First Stride

Consciousness arrived with weight. I blinked beneath my helm, surveying the perimeter. Torches flickered against arched pillars. Slowly, deliberately, I tightened my grip. The leather wrap of the axe groaned under my fingers. I lowered the shaft an inch, tapping the stone beneath my boots. A hollow clink rang out, confirming solid ground. No breach detected. I braced my stance, ready to hold this ground.