357 Messaging

She nodded in reply, they needed to find Vyrena and the others. The more help they had, the better. Time was also not on their side. It had been about ten days since they were attacked by the reptile creature. 

That meant that in another 18 days, the horns will ring throughout and creatures will roam the area. There was no mistake, the creatures would hunt and kill all of them. However, what Queen Willow feared was not the creatures. 

What she feared were the 'rabbits'.

"How would we be able to find Vyrena and the other survivors?" Red Silk asked. 

She had a rough idea on one of the places they might end up going to, but if she were to successfully find them, she would need more help. To get what she needed, she would first need her abilities to be uninhibited. 

"We would first need to get to Marble Hall. If it still stands," 

While Vyrena and her fellow survivors were on their way to the second destination, they were greeted by the Origami Dolls. They led them straight to their destination using a hidden shortcut that shortened their journey. 

They arrived in front of a dimly lit cave. With a sphere of flame in her hand, Vyrena led them in with the Origami Dolls leading the way. Droplets of water dripped from the ceiling of the cave, causing the sound to reverberate through the cave. 

Everyone remained as quiet as they could, uncertain of what could be lurking around them. Soon, they came upon what looked like a makeshift house, built out of wooden planks. As they got nearer, Vyrena could hear the clicking and clacking of a machine. 

The nearer they got, the louder the sound. 

When they got to the entrance of the house, the Origami Dolls guided them in. They pushed open the door and pulled Vy to the back of it. When she noticed that there were lamps on the walls of the house, Vy sent her spheres of flame to each of them. 

This gave them greater visibility as the entire place was lit in an instant. Now, they could see everything clearly. Looking down at their feet, they realised there were papers everywhere. Vyrena was surprised to find a typewriter before her eyes. 

It was loaded with paper with a message written on it. 

The Origami Dolls tugged at her sleeves, bringing her to the keyboard of the typewriter. Something about the machine felt familiar to her. Had she used one before? Vy looked all around the room. Apart from her, the children, Ronni, El and Sorren; there was not anyone else that she could see. 

Looking down at the piece of paper that was loaded into the typewriter, Vyrena was surprised.

[Greetings, Vyrena. I have been waiting for you.]

[Please type your reply]

[Do not be afraid. I am not the enemy]

"What's going on? Tizzie asked out of curiosity. 

The rest of them were standing just a few metres behind Vyrena who was observing the typewriter. None of them understood what was going on. Sorren looked down at the ground and noticed that the papers all had words typed on them. 

He bent down and picked one up at random and began to read it. 

Boss, who leaned towards the side and gave Tizzie an explanation based on what he could see, "There seems to be some sort of device that Vyrena is looking at. Not sure what it is though."

After much thought, Vyrena typed on the typewriter. 

She did not have to wait long for a response. 

[I no longer remember my real name, but everyone calls me Pigeon.]

[Thank you, Vyrena. But enough of pleasantries. There is a reason why I have brought you here.]

[I need to confirm your situation.]

-My situation?- Vyrena wondered to herself. 

[Based on the fact that you're here, speaking to me, it is safe to assume you are alive and well. However, I will need to confirm your identity.]

[What are you able to shapeshift into?]

Vyrena bit her lip, before replying. 

The typewriter went silent for a while before it continued typing again. 

[When you woke up here the first time, what was the one thing you had that no one else did? Describe how it looks to me.]

Seeing that message made Vy subconsciously touch the pendant that hung around her neck. It was not until recently that she had taken a good look at it. It was difficult to find a mirror or a mirror-like surface in the Jungle. 

[Thank you for the confirmation, Vyrena. We are glad to have you back. It has been quite some time.]

Vy creased her eyebrows, wondering what Pigeon meant by 'we' and 'some time'. From what she can remember, she had never seen this typewriter. She had so many questions on her mind. 

[I am sure you have a lot on your mind. But for now, just know that we are happy to know you're alright and well.]

[Now, you must understand, you have a mission to accomplish.]

[Indeed]

Vy wondered where the paper was coming from and how it got loaded into the typewriter. Was someone controlling it from a distance away? Or was the typewriter sentient?

[To those whom you work for.]

The message was cryptic, to say the least. Vy wondered who it could be. 

[They can but they have chosen not to.]

[While I would very much like to tell you everything, know that there are ears and eyes all around us. You don't have to trust me. But you already do, right?]

Pigeon was not wrong. If Vy had not trusted it, she would not have brought them all the way here. From what she had observed, it did not mean them any harm. But the question still remained, why was she here?

Just then, the piece of paper ejected from the typewriter and instantly lit up. It turned into nothing more than a pile of ashes before Vy's eyes. Everyone gasped in shock.