Eye of the Hurricane ▸ Scott McCall (2)

xxxiii. THE NOGITSUNE

xxxiii. THE NOGITSUNE

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The events that followed Deaton poisoning the fox were, in one word, unfortunate. Fortunate for Foster and Scott, their wounds healed. The gash on the back of Foster's head and the long, bruises in the shape of fingers around her neck had faded, while the wound in the center of Scott's stomach, while it took a little longer, did heal. Bringing them back to their normal selves.

What wasn't fortunate, though, was what Stiles did afterward. Once the Nogitsune was temporarily poisoned, Stiles took the incentive to protect his friends by checking himself into the dreaded Eichen House. Foster was not a supporter of that, especially after she saw Eichen's basement in her dream and Lydia heard voices leading to there.

To Foster, that waved several red flags and held a sign. A sign with flashing lights and arrows pointing to it. Nevertheless, that was where Stiles currently was for the next seventy two hours while his father went to LA in order to speak to a specialist about Stiles' MRI. 

In short, that  gave them all a mere seventy two hours to figure out how to defeat a Nogitsune. Foster wasn't even sure if that was possible, but they had to find something.

From prison, Argent continued to attempt to call some contacts in order to get them ties and ways to get more information on the Nogitsune. Apparently the fox decided to frame both Chris Argent and Derek Hale for the murder of the Yakuza leader, Katashi. The same man who explained what it was the Oni were looking for.

Which was why Foster, Scott, and Allison all stood in front of the counter in the front of Deaton's clinic, the vet putting his phone on speaker so that they could all speak with Chris from his cell. 

They weren't exactly in an ideal position right now to take down a thousand year old, psychopathic fox.

"Did you have an trouble with Ikeda?" Argent inquired to Deaton, referring to the man that Deaton sought out in order to gain the rare form of leichen. 

"Only minor," Deaton explained, the three teenagers listening intently. In all honesty, Foster didn't really care about this, she just wanted to start researching or something that will help them save Stiles. "The white wolf was exactly where you said it would be, but we have two problems now. First, the leichen is not a cure. It'll wear off in a matter of days."

"While it does work, the Oni won't go after Stiles, right?" Argent clarified, none of them wanting the Japanese warriors to go after him while he was without their protection.

"I hope," Deaton said, Foster not feeling very assured by that statement whatsoever. "Eichen house has an unusual history, it might not be all that safe for the Oni there as well." Foster glanced over toward Allison who was beside her, both of them wearing wary expressions. If it's not safe for the Oni as well, does that mean it's not necessarily safe for Stiles either? 

Chris was silent for a moment, finally questioning, "What's the second problem?"

"I checked with your contacts in Japan, the Yakuza boss you saw killed by the Oni never found the scroll," Deaton explained, Foster knowing that he was referring to what was known as the Shugendo Scroll. It was the only with instructions having to do with how to exorcise a Nogitsune.

When more supernatural creatures came to Beacon Hills, it was inevitable for Foster to do around eighty hours worth of nonstop research. 

Confused, Scott questioned, "What scroll?"

"A Shugendo Scroll," Deaton was quick to answer, Foster wondering how he knew all of this off the top of his head. She had a feeling he didn't do hours worth of research like herself and Stiles. When Jennifer came around, the two spent a good sixteen hours of one weekend doing nothing but learning all they could about druids and emissaries and everything in between. "The Shugendo were the aesthetic mystics of Japan."