I take a deep breath of heavy, humid air as rain sets siege to my raincoat. Gusts of wind make the air feel only bearable enough with just the curse of water getting into my eyes. My name is Rin Kazashi, a green recruit of the Demon Hunters who had been sent to a base over in Commerce. I hate it here from the perpetual storms and hard to breathe muggy atmosphere. If it wasn't the natural environment around me then it was probably my colleagues I didn't much like. Not that I have any real problem with them it was just they seemed to not really like me all that much. I had only just arrived a few days and the only person who seemed thankful or glad that I was stationed here was the commander as he had given me a short tour. Thunder rumbled in the distance bringing me out of my daydreaming. If there was anything good about the storm hanging over the continent it was that you could predict its patterns easily. Right now it was just gusty with light rain but here soon a more severe patch would arrive. I found it amazing that the whole place wasn't underwater by now, though some say the demo- I'm sorry the Kraeka, had done something to the soil and earth of the land to prevent constant flash flooding. Not everywhere, of course, as there is plenty of marshland spotted around in places. A storm precaution signal blares across the base to signal anyone to at least get under some cover. The base had been built with plenty of covered walkways and drains to keep it dry enough to travel between buildings. I may not like the storms or muggy air, but I do enjoy the sound rain makes when it hits a raincoat. So I tend to walk between the courtyards during the slower parts of the storm. No one dared to stand out during the severe portions though as large hail or high powered winds tend to rip through the area. I heed the cautions and quickly jog into a nearby rain bunker where some other Hunters on a watch shift had taken cover in. I received glares from the others upon entering and I mostly ignored them as I take off my raincoat to dry off. I straighten my blouse and slacks before sitting down by a lookout window to watch the storm roll through. I glance back at the others who are with me glad I was mostly being ignored, except for maybe a few side glances. I learned when I arrived that the people who had been stationed here had worked hard for it while showing some inkling of skill. The commander had shown pride when I arrived, whereas he had put it "Being stationed here was a badge of your power." So as such, everyone else has given less of a warm welcome. The age difference was fairly large, where I am 18 everyone else is mid-twenties and up, so I get treated like some unwanted child. A good example is exactly the kind of shift I'm doing at the very moment. The shift given to me was a 'Reactionary Watch' or more simply 'We don't need or want you here so we gave you the one job that isn't needed at all.' My shift after my tour yesterday and my shift today have been unpleasant, to say the least. I rest my head in my hand to lean on the windowsill as the storm brings a grey screen of water into our direction. The wind had picked up to bend the trees a bit and give life to the full grass out in the plain outside the base. I was here to master my techniques because of the constant skirmishes, not to get bullied by my higher-ups because they feel I don't belong. I look down to my side and realized I forgot to put my weapon up with my coat. I grab the sheath of my sword and unsheathed the blade, revealing its smooth curvature. It was a light blade at about the length of my arm, curved slightly at the middle to indicate that it's meant for slicing not stabbing.

"What is she doing here in our bunker? Isn't she supposed to be sucking up to the commander or something?" I realized I was scowling and made a loud noise as I sheathed the sword back. Some of them flinched as they realized the rain hadn't covered up their words. I was fairly agitated about it so I got up swiftly and threw my raincoat back on.

As the rain greeted me it luckily drowned out whatever noises they had made behind me. I ducked under a small rain over and sat on the bench inside while still fuming with emotion. I like to think I take my job seriously and don't like being a laughing stock for an entire base when none of them know how strong I actually am. Before I joined the Hunters I studied an old art of manipulating another person's aura with your own. It was fairly difficult to do as you had to breach their defenses to touch them, and I wanted to be good at it. Not long after joining I got through training with flying colors. Higher ups noticed I had combat prowess and sent me here, to Commerce, as a part of an elite last defense for the nearby trade town. The wind howled to bring rain into the small shelter I was under, so I slammed a rain shutter down to close it off. The solitude was relaxing with the rain pelting the metal. My thoughts roam around now that my short spurt of anger wasn't keeping them bound. I understood the hate I got from my colleagues, it's just I wanted to be respected for the skill I have. How was I supposed to prove I was just as strong if no one ever gave me a chance? The pattering slowed down as the cell in the storm passed onwards. Relieved I won't get soaked, I bring the shutters back up with snap until they click into place. Now that the drizzle was bearable to walk in, I bring the hood of my raincoat up and continue outwards towards the outside of the barracks. Halfway across the courtyard, something tickled my hearing, causing me to look out towards the base walls. The air vibrated with sound, cracked as it vacuumed back in, and clapped it all back out at once. Deep in the distance of the forest was an odd sight of energy as waves emanated out, if only for a moment. White light flashed to blind me momentarily and as soon as it had happened the energy vanished. What I thought was the drizzle pelting my raincoat instead happened to be my heartbeat pulsing in my ear. Instincts blaring signals to my body cause me to tense up and stumble any movement. There in the distance, peeking out over the canopy of the forest, I saw a grand fireball rise into the clouds.