Roll with the Wind

2

By the time Antonio reached adulthood, he was almost certain that Lovino wasn't real. However, he started to question himself yet again when something started to steal food from the valley. Originally, people suspected wild dogs or bears from the woods, but food continued to disappear even after it was locked behind closed doors. What sort of wild animal could pick a lock? And Antonio had never heard of an animal with such strange eating habits: only the raw meat and berries were being stolen.

They called a meeting in the tiny village hall where the adults of the valley sat on chairs in a circle.
"We need to do something about this. We can't risk another famine." One of the villagers said angrily.
"We lost enough people last time. We can't allow that to happen again. Think of the children." Said another.
"We have to track down the beast and kill it!"
"There are plenty of traps in the woods. It's bound to die some time soon."
"What if it starts attacking people?"
"Kill it!"

Antonio thought hard about the situation. It all seemed so barbaric.
"We don't have to kill it." He said. The room fell silent as all eyes turned to Antonio.
"We can just ration it. Leave small amounts of food for it in the woods. Then it won't come into the village to steal from us."

The villagers laughed.
"Antonio that's a great sentiment, but I don't think a wild dog would understand what we would be trying to do. It might take it as an invitation."
Antonio frowned.
"There's no way it's a wild dog. Dogs cannot open locked doors!"
"Enough, Antonio! The creature must be dealt with. That's all there is to it."

As the villagers became increasingly restless, Antonio decided to catch the theif. He suspected Lovino (the fantasy boy he met in the woods when he was little) or one of Lovino's people, so letting angry villagers take care of the situation probably wasn't the best idea. They had already set various traps in the woods in the hope to catch or kill the culprit. Antonio dreaded to think what they'd do if they found Lovino out there.

"Excuse me." Antonio said quietly, getting up from his seat and walking quickly out the hall. He took off running towards his house, almost stumbling along the way as the excitement built in his chest. He threw open the front door and ran to his small wooden wardrobe. He pulled out a large sack and packed some spare clothes into it. He also packed all some raw chicken and a small loaf of bread. Antonio grabbed a pocket knife and tucked it into his belt, before slinging the sack over his body and leaving out the front door.

He headed straight for the woods. With any luck, he'd be able to find what was stealing the food. He may even see Lovino (if he actually existed). He had to try. He couldn't let them slaughter some hungry, innocent animal.

The woods were identical to how he remembered them: completely untouched by humans and completely magical. Antonio trod carefully, not wanting to scare away any animals he might come across. Unfortunately, he didn't find any and by the time the sun set he was exhausted.

He was so far into the woods it would've taken him hours to get back to the village, so instead he decided he would have to camp out. Antonio found a more open spot where he put down his bag and layed down underneath a tree. He sighed softly and closed his eyes. He had to find whatever was stealing the food before the village did. He had to. He couldn't let them kill it.

Just as Antonio was about to fall asleep, he heard a panicked scream in the distance.
What the hell was that?
He immediately got up, grabbed his bag, and ran to where he heard the noise. Whatever had screamed was now shouting and yelping, and thrashing around judging by the sound of the rustling leaves on the ground. Antonio finally saw what had happened: one of the traps was successful. Actually, three. One that catapulted large rocks at whatever set it off, one bear trap, and one horrible device that closed down a heavy sheet of iron covered in spikes upon its victim, and trapped them in a net so they couldn't get away.

He sprinted towards whatever poor animal had gotten itself trapped, only to see a human man laying on the ground. He seemed... familiar. When Antonio got closer it became clear that actually he wasn't a human at all, but a man with wings.
His face was bruised and bloody, his right leg was caught in a bear trap, bleeding, and his left wing was trapped under the spiked iron, his eyes stricken with fear. It was the eyes that gave it away. Antonio immediately recognised him as Lovino- the winged little boy he met in the woods.

He was overjoyed to see his friend again, but also felt crushed to see him so hurt. Antonio approached Lovino, who yelled at him to back off.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. "DON'T YOU DARE COME ANY FUCKING CLOSER!"
"I-I want to help." Antonio said softly. Lovino shrieked.
"DON'T YOU LAY A FINGER ON ME, OR I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!"
"I'm not going to hurt you."

Lovino tried to catch his breath from the screaming and crying, but the pain was damn near unbearable. He struggled and thrashed around but it didn't help. He groaned loudly at the feeling of the metal tearing at his flesh and snarled at Antonio as he got closer.
"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

It was at that point Lovino looked up at the man closely and started to recognise him. No, it couldn't be, could it?
"A-Antonio?" He said quietly.
"Hello, Lovino." Antonio replied. Lovino's face softened for a second, and then fell into an odious scowl.

Antonio bent down and reached his hand out towards the trap on Lovino's leg. He touched it gently and the winged man cried out in pain.
"DON'T TOUCH IT!" He shrieked, more tears streaming down his face.
Antonio said nothing and felt around for a small lever on the side of the contraption. When he found it, he pulled it, releasing the trap. Lovino cried out in pain and gritted his teeth as he pulled his bleeding leg away from the trap.

Next, Antonio pulled out the small knife from his belt. Lovino shrieked and tried to scramble away as quickly as possible, but to no avail.
"NO!" He screamed.
"Relax. I'm not going to cut you."
Antonio cut away the net and tucked the knife back into his belt.
"I missed you so much!" He cried, hugging Lovino close. The winged man screamed and managed to choke out: "Hurting! Wing!"
"Sorry!" Antonio let go of Lovino and got to work on releasing his wing from the iron trap.

Antonio pulled the trap off Lovino with great difficulty and gasped at the sight of his wing. Lovino gritted his teeth and pulled it out from under the trap. It was bloody and mangled, pieces of bone sticking up at odd angles and the feathers mostly gone.
"Oh God."
"It's fine." Lovino lied,not daring to look as he could tell from the pain that it would be bad. Antonio held out a hand to him but Lovino refused. He had to stay strong. He could do it on his own.
"I can stand by myself, bastard!" He said, proceeding to fall on his face. Antonio pulled him back onto his feet and supported him as he hobbled on his non-injured leg and tried to ignore the pain shooting through his crippled wing, grunting with every agonising step.

"Lovino, you're bleeding!" Antonio cried, pointing at his leg which was leaking blood at a remarkable rate. Lovino breathed heavily, overwhelmed by the agony of putting pressure on his leg and his mangled wing trailing along the jagged ground and all the blood loss...
"Yeah no shit, dumb ass." He said weakly, becoming lightheaded, losing his footing and falling into Antonio's arms.
"Lovino?"
His vision blurred and blackened as the pain engulfed him, and within moments he had passed out.