Chosen - Retreat and regroup
Retreat - req 20 (Sal roll - 38(-10) = 28/Pass)
Gained - 2 tp (from reaching the inner nest)
Sal grunted as he pulled himself through the sand, every movement slow and deliberate. His breathing was controlled but heavy, his body still shaking off the venom's lingering grip.
"Your wounds aren't severe. The poison is the real problem," you remarked, watching him tunnel forward. "The paralysis makes bending a chore… but then again, that's good training."
Sal let out a short, strained exhale but kept moving, pushing through the compacted grains with steady, precise motions.
"The ring increases your learning speed by dozens of times, as you've probably noticed. But life-or-death battles?" You paused. "They speed it up even further."
Sal nodded slightly, jaw clenched. His face was darkening, a mix of effort and the breath he was holding as he worked through the sand. Even so, his steps remained measured, the tunnel forming seamlessly before him.
"There has to be real danger, though. That's why entering the nest and giving up your range advantage was important."
Sal grunted again, barely listening now. Instead, he shifted his stance, angling his path upward. With a final push, the sand propelled him out, spitting him onto the surface.
He emerged crouched, his body wrapped in shifting grains like a living cloak. His breath came out slow and steady as he took in the sight before him.
Through his eyes, you saw them—buzzard wasps.
More than a hundred.
They filled the sky above the nest, a living storm of wings and stingers, circling in every direction. The air was thick with their droning hum, vibrating against the desert silence. Sunlight caught on their chitinous bodies, reflecting in flickers of dull gold and oily black.
They were angry.
Sal exhaled through his nose, his gaze tracking the swarm.
"Yeah…" He started sliding backwards, sand carrying him away from the nest . "I think I'm all right for now."
Ten minutes minutes later, he reached the spot where he had buried his last stash of food and water. Even with Solar Furnace sustaining him, his needs hadn't disappeared entirely.
Settling onto the sand, he dug out the supplies and ate in silence. The simple act of chewing seemed to ground him, his body still recovering from the fight.
As he ate, his gaze drifted down to the places where the wasp stingers had pierced his skin. He turned his arm, inspecting the wounds—circular marks, swollen, tinged with a sickly purple hue beneath his tan. He clenched his fist experimentally, then unclenched it. His movements were sluggish, his fingers a fair bit slower than they should have been.
"Tch." He rolled his shoulder, flexing his arm again. "It should be gone by tomorrow. None of them managed to pump enough poison into me—kept moving too much for that—but still. Annoying."
He finished eating, then exhaled, glancing toward the nest in the distance.
"You think it's worth going back in?" His tone was casual, but there was hesitation beneath it. He ran a hand over his forearm before adding, more carefully, "I mean… maybe after I'm healed. And after I get more supplies from an Oasis."
You hummed, noncommittal. "I'll think about it."
Sal nodded, rolling his shoulder again. He clenched and unclenched his fingers, still testing the sluggishness in them.
"How'd it feel?" you asked. "Fighting them."
He let out a slow breath, staring up at the sky for a moment before answering. "I underestimated them." A wry chuckle escaped him. "Thought I could take my time, control the fight like before." He shook his head. "Didn't expect them to swarm that fast. Or hit that hard."
You tilted your head. "Not angry about what happened?"
Sal snorted. "At the wasps?" He shook his head. "They did what they were supposed to. Being mad at them is like being mad at the clouds or the sand itself"
A small, almost amused smirk crossed his face. He lifted his one hand, flexing it again. "Besides… I couldn't have done what I did back there even when I had two hands."
His gaze lowered slightly—to the ring on his finger.
For a moment, he was silent, watching how the faint sunlight gleamed off its surface. Then, he exhaled.
"Thanks... for everything" he said, voice quieter now, more sincere than before.
You could feel it. His confusion, his wariness—still there, still lingering. But it was receding. Slowly, inevitably.
+10 trust / Host bond = 30(trust 20/control 10)-> +1tp
New traits available at bond = 40
As it should be.
You turned your thoughts toward your next move.
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(Propose action plan, or leave it to Sal to decide)
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Days till Aang gets out of the iceberg - 21
Host location - somewhere in the Si Wong dessert
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Total Available trait points - 5
Available traits for purchase:
Shifting Sands
Effect: Grants the ability to sense sand within a limited range, detecting vibrations to "see" through it without using sight. This effect also works with earth, though at half efficiency.(Cost: 4 Trait Points)
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I Am. A. Sandbender
(Effect: +1 to earthbending skill when bending sand. Cost: 2 Trait Points)
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Fratricide
(Effect: +5 to all rolls against those who share a close blood relation with the Host. Cost: 1 Trait Point)
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Proposals from previous chapters :
Proposal 1- upgrade
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Proposal 2 - spend 2 trait points into