A Deliberate Clench

The stillness broke from within. A pulse coursed down my armored forearm, shifting rigid joints into living sinew. Slowly, without haste, I tightened my right gauntlet into a firm fist, testing the resistance of my own fingers. Beneath my boots, the grain of the pale floorboards felt solid, unyielding. I lowered my hand and touched the flat surface of the wooden floor, feeling its cool, even grain before resuming my guard.