"Scott, bring Mariel, Lauren, and Will. It's time she knew," I spoke as Scott ran off. I noticed Shelby was panicking a little, and by a little I mean a lot so I gave her a quick peck to hopefully calm her down a little. It worked a little, but that's all it needed to.
Scott ran back in with Mariel, Lauren and Will. He was a little out of breath. In hindsight maybe I shouldn't have made him run.
"So I called you all here because it's finally time to tell Shelby about her past before the camp," they were shocked that I brought it up. Maybe I should've done this in private. Too late though.
Shelby was confused. I would also be confused if everyone knew something about me that I didn't know. I pulled her close to me as I started telling her the story my father told me before he passed on and left to the next realm.
FLASHBACK TO 20 YEARS AGO
It was a normal day for the camp. Or as normal as a camp being invaded by Herobriane was. He wasn't attacking but it seemed like he was protecting something. The people were throwing everything they could at him.
"THATS ENOUGH!" a voice boomed out over the mass of screaming. Everything went still. It wasn't Herobriane who yelled that but the chief of the camp. "I want to hear what he has to say."
"I want you to take this child and help her in any way you can," Herobriane said as he pulled a small child, no older than 3, out of his clock. "She's her mothers daughter and oh how I loved her mother. She isn't mine to keep safe but her father isn't good either. He killed her mother in a drunken rage. I want you to keep her safe."
"What do you get out of this? And why would you choose our camp? There are cities safer than this and have more stable families. It doesn't make any sense," The chief replied, doubtful of Herobriane's intentions. It's not everyday a glitch tells you to take care of a child. Because that's all Herobriane was, a glitch that had his own concenese.
"I want her back when it's safe. I don't know how long that will be. I may never see her again. And why I chose you is because you move enough and I've been watching you for a while. Your son, at least I think he's your son, is about her same age and I want her to be close to her comrades and I want someone to protect her at all costs," Herobriane spoke calmly as he handed the child to the chief. "And if you don't I'll simply blow this camp off the face of the earth and take your child."
"I'm all for taking care of the child. You didn't have to threaten me or my son. I've always wanted a daughter but my wife passed away a little over a year ago due to the sickness that plagues our people," the chief said, taking the child from the glitch. The child was sound asleep.
"Her name is Shelby. Please take care of her. One last thing I'm going to insert fake memories so she doesn't remember this. I don't want her to think she was abandoned. It won't be the best but it will be better then remembering her mothers murder. Please take care of her," the glitch said as he started to float away. No one saw but he shed a few tears as he left.
"Well little Shelby looks like you're stuck with us now. I will do everything I can to take care of you. Maybe one day you'll care enough to do this for someone else," The chief cooed at the little child in his arms.
END OF FLASHBACK
"That wasn't Scott you told it was your birth dad," I said, pulling Shelby impossibly closer. "He's a shapeshifter, that's how he was able to deceive you."
"Why wouldn't you tell me this? I get that Herobriane isn't the best but wouldn't it be better if I knew so I could learn to defend myself from my so-called dad?" Shelby was in shambles. She didn't know what to think.
"Herobriane asked we not tell you and what are we supposed to do if he requests that you don't know? He's basically a god that can't be killed. If your birth dad found you then that means that Herobriane isn't far away, I love you Shelbs but you aren't safe here. I'm going to saddle up your's and Will's horses and I'm going to send you to the city. That's the only place I know you'll be safe," I said as I started to stand up to go start saddling up the horses.
"No!" Shelby yelled, "I won't spend the rest of my life running and hiding. I want to fight with you like I've always done."
"I just want you safe," I almost whispered but spoke loud enough for her to hear me.
"And what makes you think I'll be safe in a town? You said it yourself my birth dad is a shapeshifter he could easily get to me. I think it's the safest for me with people who know me and know of the danger. Why would you want to send me away?" Shelby was in tears. Not knowing what to do she just cried into her hands.
"Shelbs, it's not like that. I just want you to be safe. I don't want anything to happen to you,"I said, rubbing her back to attempt to calm her down.
I don't know what to do anymore.I want her safe , but at the same time if she's here she's in more danger and I don't know if i can protect her. I just want to do my best to protect her. If I send her away there is no guarantee that she will be safe, but on the other hand if she stays she could get hurt as well. Honestly it's a lose lose situation.
Maybe we could make an underground area, say it's for training and keep her there but make everyone think that she was sent away to buy us some time. Yeah I think that would work great. Now how to tell her and Scott without saying it out loud? Paper is out of the question, would cause unnecessary problems to arise. Sign language? No that would also raise questions as to why we were quiet. Maybe use the made up language that Shelby, Scott, and I made when we were kids. Yeah that could work.
"Ok habeo consilium. Parvam commeatum ad pagum mittimus cum Shelby simulans in eo esse cum revera hic manebit. Sic illam singultire patris ut eam relinquat et sequatur, dum munimentum typicus hic in occulto abdere ac pugnare docemus. Deinde cum tempus venerit et se delusum esse Shelby intellexerit satis tempus erit instituendi et se defendere posse(1)," I said satring at Shelby hoping she would catch on.
"Quod operari possemus sed nos nullo modo scire possumus si industriam illam sentimus. Nihil de eo scimus. Periculosum est ipsum, et ut ipsum insanum faceret. Quid si potius eos ad vicum non mittimus et potius in silvam lignandi et alia quae huc accessum non habemus. Ista via procul est a nobis, nec illam urbem exitio perimus. Et sensus efficeret ut Shelby ire sicut ipsa est aedificator et bonum oculum habet ad ea quae adiuvaret nostra aedificia facere et interiora magis singularia(2)," Scott replied. I was expecting Shelby to catch on first, but this works too.
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1(Ok I have a plan. We send a small convoy to the village with Shelby pretending to be on it when in reality she will stay here. That way we get her SOB of a father to leave and follow her all the while we make a bunker of type here in secret to hide her in and teach her to fight. Then when the time comes and he realizes he's been tricked Shelby will have had enough time to train and be able to defend herself.)
2 (That could work but we have no way to know if he can sense her energy. We know nothing about him. It's extremely risky, and it might make him extremely mad. What if instead we don't send them to a village and instead we send them to a forest getting wood and other things we don't have access to here. That way it's far away from us and we don't doom that city to destruction. And it would make sense for Shelby to go as she is the builder and has a good eye for things that would help make our buildings and interior more unique.)
I used google translate so it's probably not grammatically correct. It's latin so sorry if you speak it.
Also yes I'm still alive. I've just had no motivation to write anything. I've also been extremely busy with work and personal mental health. If you've stuck with me this long thank you, and to anyone who is new welcome. I plan to start writing again. I have a lot of ideas that I'm trying to put onto paper.
Love MoMo mother of all mythical shit.
