Sunlit Salt and Rock

The morning sun poured down upon the coast, baking the jagged black rocks until they hummed with trapped heat. I marched down from the high terrace, my claws clattering firmly against the descending stone path. Near the ocean's edge, I discovered a sun-warmed tide pool wedged between massive volcanic boulders. Inside, the seawater simmered gently over dark volcanic sand and coarse salt crusts. I waded right into the shallows, planting my heavy feet against the seabed. As tiny waves crashed against the barrier rocks, radiant warmth rose through the brine into my core. This shore belongs to me.