Shadowed Scales

Chapter 22: White Snakes Aren't the Only Healers

_CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO_

White Snakes Aren't the Only Healers

Sameer escaped from the welcome party.

He decided to sneak out with Arthur while Beppi does his best to distract the other campers to not look for them. He needed to be alone with his thoughts and have Arthur by his side.

The Honduran white bat knew where the both of them should hangout.

Climbing isn't Sameer's strong suite, so Arthur took the lead by shimming the both of them up towards the branch of a pine tree. He knew that one day he will outgrow his little friend and be feared by other herbivores just as the adults had.

Was that the sole purpose of his existence? To be feared or awed in a world where carnivores and herbivores were divided out of safety? And yet the schools and higher-ups preached about co-existing.

He didn't want to think about that!

For now, he enjoyed the company of the little bat, seeing that they are both friends during summer camp. It would be great if the both of them got into the same class before they graduated.

"This is fun," Arthur giggled, hanging upside down on the said branch. Sameer follows suite by coiling around the branch like a rope while his head was hanging in an upright position.

"Hmm?"

"You have eyes while I have legs," Arthur pointed out, letting his body sway lightly. Sameer laughed, letting his fangs protrude out without worry. "That's true, Arthur! Yet you opened my eyes and I made you explore with your two legs."

Both of them enjoyed the silence minus the symphony of crickets chirping in the night. Sometimes just being with a good friend was enough for Sameer. He had been thinking about joining clubs once they return to school.

The events that unfolded during his summer holidays had given him a lot to think about.

"I'm not like my father," he spoke to no one in particular. Closing his eyes, he sighed. "I may not be like him, but I can learn a few things from him to be what I want to be."

"And what's that?"

"To explore all the ancient sites or discover lost cities that were buried centuries ago," said Sameer wistfully. "All the secrets, things animals used to do back then or things which we didn't know. Or I could teach history by working in the museum."

Sameer opened his eyes to meet Arthur's cloudy blue ones. "That's a brilliant idea! I heard it has a library too. You could make things fun for all of us to understand!"

Sameer felt his heart swelled with pride. Arthur's words were encouraging him to try what he wanted to do. With his venom now kept in his bag, he will exchange it for money so that he could buy history and horror books.

What better way to tell history is to make it a story everyone would be hooked on.

Arthur's ears suddenly wiggled, making the Honduran white bat opened his mouth to use his clicks. He dropped down, using his wings to break his fall before he landed on a rock.

Sameer follows suite by slithering down the tree trunk.

"I heard someone crying. Near the water, not far and I heard a ripple too," said Arthur, opening his mouth to use his clicks again. Sameer's forked tongue darted out to taste the cool air.

There was a scent of a bird nearby. He recognised who it was immediately as the both of them went to the source.

It was Arabelle. She had her face buried in her wings, her webbed feet dipped in the lake.