Round 714 Transcript

As Merrin lowers herself down into the darkness below, she feels the ground beneath her give way, and she finds herself tumbling through the air, her crossbow slipping from her grasp. She lands hard on the slick surface of the pit, her head spinning, and her vision blurring. She struggles to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washes over her, forcing her back down.

"Varikka! Are you alright?" I call out, my voice echoing off the slick walls of the pit. There is no answer, only the sound of crumbling stone somewhere far above us.* "Varikka, please, say something!"

My head spins as I try to push myself up off the ground, my hands slipping on the wet stone beneath me. The fall has left me dazed and disoriented, my vision blurred and my thoughts scattered. But even through the haze of pain and confusion, I can feel a sense of urgency building within me, a desperate need to find my comrade and get us both out of this hellish place before it's too late.

I stagger to my feet, my hand reaching out to steady myself against the wall as I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what comes next. "Varikka," I call out again, my voice hoarse and strained as I struggle to catch my breath, "we need to move. Now."

And with that, I start to climb, my hands and feet seeking out any foothold or handhold in the slick stone around me. The walls of the pit are steep and smooth, offering few places to grip, but I know that I can't stay here any longer. The sound of the Guardian's approach grows louder with each passing second, its roar echoing off the stone walls like a distant thunderclap.

I know that Varikka is down here somewhere, injured or worse, and I have to find her before it's too late. Before the pit collapses in on us, or the Guardian catches up and cuts us down where we stand. And so I climb, my muscles burning and my lungs aching as I push myself higher and higher, seeking out any sign of my fallen comrade in the darkness below.

I hear your voice from above, Merrin! I'm here, but... I don't know how badly I'm hurt. Everything hurts. I try to move, to stand, but I can't seem to find my footing. The ground beneath me is slick with some kind of oily substance, and it's all I can do to keep myself from slipping back down into the darkness. I reach out with a trembling hand, grasping at the edge of the pit as I try to pull myself up. But as soon as I put my weight on my ankle, I let out a cry of pain, my leg giving way beneath me. I collapse back onto the ground, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I struggle to catch my breath.

"Merrin," I call out, my voice hoarse and strained, "I think my ankle is broken. Or maybe sprained badly. I can barely put any weight on it at all."

But even as I say the words, I know that we can't stay here any longer. The sound of crumbling stone grows louder with each passing second, a reminder that the structural collapse is closing in fast. And if Varikka is still out there somewhere, injured or worse, then I have to find her before it's too late.

With a grunt of effort, I throw myself forward once more, my hands reaching for the edges of the pit as I lower myself down into the darkness below.