Chapter 47

Arthur prayed that the time was right because so far in his life, not once was he ever used as a bargaining chip to adult organisations, let alone carnivorous ones. He can't imagine what his own father would think of him, his friends or...

Mizuchi, what would she think of him now?

He mentally noted to make up for lost time and come up with an excuse on why he was out late. Maybe he could say that he was visiting his dad and time flew by...

No! It would never work because the dorm mother has all the contacts of every carnivore's parents or guardian. Plus, he's still a minor compared to Agata or these other gang members.

If he ever made it out alive, he bet a cup of tea that Louis might want to speak to him again. That red deer had never been more of a mystery to the Honduran white bat.

Right now, he was riding on Agata's shoulders so that they could reach the Dokugumi's hideout faster before they could spit their acids. The other animals he knew who could spit venom would have been a spitting cobra.

Jokes on them since he's blind and won't be affected by those cobra venom!

"Do you know anything about the other gangs, Agata?" Arthur asked, his ears twitching to listen to the sounds of shoes scraping the stony pavement of the roads...or whatever it is. He could hear talks amongst the Komodo dragons, a bit eerie since he was told that they wore masks.

Was it for fashion or was it a vow if they are part of a gang?

"Only what they do," said the Congo lion. Arthur gripped onto his shoulders as he could feel the pace speeding up. "I don't know them in details unless it's about this war. You might want to ask the boss or Dolph for that matter."

...

Arthur and Agata arrived to the next hideout. Arthur's leaf-shaped nose caught a whiff of what he would consider as musky with a hint of a dry, copperish scent. Arthur felt sick to the stomach at the scent and he wondered if this is reason the Dokugumi wore masks.

"Not used to it, eh?" a chuckled was breathed into the Honduran white bat's ear. "I thought you bats have stronger stomachs, considering you have groups that live off on blood."

"But I'm not a Vampyrum," Arthur turned his head to the voice. "So....why am I here? Not to be rude but there's a time limit before the last organisation."

"Of course! Of course! Now before anything, my name is Savon. Ironic having that name for a group of venomous Komodo dragons?" the Komodo dragon huffed. "Of course if you decided to run or even fly, remember we can melt your wings with our acid venom."

Arthur lowered his ears. He doubt that he could fly without getting caught by the police.

He realised that these group of Komodo dragons didn't answer his question about his reasons or purpose for the next two hours. He fluffed his fur before holding onto Agata really tight.

"May I stand unshaken," he murmured to himself. "Amidst this crash of a world..."

He was soon lowered down before something was placed around his mouth. His cloudy blue eyes were wide with panic, wondering if this is some sort of muzzle. He tried to shake it off but was hit on the head. So he took a deep breath, before bowing his head.

"Sorry...I'm not used to wearing a mask this tight. But why on me?"

"In case you sneeze or cough," one of the Dokugumi explained. "I'm going to wash my hands since I just touched you."

"Wha.."

"This is insane!" Agata roared, not minding the Komodo dragons' stare. "He's not sick or carrying a disease. I thought reptiles are supposed to be immune to most diseases, even your own venom?"

"Correct but bats are different. After all, some drink blood, some eat their own kinds, some can grow up to seven feet and some can hear things from the next city."

Arthur listened to what the Dokugumi were saying and he was baffled. Do these adults ever leave the Black Market or at least interacted with a bat in their life? He felt sorry for these gang of carnivores. He figured if they stepped out of the Black Market without any sole purpose, they must have been caught by the law.

"...I suggest you stay close to him," said Savon. "None of us will ever touch him or go near him."

"Then, what am I here for?" Arthur raised his voice slightly through the mask. He thought he sounded like a robot.

"We need you to clean up our hideout so that we have a clear space. Tell me bat, you ever cockfight before?"

Arthur's ears perked up, his wings stretched a bit. "Afraid not. Should I be concern about what cockfighting is?"

"It's easy. You looked like a good candidate to fight."

"I never fought a bat before. Are they as resilient as some claimed they are?"

"Cockfight! Cockfight!"

Arthur turned his face at the direction he assumed where the Dokugumi were. He realised that they put a mask on him to prevent him from using his clicks. Clever and crafty, if he had to comment about it.

"Hold on!" Agata protested. "Aren't you being unfair. He's not exactly fighting material or your size for that matter. Hell, he's blind!"

There were sounds of hisses and huffs. "Of course. We want to know what he is capable of. After we are done, you will go to the last organisation while we disinfect ourselves."

"For you Komodo dragons who prioritise cleanliness," Arthur cocked his head. "You really need to get out more before treating other animals like a Patient Zero."

...

Meanwhile at the carnivore dorm of Cherryton Academy, Aoba was looking at the clock in worry. It was ten o'clock, two hours before the curfew ends for the carnivores.

Arthur has not return yet.

"Where could he be?" the bald eagle asked himself, clicking his sharp beak. He asked around from the drama club to the teachers. None of them have seen him. Where could that blind Honduran white bat be?

If he's not back into his dorm by eleven, Aoba will have to go out and find him. Sure, he hangs out with Bill and Tao but Arthur...Arthur is special to him. He wouldn't trade that bat for anything else.

He has slipped the note Mizuchi had asked, still not sure about what the message said. He learnt braille to communicate with Arthur but morse code was something different. Throughout his school life, there was never a lesson about morse codes.

"Aoba," the deep gravelling voice almost made the bald eagle jump out of his feathers. It was Legosi.

"Hi Legosi," he greeted the grey wolf. "You don't happen to see Arthur around, have you?"

"No," he shook his head. "Even Haru, the gardening club president is worried because she told me that Arthur told her to take the train first and he will catch up. What do you think he meant by that?"

Now they're getting somewhere! Aoba felt a quest feeling in his gizzard.

"He can't....No....Could he- No, he can't...."

"What?" Legosi cocked his head in confusion at Aoba's worry.

"I have to tell our dorm mother that I'm going to be home late and ask for Arthur's spare dorm key. I was thinking of staying over with him in the Chiroptera dorm once I found him. I'm going to find him."

Before Aoba could make haste, his wing was grabbed. "Aoba, if you are going, I'm going. Arthur is my friend too and Haru's only club member."

The bald eagle nodded as the both of them muster up the courage to ask permission from their dorm mother before taking the train into the town.

Little did the both of them knew that a brown and white buck rabbit was listening to their conversation. He huffed before making his way to the female herbivore dorm.

"They can find him for all I care," he told himself proudly. "Now, to make Mizuchi mine again and forget whatever happened between us. I ordered her some expensive macarons. She loves expensive things after all."

With his confidence, he strides his way to the female herbivore dorm.