"Where are we going, Howl?" Kari softly asked, walking next to Howl.
"I don't know yet. I suppose we get to a road and figure things out first. Grace told us that we lived fifteen minutes from them, and they're five minutes from the city. So, that means the city or town is twenty minutes west from here." Howl answered, taking Kari's hand in his.
"Is that on foot or by vehicle?" Calcifer questioned, watching Howl.
"Foot, I think. Grace and Gavin didn't have a vehicle and neither did Jasper. Jasper was someone who looked after us after we landed." Howl replied before telling Kari.
"I wonder what's east of us." Connor wondered out loud.
"I don't know. All I know is that's the way we came in. So, until we find out by asking around, we'll steer clear of the East." Howl replied once they made it to a road.
"Is something wrong?" Howl asked Kari when she let go of his hand, only to cling to him.
"People are staring at us." Kari nervously answered.
"They know we're new. I bet that whether someone knows somebody else or not, they know when and who any new arrivals are. Just remember nobody here will hurt you." Calcifer explained before insisting.
"Ok." Kari softly replied, still clinging to Howl.
Howl didn't mind Kari clinging to him the way she was. In fact, he enjoyed it; he liked being needed. Yet, at the same time, he wanted her to have her powers and abilities back.
Howl needed to be needed; he needed someone to take care of. He may not admit it, but losing Sophie and Morgan broke him—so much so that he needed someone to desperately need him.
Kari was perfect for Howl because despite what she remembers her mother telling her, she is unable to care for herself—to a point; she's not entirely helpless. But she does need to feel loved and safe.
Howl was perfect for Kari because he would protect and care for her for eternity.
But them being together wasn't supposed to happen. Kari was supposed to be doomed to be held captive as Tristan's sex and energy slave for the rest of eternity.
Sophie made sure that none of that happened; she ensured Howl would find Kari.
But that's for a later day.
"Excuse me, but can you tell us how to get to town?" Howl asked a random woman walking by.
"You must be the newcomers. Sorry. You just head down this road; it will take you straight to town. Just go straight; don't take any turns." The woman answered Howl.
"Thank you." Howl replied.
"Can you tell us what's east of here?" Kari softly questioned, still clinging to Howl.
"East? It depends how far you plan on going. What people fail to realize is that no matter how far or close they think someone is to the barrier, they're usually wrong. I know the area you crash-landed—most do. But a lot of people think it's just a few miles to the barrier. That includes people on the outside because it's made to look that way; it's an optical illusion. But in reality, you're a day's walk away from the barrier. I don't know if your brains are still working on coming back from your crash, but you came from the west. You're wanting to go to the town I'm guessing Grace told you about, yes?" The woman started explaining before asking.
"That's correct." Howl answered.
"Grace is an amazingly good girl, but she tends to get turned around quite a bit; she's horrible at directions. But any other information, she's brilliant. But you're going east not west. What you really want to know is what's to the west. To the west is another town. If you walk—from your place, is about a five-hour walk through forest with two gas stations and maybe a bar. A car ride is about two and a half hours. Now, every month on the second Friday, we have fireworks to the west—about an hour from your place. People come from both sides to see them. Really, you only have to travel half an hour because you can see them from the clearing. The north and south have their own firework celebrations, but they're the metropolises of this safe haven. The south has its summer festival that people from all over go to. There's a parade, carnival with rides and games, and all sorts of fun entertaining stuff to do. From your place, it's a four-hour drive. The north has its winter week where many people visit as well. From your place, the north is a two-hour drive. But I'll let you go. You have a lovely time." The woman explained before walking away.
"That sounds like fun." Connor spoke up.
"Indeed." Howl replied.
"Do you think we'll get snow here?" Kari softly questioned.
"Maybe. Do you not like snow?" Howl inquired.
"I don't know. I don't remember ever seeing it. I was told it makes me sleepy." Kari answered.
"Who told you that?" Howl asked.
"My dad, I think." Kari answered, pulling away from Howl to hold his hand again.
"Well, I guess we'll find out when it comes to that time of year, won't we?" Howl insisted with a smile.
"Yes." Kari happily agreed with a smile that Howl loved.
Ten Minutes Later:
"Hey! Over here! We're so glad you could make it!" The group heard a familiar voice.
"Grace and Gavin." Connor greeted as he, Howl, Kari, and Calcifer made their way over to the two.
"Are you heading into town?" Grace eagerly questioned.
"Yes." Howl answered as Kari stood quietly next to him.
"Who would've thought you would've come this way?" Grace inquired with a smile, causing Gavin to fall over.
"You told them where to go! And you been sitting at the window, staring out it for the last hour like a creepy stalker." Gavin found his voice in disbelief.
"That's not very nice, Gavin." Grace playfully pouted.
"Grace! Leave those poor people alone. Let them wander around in peace." A woman with short, light curly brown hair and hazel eyes.
"But Mom!" Grace whined.
"Now, Grace. Faith and Hope could use your help in here! Don't make me call your father!" The woman yelled, walking down her steps.
"Fine." Grace mumbled, trudging inside.
"Mr. Howl Pendragon. You probably don't remember me; it's been so long now." This woman calmly spoke.
"Phoebe Mayfield. You were friends with Sophie until you married." Howl replied, shocking the woman, Phoebe.
"Yes. I can't believe you remember me. But I heard you finally moved on. I'm a conduit, remember; I speak with the dead. Sophie came to me some time ago. Though, she never mentioned that you moved on with Catelyn's daughter." Phoebe spoke with a small smile.
"You knew my mom?" Kari softly questioned.
"Oh, yes. Creed, Grace, Faith, Hope, and Harper are my youngest five with my current husband, Crest. So, my name now, is Phoebe Jamenson."
"My first husband, two-hundred-fifteen years ago, was Liam Henson; he was severely abusive. I have twin sons, Apollo and Ares, and one daughter, Cassandra with him. We were only together seven years. Apollo and Cassandra took after me and have their own families here. Ares took after his father and is out there. He does have a family, but I have custody of his two daughters, eight-year-old Crystal, and five-year-old Emma."
"My second marriage, two-hundred-five years ago, with Tobias Smith, was better. But he was mortal and ended up passing away one-hundred-twelve years ago; we were together for fifty-seven years. We had six half-immortal children together: Teddy, Carrie, Tilly, Naomi, Toby, and Eva. They all live out here with their families."
"My third husband was one-hundred-forty-eight years ago; his name was Keith. He was half-immortal, and we were together for ninety years before he left me. We had triplets, Kathrine, Kevin, and Kyle. Kevin and Kyle live to the east of here with their families. Katherine, her girlfriend, and their pets just moved here a few months ago after some personal issues sent them here."
"Fifty-eight years ago, I met my ex-fiancé, Ethan. He was immortal, but he committed suicide fifty years ago due to severe depression that no matter what I did; nothing seemed to help. We had two children, Caleb and Alexandra (Alex). Alex was friends with your mother, and Caleb had a crush on her. Catelyn was over all the time when they were growing up. Or Alex with at her place. Caleb travels all around the world and Alex lives to the south of here."
"But uhh… Thirty years ago, I met my current husband, Crest. He is immortal, but is yes, quite a few years younger than me. Creed is twenty-two, Grace is twenty, Faith is eighteen, and Hope and Harper are sixteen. So, they all live here as well. Well, Creed moved out a week ago, but he's still close by." Phoebe went through her relationships and family.
"You must love kids." Calcifer accidentally spoke out loud.
"Calcifer!" Howl hissed.
"Sorry." Calcifer immediately apologized.
"Oh, no; you needn't be sorry. It's true: I do love kids. And I love my kids and granddaughters more than life itself. But more than anything, I hate being alone. It sucks it took me this long to find Crest, but I wouldn't change my life for the world." Phoebe insisted with a smile.
"Sometimes it just takes a long while to find who you're meant to be with." A man spoke, walking up the sidewalk with a smile.
"Oh, everyone, this is my husband, Crest. Crest, this is Howl Pendragon and his group; they're the ones who just crash-landed on the land you sold recently." Phoebe happily introduced everyone—kind of.
"I've vaguely heard of Howl, but I don't know any of you. Let's see: a fire demon, a wizard-in-training, and—Hunter and Catelyn's daughter." Phoebe's husband, Crest, spoke to the group before stopping on Kari.
"You know Kari?" Howl and Phoebe questioned.
"Not really, no. I knew of her, but I only ever saw her shortly after she was born. Cole was the child I knew—unfortunately." Crest replied, not taking his eyes off Kari.
"How do you know them?" Phoebe questioned as their kids walked out of the house.
"Hunter was my older brother. Cole and Kari are my nephew and niece. For obvious reasons, you can trust me: only people with pure or good hearts can get past the barrier to live or visit here. I hated my brother—and the feeling was mutual. I tried staying as far from him as possible until he had Cole. I only vaguely knew Catelyn because I only met her a handful of times when she was pregnant. Please, and I mean no offense, but how the hell are you here?" Crest explained before questioning, watching Kari.
"Howl brought me here; he said it'd be safe." Kari softly answered, becoming upset. She was beyond confused at that moment.
"That's not what I mean. I'm sorry. Please don't cry. What I mean is, you're supposed to be with Tristan right now." Crest responded, causing Kari to back up a little.
"Now, what is that supposed to mean?" Howl demanded, defending Kari.
"We won't let him have her." Calcifer firmly let Crest know.
"Good. When I say she's supposed to be with Tristan, I mean she was promised to him. When Hunter met Catelyn, everyone thought she was the path to power. However, Tristan showed up one day and demanded she go with him. Needless to say, Catelyn didn't take to being ordered around too well, and slapped him hard across the face. That shocked everyone because nobody had ever dared lay a finger on Tristan, let alone even tell him no. When he tried to retaliate, he was knocked away. One night, when she Catelyn was out with some friends, Tristan came back to destroy everything. Instead, Hunter promised him whatever he wanted if he spared them. He told him he wanted to unborn child Catelyn was carrying."
"It took Hunter a few weeks to realize why Tristan wanted their unborn child. It wasn't until after she was born that he realized Kari would become the strongest witch alive, and that she was purely immortal. It also became clear that she would take after her mother. I liked Catelyn, so I told her to leave. Not in that way, Love; she was like a younger sister to me. I'm not sure why, but she told me she was unable to leave, and she told me to go."
"I know little about Tristan, other than he's a power-hungry tyrant. If he got a hold of Kari, he'd be able live off her power and lifeforce for all eternity at the cost of her freedom and energy. Not to mention all the pain she'd be in."
"Catelyn said she had a plan, but I talked to five different psychic fortune tellers who had never been wrong with anything before. They all said Kari would forever be trapped with Tristan. I wanted to help because regardless of anything, Kari is still my niece; she's still my family." Crest explained what he could, pacing back and forth. He'd take a deep breath now and then between speaking, but otherwise, he rambled on and on.
"Maybe her mom found a way to keep the fortune tellers from seeing everything." Connor suggested as Kari hid behind Howl, clinging to the back of his shirt.
"I suppose…" Crest sighed, looking toward the sky.
"You're not going to ask about Kari's powers?" Howl questioned, watching Crest.
"Everyone who knows—or knows of Kari and Hunter, knows he paid some witch to have her powers removed. And everyone knows if she wants them, the first step is to go get them. Then when she finds her powers, which will be in a spherical-type of energy orb. And she can grab, hold, move the orb around, or pass it to someone else. But until she's absolutely, one hundred percent ready for them to go back into her body, it will remain a powerful, floating, spherical orb. She may want them; she may not. But I can tell she's not ready to have them back just by looking at her. And again, I mean no offense, but with how small and weak she is, getting her powers back with knock her out. From what I understand, you've always been small, but seeing as you've been without your powers for years now, your strength has diminished." Crest answered.
"So, you know where my powers are then?" Kari softly asked.
"Don't you?" Crest retorted, shocked.
"No." Kari softly answered.
"Hmm. Oh, I see. You have a locked barrier around you. That means you have to figure it out by yourself. You have to want, be ready, and find your powers through your own will power. Of course, Howl and your other friends can help you. But your powers come from within you. That means you have to find your strength within you, and that will only happen when you're ready." Crest noted, watching Kari, looking deep into her eyes.
"Will I no longer be immortal if I don't get my powers back soon?" Kari softly asked.
"Heavens, no. Who told you that?" Crest replied, standing up straight.
"Nobody. But Tristan always said he'd make sure that would never happen even if it were that way." Kari replied, near tears.
"No. Your immortality is you; it really has nothing to do with your powers themselves. Your powers come from your core, whereas your immortality comes from your entire being. Like I tried telling your father many, many times: your powers or immortality do not define you, and they don't control you, so don't let them. Unfortunately, your father was a very greedy and selfish man, and he let all of that consume him. You won't ever have to worry about leaving Howl alone, and he won't ever have to worry about losing you. You, like my Phoebe, don't hide your emotions very well; you're very easy to read. Plus, I see the looks of love and longing in your and his eyes. It's the same look I have for Phoebe—and the same look she has for me." Crest thoughtfully answered.
"Now, for you. You watch over and protect her. Like I said before, I don't know much about Tristan. But what I do know is that because he doesn't have what he believes is rightfully his—what he was promised; he's most like beyond off the rails, pissed off, and is going to do everything in his power it takes to get it. He will not stop at nothing to get Kari, so you must stop at nothing to keep her safe. I'm not strong; the only powers I have are telekinesis and the power of persuasion." Crest sternly told Howl.
"Does this mean that Kari is our cousin?" Grace asked from the front door.
"Yes." Phoebe and Crest answered, not thinking.
"Awesome! New family!" The girls excitedly exclaimed, running to tackle Kari in a hug—something Kari wasn't used to. Except for her mother, Kari hasn't had any family who cared before. Well, Connor, but she was also getting used to him.
"Girls, let Kari breathe." Crest sighed, shaking his head.
"Besides, I think they were going walk around town." Phoebe firmly told her daughters.
"Grace is the one who told them about town and where to find it after they crash-landed." Gavin informed Phoebe and Crest.
"Fine, but we'll have to hang out one of these days—all of us—as a family. Oh, I have to go call Creed and let him know!" Grace excitedly insisted before rushing inside.
"Are we sure she's twenty?" One of the girls questioned.
"Faith, behave. You know how Grace is: she just becomes a little over-excited." Phoebe scolded her daughter, Faith.
"A little?" Faith, the other girl, and boy, Hope and Harper retorted, shocked.
"That's enough. Now, go inside." Phoebe and Crest ordered, shaking their heads.
"It's nice meeting you. I hope to see you again." Faith and Hope insisted with smiles before heading inside.
"It is nice having family around who isn't crazy." Harper added with a smile before rushing inside.
"Well, welcome to the family, Kari. I wish I would've known about you sooner; I would've taken you in—one hundred percent. But I'm glad you found Howl. And Howl, welcome to the family as well. And you too, little boy. But we'll let you go before it gets too late." Phoebe insisted, hugging Kari, Howl, and Connor before heading inside.
"Phoebe's a hugger. Before I let you go: Kari, I want to let you know how sorry I am for not helping more. I'm even more sorry about your mother; I heard a few years ago. Remember what I said: protect her." Crest mumbled before apologizing to Kari and reminding Howl. Then just like that, like the rest of his family, he was inside.
"Well, that was weird." Calcifer mumbled as they started walking again.
"It was unexpected. Kari, are you ok?" Howl correct Calcifer before asking a very quiet Kari.
"Huh? Sorry. Yes, I'm ok—or I will be. I just didn't realize I had more family out there. Well, I suppose I did, but none of them ever wanted anything to do with me." Kari softly answered.
"You can't say that completely: I didn't even know about you. If I had, I would've wanted to have some kind of relationship with you." Connor insisted.
"Thank you." Kari softly replied.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Look at this place? It's huge. It's certainly bigger than I ever thought it'd be." Calcifer changed the subject before floating into an insanely busy and loud town.
Three Hours Later:
"Finally." Calcifer whined when they made it back to the castle.
"What are you complaining about? You floated everywhere." Connor complained; his feet were hurting.
"What are we having for dinner?" Kari softly requested, slowly walking next to Howl.
"Well, I suppose I could conjure up something using some magic. It'll go faster than if we cook the normal way." Howl offered.
"Ok." Kari replied.
"What are we going to have?" Connor questioned.
"Kari, do you have something specific you'd like?" Howl questioned, watching Kari.
"Umm… Do you like Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with broccoli?" Kari softly asked.
"That's with the white sauce, right?" Howl replied.
"Yes." Kari softly answered.
"It's been a long time since I've had that. That sounds like a splendid plan. Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with broccoli, it is." Howl replied with a smile—even though he hated broccoli.
"Can I have mine without broccoli?" Connor questioned, scrunching up his nose.
"Of course." Howl replied, smiling as Kari took his hand in hers.
"Something wrong?" Calcifer questioned, watching Kari looking at the sky.
"I can see the stars and the moon; it's so clear." Kari softly answered, watching the stars and moon.
"You've never seen the moon or stars?" Connor questioned once they were mere feet from the castle's door.
"Not this clear, no." Kari answered with a soft smile.
"Come on, Connor; let's get the kitchen and dining room ready." Calcifer insisted after seeing a look in Howl's eyes.
"Ok." Connor grumbled; he just wanted to sit down.
"So, did you have fun?" Howl inquired, turning Kari to face him.
"Yes. Did you?" Kari replied.
"Yes. But I think next time, it should just be you and me." Howl replied, slowly placing his hands on her waist.
"Yes, I agree." Kari softly replied, knowing where this was going; she just didn't know what to do.
Howl could see her confusion and slowly guided her hands to his shoulders.
"Just hold still." Howl instructed, gently pulling her chin up so her lips could soon meet his.
"I love you." Kari breathlessly spoke just before Howl's lips softly met hers, taking her first kiss—under the stars and almost full moon.
For Kari, it was like she and Howl were the only two people in the entire world.
For Howl—he was just happy to have Kari.
Meanwhile, Calcifer and Connor were spying on Howl and Kari through one of the castle's windows.
"Howl's going to kill us if he finds out we're spying on him." Connor noted, unable to take his eyes off them.
"Oh, yeah. Hey, don't hold out; pass the peanuts." Calcifer replied before quietly demanding.
Just then, it started lightly raining, bringing Kari and Howl back to reality.
"We should head in before we get sick." Howl insisted.
"Ok." Kari replied like a dope, unable to say anything else as she let Howl lead her inside.
"They're coming!" Connor and Calcifer scrambled to get away from the window before Howl and Kari got inside.
"I got the water boiling. Or it will be in a few minutes." Connor spoke first.
"Howl, can my kitties and I spend the night with you again tonight?" Kari softly requested.
"Of course. In fact, I would like to talk to you about that later. Don't worry about it now; we'll talk at bed. For now, go get changed into something comfy—maybe your new pajamas you just picked out." Howl agreed before insisting.
"Yes." Kari replied with a smile before rushing to her room. It made Howl's heart soar to see her smiling like that.
"So…" "Did you enjoy the show?" Howl questioned with his bangs in front of his eyes, interrupting Calcifer and Connor, turning to face them.
For Kari's sake, Howl waited to speak to Calcifer and Connor until she wasn't in the same room.
"SORRY!" Calcifer and Connor's desperate pleas were heard throughout the castle after that…