Coyote Tricks: The Bone Eaters Well

This chapter is rated PG for skirt peeping and cat terrorizing. Please read all disclaimers and warnings in Chapter I if you have not already done so.


The Sunset Shrine

The next day Spirit Singer, Kit and Shippo went to the Sunset Shrine. They took the guided tour by the elderly priest who rattled on in great detail on the history of every item of the shrine from the God Tree that dominated the shrine grounds to the discarded candy wrapper blowing across the courtyard. At one point Shippo leaned over to Singer and Kit and whispered, “It’s amazing how someone can be so wrong and so right at the same time.”

The tour ended with a visit to the gift shop. The group slipped off and started causally walking around the grounds looking for an opportunity to enter the well house unobserved. They were standing around the God Tree as Shippo showed them the spot on the side of the tree where Inuyasha had been sealed so many centuries ago, when they noticed a teenage girl in a school uniform crossing the grounds.
“Isn’t that Kagome?” Kit asked.
“Yes” Shippo answered.
Kit watched her passing by and continued, “You know one thing Japan does have over the US is the design of school uniforms.”
Shippo bopped him upside his head, “Hey that girl will be my adoptive mom”
“Oh yea, sorry” Kit answered but he continued to watch Kagome go into the house.

“Come, now is our chance,” Spirit Singer interrupted them.
The courtyard now clear they slipped into the well house unnoticed.
Spirit Singer stood at the top of the stairs leading down to the well and pulled his flute out of his inner jacket pocket.
“Kit,” he said over his shoulder “I need a distraction.”
“Coming right up”
Kit stepped out of the well house and closed the door behind him. He looked around the shrine grounds and saw a fat cat strolling lazily towards the house. A big grin spread across his face as he heard the sound of Spirit Singer’s flute start to play behind him.

Inside the well house Shippo stood with his back to the door as he watched Spirit Singer stand before the well, the sound of the music slowly building. With his spirit senses he could also feel the magical forces in the music building as well.
Then Shippo’s sharp hearing heard the sound of a coyote loudly yipping and barking accompanied by a yowling and hissing.
A young boy’s voice cried out, “Grandpa, Grandpa! There is a strange dog chasing Buyo!”
The yipping grew more excited as it was joined by the shouts of the old man, the boy and two female voices.
“Get him!”
“I have the broom!”
“Look out Kagome!” This last was followed by a loud shriek.
“Kagome, did he bite you!”
“No, he just he just ran underneath me, that’s all”
“Stop him he is heading for the house”
The voices became muffled as they apparently went inside but the sounds of furniture toppling and things breaking were added to the chaos.

Shippo realized that the music had stopped while he had been listening to Kit’s ‘distraction’ and looked up to see Spirit Singer reach the top of the stairs.
“We are done here,” he said.
They stepped out of the well house and started towards the steps leading down to the street. As they reached the gate, Spirit Singer reached into his shirt and pulled out a silver dog whistle on a chain around his neck and blew on it. Shippo cupped his hands to his ears at the sound only he could hear.
“Ouch.”
Coyote Kit flew out of the house paused to glance in their direction and then ran off into the trees surrounding the shrine’s hillside. Spirit Singer and the group continued down the steps and turned onto the street. Kit, returned to human form, stepped out of the trees to join them.
“So did you find what you were looking for, Wise Elder?” he asked.
“Yes, I think so.” Spirit Singer answered. “Now I need to meet with Kaemon and see what he found in the Midoriko temple records. I’ll take the train tonight.”
“Did you have fun?” Shippo said to Kit.
“I think so” Kit replied “Oh and your adoptive mom?”
“Yes.”
“I like the little chicks on her panties but what does ‘Piyo’ mean?”
WHACK
The group walked on as Shippo massaged his hand and Kit rubbed the side of his head. Singer chuckled to himself quietly.

In the darkness long quiet and dormant something stirred.
‘A probing.’ She tasted the energy and was satisfied.
“Awake my slave the time has come at last.”