Picking Up the Pieces

Time had passed, but Max couldn’t be certain how much. He would slowly open his eyes, the throbbing pain from his injuries reminding him of what happened and assuring him that he was in fact still alive. It was dark, very dark. He would blink his eyes, wondering what was going on and starting to panic. Was he blind? Did that creature take his sight so that he would live a tormented life without his vision? It would take him a moment to sit up, each shift of his body sending waves of wracking pain through him. His only remaining arm was his puppet arm, and while it was functionally an extension of his own body, it still didn’t have the tactile sensory capability of his real arm. So he would begin to move, only to be blocked by some sort of large, solid, thing. It had some give to it, almost like flesh when he pressed his shoulder against it. He couldn’t for the life of him figure out what was going on, but his movement stirred the creature wrapped gently around its young master. Max couldn’t see anything that was happening, but he would suddenly feel himself being lifted up and pulled.
 
He would close his eyes as sand buffeted his face, scraping it raw in various places. It was painful, but pain was becoming more and more common to the boy. Light would begin to shine against his closed eyelids, the scorched sands and heat reminding him of where he was. This was Wind Country, near Suna. Towering above him was a rather large sand worm, and it seemed to have protected young Max from the elements as he recovered.
Max would speak up, thankful for the aid. “Thank you, mighty worm. It is I that sought you out. I have much to ask of you, but first may I ask your name?”
 
The worm would not say anything back, but Max could almost feel its lack of hostility. Perhaps this was the same worm from before, the one he had fed. Even if it couldn’t talk, it seemed to understand the boy (or at least from Max’s perspective). He was still weak, and he had found what he was looking for in Suna. That creature was still out and about somewhere, and it would seem as though he had some sort of vendetta against Kumo, as he had attacked Rain Country and now he was here. What was he planning? Max couldn’t be sure, but he checked his person. His money was gone, as was his family scroll. He would need to get that back, but until he recovered and got a bit stronger, he likely wouldn’t survive another encounter with that pale creature.
 
Speaking of the monster, how did it not die? Max had made a clean hit through the lungs, and slit its throat. No normal person could have survived that. Nobody… Max would need to find out more regarding this person before he encountered them again.
 
“I’ll call you Sabaku, mighty worm. Would you be so kind as to help me get to Hoshigakure?” The boy would ask, and the worm would simply lift him up and begin its trek through the sands and towards the village he originally set out to reach.

WC: 550

Don't think I can claim wc on travel topics. 

(24 hr travel to Hoshi Borders)