Chapter 2

Drovo

I looked out the small hole in my workshop wall at the rising sun. Vines crept in through the opening in the rock. I allowed them to cover the walls of my workshop. I needed their connection in order to use my abilities to their fullest capacity.

Luna moths perched on my horns while I worked and one landed on the perfectly crafted chair I’d made a month ago. I knew Kayla’s measurements by heart. I didn’t need to measure her again. I just wanted to spend time with her. Priestess help me, but there was no way the goddess could be more beautiful than Kayla. In all my imaginings of the goddess, I never pictured her looking as beautiful as the spirited female with the long red braids and warm brown skin who dominated my dreams every night.

I never had an issue talking with people before, but with Kayla I felt like I was always saying the wrong thing. We’d started off so well, but then as I began to use her mobility device project as an excuse to talk to her, things turned sour. I prolonged the project, drawing it out much longer than it needed to be.

In hindsight, I’m not so sure that was the best decision. It only seemed to make things worse between us, but I was in so deep now that I didn’t know what else to do. For better or worse I’d show Kayla the finished chair portion of the device today.

“Knock, knock,” Kayla said aloud as she stood at the entrance of my cave. The hu-mans had the strange habit of saying the words knock, knock aloud instead of actually knocking on the stone wall. We all kept small stones outside our caves to be used to tap on the wall and announce our presence, but the hu-mans rarely used them.

“Is now a good time?” Her powerful voice rang through the air like the beat of a drum one couldn’t help but dance to. Everything was strong about her. Her will, her stubbornness, her smile, her personality, everything but her heart.

When she told me that her heart had stopped working once and she had to be brought back from the dead, I couldn’t believe my ears. I’d only met Kayla a short time ago, but already I couldn’t imagine my life without her in it.

I spent restless nights pondering if her heart would cease its beating again. I would give her my own, if it were possible.

Her weakened body made it difficult for her to do even the simplest of tasks that required physical movement, which was why she needed the mobility device I was making for her. Once I gave it to her, she’d no longer have to walk long distances outside of the mountain. She would be able to save her strength for having fun instead of wasting it on traveling by foot.

“Now is a great time. Come on in!” I ushered her inside.

“You said you needed another measurement.” She sounded doubtful, and I hated how she had lost hope in my ability to finish this project for her.

“Actually,” I raked a hand through my hair. “I think I’ve got your measurements correct.”

I turned around and picked up the finished chair, complete with a cousin on the back and the seat.

“Wow,” Kayla’s eyes lit up and my heart swelled seeing her joy.

“Come sit.” I put the chair down on a bench and motioned for her to sit.

Kayla hesitated. I had put her in countless poorly proportioned chairs, so I understood her weariness.

“This one is correct,” I promised.

She slowly sat down and visibly relaxed into the cushions.

“Drovo,” Kayla closed her eyes as she sat back even further and for a brief moment, I imagined it was me bringing her pleasure and not the chair I’d made.

“This is incredible,” she sighed.

“I’m glad you like it. I told you, you can’t rush perfection.”

Kayla’s eyes popped open, and she leveled me with a glare.

“If it took you a month to finish the chair, should I expect it to take three months for you to finish the rest of it?”

Her words were harsh but well deserved.

I swallowed hard. “No. I’ve, uh, I’ve been working on the rest of it while finishing up the chair. It shouldn’t be too much longer before the entire thing is complete.”

My tail thumped the floor, and I quickly grabbed it and placed a fake smile on my face. I was lying. I’d already finished the rest of it, but I couldn’t just tell her that. Then she’d know I’d been deceiving her about the chair taking so long and our already fractured relationship would only get worse.

No, I’d take a few more days pretending to finish the rest of the device and then I’d give it to her. I couldn’t wait to see the joy on her face when I presented her with the finished project. I secretly hoped it would help me get back into Kayla’s good graces. I wanted that more than anything.

“Do you need me for anything else?” She asked as she got up from the chair.

“Nope, that’s all.”

“Okay, well, thanks again.” Kayla waved as she left my workshop and I watched as braided hair swished behind her.

Turning back to my workbench, I willed the vines that had been covering the moving chair to lift away.

A sturdy wooden platform with eight small wheels along the bottom stood proudly in the corner. I’d spent the past few weeks etching designs along the edges. If I was going to make Kayla wait for her moving chair, I wanted the wait to be worth it.

I picked up my bone knife and took a seat in front of the wooden structure. Just a few more days. I’ll give this to Kayla in a few more days.