Page 32 of Emerald

“Anyway,” I click out tersely in its odd language, “you can't just get wit. It's more like… you have it or you don't. It's about being quick on your feet. Making clever remarks. You know, saying things that make people think."

Kroaicho's brow furrows even deeper, and I can see it struggling to piece together what I'm saying. "I… see. So, wit is both a treasure and a state of being?"

I can't help but laugh, the sound echoing off the cave walls. "Sure, let's go with that. It's a treasure and a state of being. You're catching on."

It nods in a slow, deliberate motion. "And how does one know if they possess wit?"

This is ridiculous. I shake my head, feeling a smile tug at the corners of my lips despite myself. "Usually, people with wit don't have to ask if they have it. It's pretty self-evident."

The creature's face twists slightly, its bioluminescent skin flashing a brief purple before settling back to blue. "Self-evident." It nods again, as if deep in thought. "This seems… inefficient. There would be guessing and some of those would be wrong. So how could it be self-evident?"

I bark out another laugh. "Inefficient? Seriously? You have a lot to learn about humans. I go through all of my life guessing."

It tilts its head again, eyes narrowing slightly. "Indeed. Your kind seems very perplexing. You use many words to convey simple ideas. Some of them contradictory."

I smirk. "Being steady and clear would be boring. Life's too short to be boring."

Kroaicho's eyes narrow further, and I can see the confusion etched into every line of its alien features. "Your lifespan is short, yet you choose to complicate it further? This does not seem wise."

I roll my eyes again. "Yeah, well, wisdom's overrated. And besides, some of us prefer to enjoy life, not just survive it."

I cringe, hoping it doesn’t recognize my bravado. As if I would leave my room if I could get away with completely shutting myself away forever.

The creature falls silent for a moment, its eyes fixed on me in that unnerving, unblinking way. I can't tell if it's pondering my words or just trying to figure out if I've gone mad. The truth is, it's probably a bit of both.

We lapse into a tense silence, and I go back to washing myself, hoping the cool water will help clear my head. I'm not sure what's worse—the conversation or the fact that I'm actually starting to feel like I'm getting through to it, even if just a little.

"You speak of enjoyment," Kroaicho says suddenly, breaking the silence. "Is this a human form of treasure? For us, the treasure is what brings the enjoyment."

I sigh, deciding to play along. "Sure, why not? Enjoyment is a kind of treasure too. Different from wit, but valuable in its own way."

Its eyes flicker with a hint of understanding. "Many treasures exist among your kind."

"Yep. Wit, enjoyment, freedom… the list goes on." I feel a pang of something sharp in my chest as I say that last word, my mind drifting back to my initial thoughts. Freedom. Now there's a treasure I'd give anything for right now.

Kroaicho's head tilts again, more sharply this time, like a bird of prey zeroing in on its target. "Freedom," it echoes, voice softer, almost contemplative. "Another treasure. But this one you do not possess."

I stiffen, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck rise. "Not yet," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "But I will."

It stares at me for a long moment, and I can see a strange flicker in its eyes—curiosity, maybe, or something else I can't quite place. Then it shakes its head, almost like it's shaking off a thought. "This is… confusing," it mutters, more to itself than to me. “Where is the story in that?”

"Well, welcome to my world," I say dryly as I try to figure out what it means about a story. "You think you're the only one confused here?"

It gives me that same odd look, and I see the color on its skin start to shift again, a gradient of blue swirling over its skin and between the spikes jutting from its shoulders.

“You are confused also,” it chitters slowly.

“I don’t know what you want from me,” I retort.

I’m feeling more and more desperate to know with each passing moment.

“Nothing,” it chitters back, limbs twitching, lighting up blue. “You are here to shine.”

“What the fuck does that even mean? Don’t lie to me. Just say it,” I chitter back, unsure of how I know that the clicks I’m adding mean I’m angry.

Swirls of red join the blue and it gets even twitchier. “Perhaps it is better to be… elsewhere."

I get a sinking feeling in my stomach. I've seen that look before, the way its eyes dart around, the way its skin flares slightly. I have a hunch about what it means, and I can't let this conversation end like this. Not when I'm starting to get somewhere.

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