Chapter 16: Where Conflict Arises


Yeah, you can hate me for not updating. I just had a total writer's block for this chapter. Hopefully the long chapter makes up for it!
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~ Saturnthehero

~*~

There was an elegant palace in a country far off.

Further than seventy-league boots.

The palace was made of an elegant marble; gold plated design lay on every ledge and balcony. Window sills were covered with a copper paint and monogyny doorways.

One, in particular, was thrusted open in a hurried action. It was the main dorrs that entered the estate.

Salazar, though having his normal attire of cheery colors on, held a face of concern as he walked down a dark hallway. Amelia was just out of his reach, and though he could easily snatch her away, he was hoping Howl and Amelia would see how he was struggling.

Turning a right, he came to the largest set of doors yet. He did not hesitate to swing them open. There lay a large room adorned with gold trinkets and velvet rugs.

"I've done what you want." Salazar snapped, "I've killed the King of Jaspatin, now let me see my son and daughter!" His eyes were locked on the man sitting in the extravagant throne. The man shifted and rested his chin in a hand.

"Alright. Ten minutes." The voice was deep and had a rumble that shook the room.
Salazar's eyes peeled off the man and darted towards a door to his right, and there stood a small girl no older than five stood holding the hand of a boy about three years of age.

"Daddy!" The girl's smile shines onto her face and she giggled at the man. Salazar's face softened; lines of age now visible as he smiled. He picked her up and swung her into the air as the boy ran in and out of his legs wobbly. He then picked the boy up as well and hugged both children close to him.

"Diana," Salazar placed a kiss of her head, "Jack," he did the same to the boy.

"Daddy? When can we go back home?" The small girl, Diana asked as she looked up at her father. Hurt filled Salazar's eyes.

"Soon." He held a smile together seemingly by strings as it was so weak. The children vanished from his grasp and he scrambled for the air where his daughter once was. A frightened look on his face.

"Now," the man on the throne snapped his fingers; calling Salazar's attention back up at him. "Are you going to continue stalling on capturing the woman and destroying Howl?"

Salazar painfully shook his head as the cold face returned to the man.

"No, sir."

~*~

"Hey Howl; I'm back!" I called out as I returned from the rolling fields of green. I spent most of the day outside this little house that the door connected to and finished the last of Lord of the Rings: FINALLY!!

When I came in, Howl was crouched over the table with his back to me. Wondering what he was up to, naturally I came up behind the man and jump scared the sheet outta him!!!

"Wah! HOI IM TEMMIE!" I laughed as he instantly froze, but soon recovered. Bet he didn't think I'd notice that he slid something into the pocket of his coat.

Suspichy.

(Note: suspichy= suspicious+fishy)

"Amelia," Howl greeted me as I took a seat next to him. His eyes diverted from mine, and that made him even MORE suspichy.

"I have a question-"

"And I may have an answer." I sarcastically replied. Yet he continued on. Still; Amelia: 2.

"I was wondering; did you by any chance lose anything while you have been at Market Chipping?" Huh, think Amelia; was there anything?

"The only thing I don't have that I can remember are my mother's earrings. I had to give them to an innkeeper to stay there for the week." I sighed, and a depressed feeling constricted on my heart. I really miss them. And I haven't told Denny yet, and I knew how he'd freak out.

Such a drama queen.

"...and then he said, 'GEEEEEEETTTTTT DUNKED ON!"

And speak of the devil. I rolled my eyes.

Michael and Denny entered the house carrying groceries and chatting away like old buddies.

"Hey Amelia, I found another book for you." Michael handed me a leather-bound book with a smile. "I thought you would like a change of storylines from your other ones. I thanked him and threw it into my bed underneath the stairs.

"So Howl, why'd you ask about them?" I returned to our conversation, but he seemed to have dropped it like a base by now.

"Forget it." He dismissed, and then he walked up to his room!

DONT LEAVE ME! WHY DO OUR CONVERSATIONS ALWAYS END UP THIS WAY!?!

I sighed, and decided to let him go. (A/N: if you loVE HIM LET HIM GOOOOOOOOOOOO! Omg sorry.) I turned to Denny who gave me his signature eyebrow wiggle that never fails to make me laugh my pants off.

"We're we.." He began,

"..interrupting something?" Michael answered, and high-fived my bro.

It's started.

Oh god, not the bromance..

"No, nope, nada, nothing at all!" I felt heat rush to my face and I cried out in my defense. It's not what it seems! We were simply talking! This isn't a John Green romance book or anything!

"Right; and I can say sneaky skeletons spy suspiciously five times fast without messing up." Denny rolled his eyes before popping off his baseball cap on his red hair as he fixed it.

~*~

Three hours had passed quietly inside the castle; with the exception of crackling flames from Calcifer's body and the creaking of pipes from under the floorboards.
Soon as one would settle into the atmosphere, though, a voice broke it-

"Howl! IF YOU LOVE ME LET ME GOOOOOO!" Amelia's voice sang high and off key as she came racing down the stairs and startling the fire demon awake. He watched as the woman donned a straw sun hat on her red hair and placed plastic black sunglasses over her eyes.
Howl was seen racing down the stairs after her; dressed in his normal attire, he slid down the railing of the steps and landed right behind Amelia.

"Can't you understand idiot woman?!?" He groaned as he used his magic to mold her shoes to the wooden floor. "I'm trying to keep you safe!" To Calcifer, it seemed this was simply the middle of their argument, and unlike many who would shy away from the two, he wanted to get all the details.

"Well I can handle myself pretty damn fine!" Amelia's olive skin grew a tinge of red- from what, Calcifer could not confidently say. "I need to go out sometime! This castle is a home, Howl. Don't turn it into a prison."

Now things snapped as one could simply feel it in the air.

Howl's face distorted into an angry frown as shadows piled into the room; sucking up all of the warmth. "I've tried to guide you, and yes, not in the most friendliest of ways," his slow walk caused Amelia to back up. "But have you ever truly been hurt by me since you've been here??" He questioned, but gave no time for an answer.

"You know not of who I am and what I can truly do! You're just a damn woman! One who came into my home without permission at first, and then made my life a living Hell!" His words hiccuped and he paused to get her himself as he looked at the ends of the raven hair he loathed so.

"I think it'd be best if you were captured by Salazar; then I could be alone." At this moment, Amelia's eyes widened in shock, and Calcifer would dare say that she was on the brink of tears, but she turned and her hair obscured his vision. There was the breath of silence as both humans were scared by one another.
Then, Amelia Starr was the first to act. Having been freed of Howl's grasp on her shoes.

Crossing the room and taking her guitar case into hand, she walked back to the magical doorway, and turned the dial painfully to yellow - Market Chipping.

"Amelia! He didn't mean it!" Calcifer cried out as he watched Howl's only hope at redemption walk out. She paused and looked back. Flashing a smile, but something was hidden behind it.

"Your may not have hurt me physically, Howl," Amelia sighed, and once again her hair hid her tears, but she still had to raise a hand to clear them from her vision.

"But you damn near broke my mentality."

Then, the door closed.

"Howl! Go after her!" Calcifer blazed angrily at the wizard. His flame almost t the ceiling in his fury, but suddenly, a chill shocked him as Howl sent a piercing glare at his friend.

"Why!?" He snapped, "everything was fine before she came along! Nothing felt complicated! Now the feeling will go away.." Howl hung his head, but Calcifer felt at the edge of his log.

"What feeling?" He cautiously asked and Howl, having calmed down, placed a hand on his chest.

"It's like some magic is constricting right here.." He breathed as though it hurt to take in air.

He looked up, and all Calcifer did was smile.


That's the end of the chapter, but I want to know what you think of possibly a new cover for this book? Does it seem like a good idea?

~Saturnthehero

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