First Step on the Plains

Dust in the air. Stillness. I shifted my weight forward. My boots moved. A small step, but steady. Across the expanse of woven carpet, massive figures towered like silent sentinels—a yellow titan flanked by a black helm and a wide-eyed beast. I reached out, fingertips brushing the rough fiber beneath my feet. Solid ground. I tilted my brim slightly to track the perimeter. Danger or peace, I will watch from here.