The Black Queen Card

chapter nine - khrav

Khraviell

In the middle of chilly November, the monsoons were finally giving the whole Northern Sector a break. The Queens had been silent as far as Khrav was concerned. He thought they would leave him alone after the car incident. The intercom's sound was heard in the rooms and buildings at the University grounds.

It was a Friday afternoon and the weekend stupor had just started to spread. Khrav and Ram were in their second class of the afternoon.

"Please excuse Mr. Khraviell Tarax Vyenares. We need him a moment here at the Chancellor's office." Ram looked at him with his eyes full of concern. The day he'd been dreading.

"It's going to be fine," he reassured him. "Tell Krash not to worry."

Ram squeezed Khrav's arm. Khrav raised his hand, the professor looked at him.

"I'm Khraviell sir, may I be excused?"

By the time he arrived at the Chancellor's office, he's already accepted his unfortunate fate. Maybe he was not destined to be what his mother wanted him to be. Maybe he was like his cheating-lying-good for nothing father deep down. Maybe he was going to be a businessman or a politician. Fate is hilarious, it makes us what we don't want to be the most.

The receptionist led him to the secretary's office. Two guys in suits were standing on either side of the secretary.

"Mr. Vyenares!" She stood up from her scribbling on a planner.

She was a middle-aged woman, with cat spectacles. Her makeup was bold and her skirt was too short to be appropriate.

"Uh? Hi?"

She scrutinized Khrav from head to toe and pulled down her spectacles.

"Hmmn." She nodded to herself.

"Am I in trouble?" Khrav asked hesitantly. She came near him and hooked her arm on his.

"No! Of course not." She gestured to the men in suits. "These two hot," she coughed, "erm, I mean, hearts are going to take you somewhere. Somebody's expecting you as a guest, young man."

"What?"

She smiled flirtatiously at the men in black and let go of Khrav.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding, I'm here to see the Chancellor."

"The Chancellor is not here."

"Are you sure they're not kidnapping me or something?" Khrav protested as the men led him out. Khrav looked back at the secretary who was already sitting at her desk and typing furiously at the computer.

She did not reply.

~~~

Khrav was led to a sleek white jetporter at the heliport right outside the school. It's as if the chopper and jet of the 21st century had a drunken mistake and made a baby. It could travel far and fast like a standard jet but could take off and land with the precision of a helicopter.

Khrav sat on the first reclining seat. The cabin was cream colored with smooth wooden highlights and golden inclusions. He had been on his Dad's choppers which was as luxuriously nauseous as this one. The cabin had four massive comfortable seats. There was a lounge area, a bathroom and a closet. The three massive fans lifted the aircraft off the ground and thrusted forward. The noise in the cabin was significantly muted compared to the usual choppers.

Khrav looked down a couple of thousand feet from above the ground after the gray of cityscapes came verdant rolling valleys and hills, low lying clouds passed by the cabin window, which was made of transparent hammer glass and a sliding window crafted from capiz shells from both sides.