The Goetia Hired Mercenary

The Night where Secrets Lie

Zumira tossed and turned fiercely as her mind aggressively fought agaisnt her. The sound of a maddening thunder crashed just outside her window causing her to jump from her blankets and instantly grabbing her gun from within her nightstand.

Her nerves were on edge with no explanation. Her mind raced with a thousand different thoughts. She sat up in her bed, holding her head in the palms of her hands with her gun laying out in front of her.
"Get a fucking grip on yourself." She whispered to herself with her body shaking.

Without any success of going back to sleep, Zumira got up to start a perimeter check. She exited her room and walked down the hall towards the staircase. It was silent with the occassional crack of thunder that ripped through the sky. Lightning flashed creating temporary light in the shadowy corners of the mansion.

Carefully treading through the house, Zumira made sure to check on the kitchen before passing on to the ballroom.
"Zumira." A voice whispered causing her to halt in her place.
She looked over her shoulder just as a flash of lightning revealed nobody to be there.
Zumira continued on, ignoring the ghostly voice she heard.

Opening the ballroom, she could make out an empty room.
"What do you think you're even doing?" A fainted voice asked.
Zumira swung her gun out of its holster and pointed it down the hallway. Her teeth gritted together as her nerves began to race all over again.

"Come out of hiding you coward." She called out, keeping a careful eye on what laid ahead of her.
"Why don't you put the gun down?" The whisper taunted.
"Fucking make me." Zumira cursed, trotting towards the voice.

Thunder rolled and lightning lit up the hallway with no one there for Zumira to chase. She halted and waved the gun around her as she tried to pinpoint the voice. Zumira silently tiptoed back towards the grand staircase and climbed to the upper level. Keeping her back close to the wall she opened the first door, the door that would have been the one to Octavia's room. But once opened, it was empty.
This made her gasp and fear settled in with the pounding of her heart.

"It seems like you've already failed." The voice tormented.
"Shut up!" She slammed the door and kept on walking towards another door, swinging it open only to find another empty room.
"What's the matter? Hearing ghosts?"
Zumira was getting irritated with the jokes her unknown entity was making.
"Leave me alone!"

"What's going on?"
Zumira turned around and there standing in the hall was the darkened silhouette of a shadow, a figure standing menacingly towards her.
Zumira thrusted her gun and fired two shots in the direction of the intruder. She chased the them down the hall to where they raced in to the Prince's room. Just as she headed in, a violent kick to the face caught her off guard, causing her to lose her grip on to her weapon. She growled aggressively and hunched close to the floor, glaring up at her attacker.

"Have you lost your damn mind?"
Lightning flashed and a loud roar of thunder shook the room. It gave her just enough light and time to see who it was that had been tormenting her, Striker.
A frenzy boiled in her once she saw the  envy spoiled wrath imp. She lunged towards him, hissing and whipping her tail about.
"Whats the matter with you? Can't make a single hit."
Zumira lashed out towards Striker when a blade shimmered by a nearby dresser mirror. She barrel rolled towards the knife, successfully grabbing it.

Zumira turned to face her opponent with no time wasted and lunged at Striker. Together they tumbled into a heap just as she pinned Striker down to the carpeted floor. She held the knife to Strikers throat, growling in victory.
"This time I won't hesitate." Zumira threatened getting ready to slice his throat.
"Zumira! Its me!"
She stopped inches from his throat as the voice of Stolas escaped Striker's mouth.
"A trick." She growled.
"Zumira, stop!"

Zumira closed her eyes, confused by what she was hearing and conflicted of what she was about to do.
"Get out of my head." She cried.
"Zumira, trust me. Throw the knife."
Clutching hard to the knife, Zumira threw the it to the side of her and got up off of the Striker Impersonator. She tugged at her hair, shaking her head with tears burning down her face.
"Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head." She repeated over and over again in a mantra tone. Each time as she said it, a fist pounded down on her head violently. Burning tears streamlined her face as laughter echoed in her mind to the sound of her own internal screaming.

A hand laid on Zumira's shoulder making her quickly look up at who had touched her only to realize, it was Stolas. He was dressed in a royal red robe with a slight cut on his throat from where she held the blade.
"Zumira?" He whispered to her.
Seeing the fresh blue blood drip from his neck caused a horrific panic inside Zumira. She stared as the droplet slid down the owl prince's neck with fear and anxiety rising in her chest.

Stolas hid the cut under his hand,
"Zumira, hey, hey. Its okay. I'm okay." Stolas reassured reaching out to her only to have Zumira recoil.
She backed up to the door, finding the doorknob. Her eyes quivered towards Stolas just as she rushed out of the room and down the darkened hall.