The Summoner's Mark (First Draft) (Book One)

Prisoner's of War

Sitting atop Soren some distance from the battlefield where the Zesian Army and the Raiders were battling one another for control of the village; Sin felt anxious knowing that his friends were within that mess, and he wasn't there fighting beside them. In hopes of calming the storm within him, Sin clutched Inari closer to his chest though this wasn't the only thing that had helped him calm his nerves.

"Everything will be fine..." Nohki's familiar voice whispered into his ear moments before Sin felt his partner's lips brush across his neck. "...all we have to do is complete this mission and then we can join them in battle."

While Sin was thankful for both the words and act of comfort that Nohki had just given him, he chose not to respond at this moment considering that he turned his attention from the two battling forces so he could focus on the area where he and Nohki had been assigned. In the east, outside the village of Caso; Sin and the others were able to learn from interrogating the prisoner that was captured that there was a camp which was where the Raiders were keeping the village children to force the adults to do as they wished.

Hoping to gain the help of those villagers who can battle. Sin and Nohki were tasked with destroying the Raiders that were within this camp and freeing the children. With every second that they delayed, it ran the risk that one of his friends would fall in battle or even one of the captured children would fall victim to the Raiders that were holding them; not wanting to allow any of this to happen, Sin knew that he could no longer delay the mission.

"Hold on, Nohki!" Sin muttered out as he tapped his hand upon his Griffin's body and the moment that Soren felt the touch, he was lifting them all into the sky.

Now that they were in the air and Soren was gliding through the sky, Sin began to examine the surroundings that they were passing so that he and Nohki could locate the camp where the children were being held. This process was made slightly more difficult from the darkness that surrounded them though thankfully Sin was able to figure out where they needed to go from the flickering flames that he noticed as Soren took them over a stream that many of the village children use for fishing.

Tapping upon Soren's body in two quick motions, Sin signaled to the Griffin that he wished for him to land. Almost immediately, Soren angled his wings slightly which caused them to rapidly descend in a manner that could make the most battle-hardened individual fear that they would soon be meeting whatever God they worshipped. Due to how often Sin had been flying his Griffin over the last week, he had grown used to the method that his Familiar used to drop from the sky which kept him from falling from Soren's back.

Within a few short moments, Soren was landing upon the ground and as he pawed at the dirt that laid underneath them; Sin listened to the sounds around him which told him that they haven't been discovered. Now that he was sure that their mission wasn't in jeopardy, Sin flung himself from Soren and landed upon the ground with a thud and from the thud that followed; Sin knew that Nohki had followed him from Soren.

Turning back towards his Griffin, Sin gave his Familiar a quick command. "Hunt down any who try and flee from this camp or any who try to enter and bolster their numbers!"

As soon as Soren heard his Summoner's command, wind burst around them as the Griffin took off into the sky once more. By the time that Soren vanished into the darkness that surrounded them, Sin could see that Nohki was gathering his mana which prompted him to do the same.

Focusing on the bond that he shared with Inari, Sin started to shift bits of the Kitsune's element into his own body. He continued to shift this elemental energy into his body until he felt a frost chill encase every inch of him and with this chill; Sin knew that he had gathered enough of the element to ensure he would be able to complete this battle, this was only proved by the white sheen that took control of his eyes.