And so it has begun... A Heart in Flames is finally posted! Thank you to everyone who patiently waited for this to come. I'm so excited to share with you what adventures I've created for Howl and Sophie and all our other favorite characters (personally, my fav is Calcifer). New characters, new battles, and new secrets yet to be unveiled! I will try and update as regularly and timely as I can, but with school starting up again that is always first priority. I will always make time for my stories and I will never leave a fanfiction unfinished. You probably want me to shut up right about now because you've been dying to read this (I hope you have :D). If you haven't read Thorns of a Rose I would suggest reading that before this because some things probably won't make sense if you haven't. Just a thought :P Okay, I'll be quiet now. Enjoy!
I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING FROM HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE, DIANA WYNNE JONES OR STUDIO GHIBLI.
The tears flooding from her eyes raged of a violent pain that he had never known and wished to never be familiar with.
Dark clouds covered an even darker sky, light posts failing to brighten her view of the surrounding area. The city was a ghost town, only the people were simply too afraid to vacate, leaving the streets abandoned save for one person. She didn't know where she was or where she was going. All she knew was that she needed to run.
Her heart raced against the speed of the pouring rain as they splattered like bullets onto the stone pavement. The sky roared in anger and the droplets fell harder, faster. Puddles formed in the low dips of the street and she attempted to avoid them at all costs. She didn't need anything slowing her down, though her racing thoughts were already doing so.
Get out, now. Leave before they find you. Save yourself.
These words would haunt her dreams and nightmares.
"Wait!" The man's voice again. How he continued to find her everywhere she turned was still a mystery. She couldn't be safe as long as he was trailing her. Be stronger, she whispered to herself. Be stronger, faster, braver.
The sound of his heavy footsteps against the puddles increased. There was nowhere left to turn. In the middle of a dark alley, she was trapped.
She turned around, only to find the man mere inches from her. She jolted back and fell to the cold, wet ground, pushing herself back away from him. He knelt to her level, concealing something in his heavy trench coat. One hand covered his middle while the other reached out for her.
"No!"
"Please." He begged. "You know me."
She widened her eyes, but shook her head. "I don't remember you, so how can I know you?"
"Before this. Before I was like this." He removed the hood from his head, revealing his true self. His features were a beautiful reminder. It was like seeing color in a black-and-white film for the first time - all she could do was stare. "Remember me."
(*********)
Friday was his favorite day of the week. Calcifer blazed proudly in the rounded fireplace, his strength at full power. He warmed the tiny cottage in the town of Magnol with love and fire. No ashes surrounded him, though he was accompanied by a fresh set of logs to choose from. Fridays were his favorites for that reason. Sophie usually spent the entire day cleaning the cottage and organizing things. She always spent too much time on his fireplace, determined to give him the most comfortable sitting.
Calcifer's view of their home consisted of the main living area. The kitchen was open to the living room with a long dining table for the family between the two rooms. A pot filled with water started to boil softly. Family portraits lined the walls and side tables, showing any who entered how beautiful the family was. Of course, any photographs with Calcifer were sealed in the bedrooms. If they showed any proof of magic, they would be banished.
It seemed odd that a family of magicians would live in a land where magic was at the brink of criminal action, but what a better place to hide from the wicked ones than a land without magic. Calcifer could feel that they weren't the only magicians in Magnol, but he assumed they were there for the same reasons as the Pendragon family. Anyone who could escape the Royal Sorceress was deemed lucky, even if you were hiding in a land that despised you for your gifts.
A little old lady hobbled like a penguin to the dark brown couch. Her wrinkled hands shook as they held a thin book, her weekly read. The Witch of the Wastes had become a simple soul, her ways less selfish and her values more familial. She spent most her time at the local library or bringing the books home to read next to Calcifer. He enjoyed watching her sitting on the couch with a faint smile on her face, enjoying the last few pages of the story.
Calcifer felt his log break in half, his center falling with them. He held the grate tightly, his momentary fear setting in. The Witch looked up at the fire demon, though shrugged her shoulders and returned to her book. Calcifer breathed heavily for a moment, assessing the quick alteration of his situation. His fear quickly subsided. It had happened so many times before, but he would never get used to feeling of falling.
"Here, let me help you with that." As Calcifer reached for the nearby logs, he saw two smooth hands grab one before he could. She struggled to bend forward as she gently placed the log atop Calcifer, and it took more effort for her to stand straight up again.
She sighed heavily, pushing the small of her back forward to adjust for her extended middle. Her silver hair covered her face and she blew the stray hairs away. Her weary eyes fell to her pregnant belly, her smile painful to watch.
"Better?"
"Yes. Thank you, Sophie."
Sophie smiled. She turned to the kitchen when she heard the boiling pot excessively bubbling. She scurried to the stove and turned it off, the bubbles gradually disappearing. The table was beautifully set with four place settings and silverware in perfect alignment with one another. Sophie had been cooking dinner since lunchtime, seeing that some of her meals took hours for preparation.
Sophie sighed exhaustively. "Today has been a long day. I think the house gets dirtier and dirtier every time I try to clean it."
Calcifer chuckled. "That's what happens when you're in preparation for another child."
Sophie creeped a smile as her eyes darted to her stomach. Six months ago, none of them had expected things to turn out how they did. Moving to a new country, shielding their identities, pregnant with a wizard's child on the way. She and Howl were to be parents in only a few short months. Life went from boring to exciting before she realized where she was.
She jolted forward in a sudden motion, the feeling of internal movement frightening her for a second. The baby was starting to kick and move around lately, and everyone kept itching for a chance to feel her stomach. She was usually on display, since she was the only one in town this heavily pregnant.
"Baby's kicking again?" Calcifer said.
"Yeah." Sophie lightly laughed. "For some reason, I don't think I'll ever get used to that feeling."
"How does it feel?" Sophie looked up at Calcifer, her eyes wide. He stared at her, longing for an honest answer. "How does it feel when the baby kicks?"
Sophie swallowed hard. "Weird. I don't really know how else to say it. It's just the strangest thing I've ever felt."
Calcifer nodded. "I wish I could feel the baby."
Sophie dropped her shoulders. Calcifer was the only one who hadn't touched her stomach, and for good reason. He could burn her stomach and cause damage to the baby, which was one thing she and Howl agreed on. Keep the baby safe at all cost - even from their friends and family if necessary.
She knew he wanted to, though, and that killed her.
The front door sung open, Markl pushing hard on the handle just to get it open. Heen wheezed loudly as he plummeted to the hardwood ground, panting as he fell. Markl was in high spirits, despite the sweat that lined his forehead.
"Pay day!" Markl shouted. He pushed hard against the door to close it and met Sophie in the kitchen. He handed her the coins earned for the week and Sophie nodded proudly. They didn't need the money, but it looked suspicious for a family not to work and still be able to pay rent. Howl didn't make much working in the fields, so Sophie would lie to their landlord, Donna, asking for a slight extension. Donna was always happy to allow it, which made Sophie feel a little more guilty each time.
"Mr. Bowen gave me a raise." Markl said as Sophie counted the coins. Four gold and three silver. It was nice for Mr. Bowen to help out even when it was unnecessary. She saw how Markl lit up thinking about how his hard work had earned him more.
"That's wonderful." She placed the coins in her apron and returned to the kitchen. Markl ran off to his room, his steps too loud for the sleeping Heen. He wheezed loudly and stood up on shaky legs, instinctively wobbling to the kitchen where his food and drink bowls lay. Sophie looked over her shoulders and noticed the poor dog licking the bowl dry, hardly any left for him. She took his drink bowl, filled it with chilling water, and returned it next to the food bowl. Heen drank with a refreshed look on his face.
Sophie ran her fingers down Heen's back, watching his contentment grow. Ever since he joined their family, he had shown such loyalty and love for them. Every morning, bright and early, he would run into Howl's and Sophie's bedroom and wake him up so he wouldn't be late for work. Then, he would move to Markl's room, though Markl had a surprisingly harder time getting out of bed than Howl.
Sophie rested her hands on her knees and pushed up slowly. All the up and down movements were tiring, and she wished she didn't have to finish preparing a meal for three other people. Her stomach felt heavier each day, especially after meals. Even though she still had a few more months to go, Sophie assumed the due date would come much sooner than expected.
The front door opened again, creaking louder than before. Sophie turned around with a ladle in her hand, her eyes softening when she saw an exhausted Howl step through the doorway.
"Welcome home." Sophie said as she placed the ladle on the counter. She walked over to him as he shut the door, his arms so weary that he had to push three times for the door to finally close. He sighed into her embrace, unwillingly putting his weight against her. She held him up and pushed the sweaty strands of dark hair from his face, uncovering his heavy eyes. His eyelids closed slowly and took a while before revealing his cloudy blue eyes. Fridays were a good day for Howl, too - Thomas made sure no one worked during the weekend.
"Long day?" Calcifer asked, adjusting the broken logs from earlier. Howl nodded dramatically, causing Sophie to laugh lightly. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, his other hand reaching for her stomach.
"More kicking I assume?" He asked.
"Very much so. It's almost as if he or she just wants to come out now."
Howl waved his hand in a slow motion, gesturing toward the unborn baby. "Not quite yet. You can stay in there for a little while longer."
Sophie smiled wide when he spoke to her stomach. She had never seen him express so much love for someone who wasn't even born yet.
Howl sniffed. "Lentil soup again?"
Sophie shrugged. "Not like we have much else. But I also have chicken pot pie. I could try and switch it up for tomorrow."
Howl shook his head. "I'll eat whatever you cook."
"You better eat what she cooks." The Witch said as she turned the page. "She doesn't give you much of a choice."
Howl breathed a hard laugh. He pushed off of Sophie's shoulders and trudged through the main room toward the hallway. "I better wash up before dinner. Maybe a warm bath would help my tired muscles."
Calcifer continued moving the broken logs, not listening to Howl in the slightest bit. Howl cleared his throat loudly, which sparked the fire demon's attention. "I should probably take a nice hot bath, shouldn't I?"
Calcifer rolled his eyes. "I should've never connected myself to this house. I'm still used for heating the baths."
Howl smirked. "At least you don't have a castle to move." He walked down the hallway to the bathroom. Calcifer's fire sparked and grew larger in preparation for his task. He sighed as he performed the repetitive spell that gave him access to the house. Other than keeping the house warm, it was all he really did for them.
Sophie stirred the pot, using the wooden spoon to taste a sample before she served it for dinner. She tapped her tongue to the roof of her mouth, nodding with satisfaction. As she took the oven mittens from the counter, Markl ran down the hallway wearing his cloak, his grin reaching across his face. Sophie darted her eyes to the young boy, watching his excitement grow.
"Master Howl said he would teach me new spells after dinner." Markl said, his wand already in hand.
Sophie turned to the clear windows, only a couple residents walking around this late in the evening. Markl turned to the windows as well, and in a flash vanished his cloak and wand. Calcifer shook his head at the boy. They had been through this so many times before, and he still hadn't learned.
Sophie slammed the mittens on the counter and raised her hand, but didn't have the heart to shame him. She sighed. "Markl, I know you're excited for training. But you can't just wear the fact that you're a wizard when anyone could be watching us."
"I know, Sophie. I'm sorry." Markl said, his eyes dropping to his feet. He was nearly eleven years old, and while he was still young, he was living in a more dangerous situation than most kids his age. He and Sophie hardly had any time to practice magic, and it became more pressing the closer her due date came.
Sophie lowered her shoulders. She had felt the urge to do something with her powers all day long. She tried to contain it while cleaning, knowing that some of the spells that Howl had taught her would make the tasks go faster. Even the slightest change could cause detrimental for the life they so carefully made in Ovela. One wrong move and they would be back in Ingary.
Markl walked somberly to the living room and sat in the brown armchair. He tapped his foot against the chair, his feet only a few inches off the ground. Heen walked up to the chair and jumped next to the boy. Markl scooted over so Heen could lie next to him, rubbing his fingers against the dog's flappy ears. Though he knew how dangerous it was to practice his skills, his need to use magic grew stronger each day that he couldn't.
"Let's do it." Markl looked up at Sophie. She closed the draperies over the windows, blocking the sliver of sunlight and remaining residents from their view. "It's been a few days and I think we're both dying to cast a spell or two."
Calcifer raised his eyebrows. "You sure, Sophie? You haven't had the easiest time controlling your powers."
The Witch chuckled, her eyes glued to the book in her hands. "Let the girl have a little fun. It's all she gets with a baby on the way."
Sophie crinkled her eyebrows, but shook her head trying not to think too hard about what she said.
Calcifer narrowed his eyes at the old woman. "All I'm saying is when Sophie tries to use magic, something always explodes."
Sophie laughed. "Not every time."
Calcifer dragged his eyes to her. "Name one time that hasn't happened."
Sophie breathed a laugh, thinking she could remember a time when she knew how to control her powers. Her mind went blank, and her mouth was silent.
Calcifer smirked. "Exactly."
"Okay." Sophie said, still trying to defend herself. "But that's because I don't have enough practice. Maybe if I could use magic around the house, I could control it better."
Sophie raised her hands in an exhaling form, her eyes set on the broomstick in the corner. She lowered her chin, her arms shaking with either fear or power. Maybe both. Calcifer couldn't tell the difference.
The broomstick started to come alive, its bristles moving like a centipede's legs. Sophie opened her mouth, her eyes glistening like a child on Christmas morning. It started sweeping back and forth, crossing into the living room. Markl watched with excited eyes while Calcifer nodded, looking somewhat impressed. The Witch looked over for a moment, but found no real interest in a simple sweeping spell.
Sophie stretched her fingers and attempted to add some spark to the spell, hoping the broomstick would brush the ceiling for her. Contrary to Sophie's plan, the only spark she created was disintegrating the bristles. The bristles turned to ash from the bottom up to the wooden pole. Sophie drew her arms back, curling her hands into frightened fists. Calcifer and Markl yelped, their eyes bursting wide. Heen shivered next to Markl, backing further and further into the chair.
They each stared in shock as the wooden pole fell to the ground, rolling toward the coffee table. All eyes turned to Sophie, her apologetic smile all she could muster. "Uh, whoops?"
"And that's why we don't practice magic in the house." Calcifer said.
"At least it didn't explode." Sophie sighed and went to pick up the wooden pole. "I thought I could handle a simple spell."
"And you did." Calcifer said. "Until you got greedy and tried more than you could handle."
"But shouldn't I be able to do something a little more than simple? It wasn't even going to be that impressive."
Calcifer shrugged. "Howl works all day and you're usually cleaning or reading or socializing with the neighbors. Neither you nor Howl have the time to practice as much as you would like to."
Markl stood up and walked to Sophie's side. "It's okay. I never have time to practice either. It's like I'll be a novice forever."
"Don't say that, Markl." Sophie said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You and Howl will-"
They all heard a repeated knocking and Sophie went silent. The knocking was loud and ceaseless against their heavy door. Sophie tensed and Markl hugged her around the waist, trying to hide from the deafening sound. Calcifer breathed heavy and short breaths. No one was expected tonight. Everyone had gone home for the most part. And no one knocked this urgently.
Howl entered the living room, only his work slacks on. He held a hand towel, but other than that he hadn't showered yet. He turned to Sophie, his eyes glaring to make sure she was there and safe. The knocking continued. He threw the towel onto the couch and walked toward the door, stepping carefully so as not to make a sound. He turned to the others and raised a finger to his mouth. They nodded in unison.
Howl opened the heavy door, his other hand ready to attack. He slowly dropped his hand and shoulders, not moving a muscle.
"Howl, who is it?" Sophie rushed to the door and stopped next to him, her hand covering her mouth when she saw their guests.
A panting, filthy blonde woman, her hair reaching so far down her back in a disheveled braid. A man rested on her shoulder, so worn out he could have been dead for all they knew.
Sophie's voice was shaky. "Gwenda…"
Her eyes held desperate tears. "Please, help us."
End of the first of many! It started out slow but things will start to pick up. I hope you all got a good feel for each of the characters. I have planned out more chapters than in Thorns (almost twice as much to be honest) so be prepared for a long fanfiction! I'd love to hear what you guys think so feel free to review and share your thoughts! Thank you!
