To the north, deep in the lustrous forest another summoning was taking place. Although usually buzzing with the activities of night critters, this night was unusually quiet. Even the animals and insects of the forest seemed to understand that something important was about to occur.
"Mmmmm….." Catori starred, grumbling at the circle drawn on the dirt in the middle of a clearing in the forest. A scrap of hide, almost disintegrating from its age had been placed at its head as a catalyst.
Although she had been preparing her entire life for such a moment, she was still apprehensive about the procedure. The girl, who could not have been more than thirteen, shook her head.
It doesn't matter what I think. My tribe is counting on me. The little girl steeled herself, before beginning the chant to summon her servant. Although her voice rang with fragility showing her age, it was full of the steely determination she currently held.
As she continued chanting, the circle glowed brighter and brighter. In a flash, a figure appeared from the circle of summoning.
When the light faded, what appeared was a young woman, clad in hides and ornaments Native American in origin. Her hair flowed freely as she gazed at the scene in front of her, her eyes piercing through the dark night and perceiving all. She took a single step forward. The simple movement demonstrated an extraordinary amount of grace, but also resilience, a body forged from years of surviving in the wilderness.
Catori could not hold back her childish excitement and let out a little squeal at her success before covering her mouth. That's right, I have no idea what she actually is like in person. Oh no, what if she was actually a cold and ruthless murderer? Troubling thoughts flooded her mind as the rush fully hit her.
"Oww!" Catori winced as three marks burned themselves into the back of her right hand. Still unsure, however, she cautiously turned to face the heroic spirit standing before her.
The servant merely smiled with a face that immediately melted such worries. There was nothing in her expression other than compassion and a hint of amusement. "I ask of you, young one, are you my master?"
"You bet! Oh wait, I don't really like the name master. How about "friend"? My name is Catori by the way".
"That is fine. I would love to be your friend, Catori". The servant stooped down to meet her eyes with Catori's. "I am your servant, Archer. But if you want, you can call me Rebecca."
"What? But I thought your name — oh yeah, your name needs to be a secret" Catori quickly cut herself off, remembering the purpose of the summoning.
Seeing her summoner's gloom, Archer laughed, both surprised at her immaturity, as well as in an attempt to comfort her new friend "Haha, that's right. Enemies might use a weakness against me if they know who I am. But don't worry too much. I promise to protect you even if they do find some weakness against me,"
"Don't worry about protecting me, I can protect myself!" Catori exclaimed, almost like a pout, upset at the notion of not being taken seriously.
"I'm sure you can, young one. In fact, I can see your connection with the Earth is extremely strong. But in the battles to come, you will be facing enemies much stronger than yourself. Enemies that defy reasoning. Are you sure you are ready?" Archer's voice turned serious, though her eyes still showed compassion for the young girl.
Catori felt a slight lump in her throat, but made her declaration in a firm voice, "I am" In that moment, the vestiges of her age seemed to vanish, and she seemed no different from a soldier preparing to charge into battle.
"Very well." Although Archer smiled at her determination, inwardly she felt a pang of regret that such a young child was being forced to partake in the conflict to come. But… I guess they really didn't have another choice. Archer thought, looking around at the rest of the individuals who surrounded the forest who numbered in the hundreds. In contrast to Catori, they were all kneeling, as though showing their reverence to a king. All appeared to be of the same tribe, reminding Archer of her own time with her people.
Out of all of them, she saw that the girl before her had the strongest connection to the earth and the leylines that gathered underground. Her eyes easily discerned the mana that flowed through her. Compared to the flows of the other members in attendance who could be likened to small streams or trickles, the girl's were closer to a raging waterfall. That was not to say that the other members of her tribe were weak. In fact, quite a few of them would be considered accomplished mages if they pursued the practice at the clock tower. It was just that she had been born with magical circuits that were seen in only one in several million individuals.
In fact, upon closer inspection Archer realized that she could perhaps even temporarily hold off against the very servants they would be going into battle with. Although her sheer quantity was still small for a servant, at least she would be able to sufficiently defend herself against other masters.
Archer gave a small sigh of relief. "Everyone, please, don't kneel to someone such as myself. I am a fellow member of these lands" The members in attendance slowly began to stand up, cautiously at first, still uncertain how to address the individual who had appeared before them. In a few moments however, the crowd was awash with murmurs of excitement and anticipation.
"Is she really…"
"Do we have a chance?"
"We'll finally be able to fight back against those tyrants!"
Archer looked on at the whispers, for a moment, before turning to her summoner. "Alright then, Catori, what are your orders?"