How to Seer, Part 3
copyright comidacomida 2019

The Coyote's name was Talapus, or, at least, that's what he told me.  Having always been pretty good with geography, I called him on it as I hiked my way up to the road from the riverbank.  "Talapus?  Really?  There's a Mount Talapus and a Talapus Ridge here in Oregon, and a Talapus Lake in Washington."

He didn't seem to mind clarifying one bit, keeping pace with me without appearing to be fatigued at all.  "Oh... well... those were all named after me."

I stopped on the side of the road, looking at him. "So... you're-- what... some kind of a god or something?"

Talapus' tail swished  back and forth and he had a silly grin on his muzzle, tongue lolling like a dog's before he stated "You COULD say that... but really I'm just a spirt... and, if you want the WHOLE truth, 'Talapus' just means 'coyote' in Chinook jargon."

We'd learned a little about the Native Americans in school before summer vacation, so I knew about the Chinook.  "So... 'jargon'... you mean their language?"

The Coyote giggle-yowrled, tail wagging even faster.  "It's more like a trade language... the words it uses combines elements of French, English, Chinook, and Salishan."

I also recognized the tribal name of Salishan.  "So, does that mean--"

Our discussion was interrupted by Mishupishu, who had been following silently.  He said something to Talapus in Algonquain and the Coyote answered him.  They exchanged a few words until Talapus laughed, and responded with a single word in English. "Car."

Still walking, I stuffed my hands into my pockets, earning a wet 'squish', since I was still all wet.  "You know, I can't understand you when you guys are talking like that."

Talpus took a few quick double-steps so he could catch up to my increased pace and he reached out to ruffle my hair; although his paw passed through my head I still sensed what almost felt like an errant breeze. "Well he can't understand us when we're talking in English, so it's more than fair, right?"

Rather than argue the issue, I changed the subject. "So... he's Algonquain.... and I guess you're, like, Chinook or Salish or something then?  What about Kyle?"

Chortling, the Coyote waved away the comment. "You need to walk before you can run, Billy... Klale-Kallakaala DID call you Billy, right?"

The collection of Ks and A's made me pause.  I could tell it was a name.  "Klala-Kall... wha?  You mean Kyle?"

Talapus smirked. "Ah... so THAT'S what Raven is calling himself these days?  Or is that the name of the Human he's Skin-Riding?"

The term the Coyote used sounded almost dirty to me and I had a hard time actually repeating it. "Skin... ri-ding?  What is--?"

If I thought the day was crazy at that point I was about to receive another dose.  A four legged fox stepped out of the undergrowth beside the road and sat down in front of the three of us.  "Yes... Kyle is the name of the Human that Raven is Skin-Riding.  But this one... wow... a Seer! After all these years, a Seer!"

It was the third time I heard that word and still didn't have much of an understanding as to what it meant.  Although Mishupishu had seemed content to walk behind me the entire time we'd been traveling he suddenly let out a huffing snarl and stepped right through me to stand between me and the Fox.  He let out what sounded like a combination of growls and words.  The Fox didn't seem the least bit concerned. "I apologize, black-thing... I do not speak 'savage'."

Talpus also stood between me and the Fox, shoulder-to-shoulder with Mishupishu. "Ignore him, Billy... he's a Yokai."

That term sounded vaguely familiar; I thought I recognized it from an anime I watched at Kyle's house, but it still didn't do anything to address my curiosity. "What's a 'Yokai'?"

The Fox grinned as his three tails swished in the air in a friendly wag.  "A Spirit that just realized that you are the one he's been looking for."

The Coyote spoke up immediately, moving to stay between me and the Fox as the four-legged animal began slowly circling. "Nope.  Not gonna happen."

I turned to follow the Fox as well. "You can talk?  You're a Spirit, so you're like Kyle and Talapus and Mishupishu.?"

The Fox sat down, three tails wagging again.  "Oh... I'm a LITTLE like them... but I'm also TOTALLY different."

Talapus glanced back at me but kept most of his attention on the newcomer. "He's a Yokai, Billy... you can't trust him."

The Fox barked out a simple 'ha'. "And HE'S a Trickster Spirit... HE'S the one you can't trust... Billy."

My name rolled off of the Fox's tongue as if we were old friends and, although I couldn't tell why, I decided that I liked him.  "Well, I'd rather be the judge for myself who I can and can't trust... and, so far, neither of you have done anything to make me not willing to give you each a chance."

The Coyote scowled, folding his arms across his chest.  "Fine... if Billy is willing to give you a chance then I'm not going to be the one to cause problems... but don't try anything, Yokai-- I'm watching you."

To my surprise, as the Fox approached he stood up on his hind legs and his body rapidly grew until he was the size of the rest of my companions.  Unlike them, the clothing he was suddenly wearing weren't Native American... he had some kind of kimono on.  I don't know why I asked the question but I immediately knew it made me sound stupid.  "You're... Japanese?"

Looking at me with the widest smile yet, his eyes closed, creating two little upside down Vs' amidst the white fur of his face and, followed it up with a quick bow as he said "Hajimemashite. Watashi no namae wa Kon desu.  Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu."

I had no idea what he said, but it sounded really formal.  Not knowing what to do exactly, I offered my best imitation of his bow as I admitted "I... uh... don't speak Japanese."

The Fox's tails swished faster.  "My name's Kon... and I like you."

There was no easy way to respond to that. "Uh... thank you?"

Kon stepped into line next to Talapus and Mishupishu, who remained between me and the Fox.  Regardless, the newest Spirit kept looking past them and at me.  He did lean closer to the Coyote for a moment and whispered JUST loud enough that I could barely hear him.  "Ha... THREE in one introduction... better than YOU, I bet."

Talpaus' fur smoothed out JUST a little and his tail gained the hint of a wag as he smirked smugly. "Four."

The Fox snorted dejectedly, his three tails braiding together until they merged into one. "Yeah?  Well he's still the one for me.  I knew it the moment I saw him."

The Coyote's smirk grew into a full-on grin as he responded simply "You're fourth in line."