Round 524 Transcript

Varikka winces as she tries to put weight on her injured ankle, but Merrin catches her by the elbow, steadying her. "Careful," Merrin says, "we don't know how long that ledge will hold." The air is thick with the smell of damp earth and mold as they gaze out at the treacherous climb ahead, the sound of rushing water growing fainter with each passing moment.

"Nnngh!" I grunt as Varikka's weight shifts against me, my own ankle throbbing where it slammed into the stone. But there's no time to nurse my injuries - we've got to move, and fast.

I glance around wildly, my heart pounding in my chest as I try to get my bearings. The tunnel walls are crumbling, great chunks of stone and debris raining down from the ceiling, and the sound of rushing water is growing louder by the second. It's like being caught in a storm at sea, the waves crashing against the rocks and threatening to pull us under at any moment.

But just as despair begins to set in, I spot a narrow ledge about ten feet above our heads, the dark opening of another tunnel yawning beyond it. It's a treacherous climb, with no guarantees on the other side, but it's our best chance of survival right now.

"There!" I cry out, pointing up at the ledge with a shaking finger. "Varikka, grab onto my back - I'll boost you up first, then you can pull me up after."

I don't wait for her to answer, dropping into a low crouch and bracing myself against the slippery stone. "Hurry," I pant, my muscles trembling with the effort of holding my position. "The whole place is coming down around our ears!"

Varikka hesitates for a moment, her eyes darting between my face and the precarious ledge above us. But then, with a nod of grim determination, she steps forward and clambers onto my back, her weight settling heavily against my shoulders.

I let out a hiss of pain as her full weight bears down on me, my knees buckling for a moment before I lock them into place. "On three," I grunt, my hands gripping the stone so hard my knuckles turn white. "One... two..."

And with a final, desperate heave, I launch myself upwards, my fingers scrabbling for purchase on the slick ledge above us.

I let out a grunt of pain as Merrin launches me upwards, my fingers scrabbling for purchase on the slick stone ledge. For a heart-stopping moment I think I'm going to slip right back down into the rising floodwaters, but then my hands find a crack in the rock and I haul myself up with a final heave. "Got it!" I call down to Merrin, bracing myself against the narrow shelf of stone. "Pass me your hand - I'll pull you up."

I reach down with one hand, my muscles straining as I try to keep my balance on the precarious ledge. The sound of rushing water is fainter here, but I can still feel the tunnel shaking around us, great chunks of stone and debris raining down from the ceiling. "Hurry," I pant, my eyes darting around wildly for any sign of the Guardian. "The whole place is coming down!"

Merrin launches herself upwards with a grunt of effort, her fingers just barely grasping mine as I pull with all my might. For a moment it feels like we're both going to tumble back into the rising floodwaters, but then she gets a foothold and hauls herself up beside me with a gasp of relief. "Thank you," she pants, her chest heaving as she tries to catch her breath. "That was too close."

I nod grimly, my own heart still racing in my chest. The pain in my ankle is excruciating, but I push it down, refusing to let it show on my face. We're not out of this yet - we've still got a long climb ahead of us, and no guarantee of what we'll find on the other side. "Alright," I mutter, steeling myself for the treacherous path ahead. "Let's keep moving before this whole place comes down around our ears."

I take a deep breath, flex my fingers, and reach up to test the first handhold, praying to whatever gods are listening that we make it out of here alive.