Floating

Chapter 11

Schaffel and Willa looked at each other in fear, the cold air of the night blowing in their faces, and rustling their hair.

"Were those Imods?" Willa asked. "How did they find us?!"

Schaffel looked down, and his face suddenly shifted to dark. "They must have it, and tracked us with it."

"What's "it"? How?" Willa asked.

Schaffel's eyes suddenly changed to purple, and his face changed to calm and serene, almost as if he was sleeping with his eyes open. 

Willa waved her hand in front of him to wake him. "Schaffel? Schaffel!"

He couldn't hear her. 

Instead he entered a strange dark room, where he saw the Imods gathered around the table, the map resting in the middle. "The map has become of use to us." The Imod's low voice echoed in Schaffel's head. "The humans will be gone." As the vision faded, so did the voice, as Schaffel began to hear Willa's voice calling his name.

"Schaffel!" She shouted.

Schaffel blinked, and his eyes changed back to normal.

"What happened?" Willa said. "Your eyes went purple. It was weird."

"I don't know. It felt like one big dream..." Schaffel mumbled. "I saw something though..." Schaffel looked down. "It was the Imods—with the map."

"What?" Willa crossed her arms.

Schaffel's face changed to frustration. He knew this would happen. If they wanted the humans gone, this map was the key.

It's my fault they have it.

Schaffel's face fell into his hands, and he began to cry, "the Imods—they're using the map to find the humans—and kill them all!" He heard an irritated sigh come from Willa. 

"What do we do then?" She said sternly.

"I don't know..." Schaffel looked down.

Out of nowhere, he heard an echoey voice. "It connects to the different species on whatever planet it lies on." Schaffel recognized the voice, and turned to face the Emperor, who was already facing him, his eyes flashing purple. "That's how the Imods found you. But it also does something else..." The bird continued. "It makes an extremely strong connection to the Cadmusian who wields it. You can find it, but they can find you too."

The bird's eyes remained still, and focused on Schaffel's not even daring to blink. "The vision you had is your connection to it." Then, the Emperor's eyes shifted back to its normal colour, and his head turned back to the front, gaze focused on the sky ahead.

"What just happened?" Willa said, her eyes wide with confusion. "Why was the bird's eyes purple and weird?" 

"I'm connected to the map, Willa." Schaffel replied ignoring both of her questions. 

Willa's face immediately shifted, and she looked at him in shock. "That explains your vision." she breathed. "But can they still find you?" 

Schaffel nodded. "They'll be back."

When Schaffel and Willa awoke then next morning, they woke up on a patch of grass. 

Willa sat up, confused as to why she was on the grass, but she was even more confused to see the large purple bird taking down trees, and stacking them on each other.

"What is it doing?" Willa asked bluntly.

"I think it's for protection." Schaffel said, running through the grass towards the bird.