I Am A Flyer

Only Two Choices Left

Jett stumbled, and collapsed to his knees. Leaning forward, he placed his hands on the dusty ground, and rested. Above him, the sun shone, hot and bright and so very merciless. He could almost feel the last bit of moisture evaporate from within him.

Although he had left the canyon behind long ago, he felt like he hadn't gotten very far. The land seemed to be all the same - hot, dusty, utterly dry, rocky dirt. If it wasn't for his determination to get home, he would've given up long, long ago.

As it was, Ravia was nowhere in sight. She probably was dozing in the shade of the canyon. He envied her.

Right now, he felt like he was going to die. His throat was so dry, his tongue was sore and swollen, and he had a pounding headache that made him see double. Not to mention the fact that he was so hungry and thirsty.

But there was no water to be seen, or any source of food. There was nothing but dirt, sky, and heat.

Jett blinked, and stared down at his wrists. The pain had left long ago, but the angry red scabs didn't look so good. He wondered, idly, if they were infected. If they were, did that mean he would have to get them amputated? That would be sad, 'cause that black bracelet thing did look kinda cool on his arm...

"Oh, poor thing," a soft, feminine voice drifted towards him. Lifting his head, Jett saw a blurry, hazy woman standing before him. Slowly, she approached, and knelt in front of him. "My darling Jett, you poor, poor thing."

Jett stared at her. "M-mother?" he whispered.

The woman smiled, and reached out with a delicate hand to touch his cheek. Tears shimmered in the corner of her eyes, and her gentle smile suddenly became so sad. "My boy," she softly murmured. "My boy's - "

She started to fade away, her form blurring and distorting into nothingness. Jett frantically reached out to touch her. "Mother!" He weakly called. "Please, don't leave me!" But his hand touched nothing but air, and she was gone.

Feeling miserable, Jett gripped a pile of dirt in his hand, and angrily threw it. Why did she leave him? She had all ready left him once, but now. . .

A raven croaked loudly above him. "Ravia!" He settled back onto his knees, and looked up at the sky. A big black form circled in for a landing. His heart soared with relief. He wasn't alone after all! Even if his mother left him, his beautiful raven would never leave him alone!

But before his eyes, the raven morphed into a armored man with huge, freakish wings that disappeared into nothing when he landed. Jett stared, not comprehending what his eyes told him.

The heavily armored man seemed to tower over him, casting a shadow over Jett's kneeling form. Jett looked up, wondering if this man was his father, coming to save him, since his mother couldn't help him at all.

But the man stared down at him, a strange black helmet covering his head. Jett gazed up at the man, feeling a strange sense of hope intermingled with despair.

"Are - are you going to take me home?" he whispered.

The man didn't say anything.

Jett's vision swirled, and the man once more became a huge black bird with glaring red eyes and sharp talons. The evil bird rushed at him, his beak opening wide to swallow him whole into its black, empty maw.

xxx

Gray stepped into the room. It was a large, cold room that had white-painted concrete walls, with assorted medical equipment and machines lining them. Several men and women in crisp, clean clothing moved about, checking beds that held patients - these beds were separated from each other by loose curtains that hung around them in a rough square.