With the skills of Rice binding the creature. The ghouls did not slack off, they appeared on each side of the creature, odd silver stakes in hand. Grasping the creatures shoulders, they dislocated It. Driving the stakes inbetween the bone and arm.
Often the wardens did this to unresponsive supernaturals. It was to thwart their regeneration properties.
In response to meeting flesh and bone. The stakes expanded, gripping the surrounding into a death vise.
Rice's friend took care of the pesky jaws. Wrapping the creatures snout tight with a weird runic bandage that when applied constricted. Despite its appearance, it wouldn't break so easily. Both the ghouls near The shoulder grasp the creature, whilst The third inspected the creature.
"Rice cone look, do you recognize that?"
He pointed at something, but to his dismay Rice didn't get close. Glaring at him instead. "Wha.. oh.. ha sorry, I forget."
He cut the beast with his claws. Giving it perhaps a few moments before the struggling creature went limp.
Rice released his chains and skills.
Only glaring at the beast a few more seconds before approaching.
What the warden was talking about was a tatoo marking. A tattoo of cerberus with a hells symbol and a single closed eye.
"Not a clue, but clearly it originates from hell. I'll see if I can find answers."
Nodding the ghoul dismissed Rice. "Get some sleep you can report to your boss about the accounts and we will come by and get it."
Rice nodded thanks. "You be careful. That thing killed Garet with.. that leech tongue."
The ghouls chuckled. "It'll find us less tasty then."
Rice made a face, leaving the wardens to their jobs.
Only after closing the door to his apartment did he feel it.
The soreness in his legs, arms and hands. He exhaled a groan. Opting to spend the last dredge of his night time playing some games and watching some Blade.
The next morning, Rice headed to work early. Dropping the news on his boss before picking up Tyler for a big case.
"What we dealing with now?"
Rice smiled lightly. "Well first we are going to go eat. it's on me."
"Huh? But it's not lunch time.."
Rice grinned. "assume It is. Our next case.. well here.."
Rice handed it over Tyler opened the document. Glancing at the top page information. His facial expression beginning to rapidly pale as he slowly closed the file.
"Food?"
Tyler nodded. "No.. yea.. no.. it's uh.. ueaa good idea. Wanna try that burger place near barnies?"
Rice laughed "you know it."
after their meal Rice got straight to the point.
"Look, I'm going to pass this along. Just listen okay?"
Tyler nodded.
"Do you know what a brain worm is? Don't Answer that.."
Rice sat straighter in his seat. "It's a parasite from hell. They can infest animals or sentient beings. issue Is there is only a few ways they can be passed along normally. Which is if your In hell, outside of it.. well they die unless there is say.. a contract in play."
Rice said, pausing to park near their target.
"The case we are looking into, is a fellow named Venni, we got reports that his exotic pet shop has been reclaiming and alarming amount of Pets after their owners were killed. The fact the owners have died within a week of getting A pet isn't so nice."
Tyler interjected. "Isn't this a warden case?"
Rice glanced at Tyler. "yes, I was. Until they found out that illegal contracts are in play. They have already dealt with Venni, but they need us to investigate the animals, and a strange summoning Circle To lay down the law on the opposite party. Who's also involved."
Tyler glanced at their target. "Is that why we are at Venni's exotic Pet store?"
"Bingo, from the moment we get out. Start circulating your energy. Despite brain worms being vulnerable upstairs. We don't wanna pass the chance of being contracted too. One of the wardens faced that problem. But given their deposition and visit by wich. He got all cleared up.. we don't have that same quick response help."
Tyler grimaced. Would he be able to enjoy noodles every Again?
"You ready?"
Tyler nodded "Yep.."
"Alright let's go diving for crime."
They both stepped out, the circulation of hell energy, hearing their skin. Giving a blaze to their already glowering eyes.
They made their way to the Exotic pet stop, stashed away into a weird alleyway parking lot.
The door ajar, warden police tap cornering it off with a faint shimmer of a barrier.
Rice pressed his hand forward with a token. Unlocking the barrier so they could pa's through for a moment.
Inside a bunch of glass cases, some smashed some still holding critters. Bugs, animals all dead.
Ahead of them was a counter and to the right another door, not ajar. But rather chained.
"This is it."
Rice said as he parted the chains with his token. A nifty thing when working alongside the wardens. Something they came up with a few decades ago.
After the chains fell of with a loud rustle he pushed the door open, Tyler stepping in behind Rice to take a glance into the room.
The first difference was the decay, a sweet decay that hit them both. Rice and Tyler made faces, but pressed on inside.
Cages stacked up along the walls. Various animals within dead as large worms writhed. Apparently after a short incident. The Wardens neglected to come Into this room. For good reason too as the worms as if sensing a new food source shivered. They began to push through the bars on their cages.
Rice with a look of disgust, pushed out his hellish energy, a heat way burning away these soul parasites. "disgusting absolutely horrible.."
He gaged as he pushed past the burning worms. In the back of the room was where he had his real interest. A summoning circle. It's not often these happen, in alot of senses. They are used for transportation and the warehouse hubs. But it was illegal to own one without express permissions.
This specifically was for these brainstorm. It's even written into the summoning circle!
Taking a closer look. Rice realized a grim fact.
"Tyler.. we are going to hell."