Round 424

The ground beneath them gave way again, this time with a sickening groan of stressed stone. Merrin lunged forward instinctively, catching Varrika before she could fall completely. The dwarf woman cried out, her weight heavy against Merrin's shoulders as her ankle buckled once more.

"Varikka!" Merrin gasped, struggling to keep them both upright. She moved one arm around the dwarf's waist, supporting most of her weight while trying to ignore the way her own feet shifted precariously on the unstable floor. "What in all the gods happened?"

The sound of grinding stone filled the air as another section of the pit wall crumbled away, sending a cascade of debris tumbling down into the darkness below. Merrin shielded Varrika with her body instinctively, feeling small rocks and dust rain down around them.

"Stay still," she ordered, voice tight with concern. She maneuvered them carefully until they were both kneeling on relatively solid ground, though the floor beneath them felt disturbingly springy in places. "Are you hurt worse? Did anything else break?"

Varrika's face was pale, her dark eyes wide with pain and lingering fear. She shook her head slowly, wincing as she shifted her weight. "Just the ankle," she managed, voice strained. "And my wrist from the damn rope." She held up one hand, showing Merrin where raw skin had been chafed nearly to bleeding by the friction against the hemp fibers.

Merrin's eyes narrowed as she examined Varrika's injuries, her fingers moving automatically to check for further damage despite knowing the dwarf woman would likely snap at her for the fuss. The sound of rushing water seemed to have grown louder, a menacing reminder that their situation was far from stable.

"Great," Merrin muttered, pulling back her hands and brushing dust from her knees. "We're trapped in a collapsing death-trap with you barely able to walk and something trying to kill us." She glared at the darkness above them where The Guardian's voice had last echoed. "This is exactly why I told Elric we should have just burned the damn tower down."

Varrika managed a pained chuckle, reaching out to grip Merrin's shoulder with her good hand. "At least we're together," she said, her tone attempting bravado but coming out more grim than reassuring. "Now help me up before I decide the floor is trying to swallow us both."