Chapter 8: Preparations before Confrontations
"I-I…" Sophie stepped back from the broken panel.
"Please. If he thinks games are going to work? And naive enough to think I wouldn't have found a way to keep you put? Is this really the same Howl were talking about here?" Alasthorn's voice was passive, and strong. In physical demeanor he looked like he could in fact take on Howl. Kind of like a large dragon. But Sophie knew better than to undermine Howl's abilities.
"It was a mistake."
"A mistake that could have cost you your life." His voice taunted her.
"My life?!"
"Of course. Long enough away and you'd be bleeding from your hand so bad your heart would likely stop." Alashorn said. "Don't give me that look, I don't plan to be undermined. He shouldn't underestimate what I will do for that Amulet. On the other hand, if you stay here you'll be fine."
"But Howl…I've seen him make spells-"
"No. Not the same. That's transporting magic. A magic that came from a new language. Think of it like language: An Old and a New. His doesn't use runes or the kind of magic that asks for a trade, because when new spells were discovered that didn't need trades or use darkness they banned them. Why do you think people disliked the Witch of the Waste so much? The same kind of powerful curse you were under comes from the same kind of Old Magic I use. I doubt Howl would have kept you under it if he knew how to fix it. It asks something of the person it entraps and often calls for a sacrifice the darker it becomes."
"You can tell…about my past curse?" Sophie realized her conversations were getting longer with Alashorn. But alone it was to depressing not to at least talk to someone in this cold, damp place. Maybe she could learn something that would help her.
"Every spell leaves a trace. We can all see them. But there's an aura about you I can't understand. You're not a witch yourself are you?"
"Well…"She considered lying but what good would it do her? She couldn't cast a spell anyway. "…I don't believe I am."
"Then neither will I believe." He said bluntly. His words were echoed in such a cold and passive manner. It was only that one time when he inquired about her that his voice softened…but it was only out of a selfish self-interest she supposed. He was probably like most men; excited by any women they'll wag their tail at. Surely he'd aim for something much more than her, in all his intentions to win a war and be powerful. "In that case, if you will not see things my way clearly now you know that you will probably die, whether it be trying to escape or out of being useful for me in some way. I'll enjoy the company I have with Howl's muse. This won't be a quick trade. Howl has too much of a heart now to sacrifice you and millions of people. He'll try something and when he does, by that point, if you haven't at least tried to see things my way then I guess you'll end up as amusement." He seemed to almost shrug. His eyes moved down, hovering her darkly.
"I'm not a performer, or entertainer. I don't have any skills-"
"How childlike. Not that kind of amusement. Knowing that what I do to you will directly effect Howl makes your place in this situation a dangerous one."
"How can you be so…so… dark?" She stepped backwards.
"When you realize this world condemns the strange and fears the powerful. " He took her chin forcefully in his hands. "Howl never got any favor for all he did for that war. Neither did you. Every Sorcerer is feared and strange unless we have a use for the mundane people. When we're done being used for a purpose, we're become just another thing for them to alienate. However, I get the feeling your not as mundane, strange little mouse. You know isolation. And although you don't have power, you're hand in Howl's doing is quite remarkable. The anomaly of yourself is entertainment enough, it would be quite sad to see it leave the world so soon." He released his grasp and moved his hand as if he was pushing down on something in the air. Sophie felt a terrible weight in her legs and shoulders and found herself sitting on the ground, unable to move as if a force of weight was pressed on her. "I know mice tend to make little holes in the wall to escape with so maybe this will keep you grounded this time. Realize if Howl does do anything right, I will always be a step ahead."
"And what if Howl is a step ahead of that?"
"Oh what does he have that I do not? A bunch of junk that flies by the power of a little fire demon? All the same, his spells are secondary to mine. Without that burnt out star, he'd be nothing at all."
She watched as he slammed the door behind him.
She tried to stand again but felt like gravity had increased so much she couldn't move. She decided to drop her head and try to sleep. She was powerless, and at least in sleep she could escape these feelings of uselessness and the cold.
Alashorn stood outside the door. So Howl thought he could get away with taking Sophie back as easy as once took the Amulet from under his nose? He looked to Ravena. Maybe it would be best to submit to the young and cocky sorcerer's expectations... what better revenge was surprise? Along the way he would attain the Amulet, but what better way to get revenge then to take it from an unsuspecting foe...
"Calcifer, do you know constricting runes? I'm afraid his dark magic is even better then the the old Witches used to be…" Howl was throwing books and small trinkets of magic around the castle. Markl was trying to catch them, afraid of what Sophie would say to letting their home get disastrous in her absence.
"Well…maybe…I have seen them in my past, but to get rid of those you need an Aztec stone from the same era as the run…and then was it a …rock of …"
"Oh come on Calcifer we're not casting old spells in caldrons now are we…"
"You might as well be! Unless you practice that dark magic, like I do…feeding off something to produce stronger magic, you'll need something to cover over it, and then a lifting spell to erase it, stronger than those ones you used to erase the Witch's curses from the table!"
"Fine. Whatever it will take to get Sophie back." He looked to his palm and then for his collection of old stones. "Do I need to melt anything else?"
"A piece of jade...would probably work.. And if you have a dove's feather… or some white bird…You need something from the spell's origins, something for freedom and something for healing, and then with my flame mix it into dust. Then you'll have to leave that place and put it on the rune with her blood. Then hopefully you can find a lifting spell in one of those old books you have…curses are hard. Runes are like a bad version of a curse that depends on the ability to heal the wound to remove it."
"How can I compete with his sort of magic?" Howl didn't like the feeling Alashorn gave him. For a long time he could outsmart any and all other sorcerers. Alashorn had years of practice of a dark magic. The same kind of dark magic he tried once to play with as that bird creature. Even then he knew he could have lost his humanity for that price.
"Honestly I could smite him but I-" Calcifer started noticing Howls turmoil. It wasn't like him to act like this.
"I could make another deal with you Calcifer…"
"No, no. None of that. Do you know how long it took for Sophie to reverse ours? I'm free now. I will help you however you want but not that. I'm not a dying breed anymore."
"You can be so selfish." Howl said and then pressed the pot over Calcifers flame. "This is primitive spell making, it better work."
"Just trust me for once. And when she get's back here this time, tie her to a bed or a chair or something so she can't follow you out." Calcifer said. "And watch it your going to smother me with that thing if you press down any more."
"I don't think Sophie likes bondage much, but I do see you're point." Howl nodded his head to the side in consideration.
"Oh Howl come on, even with her not here, I have to listen to some kind of shameless flirting! Just melt this stuff and get us out of this mess…" Calcifer said.
"Do you think if I used a healing spell along with a lifting one it might work better…Lifting an imprint won't get rid of the spell but if I heal her body too…" Howl ignored his complaints.
"That could work…but can it actually be done with out Alashorn interupting?"
"I know your powers used to back me up, but I have my Uncle's blood in me. I'm a Sorcerer with or without my heart or a demon deal to go with it. If it gets rough I will ask you for another deal Calcifer. I'll just have to leave it to Sophie to undo it again, as a thanks for me saving her now."
"Oh yes, apart form all the impending doom of the Dragons and the evil Sorcerer …or returning the Amulet…oh yes, sounds like a fool proof plan…" Calcifer rolled his eyes.
"Now that I'm not attached to you, you should watch your mouth Calcifer." Howl's mouth lifted into an amused smile, before he dropped the jade pieces in letting the sound echo from the pot, making it vibrate over Calcifer.
"Well at least watch what your doing! I'm more than a stove. You know your acting more and more like the Old Sophie did…her wit is rubbing off on you."
"Well you can thank her for that when she returns. Increase your heat Calcifer, we need to get this done soon. I don't doubt Alashorn was already aware of my arrival and departure the last time I attempted to save her."
