Feathers (Rusger)

Black Eagle

I never liked hurting animals, let alone kill them, despite eating meat almost everyday.

My father on the other hand, he was a natural born hunter. As a kid, I would look up to him and wished I could be like him. It all changed when I was 10, I got my first kill. A single shot and I killed a black eagle, I thought I'd be happy, my father was, but I wasn't. Instead I cried realizing what I've done. I may not have shot a human but I still took a life. I took an animal's life.

My father stopped bringing me and my siblings hunting after a few more of my protests and refusals. I saw the disappointment in his face and it changed our relationship. He started going hunting a lot more often and left me and my siblings home alone. Rarely ever saw him in the day, he left early and came back a bit past our bedtime. My guess was that he stopped hunting way long before he got home and got drunk.

He sent me and my older and eldest brother, Ukraine, out to the city for our college and University. Ever since I finished University I've never really left the city. It's a lot better here despite the dirty air. Actually, anywhere is better than being with my father.

Belarus and Kazakhstan are now currently in University while living in an apartment of their own. I got a job as a vet after a few years in a University for veterinary. Me and Ukraine still live in the same apartment even for that long. Ukraine just chose accounting since he's not very interested in anything else. He was sort of surprised when he found out I was applying for a veterinary University. Was an athletic person so it was difficult to believe I'd choose something so uhhh.... Scientifically? Not sure what to call it.

My father was just even more pissed about it but he paid for it anyways. Not like he can-

"Should we dump it in the lake?"

I stopped jogging and looked to the side. There stood a group of kids gathering in a circle and looking down.

"Hey, it's still alive!" A boy shouted squating and poking something with a stick.

"What really? Should we dump it in the lake alive or just throw a heavy rock at it?" The boy next to him asked.

We're they talking about an animal? A cat or a dog maybe? As a vet I honestly can't let that happen. And why are there kids out in the park so early?

I walked closer to the group and called out to them, "Hey, what are you kids doing over there?" The group stared at me for a while. After they glanced at one another they all ran away leaving a black, bloody mass on the ground.

"What the fuck?" I mumbled and I crouched down to examine it. I widened my eyes as I realize what it was. A black eagle. It was a black eagle, but what on Earth is it doing in a city like this one? It's feathers were scattered around it a bit and it's wings seems to be broken. It had shallow and slow breathing. Those kids really did a number on this one.

I gently picked it up and ran back to my apartment. As the apartment grew closer I slowly put the bird in my hoodie, careful as to not let the blood touch my clothing yet. Thankfully, I managed to get past the guards and got in my apartment. Ukraine was probably still asleep so I had no problem with pulling the bird out. My hoodie was now bloodstained, and probably my shirt as well, but that wasn't my concern now.

I took a first aid kit from the bathroom and went in my room, locking it. I placed the bird on my desk and opened the first aid kit. I didn't have any proper tools to operate on it so I had to make due with the things I had for now.

I managed to clean the wounds and stopped the bleeding. I wasn't sure if human disinfectant would work but it'll have to do. I've placed sticks and wrapped it with the wings since they were broken. It's legs weren't as bad as I thought it'd be though. I closed the first aid kit and looked at the time.

I had to go to work soon so I left and took a shower, not daring to touch clothes for me to use with these hands. After I was done I changed and packed my bag. I took a last glance at the bird, it was still sleeping. I'll be gone for a while so I might as well prepare some water for it, not sure what to feed it though.

I place a cup of water beside it and locked my room. "Hey, you're off to work?" Ukraine said as he leaned on his door frame. "Да, see you later," I said as I left the house and walked to my work.

Today was less busy than I had expected. No new ones came in, all I had to do was take care of the old ones. My shift had ended and it was still around the afternoon. Ukraine would have already went to work by then. Wonder what he left for my lunch this time. But first, the bird.

I walked into my apartment and unlocked my room. As I entered, the bird was gone. I was about to panic when I saw a short, injured man looking out the window. He wasn't looking out the window for long when he noticed me. We both stared at each other for a bit.

"What the fUCK!?" I shouted and almost instantly, the man turned into the black eagle I brought this morning. I was so confused and just watched as the bird backed away to the corner.

"No, wait. I didn't mean to shout like that but, you-" I stopped half way, still processing what just happened and whether or not it was real. I walked closer and the bird just stared at me and shaking a bit. "Can you... Turn human?" I asked, crouching lower.

The bird didn't react for a bit, and I thought I really did go crazy. Just when I was about to stand up, there was the man again. I looked at him in astonishment as he opened his mouth, "Th... Thank y-you..." His voice was hoarse and dry. I still didn't know how to react and stared at him for a while.

"... You're welcome... I guess?" I said as I helped the man stand up with me. The man was maybe a feet or more shorter than me and looks a lot frailer too. When he was a bird I could still see my bandages wrapped around it but all I see now was just scars that hadn't completely healed yet. The man was wearing something formal, you could mistaken him for cosplaying, plus the cape he had. It's just that the places he was injured at, the clothes seems to have gotten ripped and showed only those. His flag was that of a black, red and yellow color.

"What are you?" I asked. "Shouldn't you be asking for my name first?" He asked back snickering a bit. I chuckled as well as I placed him on my bed and sat next to him. "My name's Germany. And I'm a black eagle. Well, not those ordinary ones. I'm a rather... Uhh, well, magical creature as you might call it," the man claimed to be, Germany, introduced hoarsely. He was getting better at speaking though.

"I'm Russia, the person that saved your life. And a human mind you," I introduced back as he giggled a bit, "I would very much like to ask you all about what you said but I'm pretty sure we should eat first." I led Germany out and into the kitchen as I saw a heated up soup on the counter.

I gave Germany the entire soup and took out some bread for me to eat instead. Germany declined at first but realized that reasoning with me was practically no use. We enjoyed lunch together with a few talks and so, nothing to the serious part yet though.