A Shift in Balance

My joints unsealed with a subtle, steady click. I registered the textured surface beneath my boots and adjusted my center of gravity, lowering into a firm stance. My fingers tightened their grip around the shaft of the red axe. Slowly, with deliberate control, I tapped the dull side of the axe against the fibrous carpet to test the terrain's resistance. It held. The perimeter remains quiet, and my balance is secure.