[Kodai]

Knowing that the Slums were not the best place to stay for someone who needed medical attention, Aodh kept running, not caring if the terrain began to slice up his pawpads or if he was running for days instead of hours. All that mattered to him was to get the little Darkflame hanging from his jaws to a medical facility, and since Lamenolai was the nearest large town to the Slums, that was where he headed. Eventually he padded into the town, nearly exhausted from the long journey, but still managing to hang in there. Looking about, he hoped he would be able to find a hospital or a doctor's office before he collapsed, paws bleeding...

[Jaykobell]

[center]
Mynol, Male Darkflame Kuhna

While Mynol had managed to gain some rest, he knew Aodh hadn't stopped running ever since they had left the Slums. While Mynol's injuries were only small then, the days came and went by, and eventually the wounds got worse and worse... Not to mention food and water and shelter. He only hoped the Calamikuhna was okay and that he wasn't pushing himself beyond his limits...

Eventually they arrived in a big city; but he didn't know which city it was. However, he remembered hearing a voice calling to his carrier.

"Is that kid okay?"


Stribog, Male Snowflake Khimera {Custom}

A big Khimera walked towards Aodh, his frosty paws leaving a trail of snow behind him. The feline observed Mynol carefully, noticing the blood that was dried up on his fur, and the fresh blood that kept on trickling from the wound. "What did this kid get himself into?" he asked the Calamikuhna with a raspy voice, hinting he wasn't the youngest Khimera the Lands had.

The Khimera also noticed Aodh's bleeding paws. "And what about you? Kids these days... So reckless."

[Kodai]

Finally finding someone that could possibly be willing to help, Aodh collapsed, too tired to continue any further. He placed Mynol gently on the ground, his mouth feeling stiff from having been wrapped around the tiny Kuhna's scruff all this time. Slowly, he worked his jaws so that it would be easier for him to speak.

"Someone... was beating him... So I intervened... Please, we need a doctor..." he told the Khimera in his soft voice. "He was cut as well... He needs help..." Aodh said nothing for himself. The Calamikuhna figured he only needed a few days' worth of rest before he would be good as new. For the Darkflame, however, there would be much more time involved.

[Jaykobell]

It felt odd to be on his own again. His body felt light when Aodh's teeth let go of his scruff, it felt like... Well, he didn't know what it really felt like. What he knew was that his body was still uncomfortable from getting squished by a Panzer's paw and from getting kicks, burned, thrown around, and many other words he probably didn't even know.

Mynol saw Stribog come closer to him as Aodh explained his condition. The flames... No, the flames would most likely hurt him... Get away, get away, get away... But how? He couldn't even move on his own. Hopefully the Khimera wouldn't get burned by his flames...

Stribog ignored the fire that burned over Mynol's body, focusing his attention over the wounds of said Kuhna. He moved Mynol around from time to time, checking every possible angle of his body. There was a pause. "I see he has a cut on his shoulder there -- the right one -- but the blood seems to have dried there for the most part. However, since the wound wasn't licked and was exposed to the air, it got infected... I also see that he lost fur on that same shoulder. It should all grow back in due time, however." There was another pause as the Khimera observed the Darkflame some more. "I can see he's lacking sleep. He also seems rather tense, which I figure leads to anxiety and stress." The feline poked Mynol gingerly, the Darkflame freezing up at the thought of being touched. "I can see multiple burns and scars on his body as well, although these are hidden under his fur, mostly. ... Apart from that, I guess he's fine. Physically-speaking."

No, that wasn't just it, he was also feeling uncomfortable... his body still felt bad from the squish-squash back in the Slums. But maybe that would get better with time? But he understood he needed sleep... No, wait... what did sleep mean? He was now in a completely different environment... He didn't even know if he would be able to speak clearly...

With Mynol's profile done, Stribog turned to Aodh. Apparently, he was just lacking sleep -- like the Darkflame -- and his paws had been scratched and pinched and literally tortured over many different kinds of terrains. "Well, you're obviously lacking sleep, little kid. As for your paws, just make sure to clean them off so they don't get infected, and you should be fine in a couple of days." He turned back to the Darkflame. "I can treat that scratch of his on his shoulder; doesn't seem like a big deal. I don't see anything else that's wrong with him, though, apart from his poor mind. Maybe... acupuncture would sooth you two? I know someone who is in the business. It'll most likely help you relax some, after all you've gone through; it's obvious you guys just didn't get lost in the forest, after all. Getting beaten up isn't any walk in the park."

[Kodai]

Acupuncture? Aodh didn't know what that was, but with how tired he was and the condition that both he and Mynol were in, he decided that it would be worth a try. After all, this Khimera seemed to know his stuff when it came to conducting medical observations. Or maybe the wounds were just obvious? Aodh was too tired to care. This Khimera wasn't attacking them, so it was safe to assume that he could be trusted.

"If it'll help... then I guess we can try it... Um... but he was crushed under a paw... Maybe you should check for internal injuries?" It was amazing that such a thing had even come to mind, but since it had, Aodh mentioned it. It would be bad if the Darkflame ended up being gravely injured or worse due to something that they couldn't see...

[Jaykobell]

Crushed under a paw? Just what kind of pet did they get in trouble with, these two? "Well, seems like you got in trouble with a bad guy all right..."

Without further ado, the Khimera walked back to the Darkflame Kuhna, prodding him with a paw to see if any bones were broken or any organ out of place. It was as Stribog reached the rib cage that he noticed the structure was abnormal. He gingerly moved his paw about Mynol's side, trying to figure out what was wrong without worsening the situation. After a short while, the Khimera turned to Aodh to give him a detailed explanation. "It's a good thing you mentioned that; he has broken ribs. His whole left side has broken ribs. He's small, I'm not surprised he got an injury like this..." There was a pause. He thought about what would help Mynol heal... "I can carry you two to my acquaintance's acupuncture center, and while you'll be resting there, I'll make a dash for some pain killers; your little friend will need them, most likely."

Acupuncture, broken ribs, pain killers... What? What was acupuncture? It was something to make him relax? Broken ribs... was this why the Khimera had poked his side like that? What is because of these 'broken ribs' that his body hurt so much? And what were those pain killers? What were this Khimera and Aodh talking about...? He could barely understand anything they were saying...

[Kodai]

So the little Kuhna did have internal injuries... Thank goodness that he had thought to mention it. Still, that meant that the Darkflame had gone several days without being treated. Hopefully he could hang in there just a little longer...

"Poor lil' guy... Hope he's not in too much pain... ...You would do that for us...? Thank you..." Sighing, Aodh flopped his head down and tried to get as much of a well-deserved rest as he could at the current moment. While he had been running, he hadn't felt the effects, but now that he was lying still, the sheer exhaustion began to take its toll and he felt utterly tired. That and his paws were screaming at him from all the pains of the different terrain he had been running over. Leaves, sticks, stones... All of them had rubbed his pawpads down, which was why they were bleeding. This acupuncture... hopefully it would relax him, as the Khimera had said.

[Jaykobell]

"Well, broken ribs aren't exactly pleasant... However, he's so tired right now he probably isn't feeling the pain much." That poor Darkflame... for how long had those two been running? Well, for long had the Calamikuhna been running. If Mynol's ribs had been crushed to the point of being broken... surely the bone fragments were still lodged in his body somewhere. Was he feeling uncomfortable anywhere? Hmm, but right now was no time to question the injured Kuhna... Maybe after the acupuncture session.

Without losing any more time, Stribog used his sharp tails to pick both Aodh and Mynol up and settled them onto his back comfortably. "Hang on tight, as much as you can. We're not far from the center," he encouraged the two felines on his back, running off towards the other part of town, making sure to keep his back balanced for his passengers...


After a few miles they reached a small wooden house of sorts with two floors. The second floor could be reached by a small series of stairs, which the Khimera used to get to said floor. He used his hard and frosty head to knock and opened the door using his tails once more. "Eirian!" he called with his raspy, yet rather loud howl. "I have some patients for you."

[center]
Eirian, Female Dweller/Coontail/Belly Female Lucain

Soon enough, a young female Lucain stepped through the door that lead to the back of the second floor, her brown coat shining from the sun that was coming from the windows. "Hello, Stribog," she greeted with a soft, yet mischievous voice. She spied the two injured Kuhnas on his back instantly. "Oh, my. Are these the two young boys that need some time for themselves?" she asked, stepping around the Khimera to observe the two young boys. The Darkflame seemed in awfully bad shape, while the Calamikuhna seemed to be more than exhausted. "Poor boys. Settle them on the mats over there," she instructed, pointing to the nearest pair of mats that were on the wooden floor. "The Calami needs some first aid... Makena!"


Makena, Female Reitcon Kuhna

A hyper energetic bundle of Ancient-designed fur rushed through the backdoor, carrying a First Aid kit in her jaws. She stopped right in front of the brown female Lucain with her head and chest high up. "Vou alle?" the Kuhna muffled through the handle of the medicine kit.

The Lucain and Kuhna started talking between themselves while Stribog settled Mynol and Aodh on the two mats, the two Kuhnas next to each other. He nodded gratefully to the two house caretakers and then ran off, heading for his home to pick the painkillers like he had promised Aodh earlier.

Meanwhile, the two females started taking care of their patients. Eirian slipped the needles in Mynol's and Aodh's body, putting them in specific locations so the two boys would relax.

Makena used the bandages and other instruments that she had to take care of Aodh's paws and Mynol's shoulder. Once she was done, she skipped about the room for a little while before settling down in-between the two males.

Whoa, a lot of things had happened at once for little Mynol... the Darkflame was transported to this one home, along with Aodh, and then he got some needles into his skin; this one part scared him. But he began to relax as his mind slowly started drifting to dreamland. Aodh... Was he going to sleep like him, too? And his shoulder... someone had touched it... Oh, so many details... He would just... close his eyes and sleep...

[Kodai]

Aodh vaguely felt his body first being carried, then placed on a mat. Everything felt so distant... Even the voices he was hearing sounded far away. He tried to keep his eyes open, but that was proving to be difficult. Silently he watched as the Lucain strategically placed hundreds of tiny needles into Mynol's skin, then continued to watch as she did the same to him. So this was what 'acupuncture' was... It seemed odd that needles would help them to relax, but then, doctors used needles to heal people... Maybe this was related somehow? But Aodh couldn't focus any more; he was feeling way too sleepy. Slowly his eyelids drooped and finally shut, and he fell into a state of sleep, just as Mynol had done.

[Jaykobell]

Mynol slept for a couple of hours, maybe for a whole day. His body was aching so much... but those needles seemed to have helped some. But his body felt completely out of place, as if his skeleton or organs weren't placed where they were supposed to be. That Khimera had mentioned broken ribs... His side hurt a lot... but his paws and arms and legs as well... Was Aodh okay? He was transported along with Mynol, wasn't he? Was he okay? He had carried Mynol for so long... It was now three to one... How could he ever repay Aodh properly? He was so useless, after all...

Makena was still lying in-between Mynol and Aodh, watching the two of them carefully, her tails waving excitedly. Kuhnas... she had seen so few Kuhnas in her lifetime. It was always so nice to see other Kuhnas. While Mynol seemed very weak from his injuries, while Aodh only had sore paws. Maybe he would be waking up soon...

[Kodai]

Regardless of how long Mynol had slept, Aodh didn't begin to wake up until at least 24 hours later. His body had been completely tired out from his long run, but now it felt somewhat better. He was still a tad sleepy, but the pain in his stomach prevented him from sleeping any more. Opening his eyes and glancing around slowly, Aodh saw the female Reitcon from before lying between himself and Mynol, her tails waving happily. She seemed excited for some reason... Maybe she didn't see very many customers here?

"Hullo," Aodh greeted her, deciding not to move because of the needles sticking out of him. "Er... Can I ask... if there's anything to eat here? It's just that we haven't eaten in a while... He's probably hungry too..."

[Jaykobell]

As soon as Aodh started to stir, Makena bounced back onto her four paws, her tails lashing about excitedly, a big grin on her face. To Aodh's greeting, she replied, "Hey there! I'm Makena and I take care of the first aid here, pleased to meet you, what's your name, what's happened to you, how come your paws were so sore and injured?" And then Aodh asked for some food. Oh, silly, the food! Eirian had told her to go fetch food... and she hadn't. Uh-oh. "Oooh.... riiiiight... Food." Sheepish grin. "I'll go see what we have right awaaaaay~" she shrieked cheerfully as she made a dash for the backdoor.

She came back a couple of minutes later, carrying some various aliments in what seemed to be some sort of blanket. Once the blanket was spread on the floor, the food revealed itself to Aodh. Fish, fruits, vegetables, meat, and multiple other things from various food categories (there were even candies in there). "There you go, sweetie!" she called with yet another big grin. "Oh, and if you're thirsty just call. I guess we have some water in the fridge..... somewhere," she meowed, her smirk slowly turning sheepish again. She was so excited she'd just bounce on him and roll around for the whole day. But she wouldn't do that. That'd look weird. And he had many questions to answer, too...

As for Mynol... he was curled into a ball, his back turned to Aodh. He seemed to be sound asleep still, as if he had missed a whole week of rest. Nonetheless, his side was rising up and down slowly, and he didn't seem to be in pain. Maybe he'd wake up soon...

[Kodai]

So many questions! But before he could go about answering any of them, the Kuhna girl had dashed off to get some food. Surely he'd have time to answer them later, though, if she was genuinely curious. When Makena brought back the blanket of food, Aodh stared for a moment before carefully getting up and stepping over to it. What a lot of food! And such a variety! Certainly these pets were very hospitable. Slowly Aodh bent down and began to nibble at some fish, though his hunger quickly set in and he was soon wolfing it down.

"My name is Aodh," he told Makena between bites, trying to answer her previous questions. "I got into a fight with a Volcanic Panzer because he was beating up that poor Darkflame... And my paws were sore because I've been running for who knows how long to get myself and him away from that  Panzer."

[Jaykobell]

That poor Calami. Just watching wolf down that fish showed just how hungry he was. "So your name's Aodh? That's an awesome name!" Makena piped. When Aodh mentioned his fight against a Volcanic Panzer, she gasped. "A Volcanic Panzer! Wow! Did you get burned? Did it scratch you all over your body? You sound like a hero!" To run off like that and save the victim? That Calamikuhna was quite the Kuhna, yes, indeed.

The ruckus awoke the small Darkflame Kuhna. What was all this noise coming from? He couldn't quite sleep with all that noise... So he opened his eyes turned around to see where they were and who was talking like that. He noticed Aodh, eating over a banquet of food, and an excited Kuhna of a breed he didn't know. He didn't know a lot of Kuhna breeds; he could recognize Aodh's because his father used to be the same species: a Calamikuhna. But other than that... he didn't really know what kind of Kuhna species there were out there.

He moved a bit so he could face the two Kuhnas, trying to ignore the pain in his side and around his body. He remained curled into a ball, but his chest and head were raised, and he was looking directly at Aodh, the good and Makena. His small, pink eyes seemed to be observing the room. These Kuhnas seemed nice... maybe he wouldn't need to run away from them...

[Kodai]

"No, I didn't get burned... Thank goodness for that. Actually... he didn't hurt me much at all. He moved very slowly, as if he was unsure of his movements... It was fairly easy to maneuver around him." Aodh reflected on the battle as he ate. "Still... What I want to know is why he was roughing up that poor Kuhna..." He nodded at Mynol, and then noticed that the other was awake. "Hullo there," he nodded in greeting, glad that the Darkflame was awake. "You must be hungry, too... Come on and eat. There's plenty here." Aodh smiled at the other Kuhna and then turned to Makena. "So, er... what about you? Do you like working here? Maybe you can tell us how this 'acupuncture' works, exactly?"