé, that stretch was ours to roam as we fought many a sea serpent and storm front alike! And all just to trade our wares!"

The old fox would boast to any that would listen.

Whilst his old withered hands snuck around to pilfer a few biscuits or edible morsels from any unsuspecting person who left their plate unguarded.

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"Mom, Gramps I'm back" Sef yells into the house as he shoulders the door open "the monsoon is today but Jared is a lazy sloth who's scared of the rain so a little change of plans is in order!"

Sef's mother Tilly pokes her head around the corner from the hallway her ever present grin in place

"oh the old man a feels storm a brewing in his rickety old bones does he?"

She laughs heartily about her old repeated joke "can feel it in me knees laddy the rains a comin" she croaks as she crouches over in her best elderly impression

"Now listen here young lass these old bones never lie! ...PAH....youth these days.... well. I never!" Sef playfully retorts leaning into the role of "elderly weathervane" with a grin.

After returning the smirk Tilly drops the charade and asks "so what's the plan this year? Up to the headland again? Unfortunately I can't join this year it's just too busy at Marshalls and he needs the ledgers balanced before the yearly audit and your pops is probably getting a bit old to be trudging all the way out there to the headland with you".

she pauses with hand on hip a considering look on her face like she's weighing her options eyeing him up and down.

"I don't like you going out there on your own though.

but....

I must admit you are sixteen now "

as she taps her foot squinting at her excited little storm chaser silently squirming on the spot.

she can tell he is keeping his mouth firmly shut as to not hamper her verdict

"Alright fine it's not like we can stop you anyway but just please placate your poor ol mumma and at least wear a raincoat and pack some food! No dancing around half naked in the rain like some wood sprite you hear!?"

playfully poking a finger into his forehead to drive her point home.

Eyes lightning up Sef exclaims "I'll do all the things mum I promise allll the things!!"

Waving his hands around excitedly to emphasise his resolve he hugs her lightly before sprinting down the hallway toward his room.

With a rueful grin and a shake of her head Tilly grabs her files checks herself in the mirror then steps out the door to begin her day "see you later Sef" she yells back into the house closing the door knowing there'd be no reply from her storm distracted boy.

"Raincoat raincoat" Sef mumbles as he throws clothes around his room like a veritable textile tornado upending any order that was present in the room five seconds ago.

"Try the hallway cupboard" he hears from the doorway looking up to see his grandpa Jed lazily leaning on the doorjamb twirling his cane in one hand his scruffy hair and beard all over the place grinning like a loon despite looking so tired and bedraggled

"Morning pops you look like something the cat just dragged in!" Sef quips as he leans in for a hug returning the grin

"Oi ya cheeky bugger!" Jed gently shoves Sef away from his person

"I always look dapper!

(even if I have been woken up way to early by my noisy progeny!)

How's a man supposed to be this dapper without adequate beauty sleep hmm?" His grandpa exclaims pompously whilst striking a pose like he's the hero of some grand tale, chin raised, hand on hip, cane firmly planted on the other side

"No respect for the sanctity of morning bliss I say!"

"Now you sound just like Jared" Sef grins at the rambunctious old man

"A wise man after my own heart" Jed replies with a wise nod caressing his beard like some kind of sage from the old stories.

Not being able to keep the facade up any longer they both burst out laughing holding onto one another for support and slapping each other's backs

"ahh good times good times lad" Jed says as he wipes an imaginary tear from his eye "anyhoo try the hallway cupboard" he reiterates while patting Sef on the shoulder and swaggering off toward the kitchen smacking his lips in anticipation of some breakfast.

Heeding pops advice whilst still snickering Sef pads off down the hallway.

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All packed with wet weather gear snacks from the pantry and an old spyglass of Jed's

Sef pokes his head around the kitchen door to wish pops a good day before stepping out into the world for his mission of (solo) adventure!

..(scaredy cat Jared what a pussy!)

The walk to the headland was a pleasant one,

Waving good morning to the neighbours he saw on their way to work some people returning the gesture.

Others looking as if happy exuberance was a defect to avoid at this time of the morning.

Once out of the town proper it was another 2 hours or so walking the goat trails that led to his destination the surrounding bushland opening up to a grass covered headland jutting out about 2 stories above the churning sea and a small beach below.

Long before Sef had been coming to the headland

some wise thinking person had built a small bench with a table out of hardwood that sat perfectly to get the widest panoramic views the sea had to offer and more importantly the storms that were soon to come!.

Pulling out his snacks and a drink bottle from his bag placing them onto the table he Sits down and fidgets with the spyglass "hmm Gunna be a boring wait with no one to chat to" he murmurs

Guessing to himself that the storm was at least an hour or two away, going off of that feeling he received from his gut instincts when it came to wind and rain. "I couldn't be too far off the mark" surely!"

He thinks to himself in a futile effort to lessen his own impatience

(Self doubt aside he was usually spot on with all of his weather predictions).

_________________________________________

As Sef sat on the bench, gazing out at the vast expanse of the ocean, a sudden movement caught his eye. At first, he dismissed it as a trick of the light, but then he saw it again—a dark shape bobbing in the distance, riding the waves with ease.

Curiosity piqued, Sef picked up the spyglass and trained it on the mysterious object. As he adjusted the lens, the shape came into focus, revealing a small red boat—a kayak!. But what was it doing out there, so far from shore?

Sef watched in curiosity as the kayak drew nearer, propelled by powerful strokes of a paddle bobbing through the waves. And then, to his surprise, he recognized a figure paddling—a lone girl, her face set in determination against the wind and spray.

As the kayak approached the headland, Sef waved eagerly, calling out a greeting. The girl glanced up, startled, then smiled and waved back. With a final burst of effort, she steered the kayak onto the shore, hopping out and dragging it onto dry land.

"Hey there!" Sef called, bounding down the cliff like a crazed mountain goat to greet her. "What brings you out here on a day like today? You know there's a storm coming soon right?"

The girl grinned, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I could ask you the same thing," she replied, brushing back a strand of wind-tousled hair. "But that's the reason I'm out here—chasing storms this spot has the best view!."

Sef laughed, feeling an instant connection with this kindred spirit. "Ohoho a fellow storm lover!" he then leans in as if telling a secret "by the way, they call me the Son of the Storm! best storm chaser in all the lands!." Pulling away and proudly placing his hands on hips and puffing his chest out dramatically.

"Son of the Storm, huh?" The girl queries with a confused smirk. "Well then, I guess then you could call me umm... The Daughter of the Sea!." Mimicking Sef's pose with a cheeky air of mockery added in.

Sef laughs as he reaches out to give a handshake and help Leya to shore "well let me help you drag your boat in and if you'd like you can join my little picnic up top while we wait for the show?"

"Sounds good to me I'm Leya by the way and what name does mighty son of the storm go by prey tell?" Taking his hand still smirking as she steps onto the sand.

"Eh I just said that to try and sound cool ya know. No one really calls me that"..... "Sef is the name" he replies grinning sheepishly while scratching the back of his neck, mild embarrassment colouring his cheeks.

"Oh? The mighty storm son is relinquishing his title? What will the peasants do without their noble lord! Alas we are all doomed" as she fakes a swoon putting the back of her hand to her forehead and arching backwards.

"I like this girl! She's got sass and showmanship! and those luminous blue eyes! It's almost like they glow" Sef think's to himself as he chuckles at her zany antics.

Laughing and chatting they drag the kayak up into the beach and climb back up the cliff to the bench and Sef's meager picnic supplies.

As they chat and nibble Leya tells Sef how she lives up along the coast near one of the inlets further north with her uncle and Sef relates his life in Fenris with his mom and pops

Together, Sef and Leya watched as dark clouds began to gather on the horizon, the air growing thick with anticipation. And as the first rumble of thunder echoed in the distance

"Say you knooww" drawing the word out as he looks over with a conniving expression "my friend Jared has a kayak I tried to get him to take it out to get a closer look this morning but he wussed out on me"

"Ya don't say?" Leya spouts dubiously giving him a little side eye due to the suspicious look on Sef's face

"Ya he got all scared saying his dad would kick his ass for taking it . But he's just scared because we almost got struck by lightning in last year's monsoon" he grumbles mildly whilst kicking at a pebble

"Pfft what a wuss!"

"I know right? It wasn't even that close well maybe a little close but that's the excitement!"

"And Soooo I was thinking now that you're here, my saviour in shining kayak!

My redemption in a storm viewing extravaganza!

It must be fate!.

You wanna take this fine sea faring vessel out for an adventure!?"

He entreats as he pans his arm out like a ringmaster of a circus taking off an imaginary hat and sweeping his arm out at the horizon.

"Well that sounds like a splendid idea my fine fellow storm chaser extraordinaire" she replies making a graceful bow of her own and they settle in waiting.

As the first drops of rain began to fall, Sef and Leya exchanged excited glances, their hearts pounding with anticipation. With a shared nod, they knew it was time to embark on their adventure into the heart of the storm.

Without hesitation, Leya pushed the kayak back into the churning sea, Sef hopping in behind her. Together, they paddled out, the waves growing larger and more tumultuous with each stroke. The wind howled around them, whipping their hair and stinging their skin with salty spray.

But despite the chaos surrounding them, Sef felt an exhilarating sense of freedom and power as they rode the waves, drawn ever closer to the heart of the storm. It was as if the storm itself welcomed him, embracing him with its wild energy.

As they ventured deeper into the storm, the air crackled with electricity, the sky alight with flashes of lightning. And then, amid the chaos, Sef felt it—a stirring deep within him, a connection to the elemental forces of nature.

With a surge of adrenaline, Sef's senses sharpened, and he saw it—two massive eyes, glowing with an otherworldly light, peering out from the heart of a swirling twister as it touched down into the sea a mere 50 metres away. The sight sent a shiver down his spine, but he couldn't look away.

For a moment, Sef and Leya were frozen in awe, transfixed by the sight before them. But then, with a deafening roar, the storm descended upon them with all its fury. Twisters formed around them, descending through the sky with terrifying force.

With a cry of alarm, Sef and Leya clung to each other as their kayak was caught in the whirlwind of the twisters, spinning wildly out of control. The wind howled around them, threatening to tear them apart as the tiny boat bucked and bounced in the waves.

In the midst of the chaos, Sef felt a strange sense, a deepening of the connection he felt to the storm. As he scrunched his eyes shut and reached out with his senses gripping Leya with one hand and the other on the boat he felt the raw power coursing through him, as if he were one with the storm itself. The power thrumming through his very being.

And then, as the twisters raged around them, Sef felt it—a glimpse of something ancient and primal, hidden within the heart of the storm. Glowing with an intensity that seemed to pierce the very fabric of reality, the storm gazed back at him, filled with an unfathomable depth of age and wisdom.

For a moment, Sef and Leya were bathed in the terrible light of those eyes, their minds filled with a sense of awe and fear. And then, with a sudden burst of lightning Sef and Leya were blasted apart Leya being flung towards the side kayak with such force that she cracked the side of the hull and was knocked out in the process lying limply draped over the side.

Sef on the other hand was blasted end over end with such speed that he skipped along the waters surface like a thrown stone. utterly disorientated and dizzy tumbling and bouncing across the waves Straight into the heart of the twister.

He was drawn in and then sucked directly up into the sky at a dizzying rate, Spinning like a centrifuge in the centre of the twister at speeds of such force and velocity that it quickly proved too much for his senses.

As he tumbled and spun, feeling utterly frazzled his vision darkened. The last sight he saw was of those two massive eyes staring deep into his soul from above, it felt as if those eyes where laying all of his existence bare and he got the distinct impression....that it found him.... barely acceptable.

Huh?

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Sef woke on the shore spitting sand out of his mouth, feeling utterly drained. With terribly sore muscles and a strange pain just below his sternum like he'd been hit by a ten tonne punch.

But also.....it was if he could feel a minute movement in there?? if he focused on that painful spot just below his ribs? He could feel a slight...spinning?.

"Huh? movement,?.... spinning!?? I must be going crazy" he thought to himself. Struggling to get to his hands and knees feeling his muscles shudder and shake it made him realise that the lightning may just have frazzled him a bit more than he thought.

"Shit! Leya!" He shouted realising she was probably in dire trouble.

He turned his head to gaze out to sea scanning the entire area and not seeing a single remnant of neither boat nor person.

In fact the water looked suspiciously calm like the storm had never been there just moments ago....

"Shit shit SHIT!!" Panicking now as he realises that his actions may have caused his new friend to drown,

He struggles but fails to get his feet.

His entire body still shaking uncontrollably but frantically he scans the beach from his hands and knees.

No boat no wreckage just tossed around sand and a few battered trees.

"That can't be right?" he thought confused and dizzy "there's nothing.. no kayak, no wreckage, nothing floating, no wood .. just nothing?"....then blackness as he passes out again cheek pressed against the sand.