Who are you..? (A Howl's Moving Castle FanFiction)

Chapter 12: In Which A Wild Chase Ensues

"Now then, where oh where could that brother of Amelia's be?" Howl murmured as he looked down at his map. This man could be anywhere! Then an idea came to him. The Tracking Stones! If the correct spell was placed on them, they'd get as close as half a mile.

"Ugh, Howl, I don't understand this spell..." Michael groaned in frustration. He entered the main room and saw Howl's growing impatience. "Uh, is this a bad time?" He added quickly.

"Quite." Howl murmured back, but motioned for his apprentice closer to look at the problem. "You're pronouncing this wrong;" he finally explained. "It's leviosa. Not leviosa." Howl corrected him and Michael nodded in understanding.

"What are you looking for? You haven't used the Tracking Stones for so long..."

"Amelia's brother." Howl replied, and Michael's eyebrows widened is surprise. Something about Amelia she had shared, and he was gone!?

"No joke!?!" Michael let his jaw drop. "I wanna help!!"

"You have your own work." Howl flatly denied, and Michael whined in annoyance.

"But we haven't done anything fun in awhile~" The curly haired teen countered. Howl glared before nodding for Michael to scoot closer. To which he did happily.

"Spiritus saractos, titana galano. Dumble Dora The Explora..." Howl chanted as he rolled the five smooth stones in his hand. "Titana harpana colonus toetalis." With these words, the wizard threw the stones into the air and watched as they hovered over the air above the hand-made map. Howl's eyebrows creased in confusion.

"That's certainly not right." He stood up from his seat. "It says he's in the city. Right next to us, to be precise." Michael scrunched up his nose as he looked down as well. It was true. The Tracking Stones never failed!

"Well then, maybe he's outside." Michael supplied an answer.

"No! That's impossible!" Howl dejected, and tried once again. This time coming up just outside of the Wastelands. "There. See? Just a fluke." Howl tossed on his coat and nodded to Calcifer.

"Let's get this hunk of a castle going!"

"Well, you don't have to be so rude." The flame demon flared out its tongue, but none the less smirked and started his tiring task. The creaking grew loud and in the chaos, Howl swiftly snapped his hand out to stop Amelia Starr's guitar from hitting the wood floor. He gently set it off to the side and hopped the stairs two at a time to step out onto the balcony.

"I wonder what this man will be like.." Howl murmured in curiosity.

And a smile curled onto his lips.

~*~

"Hello? Can someone turn on the lights?" I whined.

"And who are you...?" A raspy voice answered. I can't let this person scare me!

"Amelia Pendragon!" I shouted back, and suddenly the lights surged on REALLY fast and REALLY brightly. Once my eyes adjusted, I stared up at the man Howl had called 'King'. His throne sat up a good five feet above me with gently sloping stairs all the way up.

Did I mention that it was solid gold?

Goddamn masochists.

~*~

"Not here either!" Howl let loose a swear as he threw the map and Tracking Stones onto the ground. Michael watched the meltdown- from a safe distance, of course.

"Well, what now?" The apprentice asked.

"Back to the castle!" Howl commanded, and he obeyed. "We're going to Market Chipping to see if Lottie has any idea. She's always up to date on strange people wandering around." He closed the door once the two were inside and changed the dial to green before throwing open the door.