Music of the Night

Chapter 62

Chapter 62

Arthur's heart was pounding.

His ears could recognise whose scream it was. He hoped it wasn't something serious to the point his ears were ringing with the sounds of the scream. The Honduran white bat can't really tell if it was either his wings or legs dragging him but the sense on adrenaline inside of him surge towards the sound.

He used his clicks and ears to picture who was screaming at whom.

"I told you to stay away from me!" Mizuchi told off the other animal shrilly. Arthur's fur began to puff up slightly. He knew all-too well who it was.

"Mizuchi, let's go," Arthur found her paw to grasp onto. He could sense the shakiness was starting to subside, his head turned towards the figure he could make out through his clicks. He was going with his gut at this point but he hoped that he shot that animal a narrowed expression.

"If she says no, don't even bother," he told the perpetrator. He was aware of who it was but it doesn't mean that he should change how he carries himself. Carnivore or herbivore, Arthur is still who he is.

"You stay out of this Vampyrum-"

"Is this Long Ears giving you a problem, Arthur?"

Arthur cocked his ears , hearing approaching footsteps- no, slithering and dragging of a body approaching him. Mizuchi gasped with awe at the sight of the animals that came to defend her Arthur. She recognised Sameer with those carnelian eyes but his other friends from Gryphon Cross were quite shocking too.

"It's okay, Sameer," Arthur assured his serpent friend. "He was just going away. Aren't you?"

Mizuchi noticed her ex was starting to sweat at the sight of the terrifying carnivores, especially Sameer who extended his hood to present himself.

"I-I..fine!" he huffed, backing away from the group with his ears lowered down. "You're lucky that you have others to back you up, blind freak. But the next time, it won't be!"

When her ex left, Arthur let out a sigh of relief despite the chaotic questions that were vibrating in his ears from both Cherryton and Gryphon Cross friends.

"Vampyrum? Arthur, you can't let him call you that!"

"Can I beat him him up? Herbivore or not, he's nothing but an asshole!"

"Guys! Guys!" Arthur waved his wings, hoping he didn't hit any of them in the face. "It's okay. At least I'm alive and have a few bruises but at least there isn't another tragedy."

Everyone became silent, realising what this little bat was trying to say. The Gryphon Cross and the only Selkie Girl were baffled but the rest knew he was referring to Tem's death. Only the drama club were affected by this, especially Legosi.

"Arthur's right," Legosi grumbled. "If we retaliate, we're going to cause more trouble."

Everyone murmured in agreement, with Bill and Els excusing themselves to go to the drama club while Naia was heading towards the cafeteria to meet up with her swimming team. This left Arthur with Legosi, Haru, Mizuchi, the Gryphon Cross boys and Aoba.

"So," Sameer hissed softly. "Could you tell us about the clubs around here? We have heard it from dear Arthur but we don't know how it looks like."

Haru, proud as she was of her garden decided to show the guests her club first before they could see the drama club. Mizuchi was walking with Arthur while Sameer fell behind to speak with Aoba privately.

"Aoba?"

"Yes?" the bald eagle turned his head towards the Egyptian cobra.

"Thank you for taking care of him," Sameer gestured to a smiling Arthur who was chatting away with the two rabbits and the grey wolf. "It's been hard for him to adjust to a new environment but he learnt to adapt and make friends, yes?"

Aoba smiled. He was touched at the fact that this Elapidae trusted him to look after the blind bat. He cared for Arthur not just as his closest friend but as a little brother as well.

"So, later you want to see the drama club?"

...

"So you're still nervous about this?" Mizuchi asked incredulously at the grey wolf who towered over her as they sat down in the gardening club. The two of them have not spoken since the apartment episode.

The both of them were watching Haru explaining to the guests about her garden while Arthur cocked his ears, probably listening to the flowers arguing or something.

"I.." Legosi hesitated, his ears drooped a bit while his tail did not wag. "I don't understand how easy it is for Arthur to talk to you. I mean to say a herbivore! I mean-"

"It's okay, I know what you mean," Mizuchi stopped him from stumbling with his words. She has pondered over the idea before. But spending time with Arthur has opened up new perspectives on her views over carnivores and bigger animals.

"I guessed, Arthur's blindness is the reason that he can get over a lot of tensions. He can't tell what we look like and yet, his way of telling me how I am towards him and how he figures about things in his own ways really warms my heart."

Mizuchi smiled, looking at a photo of her and Arthur on her phone when they were at the park.

"So I guessed you just talk to Haru like she's a friend that means a lot to you," she advised. This resulted in Legosi wagging his tail for a brief moment.

Just then, the hammerhead shark  Maccus decided to sit next to them. Legosi couldn't help but sniff the shark curiously from his distance while Mizuchi took out her sketchpad to draw him. She wanted to take in his appearance and his attire for some inspiration.

"Um...your headphones," Legosi tried to break the eyes. Maccus turned his T-shaped head at the wolf, eyes not blinking. "You listen to songs or it- Oh wait! I mean bloorbuuborp."

Mizuchi raised a brow at the wolf's attempt at his marine language skills. The harlequin rabbit on the other hand knew how to read them but her lingo was bad. But the both of them were surprised when the hammerhead shark revealed his serrated teeth as he made some sort of sound.

Was that a marine animal's version of a laugh?

"Oy, yer a wee bit off, Wolfie," Maccus chuckled, taking in both of the animal's shocked expression. "It's blurbububoorbouus, by the way. And little bunny, yer lookin' bonnie for our Arthur, aye? Both of ye had a bevvy before trolley up the relationship?"

Both wolf and harlequin rabbit were speechless. All this time, Maccus can talk and when he does, they couldn't understand what he just said! Not with how thick he sounded as if his mouth had a few gargles.

 Is this how marine animals learnt land animal's language?

Before they could question, Aoba had called all of them to head towards the drama club.