Chapter Text
Night had quietly fallen over the Abbey. The Ghouls were enjoying their time lounging in the common area, but unlike most days, not a sound could be heard. Terzo had pushed them hard at practice today, never satisfied with anything they seemed to try.
Poor Ifrit, eager to prove himself, played so hard that halfway through the solo in Jigolo Har Megiddo, his fingers actually started to bleed. Yet he kept playing, his white guitar turning grey as the ghoul’s blood was smeared all over it. On the couch, Aether currently had the Fire ghoul sat on his lap as he worked to heal the puncture wounds on his fingers.
Aether didn’t get off any easier. Also eager to prove that he was a worthy replacement for Omega, Aether ended up dislocating his pinky finger four times. Thankfully it was an easy fix when he had a couple seconds, using his Quintessence to pop it back into place. However, that didn’t mean the ghoul wasn’t silently crying out in pain every time it happened.
The pack was a mess.
The only sounds that could be heard from within the den were odd grunts and groans as they struggled to move. Not a single one of them could be angry at their Papa though, they all knew he was going through a rough time.. Losing so many of his most trusted ghouls all at once would do that to a man. No one knew that better than Ivy.
The Earth ghoul would often bring Terzo leftovers when he missed dinner. When Aether was busy in the infirmary looking after Omega’s patients, Ivy would be there to listen to Terzo’s heartbroken cries. They had built quite a bond over the last month or so.
A quiet knock was heard before Terzo quietly walked into the den. The ghouls thought it was cute when he knocked. It was kind of pointless since they all knew he was there long before he even got close to the entrance. Perks of their heightened senses.
The ghouls attempted to sit up straighter at the sight of their Papa, who winced in guilt as he heard their pained struggles.
“I just wanted to come in and say, I’m very sorry for how I treated you all today.” Terzo hung his head in shame. “I know you are trying very hard. I was not very appreciative of that. You all have large shoes to fill. I sometimes forget some of you have not been here that long, and it will take some time.”
Aether ran a soothing hand over Ifrit’s head before he stood from the couch. “Papa, you don’t need to apologize–”
“Yes, I do!” Terzo cut in. “It was not right. That is not who you need me to be, that is not who I need to be. My loving ghouls, I am very sorry.”
The pack turned to look at each other, silently contemplating whether to accept their Papa’s apology. Nodding to each other before they moved to embrace Terzo in a crushing pack hug. Leaning next to his ear, Dewdrop whispered, “Do it again, and I will float your mattress down the river.”
Terzo could only chuckle and lovingly kiss his newest Water ghoul on the forehead. “I would expect nothing less.”
The ghouls released him from their cuddle, going back to dynamically flopping over the couches and chairs. A desperate attempt to relieve some pressure from their aching knees, back and feet. Terzo stopped Ivy before he could join the rest of the pack.
“May I speak with you a moment?”
Ivy nodded and followed Terzo outside the den, walking slowly beside him through the basement halls.
“I wondered,” Terzo said cautiously. “Have you… noticed some of the livestock missing from the back pasture?”
Ivy pondered. The ghoul did overhear some of the Siblings talking about the forest the other day, but he wasn’t sure if that was why. “I might have heard something about that.”
Terzo stopped before rounding the corner. “Now, please don’t take this the wrong way,” he said softly. “But you ghouls haven’t… if there isn’t enough food at dinner time–”
“Oh! No, Papa. We would never,” Ivy quickly defended. “I can double check with the pack, but as far as I know, the answer is no. The Catholic sheep and goats up the road are plenty.”
Terzo exhaled in relief. “Thank, Satan.”
“Would you like me to go investigate?” The Earth ghoul offered, tilting his head in curiosity. “I did notice some of the Siblings have been afraid to go into the forest lately, and Dewdrop mentioned the fish have been missing from the black lake for a few weeks now.”
“That is strange.” He furrowed his brow in thought. “I wouldn’t want to trouble you beyond what I have already asked.”
Ivy just smiled at him. “It would be no trouble, Papa. As an Earth ghoul, the forest is my responsibility since Earth and Pebble are… no longer able to fulfill their duties.”
The air around the two turned melancholy for a moment before Ivy placed a hand over his heart and bowed his head in respect to his leader. “I will gladly get to the bottom of this.”
Terzo gently placed a hand on the Earth ghoul’s cheek, forcing the dark entity to look at him as he smiled warmly. “I knew I could count on you. Thank you, Ivy. I am in your debt.”
“It is my honour to be of service, Sir.”
Terzo was more patient and forgiving after that. Band practice actually became fun for the ghouls. One day, ‘For shits and giggles’ he said, Terzo let everyone switch places.
Seeing only the tips of little Dewdrops horns as he struggled to see behind Earth’s drums, and witnessing Aether’s awkward T-Rex fingers tapping all the wrong notes on Zephyr’s keyboard had everyone in a laughing fit for half an hour.
Things had been going well.
It was a day off when Ivy decided to finally see what the big fuss in the forest was. Since the talk with Terzo, there had been strange happenings every time someone ventured in too far.
Aether said a Sister of Sin came running into the infirmary a few nights ago with strange bruises around her ankles, and cuts all over like she had been dragged through a rose bush. She had been screaming in terror about how the forest had glowing eyes as it dragged her in and tried to eat her.
More livestock had been going missing too: sheep, goats, and now Missy, Terzo’s beloved dairy cow. Whatever was haunting these woods was hungry, and it was getting brave.
Before midnight mass yesterday, Terzo had a message.
“I understand you are all afraid of something in the forest, yes?” Quiet murmurs erupted around the main hall. “Do not fear, I have it being looked into. The forest will be safe again soon enough, I implore you to be patient. In the meantime, Siblings will no longer be able to venture into the forest unaccompanied. If you need to journey past the treeline, please do take one of the larger ghouls with you.”
It didn’t take ghoulish hearing to notice that a large number of the Clergy were not impressed, or comforted by the announcement. It was the best Terzo could offer with the limited information he had.
From that moment, Ivy knew solving the mystery within the woods was of the utmost importance.
That night, Ivy left his room and walked past the ghoul pile happening in the living room. Aether, ever the mom, tiredly lifted his head as he felt the Earth ghoul walk by.
“Going out? At this hour?”
Ivy stopped to look at Aether on the bottom of the pile, his head popped up behind Ifrit’s chest as the Fire ghoul used him as a pillow. “Papa asked me to look into what’s scaring the Siblings in the forest.”
Aether just sleepily nodded as he shut his violet eyes once again and mumbled, “Ok, be safe. Yell if you… need us.”
Ivy smiled lovingly at the sight of the four snoring ghouls on the floor before leaving the den to start his mission.