A Breath of Ash

Heat stirred beneath my skin. I braced my weight against the shaking ground and drew a slow, rasping breath. The haze cleared slightly. Ahead, the jagged top of a fractured stone column caught my eye. I lowered my head, nudging the crumbling peak with my snout. It broke away under the pressure, tumbling into the dust below with a dull thud. My feet held steady. This solid ground belongs to me.