111th Spell: Hot Coals

In response to Haru's question about whether he would be kicked out of Wataka Mansion for failing Bakotsu Riding or not, Meru paused and said, "Not necessarily, Ryuji-kun."

Haru wasn't satisfied with this answer. "What do you mean 'not necessarily'?"

"All I ask is that you try your best to keep up with my children and their activities without complaining or slacking," Meru explained. "Because if you truly value your friendship with my youngest daughter, you must prove to me that you are a good child and not the product of your foul parents."

This made Haru clench his fists. "Why do you hate my parents so much? Is it because of their reputation, or is there a personal reason you don't like them?"

Meru was taken aback, unable to answer.

"Because the truth is that neither of my birthparents were evil. They were victims!" Haru said, choosing his words carefully to not give away the secret of Warumo's true nature as a bodiless Dark Wizard that could possess any person which Dōmeki-sama made him promise. "My birthmother Kiku was kidnapped against her will, and didn't know my father Taka was affiliated with Warumo until it was too late. And Taka was killed by Warumo after he did what Warumo told him to do."

"Did Warumo-uragi tell you this during your confrontation with him?" Meru asked.

"Yes," Haru nodded. But then he corrected himself. "I mean, yes, Lady Meru."

"Perhaps I will tell you why I never liked your birthparents if you ride a Bakotsu without falling off by the end of the week," Meru proposed. "Does that sound reasonable?"

"What if I still fail?" asked Haru.

"Then you must never ask me about my personal feelings regarding your birthparents again, and just accept that they are and forever will be associated with that Dark Wizard Warumo-uragi just like you."

Unable to talk himself out of it, Haru responded, "If that's all you ask, then I will do my best, Lady Meru."

For the next few days, Haru tried to get better at Bakotsu Riding. But no matter how many times he got onto Takitsuke's back, the little orange-flamed Bakotsu kept kicking him off whether it was by rearing up on his hind-legs or shaking his body side-to-side.

"What was I thinking?" Haru muttered to himself as he was removing his Dragon-hide riding outfit in his room. "It's almost the end of the week and I still haven't gotten the hang of riding Takitsuke! Maybe I should just leave this house…."

"And forget your friendship with Rui?" Heshi chimed in.

"But what can I do?" Haru complained. "I've listened to Basha's advice over and over again, yet nothing seems to work!"

"Have you tried feeding the Bakotsu something?"

"No, I haven't. What do Bakotsus eat, anyway?"

Consulting the two school books on yokai by Furu Eru, Haru discovered that Bakotsus enjoyed laying on a bed of hot coals as it helped to replenish their flames. So he went to find Basha during a Free Period in Meru's schedule that allowed the kids to do whatever they wanted for one hour. Datsu helped Haru by guiding him to the Wataka Mansion's stables, which were next to the front gate. There, he found Basha polishing the bronze bodies of the Nade Ushi oxen.

"Excuse me, Basha!" Haru said.

The rotund ox driver was briefly startled until he realized who was standing behind him. "Lord Haru! What brings you here?"

"I was wondering if I could help you take care of the Bakotsus," replied Haru.

Basha looked confused. "Why do you wish to do that?"

"Well, I thought since Takitsuke doesn't trust me enough to ride him, maybe I could convince him that I'm trustworthy by helping to take care of him and the other Bakotsus."

"Hmm, this is an unusual request," Basha remarked. "I shall ask Lady Meru if she will allow it."

Suddenly, Basha vanished leaving Haru alone with the Nade Ushi oxen. They snorted nervously, but otherwise didn't bother him. Basha then returned a few minutes later, telling Haru that Meru was okay with him helping Basha take care of the Bakotsus as long as he didn't hurt himself.

Inside the beachside cave where the Bakotsus came from, Haru and Basha were busy using old-fashioned box bellows to heat up a tray of coals. Once that was done, Basha used Dragon-hide gloves to pick up the tray of hot coals and poured them into a partly dug-out ditch in the sandy ground of the cave. After the bottom layer of the ditch was completely filled with coal, the Bakotsus each took turns laying down in the ditch as their flames ignited like campfires after pinecones got added to the kindling.

"Now to keep the coals warm, I occasionally use a torch ignited by the bellows," Basha said.

"Or I could use the Fireball Spell," Haru suggested.

"Really? I never thought about that. Well, I don't see the harm in trying it."

Taking out his plum tree wand, Haru waved it at the edge of the ditch and said, "Hiliè!"

A ball of hot fire emerged from Haru's wand that made contact with the coals. It caused smoke to intermingle with the flames coming off the Bakotsu that was laying in the ditch, which happened to be the white-flamed one Moeru. He didn't seem to like the smoke and abruptly got up from the ditch.

"Maybe you made the coals too hot," Basha guessed. Seeing Haru's disappointed frown, though, Basha said, "But don't worry, Lord Haru! Moeru is a very picky Bakotsu, so I wouldn't take his rejection too personally."

Takitsuke then stepped into the ditch. But unlike Moeru, he seemed to like the extra-hot coals as he rolled in them like pigs in mud.

"You want the coals hotter?" Haru asked Takitsuke, but was immediately embarrassed from talking to a skeleton horse like it were a person.

But to his surprise, Takitsuke neighed in response which Haru took as an indication to cast another Fireball Spell on the coals. Takitsuke's orange flames burned bright as he nodded his skull head constantly to imply he liked it.

To be continued…