Chapter 6
Korvex
The woman brought me various things to try. It was all wonderful! The world had so many flavors I never knew about. I really enjoyed the tea she made. It made my insides feel warm. I didn’t understand how that worked, as she said I was still made of mostly stone.
She had touched me several times, poking and prodding as she examined my body.
She said that I was somehow stone but also, not at all.
My favorite moment was when she held my hand, twisting it back and forth, her fingers tracing up and down my claws as she inspected me. This also made my insides feel warm.
Adela was her name. She was a stonemason and also a witch.
She crafted works of art as well as helped with runes and wards for the magical community.
Every time I had a question about the world, she would struggle to explain it.
I thought my questions were simple, but every one of them seemed to require several answers.
This world had been so close, yet so distant for me. I had always wondered what all of it felt like. Now was my chance, even if it was fleeting. I rolled a soft, hand-knitted blanket between my fingers. It was so incredibly soft, shimmering slightly as I touched it.
She explained these simple concepts, introduced me to common items, and watched me marvel at them. Her laugh was musical to my ears. I found myself smiling. It was foreign to me, but I enjoyed that too.
She tried to show me one of her carvings and runes, proclaiming that it was supposed to make conversations easier when activated.
It was a small frog. On wetter days, I would see the creatures hop around the park.
When she tried to activate it, the rune sputtered out.
She let out a frustrated noise and stated that she didn’t know why it hadn’t worked.
I knew.
She could enjoy not knowing for a little while longer. I knew our time together was short, so I didn’t want to ruin her mood just yet. The curiosity on her face was something to marvel at.
Something new inside urged me to touch her again. Her body had stilled, but her cheeks flooded with red when my hand was on her thigh. I liked when her cheeks flushed with red. It was what they would call ‘cute’. So I pressed my hand there again. Her eyes widened, cheeks coloring.
“Korvex,” she said quietly.
“Yes?”
“Do you know what you’re doing?”
I looked down at my hand, which was pressing into the soft flesh of her thigh. There were a lot of new things to experience by walking this earth. I did not know exactly what I was doing, but it clearly meant something.