Breaking Stillness

The crimson glare hit first. Rigidity locked my joints, but then a pulse snapped through my grip. I forced my right heel down onto the flat wood shelf. Balance held. Opposite me stood an unmoving adversary posed mid-strike against a spiky aura. I stepped forward, testing my footing, and tapped its rigid wrist with a sharp strike. Total silence. It did not budge. Good. I hold this ground.