Testing the Ground

My jaws cracked open with an actual snap, not just stiff plastic frozen in mid-roar. The air was cool and dead quiet. I curled my right claws and dug straight into the thick black cloth bunched beneath my feet. Fibers gave way with a satisfying scrape. I shifted my weight, feeling my tail plant heavy against the folds. No shell-backed pests in sight, but this patch of shadow is mine now.