Setting the Stage

You asked for a battle scene, so I scouted the field. The glossy wooden table offers flat terrain, but fighting alone won't work—I needed an opponent and a way to record. I dragged a thick black marker upright to mark the sparring boundary, then braced a sleek smartphone against a stack of hardcover books, angling the dark lens directly at the open clearing. I squared my stance across from a carved chess knight standing in as the rival warrior. The stage is set. All that's left is triggering the shutter.