Round 196

The walls screamed like a thousand dying things as the passage convulsed around them, fresh dust billowing up in choking clouds that stank of decay and something else—something ancient and foul. Varrika staggered backward, her hand clamping down on Merrin's shoulder with iron strength even as her stomach tried to flip inside out. "Shit!" she snarled, the word torn from her throat as another tremor shook the earth. "Move! Now!"

Merrin didn't need telling twice. She was already pivoting, every instinct screaming at her to run, but there was nowhere to go except forward into the waiting darkness or back into the collapsing rubble behind them. The choice made her feel sick, but Varrika's grip on her shoulder steadied her just enough to force her legs to move. Together they lunged ahead, stumbling over loose stones and dodging falling debris as the passage tried its damnedest to shake them loose like fleas from a dog.

The torchlight flickered wildly, casting monstrous shadows that seemed to writhe and twist along the walls before dissolving back into stone. Merrin's breath came in ragged gasps, her chest tight with terror as they ran deeper into the tomb's belly. Behind them, the sound of collapsing rock grew louder—louder than any natural cave-in should be—and she could almost feel the weight of tons of stone pressing closer.

Varrika led the way, her shorter legs pumping furiously to keep pace with Merrin's longer strides. The dwarf woman's face was set in a grim mask of concentration and barely-controlled panic, her eyes fixed on the path ahead as if willing it to stay intact long enough for them to escape. Her hand never left Merrin's shoulder, guiding and supporting even as they both fought to stay upright on the shifting ground.

The passage branched ahead—two choices: a narrow side tunnel that seemed to lead downwards into darkness, or a wider corridor that continued deeper into the tomb proper. Neither looked particularly inviting, but the rumble of collapsing stone behind them made the choice brutally simple. Varrika didn't hesitate. "Down!" she barked, shoving Merrin toward the descending passage. "Less rock to fall on us if we're lower!"

Merrin barely had time to process the words before they were plunging down the narrower way, stones shifting ominously under their feet with every step. The air grew colder as they descended, and something wet and slimy coated the walls here—fungus maybe, or some other growth that fed on decay and darkness. The torchlight cast long shadows that seemed to cling to the slick surfaces before dissolving into more unsettling shapes.

Varrika's breathing was harsh in her ears as they ran, both women pushing themselves to their limits in a desperate bid to escape the collapsing horror behind them. The dwarf woman's grip on Merrin's shoulder tightened as they stumbled down the slope, their footing treacherous on the slimy stone. "Almost there!" Varrika gasped, though whether she meant the bottom of the slope or some imagined safety beyond was anyone's guess.

The passage widened slightly as they reached the bottom, opening into a small chamber that smelled of damp earth and something else—something metallic and wrong that made Merrin's nose wrinkle in distaste. They skidded to a halt, panting and disheveled, as the rumble of collapsing stone behind them finally began to fade.

Varrika released Merrin's shoulder at last, both women sagging against the wall as they caught their breath. The dwarf woman's face was slick with sweat, her scarred features set in lines of exhaustion and lingering fear. "Well," she said after a moment, her voice rough, "that was... less than ideal."