Things Lost and Found (a Waglington and Mianite fanfiction)

Chapter 85

The song for this chapter is "Saviors of the World" by Skillet. It seems like the perfect song for a fight sequence set at the end of the world, don't you think? :) I originally did not intend last chapter and this one being as long as they were, but I've kinda been putting off writing the next part... :P (You'll see what I mean next chapter.) For now, enjoy the epic fight!

*Waglington's POV*

The others had struggled to hold their own against Mianite, but the tide turned when Martha and I flew in from the side, swords swinging. I'd never known Martha to be much of a swordswoman, and it was obvious that she was fairly unpolished and out of practice. I guessed that Spark had insisted she at least learn the basics when she was younger, but I suspected she had not used a sword since. I made a mental note to teach her a bit more later on. One should not grow to rely too heavily on their magic, lest they find themselves without it. For now, the fact that Mianite's unassertive niece and the wizard he'd written off as dead were coming at him with blazing eyes and shining blades was enough to throw him off his game for a moment.

We dove in as Mianite pressed Tom and Mot in attempt to get at Dianite behind them. I swung my imbued sword for his half metal face, foregoing niceties. He backed out of the way and dodged to the right when Martha took a stab at his side with her manyullyn rapier.

Mianite was using a mythril battleaxe. His matching silver-blue armor reflected the eerie red light of the blood moon filtering down from the vent and looked unscathed. His axe so far was unbloodied, not for lack of trying. He held the weapon loosely in his right hand, with an ease born of centuries of use, though there was a certain hesitance to his movements as if he had not practiced recently either. He floated backward cautiously, reevaluating the battlefield now that Martha and I had arrived. Not only had two enemies come unlooked for, they appeared to be in good fighting form, not tired like the other combatants, and they were capable with both sword and spell.

I knew if he looked more closely at how Martha held herself, he'd recognize her inexperience. So I didn't give him the chance to look. I attacked with my sword, forcing his attention back on me. I didn't however take him on solo. After striking a blow that he easily blocked with his axe, I backed away. Mot and Donella had been the first to shake off the shock of our arrival and were close behind my attack. The others moved to action shortly after, spirits reinvigorated by our dramatic entrance.

The time for words had passed, and not even Dianite tried to reason with his brother as we fought. Had anyone been inclined to try, I suspected they would have met little success. Mianite seemed to have sunken into a battle focus I recognized as kin to what I went into when concentrating on a particularly complicated spell. Nothing short of my brothers hitting me with a spell or putting a spider on my shoulder had shaken my focus at those times. Such would only be part of the dance to Mianite—absorbed in the fight as he was. I wondered what would get through to him but discarded the thought almost at once; he wasn't going to change his mind.

We traded blows with Mianite, wearing each other down, until even the god of order appeared winded. I noted with satisfaction that his armor was now marred by several glancing and a few direct blows. I would have gladly kept going if Memento—who had been carefully staying out of reach and occasionally throwing a spell into the fray—had not warned me my strength potion was beginning to wear off. The fight had by now moved closer to the rubble heap we'd hidden behind not so long ago. Reluctantly, I retreated the short distance to where I'd left Martha's bag to get another potion. On the way I sent Martha a quick mental warning, as hers would be running out soon after mine.

Mianite was paying more attention to Martha and I than I had thought. He hit Martha's potion bag with a lightning bolt before I could reach it, causing it to explode into multicolored flames and shards of glass. I floated there, staring at the flames in shock for a few seconds. Then I got angry. Mianite must have suspected Martha and I had boosted our energy somehow; he had been waiting us out. And I thought we were doing well. I scowled as I looked up to see Mianite on the offensive again, this time hounding Martha, who was barely keeping him at bay with spells. Jordan and Tom had the bright idea to spam dig spells at the base of a spike hanging from the ceiling, causing it to fall toward Mianite. This distracted him long enough for Martha to get away.