Music of the Night

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

When Arthur headed back to Cherryton alone, he wasn't surprised when he was greeted with a few whispers and some remarks despite his mythology presentation. Oh well, he knows that in life he can't please all animals.

"Look, he's back all alone," one of them sniggered. "Where's your eagle bodyguard, blind bat?"

"That's a lot of stuff for someone of a small body and having no eyes," another one commented.

"His eyes are so creepy!" he heard one of the female students whispered. "I hope he's not a Vampyrum in disguise. You know they can take up many forms and shapes!"

'Honestly,' Arthur thought to himself irritably as he made his way to the Chiroptera dorm, his place of zen and peace. In the present moment, he was just checking to see if he had to study for anything before Monday or he could just continue his music session in his own little world.

Heh, he might as well create one while he is in his room.

Suddenly, his phone rang and Arthur stopped whatever he was doing to answer the call. It must be Aoba, Legosi or even his old friend Sameer. Placing his headphones close to his ears, he answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Hi son!" a comforting familiar voice made the Honduran white bat's heart dropped. He wasn't expecting a call from him. "How are you settling in Cherryton?"

"Rough around the edges but found some good friends," said Arthur, his tone couldn't hold back the relief and happiness from hearing from his father again. "How is Manticore University treating you, dad?"

"The same," he could hear the tinkering laughter from his father. "Let me guess, they asked if you're a Vampyrum?"

Arthur blinked his cloudy eyes in surprised. "You too?"

It was nice to know that he was not alone in how the other animals saw him as. His dad decided to chat about his time at the university while Arthur told him of the new friends he has made and how his music kinda helped him go through with the motions.

"I'm glad you still find the time to play music, Arthur," there was a hint of pride in his father's tone. "Music to me, it's just as important as finding a discovery out of this world. I'd like to think of them as one being."

Arthur smiled, curious to know if his father discovered something. "So dad, any stars or planet decided to fall under your scope?"

"Ursa Major. The stars connect together to form a great bear in the sky and is the symbol of the north. Inside of her, you can see the Big Dipper, feels like a pot-pan shape if I had to describe it."

Arthur was excited about his father's discoveries of some of the stars and chasing planets seemed like an adventure. It suited him very well despite how some would call him crazy for it. Well to Arthur, anything seemed possible.

In fact, he could think of six impossible things before breakfast if he wanted to.

"I missed you, dad," said Arthur softly. 

"I missed you too, son and I am very proud of you. If you ever feel like giving up, remember our poem we both recited since you were a pup."

Arthur took a deep breath and recited: "Do not go gentle into that good night..."

"Old age should burn and rave at close of day..."

"Rage, rage against the dying of the light," Arthur finished the last sentence of the stanza. That last line got to him. All his life, he had to work his way harder than most animals due to him lacking the ability to see.

"Let's meet up once the both of us have a free slot in the weekend," his dad suggested. "It'd be good to explore the town together."

"I'd love that. See you soon, dad."

"Bye son. Take care of yourself."

When the click was heard, Arthur felt the need to play a song on his keyboard. Despite it sounding like a piano, he can switch it to a synthesiser or an organ if he wanted to. But the song that's been stuck in his head.

Slowly, he let his fingers glide through the keyboard as the sound echoed throughout campus.

...

Mizuchi was still thinking about her encounters with that bat.

He was nice and he doesn't seemed to be all that bad as she thought he might be. But she had to keep her encounters with him a secret or else she won't hear the end of it from her classmates. They knew her reputation as a harlequin rabbit.

In her dorm, doing homework while a new song was played in the evening.

It complimented the sky full of stars. It made her wonder if there are worlds beyond this mundane life on campus? An unknown journey that's waiting to be discovered?

More importantly, who is this angelic composer of all of this wonderful piece of music?

She decided not to focus too much on finding out who was the angel of music on campus as she has a lot of homework to do. Plus, before she took the train back to school, she decided to purchase a book she saw at the newsstand where they sold not just newspapers but magazines, confectionaries and some books. The book she purchased was called "Interview with a Vampyrum" by Fern Price.

And she is not keen on finishing it!

...

Arthur was tending the flowers at the gardening club before heading straight for class. The flowers were a bit lively in their conversation today.

"You had a fun time in town, Arthur?" Haru enquired as she was watering the sweet roses next to him.

"It's nice but I think I disappointed Bill and Aoba for not staying too long due to my grocery shopping."

"Oh, it happens. No need to feel guilty about it!"

Arthur was silent but continued his task carefully with his hand-wings. He could use a roost after this before class. Last night, he was having trouble sleeping. He deducted it to be him drinking a type of tea before bed.

"So Arthur, did you stumbled upon the Black Market?"

The Honduran white bat halted. "Excuse me?"

"Didn't Legosi tell you about it?"

"He warned me but didn't give me any details. What is it? Did something happened there?"

Haru looked away despite the blind bat staring at her. "You should ask Legosi about it. He will give you in detail on why you should stay away from that place. Especially if you are a carnivore."

Arthur was beginning to wonder if this also applies to omnivores like him as well?