The next morning, Kari was up bright and early, making breakfast for everyone when Howl came in.
"Oh, good morning." Howl kindly greeted, looking at Kari.
"Good morning." Kari softly replied, keeping her head down.
"What are you making?" Howl asked, interested, walking over.
"Pancakes?" Kari asked, thinking it was wrong.
"Pancakes sound great! I haven't had pancakes in years." Howl announced with a smile.
"Wo-would you like some?" Kari asked, a little flustered.
"Sure." Howl replied with that same smile.
"What smells so good?" Connor asked, walking downstairs.
"Pancakes." Kari answered, flipping one.
"I've never had pancakes before." Connor stated with excitement.
"I don't suppose you have syrup." Kari asked, looking around.
"I can conjure some up; don't worry about that." Howl told her with a smile.
"Ok…" Kari replied, mesmerized, but that could also the bit of dizziness she was feeling—that she was hiding.
"You'd better keep an eye on the food before it burns." Calcifer informed, bringing Kari back to reality.
"Ri-right… Sorry." Kari nervously replied, flipping another pancake just in time.
"So, what do you think of the castle?" Connor asked, looking at Kari.
"It's big—and needs to be cleaned." Kari answered and then mumbled under breath, causing Howl to chuckle.
"That's just what Sophie would say too." Howl stated, indicating he had heard her, heading to the table.
"Sophie was very special to you, wasn't she?" Kari asked, looking at Howl.
"She was, yes. We were all a family." Howl answered with a smile that faded.
"And then she passed away…" Calcifer sadly added.
"But it's time to move on." Howl stated, determined.
"Mom always said it's good to move on, but to never forget." Kari stated as she continued making pancakes.
"That's a splendid notion." Howl happily proclaimed.
"Are we having anything aside from pancakes?" Connor asked, looking at Kari.
"I can make some eggs…" Kari softly answered, fearing that maybe pancakes were the wrong way to go; she should've asked everyone what they would've liked. However, the truth of it all was that the only breakfast foods she knew how to make were pancakes and waffles.
"Don't worry about that; I'll make the eggs and bacon. Oh, that reminds me; how did you get Calcifer to bend down for you?" Howl informed and then asked seriously, causing Kari to blink at him, confused.
"I just asked him… Was that wrong? I'm sorry." Kari answered, asked, and apologized, becoming upset.
"No, it's fine. Don't cry. Calcifer usually only lets me cook over him, is all. He must like you or something." Howl quickly assured and then calmly noted, walking to a very shaky Kari.
"Oh, no… I burnt the pancake…" Kari moaned, upset.
"It's ok. There's enough for everyone to have two; I'll make the eggs and bacon. You just go sit down." Howl instructed, gently pushing Kari away from the cooking station; he could tell she was shaky.
"Ok." Kari obliged, going to sit down.
After a few minutes, the eggs and bacon were done; Howl plated everything and passed out the food. He gave Calcifer the burnt pancake, bacon fat—once it solidified, and eggshells.
"So, Kari… When we're done eating, I have something to show you." Howl calmly but seriously told Kari.
"Ok." Kari softly replied; her head was starting to hurt.
"I'm sure you'll love it." Howl insisted, proud of himself as they all sat there eating.
Kari sat there, eating and watching Howl; something about him made her heart race and face heat up.
"Are you ok; your face is all red?" Connor noted, looking at Kari.
"Hmmm? Oh yeah; I'm ok." Kari quickly answered.
Fifteen Minutes Later:
Kari went to clean the dishes when Howl stopped her.
"Just one second; I told you I had a surprise for you. You can do all the cleaning when I've shown you what I want to show you." Howl sternly but playfully told Kari, covering her eyes.
"Ok—but I can't see." Kari softly replied, trying to keep his dizziness at bay. Although, at this point, that was easier said than done.
"That's the point of it being a surprise." Howl stated, guiding Kari to a different room he had created late last night, careful not to step on any of the cats.
"Wow…" Connor looked at the room in amazement.
"Hush." Howl hushed Connor; he wanted this to be perfect for Kari.
"Here you go." Howl said, removing his hands from her face, allowing her to see her new art studio; there were:
-2 potter wheels
-A kiln
-A lot of clay
-Pottery tools
-A drawing/painting station
-Colored pencils
-Markers
-Pencils
-Plenty of paper
-Paint
-Painting supplies
"This is—all for me?" Kari asked, bewildered, looking at Howl.
"Yep. Do you like it?" Howl asked with a smile.
That was it; Kari couldn't take it anymore. Her façade was over, and her dizziness took over.
Kari also knew she was caught when she saw Howl staring at her, concerned.
"I-I-I feel dizzy…" Kari weakly spoke before passing out.
"Whoa! Hey!" Howl exclaimed, catching her just in time; she had a nasty fever.
"Is she ok?" Connor asked, concerned as Howl picked Kari up and carried her to her room.
"She's very good at hiding how she's feeling. She's sick—and I couldn't tell. Not even Sophie could do that." Howl noted with a sigh, opening her door.
"That's what happens you're forced to run in the wastes with the destroyed outfit she was wearing and no shoes. Also, you said she slipped on wet grass and went sliding down a hill. She was damn and covered in mud, grass, and whatever else is out there. It's no wonder she's sick—even if she did wash up when she got here." Calcifer explained, looking at Howl as he held onto Kari.
"Yes—that is true." Howl agreed before walking into Kari's room.
He gently placed Kari in her bed, tucked her in, and left the room, leaving the door open just in case.
"Am I losing my touched to be able to read girls?" Howl asked, sighing as he leaned back in the chair.
"No. Howl, right now you're unsure of how you feel and what you want. Still, at the same time, deep in your heart of hearts, you know you want Kari. You're doing everything you can to please and make her happy that you're not paying attention to her herself. I think if you pay more attention to her—and get to know her more; you'll be able to read her. And even though she has the spell on her, she might be able to use tiny amounts of magic possibly without noticing. Who really knows? I bet you anything that her curse can be broken." Calcifer sincerely answered, having a heart to heart chat with Howl.
"Thanks. You really have been my longest friend. And of course, it can be broken; all curses can be broke. I just don't know how break hers. Not only is it incredibly strong, but I also don't know what kind of spell it is in the first place. I mean, do you know how many different magic blocking spells there are? And the one placed on hers is obviously strong—so strong that it's being blocked by some kind of barrier. Whoever placed the spell on her must think that if the spell's detectable, Kari could find someone who could help her—or that she could take care of it herself." Howl replied, sitting up.
"What are you doing?" Connor asked, walking over.
"I'm heading out for a while. I'm gonna do some research and try to figure some things out. Check up on Kari after a bit." Howl answered and then instructed.
Howl came home several hours later with exactly what he left with. Nothing. The only thing he found out was what he already knew; he has to figure out how to remove the barrier. But he can figure that out because it's locked; he either needs the key or somehow has to figure out how to pick the lock.
After another half hour of trying to figure things out, Howl went to bed—frustrated.
The Next Morning:
Around 8:30
Kari just got up and was feeling just as awful as she was yesterday. If anything, she felt worse—and she slept all day. Still, she got up and was going to get straight to work—until Howl spotted her.
"Uh-uh-uh. Back to bed. I can tell from here that you're still sick. You're pale and flushed, and I can see the sweat on your forehead. I can hear your horrid breathing that you're trying and failing to hide. Just go get some rest so that you can feel better." Howl sternly ordered, walking over.
"But… I-I fe-feel…" Kari started to protest, saying she felt fine—which of course, was a lie.
"No buts; you're sick. It is perfectly ok for you to take a break. Don't overwork yourself. Don't work yourself to death—or even just a coma. We can take care of the cleaning around here for a few days." Howl sincerely told Kari, gently pushing her back to her room.
"Ok…" Kari mumbled, defeated, walking back to her bed, and climbed in with her forever kittens.
Over Ten Hours Later:
6:45 PM
Kari had been up and down all day, using the bathroom, eating some toast or soup that Howl made her eat a little bit of.
But for the most part, she's been asleep most of the day.
Right now, she had just been awake for half an hour; she was planning on going back to sleep when Howl came into check up on her—again.
While Kari slept, Howl had been checking on her every half hour on the dot.
"Did I wake you?" Howl asked, looking at Kari.
"No. I used to bathroom a little bit ago. I was just going back to sleep." Kari softly answered.
"How are you feeling?" Howl asked, but already had a feeling he knew the answer; she was still pale and flushed.
Howl could tell from where he stood that she wasn't well and that she most likely still had a fever.
However, her breathing seemed to be normal.
"Ok. I can breathe better now." Kari softly and honestly answered.
"That's good. But you still have a fever. Keep getting your rest." Howl stated and then instructed, feeling her forehead before placing a cold, wet rag on her.
'Kari… What about you drives me? You're so adorable—but you're only sixteen; I'm stuck at twenty-seven. However, in reality, I'm way older than that. There's no way you'd be interested in me.' Howl sadly thought to himself.
"Age is just a number…" Kari mumbled, looking at Howl.
"You read minds?" Howl asked, shocked.
"I try not to; I can't control that when I'm sick." Kari admitted.
"I'm sorry." Howl apologized, leaving.
"What's going on? Where are you going?" Calcifer quickly questioned, watching Howl speed out the door, black down.
Howl didn't answer; he just left. He was going to Wales; he had to get away. He needed time to think. He needed time to think about Kari and what she just said. She couldn't possibly mean what she just said; she was delirious with fever. She couldn't love him like he loved her.
"Howl, wait!" Kari cried, getting out of bed to chase after him.
"Kari?" Connor asked, concerned.
"Kari stop; you're sick! And Howl wants to be left alone! Connor stop her!" Calcifer yelled, trying to stop Kari.
But it was too late; she went through the door, black down.
When she got there, Kari got hopelessly lost.
Forty Minutes Later:
"Hello? Howl?!" Kari asked, hearing someone talking; however, she walked straight into some drunks.
"Well, what do we have here?" One of the men asked, looking at Kari.
"A pretty little kitten." The second man stated with a creepy smile.
"Perhaps a lost little kitten." The third and final man suggested.
"Is that it? Are you lost?" The first two men asked, watching as Kari backed away.
"She doesn't look well. Are you not feeling well? Why don't you let us help you feel better?" The third man asked, toying with her.
"Ple-please… I-I'm ju-just loo-looking for a friend." Kari stuttered out, backing away, tripping, but falling over a raised edge in the sidewalk.
"We'll be your friends…" The three men replied with smiles that made Kari's blood run cold.
Kari knew that stare; it's how Tristan stared at her before he raped her.
"I-I got to go. Goodbye." Kari quickly and nervously spoke as she backed away.
Once Kari started walking away, the men started following her, forcing her to start running.
"Please, somebody help me!" Kari screamed as she ran; she would've gotten away too, had she not tripped over a crack in the sidewalk.
"Pretty little kitten…" The men taunted as they pinned her down.
-Man number 1 was sitting on her hips.
-Man number 2 kept her wrists pinned down, holding her arms above her head.
-Man number 3 kept her ankles pinned down, keeping her legs spread.
"Stop! Pl-please!" Kari screamed and cried, trying her hardest to struggle and escape her attackers.
Eventually, it became too much for her; she ran out of energy and couldn't breathe.
Kari ended up giving up and just accept her fate as she lay there, crying and praying it would be over quickly. And it was…
It never happened.
Howl was there—and he was pissed.
With Howl:
Howl was sitting on a bench with an unopened beer in his hand, looking up at the sky, just thinking.
Howl's P.O.V.:
What am I going to do?
It is true what Calcifer says:
I loved Sophie and Morgan so dearly—but now they're both gone.
One hundred years for Sophie and fifty for Morgan.
-Decade by decade
-Year by year
-Month by month
-Week by week
-Day by day
-Hour by hour
-Minute by minute
-Second by second
It all gets a little easier, but they were my entire world.
I will never forget them—neither of them. I will always love them.
That's what I always said and thought.
Sophie was my first true love. I thought she was my one true love.
But she wants me to let her go. She says I loved her and that now I love another—Kari.
Calcifer has always been there—though he's free to leave, he stays. He always told me that it would take time, but I'll get over Sophie.
I always told him, "Impossible, I'll never get over her. I will never love again."
But—in the end, he was right.
That's why I've been so mopey these past few years.
Sophie was slipping through my grasp—as in my memories.
Denial. That's what kept me from moving on.
I've been in denial for the past over fifty years.
I couldn't let go—even though I know I must.
Losing Morgan only made it worse.
The first few years after Sophie passed, I did my best to stay strong for him.
I had to be there for Morgan.
And then I got sick—and he got trapped and died.
I blamed myself up until last year when he came to me and said it was ok.
He begged me to stop blaming myself so that he could move on and rest.
It took a while, but I was able to, for his sake.
And now Sophie—she's come to ask me to move on. I'm sure it's so that she can move on and rest.
That's all I want.
I cannot die like they did.
Believe me, I tried:
-Hanging myself
-Jumping off a cliff
-Shooting myself
-Suffocation
-Drowning
None of it worked. I am purely immortal.
Sophie and Morgan were not.
Sophie wasn't immortal, period, and Morgan was only half.
And now—there's Kari.
She baffles me.
"Hi, Howl." Two slutty girls greeted in a sultry way.
"Hey." I plainly replied.
I'll be nice, but I really don't want their attention.
"How have you been? We haven't seen in some time." One of the girls spoke, leaning over to show off her exceedingly large breasts.
"Yes. We're so sorry about Sophie and Morgan." The second girl sarcastically apologized.
Well—she was sarcastic about Sophie but seemed somewhat sincere about Morgan.
"Do you need help finishing that beer? Why don't you come over to our place for the night? We can please you in so many ways." The first girl once again spoke in that sultry tone.
Ok…
A few years after Morgan died, I hit a rough patch and started sleeping with random girls.
I always placed a spell on them so that I could release inside, and they wouldn't become pregnant.
And I only ever slept with girls who didn't have any type of STD.
Apparently, these girls had heard from friends of theirs that I was the best they had ever had.
And it was awesome because I just left, and they didn't have to worry about becoming pregnant, their husbands, boyfriends, or even girlfriends.
Yeah… I hit a bad rough patch that lasted about five years. I haven't had sex in roughly forty-five years now.
It's not so bad.
"No, thank you, ladies. Have a splendid night." I simply told them as I stood up and started walking away.
I could hear them complaining and screaming obscenities at me.
They desperately wanted me.
Oh, well. I don't really give a damn.
I don't want either of them.
Now, all I want is Kari—but I know I shouldn't.
She shouldn't want me; I know I'm not good for her.
She's much too young for me.
She's probably very impressionable.
I know she's impressionable:
She's sensitive, shy, and vulnerable—and broken.
That asshole prince broke her just by raping her. And most likely beating her. But that one I'm not a hundred percent sure of.
But moving on…
She should be with someone more her age.
I know she should be with someone closer to her age.
But damnit—I don't want that!
I want her.
I want to be mine and mine alone.
I want her:
-Body
-Heart
-Soul
-Love and Devotion
-Her
-Undying affection
But I know better.
But do I?
Do I really know better?
Although she doesn't see it in herself, she's so adorable.
I even consider her beautiful—one of the most beautiful girls I've ever met.
Yes, she reminds me a lot of Sophie, but that's not why I like her—why I love her.
No, I love her because she's so different than Sophie. I've never met someone like Kari.
Yes, it seems like she needs a lot of help, but that's what I like. I like being needed.
I actually hated that about Sophie; she always had to do stuff by herself and refused help—until the last possible seconds.
Like Sophie, Kari's stubborn—but not as stubborn that she refuses to accept help.
Honestly, Kari does have some of the same facial features as Sophie, but only her nose, ears, and chin. Otherwise, I would have to assume she looks like her parents.
Kari has the same presence as Sophie—but at the same time, she doesn't. Now that I've been around her a little bit, her presence is changing and becoming different. It's giving off Kari's own unique presence.
Kari is her own person; she's not Sophie.
However, what baffles me about Kari is that she's immortal; she's a descendant of Sophie's younger sister, Lettie.
Lettie was not immortal.
How is Kari fully immortal?
Oh, but then again, Connor is a descendant of Sophie's youngest sister, Martha.
Both his parents were powerful witch and wizard; they abandoned him when showed an interest in me.
I took him in, not because I felt bad for him, but because he reminded me of Markl.
So maybe Kari has powerful, immortal parents.
No… That can't be right; her mom died of sickness when she was younger.
Illness? Kari never specified what the illness was?
There is one thing that can kill someone like me and Kari, who are immortal.
Strong poison.
So maybe her parents were immortal, but someone poisoned Mom.
I suppose I should get back to her—tell her we'll talk when she's better.
Great… A group of people.
At this late of night, it usually means that they're either getting ready to drink or party.
By the looks of the group:
-Six people
-Four men
-Two women
All dressed casually
I'd say drinking at a bar.
"That girl doesn't know what she's getting herself into; she entered the wrong part of town." I heard a man in the group say to the rest of his group as I got closer.
"I know. Don't you think we should help her? She's bound to get taken advantage of." I heard one of the women in the group.
"She did it to herself. She went out and got drunk." Another one of the men replied.
"But she's so young. And I don't think she drunk; she seems unwell. She seems like she's ill or something. And I think she's looking for someone." The same woman spoke up again.
"She looks so familiar though." The other woman stated.
"How so?" The other two men asked, curious.
"Do you remember Catelyn—the Irish woman with deep orange hair and dark green eyes?" The one woman asked.
"The witch?" The men asked, getting my attention.
Witch with deep orange hair and green eyes?
I used an invisibility spell so I could listen in and not be seen.
"Of course, that's how you'd remember her…" The girls replied, narrowing their eyes at the men.
"She was a witch. How else are we supposed to remember her?" The men asked as I stood there.
"Yes, but she was a good one. Her name even states that." One of the women stated.
"What are you talking about?" One of the men asked.
"Her name was Catelyn. Catelyn means "Pure." And she never once did anything to anyone unless they deserved it. If I recall correctly… Russel, she saved your ass twice." The woman answered.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. What about her?" The man, Russel, asked, looking at the woman.
"She married that—oh, what was his name? He was a powerful wizard as well." The woman asked, trying to remember.
"*Sigh…* You mean Hunter Gage?" One of the men asked, sighing, slightly annoyed.
Gage? That's Kari's last name.
"Yeah, him." The girl said, remembering.
"He was decently nice." The other girl spoke.
"Nice? He was a controlling son of a bitch. If Catelyn didn't do exactly what he wanted before anything else, he would get angry." The one girl stated, annoyed.
"Well, if Catelyn weren't such of a "free spirit," or a "damn hippy," or whatever you wanted to call her. She didn't want to do anything but have fun and live freely. She should've never gotten married or had his children." Russel angrily replied.
"I liked Catelyn; she was so kind and caring. She helped the flowers bloom so nicely." The woman replied.
"What about her and her brats now?" Russel asked, becoming more agitated.
"I'm saying that girl back there looked like Catelyn; she had the same eyes. And aside from the brown, who has orange hair like that? That girl had the combination of her dad's brown hair and her mom's orange hair. I just can't think of her name. All I remember is that her name means "Pure" as well." The woman explained.
"I don't know. Nor do I care. And that boy of theirs… Whatever. I'm leaving. When you're ready to not talk about this crap, I'll be at the pub." Russel told them, walking away angry.
"I know she was a good witch, but it doesn't matter anymore; she's dead. Let's just go already." The second woman stated before following Russel.
The other two men left, leaving one guy and the one woman behind.
I was going to leave and head back to the castle when the woman started talking again.
"They had a son?" The first woman asked, confused.
"No. Hunter was married to a lower level witch before Catelyn. They had a son named Cole together. His first wife left; she tried to take Cole with her, but Hunter wouldn't let her. She left for America. I guess that's where she was from originally. Cole doesn't have a lot of powers. In fact, he can only float and levitate things. But he's just as bad as his father. He's gotta be about—I wanna say twenty-six or twenty-seven by now."
"Hunter and Catelyn had a daughter together, yes. Hunter wanted to name her Bella or something like that, but Catelyn had her and did so without him with her; she didn't tell him she was in labor. And she named their daughter Kari and made sure it was on the birth certificate before Hunter got there. And yes, Hunter was an ass. And that was such a good family too."
"I remember hearing about Lettie and Wizard Suliman. Lettie had an older sister named Sophie who married Howl Pendragon; they had a son together. Unfortunately, Sophie died of old age and Morgan died in a freak accident. However, I'm not sure if that's true. There was someone who hated Howl; I think this person set that place ablaze. I don't know who the person was, but it's what I've heard through the grape vine. They had a younger sister, Martha. They have family left. Not much is known about them."
"But Lettie and Wizard Suliman were good people. They had two daughters and one son. The son two daughters disappeared, and the son moved on to have a family of his own: Hunter and one daughter. The daughter died at birth along with her mother. Dad was raising Hunter on his own and no one is sure how it happened but died and Hunter was left alone. Somewhere along the lines, he became who he was."
"Hunter had Cole and then later on, Kari. Cole, being ten or eleven when Kari was born, was used to being an only child and getting whatever he wanted. When Kari was two, he tried to kill her. She was smaller and weaker—especially since she was born two months early."
"Ehem. But anyway… At first, Cole was excited to have a younger sibling; he was hoping for a boy but seemed happy enough when Kari was born. However, after about ten months, Cole became insanely jealous. Kari got all the attention. Kari got a ton of gifts from not only Hunter and Catelyn, but from other family members, and others. But what bothered him the most is that at nine months old, despite being as weak as she was, Kari started display extraordinary powers. By a year and a half, her powers skyrocketed, and Hunter decided then and there that she would always be his; he had a feeling about her—and he was right."
"At two years of age, Kari was officially declared as "the chosen one." She was not only the first child in a thousand years to have that kind of power at only nine months and for it to only get stronger. But by the time she was two, Cole, while she was asleep, tried suffocating her with a pillow. When that didn't work, he tried using his hands and choked her. And when that didn't work, he just went mad and started yelling and screaming, trying everything he could think of to kill her. Catelyn woke up when she got a bad feeling; she went to Kari's room and couldn't find her. She woke Hunter up, told him what was going on, and they started searching. They eventually found Cole and Kari in the bathroom; Cole was trying to drown her. That was the day she was marked as "the chosen one." Because she can't die."
"She can't die. She can give immortality—to animals and people. She should be able to do all sorts of other things, but she no longer can." I listened as this man explain to the woman in great detail to the best of his ability.
I could tell he was struggling to remember everything.
"Why not?" The woman asked.
"She was getting stronger. He was hoping she'd be like Catelyn. Catelyn, although didn't have anywhere near the kind of power Kari had, she did have a lot. Her powers and abilities grew and grew until she was about ten or eleven and then suddenly just stopped. Hunter feared she would become too strong, find out any secrets he may have had—and possibly overthrow him. However, I don't think Kari cares about power—not the type of magic Hunter wanted. He wanted to rule. I know Catelyn didn't want that; I also know she taught Kari her ways until she died of "illness." Illness my ass. An illness couldn't kill Catelyn. But I can't prove anything now that Hunter is dead. After Catelyn died, he brought a different witch in and had Kari's powers and abilities away—except for her ability to not die. From what I understand, that can't be stripped away. The only possible way to get her powers and abilities taken away, Kari would've had to be in a deep, deep, deep sleep. It was the only way. And then, I'm sure they've manipulated her mind into believing stupid shit that's not true. I saw Kari a few months after mom died and that witch moved in; she just looked like a zombie. I haven't seen her since." The man answered, carefully explaining things.
"How do you know all that?" The woman asked, narrowing her eyes.
I'd like to know that as well…
"I used to date Catelyn." The man answered right away.
"Is Kari yours?" The woman asked, narrowing her eyes.
If I had to guess, I'd say they were dating.
"No. Kari is not mine. Catelyn and I mutually broke up. We dated for about eight years before she decided she wanted to move to England, and I didn't; I wanted to stay in Ireland—until I went to Germany after a year. We kept in contact and talked. She became more like a sister to me; she even made me Kari's God Father. Or she wanted to; Hunter eradicated that as soon as he could. I suppose it's best that way because Kari was really young the last time I saw her; she was maybe two. Sorry—the last time she saw me. I used to see her when she was in the hospital. She was often sick and got severely dehydrated. The only reason I know anything about Kari and her losing her powers and abilities was because Catelyn turned me into a bird to keep an eye on Kari. Unfortunately, a year ago, the spell wore off and I changed back into a human. I could no longer watch over Kari." The man explained, holding onto the woman's shoulders.
"What happened to all her powers? What did her dad do with them?" The woman asked, looking at the man.
"That's the million dollar question, now, isn't it? Hunter wanted them for himself; he wanted them transferred to him. However, when the witch tried, nothing happened. I know her powers and abilities were removed, turned into an orb-looking thing. Hunter took the orb and it blasted him away. Same for when the witch tried sucking in the powers. The last time I saw either Hunter or the witch, they were trying to crack the orb. Hunter was flung out a window and impaled on a pole. The witch was tossed a different way, turned to stone and then the stone broke into a lot of different pieces. The orb then disappeared. That orb of power; it knows who it belongs to. It won't let anyone access it. The only person who should have those powers is Kari. But we should probably be headed to the pub before the others come looking for us. Don't worry about any of that anymore." The man told the woman.
I vaguely remember hearing about the man tossed out of a window and impaled.
Any witch, wizard, or warlock has heard of Atheria. She was always claiming to be a strong witch when in reality, she was really not. Sure, she wasn't weak and had extraordinary abilities and powers, but she wasn't one of the strongest.
Nobody truly knew why or what happened exactly, but Atheria was turned to stone and then crumbled.
"I have one last question." The woman stopped the man by grabbing his arm.
"Yeah?" The man asked, looking at the woman.
"If Kari were to ever get her powers and abilities back, would she really be the strongest witch out there? There's nobody who could match her?" The woman asked, looking at the man dead in the eyes.
"Yes, she would be. No witch would be able to match her. There is most likely only one wizard or warlock who, while he may not be able to match Kari's magic, could come close and help her control and contain it. That would be Howl Pendragon." The man answered.
"Howl Pendragon? Why him?" The woman asked, shocked.
Ok… That hurt a little.
"Because next to Kari, he is next strongest. And he's also one of the only few immortal witches, wizards, or warlocks." The man answered.
That's interesting.
"I thought all witches, wizards, and warlocks were immortal." The woman stated as they started walking away.
"Nope. They can make themselves look younger and live for a long time, but not all are immortal." The man replied.
Just like that, they turned a corner and were gone.
Well, I certainly learned a lot.
But he's not wrong. Not all witches, wizards, or warlocks are immortal.
Normal P.O.V.:
"Well, I suppose I should head home." Howl sighed, handing his unopened beer to someone he thought looked like they needed it.
He got to a part of Wales where he used to meet women—way before Sophie when he heard something that made his blood run cold.
"Please, somebody help me!" Howl heard a girl scream.
He knew that voice and scream; he knew it all too well.
"Kari!" Howl yelled, running towards her screams.
The screams and cries were close enough that Howl didn't figure he needed to change into his bird form.
"Pretty little kitten…" Howl vaguely heard a man's voice. That only made Howl run faster.
"Stop! Pl-please!" Howl once again heard Kari screaming, but now he heard her crying. It also sounded like she was fading.
A few more seconds and Howl came upon three drunk men with Kari—his Kari.
He saw one man sitting on her, ready to pull her clothes off while two other men pinned her wrists and ankles down so she couldn't move.
She was out of breath and struggling to breathe; it looked like she gave up, and her entire body went limp beneath the man.
After taking in the scene in front of him, Howl's shocked quickly turned to rage.
"Get away from her!" Howl furiously yelled.
The man who had her wrists saw Howl first; he immediately took off.
"Hey! Where are you going?! And just who the hell do—you think—you are?" The other two men called and then asked, annoyed, turning to see a furious Howl; they froze.
"I won't tell you again. Get—away—from—her before I turn you into a beetle or something and squish you." Howl growled through gritted teeth.
They took off running, pissing their pants the entire way. Some got on Kari's pajama top and in her hair.
"Kari! Kari, are you ok? What are you doing here?" Howl asked, panicked, helping her into a sitting position.
"I-I-I feel dizzy… Have to find Howl… Got to talk to Howl. Gotta let him know… I-I-I want to try… Feel safe with him." Kari incoherently mumbled, trying and failing to stand up before passing out in Howl's arms.
"Kari… You don't know what you're saying…" Howl sighed, picking her up, getting her head, so it laid on his shoulder; he then carried her home.
Ten Minutes Later:
"Howl, Kari went to find yo—oh…" Connor started saying; he stopped when he noticed Howl had Kari in his arms. She was harshly breathing, and Howl looked angry.
"Why didn't either of you stop her?! She's too sick to be out and about!" Howl snapped, taking Kari to her room.
Before placing her in bed, Howl used some magic to change Kari into clean pajamas and made it so her hair didn't smell like piss.
"We tried. She was through the door before we could get to her; she's a fast little thing." Calcifer defended Connor and himself, looking at Howl.
"What's done is done… Connor, bring me a wet rag." Howl sighed and then instructed, tucking a wheezing and panting Kari back into bed.
"Ho-Howl, please don't leave again…" Kari begged, struggling to breathe normally.
"Kari, you don't know what you're saying." Howl told her as calmly as he could.
"Yes, I do. I-I've heard of you all my life; I-I've always wanted to meet you. I-I-I never imagined you'd be so good looking. Much too good looking for me." Kari softly admitted.
"You're very beautiful. Thank you, Connor." Howl sincerely told her and thanked Connor after he brought the wet cloth in.
"No…" Kari softly protested.
"You really are like her in that way…" Howl stated with a gentle smile.
"I-I-I really like you. Plea-please. Please." Kari told Howl, pleading with him, trying to get him to understand; she was fighting sleep.
"I really like you too—and I don't even know you. Though, I feel like I do. We can try. Now, please; go to sleep." Howl told Kari, once again covering before tucking some hair behind her ears.
"Thank you." Kari weakly managed to say before passing out.
"Good night." Howl told her before gently kissing her warm forehead.
"What are you doing?" Calcifer asked, sinking into his logs; Howl was beyond pissed right now that it scared Calcifer.
"I'm going into town; I'll be back in a day or two. Watch her. Let her know I'll be back in a few days. Make sure she rests and isn't up trying to clean. And don't let anyone in until I get back; we're closed." Howl sternly instructed before leaving.
"What happened in Wales?" Connor asked, peeking over the kitchen table.
"I don't know. But whatever it was; it wasn't good. Not at all. I haven't seen Howl like that in years. So—with that said, we should do as he says and not let anything happen to Kari. Something happens to her and he'll never forgive us." Calcifer answered, looking from Connor to Kari's room.
'What happened to her?' Calcifer thought to himself as Connor started cleaning the kitchen and living area, not giving Kari any reason even to try to do anything but rest…