Transfixed

I stared into cold dead unreadable eyes. Maybe I would be allowed to pass. No harm, no foul. Just two creatures whose paths fate had briefly intertwined. We moved in an arc, each participant in this deadly dance transfixed on the other. My opponent’s glistening scales rippled as he adjusted his position, searching for an advantage. My fur bristled in anticipation of his next move. My lips pulled back in a snarl, exposing fangs.

The cobra struck first, but I had already moved. I countered the strike with my own, clamping his neck in my jaws. Mongoose wins again.