The Summoner's Vendetta (First Draft) (Book Two)

A Failed Allegiance

No matter how many corpses that he had left littering the ground, another enemy would come to take their place. On every side, Sin had become surrounded by those that he was once allied with and while he may be quite curious as to what could have caused this sudden betrayal; he knew that this wasn't the time to inquire about it and considering that he would get his answers one way or another before this day was over, his curiosity willingly slipped to the back of his mind.

Another enemy moved toward him and without a moment's hesitation, a sword was swinging towards him. Deflecting the strike with his own weapon, Sin used his enemy's movements against them which caused the being to end up on their back and before any other could move to intercept him; he was slamming his blade through the downed enemy's chest.

Wishing to free himself from the circle of enemies that were surrounding him, Sin used the opening that he had created to fling himself free. Even as he was leaving behind his enemies, Sin could see that they were moving to intercept him. Considering that being trapped wasn't something that he was willing to allow to happen once again, Sin spun himself around and struck at the closest being in proximity to him.

His body moved with such speed that the enemy that he had chosen to attack didn't have the time to defend themselves and before anyone could decipher what was happening, their lifeless corpse collapsed to the ground as their head rolled from their body. As the soldiers looked at their fallen comrade's head travel away from them, they were too stunned to continue the battle which left them wide open.

By this time, there were only three enemies that were left facing him and as he was preparing to fling himself at them once more; another figure flung themselves into battle. Upon spotting the newcomer, Sin's mind was taken back to his first days under Sten's tutelage where he had gained the scars that adorned his back considering the being that was decimating the soldiers before him held the same bestial features that Balor did when she had given Sin those scars.

As the figure tore ribbons of flesh from the last of the soldier's that were standing against them, Sin's mind was urging him to attack considering that his mind believed that Balor was standing before him and at any moment she would turn and try killing him once again.

When the last of the soldiers fell to the ground, the individual who had slaughtered them turned towards Sin who by this time had his hand clenching around his blade as he prepared himself to fight the being before him. Before Sin was able to follow through with what his mind was telling him to do, the bestial features that adorned the other being began to fade and within a few short heartbeats Corina was revealed.

Sighting Corina, Sin's instincts to attack immediately quelled themselves which also caused the memories of her initiation to come swirling into his mind. "Corina! Thank the Gods that it is you..." Sin muttered out as he allowed his blade to fall towards the ground and when the blade touched the ground, he started to speak once more. "...I haven't seen you in your beast form before which caused me to think that you were someone else for a moment.

Knowing that if he stood there much longer, that both he and Corina would become targets for the soldiers that remained within the courtyard; he thought that it would be best if he focused his mind on the battle that was transpiring around them.

Motioning with his hand for Corina to do the same, when he saw that she was going to follow his instructions; Sin turned his attention towards those that were aching desperately to sheath their weapons into the flesh of Sin and his companions. Immediately, his eyes fell upon a group of House Khesta soldiers that had surrounded the only non-Mage that was a member of Sin's forces.

Standing beside Roi; fighting with tooth and claw were none other than Inari and Takara, who were doing their utmost to keep Roi from falling to those he was facing. Considering that Roi's only defense was the weapon that was clenched within his hand, Sin feared that at any moment something could go wrong that would leave his friend lifeless upon the already bloodied ground. With this fear, Sin's body subconsciously started moving towards the other male and before he knew it; some within the horde of enemies had turned their attention towards him.

*

"In all the time that I have known Lord Khesta, I didn't realize that he had this many soldiers under his command..." Sin contemplated as he blocked the strike of a sword from one of the soldiers that had not only surrounded Roi and two of his Familiars but had now managed to surround him as well. "...is there no end to those who wish to see us dead?"

By the time that the question rolled through his mind, Sin was already performing a counterattack to the being that had attempted to end his life a second prior. Pushing himself closer to the other being, Sin could feel the being's breath upon his skin due to the closeness of the two of them and as their blades fought for control of the other; he knew that his life could depend on using his cuff-blade.

Waiting for the perfect moment, Sin saw that it arrived when the being that he was facing looked as if they were straining against the weight of their weapons and though in the back of his mind, he knew that it could be a false weakness; this wasn't a chance that Sin was going to allow to pass. Releasing the hand that contained his cuff-blade, Sin commanded the weapon to strike before his enemy was able to regain their strength.

Immediately, his cuff-blade reacted to the mental command. The icy obsidian that made up the blade shot from the cuff that adorned his wrist and within a mere heartbeat, the blade was sheathed through the rib cage of the being that was facing him. Crimson bubbled around the wound that his weapon had caused and due to the closeness, that his hand was to the wound this crimson soon painted across his skin.

Knowing that the being he had used as a sheathe for his weapon, didn't have long before their soul was ripped from their body; Sin yanked his blade free which caused the already weakened being to collapse to the ground. Sin watched his enemy take their last breath and as their chest stilled, a noise pulled his attention away from the deceased being.

When his eyes landed on the gates that would allow travel to and from Lord Khesta's estate, Sin expected to see the appearance of more enemies rushing to save their Lord though what he saw instead caused a smile to form upon his lips. Leading the charge through the opened gates was none other than Castien himself followed by every other member of Sin's forces that were left behind at the beginning of the day.

Following behind Sin's companions were a group of the most ragtag grouping of individuals that Sin had ever seen and considering that he could see the elven female that he had spoken to earlier mixed within the group; he hypothesized that the others that were within the group had also sent a loved one in search of sanctuary.

Turning his attention away from those who had come to bolster their forces in this battle, Sin allowed himself a moment to survey the rest of the courtyard. While he and his companions had been fighting against forces much larger than their own for the entirety of the battle, he could see that they had managed to send many of the opposing force slowly but surely to the afterlife.

Wanting to ensure that his companions continued to have the willpower to fight against those who have been actively pursuing their deaths, Sin felt that it was time for him to give his companions the encouragement that they needed.

Taking a deep breath, Sin allowed his voice to boom throughout the courtyard. "You can do this! Just keep fighting and we will make it through this day in one piece!" Sin called out and while the wording that he had used hadn't been his finest, he could feel that the message had been received considering those who had been already fighting for what seemed like hours; had a surge of energy ripple through them.

As his companions fought against their enemies with a renewed sense of survival, Sin determined that it was time for him to rejoin the fight. Flicking his eyes around the area until he came upon those that were wearing the colors of House Khesta, Sin charged forward the moment that his eyes landed upon those who had been willing to stand against them.