Swift Sorcery

Chapter 3

            "Well done, well done, well done." The compliments were flowing freely now that Kiri had delivered the thick envelope of cash to its new owner. Ikaruno Oshugara was sitting behind his large desk of highly polished cherry wood, counting the bills with his nimble fingers, which had just been to a manicurist and massage therapist. Kiri surmised that the suit he was wearing probably cost more than the cash he was holding by a generous amount, but he found himself smiling. Ikaruno had a way of making you feel proud of your accomplishments, like a kindergartener being complimented on a macaroni painting. Ikaruno gave Kiri one of his winning smiles and put the cash into a safe, being sure to count out Kiri's share, which he shoved in his pocket unceremoniously.

            "Good work, Kiri, as always." Ikaruno ran his finger along one of the gold rings on his fingers, nodding along with himself. "I haven't got a new job for you yet. How are you money-wise?"

            "I'm all good," Kiri said with a shrug and a nod of his own, feeling awkward in front of his very polished boss. In the background he heard Akumi, Ikaruno's younger sister, shifting in the chair she sat in. Kiri saw her run her hand through very glossy hair before returning to her magazine, looking at other equally rich people sporting equally expensive clothes.

            "Good, good. I should have something for you in the next few days." Ikaruno smiled at Kiri again.

            "Well, you know where to find me. Anything else you need?"

            "If you wouldn't mind," Ikaruno handed Kiri a crisp piece of paper. "Bring this to the pharmacy for me? I'll have someone gather it for me later, but I'm terribly busy." As he said this he picked on his mobile phone, which was ringing. He gave Kiri one more smile, a wave, and turned towards the expansive window behind him to have his conversation.

            "No problem," Kiri said to nobody in particular. Akumi, who had none of Ikaruno's manners, gave him a dismissive goodbye wave, and Kiri was on his way again, out of the posh office and back on the streets, the warmth of the day washing over him pleasantly.

            Being only about a block away from the pharmacy in question, Kiri left his beloved motorcycle in its snug, shaded parking spot and walked the block, sparing a passing glance for fellow pedestrians walking around. Most of them were on their lunch break, being a weekday, but he could see some vacationers excitedly heading towards their individual destinations. For a second he felt lonely and, involuntarily, found himself thinking of Jiyo again. Jiyo occupied his thoughts all the way into the cool interior of the pharmacy, past the rows of candy, and towards the pharmacist's window in the back.

            "Can I help you?" It was the first thing that managed to interrupt Kiri's memories of Jiyo.

            "Uh, yeah, I need to-" Woah. Any and all thoughts of Jiyo were immediately dispelled from his mind as he looked at the person on the other side of the counter. He was tall with short black hair, though he had a long braid over his shoulder. His eyes were equally dark and even though the unflattering lab-like coat he was wearing, Kiri was very aware of the toned build this extremely attractive man had. The nametag said his surname was Mokalen.

            "Need to?" prompted Mr. Mokalen, raising his eyebrow at Kiri behind a pair of black plastic-framed glasses.

            "Uh," said Kiri before he managed to bring himself out of his hotness-fueled daydreams, "I'm dropping off a prescription. For my boss." He added unnecessarily, handing over the piece of paper and nearly swooning when his hand brushed briefly against the pharmacist's.