I AM THE AFTERMATH // pyramid destruction

[ninazu]

BURN
BRIGHT

Ninazu busted her way out of the tunnel system into the black pyramid itself. Dirt and coal clung to her sandy pelt, but, regardless, her green flames harmoniously flicked around her neck and shoulders. She grimaced to herself; when she’d been ardent, she’d stuck to tradition and lived in splendor. It was a shame to see the black pyramid looked as though it hadn’t been lived in for months. Insects had begun nesting amongst the furniture. Vines and greenery crawled through the stones, beginning the long campaign of reclaiming the pyramid in the name of mother nature.

“Marilyn, keep the tunnel open for our exit,” Ninazu said, nodding to the npc caracal. She grinned as she looked to the rest of the crew. “Everyone else, let’s bring this place down. And if you’re going to loot anything, do it quick.”

Ninazu took the opportunity to fling a couple of gold, platinum, and other sorts of jewelry into her sachet. Even if Gael rarely used the pyramid, it still contained treasures from past ardents, and Ninazu grabbed a golden skull eerily reminiscent of one of her favorite ‘trinkets’ from her own throne room. Well, it was hers now, whether the original or not. But she stopped there, keeping her satchel

Her claws sunk into the ground. Stones cracked, boulders ripping free from the floor, and plumes of smoke rose up. The plants and vines rapidly grew, their roots smashing through the weaknesses in the pyramid’s stone, shaking the pyramid and the surrounding area. Pieces of inner walls fell away, their lack of support intensifying the trembling, and clouds of sand kicked up both outside and inside of the structure.

Expression fixed in a grimace, Ninazu concentrated and bit her lip. Blood oozed out of her nose and ears as her fearsome mane died down to little flickers. Concentrating on the earth and plants took more willpower than she’d anticipated, and she didn’t have the energy to maintain her firey appearance. She huffed, centered herself with her breathing, and grinned when she felt the tremors intensify beneath her paws.

© MADI