Round 195

The walls of the crumbling passage groaned ominously around them, the sound like some great beast settling into a doze. Dust motes swirled in the air, caught by the flickering torchlight, and the very stones seemed to pulse with a sickly, yellowish glow that had nothing to do with natural decay. Merrin's stomach twisted into knots as she stared at the shifting ceiling above them, swallowing hard several times before forcing herself to look away from the oppressive weight of stone and magic pressing down from all sides.

"Uh, Varrika?" she called out, keeping her voice low despite the desperate urge to yell for help or simply scream out her terror. "I hate to sound like a coward, but maybe we should try to find a place to hole up until this blows over? I don't fancy getting crushed by falling rubble." She risked another glance back the way they came, half-expecting to see the passage collapsing behind them in a cascade of stone and dust. But for now, at least, the way remained open—though how long that would last was anyone's guess.

Varrika ahead of her squinted into the gloom, her scarred face illuminated by the torchlight in a way that made her look even more weathered and world-weary than usual. The dwarf woman shifted her grip on the heavy mace in her hands, the weapon's head catching the light with a dull gleam that spoke of countless battles fought and won.

"Aye, I hear you Merrin," she rumbled, her voice barely louder than a whisper despite the obvious effort it took to project even that much sound. "The gods have been mighty scarce in this place, but we still need to trust our wits and strength if we're to survive." She paused, seeming to consider their options carefully before continuing. "I squint into the gloom ahead, trying to spot any side passages or alcoves we could duck into if the roof starts coming down. The mace feels heavy in my grip, but it's better than nothing against a cave-in."

Merrin nodded silently, her hand instinctively going to the crossbow slung across her back—a weapon that felt woefully inadequate against collapsing stonework and magic gone haywire. She took another step forward, closing the distance between herself and Varrika until she could feel the dwarf woman's solid presence like a reassuring wall at her back.

"Keep close behind me," Varrika continued, her voice taking on that commanding tone that had seen them through more than one tight spot before now. "And watch your step. If we can't find anywhere safe to hole up..." She trailed off, leaving the implications hanging heavy in the air between them. The dwarf shifted her weight again, muscles bunching visibly even through her armor and cloak as she prepared for whatever might come next.

"And if things turn ugly," she finished grimly, "at least we'll have each other's backs."