An unexpected meeting - Part 6

Antonio was walking a few meters behind the Brit, looking around, really trying to get to know that odd place he had ended up in. Mostly to try to figure out if it really was as dangerous, as England had made it sound like. Even though everything looked the same way as it did back in – what apparently was – his own world, a nagging feeling kept on coming to him, as the two walked there in silence. It was the same feeling, as the one he had felt when they had just arrived to the place. Even though he still doubted all that talk about ‘another wold’, something about the whole atmosphere was definitely different, however he didn’t know any words that could describe exactly what he meant be that. He actually doubted that such words even existed.

He was about to ask, if England even knew where they were going, when the Brit suddenly stopped and swung out his arm, as to tell Antonio to stop as well. The Spaniard did so, and without a word, he quickly took a grab around the silver sword hanging by his side, while on the same time trying to get a glimpse of whatever it was England had spotted.

“What is wro—“ He started, but he was cut off by England annoyingly hushing at him.

He took a few steps forward, so he now was standing side by side with the other man. It was here that he saw it. A silhouette in the distance that was quickly coming towards them. At first, Antonio couldn’t make out what it was, but after a few seconds it become clear to him that it was a person. A child to be more precisely. When he realised this, he let go of the weapon, he had been holding on to before. England, on the other hand, didn’t. After about a minute or so the figure was now so close that they could get a proper look at the child’s face. The sight however made Antonio gasp. The child had stopped a few meters away from them. It was clear that he hadn’t noticed the two nations before now. The child’s eyes fell on the weapon in England’s hand, before quickly going back to look at the adult’s faces. It wasn’t hard for Antonio to understand that it was the weapon which did so that the child didn’t dare to pass them. However, the Spaniard didn’t think about that at that every moment. He just stared at the child’s face, and even got eye contact with him for a few seconds, before the child broke it. That child looked like Romano. He was actually almost identical with him except for the fact that the eye- and hair colour was wrong. Although when his glance fell on the curl, he realised that his first impulse had been wrong. It was true that he looked like Romano, but when he thought about it, the child actually looked more like Veneziano. After looking at him for a few more seconds, Antonio discovered something about the child that made him completely different form both the Italian brothers. His aura had a darkness to it, which he had never before seen a child have. This shocked the Spaniard a bit. Something about this child definitely wasn’t…right. He actually started to consider if maybe England had been right about all that ‘other world’ stuff.

While Antonio was thinking about all this, England took a step towards the child who quickly backed a bit, not breaking the eye contact with the Brit for even a second though. A quiet growl escaped from his mouth as he did so.

“I assume this is not the child you are looking for,” England said, though not looking back at Antonio as he spoke. It seemed like he was determent to not let the child out of his sight for even the shortest among of time.

“No that is not him,” he answered, and looked at the child as well.

“That was what I thought,” England said with a cold voice, as he lifted the sword, so it was now pointing directly at the child. “Who are you?” He asked the small boy.
Antonio was about to yell at him to stop pointing the weapon towards a child, but the boy cut him off before he got the chance to do so.

“One information for another” The child said, as he just glared back at England. It was clear that the shock he had got from meeting the two adults was gone now, and there is not a single sight of fear to find in his eyes. Just simple annoyance and arrogance.

Antonio was shocked from hearing this coming from a child so young. His own Romano would probably have refused to answer as well, but he was sure that the Italian’s answer would have been more…childlike. It seemed like this boy was much more mature than he should be, compared to his size.
“Very well…” England’s irritation was easy to spot behind his words. “I’m the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Human name: Arthur Kirkland,” he continued. When he finished, the child nodded in the direction of Antonio. It was clear that he wasn’t satisfied yet.
“My name is Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, and I’m the Kingdom of Spain,” Antonio said and sent the boy a small smile. Which wasn’t returned.

“Italy Veneziano…” The boy said after sighing deeply, probably knowing that he couldn’t keep that information to himself anymore.  “…Human name: Luciano Vargas”.

Antonio’s confusing was now bigger than ever. This boy apparently shared the same official name as the Italy he knew from back home, but the human name was different. Was all this really true after all?

“Same official name…” England mumbled, as if he had just read the Spaniard’s thoughts. “He is the counterpart to the Italy from our world,” he informed, now talking a bit louder as to actually let Antonio know what was going through his mind. “The Italy from our world…He is guarded by Austria, if I’m not mistaking, right?”.

When England mentioned Austria, a slight shiver ran through the young boy’s body. Antonio noticed this and became for a second even more worried about the child, than he had already been from seeing him out here all on his own. Something definitely wasn’t right. However right now he knew that he had to help the Brit figuring out what this was all about. And of course the most important thing of them all. Finding his Romano.

“Yes he is,” Antonio said nodding, but then he remembered that England wasn’t even looking at him and stopped.

“Even though our words are different, all big events like for example wars ends the same way. For some reason our worlds are connected like that. If the Italy from our world is under the Austrian rule…this one is too,” England informed while taking a step towards Luciano, who at the same time quickly backed away from him. It was clear that he had no idea, what the Brit was talking about. Not that Antonio could blame him. He had a hard time keeping track on it all as well.

“Lead us to Austria’s house,” England demanded as he took another small step towards the child.

For the first time since they came to that weird place, Antonio actually agreed on the Brit’s actions. None of the two adults were completely sure where they were or where they were going. It would end up with the two of them just walking around in circles, and they would never find Romano like that. This child however seemed to know exactly where he was heading. They needed his help to get out of the nothingness and back to some real civilisation. Although Antonio had a feeling that it wouldn’t be that easy to get any kind of help from this Luciano.

The child itself didn’t even respond, but only took a few more steps back as the Brit got closer to him. It was easy to see how thoughts were rushing through his mind, and his eyes kept on moving from England and over at some big trees, which stood a couple of meters left for the Brit. A few moments of silence went by, and Antonio started to consider if he should try to get the child to help them as well – in a more gentle way than England’s however.

He did not get the chance to do this though. Before the Spaniard could as much as open his mouth, Luciano started to run past England – from the opposite side than were Antonio stood – in an attempt to get away from the two adults. His speed was incredible for a child in his age; however England had been prepared for this move ever since they first started talking to the child. He quickly let his sword smack down in the ground in front of the child as to block his way, which was something Luciano obviously had not expected. He stopped so abruptly that he could not keep the balance and ended up falling backwards down in the grass. Antonio, however had, from the corner of his eyes, spotted what England was about to do even before the Brit had brought his sword to the ground. With two quick steps, he moved closer and placed his own sword in front of the Brit’s neck. He did not care if this was not the ‘real’ Italy, that this was a child he had never seen before. Nobody was going to hurt any child as long as he could do something about it. He kept his sword placed against England’s neck even a few seconds after Luciano had fallen down in the grass.
“Don’t ever put that sword so close to him again,” he hissed to the Brit before slowly removing his own sword and taking a step back. His eyes burnt with anger. Of course, they needed the child’s help, but he simply would not tolerate that they used methods like that.

England did not look back at him, just simply putting his sword back into its scabbard in one motion. Antonio wasn’t sure if it was because the Brit regretted what he had done, or if it was just to not started any trouble. The Spaniard couldn’t help but hoping it was the first explanation though.

Antonio’s glance went over to the child, who was slowly getting up from the ground, brushing some loose grass off his dress as he did so. Though still staying on the same spot to not startle the child even more, Antonio kneeled down so he now was in the same eye level as Luciano. The child stayed in the same spot as well, waiting to see what the Spaniard was going to do. It seemed like he didn’t dare to move anymore. For now at least.

“We just really need your help,” Antonio started, talking with the calmest voice he could – not that that was hard for him. His glance quickly went up to the Brit when saying the word ‘we’, but it soon found the child’s light violet eyes again. “I have lost someone who is really dear to me, and I need to find him… before he gets hurt...” Antonio’s voice broke a bit when saying the last part of that sentence and his eyes got a sorrow look in them, however he kept on smiling slightly to show Luciano that the two adults didn’t want to harm him.

The child just looked back at him in silence, his arms were crossed and a frown had formed on his face. It seemed like he was trying to figure out what to do. If he should help or not. The boy looked up at England for a second – or more specific, the sword that hung by his side – before looking down in the ground, thinking. Antonio looked up at England as well when the child did, but he wasn’t looking at either of them. It seemed like he had given up a bit and had now let the responsibility on founding civilisation lie on the Spaniard’s shoulders. However, Antonio himself had nothing against that. He would actually much more prefer to use his own methods instead of the other’s.

Luciano sighed deeply before looking up at Antonio again. The feeling of defeat was so strong in the eyes of the child that even the Spaniard could see it. “Follow me,” he said with a low voice, as he turned around on his heel, and started to walk back the way he had come from.

Antonio got up from the ground, as the child turned around, and sent England a short smile. The Brit looked back at him and nodded a single time, before he started to follow the little Italian boy. Antonio followed as well, happy that they now finally were making some progress. For every step he took, he hoped that they were bringing him closer to finding Romano.