Kuroshitsuji: The Beginning Chapter 2

Chapter Two: The Butler, Repairing

Sebastian stood in front of the large mansion as the sun began to rise. The orange glow of the sky beamed through the blackened wreckage that had once been walls and shimmered on the remaining panes of glass in the windows. The mansion was nothing more than a scorched mass of wood and stone and the demon could still smell the odour of charcoal and death in the air. He licked his lips.

From behind a large mound of blackened rubble a tall, thin man with greying hair and a moustache emerged. His smart attire was tattered and singed in places but he looked unharmed as he swept feebly at the mess. Sebastian strode towards the man, his long coat bellowing out behind him and his muscles tensed, prepared to kill the stranger if he turned out to be an enemy of his new master. The man stopped sweeping and looked towards Sebastian; his eyes drifted to Ciel who had fallen back into unconsciousness and he dropped the battered broom he had been holding. Sebastian stopped in front of him and narrowed his eyes as he spoke,

"Who are you?" The old man reached out a tentative hand towards Ciel but Sebastian took a step back and repeated, "Who are you?"

The man dropped his hand to his side and looked into Sebastian's devilish eyes, "Tanaka. I am the House Steward, who are you?" his gaze moved back to the sleeping boy, "Is the young master alright?"

"Yes," Sebastian ignored the question pointed at himself and relaxed a little, this man was obviously no threat, "I need somewhere to rest him."

Tanaka adjusted his monocle and looked back at the ruins of the mansion, "I'm afraid he cannot rest here," he thought for a moment, "I know someone who will take us in for a while." Tanaka's eyes moved up and down Sebastian; the demon's feet were bare and the long black coat that he wore was flapping in the morning breeze. His long fingers that were wrapped around Ciel sported black nails and the mark of the covenant stood out against his pale skin.

~ o o O o o ~

Tanaka knocked twice on the crumbling wooden door and it slowly creaked open. A foul stench seeped out and Sebastian scrunched his nose up as it settled over him. He didn't know why Tanaka would think this would be a good place to stay; to Sebastian it seemed like quite the opposite, although the darkness and general eeriness of the place did suit the demon's tastes. They stepped inside the dark room and Sebastian immediately felt uneasy; coffins lined the walls and glass jars filled with various organs and god-knows-what were scattered everywhere. A faint humming was coming from another room and the demon could feel the buzz of electricity in the atmosphere.

"Are you in, Undertaker?" Tanaka moved to a curtain that covered a doorway to the right and peered behind it. He turned back to Sebastian and shrugged, "I don't think he's here."

Without warning Sebastian kicked a loose stone by his foot and sent it flying into one of the coffins on the far wall. The coffin swung open, revealing a thin man with long grey hair and a broad smile.

"Heh heh heh," the Undertaker stepped out of his makeshift bed and pointed a long, thin finger towards Sebastian, "What do we have here?" Something about this man felt strange to Sebastian, not quite right, and he instinctively took a step backwards.

"We need somewhere to rest the young master for a while," Tanaka said.

The Undertaker tilted his head as he looked at Ciel and waved his hand in the air, "Very well, I will do it for free only this once."

Sebastian gently laid Ciel in one of the open coffins; he looked like a victim of a childhood disease. The demon then turned towards the door and began to leave. As he curled his fingers around the door handle Tanaka spoke up,

"Where are you going?"

Sebastian held back the urge to simply shut the old man up by breaking his neck and instead turned and looked at him, "I am going to repair the mansion."

"Re- Repair? You're going to repair it?" Tanaka's mouth hung open and his eyes opened so wide that his monocle dropped from his face.

"Yes," was Sebastian's reply. He left without another word, his long coat swishing behind him as he slammed the door shut.

"What an interesting fellow, heh heh," whispered the Undertaker.

~ o o O o o ~

It was almost midnight when the door to the Undertaker's parlour creaked open. Sebastian walked in slowly; Tanaka looked at him and saw that his eyes seemed to be burning in the dim light and his coat was covered in ash. His feet remained bare but not one scratch marked them.

"We can go back now, if you wish," Sebastian smiled inwardly as Tanaka gasped.

Before Tanaka could respond Ciel sat up in the coffin that had been made into his bed and looked around groggily. He automatically held his hand over his right eye and looked at Sebastian with his left. Tanaka clasped his hands together and smiled,

"Young Master! How are you feeling?"

Sebastian watched as the small boy convinced himself he was alright and as he swung his legs over the edge of the coffin. He stood up and tried to look as assertive as he could whilst wearing only a tattered shirt,

"I am fine. I wish to leave this place."

"But where shall we go?" Tanaka sighed heavily, "The mansion is destroyed."

Ciel's eyes widened for a moment and then Sebastian spoke in his smooth voice, "We can return to it now. The repairs have been made."

Both Ciel and Tanaka stared, wide-eyed at the demon but he simply smiled in response. Ciel smirked a little,

"Very well, let's go."