First Assessment

My joints unlocked with a faint click. I stood steady against the dark cloth folds. Directly beside me lay a coiled yellow serpent, its tail rising high into the background. I did not move rashly. Instead, I shifted my weight forward and reached out with my left gloved hand, pressing two fingers against the ridged scales of its outer coil. It stayed completely rigid. An inanimate obstacle. I lowered my hand and held my position, mapping the perimeter.