Chapter 1: Meetings
The sun was climbing higher and higher in the azure sky, no clouds for miles around which was always a good sign. Down below within the Earth's atmosphere a small breeze blew and all the blades of grass swayed along with it. Far off in the distance was a gigantic moving contraption it had been walking for days and was now trying to find a place to rest.
Just along it's path, a small figure walked through the grass.
'I'm the master of all magic and yet I can't stop those two from arguing for at lest one day.' He thought to himself as he slowly paced himself along the green path. He went by the name Howl, a young man of 23 and already a master of magic, he had shoulder length, shaggy black hair that was usually unkempt all the time, he wore a pair of crystal blue earrings, on his lean chest was a baggy white shirt and on his slender legs were form fitting pants which hid nothing and plain black shoes on his feet. His crystal ice eyes shimmered in the wonderful warm sunlight, while he kept his hand in his pockets.
His head then turned to the side and watched his moving castle set itself down along the distant shoreline.
"Well I guess that's where we'll be staying for a few days I guess." He said to himself, even his voice was just the right pitch not to high and not to low, it would be music to anyone's ears.
Just then he came across a small river with some large sitting rocks. The only reason why he wasn't at the castle was because he just wanted some peace and quiet for once, his student Markl and fire demon Calcifer had been fighting ever since his wife left him, she didn't even give a reason why she left, one night she just got up and left.
'Maybe I can calm down here for a little while and then go back and see how those two are doing.' Howl thought as he watched the shimmering azure water flow, he hated watching those two fight because it always brought back those memories.
'Someone please help, please anyone!' Lilly screamed within her mind as she kept up her pace, she kept looking behind her to see if she had lost them yet. Her silver waist length hair flowed behind her as she ran and yet there were blood stains all over because the wolves had caught up with her three times and bit into her fragile, pale body, her clothes and skin were covered in blood and dirt as well.
"Please someone, anyone help me!" Lilly shouted, she was running along the trees close to where Howl was sitting. Just then her shoe caught a rock and she went flying face first in the rocks, she landed next to where Howl was.
Howl jumped up from where he was sitting,
"What the? A young girl and are those cat ears and a tail?" Howl questioned as he inched closer to her motionless body, then out of the corner of his eye he saw them emerge from behind the tree line,
"Oh shit, why would there be wolves around this area? What are they after?" He questioned again as he was standing next to her and the leader growled and bared his fangs at him, Howl than made his decision and picked her up bridal style and then two large wings ripped from the back of his shirt and he then took off into the sky,
'Alright I guess it's back to the castle now, she looks like she lost a lot of blood, I'll take care of her and she can stay with me.' Howl thought as he soared closer and closer to the castle, he then looked back and saw that he had lost the wolves and saw them running back into the woods. He landed in front of the castle and twisted the doorknob.
"Hey, hey kid when did Howl say he was coming back?" The relentless fire demon asked as a young boy came out of the kitchen and placed another log of wood for the fire to chew on,
"Stop it Calcifer I have a name by the way and its Markl thank you very much….and I have no idea he didn't say when he was coming back." Markl replied as he huffed, Markl was now taking on the age of 13 and a fine young wizard he was becoming only because Howl had been teaching him and now his knowledge of magic was far greater than it had been before. Just then the color wheel above the door zinged to a bright yellow which made both Calcifer and Markl jump,
"Guess Howl is back" Calcifer said and Markl just nodded in response he then ran to the top of the stairs to greet his master when he walked in not knowing what surprise Howl had in store for the both of them when he did.
Howl opened the door and walked inside keeping his back turned to Markl and then closed the door,
"Master Howl welcome…back" Markl said as he then saw a motionless girl in his masters arms he just stood there looking dumbfound and wondering what had happened because he saw the blood stains and dirt all over her hair and clothes.
"Thank you Markl, Calcifer please heat the water I need to clean her off." Howl replied as he walked up the first set of stairs, Markl moved out of the mans way as he walked towards the second set of stairs.
"Howl what happened to her, she looks pretty beat up." Calcifer asked as he started working harder at making the water warm,
"I don't know my friend I was just sitting along the riverbank and she came flying out landing on her face and then three large wolves emerged from the woods and when I was next to her the largest one growled and bared his fangs at me, so hopefully when she wakes up I can ask her what happened." Howl replied as both boys just nodded and he then ascended up the second flight of stairs into the bathroom.
'Master Howl I hope you know what you're doing.' Markl thought to himself as he then returned to what he was doing.
When Howl reached the bathroom he opened the door with his back because he didn't want to risk dropping her with the state that she was already in. When he was inside he closed the door behind him and walked over to the porcelain bathtub and turned on the water making sure it was lukewarm and not scolding hot or freezing cold, he then set her gently on the floor and started undressing her,
'Her body is fragile and pale I'm surprised she didn't lose more blood than what she did and look at these bite marks, if they had been any deeper it could've killed her. Maybe it's a good thing she landed by where I was sitting.' Howl thought as he looked over her naked body before setting her in the water, it was also a good thing that she was unconscious because it probably would've have turned out badly with him undressing her and them only meeting for the first time. He then sat her in the warm water and started washing her delicate body off, careful not to damage it further.
'Ugh….what happened, where am I? I remember being chased through the forest with three large wolves behind me, not resting on a nice soft bed. Come one wake up Lilly.' Lilly thought as she began to sit up, her hand than flew to her head trying to get it to calm down,
"Ow my head, I guess I must've hit it pretty hard to knock myself out." She said to herself as she looked around the tiny room, she looked over at the window noticing it was a four-panel window and it was letting the pale moonlight shine through, she smiled because nighttime had always been her favorite time, she was more of a night owl as some people put it.
"Where could I be? I've never seen this place before." She questioned as she then pushed herself off of the comfy bed and made her way to the door, when she grabbed the door handle she then heard voices downstairs,
"Maybe they can tell me where I am." She replied as she opened the door and went out looking for the stairs that lead her downstairs.
"Master Howl why?" Markl asked as Howl didn't even look up at him, he just kept reading through one of his old text books that he received from his master a very long time ago when he was just a small child,
"Because Markl I wasn't going to let her die out there, so I expect you to be nice to her when she wakes up because she'll be staying with us for however long she wants." Howl replied in a calm voice still not even looking at his young student,
"Yes Master Howl." Markl replied as he then caught sight of her standing there at the bottom of the stairs and he just stared at her, Howl then saw this from the corner of his eye and looked at him with an odd expression on his face,
"Markl what are you staring at? Didn't I tell you not to stare off into space?" He asked as Markl nodded
"Master I believe she's awake." He replied as Howl then turned around and saw her standing there looking confused and waiting to be noticed,
"Ahh so it seems that the lovely young lady is finally awake, we were starting to worry that you're weren't going to wake up at all this night." Howl said as he got up from his chair and made his way over to her,
"I guess I must have knocked myself out pretty hard right?" Lilly asked as her French accent caught Howls ear,
'So she's French lovely, and she is quite beautiful on top of that…wait what am I saying I've just met this girl I can't be having romantic thoughts about her that quickly, can I?' Howl asked within the confides of his dark mind, he then grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on the top of her dainty hand; her skin was so soft beneath his smooth lips.
"Oh my you're such a gentlemen." Lilly replied as she blushed from cheek to cheek, Howl just gave a smile and lead her to his seat and being the gentlemen he was pulled it out for her, she then gave a courtesy and sat.
"May I ask where I am and who you all are?"
"Oh dear I'm sorry where are my manners, you are at my moving castle, I am the master Howl this here is my student Markl and over there on the fire place is my fire demon Calcifer, and now with those out of the way may we have your name?" Howl replied,
"Yes my name is Lilly."
