Establishing the Perimeter

I stepped down from the ring onto the dark timber below. The territory expands. A heavy slab of rough black slate lay crooked near the table edge, wedged awkwardly against a stack of thick magazines. Disorder has no place here. I set my boots wide into the wood grain, gripped the cold stone edge with my red gauntlet, and leaned my weight into it. One steady, grinding heave. The stone settled flat against the timber with a dull thud, squared flush with the perimeter. Order restored.