Round 976

The ancient stonework screamed under strain as the tower's magic failed in great tearing gasps. Merrin clung to her support pillar across the room, crossbow aimed at the monstrous Guardian that filled the doorway with its bulk. The creature's single glowing eye fixed hungrily on them both, and it surged forward again with claws extended like scythes seeking harvest. Varikka fought to stay upright through sheer determination alone, her scarred face etched with pain as she distributed her weight across multiple crumbling pillars.

Merrin's finger tightened on the trigger, but a fresh tremor made the floor buckle beneath her feet. She stumbled sideways, barely catching herself against another pillar as the shot went wide, embedding itself harmlessly in the creature's thick hide instead of its eye. "Shit!" Merrin hissed through gritted teeth, already loading the next bolt with shaking hands while trying to maintain her balance amidst the shifting floor.

The Guardian let out a rumbling roar that vibrated through the very stone as it closed the distance, each heavy step cracking flagstones. Varikka's grip slipped on one pillar as its surface crumbled away in her hand, and she cried out in pain as her injured ankle screamed protest. She managed to catch herself against another support just in time, but the chamber groaned ominously around them like a living thing in its death throes.

Merrin fired again, the bolt punching through one of the creature's shoulders this time—but still not finding the eye. The beast barely slowed, its single-minded pursuit driving it forward even as blood seeped from the wound. Dust cascaded from the ceiling in thick choking clouds with each fresh tremor, visibility dropping as the entire structure seemed to moan under immense pressure.

Varikka shifted her weight desperately, trying to find a stable position that wouldn't aggravate her ankle further while still supporting enough of the crumbling walls to keep them both from being buried alive. The ancient runes on the pillars around her flared brighter with each fresh impact, bathing everything in stark flickering light and shadow.

Merrin dropped her crossbow and drew her dagger, knowing the creature was too close now for ranged weapons to matter. She backed toward a seemingly more stable section of floor near the chamber's edge, eyes never leaving the Guardian as it closed the final distance with terrifying speed. The ground beneath Varikka's feet gave another loud, ominous groan that seemed to echo through the entire tower.

The next round begins...