It is a dark, still night across the flat desert wasteland. The air is still but has a harsh cold that chills to the bone. The one bit of life that can be seen for miles is a tiny, isolated hut with a sparkling warm glow coming from the inside. If one were to look into this hut, they would see an elderly lady, swaying back and fourth on an old rocking chair, gazing into the fire and humming to herself. Humming a melody that is not recognisable, simply one that someone may sing to calm certain anxiety. If you were to stay longer, then you would soon find out the reason why.
In fact, five minutes later, a faint groan of engines can be heard in the distance. This stops the humming woman as she slowly begins to get up and walk towards the entrance of her hut. The engines get louder, suddenly a small air machine appears in the horizon, it gets closer at a deadening speed and finally lands a few yards away from where the old woman is standing.
A tall man of lean stature with short brown hair jumps out of the aircraft and quickly turns to help a woman, with long striking red hair, holding a bundle of rags, making sure she does not drop them. Then they hastily make their way to the hut towards old lady. There are quick, brief hugs and words exchanged, the young woman gives the rags over to the elderly woman, who does not seem at all phased by the sudden events that are taking place.
Then.
Two other aircraft can be seen in the distance, much larger than the tiny one that the young couple arrived in. The young woman lets out a sob, kisses the old lady and the rags, and runs to her transport with her partner. As the small carrier begins to fly away into the distance both of the larger aircraft have already caught up and it is not long before rockets can be seen flying through the air, and the small carrier with the young man and woman goes down and crashes in a blazing ball of fire.
YOU ARE READING
Land
Science FictionMetal, machine and oil. These three words spell out the way of life for the citizens of Mort. Lyra is 18 years old. She knows nothing more of the outside world except that it is ruled by the Three Factions of Land, Sea and Air. Land being the Factio...