Chapter 1: The Omni-Wizard Threat

"So what is in the mail today?" Sophie asked as Markl opened the front door to their castle.

"Nothing much." Markl took off his wizard's hood. "A few papers from the royalty…something about taxes…and a strange letter in a purple paper..."

"A strange letter?" Sophie asked. She was accustomed to strange ever since she'd become Howl Jenkins Pendragon's partner, but still a purple envelope seemed a strange occurrence for a house- or rather a castle – that rarely ever stayed in one place. Now his new castle flew.

"I wouldn't open that if I were you." Calcifer said sitting snug on the fireplace. "Anything strange should be reported to Howl immediately."

"And says the demon who is free but still sits in the hearth of this castle?"

"I could leave now, if you'd like? The whole place would likely go in shambles considering I'm the one holding it up. It'd be way longer of a fall too considering oh I'm holding us up in air now. But rather, I'd think it'd be best for me to stay, and best for you to leave Howl's mail alone."

"What's Howl's mail is my mail." Sophie said in her rather stubborn way.

"You really were fitted for an old woman…in your old stubborn ways. It's not like you're married to Howl anyway…"

"How dare you? Now I certainly will open this." Sophie said as she opened it the envelope transformed into an orb with a fluttering noise with it like it had wings, with a strange spot on it that made it look very closely to an eye.

"I knew it. I knew it. I knew it." Caclifer said as the strange object moved around as if it were actually looking for something. Sophie and Markl ducked on occasion. "It has a spell attatched to it. Now your in for it. When Howl returns you two will be in for it!"

"Well do something! You're a demon aren't you?!"

"Well I am, but I mean I'm only focused on keeping together a flying CASLTE right now… of course who knows how to destroy a-"

"A what?"

They all turned as Howl came through the front door.

"They did it. It wasn't me and even if it was, I'd make sure that I'd check it for magic, so it couldn't have been me."

"Thank you Calcifer. You were always a loyal friend." Howl said rather cooly.

"What is it?" Sophie whispered.

"An Omnioptica…otherwise an all seeing eye…normally used by wizards who want to find something…often belonging to a familiar of the wizard…"

"It's a familiar…eye?" Sophie was used to strange things but this…

"A familiar is like an animal counterpart or henchman…basically like Calcifer but quieter and less demon like." Markl explained.

"And with a clock and a bit of magic…" Howl took out his stopwatch as the Omnioptica began hitting things…or more bumping into things as if it were actually looking for something on the shelf.

Howl didn't like where it was moving. He then took the watch and swung it, humming under his breath. It seemed to lull the magical object. He then raised his hand and pressed it downwards and the magic eye suddenly hit the ground with force before a puff of green smoke, a sizzle, and nothing left but a few words were etched in strange purple ink that fizzled.

"What is it?" Markl asked.

"A warning. From an old…acquaintance."

"Well I daresay you read it aloud?" Sophie looked at him sternly.

"If I must." Howl smirked. She was the only woman who'd never been afraid of him, eating her heart or whatever metaphor that actually was for. Actually she'd been the only one with enough guts to boss him around.

"It says: Pendragon, I have found you. Your name supersedes you and I will find what you took of mine, or you will give it to me. Omni-optica, raviena, I see all. ~ GoldenHorn. – I'm not sure this time how to get this out of the wood."

"That sounds like a threat? Who is Alasthorn?"

"Tatsuo Fafnir Alasthorn. He's a wizard too, but he abused his powers...as great as they are. When I was a young wizard…when I was above the world, I decided I liked his powers and took something that wasn't mine. That's how I got to become involved with Suliman, as the object I took had a great deal of influence over his power and tyranny, so they basically thanked me for it. I put it in hiding, although they claimed they wanted to keep it themselves for safe-keeping."

"And I presume you still have it?" Sophie asked.

"Well yes, its locked behind an enchanted secret compartment behind the bookshelf, which is not really any of your concern considering one, you cant get in it, and two, his eye didn't see anything that important."

"Well it saw the castle, it saw our location which clearly he knows if he got to the mail box outside one of the doors, and then he saw probably you, and the inside of the castle…oh and maybe Sophie and Markl but that's about it."Calcifer said with a sarcasm that put a rather damp silence on them.

"Was he that powerful of a magician?"

"Well if you think that I look good after a few hair spells, this guys got looking good for his age down to a T." Howl said.

"I think he meant dangerous spells Howl." Sophie said.

"Oh well without his Draconialis Amulet, he's a bit more powerful then me I'd say."

"Well…with it?"

"Considering what it does…pretty damn powerful." Howl stretched, still looking to the floor where the ink still bubbled.

"Well what does it do?"

"Well if I remember correctly didn't it have something to do with Dragons?" Calcifer said.

"That'd be about it." Howl added.

"Why would you keep it then?" Sophie asked. "And wait... Dragons?"

"To be fair I forgot about it. That was until the old castle fell apart. Then anything I had that was enspelled kind of came back and was reassembled into this new one. Took me a while to find a new hiding place and a security spell for it, but it's good now. And mainly control them, or something like that."

"So a power crazed Socerer is after it, who is on the hunt and you are not worried?" Sophie clearly was agitated.

"Look we'll move the castle somewhere else, change the doors and locks, not open any conspicuous unknown mail and I can keep the amulet away from the crazy Sorcerer."

"Sounds safe." Calcifer said.

"Why don't you use it?" Markl asked.

"Unfortunately the Amulet has three-rings that have to be aligned that need a…translator…or manual to open. I didn't steal this nor was I aware of this part, so when I took the Amulet I was naive to think it's workings would be primary. The King, actually…many people were happy including Suliman, who wrote my name down on the notable magical-person list of hers, which has become a larger pain than it has an honor."

"I don't like it. If it's in the same place we are-"

"You don't think I'd keep it around if I thought I'd get you into trouble Sophie?" Howl looked adoringly at her.

"It's not me I'm worried about it's you." Sophie said rolling her eyes.

"Well as sweet as that is, don't. I'm the sorcerer here remember." Howl wrapped his arms from behind Sophie around her shoulders.

"And that's what worries me? You are powerful Howl, but sometimes your ego, I believe supersedes you…"

"And that's what I love about you Sophie. I can't get anything past you and your not afraid to rub it in my face." Howl said with too much enthusiasm.

"Well…I try to stay grounded." Sophie said turning to him.

"And I'll say it again. I love you for it." He kissed her on the forehead and looked to Markl.

"Close the doors, change the Locks, oh and the windows… and Calcifer?"

"Yes?" Calcifer asked.

"Do me a favor and hide us deep in a cloud, or somewhere far away from our current location. Something we wouldn't normally be seen at."

"How about the Ingurd Mountans? Or the Perlanian trees? You know I always wanted to go sight-seeing…." Calcifer said with his touch of sarcasm, enough to question whether he was serious or not.

"Whatever you want." Howl said as he went up the stairs.

"Now Howl, just wait and-" Sophie followed him.

"Do you think she'll ever learn?" Markl asked Calcifer as they watched her run after him up the stairs.

"With her stubborn wit probably not…but Howl does need a good grounding every once in a while."

"Its just weird that they actually kiss and stuff now." Markl said making a bit of a 'yuck' face.

"Actually her kiss does have a kind a little spark to it."