The Runner- Ch. I Clad
My name is Clad. I am a cheetah, and i am a messenger, or runner, as is the preferred word to translate into the languages other than Akharan. The continent i live on most of the time is my homeland, Akhara; as a runner, i have to travel quite a bit, usually on foot, and only by boat when necessary, since it's expensive. I work for the parliament - the king, to deliver messages to other nations, mostly other feline countries, since ambassadors are typically stationed in the canine, equine, and reptilian nations, although sometimes i run messages to them. It's obvious why a cheetah would be chosen for the job.
Im from the cheetah province of Akhara, Cheerha, of course. It's a jungle, and though is land locked, has many rivers. On our northern border the jungle trees thin out to pines, and it never seems to stop snowing. That is the province of snow leopards, Surtha. We are their only neighbors, and have a long history of peace. I'm on my way there now, jogging the main road. I have to say i am most familiar with their dialect and culture, and always enjoy my visits there. I've always admired their pacifism, though they have aided Cheerha many times in our disputes with other provinces, mainly the cougar province Carghara to the east. Our territory is more like a long strip from north to the center of the continent. According to history books, we used to have territory almost equal to that of the lion province Lihara covering our western border.
The Liharans are great warriors and fair traders. Cheerha has only had a few short lived conflicts with them, and has had an equal scale of collaborations, as Lihara also covers the only border with the first of the canine provinces, Gerr-shtefen, of german shepards. South west of that is the husky province Hurshken, but i cant recall having travelled any farther west than that. I only know that the Equine province is on an island north west of Hurshken, and west of that is a much larger island with the reptilian province and dragon province. The reptilian province is marsh, and the dragon province is home to the largest mountains in the world.
To the south east of Cheerha is the panther province of Panthera, a beautiful region south of the mountains of Carghara about the size of Surtha along the coastline with strange pink trees called cherry trees and many different native flowers. On the southern borders of Lihara, Cheerha, and Panthera is a wasteland formerly home to a province of tigers called Tihara. They were ancient, warmongers of a race, causing the Great War, where all of Akhara joined together to defeat them, and even the canine races joined the battle, though only to a small extent. Most of Panthera was obliterated, and Lihara and Cheerha also suffered permanent territorial losses, as the Tiharans employed technology unknown to the rest of the world- huge catapults that sent fire through the sky to explode on impact with the ground, and bows that fired with ease, automatically and often equipped with some sort of explosive powder.
It was beginning to get dark, but i had made good time to the inn along the road. I stepped inside through the door and was relieved by the warmth of the air and sight of a fire flickering in the fireplace. At the bar was Ch'athad, a lynx from the island province of Larxthara. The lynx prefer to keep to themselves, even more so than the Surthans, and are known for their open trade relationship with the Ger-shtefens. They are the smallest province, and i was headed there next, so i needed a translator, since Larxtharan happened to be the one Akharan language i was unfamiliar with. I intended to ask Ch'athad to travel with me. He was one of the few i was familiar with, since i traveled this road often and always stayed at this inn. As a runner, i didnt exactly have a lot of time to make friends.
"Ch'athad, its good to see you again." I greeted.
"Ahh, Clad, welcome friend. How are things?" He inquired in a Larxtharan accent, making my name sound more like Clat.
"Im on my way to Surtha again." I began, taking a seat at the bar. "Things are heating up on the Cargharan border, and His Majesty wants to know how the Surthan king would feel about lending us a few warriors."
Ch'athad shook his head solemnly. "That cannot be good, never is."
"But theres something else i have to do." Ch'athad perked his ears, but continued washing dishes as i continued, "i have to go to Larxthara-"
"Why?" Ch'athad interrupted, his tone serious, and he had stopped in his washing.
"The king spoke to me directly. Im to go to Larxthara and observe their trade relationship with the Gerr-shtefens. I dont know much Larxtharan, and it would be a great help to have one like you with me."
Ch'athad looked doubtful, and i realized he was likely processing what i had said, since Cheerhan was his third language. I began speaking in Surthan, both our second languages.
"It would be a service to your country, and it would be no longer than a week before you are back here." I ushered.
With a sigh, Ch'athad explained, also in Surthan, "Outsiders are neither welcome nor common in Larxthara. But i suppose i would worry for you, and with a Larxtharan with you, you would be much more tolerated. I will go with you."
"You have my deepest thanks, Ch'athad."
"You can call me Athad. Here, i will get you some water while i speak to my wife."
I nodded as he walked over to where his wife was sweeping, leaving a glass of water in front of me. I took a drink, then looked around. There were a few other cheetahs sitting at tables in the diner, a couple snow leopards including Athads wife, and surprisingly a cougar slouched over the bar a few seats away from me. He was grey furred, and wearing some jeans with a black hoodie. He moaned softly, and as much as i resented speaking to a Cargharan, i figured i should help him out. It just looks like he had a bit too much to drink.
I laid a paw on his shoulder and spoke in Cargharan, "You dont look very well, are you okay?" At that, the cougar moaned again and almost sat up, but fell to the floor, holding his stomach. I jumped to my feet as i saw blood beginning to leak out onto the floor.
"Hes hurt!" I quickly kneeled down and rolled him over onto his back. His hoodie was soaking in blood rapidly. I pulled it off to reveal his bare torso, well muscled, and a deep gash into his abdomen. Digging around in my satchel, i pulled out a large roll of gauze, but it wouldnt do much until id stabilized him and stopped the majority of the bleeding. I wadded up his hoodie and pressured the wound with it. Furrs were beginning to gather, Athad and his wife at the front of the small crowd.
My ear against his chest, i heard his breathing shallow and rapid, and his pulse was equally so. From the glazed look in his yellow eyes, i could tell he was in shock. I massaged his throat gently with one paw while keeping the other planted firmly on the jacket to block the blood.
"Shhh." I soothed. "You are going to be alright. Calm yourself."
He was beginning to shiver and take deeper breaths, but his heartrate was also declining, which could be good, or very, very bad if it doesnt get stronger.
It didnt get stronger.
It slowed to a stop.
"Damn it!" I positioned myself over top of him, left paw over his right on his breastbone and began compressions. My family ran a clinic in southern Cheerha, and i had learned all kinds of medical proceedures and herbal remedies. This was probably my second or third time performing CPR. I was starting to breath heavily and get tired after a few minutes, and took a few moments to check his breathing.
It had stopped too.
I raised his chin up and covered his nose with a paw, then locked my lips together with his and exhaled slowly into him. I pulled away to take another breath before exhaling into him again. His breathing hadnt restarted, but i couldnt waste time on more breaths; compressions were more important.
I kept on the compressions for several minutes. Furrs began taking seats, but still paying attention. I was getting very tired, which is saying something for a cheetah, and took another moment to check his vitals. Bleakly, i pressed a paw to his neck.
I thought i felt something, so i waited a moment longer.
There it was again, and again.
Good, his heart started, but he still wasnt breathing, and if he was, then it was very faint. I covered his nose once again and tilted his chin up. If he was choking then he would have coughed. I locked lips with him again and exhaled, doing rescue breaths for several more minutes, not that i enjoyed it or anything, i just wanted to make sure he wouldnt die.
Now his breathing had restarted. I let out a breath of relief and asked in Cheerhan, "Can i get a damp towel?" Athad hurried off and i removed the bloody jacket and prepared the gauze. Athad reappeared and wordlessly handed me the towel, which i used to carefully clean up the blood around the wound before i gently wrapped gauze around his torso to close the gash. There was something strange about it though. Based on the angle and depth, id say whoever did this was aiming for the heart. But why would someone want him dead? And how did he escape?
"Okay, hes stable." I announced. "Do you have a room with a bed i could move him to?" I queried to Athad.
"Of course. He can have the closest."
I had to carry him very carefully, which wasnt an easy task, since full grown cougars are much heavier than cheetahs.
Laying him down on the bed, i checked his vitals again just to be sure, to find them strengthening. The gauze was faintly stained red. I pulled the blankets up to his chin to keep him warm before i pulled the chair up next to the bed and sat down.
Athads voice came from the doorway, "Youd better get some rest. Its still a half days journey to cross the border into Surtha, and i expect we'll be busy once we get there."
I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but im just going to stay up a bit longer in case he wakes up."
Athad looked doubtful, and i didnt blame him, but only said, "As you say, Clad." Before he closed the door and left to tend to the guests.
After a moments hesitation, i reached up and closed the curtains to the window to help keep out the cold, while also trying to convince myself that i wasnt fussing. I took off my dark green scarf and my footwraps, laying them on the desk. I kept thinking that i was only going to stay until i got sleepy, but still refused to go, and, inevitably, fell asleep.