Black Butler:

"The Family: Michaelis"

(Sequel to "The Maid's Child".)

By Axel Ingleson

-Chapter 10-

Many miles away from the tragedy, Chase Michaelis hauled his two companions onto the shore their makeshift craft had finally landed on only moments before. The others had passed out an hour earlier, and he hoped that they were both still alive. The three would need to work together if they were to survive on an island, which is where he had assumed they had landed, for any length of time.

He pulled them up the beach, one at a time, stopping beside the edge of a forest to prop each man up in a seated position under a large tree. He checked them and determined that they were both still alive, then smiled as he fanned them with his wings to dry them. As he did this, he thought of all the times he'd done so for his little sister when she'd been playing in the rain, not knowing that he would never do so again.

In time, the captain and Efrain were both dry. Their hair looked windblown, and their clothes were rumpled. But at least they would get sick for the moment. Certain that they would sleep for some time, he headed into the forest to find food. Shelter was also important, but that would have to wait until the others had awakened. For now, the important thing was to make sure that there was something for the three of them to eat. Demons and humans could both go without food for a short time with very few ill effects. But humans could not go as long as Demons, and Chase being half human wasn't sure which side he favored in this matter.

He spotted several edible animals as he searched the forest, but decided to forego them until the wood that was available was dry enough to start a fire with. There were edible plants as well, though not many varieties. "Looks like we'll be having plain salad for dinner tonight. Still better than the nothing we've had for the past several hours." He set to gathering the plants, first finding a large piece of bark that he would be able to use as a serving dish.

Feeling a bit run down, he quietly devoured the soul of a passing butterfly, which was the Demon equivalent of taking a vitamin tablet and drinking a cup of coffee. That perked him up a bit and he returned briskly to where he had left his two companions.

Efrain and the captain woke to find Chase placing the bark dish filled with what passed for a very unusual salad.

"So, with your demonic speed and skill you couldn't catch a rabbit, eh?" the captain complained. He wasn't a salad man, and he eyed the vegetation with distasted.

"There are plenty of rabbits," Chase told him, "and catching them will not be a problem for me. However, I assume you prefer them cooked, and they will not keep long once killed. So it will be best to wait until the wood is dry before I do any rabbit hunting."

"No complaining, now," Efrain said, trying to sound cheerful despite the fact that he'd just found out that the man he'd been on his way to becoming best friends with was half Demon. "Chase has gone through all this trouble to get us some food, I think we should be grateful."

"Gratitude towards a Demon is the path to Hell," the captain muttered. He continued to sit under the tree, doing his best to ignore the salad and his hunger, though the constant rumbling of his stomach wasn't helping much with the latter.

"Captain," Efrain called to him. "Aren't you going to eat? I mean, I know it's not meat, but…"

"If I eat that, he'll own my soul," the captain argued. "I'm not selling my soul for a salad."

"A Demon can't devour your soul unless you make a demonic contract with them," Chase pointed out. " And don't forget, I'm only half Demon. Besides, I've already dined on a butterfly. That will hold me for a while."

"You eat the souls of butterflies?" Efrain asked.

"Only on rare occasions," Chase told him. "It's just a little pick-me-up."

"But you won't eat our souls," Efrain asked.

"No," Chase promised. "I doubt I can eat any souls other than those of butterflies. The human side of me couldn't handle it. Besides," he added in a conspiratorial whisper to his friend, "the captain's is probably the equivalent of overly processed beef jerky."

"Too tough and too salty?" Efrain asked with a grin.

"Precisely."

"If you guys are talking about me, it had better be favorably," the captain warned from his place under the tree.

"Come join us for dinner, and you'll be able to hear it," Chase offered. "And don't tell me you're not hungry. I can hear your stomach rumbling from over here."

Finally giving in, the captain muttered something that sounded like "souls for salads" and joined Chase and Efrain for what in his mind was a lousy dinner.