Round 617

Merrin's heart leaps into her throat as Varikka disappears down the hidden shaft, the sound of her friend's cry echoing up through the darkness. "Varikka!" she cries out, scrambling towards the edge on hands and knees. Peering over the lip, she catches a glimpse of the dwarf woman disappearing into the shadows below, the sound of her falling growing fainter with each passing moment. Her mind races as she tries to process what just happened, the Guardian's taunting words still echoing in her ears. "You should have taken my offer. Now, you'll have to navigate through this mess alone." Merrin clenches her fists, torn between wanting to help her friend and knowing that following her down could mean certain death for both of them.

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the shaft, Varrika lies sprawled on a pile of rubble, her body aching from the fall. She takes a moment to assess her injuries - a nasty gash on her forehead, her wrist throbbing from where it hit the wall during her descent, and most concerning of all, a sharp pain shooting up her ankle. "Shit," she mutters, trying to move her foot experimentally. The pain shoots up her leg again, and she knows immediately that it's sprained at best, broken at worst. "Merrin!" she calls out, her voice echoing in the darkness. "Are you there? Can you hear me?" There's no response, only the ominous creaking of the ancient stone around her. Varrika takes a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. She knows she needs to focus on getting out of this situation alive, but with her ankle in this state, moving through the treacherous tunnels is going to be next to impossible.