Page 102 of Emerald

Kroaicho speaks louder. “Rannek is the treasure of thoughtfulness,” zha announces.

The soft-spoken purple male’s fur puffs up so much he looks nearly double his already formidable size.

“Th-thank you,” Rannek stutters, then hastily walks off into the woods.

“Aww,” Eli says. “He is so adorable.”

“Tell that to Wroahk already,” Kira grumbles.

Eli snorts. “Wroahk stopped insulting him, Kira. I don’t know what happened since they’ve been working on the Many Teeth protections, but they must basically be best buddies now if Wroahk isn’t complaining about Rannek being a pacifist.”

“I see your point,” Kira says with a laugh. “Tell us what kind of treasure Wroahk is, Kroaicho.”

“I don’t know yet,” Kroaicho says in a serious tone. “I must spend more time assessing before I can tell how zha fits in the hoard.”

Ree snickers. “Don’t we all…”

“What about the argila?” Rin asks, pointing to where the three beasts are sprawled out behind her and Kuret.

And so the rounds of treasure identification continue. Then more jokes. So many of them after that are at Drasuk’s expense that soon the tears in my eyes are from laughing, not just from the wonder of feeling a part of something special.

All the while, Kroaicho and I provide plenty of beautiful muted orange glow to make up for the lack of campfire.

35

Olivia

Iopenmymouthso wide to yawn that it pops and there is an answering pain that shoots through my sinuses, making Kroaicho startle next to me as we make our way back to the cave. Zha has the small carving held gently in zha’s claws, treating it with the utmost care.

Rannek seems even more shy and unsure of how to interact than Kroaicho and I are and it makes me smile to think of just how far we have come. We are almost… sociable at this point.

I can’t deny that I’m exhausted from being around everyone, but tonight felt like a turning point. My exhaustion is a pleasant sort of tiredness, like I only need to retreat to recharge, not to protect my sanity. I can’t remember a time when I felt this wiped out, but was already planning to come right back out again to see people. I’m looking forward to it, even.

I want to help Rannek build more huts and hopefully get him to teach me how to use my claws to carve like he does. I haven’t seen paper since I got here and drawing in the dirt just doesn’t provide the same sort of satisfaction… but there is still this constant impulse to create.

Learning how to make three--dimensional art is exciting and for some inexplicable reason, so is the idea of helping Rannek come out of his shell a bit. He reminds me of myself, except far less angry. He isn’t the least bit violent, but seems just as socially unsure. Everyone has been nice to him, but I still feel this strong protective instinct when I see just how kind and soft he is.

Apparently even Wroahk, who seems like the ultimate predator, sees it too, so Rannek has plenty of protectors, but somehow it feels right for me to take on the job in a more dedicated way. The innocent should be shielded. I wasn’t and I used to be horrified by the violence within me… but I see now that it can be used to protect people.

I hope Rannek doesn’t mind having a new body guard. My lips twitch. I hope I don’t mind spending that much time with someone.

Then I glance back to Kroaicho and realize that I already am spending time with someone and with a raised eyebrow it suddenly occurs to me that it doesn’t drain me. Not like being with others. It’s refreshing and it gives me hope that maybe that feeling can be extended to other people.

Tomorrow I’ll start shadowing Rannek to test that theory. Well, at least part of the time. I still want to get my four hands wrapped around the throat of the enemy as often as possible.

I let out a moan, remembering the feeling and Kroaicho stops in zha’s tracks and whirls to face me, skin lighting up green in response. My mind hadn’t been on that, but as soon as I see the glow my own skin flashes green as well.

Both of us instantly pick up our pace, hopping over rocks, and it makes me laugh. Kroaicho’s skin swirls with orange among the green.

I’m breathless I enter the cave, still smiling. Kroaicho circles me, then looks down at zha’s hand and the sculpture still clutched in it, skin lighting blue and orange at the sight. For a moment, zha simply stands there, thinking, then zha heads over to a cave wall.

I’m about to ask what is going on when Kroaicho pulls back a massive arm, then takes a long, horizontal slice at the cave. Rocks scatter, all of them flying away from me and I jump at the sound of their impact.

“What in the…”

I don’t bother finishing my sentence because the purpose becomes clear as Kroaicho very gently places Rannek’s sculpture on the newly created shelf.

That’s new.

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