GraveRobber: A Kuroshitsuji (BlackButler) Fanfiction

[III The Sorceress III]

Chapter I: Desecration


The aroma of freshly brewed tea wafted down the hall, breaking the stiffness of the hall and signaling the morning had come. A rather soft knock was accompanied by the phrase that would always begin the day within the Phantomhive manor: “Pardon the intrusion. Good morning, young master. It’s time to wake up.”

The tall slim butler who had knocked had entered the room with a slight smile worn on his thin lips while pushing in the tea cart into the master room of the manor. However, the black haired man’s smirk disappeared when the mass in the bed failed to move at all. Finally he moved across the room towards the window and pulled the curtains back, allowing dawn’s first light to filter into the room. It was only then that he heard even the slightest movement in the bed behind him.

The boy who laid in the bed had rolled over towards the window and ever so slowly opened his eyes, allowing the light to meet the large blue eye and the other decorated with a pentagram. He stared towards the window for a moment before he sat up in his bed.

“Jasmine? Isn’t that usually for the evening? I expect better from you, Sebastian.”

“Jasmine pearl tea, master,” the butler replied as he moved his red eyes from the boy towards the cart. “I think you may need something like that to start this morning anyway.” Quietly, Sebastian made his way back towards the cart and prepared the young head of the family a cup of the fresh sweet tea.

“What is on the agenda today?” The blue eyed boy asked quietly as he accepted the tea from the butler who kept his slim smile ever present.

“I had plans but I do believe they will be changing as they always do, young master. However, if you must know, I have a music lesson and a fair amount of business to attend to concerning our new food department.”

“I suppose we do need other products other than the doughnut curry.”

After the small breakfast, Sebastian assisted Ciel in dressing himself and dressed the young boy in his usual royal blue clothing trimmed with black and even tied a simple cloth eye patch around the boy’s head to hide the eye with the seal of the contract which bound the demon butler to Ciel with a gentle tug.

“The newspaper is in your office as is the mail which has been received.”

“So then, let’s start the day,” Ciel said with a slight sigh. With that the duo moved from the large bedroom, through the rather quiet halls of the manor, and entered the office which was nearly as large as the master bedroom itself. The chair behind the desk, in which Ciel sat, dwarfed the child due to the height of the back. Without further adieu, Ciel set to reading the newspaper.

“Grave robbers? Hasn’t this been going on since the beginning of winter?”

“The ones with the coins being left in the mouth of the dug up corpses? Yes,” Sebastian said nodding in reply, turning away from Ciel for a moment to hide his smirk while the boy continued to read.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“About?”

“Don’t act like that-“

“You never asked about it,” Sebastian replied as Ciel continued to read, this time muttering it aloud as if to make sure what he was reading was indeed true.

“The grave robbers have struck again making it the thirteenth time the criminals have struck within five months. This time the target proves that no grave is safe, not even that of the Phantomhives who became the latest target of the criminals. The caskets were discovered next to the dirt which used to hide them, forced open by those responsible. The corpses had all jewelry removed and only a few coins left in their mouths which has become the signature mark of the robber.” Ciel paused and tossed the newspaper onto the table, the simple scowl now becoming a face painted with anger. “I didn’t want to get involved with this stuff-“

“I believe it wouldn’t have mattered either way. It seems someone else wanted you to get involved anyway.” Ciel turned towards his butler only to find an envelope being held in front of him, it sealed with red wax with a raised seal: the distinguishable crest of the queen herself. Ciel shook his head as he took the envelope away from Sebastian and opened it quickly.

“Well then, I suppose we’ll have to begin our investigations rather soon, now won’t we?”

“I suppose this means our lessons will be canceled today then?”

“I won’t allow the desecration of my family's graves.”

“And why does the queen wish for us to become involved.”

“Since the passing of her husband, she believes that the dead should be allowed to rest in peace. She wouldn’t want her family to suffer either.”

“And why can’t The Yard do such things? Come now, young master, you know we are usually called upon for dire things which the The Yard-“

“The Yard is full of imbeciles who can’t do anything unless the clues are lined up right in front of them, you know this. They’ve been at it since the issue first arose and the queen is tired waiting for them to stop it as it seems they are not capable.”

“I see. However, this is rather troublesome. I have to leave the house in the care of those three again while we’re out. You know how much I dislike letting those three have complete control of this house even if just for an hour.”

“We’ll be back tonight – it won’t be like that circus issue we suffered through during the winter,” Ciel assured.

“Excellent.”

“However, you do realize the only person who would know such things would be, correct?” Sebastian said nothing but the faded smile on his face answered Ciel’s question. “Back out to London this afternoon then. Have the carriage prepared and we’ll leave as soon as you finish giving instructions to those idiotic servants.”

“Are you sure you wish to visit that man again though? Especially with this issue? He does seem to enjoy tormenting you to a degree.”

“I want to go down there as much as you do,” Ciel said with his tone indicating he was annoyed with the fact he was obviously going to have to speak with the Undertaker in London.

“Oh! I’m pleased that you’ve decided to along with him!” Ciel growled quietly as his butler excused himself with the sly smile returning to his lips.

“Damn demons,” Ciel muttered as the door closed behind him.  

[III The Sorceress III]

Chapter II: Personalized Casket

The quiet clicking of the small heels on the shoes both Sebastian and Ciel wore was accompanied by the dull clack of the young Earl Ciel’s cane as they walked quietly down one of the quietest sidewalks known in all of London. The two moved quickly as this was not a place that the Phantomhive name was wanting to be publically associated with – a rather reasonable thought considering most figured the Undertaker to be a mad man at the very least. Finally they arrived before their destination: a building seemingly to lack any form of care with spider webs spread where ever a spider supposed it could catch anything, cracks had begun to form on the wall, the sign above the door seemed as if it would fall at any given moment, windows were entirely blocked, and worst of all, there was a rather unpleasant smell about the whole place.

“I can’t believe we’re back here, yet again,” Ciel muttered under his breath as Sebastian stepped forward to open the door for the boy. After a moment, Ciel entered the rather dark shop and allowed a moment for his eyes to readjust to the light. “Where is he hiding this time?”

“I don’t see him either-“

“Up?” Ciel asked finally looking up only to be surprised that the man was nowhere to be found above. “Check the caskets, I guess.” Ciel finally said towards his butler. Giving a slight sigh, Sebastian moved towards one and set to opening it as the front door opened up once more.

“Oh my. The Earl has come to visit me yet again! How delightful!” Both Ciel and Sebastian turned around to find the heavily clothed Undertaker closing the door with a shovel in his hands. “Come to buy yourself a casket today? Would you like a lock on it to protect your corpse so what happened to your family won’t happen to you?”

“You should lock up if you’re not here-“

“I told you before, yes? My door is always open for the Earl and his butler.” A quiet laugh came from the man who kept most of his face hidden by his rather long grey bangs, kept in black by his snuggly fit black hat. “Besides, I was expecting you to come along. After all, I had to put them back in the ground, now didn’t I?” He asked, tilting his head somewhat as he placed his shovel next to the door. “The Earl seems to care dearly about his parents, I knew he’d come by.”

The heels, of the man referred to as Undertaker, clicked against the ground as he moved around the two and towards one of the caskets laying on the ground which had measuring cylinders placed on it as well as a tea pot next to it. “Sit, let’s have a drink while we talk business!” Both Ciel and Sebastian contorted their face into an expression of disgust before Ciel finally spoke.

“I believe we’ll have to pass on that one.”

“A shame. I made it right before I left too.” The Undertaker paused for a moment as he poured himself a cup of the tea, the smell of it not able to reach Ciel or Sebastian due to the smell of death that lingered in this place. “So, a casket for yourself with a lock? I’ll need your-“

“The young master has not come to order a casket,” Sebastian said quickly before Ciel had the chance to even argue with the pale man. “We came for a business discussion of another kind.”

“Like always,” Undertaker sighed quietly as he rested his head on the top of the casket which served as his desk of sorts. “Here about the grave robbers then, correct?” Ciel simply nodded and finally seated himself on one of the many caskets that filled the large room of the building. A smirk crept onto the pale lips of the man as he tilted his head upright. “Well-“

“Please, allow me to handle this, young master. I would prefer not to spend the whole day here as we have done before,” Sebastian said as he moved forward, tugging on his pristine white gloves.

“I was thinking the same thing,” the boy said finally getting off the casket he sat on and set to moving towards the door.

“Remember to not look inside,” Sebastian reminded quietly as Ciel stepped outside and closed the door gently behind him. Silently, the boy stood outside of the building, tapping his cane against the ground to keep himself amused for the time being while Sebastian attempted to get the man who belonged in an insane asylum to laugh or rather drool all over himself as he tended to do when laughing or amused.

“You may enter.” Ciel turned around surprised that Sebastian had already finished. He turned back around and entered the partially opened door and closed it behind him softly only to hear the eerie chuckle of the Undertaker.

“So, what information do you have for us?”

“Ku…Fine. That was a good one, Mister Butler.” Sebastian quietly picked up his black coat and slipped it on with ease while Ciel seated himself once more. “The bodies aren’t being…too bothered really. It almost seems like a trade of sorts. Certainly the coins left though are not of equal value of the things stolen from within the caskets. Clothes on the body are oddly…adjusted to the body again. It’s as if this person was me going to fix up things!”

“The bodies aren’t just being tossed around? Where does that get us at all?”

“I don’t really know. I suppose it isn’t your average grave robber.”

“And what about the coins? What’s with them?” Ciel asked ignoring the cup of tea which Undertaker was offering him at the time.

“You don’t know the story?” Undertaker asked tilting his somewhat, allowing the fabric which hung of his hat to sway a little more. “Well, I suppose that was good enough so I’ll tell you. There is an old legend which speaks of a river which the dead must cross in order to cross over – lovely play on words!”

“Continue,” Ciel said rather coldly interrupting the chuckles of Undertaker.

“You really are cold hearted. You don’t even get jokes – it’ll be the death of you. Anyway, it is said that the safest place to put the fare for the boat to cross would be the mouth. One or two coins should be good enough to get one across the river.”

“What else do you know?”

“I think it’s a woman who is doing this, more precise – a maid.”

“Because of the way she fixed the clothing?” Sebastian asked tilting his head.

“That and because the bodies smelled like perfume,” Undertaker said laying his head back down on the table, running the long black nail of his index finger over the measuring lines on the cylinder in front of him. “And because of this! It smells like polish and perfume.” The two guests of Undertaker’s simply stared at the dirtied white gloves, obviously made for a woman’s hands

“At least that narrows it down some,” Ciel grumbled. “How do we know where she’ll go next? How do we lure her out?”

“I believe I have a plan, young master,” Sebastian finally said calmly. “Undertaker, I’ll require a casket, made for me personally.”

“I thought you’d never ask! It shall be done by tomorrow afternoon at the latest!”

“Excellent –“

“What on earth are you planning?” Ciel asked with his usual stern look worn as he looked up towards his butler.

“Staging an event that I’m sure you would love to happen, young master,” Sebastian said giving his smile.