Chapter 1: Mission
"Yet another boring, rundown, and rained out day at work." Kudo Kazahaya mumbled to himself in the most aggravated tone a person could possibly get. He pushed back the longer side of his dark brown hair away from his teal green eyes. He stacked the last bit of medicine bottles full of laxatives then turned to the window to look out at the rainy and gray streets.
"Stop complaining. You're inside, aren't you?" his partner in both inside jobs at the Green Drug Pharmacy and outside jobs on odd missions to retrieve special items said. Rikuo Himura was the one who saved him from dying in the snow on the night of Christmas Eve. His pitch black hair and dark green eyes made him irresistible to all the visiting ladies.
"Piss off you insensitive jerk!" Kazahaya shouted to him from the opposite side of the room. He dusted off some of the dust on his Green Drugstore apron he had picked up from rubbing against the dusty shelves.
"My, my. You two can get loud." their manager and side job assigner–Kakei called out from behind them. He looked just like Kazahaya except the right side of hair was longer than the left like Kazahaya's was. He wore glasses and narrowed eyes along with a calm smile every single day.
"You're going to wake Saiga." he nodded over to the man in black wearing sunglasses who was snoring behind the cash register on the front desk. Saiga never really worked, but he seemed to be at the store twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
"Me? Wake him?" Kazahaya asked. He kept his shouting tone just to see if Kakei's theory was right. "I couldn't wake that sleeping whale in a million screams! All he ever does is smoke and slee-"
Rikuo quickly stopped his mouth by placing his hand over it and clenching his jaw. He wrapped his free strong arm about his stomach to pin down Kazahaya's arms so that they could not reach up and grab at his hand on his mouth. "You know his words mean 'shut-up', don't you?"
Kazahaya only growled at his words. He parted his lips and moved his tongue out of his mouth to flick over his palm. Rikuo pulled away quickly with a disgusted look and wiped his saliva covered palm on Kazahaya's shirt while Kazahaya tried to get the taste of Rikuo off of his tongue. It only made Kakei laugh.
"Stop being silly, you two. I have a favor to ask of you both." he said and waved his hand to grab their attention.
"Another side job?" Kudo asked. Now, he looked interested. All of the extra assignments that their boss sent them on were to retrieve some lost artifact or thing. They were all very dangerous as well, but they paid a fair price of money.
"Yes. I want you and Rikuo to retrieve a special ring." Kakei said and handed Kazahaya a photograph so they knew what they were looking for. It was silver with ivory diamonds engraved within the silver loop. A blood red ruby rested on the top. "This ring gives its possessors their greatest desires. I've already text where you'll find this ring of mine on your cell phones. You can leave as soon as possible. I want the ring no later than two days from today."
"I bet we could get it in to you by tonight!" Kazahaya said. He quickly took off his apron and dashed out the door.
Rikuo sighed at Kudo's silly actions. He turned to Kakei and said, "Don't count on it."
"Well, at least he's spirited and determined." their boss said before moving over to Saiga and taking off his white cloak to use it as a blanket.
"Next thing you know, he'll be having one of his moody moments because he's going to be wet." he watched Kakei then grabbed up an umbrella. He followed Kudo out to find his partner shivering underneath a nearby restaurant. He flapped out the umbrella and walked over to him. The rain pounded upon the black umbrella with a green weed plant that read "Green Drugstore" on the same color of green on it.
"Thanks..." Kudo said in a clumsy tone. He got underneath it with Rikuo and started to walk with him, shivering lightly. He held his arms crossed and tight to his chest. His clothing stuck to his skin like an extra layer.
"No problem. Where's the ring?" he glanced down at the boy's cell phone that he had out. Across the lit up green screen read: "137 Kuroi Street".
"It's at that old creepy mansion..." this only made him shiver more. "There are really scary stories that revolve around that place." he kept striding along with the larger boy regardless to his words that only seemed to scare himself. He led his partner to the dark and terrifying mansion that was on the address. The entire thing was black. Walls, windows, the whole bit. All except the vines that ran up it and made it look the least bit green. There was a small statue of an angel with outstretched wings that sat in the middle of a moss covered pond. It scent chills up Kudo's spine but didn't seem to faze Rikuo any.
"Lets go. The sooner we get out, the better." he walked on just as easily as he said those words. Kudo refused to take a step further until he realized he was standing alone in the gateway. The mist of the day had taken Rikuo.
"Wu-wait up!" he shouted and raced into the fog to find him. He ran smack dab into his back and toppled over. The huge body that stood in front of him didn't seem to move an inch. "Ow..." he rubbed his forehead.
"Watch where you're going." Rikuo said. He held out his hand and allowed Kudo to take it. He tugged him back to his feet with ease. They were now standing in front of the entrance to the old and rundown mansion. He felt around for a knob on the door but could not find one. "Looks like there's no way in. Unless..." he focused his eyes on the center of the two doors.
Out of no where, a minor explosion took place where his eyes were focusing. The doors flung open with the explosion. Where the handle of each door was, a crescent shape was carved. Rikuo was good at exploding small things like shattering a ceramic mug, snapping a tree branch, or cracking a lock
"We're...we're really going in?" he asked in a frightened tone. The darkness inside of it gave no signs of life or light what-so-ever.
"Yeah. C'mon." his partner kept his calm voice as he started in without fear. "There should be a light switch or candle somewhere in here." his hands moved about the walls until he found something that took the shape of a light switch. He flicked it and the dim lights flickered a few times before turning on. It wasn't long before they would go out again. The large mansion lobby was just as dark as the outside. There was a split staircase that led up to the second floor. Below it, was a statue of a gargoyle with its wings wrapped around its body. There was a door on both sides of the room. A green rug with moon symbols laid on the marble floor and started from the beginning of the room then split to the stairs.
Kudo's feet seemed to carry him in one step at a time. He walked over to Rikuo and moved close to him. His eyes shot back and forth for anything that seemed to move. His partner only smirked when he saw how frightened he was.
"Here, you big baby." his hand went down to lightly grip Kudo's as they walked forward. He noticed how much it calmed him and rid him of his shivers. He felt the small hand grip his harder as Kazahaya looked up at the staircase.
"Kei..." he looked shocked and overwhelmed at the site of the woman standing on the top of the split staircase. It was his sister that he had left. She had the same brown hair as Kazahaya and gentle blue eyes. She was wearing a white kimono that faded pink and then to red. A blue sash was tied about her waist.
"Hello, dear brother." she said and looked down upon them both with crystal blue eyes and a dead smile upon her lips. Her hair poured over her shoulders and down her back.
"Don't look Kazahaya!" Rikuo said and quickly stood in front of him, he shook him hard. Shaking him brought him back to the reality. The reality without his sister. "It's only the ring effecting you."
"No! You're keeping me from her!" he shouted and tried to shove Rikuo's bigger body away from him. Pushing the stronger Rikuo only seemed to get him no where.
Once he'd gotten a peek over his shoulder, he noticed that there was no longer anyone who stood over the rail. Kazahaya sighed and looked over at Rikuo with a frown upon his lips. "I guess this is going to be a little bit more tougher than I thought."