A young boy with brown hair and brown eyes looked out over the marching crowd. A gathering of the King's Mages had been called to march to war. The Black Parade as they were called. As he looked out over the sea of men marching to war, he turned with worry in his eyes to his father standing next to him. "Son" his father said, "I have to go to war, not because I want to, but because I am forced to. But a day is coming when you also will have to march, and when you do, be prepared to fight not for the reason they tell you, but for yourself. When you do, my spirit will fight with you" Handing the boy a small doorknob handle with several colors on it, the man turned to the ranks waiting for him. "Take this, and replace the loose handle at home with it. Find my old student, Howl, and tell him I sent you. He will be wherever the blue color takes you. Make sure you pull the handle through when you leave." Sparing a forlorn smile for his son, the man turned again to the troops awaiting him. "Good luck, and may he teach you better than I"
A young man, around the age of sixteen sat bolt upright in bed, beads of sweat dotting his face. The dream he had just had seemed so real. Like a forgotten memory found anew. The timing of it could not have been more auspicious in fact; today was the day he became a full-fledge wizard, free from his apprenticeship to Howl.
Sighing, he rose and put on his clothes. His brown hair, styled in no particular way, spiked off in every possible direction. A face of planes and edges showed a hawk-like countenance, with piercing hazel eyes examining everything underneath arched brows. A simple blue tunic over a white undershirt rested atop a muscled chest and set of shoulders. A simple belt surrounded his waist, and a plain pair of brown pants and traveler's boots finished the getup.
Reaching over to his cluttered desk, he pulled out a bare bastard sword and scabbard. The only unusual thing about the blade was that it had pressed into its side the word Honor, burnt there by the magic used to forge it. 'Of all the virtue's to be blessed with, it is humorous that Howl's Apprentice would get Honor' he thought to himself.
"Micheal! You're going to be late for breakfast again if you don't hurry!" came the call from downstairs. Micheal currently still lived with his master, Howl, and his master's wife, Sophie. Howl was a powerful wizard, and his wife Sophie had become no pushover of an enchantress either. Together, they had taught and raised him. Howl had instilled in him a sense of adventure and experimentation; Sophie had managed to instill a calmer approach and a practical way of thinking. The two of them meant the world to Micheal.
'And today I will be leaving them' he thought to himself. Sighing, he trudged down the steps, careful to avoid the several booby-traps he had placed on the way to his room. Stepping over some of the books he placed on the stairs, he finally arrived at the landing to the living room. "Always seems to get messier every time I go down those stairs" he muttered to himself, turning to take in the scene of morning breakfast.
At the table he saw his master, Howl, his signature blonde hair draping around his face, head bent over a book. "Is that you Micheal?" he asked absently. "Will you come here, I'm trying to work this weather spell you set up, but I can not seem to grasp the runes for the life of me…" Exasperation was obvious in his voice; Howl had never been one for set-up spells. Improvisation was his forte, not deliberation.
"Sure, let me help you with that." Micheal moved with a smile on his face. It had only been recently that Micheal had started to grow beyond his master's talent. That was when Howl had decided he was ready for the end of his training. "Let me see that," Micheal said, his hands grasping the parchment spell he had worked out awhile back.
It was designed to create beautiful weather, warm sunny day's that had a nice breeze to them, and lukewarm nights, perfect for stargazing. It had been a gift for Sophie and Howl's anniversary the year previous.
"Micheal, when your done helping Howl, I could use your help setting the table." Sophie's call came from the fireplace, a frying pan seated over what looked to be a roaring fire. "Calcifer, don't you dare eat any of the food while I set the table, or I'll pour water on you again!" she chastised, turning to head to the kitchen. A lithe step to compliment a similar frame defined Sophie physically, with a signature brown braid running down her back. She still wore the trademark Sophie look of a plain dress and traveler's boots, only now she had added a simple hat with a rainbow ribbon running around it.
Finishing up with Howl, Micheal moved over to the kitchen area that had been added several years ago. Gathering up the plates and silverware Sophie set out, Micheal turned and headed to the table. As he did so, he couldn't help but smile at the mumblings of "I see…" and "How ingenious" coming from his master.
'It is sad that I end my training today' thought Micheal to himself. 'But that doesn't mean that I can't come back and visit, so I guess it won't be that bad.' A smile had finally returned to it's usual home on his face. It would be alright; The end had finally begun.