I Am Alone

Chapter 27: Chasm

Our faces are covered with masks as we move through the forest, knock out arrows in our quills, and Fang and Crimson pushing the ballista behind us.

Ronan is home, I would like to be with him, but we have a job to do, a job that requires a lot of patience, and tolerance for limbs smacking you in face because Aphmau won't stop going in front of you.

The higher up the mountain we go the more carnivores we see, but we avoid them,  though a red skinned Carno got a little too close for comfort.

Finally a two shadows fly overhead, two massive birds dance overhead, one a stark black, the other a pure white.

I take aim while Aphmau loads the bola, Crimson and Fang hunker together being as quiet as possible, I pull back the lever and the bola streaks towards the white one, hitting its target perfectly.

The bird falls to the ground, Fang follows it, Crimson waits for the next.

The black bird screeches, pelting down to the white one, barking and growling follow, until a heart-shattering thump and a high pitched whimper hit our ears.

We sprint to Fang , his side bloodied and he's breathing heavily, the bird hovering over its white counterpart that's tangled up in the bola.

Crimson takes a protective stance over Fang, Anger boils in my gut, Aphmau takes aim with her tranq arrows, and we block the sun with our quick barrage.

The black bird takes off, a chasm dips into the rock, Fangs legs teeter on he edge, his bloodied body so close to falling into the deep crack in the earth.

Crimson tries to get him up, but with no avail, Thinking quickly, as the black bird pelts at us, I jump onto its back.

It snaps at me, but I steer it away from Fang, the look in its eyes tell me that I'm going to have to prove myself to it.

It dives into trees, branches slapping me, leaving scratches and whelps all over my body, but I hold on, I'm being tested and I don't want to fail.

The bird streaks upward, the wind stinging my new open wounds, I hold onto its black feathers while I see the tiny figures of Aphmau and the others, She's feeding the white bird, and Fang is starting to get up, Crimson licking his wounds.

The black bird caws and hovers in the air for around three seconds before spinning in the air as it's pelting downward, I start to get dizzy  but I continue to hold on, this would be so cool if I wasn't probably going to die.

"You stupid bird, your going right into that chasm!"

I pilot the crop duster right between the gap, I grin at my work and my pa, pats me on the back.

"All right son, I guess you can take care of yourself, you can go to college with your lass..."

With sudden skill I pull the feathers on the black bird and as we're screeching to the ground at high speeds I'm not sure if I can pull up in time, the bird is starting to panic, it didn't think this through.

"Go up, Go up!" I plant myself stiffly against the birds back as I expect to splat on the ground, instead we are engulfed in complete darkness.

The bird lands at the bottom of the chasm, our way out up above us.

The bird lamplike yellow eyes show that it's staring at me, and I fumble for my torch, before I remember I didn't bring it.

"Shit." I curse my voice echoing throughout the cave, the bird chirps, and I feel it's big head nuzzle against my neck.

"Oh now you like me. Would've helped if you didn't fly down a chasm!" It chirps in an apologetic tone and takes me in its beak.

"Woah, hey, hey. What are you doing!" It spreads its wings and climbs up the chasm, only to slide back down, the entrance is too narrow to get back out of.

"Aaron!" Aphmau shouts from above me, her head peering over the edge, Fangs shaggy head and Crimsons toothy mouth peering over the edge as well.

"We're okay! I could get up myself, but the bird can't get out, I'm going to see if I can find another way out!" I hear a chirp from above and the bird with me suddenly goes mental.

"Hey calm down you. You'll get out eventually." I pat it's grey beak and look back up to the entrance.

You think you can throw down a torch? I forgot mine!" I yell up, and an unlit torch comes bouncing off the rocks and lands at my feet.

"Go back to the house! I'll join you when we get out!" I get a loud 'okay' from the entrance and shuffling, Fang whines to try to get to me.

"I'll be fine boy, Follow Aphmau." He whines for a split second but then reluctantly pulls his head out of the chasm and I can hear his footsteps getting fainter.

"Alright, you birdbrain, let's go." I light the torch and go deeper inside the chasm, the bird following me with the clicking of its talons.

The passageway is narrow, but not so narrow that the bird, that I assume is a boy by the way he reacted to the girl bird going down, couldn't fit though.

I run into a spiderweb, the sticky webbing getting stuck everywhere, but the spiderweb is huge, and covers the entire tunnel.

The bird suddenly presses me into its big feathery chest, I can feel it breathing, I hear the  scuttling of something huge, and with many legs grow ever closer.

                        We are not alone.