And forward the Light Brigade! It is time to truly launch the story.

Diary of Vincent Phantomhive

December 4, 1880

Just crossed the English Channel into France yesterday. I have now boarded a train that will take me up into the mountains. It is my first time on such a thing. Normally Rachel and I have traveled by horse and carriage, and we haven't had to cut across such wide expanses of country. I must say I am surprised that Victoria is sending me all the way out here. France is not England, after all, so something about the recent murders having been committed by this Count must have prompted her to work with the French government to bring this man in.

On the second of December, when I left, the Queen's butler Ash came to me with further instructions. I am not to arrest Count Sebastian, and not to raise his suspicions. I have been ordered to find out what kind of business he conducts, his background and history, and why he was in England during the time of the murders (without asking bluntly, obviously).

So as the French countryside flashes past out of my window, I have made myself comfortable with a cup of tea and my journal. I do wish I could bring my butler Tanaka along, but he was feeling a little ill before I left, and I am now alone.

December 5, 1880

Arrived in the Count's town, Lisont, early this morning. It is small, but lively and friendly. The citizens were obliged to share what little they knew of their overseer, and I have made a good start in my collection of information.

According to the elders of the town, Count Sebastian has been here for a little over fifty years. "Fifty!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, yes. A right handsome young man he was when he first came, back in the late twenties," one old woman told me. "He's aged a good deal since then, but still manages to stay as good-looking as ever."

So the Count seems to be somewhere in his 70s, a great achievement, even for someone of this day. I have also heard that he is charming and silver-tongued, so I must watch myself and make sure I do not fall into any traps he lays.

A few of the citizens, the ones from the church mainly, crossed themselves before speaking of him and told me that they didn't like him because he was "scornful of the Church, and held no respect for the religion of his townsfolk." I certainly agreed with them myself, as I made sure to take Rachel and Ciel into London to Westminster Abbey on a regular basis, as often as I could between jobs. But I would keep my thoughts to myself when in the Count's presence, as I also heard he had something of a quiet temper. The citizens were quite terrified of making him mad, and wouldn't say anything beyond, "scary." I see now why Victoria and the French government have their eye on him. There were also plenty of children, so I made sure to spread word that I was looking to open a Funtom store here. It did my heart good to see their smiles, which continue to remind me of Ciel. He will be turning four soon, and I am quite sorry that I cannot be there.

Mid-afternoon came, and I boarded a carriage to take me up to the Count's castle. You couldn't see it from the village, since it was behind the mountain's peak. As the driver—a servant from Sebastian's castle—brought me high into the colder air, I was struck by the beauty of the surrounding countryside. Count Sebastian had managed to find a spot for his castle with a view unmarred by the sight of human construction. Lisont was covered by the overhanging cliffs of the mountain, and so one could imagine he was the only being in the world. Beyond the rock, rolling meadows and old forests stretched to the horizon, and birds floated on the wind. The creaking of my carriage seemed rather out of place amid the other sounds of nature.

"Lord Phantomhive," the servant brought my attention back to the situation at hand. "We are nearly there, sir."

The carriage rounded a bend in the road, and I was struck at the sight of the castle. I had been expecting something deep and dark and imposing, but this was majestic and archaic in a way I had never seen. I realized Sebastian had probably had the blocks carved from the mountain itself, for they were the same color. The structure was different than traditional European castles, sending hails to other parts of the world. Its walls were made of rounded pillars stuck together, and the entrance was similar to one of those Japanese gates, only the sides, top, and bottom were rounded to fit a circular door separated into three sections by lines that curved to meet each other in the center. The carriage approached, and I was startled to discover that the door broke apart along the lines, which spiraled out to widen the gap, disappearing quickly into their frame with hardly a sound.

"What is that gate operated by?" I asked the driver.

"Dunno. Never asked," he replied. "You don't ask the Count how something is done, it just is."

That response really didn't make any sense to me, but I got the feeling that Sebastian was capable of more than just a very interesting door.

We passed beneath the gate, and the inner sanctum of the castle was like a version of an Aztec temple. On the outer wall, there had been gargoyles of phoenixes, their wings of flame fanned out over their heads and necks thrown back to take in the sun, while here the door of the building was flanked by stylized Aztec versions of the winged lion statues in Venice. I thought this strange for someone who was supposedly non-religious. There were also multiple depictions of the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl carved into the sides. It was such a strange mixture of cultures and beliefs, but they all somehow blended together quietly and seamlessly.

The driver led the carriage around so that the side was facing the entrance steps of the castle. He got out and opened the door for me to step down, and I did so. "Right this way, Lord Phantomhive," he bowed and led me up a few steps to the door guarded by the lions. This one opened like a normal door, by pushing in. The driver bowed once more and left to take away the carriage.

I stepped through the doorway, and emerged into an entrance hall of modest size and more traditional English furnishings, with the impressive carvings and paintings of Aztec times still covering the walls. It was so curious that I simply stood there for several minutes, observing the depictions of different Aztec gods and myths. There was a large black puma, mouth open in defiant roar, a hummingbird holding a snake staff, and a human in the process of transforming into a jaguar.

The floor was smooth yellow sandstone, as were the walls, and various tables and chairs dotted the hall. Directly before me was a steep staircase, with twin serpents wrapped around the banisters. At the top was a tall, thin man dressed completely in black, carrying a short cane topped by an eagle with wings folded and head bowed—Count Sebastian Michael D'Lisont. His hair was mostly black, something that surprised me for someone his age. Two wide streaks of grey were swept back from his temples with the rest of his hair, giving him a dignified expression. I felt vaguely guilty for my long fringe. The Count's face was worn and speckled with a few pock marks, and his nose was slightly crooked, but his eyes were a sharp, deep reddish-brown.

"Good evening, Lord Phantomhive," Count Sebastian said softly, in an extremely good English accent, and came swiftly down the stairs.

"It's nice to meet you, Count D'Lisont," I bowed slightly, and he returned the favor.

"Please call me Sebastian," he flashed me a fleeting smile. "I'm not really one for being addressed with a title while among guests."

"In that case you may call me Vincent," I smiled back. Politeness was the first step to cutting through whatever barrier of mystery he had.

"Would you like dinner? I do not take meals in the dining room myself, but I might join you for talking if you wish," he offered.

"That would be wonderful," I answered, and was under the impression, as Sebastian led me to his dining hall, that I wasn't the only one playing the politeness card.

Dinner was fine, but simple, and Sebastian merely sat across the table and watched me, occasionally initiating some form of conversation. I was then led to my room and here I have stayed, writing quite the long entry of my arrival in this interesting place.

Thanks for reading! I did a little bit of research for this chapter, so here are the references, in order:

-The gate in the outer wall of the castle is a torii gate from Japan. These are commonly placed before Shinto shrines to mark the boundary from the profane to the sacred. Sebastian is using this as a personal inside joke, as are some of the other curiosities of the castle.

-Phoenix gargoyles: a symbol of immortality.

-Winged lions of Venice: a symbol of St. Mark the Evangelist, the patron saint of Venice. Lions can also be a symbol of pride, and Pride is one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

-Aztec temple structure: Human sacrifice was a religious practice of the ancient Aztecs and many other Mesoamerican cultures.

-Quetzalcoatl: depicted as a feathered serpent, the patron god of the Aztec priesthood, of learning and knowledge.

- Acolnahuacatl: a god of the underworld, shown as a black puma with a supernatural roar that kept the living from passing through to the kingdom of the dead.

- Huitzilopochtli: god of war, the sun, human sacrifice, and patron god of Tenochtitlan. Represented as a hummingbird carrying a staff shaped like a snake and mirror.

- Nahual: a human who can shape-shift into some kind of animal and uses his powers for good or evil depending on his personality.

And that's that for the chapter! All research came from Wikipedia or other wonderful internet places. Please review!