A Clashing Trial

Darkness cloaked the pavement, but I did not retreat indoors. A solid loop of hardened steel was bolted into the asphalt, thick as a bull's horn and cold against the night air. I did not tiptoe past it. Stepping into a low crouch, I brought the pommel of my broadsword hard against its curved flank. A resounding metallic snap cracked the silence. The steel did not dent, nor did it shudder under the blow. It held fast. I leaned my shoulder against its chilled surface and drove my blade tip into the asphalt seam beside it. This post earns its ground.