The day Howl met sofie in the market was a day he'd never forget.
Howl had always known that he would meet her but he never imagined quite how it would happen. When he was a boy, he thought that he would never fall in love. Love was a silly emotion for vaporish girls and men who had nothing else to think about. Although Howl had never had a serious thought in his life, He knew that he was destined for great things, magic most of all. He had wanted to be a great wizard, he just needed the opportunity.
The day he made a deal with the star was the day everything changed. Calcifer had agreed to serve him in exchange for power and life, and the two had instantly become comrades. They did not realize what this deal had cost them. Power was undeniably what Howl had wanted, but loneliness soon followed. His only apprentice, Markle, knew so little of him. Calcifer was a literal part of him but it was not the same and Howl figured he'd traded genuine friendship for power until the day he saw her.
Sofie.
The thought sent a pang of longing through him. He remembered it so clearly! The moment he'd connected with the calcifer, the rush of power, the heat of his heart catching fire…
"HOWL!"
His head jerked to the side to see a little girl floating in the air quite hysterically. Her arms and legs jerked as if she was trying to find purchase in the air. Howl though she was quite talented if she knew how to levitate.
"IT'S ME SOFIE. I KNOW HOW TO BREAK THE CURSE! FIND ME IN THE FUTURE!" With that last shriek, she fell into the earth, swallowed by the darkness below.
Howl hadn't thought of his pact with Calcifer as a curse, but he did now. The fire demon longed to be at peace, and Howl longed to feel emotion. Because he had no heart, everything felt… at a distance. He spent his days trying to find any sort of thing that would grant himself pleasure or pain. He spent grand sums of money, ate ungodly amounts of food, and made himself impeccable. None of it filled the void.
The day that Howl met Sofie, he was hiding in the market square. The witch of the waste had been one of the things Howl had used to find emotion, but hadn't worked or ended well. She had put a particularly foul taste in his mouth that he wanted no part of.
The square was packed due to the promise of war. Thousands of citizens rallied the king, who was trying to find his son. Howl thought the war was stupid, but it was none of his buisness how people quarreled. Maybe it distracted the witch of the waste too.
Howl leaned against the side of a cobblestone building when someone walked quickly past. Whoever was passing was in a hurry. Howl watched curiously as the person took small quick steps towards the center of the market square. It was evident that this person wanted to be left alone and unnoticed. A hat pulled low kept Howl from seeing her face. He was about to look away when he watched two soldiers stop the girl on the street. Her hat blew back from the force of the wind and he saw her again.
Sofie.
Her hair was a different color than the first time he'd seen her. Instead of silver, her hair was a warm chestnut brown, but her skin was a palette of warm cream. Howl noted that she'd looked kind of mousy in what she wore. Again Howl noticed how these officers bothered her. Sofie hunched forward like the was defending herself against the men. Howl knew they didnt interest Sofie in the slightest. It was evident that she'd be important to Howl and from the urgency in her tone when they'd first met, he was important to her too.
Abruptly he was angry, a raging fury built up inside of him like a volcano before eruption. Sofie was clearly uncomfortable about the whole situation and instead of hitting the road, these men had the nerve to say that she was cute when she was scared!
Maybe it was time to intervene.
He stood up from the wall and walked calmly over to where Sofie was. In her discomfort, she hadn't heard him approach, and jumped lightly when he touched her shoulder "There you are honey, I have been looking all over for you."
Howl's breath paused when he met Sofies blue eyes. They were clear, young, and held of the innocence that he wished that he had never given up for magic. For a moment, those eyes held caution. He could tell that she was deciding to go along with the scheme or tell the soldier and face them.
After a briefest second, she nodded and looked at the soldiers with determination. Howl couldn't help the grin that lit up his face as she rejected the soldier's invitation but accepted his.
The soldiers were a little miffed by this magical intruder "hey man, we're busy here."
Confrontation made Sofie's spine stiffen, but Howl only glanced at them from the side. He was too busy admiring Sofies spirit to give them any attention, "Oh really?It looked like the two of you were just leaving." With a twist of his finger, Howl sent them off marching. His anger ebbed and a new feeling took its place. Anticipation. He wanted more time with Sofie and hoped he wouldn't be dismissed now that the soldiers were taken care of. "Don't hold it against them, they are actually not that bad". He actually thought they were awful, but didn't want his opinion to sour him in Sofie's eyes, "Where to?I'll be your escort this evening."
"Oh" Sofie was surprised. Howl wasn't sure if this was good or bad and waited for more. "I was just going to the bakery." It delighted Howl that she would allow him to take her there, when he felt his magic. He was being followed by the witches henchmen, and they were a little close for comfort. He could feel them sliding along the walls and between bricks desperate to catch him. Evading them would be more difficult with Sofie, but he would manage. He wouldn't let them hurt her, "Don't be alarmed but I am being followed, act normal." He wound her arm around his, enjoying the warmth of her hands against him. He tugged her and they moved forward at a brisk walk.
For a few minutes, there was the sound of their footsteps in sync, Sofie's cam breathing and the jingle of Howl's trinkets as they ambled along.
But they weren't going fast enough. The henchmen had found them. "Sorry, it looks like you're involved." Howl cursed himself for putting Sofie in danger. Her eyes widened in fear as henchmen painted the brick walls of the alleys with the number of bodies they had. He could feel the acceleration of Sophie's heart, and the startled breaths she took to try and calm herself down. Howl knew they needed to move faster or they'd be caught.
"This way."Howl didn't wait, pulling Sofie around a corner at a brisk walk, moving faster to get away from the barrage of monsters seeking them out. They closed in ahead as well and Sofie tried to stutter to a stop. There was nowhere else to go.
Unless you had magic. "Come on!" Howl stated and put an arm around her waist. For a second, he felt like his missing heart would beat again. Then he bent his knees and shot into the air like a bullet. Sofie gasped and looked down and they rocket into the air, then giggled at the sight of the monsters running into one another on the cobblestones below. They weren't very smart, only trained to act and not to think.
When their momentum slowed, Howl regrettably had to grab Sophie's arms to keep her from flailing about "Alright, straighten your legs and walk." Howl was amazed at how well Sophie took to sky walking. She was graceful and rhythmic with her steps as she looked around, smiling and gasping at the sights she saw. He noticed nothing around him, he was only able to see her.
Howl had never seen anything so beautiful. Her smile was dazzling and demure as she looked about. The wind swept across her cheeks, making them pink considerably. Her eyes sparkled like two oceans on a cloudless day. "You're a natural," Howl stated, truly lost for words at how well they walked together. She met his eyes and smiled. It was a smile that made him think of childlike enjoyment, and for the moment the two of them shared and raptured in it.
After a moment, Howl spied the bakery and steered them closer. With a few final steps of disappointment, he stepped on the ledge and brought Sofie down softly. She handed with firm feet and smiled, looking up at him. He grinned at her and said "I'll make sure to draw them off, but wait a bit before you head back outside." I want to keep you safe, he added that last part mentally. He knew that they would see each other soon, and he didn't want to freak her out.
"Okay." Her simple acceptance was a gift to him, and for a moment he savored the feeling of her soft hands in his rough ones. He wanted to soak up the moment forever.
It was bittersweet when he let go, but there was pride in his voice when he said "That's my girl." He jumped back into the air in a flash and ran towards his castle, the only place where he could truly be safe. Calcifer would easily take care of these busybodies and send them back to the Witch of the Waste clean and crisp. As he traveled, he pondered when he would see Sophie again. Duty kept him from seeing her immediately, but that was fine. He'd led the henchmen away, so she was safe.
When the castle was in sight, Howl smirked at the thought that was coming Be ready Calcifer his thought reached the fire demon, who replied with a groan Don't you ever make it easy for me Howl?
The moment Howl stepped foot on the stoop, a burst of flame jetted out from around the castle, easily destroying the witch's henchman. With a laugh and a nod, Howl entered the dark recesses of his dirty home. He walked across the sooty floor, up the creaky stairs and into the smeared and stained bathroom.
Howl looked at himself in the mirror. His hair shone like spun gold, his eyes the color of gray clouds, were clear and filled to the brim with excitement. His skin was tanned and smooth and not a blemish existed on him.
I have finally met Sofie, I can't wait to see her again. I must be ready. She wont want me if I am scruff and scraggly like I am now.
Howl opened the door with an exaggerated flourish and shouted "MORE WATER FOR MY BATH CALCIFER!"
The fire demon didn't know had gotten into Howl, but it wasn't good. He set forth for the task of fueling the castle.
