It's been four months since I got the letter from my parents, and since then, I have been going all out on all the jobs I’ve attended with the raven core. With each day that had passed since I had noticed something. The weather had started to grow harsher, the pressure waves had started to amp up in drastic measures, any wildlife had run away, plants had started to rot, and according to Lilith, the surrounding arcana had grown more unstable and harder to use.

It was during one of our chimera hunting jobs that I asked the group about it, and according to Victoria, these where all signs of a storm approaching.

"A storm?" I had asked.

"What kind of storm causes plants to rot and the principals to be disrupted?" I asked.

"The storms that form in destroyed lands like these." is what Victoria had told me after.

"What she means is that since the surrounding lands around the falling city also was affected by the arcane disaster so many years ago, it leaves the nature and whether to be different to the rest of the world." Lilith jumped in to clarify.

"Meaning that the storms that form in the affected area will be different, more violent. The storms here are made from arcana and the storm disrupts spells making them unusable. The storms here also affect the surrounding pressure waves, in some way using them and altering them, making it incredibly destructive." Lilith explains.

"Wait, if it’s that destructive, shouldn't we evacuate?" Kasper asked.

"We would if we didn't have a certain master incantation caster living in the falling city." Victoria said.

Both me and Kasper looked at Victoria confused. Not knowing who she was referring to.

"Oh come on. I'm talking about Johan! Don’t you remember what I told you during our trip to the elf tomb? You will see just how great he is the next time a storm rolls around." Victoria said annoyed.

"With the small number of chimeras out here I would say that the storm will probably be here by the end of the week. So, this might be the last job we do before the storm arrives." Victoria explained as we arrived at our usual hunting area outside of the city.  

As usual the beasts came running as soon as they noticed our presence, but there was a large decrease on the number of chimeras charging at us. On a normal day there would probably around 40 to 50 chimeras around. Today, it was about 25 of them.

"The storm must have really scared them off." I said as I unsheathed my sword.

"Yeah, hey Arameth, how about we play a game." Kasper said.

"Sure. The usual rules?" I asked.

"Since there aren't so many of them, we can't really do the most kills wins. So, let’s do the one who can collect the most chimera heads in two minutes wins the bigger share of Ouras." Kasper proposed.

"Oh, can I join in?" Victoria said.

"Come on Victoria you are the fastest out of the four of us, if you join then there isn’t worth trying." Kasper said.

"But what if I don’t use my lightning to enhance my speed?" Victoria suggested.

Kasper stood there for a second thinking about it. Whilst he stood there the chimeras began to attack. However, before anyone of them could land an attack, Kasper would simply dodge out of the way.

"Sure. Lilith, are you in as well?" Kasper asked.

"Why not." Lilith sighed.

After that, the four of us charged at the chimeras, with the intent to kill.

As we started, I saw Lilith chant a spell.

"Open gate. Path of stars, Gilded flood, Epithet of nova. Gravitos sanctum."

The three Chimeras in front of her then suddenly got lifted up into the air and they started to get crushed by some unseen force. I saw this and an idea formed in my head.

I quickly rushed towards the floating chimeras and jumped into the air, my sword lifted above my head, and I struck down on the three chimeras. Separating their heads from their necks.

I pointed towards the three floating heads and used an incantation.

"Spike."

From the ground beneath the heads then erupted three thin spikes then erupted that pierced their respected chimera head.

"Arameth those where mine!" Lilith shouted at me, angry.

"To slow dreadwood!" I shouted back in response before running towards my next target.

As I lifted my sword to strike someone dashed besides me and sliced the chimera in two.

"To slow Zalaar." Victoria teased me, before dashing away towards more chimeras.

As I opened my mouth to retort I felt blood spatter on my coat. I looked to my right to see Kasper decapitating a chimera effortlessly.

"Five." Kasper muttered to himself.

As another chimera dashed towards him Kasper threw one of his knives towards it hitting it right between the eyes, before jumping at it with his axe prime to strike.

"And that’s six." Kasper said after striking at the chimera.

So, our hunt went on, quickly killing the chimeras and we had managed to kill of all of them by the end of our two minute counter.

By the end Kasper had managed to kill eight, Lilith three, I had managed to kill five and Victoria had killed nine of them.

"Dammit I was one away!" Kasper shouted.

"You got close at least." I said, pointing out the amount that Lilith got.

The two of us looked towards Lilith as she sat defeated on the ground with her three chimera heads. Victoria stood next to her trying to reassure her.

"Well, it was kinda unfair. The three of us are mainly weapons combat, she relies completely on her spells." Kasper said.

"Yeah, spellcasting is a bitch ain’t it." I said.

We headed back to the guild hall where we divided the 80 Oura we got among ourselves. Victoria took 50 Oura because she won the game, and the rest of us took ten each.

From the guild hall we went our separate ways to spend the night. Lilith back to her dorms, Kasper to an inn and Victoria followed me.

"Mind if I walk along with you a bit?" Victoria asked.

"Sure." I said.

As we walked, Victoria let her hair down, her night black hair flowing in the wind. As she let her hair down, I realized that it had been so long since I saw her with her hair down. Since most of the time, she had her hair tied up so that it does not get in the way whilst fighting.

"I was actually meaning to ask you something." Victoria said.

"About what?"

"Well, it might be a weird thing to ask, but are you a follower of Melzuba?" she asked.

I got a bit taken a back.

"That came out of nowhere, eh no..." I said, a bit confused.

"Hmm, is anyone in your family a follower of the goddess of chaos?" she then asked.

"No, not what I’m aware of." I said.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, the emblem on your chest plate. It's awfully similar to the Melzuba’s mark. So, I thought maybe you were one of her followers." Victoria said.

"No, this is my families mark. the emblem of Zalaar." I told her.

"It apparently represents Zalaar, my ancestor, and of her ideals. But what those ideals are I have no clue." I explained.

"But now that you mention it. I remember seeing something in my dad's study when I was younger. It was a book about my ancestors. This was the age where I had just started to learn to read but I think I remember someone referred to as pixie who was close to Zalaar who was also remarked as being branded with Malzubas mark." I explained.

"Hmm. interesting." Victoria said.

We continued to walk towards the inn I was staying at, and we continued to talk about today's hunt. When I reached my inn, we said our goodbyes and Victoria headed back towards the guild hall.

The next day I was awoken by crashing winds outside my window, and how the surrounding pressure waves frequency were drastically changing. causing the floorboards to crack and what looked like moss begin to grow.

Is it the storm? I thought.

Before I could do anything else the inn keeper busted into my room, a big muscled red haired lady wearing common clothing and an apron stained with cooking oil and sauces.

"The storm is here, get out and get to the plaza!" the innkeeper said before rushing towards the next room.

I quickly got dressed, grabbed my coat and sword before running out. I ran out and saw a giant tornado in the distance with streams of pure magic shooting out causing loud explosions on the destroyed land under it.

From what I saw it was rapidly approaching the falling city.

When I got to the plaza, I saw hundreds of people huddled together, children crying and adults panicking.

"Was it not supposed to be here by the end of the week?" one shouted out confused.

"Where is Johan?" another screamed out in panic.

I saw the rest of the raven core running towards the group and decided to move towards them.

I moved passed the herd of people standing in panic and got to my friends.

"Are you all okay?" I shouted as I got to them.

"Yes, and you?" Victoria asked.

"I'm fine. I said.

"Have you seen Johan?" Kasper asked.

"No, but he must be here somewhere." I said.

The four of us, quickly moved in towards the giant group of people.

"Where is Helen?" I asked concerned about our assigned raven.

Lilith lifted her hat and there sat Hellen hiding from the storm.

As we stood there the storm raged on, and the crowds panic just grew larger. Eventually I started to feel panic as well.

"Should we not evacuate?" I asked, remembering how my father said to head to the mountain if I felt I was in danger.

"No, it will be fine. As long as Johan shows up, it's fine." Victoria said.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Just wait and see." Victoria replied.

As we waited and waited, I started to hear a slight melody, in between the raging winds. The melody grew louder and louder and I recognized the melody being played.

It was the melody Johan always played on his violin.

I looked towards the source of the song and saw a silhouette emerging from the alley near a bar.

As the silhouette walked out, I saw who it was, it was Johan.

When the crowd saw Johan emerge, they split up a path for him to walk threw them. Johan continued his walk through the crowd until he got to the fountain in the middle of the crowd. Johan climbed up on it and balanced himself on the top of the fountain.

As he stood there, Johan stretched his body before taking a deep breath. Johan then looked towards the approaching storm and in a moment, I felt myself being pushed down by the pure intensity of Johans pressure waves.

Johans pressure waves where so powerful that they made the crowd fall to their knees by the sheer intensity, it looked similar to peasants being forced to kneel before their king.

His pressure waves completely drowned out the ones from the storm. As I looked at him, I felt a nostalgic feeling, as I remember feeling a similar intensity when I first saw the mountain king.

Johan slowly looked up towards the storm before reading himself with the violin. Then Johan played a single note with his violin and said.

"Ensemble."

As he spoke, I could see his pressure waves almost take physical form as they spread out covering the entirety of the destroyed lands, completely mixing themselves with the waves of the storm.

I could hear the faint hum of the pressure waves grow louder and louder, before sounding more a roaring thunder as they altered the storm.

The booming winds quickly became softer, and a faint melody began to emerge from them. Then a similar melody emerged from the arcana flowing through the storm. As this strange melody started up, I saw how the storm started to dissipate, that’s when I realized what he had done.

With his intense pressure waves, Johan had altered everything in the storm: the winds, the rain, the thunder and even the wild arcana withing the storm to become music. He had made a horrific city destroying storm into an orchestra.

The pressure waves affected by the storm had even started to calm down and return to their normal frequency.

In that moment I felt noting but awe for Johan, as he stood there playing his violin while also conducting the orchestra made from the storm.

I felt how the mountain king’s sword shook in it’s sheathe, as I grabbed onto it hoping to calm it down, I felt a similar feeling to when I released the prisoner in Jacob’s pit, but instead of the sword burning in anger, I felt it shake in awe and excitement.

I could feel the mountain king’s emotions flow through the sword.

I could feel how the mountain king wanted to fight Johan.

When Johan then stepped down and walked past us, after dissipating the storm, I could feel my arm being moving on its own, similar to when I first performed Form, I could feel the mountain king’s presence move up my arm and unsheathe the sword. As the sword was drawn, I could feel the mountain king’s pressure waves pour out of it, in such a intensity that it caused the crowd to fall down, like if the gravity had increased a hundred fold.

Everyone except Johan fell down face first to the ground. I only managed to stay on my knees because I was the one holding the sword.

Is he trying to one up Johan? I thought to myself.

Then I saw it. The air around the sword formed into that of a person. It was almost four meters in height, it looked like it bore a crown of horns and rags around its body.

That was all I could see from the shape, for my eyes averted it. Like if my body felt like it wasn’t allowed to see it. Like if I did, I would be punished.

My mouth wouldn't dare speak, my body would dare move, and I felt nothing but fear grow inside me.

It was a fear like none other. It lasted what felt like millennia but in actuality just ten seconds before dissipating with the pressure waves and the figure.

When I managed to look up again, I saw Johan, eyes wide and fearful. Yet, there was something else in them to. Excitement.

"Well, well, well." Johan said, before looking at me.

"That was quite something now wasn’t it." Johan muttered before leaving.

It took me some time before I was able to stand again. My friends helped me up but like me they didn’t seem to dare speak about what just happened.

The only sort of conversation we had was when Kasper pointed towards my sword, and I simply nodded. Understanding what he meant to ask.

The crowd were slowly able to get going on with their day about an hour later, none of them understanding what had just happened. They simply just left. Unsure what to do after such an experience.

We sat there together until nightfall. Simply just processing the situation.