Coyote Tricks: The Bone Eaters Well

I came to the realization that I’ve been spending too much time with character development and sex and not getting to the point of the story. I think we are back on track now. Our heroes now think they know the secrets of the Bone Eaters Well but sometimes you realize too late that you forgot to ask an important question.
As always if you haven’t read the disclaimers and warnings in the first chapter, please do so before proceeding. This chapter is rated PG.

The Well Opens

“Say what?” Kit said jumping up as Shippo leaned closer to examine the box on the table.
“It is Mistress Centipede or what remains of her anyway” Kaemon said again.
“The Demon Slayers purified the remains of demons to eliminate the residual demon energy otherwise they wouldn’t be able to use them as weapons as they would attract every demon in the area. But a few like these bones from Mistress Centipede were not purified so they could be used to train sensitive slayers to detect demon energy.”

Kit sitting back down reached out to touch the box but found he couldn’t touch the paper strips holding the box closed. Some force repelled him. He could however touch some of the exposed wood between the strips. When he touched the wood he could sense the demon energy trapped within.

“Those are ofuda spell scrolls” Kaemon said noticing his inability to touch them. “They seal the demon energy in and keep other demons from sensing it. Without them we couldn’t have safely brought the remains out of the shrine.”

“So” Shippo said slowly “these are the remains of the demon that Inuyasha killed?”
“No precisely” Singer answered “these are the remains of the demon the Demon Slayers killed around the same time that Inuyasha was sealed to the tree. As Kaemon said the history says that the power of the Jewel of Four Souls within Kagome’s body resurrected Mistress Centipede who pulled Kagome into the well and back in time to meet Lord Inuyasha. But we also know it is not possible for the demon to be in the well to be resurrected unless her remains were put in the well very recently.”

Kit’s face lit up “So you are saying we need to put these remains in the well so they can be revived when Kagome passes by” he said with a tone of a school kid realizing he had the answer to the bonus question.
“Precisely” said Singer. “That is the only solution that solves both the riddles of how the demon could be there and how she didn’t know Inuyasha would kill her.”

“Amazing” Shippo said. “When are we going to do this?”
“When did you say Kagome’s 15th birthday is?” Singer asked.
“Day after tomorrow”
“That seems as good a time as anyway; I have a few preparations to make anyway.”
Singer took the package back to his room as the others made ready for dinner.

They arrived at the Sunset Shrine early the next morning hoping to complete their task before anyone arrived at the shrine. Kaemon removed the spell scrolls from the box containing Mistress Centipede’s remains and handed it to Kit. Kit could feel the demon energy radiating outward from the box now that the binding spells were gone.

“Exactly why do I have to do this again?” he asked.
“Because you are the only one other than me who can sense the portal energies in the well” Spirit Singer said “and your ability to change lets you hide easier than I can if something goes wrong.”

Kaemon handed him a roll of duct tape.
“Place the box under the lid” Singer continued “where the energy drain seems weakest. That will protect the remains from being drained and put them closest to Kagome whenever she passes next. That should trigger the regeneration.”
“Ok no problem” Kit said with a quick grin and set out up the steps to the shrine.

When he reached the top of the stairs the courtyard was empty. He could smell food cooking coming from the house and the sounds of breakfast dishes being handled. He quickly jogged over to the well house and opening the door slipped inside. Inside was as he remembered it from before. The well sat at the bottom of a flight of stairs from the door, surrounded by an observation platform that ringed the wall of the house. Climbing down the stairs he saw what looked like bones scattered around the outside of the well but on close examination it was obvious they were fakes for the tourists.

He opened the lid of the well and immediately felt the tug of the draining portal pulling at his own spirit energies. He quickly figured out the best position to secure the box and taped it in place. Then he put the lid back in place. Satisfied he turned to leave when he heard a young man’s voice.

“Buyo are you in there?” said Kagome’s little brother Sota.
Kit realized he had left the doors open. He quickly ducked under the stairs as the boy entered the well house but didn’t go past the doors.
“Buyo” he called again.

Kit remembered that the cat he had chased on the previous trip had been called Buyo.
“Sota you’re not supposed to be in there” came Kagome’s voice.
Kit listened as Sota told his sister that he thought the cat was down here but was too afraid to check. As they talked Kit realized he could sense a powerful source of spirit energy above him.
‘That must be the jewel everyone is going on about’ he thought.

Just then Kit’s foot slipped disturbing the loose soil under him.
“Something’s down there!” Sota almost shrieked.
“Yea” Kagome said “the cat.”

Kagome started to walk down the stairs. Kit’s form shimmered as his clothing disappeared into ether space and a moment later a cat exactly like Buyo stood in his place.
Kagome reached the bottom of the stairs and was looking at the well. Kit walked out from under the stairs so intent on his deception that he didn’t notice the scratching sounds from the well that Kagome was looking at. She jerked and gave a shriek as Kit rubbed against her leg. She picked him up and held him against her chest as she turned to face Sota who was scolding her for scaring him.
‘Hmm this assignment is not turning out half bad after all’ Kit thought at the feel of her chest against his back and started purring.

Suddenly there was a flare of demonic energy in the room. Kit couldn’t see but he felt the well lid being ripped open.
‘It’s starting!’
Kagome dropped him as the streamers of energy gripped her and pulled her into the well. Kit landed on all fours and turned to watch. He felt with his spirit senses the reawakened Mistress Centipede, the flaring of the power of the Jewel of Four Souls, the new portal link forming and then suddenly they were gone.

Sota ran screaming from the well house and Kit figured he only had minutes to get out. He shifted back into his natural form so he could run faster when suddenly there was a new flaring of energy coming from the well. This was completely different from the energies there just a few moments ago, an immensely powerful and ancient feeling energy. He turned back to see tendrils of dark energy coming up out of the well. They flailed about for a second and then as if sensing him leapt at him.
“Spirit She…” Kit started to yell seeking to summon his shield from ether space but was unable to finish when the darkness engulfed him.

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Author’s Note: Sometimes you realize too late that you should have asked a question, like is there a reason why the well portal was sealed in the first place? What has happened to Kit? We might find an answer in the next chapter, The Return.