Ashgate #2 - Unknown Awakening.

I attempt to collect the egg, before checking back at Umbra's state.

 

I hand the egg to Umbra hoping it'll give her comfort

 

You attempt to pick up the egg, but your fingers feel the aura of heat emanating from it's thick and golden shell. You hesitate to pick it up for a while, allowing it to cool. You instead turn back to Umbra and beckon her over. She limps over towards you, and you take your time giving her a look over her wounds. Her ankle seems to be sprained.

What will you do now?
___________________________________________________
Inventory: Personal Medkit, PD.
Magic: Feather Fall, Camouflage, Suggestion, Blink (Limited).
Companions: None

Umbra is safe for now.

 

I look through the medkit looking for any supplies to help

 

You open up the medkit and sort through the various items inside. You pull out a cotton swab and the antiseptic liquid and clean the general area before putting a bandage on. She smiles weakly as you finish. You reach behind you and hand her the egg.

What will you do now?
___________________________________________________
Inventory: Personal Medkit, PD.
Magic: Feather Fall, Camouflage, Suggestion, Blink (Limited).
Companions: None

Umbra is safe for now.

 

I look around the area

 

You take a look around and the general area has seen better days. The grass is overgrown, with patches of it burnt - and still smoldering. You look to the sky. It must have been a couple of hours since since Tyria originally took Umbra. Your PD beeps in your pocket.

What will you do now?
___________________________________________________
Inventory: Personal Medkit, PD.
Magic: Feather Fall, Camouflage, Suggestion, Blink (Limited).
Companions: None

Umbra is safe for now.

 

I check out my pd wanting to stop that horrid beeping

 

You reach into you pocket and take your your Personal Device. It's Ashgate. You dismissed the alert - to stop the beeping - and then looked over the last few messages that had been sent. You sigh. Tyria must have dismissed the alerts as they came up, not wanting them to wake you. It looked like she had arranged a meeting point, and the helicopter was going to arrive at the extraction point shortly. It was a short walk from here, but you were sure that you could get there in time if you took Umbra on your back.

What will you do now?

___________________________________________________
Inventory: Personal Medkit, PD, Unknown Phoenix-Type Egg.
Magic: Feather Fall, Camouflage, Suggestion, Blink (Limited).
Companions: None

Umbra is safe for now.

 

I ask Umbra if she is ready to move on and offer my back to her

 

With the egg in one hand, she nods and gently clambers onto your back. She shivers against your back.

You look over the clearing towards the direction of the extraction point. For a moment, you consider letting Umbra go. A myriad of conflicting thoughts run through your head.

She deserves better. She doesn't deserve better.
She's a monster. She's a child.
It's not her fault.
She's a threat.
She has to go to Ashgate.

On your back, Umbra was silent. As each new thought pushed it's way to the center of your mind, you advanced further and further down the clearing. Only when the approaching sound of a helicopter gradually approaching came to your sense, did you seem to shake off the hate and doubt over the current situation. You kneel down and Umbra slides off your back. What would your family think of you right now? What would the world think? To let such a little terror run loose in the world, killing and maiming everything in her sight?

You can't let that happen. For the sake of all who are human.
For humanity. For humanity. For humanity.

For humanity, or for Umbra?
___________________________________________________
Inventory: Personal Medkit, PD, Unknown Phoenix-Type Egg.
Magic: Feather Fall, Camouflage, Suggestion, Blink (Limited).
Companions: P̧ ̶E ͟N ̷D I̴ N̵ G͜ ̸

Ǘ̻͔̥̥̝̗ͬ̍͆ͪ̀̔͞m̴̳̂̋͌ͣb̧̲͕͓̦̹̮̱̐̊̌͑r̺͓̖̓ͫ̀͆ã͚̃̑͑̒̎̔ ̻̩̪̜͋̈́̏́i̹̭̘̫̻̝̊ͧ̑ͤ͒̔̄͞s͔̟̥̑ͯ͐̆̽̉ ̸̯͇͒ͬͣ́s͚̖̥͇̈̾͝a̜̰̟̻̺ͮͫf̗̯͔̊ͨ̾ͧ̿̃̃e̦̝̪̮͎̊̓ͬ̈́̎̉ ̨̼͖ͬ̓ͯͧ͑͐f̪̪͇̮ͨ̑̒ͩǒ̴̏̀ͯͪͣ͒rͦ̉ ̠͈̗̳͔̋ͯ̀ͅn̝̼̕o͎̱̊ͭͭ́w̖̱͓͕̣ͥ̒͆͘?̄̔͗ͭͫ̚

 

Glancing at Umbra my inner battles continue to wage but I need to for the sake of humanity my stomach tightening

 

Your fingers twitch, and you find yourself wrestling with a near uncontrollable urge to strange the life out of this c̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̲̩̙̘̗̮ͥ͆̈͋͗ͧͬh̶̶̶̶̀͂ͧi̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̙̳̤ͯ̆l̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̗̯̀̃ͫ͟d̶̶̶̶̶̶̶͚̼̣̖̞͍ Unknown. You turn toward Umbra and stare down at her. She looks up at your with an inquisitive look. Before you can stop yourself, you grab her by the collar. She squeaks, but doesn't struggle.

"C-caretaker?"
___________________________________________________
Inventory: Personal Medkit, PD, Unknown Phoenix-Type Egg.
Magic: Feather Fall, Camouflage, Suggestion, Blink (Limited).
Companions: P̧ ̶E ͟N ̷D I̴ N̵ G͜ ̸

Ǘ̻͔̥̥̝̗ͬ̍͆ͪ̀̔͞m̴̳̂̋͌ͣb̧̲͕͓̦̹̮̱̐̊̌͑r̺͓̖̓ͫ̀͆ã͚̃̑͑̒̎̔ ̻̩̪̜͋̈́̏́i̹̭̘̫̻̝̊ͧ̑ͤ͒̔̄͞s͔̟̥̑ͯ͐̆̽̉ ̸̯͇͒ͬͣ́s͚̖̥͇̈̾͝a̜̰̟̻̺ͮͫf̗̯͔̊ͨ̾ͧ̿̃̃e̦̝̪̮͎̊̓ͬ̈́̎̉ ̨̼͖ͬ̓ͯͧ͑͐f̪̪͇̮ͨ̑̒ͩǒ̴̏̀ͯͪͣ͒rͦ̉ ̠͈̗̳͔̋ͯ̀ͅn̝̼̕o͎̱̊ͭͭ́w̖̱͓͕̣ͥ̒͆͘?̄̔͗ͭͫ̚

 

I hold her by the collar my mind a fazy mess not knowing what I want shaking her a little bit but at the same time wanting to let go

 

This is fine.

She should just stay like this forever.

Right in my grasp.

You raise Umbra up off the floor and bring her towards your face. She looks scared, but at the same time there is a measure of trust in her eyes. Trust in you. You release her and she drops to the floor.

For humanity? For Umbra? Psshhhhht.

For yourself.

"Rydia, do you remember our promise from yesterday?" he asked the girl. She nodded.

"Never tell anyone that name." she replied meekly. You ruffled her hair affectionately.

"Good girl. Listen to me. When this helicopter lands, do not attack any one until I give you the signal. Sit with me, be still and watch everything." You pause for a moment before continuing. "When I give you this signal, I want you to forget these orders." You wink at the girl, and she nods. "Do you understand?" Umbra nodded again.

Behind you, the helicopter was slowly descending.

___________________________________________________
Inventory: Personal Medkit, PD, Unknown Phoenix-Type Egg.
Magic: Feather Fall, Camouflage, Suggestion, Blink (Limited).
Companions: P̧ ̶E ͟N ̷D I̴ N̵ G͜ ̸

Ǘ̻͔̥̥̝̗ͬ̍͆ͪ̀̔͞m̴̳̂̋͌ͣb̧̲͕͓̦̹̮̱̐̊̌͑r̺͓̖̓ͫ̀͆ã͚̃̑͑̒̎̔ ̻̩̪̜͋̈́̏́i̹̭̘̫̻̝̊ͧ̑ͤ͒̔̄͞s͔̟̥̑ͯ͐̆̽̉ ̸̯͇͒ͬͣ́s͚̖̥͇̈̾͝a̜̰̟̻̺ͮͫf̗̯͔̊ͨ̾ͧ̿̃̃e̦̝̪̮͎̊̓ͬ̈́̎̉ ̨̼͖ͬ̓ͯͧ͑͐f̪̪͇̮ͨ̑̒ͩǒ̴̏̀ͯͪͣ͒rͦ̉ ̠͈̗̳͔̋ͯ̀ͅn̝̼̕o͎̱̊ͭͭ́w̖̱͓͕̣ͥ̒͆͘?̄̔͗ͭͫ̚