Music of the Night

Chapter 43

Chapter 43

All day Arthur has been acting strange.

Not strange as some animals would depict Legosi but more like he was bouncing in his steps and even his voice is becoming a few pitches higher. Bill could only watch like any feline with a target that interested him.

Arthur was an interesting student to say the least.

The Bengal tiger shrugged before opening his textbook for his history class. It's boring but it's a required subject that he needs to get at least a C for it. Then again, history can be cool if it's about certain timelines such as the war or something to do with relationships between animals.

He can't shake off the feeling of being watched despite the campus being heavily monitored. He almost became stiff around lions lately despite the fact tigers are biologically the largest Pantheras in the world.

He opened his book, not without taking a glance at Arthur who was whispering to Aoba about something.

He has never seen the bat so excited before.

...

"So your old friends are going to be here?" asked Haru as she and Arthur were harvesting herbs such as basil and thyme they were going to sell at a local restaurant. It was own by a friend of her older sister's family.

"Oh yes!" Arthur nodded while portioning the amount of cut leaves into a bag. His cloudy blue eyes never looked so bright, according to Haru. "Let's see...Sameer and Maccus are definitely part of the swimming team but...I'm not sure...is it possible? Can he really participate right after his..."

"What are you babbling about?" asked Haru, with her hands on her hips. Arthur still tilted his head, face skywards. 

"One of my old friends recently was discharged from hospital," Arthur explained. "I'm not sure if he is coming or not because of his conditions. He's got a weak immune system but he's always fighting to keep up with us."

Haru listened with interest. This bat sure has some interesting friends and it would be nice to get to know them, provided that they won't eat her or bully her like some who have nothing better in their lives. 

Speaking of which, lately Mizuchi and her little group has not been picking on her for the past few days. It was weird but nonetheless Haru will still be on guard for anything. Needles to say, that was the least of her problems.

"Oh well, at least you'll be seeing your friends," Haru laughed before realising what she just said. "Shit! I forgot that you're-"

"I know," Arthur assured her by waving his wing. "I get that a lot."

There was silence but it's just because both rabbit and bat were carrying out their task before leaving for town. Before they board the train, the both of them had snacks which consisted of Haru sharing her strawberry pocky sticks and Arthur's banana chips with the thermos filled with jasmine tea.

...

After selling the herbs, both Haru and Arthur were about to head back to the train station.

"I think we should be able to get what we want," Haru told him. "I just hope we don't have a busy schedule this week because of the events coming up."

"True," the Honduran white bat nodded. "Still, I just hope the newspaper club doesn't cause a stir for most of us."

"Yeah..."

But before Arthur could buy a ticket for himself, his ears picked up a familiar voice:

"Psst! Arthur! Can I borrow you for a minute?"

Arthur knew this must be important so he told Haru to go back to campus first as he has something to take care of. Haru protested but reluctantly allowed him.

"If something happens to you," she began. "I'm sending out Legosi to help you. Don't forget to message me once you get back!"

Arthur smiled and gave her a little salute in her direction. "Yes, ma'am!"

Now the bat walked slowly to the figure who called for him and used his two fingers to feel up the hand. It was firmed and furry. Reaching up, he prayed he knew who it was without having to feel the face and whatever feature he would imagine.

"Hello, Agata. What do you need from me?"

"The boss wants to talk to you," the Congo lion told him. "He said something about history and the upcoming war."

"War?!" Arthur squeaked in horror, covering his wings close to his body.

"I'm not too sure. But that's the gist from what I've been told. Don't worry, I will send you back to the train station before midnight."

Nervously, Arthur walked alongside the member of the Shishigumi with his ears erected.

...

"So what kind of war are we talking about here?" asked Arthur, sipping a bit of coffee that was served in the Shishigumi mansion. It was too strong for him but the Honduran white bat drank it because it seemed rude not to drink.

"Whoever controls the Black Market," Louis puffed a cigarette. "You be confused as to why I am in support of the Black Market when it sells herbivores like me, right? You see, Arthur...I believe we need things to keep ourselves in check and in this case for carnivores..."

"Eat meat," Arthur answered.

"Exactly. Though, you can't stand the smell of blood or meat?"

Arthur shook his head, hoping that this question would be over. Despite having a neutral ground with the red deer and the Shishigumi, Arthur was afraid that he might be dinner too.

"Don't worry, bat!" a voice from one of the lion whom Arthur recognised as Free told him. "I have a feeling eating a white bat's going to bring us bad luck. Or carry a disease that might kill us all."

"Don't be dramatic, Free!" he heard another lion scolded him. "Bats are both predator and prey. There's no way they are going to cause a pandemic."

Arthur figured the lions became silent because Louis had done something. He felt a firm claw on his shoulders, making him stiff.

"Today is the Day of Depravity," Louis announced. "Only carnivores here knew about it and there are other gang members who are fighting for the Black Market."

"T-there's four?!" Arthur gasped. He was shaking badly and he was out of tea...

So the Shishigumi along with their boss explained to him about the other three groups: the Madaragumi (leopards and jaguars) , the Dokugumi (Komodo dragons) and the Inarigumi (vixens). Whoever wins will control the Black Market and the meat.

"But Louis," Arthur interrupted the story. "Why am I here? How am I a part of this war?"

Then, a sudden realisation hit him. His cloudy blue eyes became stormy and his fangs came out of anger.

"Am I here as a trophy?" asked Arthur, his tone dripped with appalled and betrayed. "Am I the prize or being used as a bargaining chip if you guys win or lose?"

"Arthur-"

"I trusted you!" he screeched, filled with hurt to the point the could feel tears coming out from his eyes. "I thought you are my friends and I-"

"SHISHGUMI!" a voice boomed from outside. "OPEN UP OR WE WILL FIRE! DON'T TELL ME YOU LIONS ARE CHICKEN ALL THESE WHILE!!"

All members including Louis and Arthur felt the tension. Arthur felt a firm hand holding his wing, in a way trying to comfort the bat but Arthur doesn't know what to make of it. His mind was in frenzy but he knew one thing for sure:

The war had begun.