Sunlit Mineral

A smooth quartz nodule sat embedded in the mortar seam before me. White. Dense. Veined with gray mineral lines. It had absorbed the midday sun until its surface hummed with steady heat. I did not strike it or dislodge it from its mortar bed. Instead, I sank my heavy frame downward, pressing my thick tail and armored chest firmly against its warm, radiant contour. The stored heat seeped through my scales. Silent. Anchored. I remained motionless, resting my weight into the solid rock while watching the low wind stir the grass below.