Clearing his throat, Ciel stuck his chin up. "Come now, must you be so crude?" Simon erupted into laughter.
"This is hell, kid. I don't give a fuck what you think." If the man wasn't currently wrestling purple brambles, he'd have surely stopped to point and laugh at the boy. "We're a means to an end, us two. Best not forget that." With a snap, the bramble shot back. Nearly whipping Ciel in the face as the kid ducked hurriedly. With biting words upon his tongue, Ciel almost wished to stomp his feet. That would get him no where. With grinding teeth, he forced his anger down. There was no winning unless he could get information, making this person mad would probably end up with the kid buried ten feet under.
"Fine then, how do I know what my sin is?"
"Ho boy, good question. Couldn't tell ya. Hey, maybe if ya spent less time yappin and more time walkin we'd be makin more progress, yeah? Bloody midgets, I tell ya." Ciel got the message and shut up. It was weird as the man had almost been supportive earlier. As if he cared. Simon seemed almost agitated, or afraid of something.
Just as Ciel swore his legs were going to fall off, from the mist came a door. Literally, just a door. Not even a nice one, it was rickety and worn. It had chips in its white paint, revealing a blackish oak wood underneath. "Are you sure you're not just going to kill me?" Ciel snarked, lip curled up in obvious disdain. What was this? A mugging in a back alley? Great.
"Shut it, boy, or the keeper'll have yer tongue. Sides, that bit comes later."
"I beg your pardon?"
Suddenly the door slammed open. Rusted hinges groaned in protest, as the wood peeled back to uncover a dwelling of only darkness. "One does not simply see what is, little king."
"Wot?" Ciel could only stare in utter bafflement at the being exiting the deceptively small doorway. Cloaked, massive, and gems for fingers. Or were those crimson crystals scythes? Long flowing antenna sprouted out from beneath a worn hood. It made a sort of skittering noise, as though beneath the cloak lay a bunch of rotting arachnids. A buzz, and the thing disappeared. "Bloody hell." Ciel whispered, already backing away. Fear pulsed in his heart, adrenaline spiked. The youn demon dropped like a stone to the ground as something went flying inches away from his head. Taking with it strands of blue black hair. Black tail puffing up, ciel looked at Simon. Simon looked down at Ciel with something like pity, sympathy, or probably just contempt. "No shit." Definitely contempt.
Nothing more was said. Ciel suddenly found his small frail form picked up. Yanked into the air by the neck as those antenna wrapped around him. Strangling him as words were hummed into existence like a cricket's song of night and death. "Little king, Little king. What makes what is frail strong before they fall?" The child cried out, hands tugging uselessly at the worm like limbs trapping him, choking him. "What? Stop speaking rubbish!" The boy choked, tears pricked the corners of cerulean blues as he caught for air. Simon shifted uncomfortably, averting his gaze.
"Ah, but you should know, after all. The Hives cannot bring down the large without first learning." Those words were hissed like bow strings frayed, and threatening to snap.
"Stop! God dammit! Let me go!"
"Ain't no god here, midget." Thanks Simon.
"I don't- I don't know! I- I'm." Ciel struggled, and for once there was no suit and tie clad demon to come to his rescue. No soothing voice of browned butter and bourbon baked cake. There was no one down here to rely on besides himself. The boy's gorgeous blue eyes seared a demonic red. He didn't want this. He wanted to have been eaten, to not have to think or feel like this anymore. Why must he fight? He didn't want to fight. It never mattered to the world what he wanted. What he wanted... What did he want? To feel content. To be able to smile... He'd fight for that, if he couldnt die, couldnt find peace... That was fine. He'd do what he'd always done. Make the world care. Make the world give him what he deserved through hard work and dedication. giving a middle finger once again to god, Ciel moved. With suns beneath his irises, flames flared beneath his hands. Someone cackled in the background, and cheered, probably simon. "Roast the ant! Attaboy!" Definitely Simon. Ciel tuned him out. Focusing only on the questions asked.
The thick ropes of magic limbs loosened at the intense burst of heat. This action dropped Ciel to the ground, where he kneeled and gasped for breath. Hacking up his lungs as he heaved for more oxegyn. "To be strong one must first be weak!" Ciel spat into the dirt, throwing a wild guess at the riddle spitting demon.
The demon buzzed with a cricket's violin. "A statement true, but not the one we seek. In your heart there is you, and in you there is strength. What is that that makes you different from another?"
"Aim for the nuts! Any man's weak spot kiddo! Or wait, the eyes. Get the eyes!" Simon, ever the heckler, was really getting into it.
"I- I." Ciel couldn't form words as adrenaline and stress had his mind going into overdrive. "Stubborn." Everyone always berated him for his inability to take breaks. The goal was always better than his own health. So, no. That wasn't the answer. Still, what had kept him going for so long was his sheer inability to stop. He had to keep walking lest the world around him gobble him up. Lest the devil see weakness and consume his soul before the job was done.
"So close, yet so far. Ticktock, like a clock my patience runs out."
He was dropped like a sack of potatoes. Sprinting behind a thick bush of writhing purple branches, he narrowly missed a flying scythe hurled at him. Suddenly it was as if it all clicked. Lifting his head he turned in the direction he thought the bug demon was at. "Knowledge!" The boy exclaimed almost triumphant. He was wary, however, he knew not to assume a battle was over. There'd been times where he thought an enemy dead, only to turn and have sebastian taking a blow for him. It'd always been a quest for knowledge. Who had done what? Who had killed his parents? Who had branded him and his twin? Who, where, why, when? His life had been on big detective case. The only thing keeping the child alive had been his endless studying of the world, and that damned devil of his. Swaying on his feet, everything stopped.
"Congratulations, you've won." Gentle hands steadied the boy as he leaned to and fro. Ciel was exhuasted. For a child who'd not done more then fencing lessons, his entire body felt like jelly.
"I got you kid..." Came simon's voice, and Ciel's eyelids fluttered, and he found himself passing out into arms that felt strangely comforting. The young demon was reminded of a time when he and his twin had rested together, curled up on their parents as their mother read them a bed time story.
Hickory Dickory Dock "You really put him through the ringer, didn't you?"
The man snuffed out a clock "Those are the rules. I may not bend them even for my own."
Along with his brain "That mean he passed?"
The man went insane "This time. You know what is required..."
and slowly time came back to haunt him.
"What?"
"You believe this is the one?"
"I hope."
"Hmm. Then I will pray with you."
There was a significant pause before the crystal demon spoke once more. "How much time is there?"
"Six."
"Years?"
"Indeed."
Ciel was picked up gently, by whom was uncertain. The next time he would truly awaken would be to a soft bed, good food, and a billion questions on his young, inquisitive tongue. "Please don't break." That was that.