A Bold First Step

Whoa, wait a second! My fingers just twitched on their own! I took a deep breath, pumped my right arm, and took a real, solid step forward onto the rough tan carpet fibers. I turned to look at the winged guy standing right next to me, reached out, and gave the tip of his dark bat wing a playful little tap with my gauntlet. It made a crisp clack, but he stayed completely still. I'm actually moving—this is unbelievable!