CHAPTER 16 - "THE RAVEN - NEVERMORE"

The early morning dew clung to the grass like little tears fallen from the heavens, the sun was just creeping across the horizon to the East, and a slight breeze filled the air with a fresh crispness that that brought a chill to the back grounds of the Phantomhive mansion. But while this new day brought renewal of a sort, it was also a day that may be witness to the finality of one of two lives in a duel to the death.

Sebastian had contemplated on what action he could take to stop this duel, but duty to his master would not allow him to say anything to save face for either Ciel or Lukas Phantomhive, and regardless of what he would have said, they were both hell bent on having this duel. And then there was his master. Ciel Phantomhive would just order him to not interfere. Nonetheless, he could not allow either boy to die today. Their souls were much too valuable to allow to escape this ravenous hunger of his held at bay.

The boys filed out into the back courtyard where the duel would take place. Each of them was dressed in their best clothes. This was a private duel, but to die proper was only socially acceptable in a duel, and to look one's best would give an aura of distinction to the loser despite losing the battle.

Sebastian had already set up. In front of him was a small round table with an intricate carved wooden box with the family crest. Inside were two loaded pistols, hand carved and laced with gold on both the handles and barrels. Tanaka had told Sebastian that the box had only been opened once, and that was when Vincent Phantomhive dueled with another in this very courtyard when he was in his early twenties. It had been a duel of honor, because someone had insulted his bride to be. It was a duel that Vincent had won.

Tanaka was heartbroken, but Sebastian explained that this was the only way the two boys would stop arguing. Whoever survived would be the sole heir to the Phantomhive family. But what Tanaka didn't know was Sebastian did have a secret plan to save both boys, and it would be implemented during the firing shots. He would blow both lead balls off course, so both would miss. This way, the boys would keep their honor and respect would be earned by both - that each had survived a duel to the death.

The servants also attended. Finny, Mey-Rin, and Bardroy were standing afar to watch, and were ordered under any circumstances not to interfere. Tanaka stood next to Sebastian, and met the boys as they approached the table, facing one another.

"You both know the rules," Sebastian started. "You take your pistol and stand back to back. When I say, you begin to walk ten paces. When you reach nine, I will wait a moment, and then shout Draw! At this, you will turn and fire upon the other. The last man standing is declared the winner. You only get one shot. Wounding your opponent is still a victory. Is this clear?"

The boys voiced, "Yes!" in unison.

Ciel and Lukas faced each other with an unblinking severity and a determination to win.

"I'm sorry it has to come to this, brother, but you left no alternative," Lukas said.

"You need not worry, brother, unlike you, I have fired a pistol more than once," Ciel said.

Lukas lifted his brow in concern. "You have? When?"

"There is quite a deal more you still don't know about me, dear brother," saying the last two words sardonically. "It's a shame that our time together was short."

"Killing me will be harder than you think!"

"We'll see. I have father's experience on my side, as well as my own."

"And I have mine!"

Ciel's looked suspicious. "What do you mean by that?"

Lukas blinked, momentarily confused at his own words. "I-I don't know…"

Sebastian opened the box and gestured to the two flint-lock pistols that were older than both boys' ages combined. Ciel didn't hesitate to grab one, but Lukas took a moment to gaze at wonder at other pistol that once belonged to Vincent Phantomhive, his father. He picked it up and gently held it. It felt light to hold.

"Are they loaded?" Ciel asked Sebastian.

"Yes sir," the butler said. "I did them myself. They will fire one shot only."

"I only need one shot."

Lukas clutched his pistol in challenge to his brother's decree. "So do I," he said, giving Ciel a hard stare.

Sebastian closed the box, and then said, "Before the duel commences, I ask this only once. This challenge is to the death. Do you wish to continue?"

"Please, master Ciel, master Lukas," Tanaka spoke up, "stop this foolishness."

Sebastian had asked Tanaka not to say anything to discourage the duel, as he did the other servants, but the old man, being with the Phantomhive's longer than any one else, obviously wanted a peaceful resolution to be had. Sebastian tried to quiet him without success. Tanaka waved Sebastian off, wanting his say.

"I may only be a butler, and one in the twilight of his life, but I must have say. You are but children, respectfully. Master Ciel, I have seen you grow, I have seen you crawl yourself out of the pit of Hell itself to become the strong, young man today after your father and mother were murdered. And Master Lukas, you are finally back where you belong after being stolen from us. You are a Phantomhive seven years removed, but you are still your father's son. There is so much your brother can learn from the kindness you inherited from your mother. There is so much you can learn from each other. Do not throw it away in foolish pride."

The old man had a glint of a tears in his eyes, and Sebastian saw how much this must be breaking Tanaka's heart. He had been head butler to the Phantomhive's long before, and finally having both children together again in the Phantomhive home apart from their parents, he must have felt it was his duty, even to the end, to watch over them and keep them from harm. Now they were about to have duel to the death where only one of the Phantomhive children will survive.

"Enough Tanaka, do not interfere," Ciel said.

"How can you be so cold?" Lukas said. "Have the years since our parents death blackened your heart to such a degree and only some kind of demonic entity will want it?"

Ciel looked taken back for a moment and gave a brief glance to Sebastian. Then turned back. Ciel's bluster seemed to deflate slightly. "I will admit, Tanaka's words were touching, and he has a right to speak his mind to a certain degree since he was our parents' butler. But this duel is for honor. Let us be at it."

Lukas nodded.

Ciel and Lukas stood back-to-back, their pistols at the ready, pointed up, held right-handed.

Standing like this, Sebastian noticed Lukas looked a fraction of an inch taller than Ciel. Ciel Phantomhive had not had a growth spurt since Sebastian had known him. But Lukas Phantomhive seemed to carry himself a little higher, literally and figuratively, than his brother. Was it out of his own pride, or was it that Ciel was having second thoughts of this duel and his own body slumped slightly in expression of this?

He knew Ciel's history with using a pistol and despite at twelve years of age, he was a remarkable shot. Including his use of a rifle while hunting pheasant and other wild game.

He recalled Ciel had brought a pistol with him as protection when he confronted "Jack the Ripper" in the alley ways of White Chapel, but never used it. Ciel was under orders from the Queen to learn the identity of this serial killer of prostitutes and to do away with him. Jack the Ripper turned out to be his aunt who was murdering sex workers using a selfish rationale because they were abusing the privilege to have children while she could not, having abortions at the tip of a hat. She was later killed by a Grim Reaper name Grell who was her partner in crime, who was then subsequentially punished for his transgression by a more elevated Reaper and taken away.

But Ciel Phantomhive had never killed another person, and Sebastian wondered what sort of reservations he might have having to point and fire a pistol at his very own flesh and blood. He could only imagine if their father and mother were alive today, this duel would not be taking place. But he had no choice but to allow the duel to continue. Any order he disobeyed by his master would be a breach of their contract.

"This is a duel to the last," Sebastian continued. "The rules have been stated clearly. Are you ready?"

"Ready," Ciel said first.

"Ready," Lukas said.

"Then you may begin."

"This is crazy!" Bardroy said, quietly enough so only Finny an Mey-Rin could hear. They were standing apart from Sebastian and Tanaka, told to do so, and told not to interfere with the duel.

"Oh dear, I hope they both miss; yes, I do!" Mey-Rin said.

"We just got introduced to Master Lukas, and his amnesia is nearly all gone!" Finny said, "Why a duel to the death? Can't they just settle things with a game of Old Maid, or something?" He put his hands over his eyes. "I can't watch this!"

"I hope to God they both miss," Tanaka said quietly in protest to Sebastian next to him. "If I were their father, I would settle this by whipping them both across the backside. Master Ciel is about to murder his brother in a duel that Master Lukas has no way of winning. Ciel has an unfair advantage."

Sebastian smirked slightly. "Be calm, Tanaka. Trust in a higher power to safeguard them both."

"I've never known you to be a religious man, Sebastian?"

"No, Tanaka. I'm not. I'm just one hell of a butler."

Sebastian began the countdown.

"One…"

Ciel and Lukas both took a standard, equalized step forward. Each length of a step must match that of his opponent to properly give the other fair distance, that is why each was judged by a watcher. If one opponent steps shorter than the other, it is unfair. And the step can be taken over. If the ill-steps are repeated, it would constitute as cheating, and without firing a shot, that person would immediately lose the duel.

But neither boy would resort to that.

"Two…

"Three…"

Sebastian continued to count, as Tanaka quietly protested. "This can't happen. I will not let these children die unnecessarily. I am their protector since the day their parent's were killed."

But Sebastian ignored the other butler.

"Eight…

"Nine…

Tanaka took a step forward, but Sebastian sensed what he was about to do and forcefully held him back with an arm across the chest, and with a little supernatural power the elderly butler was kept at bay from any interference. Sebastian readied himself to blow the lead balls off course with a swift, supernatural breath.

"Draw!"

Both boys pivoted around quickly, and fired.

Ciel missed, Sebastian had managed to veer his lead ball off its course with a breath. It flew past Lukas and landed somewhere behind him, lost to the grass.

But Lukas's shot had evaded his affluence, and it hit its target.

Ciel jerked back his hand and the pistol flew and dropped to the ground about five feet away. Ciel grabbed his hand, but there was no blood. Ciel looked back at Lukas in utter shock. "What the hell…"

Indeed everyone was shocked.

Lukas more so, as he looked at the pistol that nearly killed his brother, but instead disarmed him. Had he missed? His mind told him no.

"That was a lucky shot!" Finny said excitedly, now that the duel had concluded, all the servants came to stand next to Lukas.

"I…" Lukas dropped the gun.

"You dirty, rotten lair!" Ciel cursed. "You have fired a pistol before! That was a marksman shot! You shot the pistol out of my hand!"

Sebastian attended to Ciel's hand, but there was no wound to say of. He then picked up the pistol from the ground and examined it. There was a large dent in the barrel of the ground where the lead ball must have hit it, knocking it out of Ciel's hand after he fired his own shot.

Ciel examined it also. Lukas approached him, looking at the gun in Sebastian's hand.

"That was an impossible shot, and especially for you!" Ciel barked, pointing at Lukas.

"Indeed," Sebastian agreed. "It appears Master Lukas has a hidden skill none of us were made aware of."

Lukas blinked apprehensively. "I also."

Tanaka took the pistol from Sebastian and placed it in the box with the other one that the elder butler had picked up. Tanaka smiled. "I am pleased things turned out alright," he said. "You are both alive."

"Alive?" Ciel grabbed Lukas's shirt with a hand, scrunching the collar in a tight fist, his anger washing over him like a plague of locus. "What are you hiding? Tell me now!"

Lukas suddenly grabbed Ciel's arm and his shirt, and using his brother's own body weight against him, tossed him over his shoulder and to the ground behind him. Ciel landed with a heavy thud.

"Master!" Sebastian cried, rushing over. "Are you alright?" He helped Ciel to sit up. Ciel wasn't severely hurt, but landing the way he did smart.

Ciel rubbed the back of his head. "I am fine," he said calmly. "There is more to him than meets the eye."

"I agree," Sebastian said, picking Ciel up and cradling the boy in his arms like a child.

"Put me down!" Ciel protested.

"Are you alright?" asked Lukas, as Sebastian stood Ciel on his feet.

Ciel brushed dirt off his trousers. The grass stains would remain until washed out. He eyed Lukas, and then smiled, extending out a hand. "I concede to the better man." Lukas slowly extended his hand to shake Ciel's; they shook. "But remember, I never forget a defeat. And I learn from it."

Lukas nodded, but he couldn't say the same with his partial amnesia.

"You must tell me where you learnt these wonderful skills from," Ciel said in a calm tone.

Lukas took a moment to answer. "I-I don't know," he stammered.

The reminder of the day spanned relatively uneventful, and Sebastian observed Ciel was pleasant to his brother during the entire day, albeit it being somewhat unnatural for him.

His master was very proud, but also a very proper English gentleman. And losing such a duel to his newly-acquainted brother by what seemed like a fluke shot to some but an expert shot to others, must have been grinding away in him inside, and it appeared Ciel had erected a mask of humility to deal with it.

The night was late when Sebastian was summoned to Ciel Phantomhive's quarters, the ring of the servant's bell alerted him that his master wanted him for whatever reason. He was preparing a late night snack for Master Lukas in the kitchen, in the form of warm milk and banana slices to help him sleep more soundly - Lukas said he had been having a difficult time sleeping recently - when he received the call.

He knocked on the door. Ciel beckoned him in.

"You require something, my lord?" Sebastian said. "I thought you had already retired for the night. I could make you a late night snack as I am Master Lukas to help you sleep - "

"You will stop calling him that. I am your only master, do I make myself clear?"

Sebastian heard the jealousy in his master's voice, but repressed a smile. He bowed. "Indeed. So, if I am not to refer to your brother by his rightful title, what shall I - "

"Call him anything you'd like. But you belong to me. And don't you forget it."

Sebastian smirked. "Of course, sir. And albeit the same; you belong to me. Until the end."

With his master now asleep and after taking Lukas his warm milk and banana slices - these foods included a chemical that reacted with the human brain to better create a more relaxing feeling to help a human sleep - Sebastian retired to the Study, and here he indulged in a little gratuitous pass time, sitting on the couch reading a book by candlelight. He had his spectacles on.

Human novels were very interesting. It was said 'never judge a book by its cover', and that could be said about human's as well. A writer revealed himself more through his words than by his life alone. By just reading a novel, not only is a story told but also the life of the author told - dwelling on the 'inner soul' of the person who wrote it. Be them adventurous, charismatic, analytical or comedic.

The book he was reading was Moby Dick, and it was about a man who risked everything for revenge only to falter to his own ambitions. And he felt the book embodied Humanity succinctly, because no matter what humans attempted in their lives, in the end, they always faltered to their basic desires and ambitions.

Every last one. Just like his master, Ciel Phantomhive.

In the last couple of years, he could say that Ciel Phantomhive was the doomed protagonist in his own little story, much like Captain Ahab in Moby Dick. Like his own father, Vincent Phantomhive. Because through all of Vincent Phantomhive's conceitedness, scheming, and pontification of his invisibility as head of the Aristocrats of Evil, and as the Queen's loyal guard dog, he eventually lost out and ended up just another victim in his own little scornful world that begot no forgiveness to its many hapless creatures.

And now his son's had inherited the Phantomhive curse. They were the "Cornwall's" of Shakespeare's King Lear, and blind to what will eventually befall then. All Sebastian had to do was wait until they dug their own graves.

But he was no villain. How was one a villain when one only did what came natural? What one existed to do? Human literature was riddled with villains of every nature, mirroring life in every way, that it ironically seemed that there were no heroes at all. All humans were conceited and egocentric, and he had met countless who eventually willingly handed over their souls to fulfill their deepest desires.

The contract he had with Ciel Phantomhive was different. Instead of instant gratification by devouring the boy's soul, he opted to wait until all the darkness in Ciel's heart reached a fever pitch, then he would gorge on his soul's energy for eons. This is what made him obey his master's orders despite the insipid manner in which the boy treated him. But he knew, when the end finally came to cast off his butler guise, it would all be worth it. Lukas Phantomhive, as well. Thus lapping up every ounce of Phantomhive energy.

A knock came at the partially opened Study door. He thought it may be one of the other servants, seeing the light on, coming in to blow out the candle, but he was surprised, almost shocked, when Lukas opened the door the rest of the way, standing at the threshold in a long white, night shirt.

Sebastian straightened, then stood on his feet, closing the book. "Master Lukas," he said, ignoring Ciel's use of master in reference to his brother's rightful, household title. Besides, it was not an order. "You are up quite late, sir. May I be of any assistance to you? The warm milk and banana slices didn't work, I wager."

"My mind is stirring, especially about the events of the day, sleep does not come to me," Lukas said. "Don't you sleep? It is the early hours of the night."

Sebastian smiled thin. "Occasionally, I do. But only in short intervals." Which was true. A demon did not need much rest, perhaps once every thousand years or so. "I am but a night owl."

"I would say a raven." Lukas smirked.

Sebastian knew the reference. The bird that hovered in the study in Edgar Allen Poe's rhymetic poem The Raven. The raven never slept; ever watchful, hovering above the chamber door of the protagonist's study, driving him mad, until the end. In the wild, the raven was also a predator to small rodents and wildlife.

Sebastian had suspected something different about Lukas Phantomhive ever since he arrived at the mansion, and from what he witnessed in the duel today, he knew there was much more to Lukas than the surface portrayed. Something had happened to the boy in the last seven years after he was kidnapped. The boy had amnesia, but perhaps that was just to protect something deeper. Someone's hidden agenda to use the boy at the time of their calling? Had he been trained for some insidious purpose? Had his brainwashing not been completed? Much like a medium can access the subconsciousness of a human mind and make a person do anything they wanted with the mere mention of a word of phrase, was Lukas programmed so?

"I'll be leaving in the morning," Lukas said.

Sebastian was suddenly snapped out of his reverie. "Pardon? Why?"

"It's obvious Ciel and I will never get along, and he's too accustomed in his ways now."

Sebastian could not let the boy leave. "Come, do not wallow in self-pity. In time, you and your brother will learn to live in harmony. But I do understand your thinking. You do not want the throne and yet the king sees you as a threat nonetheless."

"You do understand."

"I understand leaving will be foolish. Those who are after you will still seek you outside. Here, you will be safeguarded here from your enemies. The servants are much more than they appear."

Lukas nodded. "I saw, and I commend you for hiring them. But I did not escape one prison to find myself in another." He frowned. "I do not want to cause my brother anymore hardship."

"Nonsense. In time, your brother will come to love you. It takes time to form a relationship with anyone, especially with an estranged family member. You must be patient."

"Patience is a virtue, but my brother is - "

"Pompous? Arrogant? Rude? Obsequent?"

Lukas blinked. "All those things and more."

"Do not fret. For as long as I've known him, that has been his nature. He has been through a lot of turbulent trails since his, or I should say, your parents were murdered and he was taken and tortured, to be sacrificed by the Inner Circle for transgressions of an illicit nature that your parents supposedly forged towards them."

"Yes. He has never fully explained that to me. What in fact did happen that night that allowed him to survive? And for which all but a few members of the Inner Circle died that night?"

Sebastian opened his mouth to say something, thought against it. The truth is not yours to know. He said, "In time, you brother may explain it all to you. But I believe that is his story to tell, not mine."

"But you know the story, do you not?"

"I am merely a servant. Your brother keeps many secrets. As do you." Sebastian pointed at Lukas's head.

"Whatever secrets I have, I do not remember them."

"Therefore, much like your brother's story, in time, yours will unfold as well."

"You haven't been with my brother long, but I feel a kinship between you two, like some sort of unbreakable bond. You care for my brother. But, it's more than that, isn't it?"

Sebastian took a moment to think. "I love your brother's soul. He's been through so much."

Lukas nodded sympathetically.

Sebastian then placed a comforting hand on Lukas's left shoulder. "Your brother needs all the love we can provide to help him break through his seemingly unbreakable shell he has enclosed around himself, a shell he has forged against over the years from feeling true pain. We must try to release his pain, to make him grow stronger. And he will need you to rely on. I foresee a prosperous future for the Phantomhive family."

"Do you really think things will get better for my brother?"

Sebastian smiled. "Never more have I been sure of it."

To be continued…

Recommended reading:

Edgar Allen Poe's poem: "The Raven".

(…if you really want to understand the true meaning of the last line).