"Tatakai ni tsuite keikoku shimashita." (I have warned you about fighting.)

He looked down fiercely at both of them, who could only tremble under his scrutiny. Their bodies instinctively recognized the imminent danger.

"Iitai koto wa arimasu ka?" (Do you have anything to say?)

Clem couldn't talk but Hearne was in the other corner whispering to himself, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Was this really the same person who was ridiculously pretending to strip his clothes just earlier that day? 

During the heavy scolding, Hyeon heard some quiet laughter close to him. Behind the watching group of servants were a few individuals that he wanted to avoid entirely while working here. It was inevitable to run into them, eventually.

Imoogi was trying to hold in a wicked smile as he stared at Eli and a girl with an arched scorpion tail. She was probably part of their little gang. The mountain goat was laughing with him as well, but the woman had a stony look.

Eli gave him a silent high five as Imoogi pushed a bleach container on the floor with the rest of the cleaning packages. When the Korean dragon noticed Hyeon observing them, he winked and held up a finger to his lips. Shhhh.

Did they do this?

His attention returned to the harsh lecture when the two terrified servants suddenly slid back in front of Haruma's feet with unseen energy. It reminded Hyeon of The Conjuring movie scene when the actress gets dragged by her hair from an invisible devil.

After colliding with each other in a huff, the rat and owl shifted positions to kneel with their foreheads touching the ground. It was a sign of surrender.

Haruma returned his language back to English.

"You have to be punished for disturbing the peace here. You know the standards we upheld."

They nodded while still kneeling deeply.

"Hug."

The two flinched and the other servants looked at each other in confusion.

Clem lifted his head and asked, "H-hug, sir?"

Haruma clenched his fists and crisscrossed his arms over like an 'X' to make a hugging sign.

"Hug it out."

Hearne leaned upward and tilted his head in puzzlement. He looked disgusted at the idea. "Really?"

The kitsune's tails began to flair from the potential insubordination.

They yelped and embraced each other frantically to avoid his wrath. Their body language implied that they resented the action as they touched like a 12-year-old couple's first dance. After a few moments of history's most awkward hug, the embarrassed duo let go.

"Better?" he asked more calmly as the air became less hostile.

"Yes, sir," they muttered under their breaths.

"One more time?"

"Yes, sir!" more loudly.

"Good. Now, one week in the basement."

Some employees gasped. Clem and Hearne stared with open mouths, speechless. Their eyes made it seem like it was the end of the world.

"Let this be another prime example of what happens when you let yourselves go feral," he announced to the rest of the servants.

"Do I make myself clear?" Haruma reprimanded to everyone, but he was specifically eyeing Imoogi who looked away sheepishly.

He knew Imoogi was the one who started it!

"Yes, sir," everyone repeated.

Eight of the nine tails disappeared in inky mist and Haruma's purple eyes dissipated into his normal maroon and blue odd-eye colors. The servants who witnessed everything returned to their work.

"Blue," the fox said aloud. As if he was waiting to be summoned, a spider-faced pitbull sped down the aisle. Slobbery foam trailed behind him. He had other jobs besides driving?

"Please escort Mr. Clem and Mr. Hearne down to the lowest level. Their sentence is one week."

Blue nodded. The two rose on their wobbly feet and reluctantly followed the dog with grim faces. Hearne's skin paled and placed a hand over his mouth. He hurried over to the nearest cleaning cart's trash can and emptied his stomach contents with heaving sounds. What were they so afraid of below the castle? That was certainly a place they haven't been to today.

Haruma walked to Hyeon's own cart and continued explaining the supplies as if nothing happened.

"You'll see here that you have a couple of cloths and towels. They should be used in this specific order when cleaning each window..."

Hyeon was scared to interrupt.

"E-excuse me, Mr. S-sir...?"

The powerful Japanese yokai demon stopped speaking. "Hmm?"

"What's in the basement?"

His trainer rummaged through the fresh towels and casually told him, "There are no excuses for fighting at Festr Castle. As long as you don't break this rule, then you won't have to know what's down there."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kitty-chan here! Is there an animal you want to see become a character in the future?