Ritual in Flight

Chapter 12

The song began. All the ghouls could hear it, Papa even recognized it as he had heard it before from Lucifer himself. Each one, in their separate clearings, walked towards the music which seemed to be coming from another part of the woods. As each ghoul grew closer, they noticed the forest changing around them; the ground, and the air felt different from their previous locations. What was once a clear night grew foggy around them and a chill penetrated their bones. Inching closer and closer to the sound, each ghoul was filled with mixed emotions. Fear, curiosity, anticipation, anxious excitement and some with dread. Would she run? Will she listen and understand? Who is she? Is she human? So many questions and worries plagued all of them, except Papa. His mind solely focused on the song. It was a gift from their unholy master and he wanted to drink it in fully, be intoxicated by it and let it love in him. So far gone into the song that he nearly fell face first into a bush as he blindly walked.

Papa gathered his balance and whined in a hushed tone. He looked around as to see where he had been transported, everything tinted a blood orange from the moon, a chilly fog and a much different atmosphere surrounded this clearing. He stepped closer, doing his best not to make a sound. It all felt familiar and yet new. He searched around, the feeling of more than just his own come to him. He tried to fixate on it but was overwhelmed by it.

"Are you watching, master? Is it you who is searching?" a voice rang out..

Papa and ghouls stayed silent and had become statues in their places. The fear of being found turned their already pale complexions nearly invisible. A few moments passed and they heard small movements from where they once heard the song. Each one creeping closer, too curious to stay well out of sight but cautious as to not get within harms distance.

All eyes fixed towards the seductive source of light. The inviting fire that danced before them, begging them to its warmth. None had noticed how cold they had become until that moment. The fight to stay hidden becoming slightly harder. They watched the flames, Omega reached up to where he had been left scarred by his demon and winced, the fear flooding back to him. His heart ached and his hands trembled. He was thrust from his thoughts as a figure emerged from behind the flames. He couldn't break his gaze. The figure grew closer to the flames and revealed their true form. A woman.. The one they have been searching for.. Finally.

Omega was the first to process the situation. Overcome with joy, he burst from his hiding place and sprinted to the woman. Stopping just opposite her on the edge of the fire pit. He smiled. He could see her entire shape now, every detail of her face, the lost look in her eyes as she hadn't noticed him standing there at all. He opened his mouth to speak but the pain from his injury caused him to shut his mouth before sound escaped it.

The other ghouls, hidden still, were in shock to see Omega. Coming to their senses, after what had felt like years or standing in the shadows, they emerged and joining him by the fire, more transfixed on the girl than how each other somehow ended up in the same place. Papa was the last to join ragtag group of curious ghouls. He walked up to them and nodded, they all nodded back and watched as Papa waltzed around the fire to her side.

Vi, still lost in the flames, day dreaming of the music and the vision playing in her mind, still had no clue they were there. She felt the eyes but never dared look around, too scared to be greeted by disappointment again. Until she felt a gloved hand upon her shoulder. It didn't frighten her, as it should most. The hand let out a comforting and intriguing spell in its touch. She turned to it, following each finger up to the arm and then to the face and body it belonged to. The mix matched eyes. The ones she had felt during the last ritual, were staring right back at hers. Her eyes widened as she took in the beauty of the man before her. Papa turned to his ghouls, who had lined up perfectly next to each other in order to get an equal view, and smiled to them. Vi followed his line of sight to meet the eyes and faces of each ghoul, the blues and greens brightly shining with glee to see hers as well.

A tear fell from Vi's eye as she turned back to papa, an overwhelming sense of true happiness filled the air between all of them. She now knew they were the ones searching and she was found. She couldn't describe the exact feeling she received from the group but she knew it was everything she had been missing in her life.