Round 717 Transcript

As I launch myself forward, my feet skid across the wet stone, and I feel the ground beneath me give way. I stumble, catching myself on the edge of the pit just in time. The Guardian's sword flashes in the dim light, mere inches from my face. I know I've got to move fast if I want to get Varikka out of here alive. I look down at Varikka, who's still lying on the ground, her leg twisted at an unnatural angle. I can see the pain in her eyes, and I know I've got to act quickly. I glance around, taking in my surroundings. The slick stone floor stretches out in every direction, making it difficult to get a grip. I spot a narrow ledge about 10 feet away, partially hidden by the shadows. It looks like it might be just wide enough for us to squeeze through. But as I look at Varikka, I realize that we can't stay here any longer. The Guardian's roar grows louder, and I can tell it's closing in fast. I've got to make a decision quickly - do I try to drag Varikka to the ledge, or do I look for another way out?

"Varikka! Try to grab onto my back, I'll try to lift you!" I shout, struggling to maintain my balance on the slick stone floor. The Guardian's roar is almost deafening now, its presence just beyond the edge of the pit. I can feel the heat of its breath on the back of my neck, the weight of its sword poised to strike. But I don't have time to think about that. All that matters now is getting Varikka out of here, alive and in one piece. I lunge forward, my hands gripping tightly around Varikka's waist as I struggle to lift her onto my back. She cries out in pain as I hoist her up, her leg twisting beneath her at an awkward angle. But there's no time to be gentle. I can hear the Guardian drawing closer, its footsteps echoing off the stone walls as it closes in on our position. "Hold on tight!" I yell, my voice strained with effort as I start to move towards the ledge. 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. But I push forward, my muscles burning with the exertion of carrying Varikka's weight. As we near the ledge, I can see that it's even narrower than I thought. It looks like it might be just wide enough for us to squeeze through, but there's no room for error. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what comes next. With a grunt of effort, I hoist Varikka onto my back, my hands gripping tightly around her waist as I struggle to maintain my balance on the slick stone floor. As we near the ledge, I can see that it's even narrower than I thought. It looks like it might be just wide enough for us to squeeze through, but there's no room for error. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what comes next. With a final burst of strength, I launch myself forward, my feet skidding across the wet stone as I race towards the edge of the pit.

"Merrin! Merrin wait!" I gasp out, my voice hoarse from pain and exhaustion. She turns back, her face etched with concern as she takes in my condition. I know I look bad - covered in grime, bleeding from a dozen cuts, and barely able to move thanks to the severe sprain in my ankle. But I can't let that stop me now. We've come too far to give up. "There's a ledge about ten feet away," I rasp, pointing with a shaky hand to where I last glimpsed it in the shadows. "It looks like it might be just wide enough for us to squeeze through. But we can't stay here - the Guardian is getting closer and the water is rising fast."

I can hear the splash of water behind me, see the oily film spreading across the stone floor. We're running out of time. I try to push myself up, wincing as my ankle throbs in protest, but Merrin is already there, her hands under my arms as she hauls me to my feet. "I can't carry you and fight off the Guardian at the same time," she says, her voice tight with strain. "So I need you to help me get us out of here. Can you do that?"

I nod, even though the very thought of moving makes my head spin. But I know Merrin is right. We're in this together, for better or worse. And if we don't work together, neither of us will make it out alive. "Alright," I say, bracing myself against her shoulder as I try to take a step forward. "Let's get the hell out of here."

Together, we start to hobble towards the ledge, each of us drawing on our last ounce of strength and determination. The Guardian's roar echoes off the stone walls, growing louder with each passing second, but we don't look back. We can't afford to. Our lives depend on getting out of this pit - and finding a way to stop the Guardian once and for all. I can feel the ground shifting beneath my feet as we move, the oily film making it harder and harder to maintain my balance. But I push through the pain, focusing only on putting one foot in front of the other. Merrin is beside me, her hand clasped tightly around mine as she guides me forward. She's strong, stronger than I ever gave her credit for, and I know that without her help, I wouldn't have made it this far. As we near the ledge, I can see that it's even narrower than I thought. It looks like it might be just wide enough for us to squeeze through, but there's no room for error. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what comes next. With a grunt of effort, I hoist myself onto the ledge, my hands scrabbling for purchase as I try to pull myself up. But just as I'm about to haul myself over the edge, I hear a sickening crack behind me. The stone floor is giving way, crumbling beneath the weight of my body. Merrin cries out in alarm, her hand reaching out to grab mine as I teeter on the brink of falling back into the pit. "Varrika!" she shouts, her voice filled with desperation. "Hold on! I've got you!"

I cling to her hand, my fingernails digging into her skin as I try to pull myself up. The pain in my ankle is blinding now, but I push it away, focusing only on the feel of Merrin's hand in mine. "Merrin, we need to move," I gasp out, my voice barely a whisper. "The floor is collapsing. We have to get out of here now."

I can see the fear in her eyes, the knowledge that if we don't act fast, we're both going to end up back in the pit - and this time, there may be no escape. "On three," I say, my voice strained with effort. "One... two..."

And then, together, we haul ourselves up onto the ledge, our bodies scraping against the rough stone as we scramble for safety. The Guardian's roar is almost deafening now, its presence just beyond the edge of the pit. But we don't look back. We can't afford to. As we collapse onto the relative safety of the ledge, I turn to Merrin, my face a mask of pain and exhaustion. "We made it," I rasp, my voice hoarse with relief. "But we're not out of this yet."