Music of the Night

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Arthur had never felt so nauseous and dizzy in his entire life.

The closest hit to the head was when he had dropped down face first from a tree branch to practice breaking his fall. 

He tried to move but felt his wings were spread apart by force and the two fingers felt like they were being cuffed. The more he tried to move, he could feel the membrane between the wings going to tear. He was sure that some animal knocked him out and now he's in an unknown location.

He was terrified, small tears trickled down from both fear and pain.

"Arthur, oh I thought you were dead!" a sighed of relief was heard on his left. Now the bat narrowed his blind eyes at the direction. He could hear the nervous shift in the figure's body movement.

"Bill," Arthur's tone became eerily quiet to the point it was almost inaudible. "Where are we? What happened?"

So Bill explained that after the bat's refusal to participate to try stuff at the Black Market, he turned away and the tiger saw something approaching Arthur. Before he could catch who was the attacker, he too was knocked out.

"You were also knocked out?" Arthur asked, still baffled how could Bill with perfect pair of eyes not know who attacked them while they were at the market. Arthur tried to slow his breathing because if he could feel his heart hammering inside his ribcage, he was worried about dying from shock than what's up ahead for the both of them.

"Yeah. Look Arthur, I'm sorry I brought you to the market. Usually most carnivores salivate or even run but you calmly walked away but your face looked like you were about to throw up."

Arthur nodded, still trying to wonder where they are while Bill rambled on his apology. "Bill, I'll forgive you later. Now, we need to get out of here."

"I don't think that is possible," a velvety growl made Arthur shudder at how terrifying it sounded. He could feel the shift of Bill's body being close to him.

"Where are we?" Arthur asked, trying to hide the shakiness in his voice.

"Why, you're in our mansion of course!" a younger voice answered. "Your friend there had the balls to try and stop us. Isn't that right, tiger? Trying to steal food from the Shishigumi now?"

Arthur tilted is head in confusion. He's never heard of this organised group but Bill's voice sounded scared under that loud tone.

"Hey! I'm not trying to steal anything!" the Bengal tiger protested. "This bat is my classmate and I'm not letting him be your dinner!"

"Um, sorry to interrupt," Arthur directed his face at the unknown voices. "But what is the Shishigumi? What animals are you?"

There were some murmurs before an incredulous voice roared: "You don't know who we are? Are you blind or something?"

"Yes, I am."

The was a pregnant silence before Arthur heard whisperings amongst the unknown animals. He tried his best to lower his head to talk to Bill. He could feel his own neck about to snap as if he was on the noose. "Bill, who are the Shishigumi?"

"They're the top crime bosses here," the trembling tiger whispered. "A gang made up of a pride of lions and they are the ones controlling the Black Market. You don't want to mess with them!"

It was difficult because Arthur could only judge animals based on their voices and tone.

Arthur was scared for the both of them. They both could be dinner but for Bill, he has heard of some crimes where carnivores were targeted for specific parts of their bodies for medicine and aphrodisiac purposes.

"What are we going to do?" Bill whispered nervously. "I don't want to be a rug!"

"I don't know," said the bat. "Is there a way to negotiate them?"

"Arthur, you're gonna be killed if you start talking to them!"

Both tiger and bat heard multiple footsteps coming towards them. Bill's eyes were wide with fear but put on a brave face. He let out a growl to warn the suited lions to back off. But a warning from a gunshot made Bill clamped his mouth shut.

"Look, we are not sure what to do with the both of you," said the lion with the mohawk mane-style. "Our boss will not be around  for two weeks so the rest of us will be handling this together."

Bill moved closer as if to act like a shield to Arthur. It's more of an apology for dragging him into this situation. "Leave him alone! I-"

WHACK!

Bill was hit on the head with the butt of the gun. One of the lions, the one with the 'X' mark across his face approached the bounded Arthur as if he were inspecting an intricate piece of artwork in a gallery. Arthur could only focused his head at the direction of the sound.

"You're not much to look at," the lion murmured. "But you're not from here, are you?"

Arthur shook his head. "No...At least not on this side of town."

There were whispers among these Pantheras but Arthur could pick up what they're saying. Needless to say, there's a chance that they are not going to let him and Bill out.

Not alive, at least.

"I don't know if we should eat him," another voice brought up his concern. "Do you think because he's blind, it might cursed us if we eat him?"

"I don't believe in superstitious nonsense, Agata. This bat looked like he's staring at us but he's not going to do anything. Besides, defective animals will be the ones to go first before herbivores."

Bill felt sorry for Arthur. He must've gone through all of that crap just because he can't see. But the bat was unfazed but was tilting his head despite the pain of his wings being stretched out too far.

"Please," Arthur pleaded. "You don't want to eat me or kill Bill. The teachers in school will suspect us missing and then call the police who will hunt you down."

"Arthur," Bill hissed. "Don't-"

Another hit to the head to shut the tiger up. Despite how tigers are biologically larger than lions, lions are known for their ravenous hunger that could kill even a carnivore. After all, it is in their taxidermy history that they've been in the bloodiest of battles amongst all felines.

"Hmm, he has a point. What should we do with the both of them?"

Footsteps from one of the lions were heard again through Arthur's ears. He could feel a single, claw digit running down his sensitive membrane of his wings.

"Well, let's see if they can behave while they are here. Maybe we might let them go or..."

Arthur held the roof of his mouth with his teeth to stop himself from screaming in pain as he felt the sharp digit tearing through his left wing's membrane like a knife through a ship's sail.