The Ritual

In the musty, dusty room, everything is ready for the ritual. Candles are placed at their proper locations, one at a point for each cardinal direction. A large, white one is placed in the center of the summoning circle. A group of humans encircle the circle. They chant in a difficult-to-parse language, it is likely in Latin, regardless, they are all expressing something in various volumes and frequencies; mispronunciations are prevalent in their productions. Spontaneously, a stunningly bright light flashes in the middle of the circle. The chanting dies out; cheering starts as the hooded humans jump and hug each other, or give back-pats or fist-bumps. Suddenly, an echoing, high-pitched, delighted giggle could be heard from the floating humanoid right in the heart of the summoning scrawl. The cheers die out and change into angry murmurs of confusion. This is definitely not the extremely masculine and deep-voiced demon that they are trying to summon!

"Oh! Oh no! That's the most horrendously awful Latin I've heard all year, maybe all decade! You'd never summon whomever you're attempting to summon chanting like that!" A cheerful, but distorted voice rings and resounds throughout the dark room. The aforementioned being fluffs their wing feathers out, lifts their large white peafowl tail up, then sits cross-legged with a plop! The person twirls their long blonde head-feathers, that looks akin to hair, around a short, pale, clawed-finger. Their claw appears ink-stained in contrast. They stop producing their eye-crinkling grin and large, lambent, golden eyes are exposed for a few seconds. Their vertically slit pupils are observable and all of the surrounding humans' wide eyes are illuminated by the flickering candle-light around them. Then, the being re-affixes their original face-splitting grin, their four pairs of razor sharp canines glint threateningly and not a soul made a sound. The being in the center of the circle drops their smile as they process something detectable only to them; they narrow their gaze at the people walling them in. Their glare arbitrarily landing on specific humans who feel befuddled, although this feeling is facially imperceptible due to the summoners' hoods.

The being floats upward; they let their zygodactyl, taloned feet dangle in the air along with their long train feathers. Gleaming, golden eye-patterns decorate their tail feathers and appear to wink at the onlookers in the candle light. The feathered creature looks down at the etchings that they sit above with a minute head-tilt, then they look back up at their summoners; the Siren's crown feathers bobble at the rapid motion. They flash a wicked smile. The humans surrounding them flinch back instinctively to the corners of the drafty room. The bodies that hit their backs against the walls let out pained huffs. A few whisper nervously amongst themselves. This was evidently not how they expected the summoning to go. The demon that they had attempted to call upon was a more benevolent sort of wisdom-demon. This being demonstrates an uncanny to a down-right terrifying malevolent aura. Essentially the antithesis to the demon that they revere and it leads them to scramble and huddle in anticipation and fear. They dare not run lest this monster chase after them.

"However, this summoning circle is well-made! And so are the protective wards that y'all have placed around it!" They chirp out eerily, their cruel smirk growing more and more pointed. "If only they worked!" The flames on the candles are snuffed out abruptly. A loud beating of wings. A disruption of dust swirls throughout the room. Yelps and whimpers are heard from some of the humans. Thumps and sickening squelches sound from those particular areas.

Then, the candles woosh back on; the flames a brilliant green. The brighter lighting reveals newly developed crimson puddles pooling underneath the freshly fallen bodies. Foreboding clunks resound as all of the exits locked simultaneously. The Siren, Sky, laps up the thin liquid off of one claw, the rest quickly drips on the porous stone floor. Sky grimaces as they were reminded that they abhorred the metallic taste of hemoglobin and they magick it off of their claw-tips with a shrug. The remaining humans huddle together, a few trembling and others muttering heatedly amongst themselves. The Siren's feathered ears flick towards the voices. Sky uses their upper pair of hands to smooth down their exposed chest feathers, the other two pairs fiddling with either their hair or the humidity in the air. Amusement graces their visage as the huddled figures push an unlucky one out of their midst, apparently the whispers were a discussion among them. Sky wasn't paying very much attention. Sky almost feels bad for the chosen one, then they remember that this person evidently was comfortable having a friendly association with rapists and pedophiles. However, in their defense, they might not have known about that particular aspect of their now deceased, comrades' lives.

"So, I suppose introductions are in order! I'm Sky! I presume I'm not the one you meant to summon, and yet here I am! Pleased to meet you!" The being chirp brightly, a less malicious smile now on their lips. They look up, but continue to play with their exposed chest feathers.

"I-I-I'm Francine." The poor chosen human flusters out with a perceptible flinch as Sky's grin becomes giant again, exposing wickedly painful looking fangs.

"Pleasure to meet you Francine." Sky purrs threateningly; they drop their top pair of hands. They expose one hand for Francine to shake and she eyes it warily. Sky waits an uncomfortable beat, then pull it back behind their head. They float with one leg crossed over the other as their smile drops. It is possible that this awkward moment gives Francine time to pluck up some courage as she begins to speak yet again, this time with more confidence:

"What are you?"

"Oh that's easy! I'm a Siren! Ya' silly goose!" Sky giggles with a hair-toss and a flippant flap of one of their top hands. They lean forward with their eyes narrowed and a smirk upon their features. Poor Francine's personal space is suddenly infiltrated by the supernatural being and she takes a clumsy step or two back. Sky follows her, taps her nose with a boop! then leans back. Francine rapidly blinks her eyes at this; astonishingly a scarlet blush stains her features, not that it could be seen under her hood, but it was embarrassing for her nonetheless. If the others could see, they would surely make fun of her! Which is an odd worry considering that some of her fellow cult members are now dead because of the being in front of her.

"Now you tell me what you are! I mean you're a human obviously, but like, what are-- or were you doing with this bullshit summoning?" They sing while gesticulating wildly with all six of their hands and their wings flap behind them for emphasis. Francine huffs irately and crosses her thick, tan arms.

"Couldn't be such a bullshit summoning if you're here." She turns her head away and mutters irately and quietly under her breath. Sky titters echoingly as a result, their perked feathery ears catching all of the auditory stimuli around them.

"Implying that you thought it worked?" Sky questions with one hand on their chin in a stance of mock-thoughtfulness. Why the sudden attitude change? They think in regards to the human.

"Yes exactly!" Francine shouts indignantly as one of her hands flies to her hips and the other jabs a pointer finger at her antagonist. Sky flips to float on their stomach, two of their top hands cup their cheeks, their legs cross up at the ankles behind them. They uncross their ankles and decide to intermittently bounce the tops and bottoms of their talons in the air; their knees being a set of ball-in-socket joints that make this unsettling for others to watch. The living humans, minus Francine, stand or sit in stunned silence.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Weeeeelll, with the wards you all set, it seems unlikely that y'all were properly prepared for me. They felt better suited for a far weaker being than I. Hmmm... unless you're saying that you and your accomplices are incompetent?" Sky re-butts with a small chuckle while they tap one ink-dipped claw on their thin lips. Francine grimaces under her hood.

"I- but! We still summoned you! Care to explain?" The human splutters with both of her hands on her hips. A sudden gust of wind removes her hood and she gasps, but does not otherwise act upon this occurrence. Her hands drop from her hips and her gaze is suddenly drawn to Sky's muscular and shapely thighs as they jiggle in the air.

"Ah hello! There's your face! Means nothing to me! But there It is! And anyway! To answer your question, I'm just happy to be here! Didn't necessarily need an invite!"

"What does that mean?" Another human pipes up, this one was scrawny and has a deeper voice. They speak as they pick their way closer to the Siren, obviously disregarding the rapidly cooling bodies of their colleagues as curiosity overtakes their common sense. Or maybe Sky is just that charismatic or disarming. Likely both are applicable in this particular circumstance. The skinny human removes their hood when they arrive. Maybe to make Francine feel less exposed? What bizarre humans these are! Especially since I can be un-illusion-ed around them due to them already accepting the supernatural! Sky marvels.

"Essentially, you didn't have to summon me for me to be here!" Sky responds airily, they examine their claws before promptly popping their thumb nail in their mouth to suck on.

"Then why are you here?" The other human accuses angrily, their arms crossed tightly in front of their chest.

"Their times were up! So, it was the most efficient way to get rid of them all. I thank you all for the convenience!" Sky notes as they widely gesture, with all six hands, around the room at the corpses. "Also, I can't stand people like them."

"People like who, what?" Francine comes back to her senses and asks eloquently. The scrawny human gives her a judgmental side-eye which she notices and shrugs at.

"Pedophiles and rapists." Sky states with dark undertones. They twirl their hair around their finger as before.

"They were what?" Scrawny human yelps incredulously. Francine's eyes widen in surprise and she gasps yet again. "Did you all know this?" A disgusted snarl is heard in the thin human's voice. Multiple heads fervently shake their heads 'no'. "Wait! How can we trust you? Like what if you're lying?" They narrow their eyes at Sky.

"You probably can't, but the other likelihood would be that I'm killing indiscriminately, so you're more likely to be optimistic and hope that I did so for an unknown criterion that you don't fall under if you want to survive." Sky states elaborately. "I mean, either way, it's no skin off my balls." They shrug apathetically.

"Do you---?" The other human questions and Sky huffs a laugh.

"Nope! I don't have any balls if that's what you're wondering. But, I'm sure I could find some for you if you'd like, a la a bilateral orchiectomy. Although, that's just for the testicles, I couldn't find what it's called when the actual scrotum is removed. Oh well!" Sky replies with a clap of their middle pair of hands. "Also, why do you all keep getting stuck on the most unimportant, minute little details? I mean, I know why I do, my reasons have been diagnosed since I was a child, however, I can not figure out your reasons for doing so?"

"Not sure, I'm a little--"

"Upset, disturbed, befuddled, unnerved? Pick a word! Any word!" Sky interrupts using a 'game show' voice and a dramatic hand wave with the top set of their hands.

"Uhh I'll pick uhh 'unnerved'? I'm unnerved! By this whole experience. And upset too--- I think?" The Scrawny one says with a deep frown as they look around at their fallen comrades.

"Is it the blood? Because if so, I can fix that for you!" Sky says with a grin and suddenly the blood dissipates into thin air.

"No uh, it's not just that. But, uhh, thanks I guess?" The human responds unsurely and twiddles their thumbs against each other. Sky tilts their head in confusion, their crest-feathers follow this motion. They then point one of their index fingers up in an 'aha!' manner while sitting upright in the air, their head properly leveled as a result.

"It's the corpses isn't it?" They deduce, wearing a proud-of-themselves grin while pointing one of their wicked sharp claws at the scrawny human. They nod in agreement. "I can fix that too!" Sky cheers and the cadavers burst into flames. All of the living humans startle back at this. As quickly as they began, the small infernos disappear, taking all of the remains with them.

"Usually I don't do that with people like them as it frees their souls faster, but I'd do anything to make others comfortable!" Sky reports with two thumbs up, they gnaw on their bottom lip.

"Except for not killing people." A new, and bored-sounding voice drawls from near the summoning circle. She saunters to the center of the circle with a scowl. This being is evidently familiar to Sky and they flap their hands excitedly.

"Circe! There you are! Thanks for the summoning y'all! It's been lovely, but here's my ride!" Sky trills happily upon seeing the angel-demon and wraps their top set of arms around her dark neck. All four sets of crimson, glowing eyes flick to the Siren and all four of her arms easily wrap around the Siren's torso.

"How was that meant?" Circe asks with a small smirk on her face, her serrated teeth shine through a little. Sky beams beautifully at her.

"It was polysemantic! Circita." Sky states then purrs the endearment at their best friend. Circe shivers minutely and pleasantly at their pet name. Sky turns to the humans around them and waves farewell. "Bye-bye y'all! Have a good mourning period or something I guess! I hopefully will never see you again! For your sake!" Sky shouts joyfully as Circe rolls all four of her eyes. Then the two supernatural beings teleport out of the musty, dusty room. Three actions occurred in order: the candles are snuffed out, the room is plunged into darkness, and the exits clank as they unlock. The cultists huff out simultaneous sighs of relief as their escape is now evident.

The remaining humans disperse wondering what the hell they'd say to their loved people and pets when they get home.