Page 9

9

Kroaicho

The cave is cold and quiet, save for the distant drip of water somewhere deep in its shadows. I walk aimlessly through the twisting tunnels, each step a scrape of my claws on the stone, my mind buzzing and my skin flickering with a mix of emotions that I can't quite parse. I left the little green-haired creature back in the enclave hours ago, zhas angry voice still echoing in my head. What an infuriating thing, making such loud noises and throwing zha's hands about like that. I don't know how to deal with creatures like that. And yet…

And yet, there is this strange sensation prickling beneath my skin. It twists high in my nose, surging up every time I think of those furious green eyes glaring at me. I don't understand it. This odd… heat that makes my skin flare green despite myself.

No. Not green, I will until my skin flickers Annoyance, maybe? Yes, that makes sense and my skin lights purple in agreement. I am annoyed that zha, a small, fragile creature, has made me feel… this way.

Whatever way this is.

I huff, trying to push the feeling down. I'd thought wandering the caves would help me figure something out, but it hasn't worked. I should go back. I should return to the enclave and figure out what to do with the creature. Keeping zha here has complicated things far more than I expected.

I turn, retracing my steps through the winding passages, my mind still tangled in a web of confusion and frustration. What even is zha? I've never seen anything quite like zha. The green hair, the way zha's eyes flash with such intensity—it makes no sense. And zha's words… Oh, zha's words, sharp like shards of ice thrown into my face. I shake my head, a high chitter making its way up my throat.

As I near the enclave, I slow my pace, my claws clicking softer on the stone floor. I feel silly creeping like this, but I don't want to set the creature off again. I peer around the bend in the tunnel, spotting zha in the small hollow I call my resting place. To my relief, zha seems calmer now, a bit groggy now, seemingly just rising from sleep. If nothing else that explains zha's lucid state, perhaps gas would serve as a good deterrent for when next…?

I shake off the disgusting thought, such vileness would be best reserved for enemies, and virulent temper or not, I am hard-pressed to think of zha as an enemy.

Confusing, but not an enemy. Zha still signals in green, but at least zha is no longer shouting. Good.

I stay where I am for a moment, watching zha. I don't know what to say. I don't even know how to approach zha without risking another outburst. But then zha sighs—a small, weary sound that carries over the stone walls. I feel something ease in my chest, just a bit. Maybe zha is tired. Maybe zha will not shout this time.

"Do you have nothing better to do than stare?" zha snaps suddenly, startling me. "Or is lurking in shadows your idea of a fun time?"

I bristle, the tips of my head spikes twitching in irritation. "Not… staring," I say quickly. It's a lie, and I know zha knows it. The creature rolls zha’s eyes—a strange motion that makes me wince just looking at it. How can zha do that without pain?

Zha should not do that.

"Sure, you're not," zha says, as if zha agrees with me… and yet doesn’t. Odd.

"So, are you going to keep acting like a multi-legged teenage stalker , or are you going to come over here and ask whatever it is you're dying to ask?" zha taunts.

I don't understand all of what zha just said, but I feel the sting of an insult buried somewhere in there. My skin flashes dark purple, and I let out an irritated huff. I take a few cautious steps forward, not entirely sure how close I should get. The creature's lips curl upward slightly—a strange expression I've not seen before. I keep my distance, still wary of another bout of those sharp, biting words.

Zha watches me, those green eyes narrowing slightly as if studying me. I feel a flicker of uncertainty, but before I can say anything, the creature speaks again. "I'm Olivia," zha says, "Olivia Ariki. A human from Earth . A planet, far from here." Zha gestures vaguely, and I get the sense that zha means a great distance.

I blink, taking in the information. Earth. I have never heard of such a place, nor have I ever heard of… humans? Is that what zha said? "Hyu-mans?" I echo, the unfamiliar word strange on my tongue.

"Yes," zha replies, sighing a little, "humans. That's what I am. And that's where I'm from. I was… taken from there. Kidnapped, you know?"

My skin flares blue at the word. Kidnapped. Taken. I know what those words mean. My kind, the Zhasie, knows of many worlds, many species. Some we trade with. Some we avoid. But I have never heard of these… humans. Still, I understand being taken. "Who… took you?" I ask cautiously, my eyes narrowing as I try to make sense of this.

Olivia's expression shifts, becoming darker. "Ugly things," zha says with a shudder. "Bugs and then aliens with gray skin covered in some kind of pink slime, and three legs. They must have put us on a ship. That's how I ended up here."

I hiss at the description, flashing an annoyed purple. I know the creatures zha speaks of.

“The slimes,” I share.

They have raided my world before, though they have learned not to come back. Still, they take from other worlds.

“They raid and steal what they cannot make or trade for,” I tell zha.

Olivia's eyes widen a bit at my hiss. "You know them?" zha asks, voice cautious.

"Genali," I say, the word heavy with disdain. "They… raid worlds. Take people."

Zha looks stunned for a moment, zha's green eyes wide. Then zha's expression softens a bit, and zha seems to study me more closely. I feel a little exposed under zha's gaze, my skin flashing briefly red before I steady myself.

"I am Kroaicho," I say, wanting to shift the conversation. "Zhasie, not human. But like you I was taken."

Olivia gives a slow up and down movement of zha’s head, taking this in. "So… you were taken by them too? And ended up here?"

I mimic zha’s movement, but don’t explain, though there is more to the story. I do not wish to tell it now. "Yes," I say simply, then add, "You need to clean." I gesture vaguely at the grime covering zha's skin and clothing. Zha must be uncomfortable.

Olivia blinks, clearly caught off guard. "What? Clean? I mean… yes, that would be good."

I decide not to waste more words explaining. Instead, I reach out, grabbing zha's arm again. Zha lets out a yelp, but I don't give zha time to protest.

“I don’t like to be—” I shudder to think what zha is going to say and instead I break into a sprint, dragging zha deeper into the tunnels. I hear zha's voice behind me, rising into that high-pitched tone that seems to be zha's way of expressing distress, but I do not slow down.

I know where I'm going. There is a small pool of water further in, one that I sometimes use to wash myself. Until I know how breakable zha is, we should avoid the flowing water. It is not far, and I can reach it quickly if I hurry. Zha stumbles behind me, trying to keep up, and I can feel the heat of zha's anger radiating off zha, sections of sentences coming out of zha’s mouth as zha sputters. But I do not stop.

I can feel zha's heartbeat through zha's arm, fast and erratic. Zha is afraid, perhaps. But zha will see. I am not a danger. I just want to help. I just want to understand.

I dutifully ignore the leering voice in my head jeering that I am a liar.

***

I come to a stop at the edge of the pool, letting out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. The cool air here is a stark contrast to the stifling heat of the cave passages behind us, carrying the scent of minerals, damp stone, and something else—something old, ancient even like the air hasn't been disturbed for centuries. I can feel Olivia's small form tugging against me, zha's grip firm yet delicate. I release zha, my clawed fingers uncurling slowly as zha steps away, and zha's face emerges from zha’s hair, eyes squinting in the dim, bluish light emanating from the rocks beneath the water.

The pool stretches out in front of us, the water's surface rippling slightly with the flow of the hidden currents below. It's almost hypnotic, the way the water seems both still and alive, a mirror-like surface broken only by the soft, unseen movement beneath. Rocks at the bottom glow with a soft, cerulean light, casting shimmering patterns along the jagged walls of the cavern. It's as if the water is alive, as if it holds secrets just waiting to be uncovered. The beauty of the scene is almost otherworldly, and I find myself momentarily entranced.

Olivia's eyes go wide, and zha takes a tentative step forward, staring at the water. I watch zha closely, unable to tear my eyes away from the way the light dances in zha’s eyes—those peculiar green eyes that seem to hold so much emotion at once, even though their color does not change. There's a depth to them that unsettles me, something that feels like a challenge or a mystery that I am not sure I'm prepared to face. For a moment, I feel a twist high in my nose again, but I push it back, forcing myself to focus.

"Careful," I warn, my voice echoing off the cave walls like a low growl reverberating through the space. "The water here is deep. It dips underground."

Zha pauses, turning zha’s head toward me, and there's a cautious head up and down movement. I place Olivia down gently, making sure zha is steady before I let go, but I don't move far, settling close beside zha. The creature gives me a pointed look, lips pressed together in a tight line, and I can feel the tension radiating off zha. I return the look, unblinking, watching zha’s eyes flicker between green and something darker, something unreadable.

A sigh escapes zha’s lips, heavy and resigned. "Can you at least give me some space to clean up?" zha says, irritation evident in zha’s tone.

"I am giving space," I reply, keeping my tone even but firm. "Not holding your hands, see?" I spread my clawed hands wide to show I am not restraining zha. “I assume they are capable of cleaning."

Olivia's mouth twitches, and I wonder if zha is about to argue again. There's a flicker of something in zha's eyes—defiance, maybe, or frustration. But then zha pauses, eyes narrowing slightly, considering. I watch carefully, my own breath held, waiting to see what zha will do. "Unless…" I add tentatively, letting the word hang in the air between us like a challenge, "you want me to… help clean you?"

The creature's face contorts into a strange expression I've seen before—a mix of annoyance and something I can't quite place. Is it embarrassment? Without a word, zha scoops a handful of water and splashes it right into my face. The water is colder than I expected, and I flinch back, shaking my head as droplets scatter from my skin. The shock of the cold sends a jolt through me, and I instinctively take a step back.

"Zhannel behavior," I grumble, wiping my face with a swipe of my forearm. "Immature."

Olivia's eyes flash a darker green, and for a moment, I think zha might lunge at me. Zha's small body practically vibrates with energy, a coiled spring ready to snap. It amazes me how much anger such a tiny thing can hold and how vividly zha can express it without color. My own skin flares dark purple, a warning signal I don't entirely mean to show. But I do not back away. I have a sinking suspicion that if I do, the moment I take my eyes off zha, Olivia will dart away. And I cannot allow that. Not here, not now.

“Don’t touch me.”

I don’t, but I also don’t move.

Seeing that I'm not moving, Olivia lets out a sharp sigh, a sound that seems to cut through the cool, damp air like a shard of rock. I startle and my head spikes twitch involuntarily.

After kneeling down and taking a long drink, Olivia stands again. Then I see zha’s glossy black skin begin to recede, rolling down into a thin band around zha's waist. My skin flashes red without my meaning to, the sudden fear twisting through me like a knife. What is Olivia doing? Why is zha shedding zha's skin?

Olivia notices my reaction and raises one of zha's brow ridges, a strange redness coloring zha's cheeks making me realize zha is also afraid.

But zha was just angry. I don't understand this expression. I don't understand this situation. My body tenses, ready for whatever might come next. "Why are you staring at my naked form?" Olivia asks, voice tinged with something I cannot quite identify. Is it fear? Is it mockery?

I blink, my head tilting slightly as I try to process zha's words. "Naked?" I echo, not understanding. I look zha over again, trying to find what zha means, and my gaze lands on zha's chest—on two rounded protrusions, I hadn't noticed before. A peculiar, thrilling sensation runs up my spine and into my nostrils, one I've never felt before. I think to ask why zha shows fear—what is there to fear here?

But I don't get the chance.

A small rock smacks into my snout, cutting off my thoughts. I hiss in surprise, my skin flaring to an annoyed purple as I look back at Olivia. Zha's face is flushed deeper now, and zha looks absolutely livid. "Stop staring at my privates!" zha snaps, voice sharp like ice shards.

Grumbling, I shift my gaze away from zha's body, fixing my eyes instead on the cave's roof. I don't turn away completely, unwilling to let zha out of my sight, but I try to focus on the jagged stalactites hanging above. "Fine," I mutter. "I don’t understand what that means, but finish so we can return."

Olivia mutters something under zha’s breath as zha starts to wash zha’s body with the water. I can hear the soft splashes and the muttered words that I am almost certain are more insults, though I don't understand them fully. There's a rhythm to the sound, like strange, angry music that fills the air between us. I consider responding but decide against it. There is no point in arguing more when zha is already this angry.

Instead, I keep my gaze upward, watching the shadows cast by the glowing rocks below. The shadows shift and move like creatures of their own, dancing along the walls. I focus on their movements, trying to distract myself from the awkwardness of the situation, and from the tension that still lingers in the air. The cave is quiet now, save for the occasional splash and Olivia's grumbling. I feel the tension in the air slowly ease, and I find myself relaxing a bit, though I remain alert. I cannot afford to let zha run off. Not now. Not when I am still so uncertain of zha's intentions… or of my own.

It is good that zha is cleaning off the dust and blood. Every treasure should be well cared for and clean before you can figure out its story. This feels different, though. Every treasure has come to me with a story already set, but this one feels like it is still being told. The story always ends with possession and protection, but I don’t know how this one will end. It’s exhilarating and unsettling, all at once.

After a few moments, I risk a glance down, careful to keep my gaze away from Olivia's body. I see zha's face, the green hair plastered to zha's skin, and zha's eyes look a little less fierce, more focused. Zha seems lost in thought, perhaps reflecting on something far away, or maybe just thinking of the next step. I think zha might be calming down, and I feel a small flicker of relief in my chest.

Perhaps this strange creature and I can find a way to understand each other. Or at least, to coexist. I can’t let zha leave my hoard, so I must figure it out. There's a fragile peace here, a tentative balance that could be shattered by a single wrong move. But for now, that is enough. The cave around us seems to hold its breath as if waiting for what comes next, and I wonder if maybe, just maybe, there is a way forward from this strange place we find ourselves in.

The rippling water continues its silent dance, the glowing rocks beneath casting their soft light into the darkness. The patterns they create shift and swirl, ever-changing, like the thoughts that swirl in my mind. I watch the light move, my eyes tracing the lines and shapes, and I think about all that has led us here. How much has changed in such a short time, and how much more is yet to come.

There is a moment of stillness, a calm that settles over the cavern like a blanket. I breathe it in, feeling the cool air fill my lungs, and for the first time in a long while, I feel a strange sense of peace. It is fragile, yes, but it is there, and for now, that is enough.