Music of the Night

Chapter 85

Chapter 85

"So you hired a gang of purist that might kill off Melon?" Arthur questioned while sipping his jasmine tea. What the four gangs had planned to take down the hybrid sounded like a suicide mission but the Honduran white bat wasn't so convinced.

Not even a hot cup of jasmine tea would quell down the burning anxiety in his stomach.

"It was the only way," Agata explained, eating another fried grasshopper off his plate. "They're a menacing gang called Kopi Luwak. Their boss is a civet cat who brews coffee for his vampire bats when they return from a mission."

"I don't like this idea," his mother commented, sipping her drink delicately. "Both Arthur and the wolf are still children despite turning eighteen. I'm not risking the both of them into this mess!"

Isaiah could be heard hissing through his mask. "Well, none of us want that monster to roam the streets. He's making other hybrids look bad and I mean, REALLY bad. Not to mention our fluffy friend here has been around him."

"He's right," Legosi huffed on his left, his claws was tapping the glass. "You're lucky to not get killed by him, Arthur. I have scars from him that you can feel."

The chatter around table slowly subsided, leaving Arthur to hear the sound of his own breathing. He estimated that the Shishigumi, Legosi, his mother, Isaiah and one of the members of the Madaragumi. He knew that everyone wanted to hear his side of the story about his entanglement with the hybrid.

"Arthur," Ten's voice was barely audible, he imagined her face to be shocked. His heart stopped, feeling his mother's disbelief tone. "Y-you have been working for this monster?"

Arthur doesn't need eyes to know that everyone at the table were staring at him. Arthur nodded, wrapping himself with his wings. "I did. But please, it's no one's fault but mine because I wanted some work experience before I graduate from Cherryton! I don't want to get anyone in trouble but I did....I'm sorry....I really am..."

The Honduran white bat felt small, but then again he always was whenever he was with other beasts. Suddenly, he was brought into a hug, feeling the silky fur from his mother. He buried his face into her neck. It was the first time he was ever comforted by a mother that he could call his own.

"Arthur," he heard Legosi's voice rumbled. "The both of us keep running into accidents. I wonder if it's because we both care about our rabbits? I mean-"

"Spare me the details," Isaiah sighed, tapping his mask absentmindedly. "So are we going to find this gang or not? Honestly, that psychopath's gonna change the Black Market for the worst."

Arthur heard a huff from one of the Shishigumi, Free he assumed. "Not a chance unless Louis gave us the order."

The Honduran white bat covered his ears, the arguing around the table was making his head hurt from all the noise. He was close in his mother's embrace, to the point he could actually feel her heart beat. He was torn whether to follow through with the plans or call quits so that he could at least hear from Mizuchi again.

There were times that he would reluctantly accept her moving on from him, if the worst was to come. 

'Do not go gentle into that good night,' Arthur's mind trailed off, trying to press down the thumping of his heart and how he was shaking when he held his cup of tea. Ten was rubbing his back soothingly. "Arthur, you don't have to join them if you are not comfortable. We can send you back to Cherryton."

Arthur does his best to straighten his posture, knowing that all eyes were on him. He could let the gang and Legosi handle Melon while he could go back to Cherryton, where he could continue to be a student until he graduates. Aoba, the gardening club, the drama club and Mizuchi were running through his thoughts.

He answered by shaking his head. "Mum, I'm going to stay and help out. I got myself into this mess and what I know about Melon may help as well. Also, I might as well confront this gang and his so called 'Vampyrums'."

He heard Ten sighed, petting him between the ears. The Honduran white bat loved the red fox who became his mother. Not only that, he wanted some time to spend with his twin sisters, Sunny and Sayori. From his father's description, both of the girls had mixed features that made them resembled flying foxes.

"I'll babysit my sisters if you and dad want some time alone. Either here or even in my dorm room."

"Alright, Arthur," Ten finally breathed before standing up. "But you better come home in one piece. Next time, let's have a family feast together. Excuse me, gentlebeasts, I have to leave, since I have children waiting for me. Don't worry about the bill."

The beasts at the table thanked the leader of the Inarigumi, some bowing to thank her. Clearly after Arthur's father had been with her, the other gang dared not to challenge her into a fight unless she asked for it. Fighting a mother vixen seemed wrong for a lot reasons. He knew she was gone when the sound of her clicking heels faded slowly after she went out the door.

Now that they were alone at the restaurant, Arthur could hear the deep breathing from the grey wolf. "So what are we going to do now? The Shishigumi won't do it unless Louis is here, that jaguar's staring at me and your Komodo dragon friend is mumbling about something."

"Isaiah is reciting lines from famous wrestlers," the Honduran white bat turned his head to the wolf's direction. He imagined Legosi having a confused expression with his forehead creased and mouth hanging slightly open, trying to say something. He only took out his phone, plugging his ear bud in his left ear while the other was in his two fingers.

"Shall we update Haru and Mizuchi on what we're doing?"

...

Meanwhile, Cherryton was not faring any better.

Aoba sighed as he walked along the corridors of the dorm, noticing how most of the carnivores have damaged the walls with their claws, excessive fur or scales from fighting, and even talking openly about the Black Market.

It made him sick to the gizzards to know that this segregation was to put safety for both the carnivores and herbivores. But it's damaging the students more than they realised. Which was why the drama club and to a certain extend, the gardening club are the only clubs with both herbivore and carnivore members.

He felt guilty leaving Arthur all alone despite the Honduran white bat assuring him that he would be fine. The bald eagle clicked his beak, thinking about how Arthur used to be a nervous little cottonball when they first met.

'Technically, I saw him first since he can't see,' he thought to himself with amusement. He had to admit that while the little Chiroptera was still nervous, he was the bravest beast he had ever met. He will do his best to keep everyone at Cherryton safe while his little friend is off hunting for a monster that could literally kill him.

"Hey," a voice called out, making the bald eagle's breath hitched. He looked out of the window and saw a familiar figure hanging upside down on a thick branch. 

"Hi, Kalliste," Aoba greeted the flying fox, whose ears perked up. It made him avert his eyes, not wanting her to see him blush. She reminded him of Arthur, not because they were both bats. "Aren't you going to your dorm?"

The Livingston flying fox shook her head. "I'm going to the gardening club via the tree route. Do you want to join me? It's a lot peaceful at night to getaway from it all or study without hearing other students."

When she extended her wing, Aoba was slightly intimidated at how it could stretch between the window and the tree. Trying to stop his heard from beating rapidly at the thought of going to the gardening club, let alone with a cute flying fox was all too much.

"Sure," the bald eagle took her wing gently. "Lead the way."

Not long before the both of them could set foot onto the roof, they heard laughter. It sounded familiar. When Aoba scanned the area to find the source of the sound, he gasped, followed by Kalliste who let out an audible 'oh'.

"Well," the sultry voice of Pina turned about, the light from his laptop was barely covered by his frame. "You do know it is rude to interrupt when two beasts are chatting for the rest of the night. We were about to-"

"Pina, it's two in the afternoon on my end," the figure from the screen hissed, a hint of amusement was in his tone.