Round 775

The floor opened beneath them again as the trap reactivated, revealing a dark pit below and sending up choking dust. The mechanism ground somewhere deep in the walls. Merrin grabbed Varrika instinctively to keep her from falling, but the movement made Varrika's ankle scream fresh pain. The magical sword had fallen when Varrika stumbled earlier—its blue light was fading fast now that it lay on stone instead of the altar surface. The ambient glow from the walls dimmed further, leaving them in near-darkness except for Merrin's torch and the sword's dying pulses. "Shit," Varrika growled through clenched teeth, shifting her weight onto Merrin to keep off her bad ankle. "This whole place is a death trap."