Disclaimer: I don't own Howl's moving castle.
Warning: It is dreadfully long, and this is a story off the top of my head! I hope that this story makes you all happy because I had fun writing it! Oh there is some blood, fighting, and a story that leads the characters down many paths! It also took forever to write. This is the thrid story to the tale I created. You may want to read Calicfer and Markl did what? and Twilights tale before this one, but you may do as you like!
Calcifer watched as howl walked towards the front door. He sparked a little when he took a bite out of the wet wood. He didn't stop Howl, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be telling Sophie about his disappearance. Calcifer had taken a liking to the women; he also had taken a liking to that girl Twilight. He reached for another log, when Howl shut the door behind him. Calcifer grabbed yet another log, but didn't take a bite out of it. A creek on the stairs told him someone was awake. He could have guessed who it was, but he didn't. As soon as the figure stepped off the stairs he knew who it was. Markl was standing there fully dressed looking at the front door. He didn't say anything, but the look in his eyes could have told you what he was thinking. He walked past Calcifer without a word and touched the doors handle. The color turned black, Howls door.
Calcifer could have stopped him if he wanted to, but he didn't. After all it was Howls fault for not telling Markl where he was going. Markl had only gotten more curious over the years. He had lost what baby fat he had and was around the age of seventeen. Calcifer wasn't sure though, he didn't pay much attention to the way humans counted time. Blue flame on the other hand loved it. He smiled as wide as a fire demon could if a fire demon can smile that is. Blue flame was really quite funny. Twilight ended up owning Blue flame when Markl couldn't control him. Calcifer laughed quietly to himself. Blue flames was just as curious as Markl was, but as powerful as Twilight. He guessed that's what happened when two wizards did a summoning spell together. He took another bite out of the log in his arms. His attention fell back to Markl when the door opened.
"Now that was a surprise." Calcifer told himself, only wizards with a certain amount of power could open the door, and even then only people with a certain touch with magic could open it. Calcifer couldn't stop Markl from entering that door even if he tried the door belonged to Howl not him. Another creek on the stairs told Calcifer that Twilight was up. She usually woke up around this time. If Markl didn't go now, Twilight would either stop him or go with him. Almost as if Markl had read Calcifer's mind he jumped. The door closed without a sound and Markl was gone. Twilight entered the room at that moment and just like normal she was fully dressed.
"Calcifer, did someone go through the black door?" She asked as she walked towards him. Reaching for a frying pan and two eggs, setting the pan on Calcifer she cracked open the eggs and gave him the eggshells. After Calcifer finished his mouth full he began talking.
"Yes, Howl." At that moment she tossed him another eggshell. She flipped the eggs and then grabbed some bread. She placed butter on top of the bread and waited another moment and turned the toast placing butter on this side as well. After the eggs where cooked she picked up one of the omelets and placed it on the toast folding it in half she ate it. After she had finished Sophie appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
"Something smells good!" She said happily as Twilight through the other egg on a plate with a piece of buttered toast and handed it to her.
"Howl left." Twilight said pointing towards the front door, "Through the black one." Sophie nodded and continued with her eggs.
"Calcifer did you see Markl?" Sophie asked, she had a sweet smile on her face and Calcifer really didn't want to ruin the mood, but he couldn't lie to Sophie.
"Yes I did, earlier today." Calcifer said waiting for someone to remove the pan from on top of him. A guy walked into the kitchen, he had bright blue eyes and dark black hair. He was around Twilights height; he wore a white t-shirt and floppy white pants. He also wore a blue cloak that had white flames on the bottom. Calcifer watched as he wrapped his arms around Sophie's waist smiling playfully. Sophie laughed and tapped his hands lightly. Twilight smiled as the stranger let go of Sophie and placed himself next to Twilight.
"Calcifer, do you know who this is?" Twilight said with a large grin on her face. Calcifer didn't know what to say, so he didn't answer. "It's Blue flames!" Twilight said with a childish sparkle in her eyes, "I wanted to see what he would look like if he was human! So I made up a spell that would give him a temporary human form! I was wondering if I could try it on you as well!" Twilight removed the pan and placed it back on the wall, quickly placing a fast cooling spell on the pan so it wouldn't burn anything. Calcifer sighed and in a way stood back up. He looked at Blue flames and wondered what it felt like.
"I can't leave the hearth, only Howl can move me!" Calcifer then remembered that wasn't true anymore, "Okay fine, but if it hurts I won't do it!" Twilight smiled, and then held out her hand. She had a way of keeping her hand cool and keeping him hot. So he did not burn her and she did not accidently put his flames out.
"Here we go!" She took a deep breath and then began the spell. Calcifer felt his body being stretched and pulled. It didn't hurt, but it was an odd feeling all right. He then closed his eyes and listened to the words that Twilight was saying. Twilight unlike Howl could make up a spell on the spot, although unlike Howl the results could cause problems. "A human form, for a demon born, is what this demon dares, so it shall be for this I hear, this demon born, but instead in human form, when he wants to be no more, a human form, let him be once more, a demon born." Calcifer smiled to himself, as the words wrapped around him, like a warm blanket. He felt as if he wasn't burning anymore, he felt as he did when Sophie had poured water on him. He felt tried, small, and a little hungry.
Although he didn't have any urges to eat wood anymore. Calcifer opened his eyes when he felt cool hard wood beneath him. Twilight stood there smiling down at him. "It worked!" She pulled out a mirror and held it out in front of his face. He looked similar to Blue Flames, except his eyes where purple. They had a reddish hint to them, but other then they where light almost clear. Calcifer's skin color was a little darker then Blue Flame's. He tried to stand up, but it didn't work that same way as it had when he was a demon. Blue flames caught him and pulled him up. They where the same height, and had almost identical clothes except Calcifer's cloak was white with light purple symbols running along the edges. Blue flames and Calicfer's Black hair was short and lightly covered the forehead. "Now time to teach you how to walk!" Twilight said through her large grin and Sophie's soft laughter.
Markl felt as though he was falling, but the blackness around him was heavy like a fog closing in on him. It was warm here, although Markl wasn't sure where here was. He saw Howl ahead of him. He was in the shape of a bird. Markl had no problem with breathing although he had heard that you at some point do have trouble breathing when in portals. So Markl crossed out the possibility that he had gone somewhere else through a portal. He tried to raise his arms but his body felt like lead, he couldn't move them. In fact he couldn't move anything else but his eyelids. Markl decided that he should stop trying and just go where it takes him, what ever it was.
He watched Howl fly swiftly through the sky, although he was never far enough away for Markl to lose sight of him. Then the darkness around him vanished and he felt himself falling, but unlike the feeling of falling he had before, this time his body pulled him down. He quickly repeated a spell he had seen Howl use and found that he was no longer falling but floating. He looked at his arms and noticed that they where wings, he could tell that the spell had turned him into a bird. He flapped his wings awkwardly and soon found out how to use his tail to help him fly. Howl never seemed farther then ten feet away, although Markl knew that there was no way he was keeping up with Howl on his own.
Markl decided not to question this anymore and focused on his flying. Howl then dove downwards, turning back into a human just in time for his feet to lightly touch the pavement. Then he began walking through the coward of people. Markl tried the dive and had to pull out of it early because he couldn't handle the speed. Markl then landed hard on the pavement and muttered the spell to turn him human again. Rubbing his face he stood up, he had hit his cheek in the landing. His body was sore in places, some from just flying and others from the landing. Markl looked up trying to find Howl, but instead he saw something he hoped was just a dream. It was Erithma.
He had only heard of her from Howl, but he did know that she was trouble. Markl still had no idea where he was and how to get back. He tried to hide himself in the crowd, heading in the direction opposite of the new witch of the waste. He pulled his hood over his head, hiding his features in the shadows. Howl had sent him here on purpose, or that was what Markl was trying to convince himself of. He rounded a corner a sigh escaping his lips. He leaned against the building, resting his weight on the solid wall behind him.
That's when he felt the wall grow colder and a hand wrapped itself firmly on his shoulder and another one camped on his mouth. He felt the wall fade and could see the alley disappearing behind a not so solid wall. Markl tore the hands from his mouth and shoulder and looked up to find himself eye to eye with a female. She had straight brown hair that was just long enough to touch her shoulders, her eyes where amber and which held a spark of red in them. He could feel her magic crawling over his flesh from where she had touched him. Markl readied in his mind a spell that would immobilize the girl in case she made a move to attack him. "Calm down I won't hurt you." The girl's voice said. She sounded calm, and her amber eyes held no threat. Markl relaxed a little, but kept the spell to immobilize her clearly in his mind. "I am not sure why you're the one who came to the call, but I am sure you will do fine. You are a wizard, yes?" The girl asked.
"Yes I am, in fact I am Howls apprentice." Markl said. He wasn't sure if this girl was teasing him, or if she was just plain dumb. To Markl's response the female turned a little pink in the face.
"Really, I thought he had a female apprentice, unless you're a girl?" Her once calm expression had faded and Markl was sure this was not a good thing. He could hear people upstairs talking quietly, and their whispers disappeared when the girl's voice had raised a notch in volume.
"I am not a girl!" Markl replied, his anger beginning to show as well, "Howl has two apprentices!" He was tempted to add something along the lines as 'stupid maid girl' but decided to shut his mouth. It was not one against one, because he could hear others coming down the stairs.
"Then you must know the others name, hmm?" Her anger was fading a little, but he knew it was still lurking behind her face.
"Yes I do, her name is Twilight." This time he removed his own anger from his voice. As he did so he noticed she had mentioned something about a wizard's call, "You sent a wizard's calling?" He asked. A wizards calling sent an urge to someone to go someplace to solve something. The spell itself was very complicated and would only work if there was a wizard who could help solve the problem and was able to get to the lactation on time.
"A wizard's calling is what we did." Said a voice from the bottom steps. The owner of the voice was a little girl, beside her sat an old man. "Names we all must know, so names I will tell." She stood up to her full height, which must have been only about three feet. "River belongs to me, Martha is she," As the little girl said the names she pointed to the person she was talking about. "Twig is he." She finished by sitting back down next to the old man, Markl now knew as Twig. Martha began talking once more, so Markl turned his attention back to her.
"River is a physic, the man we call Twig shares his mind with her." Martha said, "He used to be a wizard himself, but his magic left him. He can't talk anymore, so only little River can tell us what we must do." Martha finished with telling Markl about her life and then waited to hear his name. Markl nodded his head in understanding.
"My name is Markl."
"Well Markl, since you are Howl's apprentice would you mind telling us why you're here and not Twilight?" Martha didn't show any anger, but he could tell she was frustrated.
"May I hear the version of the wizard's call you used?" In answer little River stood up again.
"A wizard is needed, one of talent, one of knowledge, to beat this foe. We send a calling for a friend. A calling for a wizard is what we send." River tilted her head to one side of her body and sighed. "Twig wants me to seek a vision, with him." River pointed to Markl with one of her small fingers.
Markl stood still, his mind spinning. The spell had chosen him? He was of talent and of knowledge? And now they wanted to make sure that he was who he said he was by letting a physic touch him? He didn't even get to move a muscle, because River was already next to him holding his hand. Had he been that lost in thought? He felt something in his mind unwind. Releasing things he didn't even know he had. Like spells he had seen people cast and spells written clearly in this place he hadn't known about. A voice answered his unsaid question, it was a deep soft voice that he guessed came from the man Twig.
"Something's Markl, where not made to be known." Markl closed his eyes and watched, as the people around the room became a distant and unimportant. In front of him was the man who had spoken, Twig. Markl had to look up to look Twig in the eyes, to his surprise he found the man's eyes where pitch black. Twig wore a brown cloak. He had light brown hair that was almost the same color as his cloak. Markl could feel magic seeping off of Twigs skin, which was odd since you could usually only feel magic in someone by touch, although Howl cold tell just by a quick glance into someone's eye. "And you Markl, you can do things that no one was supposed to be able to do. Markl you are the next step in magic. You and your friend Twilight can cast spells by saying them, not making diagrams and calculations. Martha here can do the same thing as you and Twilight, but she has limitations. You do not." Markl listened to what Twig said and tried to make some sense out of it, but he couldn't. What Twig was telling him was impossible. Markl could barely cast a finding spell from his spell books and here this stranger named Twig was telling him he had limitless power. "River…" Twigs voice faded out with Twigs appearance and in Twigs place stood River. She had clear blue eyes and long yellow hair. Markl smiled softly at River and watched her come a little closer. Her movements where amazing graceful, she reminded him of running water.
"I will give you a vision, what is in that vision is up to you." River held out her hand, which Markl took hesitantly. "Calm yourself." Her voice had lost that sweet innocence that young children have and was replaced with a soft voice that once again reminded him of running water. Her hand was cool to the touch, he felt himself relax. "What do you wish to know?" She asked. Her voice was so soft that he wasn't sure she had asked.
"Show me what I must do." He asked. Her clear blue eyes looked into his for a moment then she nodded. Then she jumped. He was shocked to see that they had been on a cliff. He watched her body fall down slowly, he knew it was happening faster then what he saw, but it was shock that slowed down the moment. Then he felt it the sudden pull of weight on his hand, looking down he saw she still held his hand. Then the feeling of falling came over him again, he had the spell that would turn him into a bird once more on his lips, but he was stopped by a look from Rivers blue eyes. "What you will see is what you must stop." He looked around him and saw ships flying around them. They where bombing ships he had seen when he had first met Sophie. Flashes of light surrounded them. Screams from the engines and of the people filled his ears.
He felt his feet touch the solid ground. His eyes left the sky to see people dead and dying around him, blood ran freely around his feet. River just watched her face was expressionless. Yet her eyes held sadness, no tears ran down her cheeks, and she did not shiver. Markl wasn't crying either. In fact he wasn't afraid. This was what he had to stop. This was why he had seen Erithma, and most of all this was why he had been chosen to answer this calling.
"I must stop the war." He said, but the look on Rivers face told him he was wrong, "Then what must I do?" River pointed in the distance and suddenly they where there. Right in the spot she had pointed to. A woman was on the ground, blood covered her from head to toe, but Markl could tell it wasn't her blood.
"The war can not be stopped by you Markl that is someone else's destiny, you must save these women." River's voice was cold. Her hand was even colder. Markl looked at the women again, this time more closely. She wore white clothes, although they weren't white anymore because of all the blood. She had deep emerald eyes and long black hair circled her face covered in blood like the rest of her. She wore a small smile at the corner of her mouth and her eyes where facing the sky. The bright explosions of light showed in her green eyes like mirrors, "She is not a wizard, nor a physic. She is the last living heir to the thrown. You see the prince that Sophie saved from the curse long ago will be killed in this war. This is what you must do." Then as fast as the vision had started the vision ended. He opened his eyes and found himself lying on a bed, he sat up slowly surprised at how sore he was and looked around him. Martha was asleep her head resting on her arms. She had been watching him and had rested her head on the bed and fallen asleep. Markl got of the bed, trying not to wake Martha up.
He looked out the window in the small room he had found himself in and asked no questions. Instead he focused his mind on what he saw outside. If Twig had been telling the truth then reaching Twilight's mind from this room would be easy. "Twilight ignore the distance and let our minds share thoughts as long as this conversation lasts." He felt his mind stretch outwards reaching out for Twilights mind. It burned. His body seemed to be separating is a searing heat. A thought reached him, one that scared him beyond belief, "Had he just asked to separate his soul from his body. Had he run into a limitation that Twig did not know of?"
Twilight, Calcifer, and Blue Flames sat at the kitchen table. It had been three days since they had last seen Markl. Sophie and Howl where else where in the house. Calcifer sat in his chair reading a book, while Twilight and Blue Flames played a game Twilight had made with a spell. Twilight had been told to stay in the house with the two demons until Howl worked something out, but sitting around for two full days had made her anxious. Looking up from her game she saw what Calcifer was reading, she had taught him the basics and he had caught on fast. He was reading a spell book she had never seen before, "What is that?" She asked. The writing looked like random marks, but Calcifer seemed to have no trouble reading it.
"It is an attempt to copy the human way of writing." Calcifer said while flipping a page. "I have never heard of a human who could read this writing though."He added. Twilight knew he was just teasing her. Her spell to turn him human had changed him a little. He seemed more like a brother then a demon now. She had never had a brother and she guessed he was sort of one. She left him alone for a while trying to word a spell that she had just thought of.
"Hand me the book." She asked. Calcifer handed it to her and sighed. She knew the look in his eyes meant hurry it up. "Hmm." She said as she flipped through the book, "Let's try this then, shall we?" She asked. Blue Flames looked up from the game and saw what the other two had been talking about. His eyebrows raised a little and he gave Calcifer a sideways glance. No human had ever read demon writing before for two reasons, one no demon had ever been able to pretend to be human quite like Twilights spell had made them, and two because demons had a different type of magic and the two magic's never seemed to go well together.
"A demons writing that I hold, a humans form that I own, may two become one, just for me, just for now? A spell I cast to change just sight and understanding, just for me, just for now, and just for this." For a while the three of them just sat there. Blue Flame released a sigh of relief and Calcifer reached over the table and tried to take the book back, "Just a moment Calcifer." Twilight said as she turned the pages slowly. "This is a physic's book isn't it?" She asked. Although she didn't wait for an answer, "Calcifer what was your life like before you became Howl's heart?" She asked looking up from the page. For the first time both demon's noticed the spell had worked. Twilight's eyes reflected like a mirror, her once deep blue eyes now seemed deeper, almost like a living flame. Calcifer gave Blue Flames a sideways glance then rubbed his palms against his face.
"I guess I deserved that, well…" Calcifer said. Twilight listened and read the book at the same time. Calcifer had been given a girls heart before, he had become her husband of a sort. With her heart he was given a kind of human form, but it was just skin deep. Calcifer didn't like the human world, and he didn't really understand the term's marriage, husband and wife till it was too late. He was tied to her until she died, but she had no heart and a special gift of eternal youth, meaning she wouldn't die for thousands of years.
A man named Trinvo Wind had been the women's fiancé and was furious to hear she was already married. He then decided it was time to remove the obstacle and take the girl back. Calcifer would have given his wife to the man with just the asking, but the woman claimed to love Calcifer and that she would never let him go. After three years Trinvo had tricked the woman to agree into giving her heart to him. Calcifer had no choice but to give the heart back. Once he was free he took to the sky once more.
Two years after he had been sent free Trinvo called Calcifer back down to the earth. In his arms was a small boy, Trinvo told Calcifer to take the young baby far away. Calcifer agreed on one condition and that was Trinvo's family could never call on him again, in desperation Trinvo agreed. As it turns out that young boy was the youngest heir to the thrown. Just in case the older brother was killed he would have a replacement. Only Trinvo, his wife, the queen, and the king knew who the baby really was. On top of that only Calcifer knew where the baby was.
"Calcifer this wasn't written by you was it?" Calcifer didn't answer because he knew Twilight wasn't listening.
" 'A war will come, and the savior will be no where in sight. The blood will flow again, when the prince takes his last breath, planned long ago the heir must be found, while one fights the war, the other will search. When Dusk reaches the River, the savoir will reawaken and the queen found…' "
"Calcifer this was the woman's wasn't it?" Calcifer nodded when Twilight looked up at him. Blue Flames jumped to his feet when Twilight began to sway, "Its okay, its Markl!" At the name Howl and Sophie came running down the stairs.
"Markl?" Sophie's worried face and shaky voice came from the stairs. Howl was right behind her holding one of her hands. "Where is he?" She looked at the two demons and Twilight hoping that they had some ideas.
"Quiet!" Twilight snapped. Markl's voice was too loud and with everyone talking at once she was getting a headache, after a moment of sorting her thoughts the two of them began talking mind to mind. She didn't worry about how this was happening. After filling each other on what had happened to the each of them, Twilight looked back up at the others. "Markl is safe. He is…" While Twilight filled them in on all that had happened since Markl passed through the door, she could feel Markl shift uncomfortably.
"The thing you read mentioned a savior, and it also mentioned something about Dusk and a River. Well maybe what they meant was something about the River I know, but dusk? Well if I am right about River then maybe I am the savior?"
Twilight nodded mentally ((how you nod mentally I don't know, but she did it!)) Twilight felt the mental connection brake, "Markl?" She asked.
Markl felt something on his shoulder and turned around to face Martha, "Who where you talking to?" She asked. Markl smiled, then turned back to look out the window.
"Twilight." At the mention of her name Martha smiled, and then she turned away and walked towards the door.
"This battle may kill you, you know that right?" Martha whispered softly as she walked out of the door jam, in a smaller voice that drifted in from the hall made him stop breathing for a moment, "You should tell her how you feel." Markl knew Martha meant that he should tell Twilight how he felt about her, but Martha was a little off. He didn't love her more then a sister and he also knew that the girl he loved was gone.
Twilight sat back and closed her eyes. She had heard Sophie head back upstairs with Howl. She also heard Calcifer sigh and Blue Flames stand up and open the refrigerator. He had enjoyed human food even before he had his human form. She thought about a spell she could cast, but for what? To tell her what she already knew? That Markl might die and there was nothing she could do? That this River girl was a physic? "That's it!" She decided she needed to met this girl, maybe she was some how related to the women who had married Trinvo? Calcifer interrupted her thoughts when he took the book back.
"Maybe its time I see Trinvo." Twilight opened her eyes and looked at him, there was no way he could see this man? Or was there?
"What do you mean Calcifer?" She sat up a little straighter looking into Calcifer's purple eyes. "This book was written three to four lifetimes ago." Calcifer met her gaze.
"I never said that Trinvo was mortal, nor did I call him a demon. The book was written by Lavonia Wind, Trinvo's wife and the women who's heart I ate long ago. She was a physic, in fact a very powerful one. She didn't have what you humans call white or black magic. In fact she had demonic powers. Her heart trapped me into a human form because that was what she desired. All though she no longer carried her heart, she still had her will. That alone was enough. Trinvo captured her heart by conquering her will, her heart followed readily enough."
"You make Lavonia sound horrible." A voice said from the hallway, it was feminine and soft. The stranger's footsteps where almost silent and the swaying of cloth was like a whisper on the wind. A comforting scent hovered over the women who had stepped in through the door. It was light and sweet like vanilla. She wore a light blue dress that hung loosely enough so it didn't limit movement, but tight enough to show some curve to the hips and a hint at cleavage. She had a light brown tint to her skin that showed she did not avoid the sun. Her eyes where a soft green color and she had a light smile on her lips, she in Twilight's mind was quite beautiful.
"Lavonia!" Calcifer said. His voice shook with happiness and surprise. He stood up and walked over to her his smile reaching his eyes. "You look just as you did when we first met." Twilight stayed seated feeling a little confused and out of place. Wasn't this woman dead? And how in the world did she get into the house? Blue Flames on the other hand had not hesitated on introducing himself and Twilight.
"We don't have time to talk, Twilight you must met your destiny. I believe you read my book, so you know what part you must play." Twilight shook her head.
"No I don't, I read your book or at least enough to know a little of what is to happen." Lavonia nodded her head.
"Another word for dusk is Twilight, in my vision all I saw was the sunlight dancing on a body of water. As well as Calcifer, this is why I as a young girl captured him. Just lately did I finally figure out what that part meant. You must meet River that the savior has befriended. Good luck!" Lavonia said with a wave of her hand. The last thing Twilight saw was a wave of demonic magic. A flash of a dull purple light with sparkles of blood red, then the women was gone.
Markl was jolted from his thoughts when the room suddenly shook uncontrollably. He heard a scream from the other room. He stood up and ran falling a few times following the scream. He found River tucked up into a ball holding her knees to her face and screaming. Without stopping her swooped down and picked her up, he began whispering softly in her ear trying to calm her down. He bumped into Martha and she led him down a staircase he hadn't seen. As the climbed down the steps River's screams slowed down and turned to tears running down her cheeks. At the bottom of the stairs Markl saw a small room. The shaking that he had felt upstairs wasn't down here. The room already held Twig who had tears running down his cheeks as well. "What happened?" He asked. River stirred in his arms and he set her down, she wiped her tears with her arm and took a shaky breath then another one.
"Sorry am I, here now is war." River looked at Twig for a moment then nodded her head, "Savior now is you." She said talking to Markl. Martha's eyes grew wide, and then she smiled softly.
"Then we did the calling correctly." She sat down on a chair he hadn't noticed before.
Wow that is one long story. Not finished yet though. My computer had a rebellious streak and then dropped dead. I kid you not. I thought all had been lost. Then I happened upon my flash drive and this was on it!
Ray- Your just making excuses.
Kimiko- But Inu-chan did have technical difficulties.
Ray- Never mind, it's over both of your heads.
Kimiko- What is over my head?