Disclaimer: This is a FanFiction!
A/N: The internet connection at home is gone for good. T_T Can't visit FF everyday anymore. Darn. Well, here's the eleventh chapter. My OCs will be introduced. :D
Sorry, if there's a lot of Grammar mistakes.
Chapter XI: Went Down the Hill
"Brother, it's time to wake up," a sweet voice of a girl echoed inside the small chamber where a 15 year-old, black-haired boy was having his rest. It was six sharp in the morning when his younger twin sister decided to wake him up.
"Five more minutes," he mumbled. He pulled his blanket up to his head and faced the other side of the bed.
His twin sighed in disbelief and pulled the blanket off him, causing him to curl into a ball when the morning breeze got in contact with his skin. "Get up," she called, raising her voice a little. "We're out of firewood. We need to get some if you don't want to spend the whole winter in a freezing house."
The lad groaned. "Alright, alright… I'm up." He went out of bed, got himself ready in his thick winter coat and scarf, and darted off towards the forest with his sister.
Sebastian was up so early as usual that morning. He was spending a moment of silence in the backyard, cuddling a black cat on his lap. His master hadn't given him any orders yet since he and Charlotte went back last night. The only thing Vincent ordered was for him to take a one day break. He never wanted a rest, especially at that kind of situation wherein the whole family was on a lot of tension. But he couldn't refuse, for it was an order. He still couldn't forgive himself for returning without any single lead.
Oh, how he hated yesterday's event. He and Charlotte immediately reported at their master about the problem's current detail the moment they got home. It was midnight when they got back. Vincent welcomed them in his study with a warm smile, though his face was apparently pale, his eyes were quite red and there were black marks underneath it—too obvious that he had been crying. Sebastian felt a gush of worry and guilt running inside his whole body. He bowed down on his knees, the lowest he had ever done with his head almost hitting the floor, trying to give his deepest apology to the Earl.
"Master, I had been very incompetent. I failed and disgraced you, My Lord. I deserve a harsh punishment in return," he said, not looking or raising his head to meet his master's gaze. After seeing what Sebastian did, Charlotte almost stammered and hurriedly did the same, apologizing for not being of use as well.
Vincent knelt down in front of the two and placed a hand on both of their shoulders. "Please, raise your heads, you two. There's nothing to apologize about. You did well."
"B-But, My Lord… This shameless act is intolerable. I went against the contract, therefore you're ought to punish me."
"I'm the master, Sebastian. I can do whatever I want and you're ought to obey them. Now, stand up, both of you." Sebastian and Charlotte obeyed their master and stood up on their feet. "Go and take a rest. I'll do the searching for tomorrow."
"No, I'm afraid I cannot do that," Sebastian answered. Charlotte tugged the hem of his sleeve to remind him that they should just go without complaints.
"Didn't you hear me, Sebastian? I said, go and take a break. You need to rest for the whole twenty-four hours tomorrow." Vincent gave him a serious look. "That's an order."
And so here he was, resting his mind temporarily, though he still couldn't fully retract himself from thinking about his little master. He couldn't sleep either, since demons do not need to sleep; well, they do as a form of different leisure, unlike what humans do to regain energy for the next set of duties they would have.
Sebastian leaned his back against the door, still holding the cat, and pulled his eyes close to a sleep.
Oz slowly stirred from his sleep when he felt incomparable warmth on his chest. He pressed whatever was on top of him closer, savoring the heat to his own. He just opened his eyes when he heard a faint moan. He looked down and saw Ciel, now being strangled by his arms. He pulled back, almost jumping from surprise and joy. "We're alive?" he thought, hardly processing the whole detail. Seconds later, he finally swallowed it. "Oh god, we're alive! I thought we're done for. Thank God." He gently pulled Ciel back to him and pressed a hand on his forehead. He barely felt it due to the numbness of his hands, but he knew that the boy still had a high fever. The boy was still shivering and releasing heavy breaths. They need to move out before he contracted Pneumonia, or worst, die. He gave the blue-haired boy a piggy back ride and strode their way out from the forest.
An hour had passed and soon Oz got a glimpse of a cliff from his right. He walked towards it and ducked his head down. It was a hill-like cliff; just below it was a narrow roadway leading to a more open space. Bliss instantly filled the blonde boy's demeanor. At last, they were out of the woods. All he had to do was bring him and Ciel down the hill. If they follow the trail, it would definitely lead them to a town, or better, back home. The only problem he was facing at the moment was how to do it while keeping the two of them free from scratches.
Oz sat by the edge of the cliff, still thinking of ways on how to get down, when Ciel finally woke up from his slumber—he had him on his lap now instead on his back. "How are you feeling, Ciel? I'm sorry if we took us this long, but look, I found a road. We're almost there, I think," he said, smiling. Ciel only stared at him, eyes brimming with pain and concern. He clutched Oz's coat lapel, as if about to say something. "What's wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?" Oz shot him a worried look. Ciel responded with his continuous coughs, which made the blonde boy panicked. Now's not the time to think. He sprang down the cliff. He did it with careful measures, but didn't get away from slipping and landing all the way down. He no longer got control of the situation and only managed to protect Ciel from the impact, causing his own forehead to hit the hard concrete beneath them. Blood instantly oozed from the small cut. It was seconds later when he fell unconscious, leaving them both lying on a thick snow.
Oz tossed. He could feel his head spinning, though there was a comfortable feeling behind his back. It was soft, like he was lying on a bed with thick blankets, big cushions, and cotton covers. Also, his body was no longer numb and he could feel warmth rushing through his entire system; although that didn't make the pain on his wounds disappear. He slowly opened his eyes; blinding lights hit his face, though only temporary when he finally adjusted to it. He looked around his surroundings, realizing that he was in an unfamiliar room and was actually lying on a comfy small bed. "Am I dreaming, or am I already dead?" He thought, but then brushed it away after making a conclusion that whatever the answer was, he wouldn't care less. At least, he was no longer cold and that he finally got to sleep in a soft bed again. But then, his indifferent attitude turned into an anxious one when he remembered the boy who was with him.
"Ciel!" he snapped, pulling his body upwards into a sitting position in a very careless manner, causing the wounds on his torso to release more troublesome pains. He looked around him for the second time—he was alone, no sign of Ciel or anybody else. He grunted, almost cursing himself after realizing that he was already crying. "Why the hell am I crying? It's not like he is my little brother or my best friend. I barely know him, yet here am I worrying to death." He instantly wiped the tears from his face and sighed in total disbelief. He was about to lie down once more when the door to his chamber creaked open. His jaw dropped as he stared at the person who was walking towards him. It was a girl around his age, with long, straight, lavender hair and a pair of pinkish irises.
"Oh, I'm so glad you're awake," she said as she put down the basin she was carrying. Oz only stared at her with his face stating that he has some questions needing to be answered. "My name is Isabel. My brother and I found you unconscious down the foot of the hill. We were there picking some chunk of woods. I panicked when I saw your wound, I thought you were dead," she explained, a shot of concern in her eyes. "Plus, the boy who was with you was in a critical condition so we thought of bringing you both here immediate—"
Oz cut her off upon the mention of the boy. "Oh, where is he? T-Take me to him. Is he alright? Please do tell me that he is."
"He is fine, though his fever is so high. But don't worry… my sister is tending to him right now. My brother gave him a warm bath a while ago while sleeping, since he really needed it to at least lower his temperature." Isabel put a palm over Oz's forehead. The lad tensed up, though relaxed on the touch after a couple of seconds. "You're warm. You contracted a slight fever too, I guess. I suggest that you make yourself comfortable. I'll draw you a hot bath. Please wait for me." She head back to the door and just glanced back at Oz when the latter called for her attention once more.
"Thank you, Miss Isabel," Oz remarked.
Isabel smiled warmly at him and then proceeded from going out of the room.
It only took Oz a span of ten minutes from his morning bath. Isabel's older twin brother lend him a plain shirt and a knee-length brown pants (a set of clothing majority of the commoners wear). It felt comfortable despite the cheap material used from making it. Oz went out from the room and proceeded downstairs where the siblings were. He was welcomed once again by Isabel, who asked him to come join them for breakfast. Normally, he would refuse, knowing that it is bad manners to do so in a stranger's house. But then, he did anyway, after realizing that it is bad manner as well to refuse an offer, plus his stomach was already screaming for food. He sat at a wooden chair beside Isabel, though before doing so, he glanced around the whole place. The house was medium in size, just the average size for three people to live in. The next thing he did was to glance at the table. There was a meal on it, consisting of a tasty-smelling mushroom soup with asparagus, white bread and rolls.
"Go ahead and eat. I'm sorry if that is all we could offer you," Isabel said.
Oz stirred from his thoughts when he heard her spoke. "She doesn't speak commoner at all." He instantly felt a hip of embarrassment running through his senses. "I-It's alright. I am very much grateful for the offer." He lowered his head as he tasted the soup before him. His face instantly grew joy. "I-It's delicious!"
He heard giggles coming from Isabel and the younger lady opposite to her. He assumed that it was the sister she was talking about. "I'm flattered, Mister," he heard her spoke. The girl, who has short, black hair, was the one who made the soup he had just tasted. Oz threw a smile at her, which caused the 14-year-old girl to blush.
"Is this the first time you have eaten a plain mushroom soup?" It was the brother who spoke this time. Oz glanced at him, a little embarrassed. Isabel shot him a don't-you-dare-embarrass-him-or-else-I'm-gonna-kic k-you look. "Looks like you're not like those other noble kids who found commoner meals disgusting," he said, almost shivering from the glare his sister gave him.
"I-I don't really care whether I'm eating a high-class meal or not. Besides, this doesn't taste bad at all," Oz said.
The lad smirked. He was a foot taller than Oz and a bit cocky, though he could still feel that he's nice like an average brother. "I'm Ivenrei Blaire, cool to meet you. I'm Isabel's twin, bet you already know that. This one's Ilyasviel, our little sister," he explained. "You haven't told us your name yet."
"I am Oz. Oz Vessalius."
The three shot him a surprised look. Ivenrei leaned forward and said, almost yelling, "You're a Vessalius? Jolly, no wonder you have blonde hair and emerald eyes." Oz only responded with a chuckle. The four of them continued with their meal and finished just in time before the clock struck eight. Oz helped with washing the dishes despite the continuous demand of Isabel to just sit down and rest. When they were done with the task, the two of them joined Ivenrei and Ilya on the floor in front of the hearth. They stayed there, until a piercing scream broke the silence.
Oz stood up, almost like a rabbit perking its ears for sensing an utter danger. He dashed upstairs, with the three following him, straight to the chamber where the screams were coming from. When they got inside, no one was on bed, instead a blue-haired boy was curling on a corner, screaming words like, 'don't and help'. Oz rushed to his side, landing a firm hold on the trembling boy's shoulder. Ciel could only scream. He didn't even realize that his savior had once again come to his rescue.
A/N: There's my OCs! Just a little secret, Isabel Blaire is actually me (HoHoHo. It's not a secret anymore). No, it's not my real name. It's my own designed character to portray my Fujoshi side. About Ivenrei, well, I just thought of creating another boy character to serve as Isabel's brother. The name was random—just something I thought that would fit the sisters' names. Ivenrei is a little grand for a commoner, but, oh well, never mind… I just always liked the name Rei. For Ilyasviel—she was the character I made to portray my little sister, although it didn't turn out well. Like Ivenrei, hers is too grand for a low-class English citizen. I got her name from Ilyasviel Von Einzbern of Fate/Stay Night. I really wanted to name my future daughter after her, and since it would surely take me long years before that would happen, I ended up creating an OC. For my future sons—yes, I want three kids—I want to name them after Ciel and Oz. Argh, cute! Of course, I want my first born to be a HE, so I can name him "Oz Adrianne Kaizser" (the third name, not yet sure.) I will have my baby aborted if it turns out to be a SHE—WAH! Just kidding. How mean of me. It's fine as long as my last baby is a HE again, so my very own Ciel will exist (I will spoil him to death! I will be a One Hell of Mother to him. XD) I had thought of naming him "Ciel Rihan Siegrein" ('cause I love Jellal of Fairy Tail) and my daughter as "Marie Ilyasviel Kleinne". Now, why am I sharing this in the first place? I guess this was the side effect of my long term writer's block.