Chapter 13: Another Angel & A Certain Hound
Hey guys! I am finally done with my first semester at SVSU and I don't have to go back until January! As promised I would like to thank Lady Mary Michaelis for leaving a review. To thank you I will give you a delicious, virtual sugar cookie.
Quote of the Week: "A cat will mew, and dog will have his day."
-William Shakespeare
Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji, I only own Ariel
Mental communication
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"That is cruel Ciel," I told him. He merely shrugged his shoulders in indifference before he ordered Sebastian to continue driving the cart forward.
So Sebastian, I thought to him while he drove. If this was just to secure a spot for a heath resort, why did Ciel have to come in person?
To oversee the construction of course.
Oh, to oversee the construction. I don't buy it. Why is Ciel really here? I could literally feel the smirk that appeared on his face.
I would expect nothing less from my mate, but I do not think you wish to know why Master has come here.
Tell me anyways.
Master has come here because the town participates in dog-baiting, a practice-
I know what it is. I read about it once.
Well, this town enacts with this practice and the Queen wishes for him to put the practice to an end.
Thank goodness. I can't believe that something like this is still going on. Sebastian was going to answer back when he was interrupted by Finni.
"I found the first villager!" I found myself turning in my seat to see that there was in fact a villager, an old woman to be exact, pushing a baby carriage by the lake side. "Stop the carriage Tanaka!" Tanaka pulled the carriage behind us to a stop so that Finni could hop out and offer to help the old woman with the baby carriage.
"N-No, Finni!"exclaimed Mei. "If you're not careful, the baby will-," The warning came too late as Finni lifted the carriage into the air saying,
"What?" I panicked for a moment until I realized that there was no live aura coming from the carriage. Everyone else, besides Sebastian and Ciel, also panicked which resulted in Finni dropping the carriage with a sorry.
"Is the baby alright?" panicked Mei as she and Bard rushed to the baby carriage. The blanched when they saw a dog's skull wrapped in a baby's blanket. Well, that is a little bit disturbing.
So, having a mad shinigami and a demon as a mate is okay, but a dog's skull wrapped in a blanket is?
Oh hush Sebastian. Chuckling sounded in my head as I turned my attention to the old woman.
"This child was eaten by it," she said. It, I wondered. She then continued on to sing a creepy song.
"The white dog is a good dog
The disobedient black dog is a bad dog
Lullaby, the sun sets-"
"Apparently there are many villagers missing or violently killed," Ciel told us while the old woman kept singing. He also said something else but he did it well out of my hearing range.
"Lullaby and goodnight
If you don't go to sleep
The dog will come down here
He'll gobble your flesh down to the bone." What a charming lullaby, I thought. If you could call that a lullaby. We then continued on our way towards the village.
"It's startin' to actually look like a resort!" Bard shouted with glee, to which I couldn't help but laugh. Ciel simply rolled his eyes while Sebastian led our little group on through the town. While we made our way through, I couldn't help but marvel at the sights around me. This would definitely be a good location for the health resort that my brother wanted to build. However, another sight caught my eye. It was of a man training his dog to obey him.
"Good boy! Good boy!" the man exclaimed as he pet the little puppy.
"I love you master!" the puppy shouted back that warmed my heart. It was nice to see such a bond between man and animal like that. As I watched the scene I could faintly hear a remark from Mei, and Sebastian disrespecting dogs.
"To be frank, I hate them," he told Ciel. Being the smart mouth that he was, my brother woofed at him. I could only giggle at their antics when I saw their close friendship.
Our relationship is not based on friendship, Sebastian told me. He is my contract who sold his soul to me, and I am the demon who will eat it ounce his revenge has been attained. Sadness flooded my heart at the news, but I also knew that it was in my brother's nature to do this.
I understand. But I only have one request Sebastian?
And what would that be, my mate?
Please take care of my brother should something happen to me.
What are you-
Please. Please just promise me.
I promise.
Thank you.
In minutes we pulled up to the castle that was our destination. When we came to a stop in front of the building, a woman dressed in a purple maid's uniform met us.
"The Earl Phantomhive, I presume," she said in a soft voice as she looked up at me. At once our eyes met and I could hear the sound of the angelic chorus.
Glory to God in the highest, I sent to her on instinct.
And goodwill and peace towards men, she replied warmly to me.
"Yes," Sebastian answered.
"Welcome to Barrymore Castle. My master awaits your arrival." Everyone had mixed reactions to my fellow angel, but they passed though my ears as I had a silent communication with her.
What is your name? I asked her.
Angela little one. What is yours?
Ariel Phantomhive.
Ah, so you are an earthbound angel. It is so nice to see a familiar being.
"If you will please follow me, I will take you to my master." Sebastian jumped down from his seat in the front of the carriage when Ceil exited the body of the carriage so that he could hold his arms out to catch me when I hopped from the carriage. Before my feet could touch the ground his arms snaked around me to hold me to him as he slowly set me on my feet. Ciel cleared his throat at Sebastian's public display of affection to which Sebastian only released me to place an arm around the small of my back. Our group, which was now just Ciel, Angela, Sebastian, and I, then continued on into the castle to come upon a room that held the stuffed heads of various animals. At the sight I began to shake in horror. I knew that we had to kill animals for their meat, but just hunting for sport was horrible. Upon sensing my discomfort Sebastian gently squeezed my sides with his arm while sending soothing thoughts to me.
Thank you Sebastian. His answer was a low rumble I heard through our bond. A smile started to appear on my face until I could see a whip be raised upon Angela. My instincts kicked in at once and I was in front of her in seconds taking a hit from the whip. When the whip was raised again, a stormy looking Sebastian held the man's arm in a steel grip.
"What are you doing you filthy Doberman?!" exclaimed the man.
"I would appreciate it if you did not hit my Young Mistress again," Sebastian smiled maliciously.
"It sounds as though you received my letter," Ciel greeted with a glare as he settled himself into a chair. "I am Ciel Phantomhive."
"You mean to tell me that a toy poodle like you is Her Majesty's messenger?!"
"You disapprove of small breeds, Lord Henry?" smirked Ceil. It seemed that the man still didn't believe Ciel, but he let it go.
Sebastian, let Lord Henry go, I ordered as Angela helped me to my feet. An inhuman growl left Sebastian's mind at my order, but he reluctantly had to let the man go. When he did, he rushed to my side to hold my hands in his to look me over.
Are you alright, my mate?
I am fine Sebastian. He only got in one hit.
That is one too many, he grumbled.
Go on Sebastian. Get the tea ready. A low grumble was given to me as he did what I said with the help of Angela. My arms ached a bit from the blow of the whip, but it was easily ignored while I came to sit beside my brother at the table to talk to Lord Henry.
"No matter the terms, I can't sell this place," Lord Henry told Ceil.
"Let me hear your reason," Ciel insisted.
"The curse."
"Curse," Ciel and I echoed.
"This village has lived alongside its dogs since ancient times. Those who interfere with it are cursed by a fearsome scourge...Even Her Majesty cannot change that. Great calamity befalls anyone who goes against the Barrymore family!"
"Oh, interesting," commented Ceil.
"What?!"
"Let's have a nice, close look at this 'calamity'." Nothing else happened that was eventful until the sun went down. While Ciel was inside the castle with Sebastian retiring for bed, I was outside to stretch my wings. I even went into the woods and checked the perimeter around me before I let my pure white wings escape my back. I sighed in content while I willed the wind to blow through every feather that I had. Alright, I thought. Let's give these wings some exercise. I then broke into a run before I jumped into the air, beating my wings powerfully against the air until I soared through the night sky. After about a few minutes of this, I could feel eyes on me so I dove to the ground where I felt the eyes then snapped my wings out at the last minute to pull myself up and land gracefully on the ground.
"Hello," I called out hesitantly. "Is anybody there?"
"Who are you," came an animalistic growl from my right.
"I am Ariel Phantomhive. Who are you?" It seemed my company was surprised that I could understand them.
"I am Pluto," answered a deep male voice that belonged to a huge white dog who emerged from the tree line. "How are you able to understand me? I am the companion of another angel and she cannot understand me."
"Well, you see, I am the angel of nature and animals. Therefore I am able to communicate with them. Since you are a dog, I am able to communicate with you."
"It is such a relief," he sighed, plopping down to sit on the ground.
"Uh, Pluto, if we are going to talk could you please lay down or something so that I can see your eyes?" In a flurry of fire he disappeared only to be replaced by a naked pale man with white hair and red eyes. "Thank you. So what is a relief?"
"Ever since I was a pup no one but my own kind could understand me, which was no problem for most of my life, but now I can't get back. Since then all I could do was talk to myself in my mind because no matter how hard I tried to talk to people, the could not understand me."
"Ah. When you said that you were the companion of another angel, did you mean Angela?"
"Yeah, but I think I like you more than I like her. You can actually understand me and you smell way better than her," he smiled as he leaned over to me to deeply sniff my scent. "You smell so sweet and pure it's intoxicating."
"Uh, thank you Pluto, but what about Angela? What about your history with her?"
"She reeks of tainted holiness and wickedness, plus she treats me like a common dog even though I am a demon hound with thoughts of my own." A sad smile graced my lips as I placed a hand on his shoulder. "She even frames me for things that her Lord Barrymore does to people."
"This town sounds completely corrupted," I admitted.
"Only because of Angela," he snorted. "Please, I beg you to take me from here and from her."
"How could I? Couldn't she, no offense, claim you as her dog?"
"Actually no, she couldn't. I have not bound myself to her in the way of the hell hounds, therefore she has no hold over me. The only reason I stayed with her is because she was fun compared to these humans."
"Why are you so cold?" He barked a laugh at my comment.
"I believe that Angela's nature has influenced me." My heart shriveled in my chest at the thought that this man has not had any pleasant experiences in his life.
"I promise to take you with me Pluto. I only hope that with time you can become more warm and carefree." His eyes closed in exasperation at my words.
"How like an angel to speak these words."
"But do you truly wish to speak these words? Do you truly wish to think poorly of people ?" He stayed silent as he reverted back to his demon hound shape.
"I will come find you once all of this nonsense has been sorted out," he told me before he bounded off with a long, lound howl. I sighed to myself as I took to the sky. I might as well head back to the castle.
By the time I returned back to the castle, having retracted my wings into my back in the line of the trees, everyone was outside waiting for me.
Are you alright? came the frantic voice of Sebastian once he saw me while he rushed to my side.
I am fine Sebastian.
Why do I smell dog on you?
I will explain later.
"Angela,please tell Lord Barrymore that the demon hound has come," shouted the voice of a man who led a crowd with torches. I looked in suspicion as Angela replied with,
"Who's been punished?" The man said no words, but motioned for us to follow him and follow him we did. When we arrived at the scene of the crime, I found that it was the home of the man who had been training his dog. No, I thought in sorrow. It cannot be true, but alas it was for the man lay dead with dog bites all around his body.
"So James was the bad dog," Lord Barrymore said from the mob of people. Funny, I didn't notice him with them earlier.
"Yes," replied one of the villagers. "Apparently he broke the five dog rule and kept a sixth dog." Anger then boiled in my belly at the sound of this. They found it appropriate to kill someone for having more than the limit number of dogs?! And I know for a fact that Pluto was not the one who did this. If he was the one who did this, limbs and chunks of flesh would be missing versus just bites. Through all of my musings, I noticed that Lord Barrymore favored one leg versus the other. Well Lord Barrymore, what have you been doing? The villagers then began to sing the song that the old woman had been singing before they carted off the dead body. I could practically feel the depressed feeling rolling off Bard, Finni, and Mei as we all walked back to the castle. Once we reached the castle, Sebastian hurried through putting my brother to bed so that he could hurry to my room where I sat in my nightgown brushing through my hair.
"Now tell me," he demanded at once.
"You smelled dog on me because I was talking with a dog," I told him. He scoffed at my words. "It is true. I am the angel of animals and nature so it makes sense that I can talk to animals."
"Oh, and what was this dog's name?"
"Pluto. Although, he is not a normal dog."
"Then what is he?"
"A demon hound." An eyebrow rose. "He is way bigger than any normal dog and he can turn into a human. Though I doubt that he could have done that to that man. If he bit someone, he would tear off limbs or chunks of flesh. This make me think that it would have to have been a human who did this, and Lord Barrymore fits this mold. For one he has it in his mind that he is the law and must punish anyone who opposes him. And two, he was limping earlier when we discovered the body. Something tells me that the man's dog tht we saw earlier tried to protect his master when Lord Henry was trying to kill him."
"And you deducted this from the time you were here?"
"Yep. Oh, and to answer your question about what Angela is, she is an angel. Though Pluto said she smelled tainted and wicked, so I do not know what that would make her. Maybe a fallen angel or something." Understanding then dawned on his features.
"You have helped your brother out immensely with what you have told me, my mate. Now all you need to do is rest because we are going swimming tomorrow." At his words I grew excited and rushed underneath the covers of the bed. Although I did feel uneasy about this whole Houndsworth mess. The only way I could think of, making me calm down enough to sleep was if Sebastian stayed with me for the night.
"Hey Sebastian."
"Yes?"
"Would you mind staying the night with me? "
"Of course, my mate." He then took off his tailcoat along with his shoes before he curled up on the bed behind me. A contented sigh left my lips once Sebastian's arm went around my waist.
"Good night Sebastian."
"Good night my mate."
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Hey guys, hope you like this chapter. Tell me if you did not like how I portrayed Pluto because I tried my hardest to think of what he would say if he was able to talk. As always if you have any thoughts, comments, or questions about this story please leave me a review. Remember, reviews are magic!
-White Wolf