Round 98 Transcript

As Sister Hale readies her mace, the dark shape on the bridge takes another step closer. Its claws scrape against the stone, sending sparks flying as it attempts to re-target Sister Hale. "We need to move!" Jeane calls out from upstream, her voice laced with urgency. The ground beneath the bridge shudders again, and the scraping sound grows louder. Sister Hale takes a step back, her eyes fixed on the dark shape as it inches closer. Suddenly, a section of the bridge's railing gives way, sending Sister Hale tumbling onto the road below. She lands hard on the ash-choked ground, her mace slipping from her grasp. The dark shape is now mere feet away from Sister Hale, its claws extended. Jeane's eyes widen as she realizes the situation has escalated – they need to act fast to save Sister Hale.

The bridge groans beneath me, a sound that sends shivers up my spine. "Hale! Stay down!" My voice cuts through the ash-choked air as I complete the teleportation incantation – words of power and forbidden geometry spilling from my lips like dark poetry.

For a moment, the world bends around me, space tearing open like a wound. I step forward into that tear and am yanked sideways through the fabric of reality itself. The bridge disappears behind me, replaced by the sight of Sister Hale sprawled on the ground below – mere feet from those scuttling claws.

Time snaps back to normal as I materialize beside her. "Get up!" I grab her arm with one hand while the other already traces arcane sigils in the air. "Move, now!"

I stumble back as the teleportation spell yanks me sideways through reality itself. My vision swims with disorientation—one moment crouched on the creaking bridge staring at claws scuttling beneath it, the next sprawled in ash-choked road grit beside Jeane.*

The ground shudders again. I push myself upright, mace still clutched white-knuckle tight. "Jeane!" My voice comes out rougher than intended—fear and exhaustion bleeding through despite efforts to steady myself. I scan the area wild-eyed for immediate threats, heart hammering against my ribs.

Behind us, the bridge groans like a dying beast. That scraping sound from below intensifies—a dozen clawed things or more, moving fast. "How long before they're on top of this road?" I ask, already knowing there's no good answer. The sky overhead is just darkness and swirling ash—not even stars to guide us now. Somewhere distant, the sound of marching boots echoes through the city streets. City guard? Or something worse? The quarantine system Jeane mentioned—what does that mean exactly? I turn back to her, trying to read her expression despite the poor light. You teleported us down here with barely a spell's breadth between us and those things—but now we're trapped on open ground with nowhere to run except into whatever lies ahead. The lantern at my belt flickers pathetically in the oppressive darkness.

I take a breath, forcing myself to think past immediate fear. We need options fast—what can you do from here? Any more of that arcane trickery to get us out of this situation? My eyes drop to her hands as she traces those sigils. Or should we start moving now while we still have choices? Because it feels like every second we stay put, another threat shows up.