First Stance

My joints clicked into place. I shifted my weight into the woven carpet beneath my boots. Solid ground. Ahead of me loomed a horned beast frozen in a crouch, fangs bared, with a small robed figure nearby. I raised my clenched fists and stepped forward, testing my reach. The beast did not flinch. I planted my knuckles directly against the thick green shell. Cool, unmoving plastic. Just a solid obstacle holding its post. I held my ground right between them, prepared for whatever moves next.