A Silent Balance

Stiffness gives way. First, the tension in my right wrist loosens; fingers tighten along the smooth cylinder in my grasp. The ground beneath is textured, shifting slightly under cold mechanical boots. I do not rush. Calculating the weight, I shift the dual red staff a fraction of an inch, pressing its lower tip lightly against the soft gray weave to test stability. It holds. The perimeter is quiet. I draw my left arm inward, cloak settling low around my shoulders, prepared for whatever occupies this terrain.