Crow's report - Gaia's lament

> Word Count: 1,024 > Created for the Tropetember Event - Gaia's lament The earth shuddered, dust and debris fluttered down from the ceiling. Cracks in the wall start to form, caving in on me. Panic twisted my stomach as I clawed my way out of the crumbling building. The sun blinded me. I'd been hiding in the building for so long. I brought a hand to my head. The wasteland stretched out before me for miles, the haze of the desert messed with my eyes. In the distance I could see the outline of some military camps. The brown tents surrounded a small well, tanks and machine guns surrounded the camps. They seemed unaffected by the earthquake, safe even. But what a lie that was. The camps were in the wasteland, where the coyotes and the tinted roamed. I clutched my knife, it made me feel safe. The coyotes were bad anyway but compared to the tinted, they were measly rabbits snuffling around in the sandy dirt. The sound of gunfire interrupted my train of thought. Looking out to the camp, I could see the shapes of animals and trees. Millions of them! Their outlines blurred into one huge mass of black, they stormed the camps. It looks like Gaia's back at it. The distant figures battled and the sound carried all the way to me. I turned away, not wanting to watch them destroy the camps. The city behind me had managed to survive the earthquake. How lucky, oh well. The sandy buildings looked scruffy and dull, the streets were littered with rubbish and debris. The only building that gleamed in the everlasting sun was the pyramid like temple. Its huge stone structure stood taller than any building. Encrusted with gems, they gleamed harshly at the surrounding buildings like a king to his subjects. As I walked along the streets, people waved and called for me to help clear the rubble. But this was not my home, and so I kept walking, walking, walking. The sun beat down on me and my head was light. I gripped my knife tighter. The temple loomed over me, its imposing and threatening structure glared down at me. I shrink away from it, folding myself up and hiding from its terrifying gaze. Slowly I creep towards the temple, slip through the door and into the hall. I could hear the muttering of priests like ghosts on the wind. A baby's scream could be heard through the stone walls. My footsteps echoed down the long hallways, as I crept through each room. It became obviously clear. They don't know I'm here! Those idiots couldn't add 2 and 2! After what felt like eons I reached the center of the temple, I pushed the door open a crack. Light poured through the gap and twice today, it blinded me. As my eyes came round I could see through the gape into the courtyard. A gasp escaped my lips and I cursed myself, what if someone had heard? Slowly I looked through the door again, the courtyard was blooming with flowers and trees of every colour and every species. A path from the door would lead me to the centre of the courtyard. Where, atop a golden pyramid, sat the most valuable item in the entire world; Gaia's Globe. The globe glowed softly, it wispered on the wind. The globe's was Gaia's most important item, it had the power to grow trees as big as skyscrapers, rivers as strong as the sea. Heck, it even had the power to bring back the sea! Rage and hatred fueled the fire burning inside of me. How dare they use the most precious item of all time for a courtyard?! Shoving the door open, I ran swiftly over to the pyramid. My hands found their place and hauled me up towards the globe. Something grabbed my legs, I looked down. Vines of all shapes and sizes clawed at my legs, pulling me down. I kicked at the vines but they kept ahold. Panic gripped my stomach and my mind raced. I reached down quickly, swiping at the vines with my knife. Pulling myself up with my other hands. The vines retreated, slithering away like snakes. I turn back to the globe only to see a huge palm tree lunging towards me. I hit the ground hard, my head spinning. Slowly I regain my feet, the palm tree whacks me with its leafs, but I stumble to the side dodging the agitated palm tree. Clambering up the pyramid the trees leafs beat at my legs, but soon I'm out of reach. I grab the globe, clutching it tightly. The tree falls backwards, crushing the flowers. Slowly the room changes around me, the trees and the flowers disintegrate, the flakes flowing in the wind. I jump down the pyramid and run to the door. Nobody stopped me, nobody saw me running back through the temple and nobody saw me laugh with glee as I held the globe close to me. Scared I could drop it and lose it so easily. The temple moaned behind me. The stone was cracking and shaking, I struggled to run as the ground shook, the temple was crumbling, falling in on itself. The globe must have been holding the temple in place! As I ran, a deafening crash sent me flying, using the force I thrust myself forward. I shifted to my true shape. My beady eyes looked back at the temple's ruins. The temple has collapsed. Thank Gaia! Good riddance. My wings beated fast and strong as I flew over the city, over the ongoing battle of the tinted and the humans. I cawed down to them, my claws clutching the globe. Roars and cries of happiness from the tinted raised up to me. I continued to fly to the east till I reached here. Your highest, I finished. Gaia looked down at me, a thin smile etched across her face. "Well done, crow. We will launch our attack tomorrow, finish them off for good." She nodded to me, "Now of to bed with you, you've had quite the adventure and I need you to scan the front lines, goodnight crow".