Dhana, Dharma, and I, on top of the two Aurora Zephywings, watched the massive tornado wreak havoc.
The birds known for their control over the wind managed to stabilize our footing within two minutes. We tried to use our senses and mana to see what was in the middle of the tornado. Even though I guessed that the man in black was in the middle, I had a hard time believing that a person would sit in the middle of a disaster, he himself conjured.
As for why we were sure that he conjured it. The black-colored energy gave the same vibe as the restaurant and the duke estate he burned down before.
"Tej, I think it's time for you to fall back. The tornado is expanding and destroying the mountains. Those mountains are the only things that are blocking it.
If they are destroyed, the tornado will start moving out of the mountain range. It will be a disaster."
Dharma spoke with a frown as he unleashed his saber. Red-colored violent mana surrounded his body. The saber aura, indicating his strength of a Seventh-ranked Knight was apparent.
"I can help." I protested. I wasn't as strong as both of them. The Divine between the Sixth and seventh rank was huge, but my unique abilities gave me strength beyond the ranks.
"You can't." However, both of them were adamant about not including him.
*BOOM*
With a small explosion of mana I was shot like a cannon ball, falling far away from the birds.
As I descended, I hurriedly used some basic wind magic to try and stabilize myself. I almost go swept by that raging tornado. I landed on top of a large rock and looked at the two investigators standing on the two majestic birds.
Their mana rose.
I took out my camera instantly. There was not that I was going to miss such a heroic scene. I started snapping pictures.
Meanwhile in the sky, the two birds seemed to have recognized the intention of their riders, both of them flew at the same time. Their beautiful wings glowed with wind energy and they started circling around the tornado.
Albeit in the opposite direction, trying to contend with the tornado.
At the same time, both Dhana and Dharma started attacking the tornado, trying to disrupt its flowing wind currents. Dhana was a unique mage. She had two specialties, one was the dark element with her expertise lying in curses and necromancy.
It was a great element, but not exactly a popular one. However, a handy one for an investigator who constantly deals with deaths, forbidden magic users, and spies. The second element was actually no element.
Or popularly known as neutral magic.
Even though the mana of different people often had different properties, based on the elemental affinities, the basic mana of the environment was the same for everyone. Everyone ingests the same mana to grow.
And thus the neutral mana with no elemental properties was the first type of mana any person sensed. That was also the first type of mana we used to learn how to control mana and manipulate it. To help with that, there were some neutral spells like Magic bullet and such.
After discovering the elemental affinity, people abandon that. Because pursuit in that area was always deemed fruitless. However, Dhana made some significant progress in that field and that gave her an unique edge among her peers.
The searching spell that she used to find the cigar was exactly that.
Huge mana missiles were shot into the tornado and accompanied by the saber strikes from Dharma, the tornado started becoming thinner and gave a visual into what's inside.
I hurriedly used a levitation spell to get a higher viewpoint to take a picture of it and what we saw inside stunned me a bit.
It was the image similar to what I saw in my vision. The man sitting on a levitating and spinning lotus on a platform while the two beasts nonchalantly sat on the ground on either side. Unaffected by the natural disaster that stemmed from the spinning lotus.
When Dhana and Dharma stopped their attacks for a second, the tornado thickened again.
They started attacking again. Dhana seemed to be fighting and at the same time examining the terrain. Trying to dissipate the tornado.
From some reason, even though we saw what created that tornado, we felt that tornado was definitely not its primary purpose. Dhana shared my thought process and yelled.
"Dharma, let this to me. I want you to use your fiercest slash and create straight horizontal paths in different directions. Let the wind flow in those straight lines and dissipate."
I was impressed by her quick thinking. After some thought, even I came to the same conclusion. The valley's unique shape made the wind currents revolve within the valley and created this tornado. As long as there is a proper channel to let that wind out, it would disappear.
Dharma nodded and jumped off the bird.
*SLASH*
*CRASH*
His body glowed with fierce and menacing aura which was concentrated on his blade as he did a proper vertical slash. The most basic moves of any blade user.
The aura raged and moved in a straight line making a path through the mountain range and the wind started escaping. He didn't waste time. He kicked the ground and shot himself into the sky, landing on the Zephyrwing with a perfect timing.
He them dropped himself off in a different location as the bird still continued to revolve around the tornado.
*SLASH*
*SLASH*
I watched in awe as the mage exerted all his strength to land eight slashes and finally the tornado dissipated. Dharma once again launched himself and landed on the back to the bird.
Dhana and Dharma locked their gazes on the man who still didn't show any reaction. I could hear my own heartbeat and it was racing like never before. I closed by distance, just a little bit and took a picture.
*SNAP*
As if the snap was heard by them. Both the wolf that looked like a dog and the horse opened their eyes and looked in my direction.
I froze. I couldn't move for a moment and started sweating. The two beasts then directed their attention towards the birds and the riders standing on it. Even they don't know what to do at the moment.
It's great that we managed to track the guy down, but now what. We knew for sure that we were no match for this guy.
At that moment, I saw Dharma take out a small crystal token and break it. A beam of light shot out of that place and disappeared. That was a message token. It pre-records a message and the recipient details. Up on breaking it, the message will be delivered to that person at a speed of light.
He was prepared for this scenario.
Both Dhana and Dharma exchanged a glance.
"We are from the investigation bureau. By the authority of King Daksh, you are under arrest for the massacre of the Anta Clan among other crimes.
Surrender and state your name."
Dhana spoke out loud. Loud to the point, that I could hear a faint echo from the mountain ranges. At that moment, the horse and the wolf that still seemed to be exchanging glances with the two investigators finally revealed annoyed expressions.
The Wolf looked at the horse and growled.
*NEIGH*
The horse gave an angry neigh and stood up. It shook its beautiful mane and looked at the birds.
*NEIGH*
Another sound and all of a sudden, I saw both of the Aurora Zephywings shivering in the air. They stopped flying for a second and both Dhana and Dharma lost control. The birds tried their best to stay afloat.
I could sense it even from far away.
They were under pressure. Not just the birds, looking at the faces of the two of them, I understood that even the two mages were under such pressure.
"Calm down."
Dhana yelled and took out some kind of pill. She forced it into the bird's mouth. Dharma did the same and both the birds stabilized.
Just the glare from the horse made the two birds lose their minds. That only indicated how strong the horse was compared to them. Both in terms of strength and the bloodline purity.
The man still didn't open his eyes.
Dhana and Dharma started communicating in low voice, I couldn't even heasar. But after a short conversation, both of them moved back, maybe they decided to just wait it out.
However, that very second, we saw something that made our blood freeze in our veins. High up in the sky exactly on top of the man who sat in the meditative position, a black dot appeared. It swiftly grew bit and became a small black sphere and then started spreading thin.
It was like a thin, horizontal disc. Parallel to the ground and it spun so fast, it looked like it wasn't even spinning.
From that disc conjured a black colored fog. Within seconds, the fog occupied the whole valley and the mountain range. From the central point of that disc, a small crack appeared. From that crack came a thick black smoky energy.
It was very similar to the energy conjured up by the man, but at the same time it was different. It was much more sinister, much more heinous.
*CRACK* *CRACK*
Loud cracking noises came as the mana in the atmosphere riled up. It started moving towards that crack as if it was sucking all of it. Even the surrounding air was being sucked in as if it was a huge vacuum.
*ROAR* *SQUEAL*
And then we heard a loud sinister roar and a squeal. Even the most vicious of beasts wouldn't let that growl.
I was surrounded with that black energy as well and as its concentration increased, I had a creepy feeling. When I absorbed it along with the mana in the surroundings…
*HISS*
An acidic burning sensation spread all over my veins. I gritted my teeth to endure it. I felt like I could pass out at any moment, but I bit my tongue to make myself stay awake.
"DHANA…"
I yelled out loud. But even I couldn't hear my voice. Breathing has become harder. I hurriedly took out a recovery potion and the vitality that surged out made me feel a little better. Then I came back to my senses to see the state of Dhana, Dharma and the two birds.
They were much better than me. They were stronger than me and they managed to endure it better. But I could see from their faces, even they were experiencing that burning sensation.
"TEJ, GET OUT OF HERE."
Dhana yelled as she started conjuring a magic circle. Dharma who was panting heavily took out his saber. He looked at me and said.
"The Duke will soon be here. Wait at the entrance of the range and guide him here. Whatever's coming from that dark circle, its not a good thing. We need to disrupt him."
"But…" I was about to say something. I wanted to say that it was too dangerous and it was too foolish of them to think they can stop him.
"LEAVE." But Dharma didn't give me a chance. His expression fierce and determined.
*CAW* *CAW*
The crows of the birds reverberated throughout the valley and they even masked the sinister squeals that were coming from that circle. At that time, I took another snap with my camera and turned around. I made the decision to follow their words.
But at that moment.
*BOOM*
*SWOOSH*
*BAM*
I felt something hit me from behind and within a second, my head was crashed into a rock. I couldn't even scream in pain before…
*THUD*
Something hit the object that was already on my back.
I felt squished…
*BOOM*
I used the wind cannon magic to throw the object on me away. When I turned around, I saw that the object was nothing but the Majestic bird. Aurora Zephyrwing. Its back covered in black flames.
*SQUEAL* *CAW* The majestic crows of the bird, replaced with its painful writhing pain. I stood there and just watched it. Not knowing what to do.