The following is a story set in the fictional universe created by Bernard Doove, aka  Goldfur and Bob Reijns. This includes character concepts and general ideas. For more details, please visit their official site at http://furry.org.au/chakat . The present story and its characters are from  grandragon The illustrations for this story were made by  Sethtriggs

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CHAPTER 12 ARCHIPIELAGO

I was still shocked by what happened. Despite the consolation of Vroeg's family, I felt a great sadness in my heart. I lost all spirit to make decisions at that time. Rena offered to me to stay with them that night, but I declined, thanking hym for hys kindness. As I had missed the flight to the Archipelago, I decided to go back to the hotel. Blukast saw fit to assign me the same room.

“What's wrong with you, Mr. Melinao? I notice you’re sad.” The chakat said when shi saw me return.

“I am, Blukast. A few hours ago I lost a friend, here on the beach in front of the hotel.”

“Oh...now I understand the movement of emergency vehicles. What happened?” shi asked me, intrigued. Without much desire to speak, I briefly related what happened. Shaken, shi put hir hands on hir face and exclaimed, “Ah...how much...so sorry, Mr. Melinao!” And without saying a word, shi hugged me warmly. I couldn't help but get excited again and stayed with hir for a long time.

“Mister Melinao, whatever you need, I am at your disposal,” shi finally told me gently.
“Thank you very much Blukast. I'll be in my room.” I affirmed, after which I went up to the elevator. Upon reaching my room, I immediately called the airport asking for the next flight to the Archipelago. They informed me that there would not be another one coming out for at least 48 more hours. New Bletchley was hit by storms again, which made flying in aircraft dangerous.
I lay down on the bed. “Vroeg, why did this have to happen?” I sighed. I began to bustle my things and found the tiara that hy gave me. I held it in my hands and couldn't help shedding new tears.
After getting very little sleep that night, I woke up around noon the next day. I didn't feel like seeing or talking to anyone. I locked myself in my room and just went down to the hotel casino for lunch. I called the university, telling them what had happened. But apart from regretting my situation, they were not sure whether or not I applied the university regulations due to my absence. However, they insisted that I should travel to New Bletchley as soon as air traffic normalized.
I did not want to attend Vroeg's funeral, despite Rena's invitation to say goodbye. I thought I had said goodbye to hym enough that day. Besides, I wanted to remember him as hy was—a crazy old man—but wise and lucid. A beautiful person.
In the afternoon, I went down to the beach again. A pleasant breeze caressed my contrite face. I walked through the sand with my mind lost and my hands in the pockets of my jacket. Just like the day before, there were not many people; only a few chakats were playing in the sea. Little by little, and without realizing it, I approached the mound, witnessing our friendship. I stopped in front of it, and sighed deeply. I still thought I could smell Vroeg on the grass. I sat down leaning against the flat-branched tree and looked toward the horizon. The Chakonan sun was blurred by my tears. Still, the sunset was beautiful, just as Vroeg said.
Suddenly, a chakat kitten approached me from the side. I didn't realize where shi had come from. Without making any noise, shi snuggled up next to me, resting hir small head on my legs. I stroked hir gently; hir coat was fine and even. Suddenly, I saw an adult chakat approaching us.
“Excuse hir sir. Shi was restless and insisted on coming here with you. Shi said you were sad,” shi pointed out. I tried to hide it a bit, but it was impossible. Chakats have highly developed emotional perception and that kitten surely caught my anguish.

“Eh...well, a little. Sorry.”

“Oh no. Please don't worry,” said the chakat gently. “Whatever the reason, I hope you're feeling better, sir.”

“Thank you,” I replied, as the kitten returned to hir mother and together they walked away through the sand. I sighed.
At times, the loneliness that overwhelmed me was suffocating. I wanted to call Sorah and Regthar and tell them what had happened. But afterwards, I thought about how much they have suffered with the loss of their son, and I didn't want to burden them with more sadness. They were too good people.

When evening came, I went back to the hotel room. This time, I was hoping to sleep better. I had turned off the lights when suddenly, a message appeared on my personal phone.
“Esteban, honey. How are you? I imagine you left to New Bletchley. I would like to speak with you, if you have time. -Lorel.”
I was surprised that shi wanted to contact me, after our last meeting. Shi seemed disappointed in me that time. I guess I'm not the person shi expects, although I must admit that Lorel is still an attractive and sweet chakat. However, I did not answer anything; I still had no desire to speak to anyone, so I turned off the phone and fell asleep.
The next morning, I was awakened by a call I received on the hotel desk phone. It was an airport agent telling me that the next flight to the Skunktaur Archipelago would leave in a couple of hours, since the weather conditions there had improved. Then, I got up, took the shower as required, and after packing my suitcase, I left the hotel quickly, saying goodbye once more to Blukast.
Before taking the shuttle I had hired to the airport, I wanted to visit the grassy knoll one last time.
The place was desolate. On the beach, there were few people at that time. I bought a small bouquet of flowers and placed it at the foot of the tree. I sat in the place for a few minutes and looked out at the ocean. In the distance I could see a human surfer playing nimbly with the waves, and I smiled.
“I'll learn to surf Vroeg,” I sighed. “I'll learn, you'll see.” I told myself with deep conviction. After contemplating the beach for the last time, I returned to the hotel portico, to wait for the transport that would take me to the airport. After a few minutes it appeared and quickly we left for the terminal.
As we progressed, I thought about what awaited me in university. I would meet new people and also experience the famous Dewclaw infrastructure. I assumed that the effort and sacrifice of two years on Earth would finally pay off. After half an hour, I finally arrived at the airport. There was a lot of activity. Passengers of all species moved from side to side. I looked around for Regt, but was unsuccessful. After a few minutes, they called me to board the aircraft. I took one last look at the capital, before getting on the plane. Its buildings glowed in the Chakonan sun, just like the day I arrived.
After a brief shake, the aircraft finally took flight. After about twelve hours of travel, in which I tried to sleep as much as I could, I finally arrived in New Bletchley, a city smaller than Amistad. From the cabin they warned us that the day was cold and cloudy, and the weather was somewhat unstable due to storms. Upon descending from the vestibule and entering the central building, I immediately felt the cold of the environment. There were many passengers, though not as many as in Amistad. From my suitcase, I retrieved a small coat and put it on. While looking for the exit, I could see that most of the port officials were skunktaurs, which was not strange since this region of Chakona is the most populated by this species.
As I walked, I was distracted by a skunktaur very much like Vroeg, moving in the opposite direction. The color of hir fur and hir appearance were similar to those of my friend; hy even seemed to be the same age. I couldn't help but get nostalgic. And as I advanced without looking straight ahead, I tripped over the body of a chakat, both of us losing balance as a result. As I fell, I knocked some of hir belongings to the ground.
“Oh...I...I'm sorry...” I rushed to say, as I stood up and quickly picked up a bag that the chakat had dropped because of me. I noticed that it had a name on it.
“I'm really sorry...Dr. Goldbloom?” I said as I handed it back to hir.
“Don’t worry. It was an accident!” shi replied with a smile.
“Excuse me, I was distracted looking at...someone very similar to a skunktaur friend that I just lost.” I pointed out.
“Skunktaur?” Shi asked, looking up. “I also lost someone like that some time ago and...yeah, believe me, I can understand how ya feel,” shi replied while rearranging a bag with some folders.
“I'm sorry,” I replied.
“Just like me," shi added. I noticed that some of those folders were labeled ‘Dewclaw University.’
“Excuse me...Dr. Goldbloom, right?”
“Yeah, right. Were ya at the conference?”
“No, no...your name is written on your bag. Hehe.”
“Ah...I see,” shi replied with a smile.
“Excuse me, are you a professor at Dewclaw?” I inquired.
“Oh no. I’m an emergency surgeon in New Auckland. Just came here to give a lecture. I don't normally do this kinda stuff, but it was a favor one of my colleagues asked me for.”
“I see. I come to study at Dewclaw and it is my first time in New Bletchley. I still don't know how to get to the university. Maybe we could go together, if you’re going over there.”
“Oh. I'm sorry. I'm on my way out, back to New Auckland. But it’s not difficult to get there from here. Outside the building, they’ve got shuttles that you can pay that’ll take you to the university. This city is not that big. You’re not gonna get lost.”
“Really, thank you very much Doctor. And I'm sorry to have thrown your things.”
“Forget about it. And I wish you the best of luck in Dewclaw sir...”
“Esteban Melinao.”
“Good luck Mr. Melinao. Tail high!”
“Thanks. Tail high!” I said goodbye to hir.
Without delay, I made my way to the exit of the terminal. It was cold outside and the sky was covered with clouds. As the chakat had said, a nearby private transportation agency provided local services. I hired a PPTV and was driven to Dewclaw. I felt a mixture of fear and excitement; my heart was racing. At last I was in the place where I always dreamed of being.

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Thanks to  sethtriggs by the help to translation and grammar corrections and the wonderful drawings