Things Lost and Found (a Waglington and Mianite fanfiction)

Chapter 61

One more chapter with the wizards before we get back to Wag, Memento, and the Mandor. :) This chapter is a bit on the short side, and I'm not 100% pleased with it and chapter 60 yet. Any helpful suggestions are welcome.

I have been super stressed out this last week. I'm actually surprised I haven't made myself sick with the level of anxiety I've been running on. :P If y'all could pray for me, I'd really appreciate it. I might be a little slow on updates until this situation is resolved. Anxious Karen = unable to focus Karen. X(

*Donella's POV*

Phil, Matt, and Tom were on the main floor of the tower talking to someone in a dark grey cloak. Water beaded and dripped from the oiled cloth to pool on the purple-white floor. Whatever business had brought them out in this weather must be urgent. The steady rainfall had changed while Kay and I were training. It was now an angry torrent beating down on those who dared venture out into it. The wind howled fury as it sought entry through windows and doors that had been sealed shut against it. It was times like these I fully appreciated the ability to teleport.

Kay appreciated it as well and thanked me on her and Aduladi's behalf. The owl was asleep on Kay's shoulder now. Her gaze nervously flitted to where the master wizards and the guest huddled. She turned and went her own way, sensing something I didn't that warned her against getting involved. I approached the gathering, Akatena at my side. She tested the air with her keen, black nose. She recognized our guest as I did. Now what would bring the young goddess here? Does she have news of James?

"Greetings," I said as I approached. The four looked over at me and waved me to join them.

"Where have you been, Donella?" Tom asked. "Martha heard something about our missing apprentices."

"Truly?" I asked, glancing over as Martha lowered the hood of her cloak. Some of the wind blown rain had made its way past that protection to soak her hair. It lay in half dried tangles about her face. Despite this, she looked quite happy as she nodded. "Did you hear about Ilanna, Annika, and Charlie or some of the others?" The brothers had brought back most of their apprentices from our world, though several remained unaccounted for. The paperwork when we got back to our dimension was going to be a nightmare. I briefly wondered if Dianite would let me hide out in the Nether for a century or two. I discarded the childish idea a moment later; I should treat their families with the same respect I'd held for those of fallen wizards in the war. As a commander, I'd delivered my share of bad news.

Martha pulled me from that sobering train of thought. "I was just explaining to the Fyre wizards that I finally got a hold of Steve." That was good news, but how did it concern us? "He had been captured by Mianite's men, but he escaped with a bit of help from some other prisoners. There was a blood mage and two girls, Nikki and Ilanna."

The Fyre wizards perked up immediately, and Matt's yellow eyes flared as he interrupted with a barrage of questions, "Nikki?! Is she okay? Are they in danger? Where are they?"

"Simmer down, Mattey. Let her talk," Tom urged.

Martha cleared her throat and looked at the tiled floor. "I'm sorry, but Nikki and the blood mage sacrificed themselves to make good Steve and Ilanna's escape." I could practically see the heartbreak crash down on Matt and wondered if there had been something between the two. "Stevie spoke very highly of her. She actually broke out first and freed the rest of them. She fought well. Steve said she also had a message for you." Matt raised his downcast eyes which had paled almost to white. "She wanted you to know that your gift to her came in handy after all."

That proved too much for Matt. Whatever his relationship with Annika, he took her loss hard. Steaming tears that looked like lava rimmed his eyes. He choked back a sob and rocketed into the air, almost colliding with the chandelier on his way up to the second floor of the tower.