125th Spell: Ikuchi
"Brace yourselves, guys!" Datsu said as he turned the wheel at the ship's helm toward the starboard side.
This allowed the Kō-tei to narrowly miss the flaming human head as it flew over the ship into the sea where it shriveled upon making contact with the water. But that wasn't the end as more flaming heads came flying from the Tsurube Tree. Datsu used evasive maneuvers to keep the ship from being damaged or catching fire, yet he could only do so much to avoid the heads.
"We need to get off this ship!" Haru said. "Otherwise, the tree will keep firing at us."
"And I don't want Mom's prized ship getting wrecked," Gyoku agreed.
"Yeah, she'll definitely kill us for sure," Rui said. "Datsu, can you steer this ship to the Quidditch Cove? We can use the path on the shore to get up to the school from there."
"I can try," Datsu replied.
Datsu steered the ship away from the southern part of the island and moved toward the west-facing side. The Quidditch Cove soon became visible as Datsu lowered the ship. But the moment he did, a large creature suddenly emerged from the deepest part of the cove. It had the head of an eel with the body of a serpent.
"Jumping Kappa!" Rui exclaimed. "I completely forgot the Quidditch Cove is occupied by the Ikuchi serpent."
"Is that thing always in the cove?" Haru demanded. "Why didn't we see it during the Quidditch Exhibition last fall?"
"She usually goes out to sea for hunting during the day and then rests in the cove at night," Rui explained. "I think we must have caught her attention just as she was about to go to bed."
The Ikuchi made a low guttural roar as it lunged toward the ship. Datsu steered the Kō-tei under the serpent's head. But the moment he did, a translucent yellow substance dripped from the Ikuchi's underside onto the deck.
"What is this?" Haru said as he avoided getting covered by the yellow substance.
"Ikuchis secrete oil from their bodies to make ships more slippery so sailors fall overboard," Rui responded. "We gotta get out of here before the ship gets completely covered."
"But where can we go?" Gyoku demanded, feeling the floor of the deck becoming increasingly smooth beneath his feet.
"Aim for the trees in the auditorium part of the cove!" Rui told Datsu. "If we can hit those, we can get the oil off the ship and land safely near the school castle."
"Gotcha!" Datsu agreed.
While the Ikuchi arched its serpentine body into the air, Datsu ascended the Kō-tei around it and toward the rows of wooden seats that were above the cove. Haru, Rui, and Gyoku braced for impact as the ship crashed into the trees that were near the seats and slid along the wet grass beneath them. Unfortunately, the deck floor was coated in enough oil to make the kids loose balance and get knocked backward as the ship finally stopped moving.
"Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in right now?" asked Sayuri Shō, the Necromancy teacher.
Haru, Gyoku, and Rui didn't know how to answer. Not too long ago, the three had been rudely woken up by Mahoutokoro's yokai caretakers Ako the Shitanaga uba and Bambō the Shunobon after they had passed out from getting thrown back when the Kō-tei crash-landed. It turned out Datsu had used the gangways to stop the ship from sliding as it parked in the western lawn of the Mahoutokoro castle. Now they were all standing in the Headmistress' Office with Shō standing right in front of them while Anzu Dōmeki was kneeling on the same throne-like platform she sat on when Haru and Higa came in to request an Exorcism last year.
"You not only risked being spotted by Manai aircraft, but you also put yourselves in danger trying to get here!" Shō continued.
"Have you got anything to say for yourselves?" Dōmeki asked Haru, Rui, and Gyoku.
"We were only trying to get help," Rui said timidly. "The magical barrier at the Aomori Train Station wasn't working, so we thought coming here on my mother's ship would prevent us from being late for attending school and allow us to get in touch with the Kōsen through the Rookery."
"Did you not try to look for a Kōsen office in the Aomori area?"
"No, we didn't. We didn't know how…."
"Perhaps you need to re-learn the Homing Spell, which I believe is taught in Primary School."
"It is, Dōmeki-sama," said the Charms teacher Fujiko Fuwa, who was also present in the room.
"Shouldn't Midorime-sensei be here?" Haru interjected. "I mean, she is the school secretary."
"Midorime-sensei is on sabbatical leave for this year," Fuwa explained. "So I'm temporarily taking over her role as School Secretary."
"Does that include teaching Kampo?" asked Gyoku.
Fuwa shook her head. "No, that class will be taught by our new Healer Gimu Rikyan."
Now it made sense to Haru why so many of the school supplies for this year were Rikyan's own products. But what he didn't understand was why he and the other students weren't told of Midorime's absence before the school supply list was sent out, or why she left.
"Can you tell us why Midorime-sensei left?" Rui asked, being on the same wavelength as Haru.
"That is confidential information," Dōmeki said. "All I can tell you is she's currently working on an important assignment. I had hoped she would return before the school year started. But in light of recent events, it made her unable to teach for this year. So I called in a favor from Popuri-dono's grandson, who was already being hired to fill in the vacant Healer position here."
Haru immediately thought about the news story in the Maichi Yosoku and realized the death of Tamanoya was probably what Dōmeki was referring to when she said, 'recent events.' But he didn't say anything as Rakurai Higa suddenly burst into the Headmistress' Office.
To be continued…