Chapter 185: Book 3: Rolls
I watch as Ahkelios paces back and forth, trying to decide what to roll first. Despite all his excitement, actually taking the first step and banking his credits is apparently something of a struggle for him.
For the fourth time in a row, he reaches out as if to select something, hesitates, then pulls his hand back again.
Can't blame him, I suppose. It's been a long time since he's had his connection to the Interface, and although he hasn't said it out loud, I can feel through our bond that he's worried. Worried that the Interface will reject him when he tries to roll for a skill. Worried it'll throw him some kind of curveball or twist. He's pretending it's just indecision, but there's a lot more to his hesitation than just that.
"How about Firmament to start?" I ask. It's more a gentle prod than anything else, meant to help nudge him into making a decision. Ahkelios folds his arms across his chest and frowns at the Interface screen like it might bite him.
"I don't know," he says. "I have almost enough Firmament credits to get an Inspiration if I wait a little more with just a few more credits."
"You'll need more than one Firmament skill anyway, and it won't take us that long to get you that 100 credits," I point out. "We'll need to fight a few more of those Remnants soon, and if we deal with the infestation of chimeras around the village you should have more than enough credits to get a good skill."
"That's a good point." Ahkelios continues to hesitate, though. "I just... what if..."
"Ahkelios," I say, and I make my voice a little gentler. "We aren't going to find out until you go for it. But we'll deal with whatever happens together, alright? No matter what the Interface tries."
Some invisible tension seems to bleed out of Ahkelios, then. He gives me a grateful, tentative smile. "There are still a lot of monsters we have to deal with," he says. "We're going to need everything we can get."