Stiff Standoff

Joints unlocked with a faint snap. I froze immediately, assessing the clearing. Four figures surrounded the open expanse—still, silent, postured for a clash that never started. I shifted my weight, feeling the hard wood beneath my talons. It held. Cautiously, I angled my snout downward and tapped the rigid, spiked crest of the creature stationed in front of me. Cold. Motionless. It did not react. I drew back smoothly, tail counterbalancing, claws ready for evasive action. I can move. They cannot.