Markl had never ridden on a gryphon before. In fact, he wasn't sure if he'd ridden on any magical creature before. The only wizard he had contact with was Howl and he had never seen another wizard until Kenta.

The ride was frightfully enchanting. He felt lighter than air as they flew around and above the thundering clouds. A heavy storm was headed for the Palace; it appeared, at least to Markl, that the atmosphere knew what was to come.

Markl knew better than to speak to Kenta. In this form, speech was a restriction, as was the case mostly when Howl transformed. Only if his human head was visible could he verbally communicate.

Kenta's flying was swift. His expansive wings flapped in the sky and separated violent clouds into smaller ones. Markl's only experience in flying was during their time in Howl's castle in the sky, though it was much less terrifying in the house than on Kenta's back.

The storm made daylight nearly nonexistent. It appeared to be nighttime during what Markl knew to be evening. This storm was foul; he was nervous to see it play out.

But they needed this. They needed to go back. Everyone - Sophie, Howl, Gwenda, Martha - they were counting on their presence, their aid in this fight for freedom. Calcifer getting a head start was only the beginning of what Markl thought to be the most dangerous mission of their lives. He was beginning to understand the truth behind the royal city and its rulers, and nothing to his liking. All he knew - all he needed to know - was the pain they put upon his family.

With the revelation of his source, Markl felt more purposeful. He needed to prove his worth; he needed to prove it to Howl and Kenta. To Suliman.

To himself. 

Howl had never been more infuriated. Well, while that may have been a stretch, he was significantly infuriated with the Witch at that moment. Her selfish behavior may not have been completely forgotten.

"You crazy witch!" Howl banged on the door above the sound of an army of guards rushing through the halls. He couldn't believe her betrayal, her sly trick to trap him where she would be safe and he was loose bait. She was more clever than he thought until Howl remembered her powers were gone, meaning the only defense she had was a locked door.

Howl rolled his eyes as he held his thumbs and index fingers together and pulled them away from each other. He felt the lock move and release. In one motion, Howl kicked the door in rage. Whatever caused this woman to leave him for Suliman's guards, whatever plot was swarming her mind, he was fueled by anger to find out.

And he was surprised to see why.

Howl dropped his face. "What are you doing with that?"

The steps of the guards increased hastily, so Howl slammed the door with a spell and locked it immediately. He was more preoccupied with why the Witch was holding a golden orb of magic in her hands.

Her cackle sounded evil, as did the way she eyed the orb of magic in her frail little hands. The golden glow, the power that lay within such a fragile object - even she knew the consequences should anything go awry.

Howl stepped closer, very carefully. "You don't know whose magic that is. You could vaporize it into nothing."

Her continuous laughter proved to Howl her level of insanity. She was playing on dangerous grounds. One mistake, one wrong move, and that magic would no longer be able to return to its original magician.

She was cruel, but this was unexpected.

The Witch turned to Howl, a proud smirk on her face. "I know what my magic looks like."

Howl shielded his eyes as she pressed the orb through her center, the glow encompassing her entire being. She closed her eyes as the magic reentered her system, familiarizing itself with its previous owner. Howl peered slightly and noticed her shape begin to alter.

Her back straightened and her height increased to that taller than his own. Her wrinkles faded into her skin, now showing the porcelain clarity she once wore. Her attire was as flamboyant as their previous disguises, but she was no longer hard to miss.

The Witch of the Wastes had returned in full force.

Howl was at a loss of words. He remembered her cruelties in the past and how her magic overtook her senses. It made him wonder how her actions would play out now that her magic had returned.

The Witch stared at him with a certain look of confidence that used to frighten him to the core. "I recall you saying once you wanted to return your friends' freedom." She gestured toward the rows and rows of golden orbs scattered in the room. "How about we start by giving them their magic back?"

Gwenda had never felt so powerless. The guards traded in their handcuffs for rope, tying their hands with more grip than the cuffs. King Roland found it best to make them as immobile as possible - especially to extort them how he had planned.

Lona bit her lip, unfamiliar with the tightness around her wrists. Gwenda kicked the guard who tried tying her hands, hardly getting a rise out of him. The guard looked to the Royal Family for direction, but Justin merely said to ignore her antics. However, Gwenda was not in the mood to let them continue so easily.

"Your Highness." The guard said. "She needs special treatment."

Roland exhaled a heavy sigh. "Once you finish tying her hands, tie her feet together. Her sister, too."

Gwenda huffed, her dark gaze set directly on Justin. He was unfazed by her situation, proving to her once again how little he cared about her then and now. She had been in tight situations before and usually - though she wasn't proud of it - someone was there to help her through it. For once, she wanted to be able to save herself. However, that didn't seem possible with the restrictions Roland placed on them.

"Just like when we were kids, huh?" Lona said softly, her voice carrying only to Gwenda. "Always had to pick a fight then, too."

Gwenda turned to her. "Saved us from a lot of bullies at school, though."

Lona breathed a laugh. "Yeah, that's true." She waved her eyes across the room. Their only ally was each other. Everyone in the room would be able to stop them if they made any attempt to escape. Gwenda was better at making plans; she was more organized in her thoughts. She had to know what to do.

Lona leaned closer, hoping the guards wouldn't hear. "How are we getting out of here?"

Gwenda searched the room for an answer, but her efforts were futile. Even if they made it to the doors without the guards catching up, there would always be more on the other side. If they ran for the door to the gardens, Justin and Roland would be there to block their way. Without magic, they were essentially at the will of their indicters.

Gwenda dropped her gaze. "I have no clue."

She always felt helpless. Lately, it seemed that only a magician was capable of making actual change. She was vulnerable against their magic and had hardly any defensive strategies. She hid behind the mastery work of her friends and waited for them to make a decision. Now, she wanted to make the decisions; she wanted to decide her own fate.

Then, she thought she was seeing things - things that couldn't possibly be true. If it was a dream, it was a cruel, evil trick. Yet she knew she was fully awake - and she recognized the fire demon behind those eyes the instant he appeared in the fireplace.

He noticed her immediately. After all the times she had been tied up or chained around him, he still seemed shocked at the scene. Every single time, he felt insignificant and unable to protect her. He held his breath at the sight, thankful simply for the blessing that she was still alive and that he at least found her again.

Gwenda didn't waste a moment. She didn't care that the guards were quick to notice her runaway scheme; she didn't care about the consequences that may follow; she just needed him.

This was her fate.

"Calcifer!" Gwenda shouted as she felt two large bodies grab her and thrust her to the ground just before the marble around the fireplace. One guard held her arms down while the other pressed her head into the tiles, her long braid curling toward the fire demon. She tilted up to Calcifer with a struggle, trying hard to ignore the devastated look on his face.

"My hair." She said. He didn't respond so she added volume. "My hair, Calcifer. Take my hair."

His eyes widened but he wasted no more time. His fiery arms reached forward and snipped off the long, golden braid Gwenda had adored for so long. He gobbled up the intrinsic locks, his eyes never parting from the tenacious blue he saw in Gwenda's.

The guards lifted her from the ground, both unsure of how to deal with the fire demon in their presence. Neither had ever witnessed one before, and this experience would be quite a memorable one for them. Gwenda felt their constraining grip loosen, and as she turned back to Calcifer, she saw why.

He was no longer the ordinary fire demon she once knew.

Lona's screams were mute to the roaring transformation in Calcifer. He glowed a white light before multiplying in size. With each step backward from the humans, the fire demon continued growing until he squeezed out of the fireplace. A bulky, heavy hand clasped onto the mantle, cracking the wooden bar into splinters. Then, to Gwenda's surprise, he finally stood on fiery legs.

She stood numb as Calcifer narrowed his eyes at the guards who limply held her. If his glare didn't display his rage, the deep red in his fire surely did. He pulled back a muscular arm of fire and thrust it down on the closest one. Gwenda jumped back for fear of getting hit in the crossfire, still staring in complete wonder.

She rushed back to her sister, though the other guards stood their ground next to her. Gwenda wrapped her tied hands over one of the guard's necks and pulled them both down. The other attempted to remove her, but only increased the pressure on his cohort's neck.

"What is that?" Lona shouted.

Gwenda looked back, watching how his flames glowed in perfect unity. He stood tall as opposed to the many times she witnessed the minuscule demon trapped in the confines of concrete. He was strong; he was powerful; he was finally free.

Gwenda smiled. "He's the greatest magician I've ever known."

Calcifer scanned the room as several frightened guards sprinted for the nearest exit. Gwenda was in the middle of a brawl with the guards near another girl and the Royal Family were by their thrones, Justin wearing his sly grin.

"Calcifer." He said casually. "So great to see you again." Calcifer seethed as he ran in Justin's direction, his anger fueled by all the devastations he had caused Sophie, Gwenda, and everyone he cared about. Once seen as an optimistic gentleman, Calcifer now wished to see him burn and suffer.

Justin, though without the use of magic, was quick on his feet and evaded the enlarged fire demon. His rage weakened his sense of strategy, giving Justin an advantage. He heard hefty laughter coming from King Roland, but Calcifer was more focused on the Prince.

"You've hurt my family for the last time," Calcifer growled in a low voice. "I will not let you torment Gwenda any longer."

Justin chuckled. "That's so adorable - the greedy fire demon in love with the pathetic little misfit. You two are just desperate enough for each other, aren't you?"

Two sets of doors slammed against the walls. From the center, Howl and the Witch of the Wastes - now back to her old self before Suliman stripped her of magic. Their gaze fell directly to Calcifer, Howl amazed by the state he had transformed into. It was none like he had seen when he held his heart.

From the other door, Nade appeared and was equally as shocked as the rest by Calcifer. He turned to Howl with a prideful grin and jumped.

Howl rushed for Gwenda and Lona. "Watch out!" As Nade punched into the ground, the room's gravitational pull became unbalanced and tilted. Gwenda, still holding tight to the guard's neck and the other trying to break her loose, fell toward her sister and knocked her to the ground. They reached for anything within stability, but their fall continued until they hit the thrones. The Royal Family was spared by a bubble Nade had placed around them before the unbalance.

Calcifer was prepared to stop Gwenda's fall, though Nade's effects worked drastically on him as well. He fell back against the grand windows. The glass cracked and shattered, some of the sharp edges falling near the two sisters. The thrones acted as a shield for the most part, though Gwenda's yelp didn't ease him.

"Gwenda!" Calcifer cried. Blood streamed in a thin line down her cheek from just below her eye. The effects could have been much worse - even still, he hurt her.

Howl and the Witch jumped toward the two, landing against the tilted thrones. Howl ripped a piece of his shirt and covered Gwenda's wound, the shred of cloth soaking in blood. The Witch released them from their restraints with a simple spell. Lona, however, was not keen on being in the Witch's presence.

She recognized her fear. "I see you remember me. Don't worry, I'm not here to turn you into a dove again."

Howl widened his eyes. "Calcifer! The curtains!"

Calcifer turned to see that the curtains posted at the grand windows had erupted with flames and were falling quickly. The fire spread to the carpeted floor, slowly reaching the ends of the room. With the power Calcifer gained, he could start a forest fire.

Lona screamed as the fire reached the thrones, the elegant wood easily bursting into flames and disintegrating into ash. Howl pulled her away from the flames and masked the smoke that arose. This fire, however, due to the increase in Calcifer's power, would not cease even to the strongest of spells.

It wouldn't stop until the entire Palace had turned to smoke and ash.

Calcifer took a step back, watching the disaster occur - a disaster he created. The look Gwenda held on her face was one of terror. She was afraid; of him or his power or both, he couldn't decide. All he knew, all he saw was his own destruction to her and everyone else.

"I can't..." He whispered. Howl turned to him, but if Calcifer could cry he would have enough tears to wash away the growing flames.

Gwenda watched Calcifer back away. He was leaving; he was actually leaving. She could sense his fear and shame, everything she tried not to put upon him. And once again, someone she loved was leaving her.

Calcifer's heart was weak and he couldn't handle who he had become. He turned to Howl. "Take care of her. Please."

Howl nodded. He wasn't going to make Calcifer's decision for him. Without delay, the humanoid fire demon ran away into the darkness and thunderstorms.

"Calcifer!" Gwenda rushed to the hole in the windows, watching Calcifer run out into the spread of trees and the pouring rain. He could die; this rain could very well kill him.

Her lips trembled as an overflow of tears merged with the falling raindrops. Her newly short hair waved in the rough wind and chills ran through her entire being. "Please, Calcifer. I can't lose you, too."