A/N: Hello again readers. This took a while, I know, but I'm going to get right on typing up the next chapter. I think I have the next ten chapters vaguely laid out, so this story should start picking up and Ill start posting faster. Sorry about the wait. Hope you're all still with me. :)
So things heat up a bit this chapter. The plot starts to show, but im still not quite sure where to go with it. Hopefully in the coming weeks my vivid imagination will conjure up a wonderful idea for a plot. Anyway, enjoy, and see you at the bottom!
Disclaimer: I do not own Howl's Moving Castle. The end.
Chapter 7: Soaring Beneath the Stars
At around 8:30, Sophie found herself standing on the balcony's edge, arms resting on the railing as she watched the sun set. The sky was a brilliant array of purples, pinks, reds, and oranges. There were no clouds to speak of. A gentle breeze stirred the strands of hair that strayed away from her braid. It was a beautiful evening.
By 9:00, Sophie had settled herself into a chair on the balcony and was watching the stars slowly come out. She smiled at their faint glow.
9:15, and Sophie was tapping her foot quite impatiently, arms crossed over her chest. "Where is he?" she muttered.
Moments later, Sophie heard a whoosh sound and was blasted by a gust of wind. She instinctively covered her face with an arm. She removed it, however, when a familiar voice reached her ears.
"Hello Sophie."
Sophie looked up at the newcomer, gasping in pleasant surprise when she saw it was none other than Howl. Her surprise was driven even further when she noticed the winged horse the color of night he was sitting atop. He smiled brilliantly down at her, perfect teeth glinting in the moonlight.
Sophie stared back up at him, bewildered. "Howl?"
Howl patted Phoenix's neck and jumped off the horse's back, landing gracefully on the balcony. He paused to smooth out his blouse and adjust his checkered coat, then strode up to Sophie, whose mouth was wide open. He gently tapped her cheek.
"Close your mouth, Sophie. You'll catch flies," he chuckled. Sophie reddened and snapped her mouth shut. Howl grinned. "That's better."
Sophie blinked, then flicked her gaze to Phoenix, who was now standing on the balcony with them and swishing his tail. Her eyebrows rose.
"Why on earth did you bring him?" she exclaimed.
Howl's eyes glinted mischievously. "He's our ride this evening."
"R-ride?"
Howl nodded and offered his hand. Sophie hesitated, then took it and allowed him to pull her to her feet. They stepped up to Phoenix and Sophie smiled when the Pegasus nuzzled her shoulder. She rubbed his nose affectionately.
"Hey buddy." Phoenix bobbed his head and whickered a greeting, eliciting a small giggle from Sophie.
Howl sidled up next to her. "He's very fond of you, you know," he said with a smile.
Sophie shrugged. "I suppose."
Howl looked up at the night sky and gave a low hum. "Well Sophie, shall we head out?"
"Uhm… Okay…" She answered, watching him with curiosity as he moved around her. She gasped quite audibly when suddenly his arms were around her waist.
"Up we go," he mumbled as he hoisted her up onto Phoenix's bare back. A moment later he was sitting in front of her. Right in front of her. Sophie started to sweat nervously from their close proximity. Howl swiveled his head towards her and gave her a sunny smile. "Have you ever ridden a horse before?"
Sophie shook her head and forced out a stuttered "No."
Howl looked very pleased with this response. "It's easy, really. Just hold on tight," he cautioned.
Sophie inspected the area around her, seeing nothing that could be used for 'holding on tight'. She scowled. "Hold on to what, exactly?" she retorted.
Without answering her question, Howl said "You may want to duck."
"Wha—AAAHHHHH!" She was cut off as Howl clucked sharply and Phoenix surged off the balcony. She just barely had time to duck out of the roof's way. Having nothing else to grab, she threw her arms around Howl, who grinned in satisfaction. Sophie then proceeded to scream as Phoenix rocketed upwards, beating his long feathered wings furiously. She tightened her hold around Howl's waist and buried her face in the back of his coat as the wind whipped around them.
After a few heart-racing moments, Sophie felt the wind die down and heard the world go silent around them except for the gentle, rhythmic stroke of Phoenix's wings. She felt her hand being squeezed.
"Open your eyes, Sophie," came Howl's voice, unusually loud in the night. Slowly, she lifted her head and obeyed. She gasped, eyes wide in awe.
They were gliding smoothly above the cloud bank, directly beneath the stars it seemed. The moon shone against the clouds, turning them a glowing blue. There was no breeze, no sound, just the night sky's enchanting beauty.
Sophie's lips turned up in a delighted smile as she watched the moonlit world around her. She laughed with glee when a shooting star raced by above them. Howl followed her gaze, grinning.
"So, what do you think?" he asked.
"Howl it's amazing!" Sophie breathed.
The wizard chuckled fondly. "I thought you would like it."
Phoenix ever so slightly tipped his wing and veered downward. They dropped into the cloud bank and came out directly above the brightly lit capitol. Sophie stretched a hand up to skim the underside of a cloud. She knew there wouldn't be anything to feel, but the way the cloud swirled away behind her hand amused her. She laughed again in delight.
"Sophie, look down there." Sophie followed Howl's gaze to the far away city beneath them. They had passed over Kingsbury and were now flying over a lake that sparkled in the moon's rays. Soon the lake had passed too, and beyond it lay open hills. Sophie smiled. It was breathtaking.
As she watched the world drift by, she didn't notice Phoenix's agitated whicker. Howl did though. He noticed how the Pegasus's ears swiveled back and forth, listening to something only his hearing could pick up on. He noticed the urgent flaring of his nostrils and the slight tension in his wings. It was obvious. Phoenix was spooked.
Howl's eyes widened, but he remained calm. He patted Phoenix's thick neck soothingly. "Shhh there. You're alright," he murmured in the animal's ear. He glanced around nervously, seeking the source of Phoenix's fright. The sky was empty and quiet, clear of any other beings beside them. What's scaring him? Howl wondered. The Pegasus was usually tough as a rock and would stand up to anything in his path. Hardly anything ever scared the rambunctious stallion. So what was making him so edgy?
Sophie, who had been oblivious to their quick exchange, suddenly looked up. She felt the unmistakable tightening of muscles beneath her as Phoenix's whole body went rigid. She heard the steady beating of his wings come to a halt. Something was up.
"Howl?" There was a nervous edge to her voice and a worried glint in her eyes. Howl turned to her, his own worry evident in his eyes. He tried to keep his voice composed as he spoke for Sophie's sake.
"Something's bothering Phoenix." At Sophie's fearful expression, he hastily added, "Don't worry. If either of us believed there was danger, we would bring you to safety." He tried smiling reassuringly.
Sophie relaxed a little, but could not shake off the nagging feeling that he wasn't telling her everything. She tightened her arms instinctively around Howl.
Phoenix twitched his ears, the only warning he gave before bomb-diving towards the hills below. Sophie screamed, burying her face in Howl's shoulder. Howl cursed.
"Phoenix!" he cried, "What in the seven dimensions of Hell are you doing?!"
Phoenix replied by folding in his wings, causing them to approach the ground twice as fast. Howl wildly searched the landscape, desperately trying to find the thing –or person—that was scaring his horse. A moving black dot in the distance ahead of them caught his eye. He swore again and yanked on Phoenix's mane, but the Pegasus didn't stop. Behind him, Sophie whimpered.
"Make him stop!" she pleaded into his shoulder. Howl, determined to keep her from harm, tried to put up a magic barrier to slow the rampant Pegasus. Unfortunately, Phoenix broke right through it with his own magic. Howl growled in frustration as the tall grass loomed up before them. Losing all faith in his companion, Howl grabbed Sophie around the waist and prepared to jump. Seconds before they would have slammed into the ground, however, Phoenix unfurled his wings, using them as a parachute to drift the remaining distance to the ground. Howl breathed a huge sigh of relief when Phoenix's hooves settled into the grass. He ran a hand over his sweaty forehead and gently unwrapped Sophie's arms from around his middle. He slid off the Pegasus's back and offered a hand to Sophie, who took it gratefully and jumped off. She stumbled on shaky legs; Howl held her shoulders to steady her. She stood trembling from their hectic experience.
Howl gazed at her sympathetically. "Are you alright?"
Sophie inhaled deeply and nodded. "I think so."
"Good." Howl turned his attention to the distant hills, eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'll be right back. Phoenix will keep you safe," he said ominously.
Sophie murmured an "Okay" and watched him walk off, disappearing over a hill. Probably looking for whatever caused Phoenix to act the way he did, she thought. Next to her, said horse stamped his hoof and tossed his head, eyes anxious. Sophie gave him a comforting pat on the neck. "Don't worry. Howl will take care of it," she murmured, more to herself than to Phoenix. She watched the hills intently, anxiously awaiting his return.
As soon as Howl knew he was out of sight, he teleported himself to the castle's front step and banged the door open; it slammed into the wall with a resounding thud. He stormed up the steps and over to the hearth. He loomed threateningly over a nervous Calcifer.
"Howl, thank God you're here—" the fire demon started.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Did you think it would be funny to have Phoenix kill us?!" the wizard spat.
Calcifer flickered, glaring at him indignantly. "I saved your sorry butts by calling him down!" he hissed.
"What on earth did we need saving from?" Howl retorted.
Calcifer flared up, his flames licking the chimney. Howl jumped backwards to avoid any nasty burns. "The witch!" the demon roared.
Howl's eyes widened in dismay. "The witch was following us?" he muttered, all previous anger gone from his voice. Calcifer bobbed in what looked like a nod. Howl closed his eyes and fell back onto the fireside chair with a defeated sigh. "She chased us last time too," he muttered. More angrily, he added, "Why can't she just leave me alone?"
"She wants the girl this time," Calcifer replied gravely.
Howl glanced up warily. "Who, Sophie? But why?"
Calcifer rolled his eyes. "Well I don't know. Maybe because she's jealous of the poor girl since you decided to pursue her?" he shot back sarcastically.
Howl stared at the demon blankly. "O-kay… But I still don't see why she would want Sophie…"
Calcifer roared up, growling in frustration. "You ignorant idiot! Can't you see? She wants Sophie dead!"
Howl jumped at this, a wave of unease and protectiveness surging through him. "Dead?" he croaked. Calcifer nodded, surprised at this change in his companion's usually nonchalant demeanor. Howl looked towards the open door, eyes glinting with worry. "She's still out there…"
Calcifer popped in surprise. "You left her out there alone?" he said, voice disbelieving. Howl nodded slowly, then jolted as if he was kicked in the stomach. Sophie is out there alone. She could be in serious danger. She could already be... He inhaled sharply. Calcifer leaned out of the grate. "Then go get her!" he hissed.
Howl sprang for the door, midnight black wings sprouting from his back and ripping through his shirt, (somewhere in the back of his mind, he was thankful that his nice coat had fallen off and was currently draped over the back of the chair he had just vacated) and leaped outside. The door slammed shut in his wake as he took off in the direction that he had left his dear Sophie.
Sophie rubbed Phoenix's neck in an attempt to calm him down. The Pegasus was stamping his feet and making loud sounds of discontentment. Sophie's brow wrinkled apprehensively. "Hush Phoenix. Everything's all right," she cooed. She looked up at the night sky, muscles aching with tension. "Oh Howl, where are you?" she whispered.
Phoenix quite suddenly swung his head around, just missing whacking into Sophie but thoroughly startling her. His gaze was fixed on something behind them and his ears angled forward. Sophie turned to look as well, and saw nothing but dark hills and the distant mountains of the Wastes. She tilted her head in confusion. Once again startling Sophie, Phoenix swung his head at her with a loud whinny, knocking her into his flank. He fell to his knees and flicked his ears urgently. Sophie stared at him confused for a moment, before she understood his silent demand and climbed onto his back. Phoenix heaved himself to his feet, and with a determined gleam in his eyes, raced off in the direction Howl disappeared. Sophie squeaked and wrapped her arms around his neck, hanging on for dear life. She was suddenly aware of her sapphire pendent that she continued to wear everyday glowing and vibrating slightly against her skin. This really frightened her, considering the fact that last time it did this a monster had attacked her. But this time, Sophie didn't dare chance a glance behind her.
As they sped on through the open field, Sophie noticed a small white dot approaching from the opposite direction. As it neared, she realized it wasn't a dot at all, but Howl. Relief washed over her as she called out to him. "Howl!"
"Sophie!" he shouted back, coming ever nearer.
Sophie allowed a smile to come forth, but it quickly vanished as he came within proper seeing distance. She squinted. Was he flying? Were those wings protruding from his back? She blinked in astonishment.
They were mere yards from each other now. Howl called to her again, voice edged with fear. Right as he flew over them, furiously beating his wings to slow down, Phoenix came skidding to a halt. He grunted and spun to face Howl who was alighting in the grass. Sophie watched, amazed, as his wings shrunk into his shoulders and disappeared altogether. He frantically sprinted up to them and quickly hauled Sophie off Phoenix. He hugged her to him, announcing how relieved he was that she was okay. Sophie was surprised, but remained silent. She simply leaned into him, reveling in the feeling of his arms around her. Unfortunately, it couldn't last. All too soon, he was pushing her away to grab her by the shoulders. "We need to go," he said. "Run as fast as you can and don't let go of my hand." His voice was urgent. Sophie nodded and grasped her hand tightly in his. Together they took off running, Phoenix galloping after them. The winds picked up and swirled around them, and Sophie could've sworn her feet had stopped touching the ground at some point.
After a little bit, she started to wonder just where exactly they were going as they ran up a grassy knoll. There couldn't possibly be anywhere to go (or hide) this far out into the Wastes surely?
She was proved horribly wrong when they crested the hill and an enormous metal contraption lumbered into view dead ahead. Sophie gasped at the long avian-like legs that moved slowly beneath it.
"Calcifer, stop the castle!" Howl cried suddenly as they neared. The giant, hunkering machine—castle—obediently slowed, grinding to a stop as they reached it.
Howl led Sophie around to the back of the so-called castle where a tall, oaken door stood at the top of a small concrete stairway. He hopped up to the first step and pulled Sophie up next to him. He whirled around and threw open the door, ushering Sophie in with a quick wave of his hand. Phoenix flew in after, and he sprang in last, the door slamming behind him. Howl leaned against the door for a moment or two, breathing deeply. Then he gently nudged Sophie up the stairs.
Phoenix was settling himself the best he could in the cramped living room space, laying down on the floor and tucking his forelegs underneath him. He snorted in contempt.
Howl stood behind Sophie at the top step, and turned towards the hearth. "Calcifer, move the castle as far away from here as possible." A small fire popped up in the grate, blinking open a pair of bright, concerned eyes. Sophie inhaled sharply.
"She's getting close," it said anxiously.
Just then, a young russet-haired boy in a nightgown hurried down a staircase at the far end of the room. "What's going on?" he cried nervously.
Sophie's body shook and her breathing sped up as she glanced around the rather filthy room. Her gaze flicked wildly from the talking fire to the boy on the stairs and to the Pegasus resting on the floor. It was too much.
The last thing she heard was Howl calling out worriedly to her before the world went black.
A/N: Oooooooo, a cliffy! I decided it was time for one. Things are gettin good!
The next chapter should be up in a couple weeks at most, We're starting a research paper in English so that will drain me, but I'll try my hardest. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. ;D
Review replies:
Devil's Puppy Dog: Here it is! Im glad you love my story, it warms my heart. 3 Im sure if you keep trying your hardest, a good story will come together for you and many people will love it. Dont give up!
84sazza-robin84: Yes, Sophie will be able to talk life into things. Ive decided to have more of the book perspective in this fic, so of course Sophie needs her magic. That will come up later though. :)
whitneysixx: Heres the update! So glad you're liking this so far! And don't worry, Im definitely continuing. ;)
Chasing Constellations: Im happy to hear you loving this. Reviews like yours are what keeps me going.
MeatAngel: Heres your update! Hope you liked it. :)
Keep sending me those reviews guys! I want to hear your feedback! I'll always reply in the coming of the following chapters. :)
See you next time!
~SillyLeaf
