Steady Stance

Awareness settled into my limbs. The ground beneath me was firm, grooved wood. Ahead stood another figure with spiked dark hair, frozen in a combat stance. I tested my weight, shifting my center of gravity forward by a fraction of an inch to balance steadily without support. I extended one fist slightly, confirming the tension in my arm, then met the silent gaze of the figure opposite me. Calmness remained. I stood my ground.