The Ramblings Of A Goetia

3: A Strange Visitor

Stolas was still in bed. Replays a week ago still haunted him. Why did no one love him? Why did the good things never stay?

He reluctantly sat up, and put on his wavy bath robe. Time to deal with the ever persistent Stella, the divorce, and the ugly truth.

When he made it to the dining room, he was immediately plagued on all sides by Stella's laugh. "Well, if it isn't the shit face himself!"

Octavia pulled her beanie over her eyes. "Please you two, not now."

Stolas only blinked owlishly at his former wife, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "And good morning to you." he looked up. "Remind me again why you're still here?"

Stella's eye twitched. Octavia reached for her earbuds.

"To torture you, of course! I mean, an imp? Really, Stolas? You're even more pathetic than I assumed!" another round of cackling escaped her beak.

I really am a fool. Stolas thought. He had given up his very heart for that imp, and he had thrown it away. He should have known better. But for a second he really had thought that-

"Hey, I'm talking to you, dick!" Stella screeched, throwing yet another plant at his head. "Is the only thing you're good at growing plants and cheating on wives?"

The fight continued, until Stolas ended it by trotting outside. "I need some air." he hissed.

Octavia was long gone, but he would try to console her once Stella cooled down. 

He lit a cigarette, the red smoke flitting and evaporating, eating up the few stars left in the sky.

In his perefrial vision, he found the enormous tree him and... him... had climbed as children. Where they had shared their hopes and dreams. 

He groaned, heading for it. Once there, he leapt up onto the lowest branch. 

From up here, all he could see was the massive expanse of Hell. Smoke billowed at every corner, whether from smoking, or fires he couldn't tell.

Above him, the moon shined a bleary color, almost like it was covered in mist. 
Stolas breathed it all in.

And that was when a sharp edged figure shoved onto the tree trunk.

He yelped as he was pinned to the rough bark.

His attacker was plump and short, a tiny hell hound with a fiery spirit.

"Who the f-"

The hellhound covered his mouth with their paw. "Ssh... wouldn't want you telling anyone, now would I?" 

Stolas writhed beneath their paws, a desperate attempt to escape their grasp. 

"Do you have the grimoire?" Their breath stank of carcasses.

"N- no."

"Mind if I search your place for it?" They grinned, showing all their teeth.

"Yes, actually."

They frowned, choking him quickly and then released him, causing him to tumble to the bottom of the hill.

Their voice echoed in Stolas's mind. 

"You will, regret this, goetia..."

Stolas shuddered, struggling to get up. His spindly legs hurt like they'd been pummeled with rocks.

He limped as fast as he could back to the palace.

Before checking that Stella was gone, he headed to his room.

The fake stars glittered against the black tile. 

He tipped over the container of happy pills prescribed to him, and took two for good measure. 

He took ragged breaths, and fell asleep. But not before forgetting to console Octavia.

The next chapter is called "Disappearing Act!" Who, or what disappeared? The grimoire? Or something very close to them? Stolas and Blitz perspective chapter. Striker will be mentioned.