A Shift in the Stance

Stiffness cracked along my spine. A breath parted my jaws. I stood crouched on soft, stitched green ridges, facing another scaled warrior frozen mid-strike across from me. My right claws tightened around the halberd shaft; the weight in my grip answered. I took one deliberate, heavy step backward, lowering the polearm just an inch to test the give of the ground beneath my feet. Silence held. The opponent remained still, unmoving. I held my ground, watchful, measuring every crease in the terrain.