Shifters of the Futile

Chapter 6

I watched the canyon pass below, my wings making a shadow on the ground, Zatreash gliding ahead of me. Under the canyon sun, my dark feathers were not likable, I was beginning to regret my choice of habitat. But I wasn't going to make Zatreash fly another couple thousand miles. Being with him for so many months, I'd practically perfected my flying, learned a bit on hunting, and practiced my shifitng.

The canyon progressed, and I saw many distorted rock forms and tunnels between the canyon walls. This place was cool.

"What's this place called?"

"The Palomino Canyon."

"Why is it named after horses if it's inhabited by Accipitrids?"

"Well, this wasn't originally our canyon. At first, it was the canyon for herds of horses, most being paints or palomino's. But one year, we had a lot of rain, and the canyon flooded. Bits of rock and debris washed away some of the herd, some of whom were shifters, and with that the herd left in despair over the lost members and fear of the canyons torrents. They roam the rockier parts of the canyon, up north, but us Accipitrids are now in control of the main canyon.

"The palomino's are still here, but it's not technically theirs anymore."

"Mmm,"

Why would shifters hang out with their wild genus's? I mean, unless they could understand what they were saying in human, and unless they...oh, never mind.

I heard a screech up ahead from a bird on the canyon rock up ahead. "Zatreash, have you brought a shifter?"

"Yes!" he squawked back.

One of the birds nodded towards us and flew ahead. I watched their feathery shapes disappear in between the crevasses between the rocks. I could see the wavy curves indicating rock erosion. I wondered what it looked like on the inside.

Flying past Zatreash and towards the rock formations, he stopped me from flying ahead with a threatening screech. "I'll show you around, just be patient, it's a little confusing in there, you'll see,"

I let out a raspy sigh as I tipped my wings to hold back. This was cool, I could already see. The tall rocks were shades of red, brown, tan, and tawny on the inside, with a slight pink glow from the sun shining through red dust. Inside, I could see people and raptors walking and flying around. There was even a scream as a child ran past chasing a rock ball.

"Wow, this is pretty cool."

"See?" he said with a smile. He had actually smiled in his raptor form.

I was learning new things already.

"I didn't mention, but we are trying to learn English, it is much easier and more flexible than our own. You may end up going to a few classes to help. Also, you will have a couple mentors so that you can learn everything you need to learn for survival."

Great, school all over again, and this time I would be a teacher. But these weren't unruly 7th graders, these were wild, literally wild children, whom didn't mind running barefoot through desert sand and eating probably some raw meat here and there.

Zatreash took a landing in between two of the rocks formations. Settling next to him, I saw their wavy or jagged sides from water erosion, and the red rock from the canyon jutting out in replacement of the water once here.

"Where do I stay?"

"You'll be staying in a make-shift nest. We have some raptors now starting on it."

A make-shift nest? What could that be made of? Rocks and dead plants? I mean, we're in the desert.

Zatreash gave a screech to everyone that I was here. People turned their heads with stone-like gazes. In all of my excitement and nervousness, this was a little weird and embarrassing. Well, not until they started approaching me did it get really scary.