The Gift
Convergence
copyright comidacomida 2019
It had been years since Stephanie had met Richard Ford and, even though they had both been Seers, she knew little more about him than that. Anapa had known him and, in fact, the Jackal Spirit had chosen her over him to accompany through life-- not that it meant anything any longer since she had lost 'The Sight'. Even so, she found herself accommodating him after he had called her, and so she left home far later than she usually would have.
In any general circumstance she would have been unwilling to meet with what amounted to a stranger at 2am but, according to him it was when he got his lunch breaks since he worked nights at the Cherry City General Hospital. Why the meeting couldn't wait until morning, she didn't know, but Richard had been adamant about it and, rather than objecting, she acknowledged his request and acquiesced. What was even stranger was the selection of venue at which to meet: a karaoke cafe.
Stoneground Coffee & Karaoke was a relatively large cafe restaurant that was full of private rooms for singing and music recording but she knew about it only by reputation. It was a strange, eclectic place that Stephanie had only ever seen from the street and nothing about it really appealed to her. Pulling up in her car, she was surprised to see that the lights were on despite apparently closing at midnight. Although she still had her reservations, the young woman rationalized that it was a public place, and so she got out of her car.
Approaching the entrance, she had just reached out to see if it was unlocked before it opened right in front of her. The man who greeted her was not Richard Ford but it was someone she recognized by looks alone. Most people in Cherry City probably would have recognized the lead singer of 'Three Tailed Fox'. Although the band's music wasn't really her taste she was still able to remember his name. "You're Daniel Stone... aren't you?"
Smiling, he held out a hand. "That's what I use on the stage at least. You're Stephanie, I take it? I really liked your book."
A voice Stephanie recognized as belonging to Richard called from further inside. "Let her in, Dan-- I have less than a half hour before I need to get back to the hospital."
Still stunned by the fact that the lead singer of 'Three Tailed Fox' had read her novel, what came as more of a surprise was another voice that called out. "And I really should be getting back to the hotel."
The moment Daniel stepped aside Stephanie walked in, craning her head until she caught sight of an older version of the young man she remembered from her childhood. "Kyle?"
She froze in place when the Native American man next to the teen spoke up "Kaagaagiw, actually. Although it's Kyle's body, he's actually asleep and the Raven Spirit is in control."
It was difficult for Stephanie to actually be face-to-face with her ex but she powered through nevertheless. "Hello, William."
They hadn't ended things in an unpleasant way and it wasn't that they were on poor terms, but the paramedic had been part of a different portion of her life and she didn't know if she could handle that coming into the more recent part of what she was living. Her focus on him was pulled back to the teen. "Heya, Stef."
Kyle, she had last heard, had finished high school, graduated, and moved in with his girlfriend. Things hadn't been going well for him but they hadn't been horrible either. Something about his mannerisms, however, looked less Kyle and far more birdlike-- more the Spirit and less the boy. She did a double-take, processing what William had said. "It's really you?"
He somehow managed a beaky-smile despite being human. "It's me!"
Stephanie wasn't completely sure what she was seeing. "You're... possessing him?"
Kyle made a disgusted face. "No! I've said before, Stef, I don't do that... I'm Skin Riding. When Humans are asleep Spirits can use a little more essence to take control temporarily... a soon as he wakes up he'll be here and thinking he was sleep walking."
Richard joined the group "Which is why we should get started."
A tall, well-built man Stephanie didn't recognize stepped up behind Richard. The stranger had dusty-brown hair, so well-kept that it almost reminded her of a military cut. His well-defined chin and sharp-cut nose gave him an almost raptor-like appearance and, as his sky-blue eyes focused on her the dire appearance was cut with an outgoing, almost endearing smile. He spoke with an English accent. "I am so very pleased that you accepted Richard's invitation to join us tonight, miss."
Stephanie had no idea how, but she saw far too much in the man to not make the connection. "You... wait-- are you the Gryphon?"
He took a seat next to Richard and the two interlaced fingers before the Englishman nodded. "In the flesh, so to speak."
Richard smiled. "Yes, Ms. Brenner... this is Jack, my Guardian Spirit... and then some."
She paused, still looking at Jack. "You're Skin-Riding someone too?"
Jack made a displeased face. "Perish the thought."
Richard quickly interjected "Jack is bound to me. It's taken a few years to learn what all of that means but one of the side effects is that the two of us can work together to have him Manifest."
Daniel interjected "He can take a physical human form for a short period of time."
It took a second for Stephanie to realize just why Daniel was involved. Considering William was a Seer and Richard was a Seer and she herself had BEEN a Seer.... "Mr Stone... are-- are you a Seer too?"
The singer laughed, kicking his legs up on the counter behind which he sat. "Sure am. A little different from Richard or William though."
Stephanie didn't quite get it. "What do you mean?"
It was Kyle who provided the answer. "Richard is what's called a Weaver. He works to improve the world for Spirits. William is a Shaman, or a Warlock, or whatever name you want to call it. His focus is finding a balance in the world for Spirits and Humans so they can live together even if Humans don't know about us. As for Daniel? Well, from what I can gather, he's more of a casual Seer who just adds Spirits to his life like any other kind of relationship."
The teen paused as if listening to someone say something, and then he rolled his eyes. "No-- I didn't say it's a BAD thing, mutt, I just--" he paused, raising a hand "I know! I just--" again he was stopped by an unspoken interruption.
Daniel quickly interjected. "Hey, Talapus-- chill. It's fine."
Stephanie glanced around the room. "There are more Spirits here, aren't there?"
Richard nodded. "We needed three seers and six Spirits."
The simple statement left a very important question unanswered. "For... what?"
William reached across the distance and closed his hand around hers. "When you saved my life I said I'd find a way to repay you... and now I have one."
Daniel took his feet off of the counter and leaned forward across it. "We want to give you something... and Richard figured out how to do it."
She took a quick inhalation of breath in surprise, whispering out the words "The Sight..."
Kyle nodded. "Right... and the Weaver there figured out how to make it work."
Richard smiled. "We needed three Seers, which are myself, Daniel, and William. On top of that, we needed two of the Spirits to be in a physical form; Jack offered to volunteer and when Raven--"
Kyle stood up. "I wasn't about to let you live the rest of your life blind to us, Stef... I wanted to help!"
She looked at him incredulously. "So you kidnapped Kyle, drove over a hundred miles and--"
He held up a hand to interrupt her. "No. After the thing with the Wendigo I had to find a way to get Essence but I didn't want to leave you. Kyle had been backsliding and getting into some bad stuff so I figured I could help him out and keep close to you by going back to Skin Riding him."
She frowned. "But you're-- he's here in Cherry City."
Kyle shrugged, a sheepish grin on his face. "Well... when I found out what was going on I might have pulled a few strings and encouraged him to take a week long vacation with his girlfriend here."
It made a little more sense. "Hence, needing to get back to the hotel."
His smile widened. "Well... in addition to not wanting him to deal with sleep walking, I also don't want him to have an angry girlfriend if she wakes up without him."
Jack pulled the conversation back to the task at hand. "All the more reason then we should consider getting started."
Richard nodded, motioning to Daniel. "Hey Dan... come on; join us at the table."
The singer did so, taking an empty spot next to Richard. "So... three Seers plus two physical Spirits... I also have Talapus and Herne here-- you guys doin' okay?"
He glanced over his shoulder to speak to what Stephanie presumed to be two Spirits. Kyle leaned closer, whispering. "He has a Coyote and a Stag. I think you'd like the Stag."
She acknowledged what Kyle had said with a nod, but she was focused more on Richard. He looked to William. "And you've brought a Spirit too..."
The paramedic nodded, looking toward her, but up and to the right as he said something in Algonquin. His eyes then shifted to Stephanie. "He has been wanting a way to thank you and says that, if he'd had the power to do it himself he would have given you The Gift a long time ago."
Stephanie nodded, not doubting it for a moment. In the months she and William had been together she'd come to know Mishupishu through him and, despite her initial impressions of the Spirit she had gained an appreciation for him. "I know... thank you."
She felt her eyes begin to water, barely able to contain herself as she thought about what the gathering would mean for her. Richard, in the meantime, continued announcing the preparations, looking to her. "Stephanie... Ms. Brenner-- Anapa came and found me some time ago to tell me what happened to you and I've been working ever since to find out a way to help. Although he had to continue on, you still have two Spirits who've stayed with you. You have a Rhino, who I understand is at home watching your child sitter to make sure your daughter is being looked after, and--"
She spoke before Richard could finish his sentence. "--and Medved."
William smiled empathically "He's right next to you... on your left."
Stephanie smiled softly, feeling her eyes begin to water as she rested her hand on the table, palm up. "So... what's going to happen? How will--"
Although she knew she had no way of knowing for sure she was happy enough to imagine the feeling of his large, heavy paw resting comfortably on it but, even as she spoke, there was something far more than imagination at work. Having closed her eyes to center herself, Stephanie slowly opened them, looking up and to the left. It was Medved, and there were tears in her eyes as he looked down at her. Although the Bear spoke softly his voice was exactly as she remembered it. "Privet, moya lyubov."
Tears of happiness streamed down her face as she smiled. Life had taken many twists and turns for her; she'd had joy and she'd had sorrow; she'd had love and she'd had loss. She'd been without Medved for too many years, but, suddenly, he was returned to her. Suddenly faced with him after thinking she'd never get to see him again, only one thing entered her mind. "I think I've decided on how the story of the princess and the knight is going to end..."
He took a step back, a glimmering golden light bringing forth a suit of armor to cover him. A gauntleted paw still on her hand helped her to stand. Medved's broad muzzle had never smiled so wide. "And how is that, my Princess?"
Stephanie's words were choked by her impassioned tears as she hugged him so tightly that his armor faded away in amber mist. If someone were to translate what emotion had turned indecipherable then she would have been quoted as saying "Happily ever after."
And isn't that all anyone wants out of life?
-TGU.
That, and, if The Gift ever becomes a visual novel, readers will be able to choose their own paths without having to worry about a voting system. ;)