Older Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic Manga series about a cursed boy trying to rescue his friend: spoilers ahead

[Wolf]

Hi! I'm trying to find a manga I read almost twenty years ago. It's an older one and the volumes were smaller like the Sailor Moon volumes are. I only vaguely remember some details; it's kind of sci-fi post apocalyptic different world setting about this boy who looks eight and is on a journey across the desert to find his friend who I think was kidnapped by a bad guy and put in stasis.

SPOILERS:





I think the kid was cursed to look 10 years old forever (it happened 8-10 years prior in the storyline and that's when he got cursed) but he's really 18? I think he had a red sort of turban headpiece thing that he would wrap around his lower face to protect against the wind and sand. He had a eagle/hawk type bird with him that would hunt with him. I vaguely remember something about him having a dagger on a cable and somehow he'd throw it to hunt with and his bird would help him? I remember one scene where someone sharpens it as a thank you but he doesn't like how sharp it is because it killed things he didn't mean to kill so he had the person make it a bit more dull edged again.

I remember one scene where he's traveling and comes across an oasis but it turns out to be a trap and sort of a Venus flytrap thing and the ridge of the "oasis" are actually the hump/middle of the petals and it starts to close on the kid and his friend. I think under the water it had a sort of kraken type mouth.

I've literally been searching for this for YEARS, I've read through lists and pictures and haven't been able to find it and it's been driving my hyperfocusing batshit.

I read it in the early 2000s (maybe 2002-2005) and it was already at least five years old then, but probably a bit more than that. The volumes were smaller like the size of the older Sailor Moon volumes. It was in English and in the US where I read it.

Anyone have any ideas? Thank you for your time!

[Wolf]

Holy shit. I think someone just found it in another group!

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Is this solved then?