Fablehaven: Journey to the Eternals' Pass (fanfiction) (HIATUS)

2: Mendigo

A/N: I'm sorry this took so long. I've been busy, and I've had writer's block. I really need a Time Turner or a Chronometer sometimes.

"This is impossible!" Bracken was yelling. He was tensed up, ready for a fight, but at the same time, Kendra could see the shock on his face. Fairy magic had never failed before-and never so spectacularly.

"How'd this happen?" Kendra shouted, cautiously eyeing the mass of poised wooden limberjacks.  She realised something even as she did. "Are they all... are they all Mendigo?"

"Yes!" Seth moaned. "The fairies' magic must have screwed up... I told you they didn't like me!" He was gripping a wooden bat and his eyes darted from one Mendigo to another. 

Kendra looked at Warren. "He came alive," Warren said, "and multiplied. One moment there was just one. The next, there were dozens just materialising out of thin air." He gestured at the limberjacks. "The thing is, they haven't attacked, so we don't know-"

"Seth!" Bracken hollered, and Seth leapt back in shock as a limberjack thudded to the ground at his feet still clawing feebly, Bracken's sword impaling it through its body and pinning it to the floor. The three limberjacks nearest to Warren leapt at him, a flurry of wooden limbs. Each of them as tall as Warren was and incapable of pain or feeling, they were a formidable opponent, and Warren, caught off guard, was already struggling.

Suddenly the rest of the limberjacks sprung into action. Several hurled themselves at Kendra, but were knocked off course by Vanessa Santoro, who had charged into the scene with a grim look on her face. The narcoblix surveyed the scene grimly, then launched herself into the fight. Mara was not far behind.

It was one of Kendra's more guilty moments. She had never been much help in a physical fight. She wasn't a fantastic fighter like Warren or Vanessa. She didn't even have Seth's mix of courage and sheer insanity. All she had-and at times like this, regrettably-were fairy powers which did not include magic for combat.

Still, there was no point feeling sorry for herself at a time like this. She'd just have to use whatever she had. Which, in this case, meant the large golden orb she had spied among the presents earlier.

She raced back into the kitchen and scooped up the sphere. The second it came into contact with her skin, it began to glow a pure, brilliant white. It was magic. Excellent. Kendra rejoined the fight just in time to see a limberjack grappling with her brother. The ball was heavy and hot in her hands as her energy infused it.

Seth spotted Kendra. "Help me!" He yelled, attempting to keep the puppet's arms from throttling him. "Now would be a good time for some awesome fairy magic!"

"One second!" Kendra felt the ball hum beneath her fingers, and she knew it was ready. She hurled it at the limberjack, and it smashed into the puppet, bowling it over and cracking its body into splinters. 

"Nice aim." Seth said, panting as he stood and picked up the ball. "Can I throw it?"

Kendra eyed her brother, who would gleefully send a wrecking ball into enemies. He might be able to use it more effectively than her. "Okay."

Seth grinned and with a powerful, arching throw knocked the head off a limberjack about to attack Warren. "Like coconuts at the carnival!" He whooped, diving in to retrieve his new favourite weapon. Kendra went to pick up Seth's abandoned bat and found herself being fairly good with it.

Although the limberjacks had the advantage in numbers, they had no thoughts, and were ineffective as a group. On the other hand, Kendra and Seth soon discovered that with the bat and orb, they could take down more than one limberjack with some strategising and careful placement. "Go long!" Seth yelled, a crazy grin on his face as he hurled the ball through the air. It smashed into one limberjack and Kendra whacked it with the bat, changing its course and sending it barrelling into another puppet. Seth cheered and ducked to get the sphere. "Again!"