Round 87 Transcript

As Halie moves closer to the unstable rune, a faint hum grows louder, and her holy symbol begins to vibrate against her chest. The silver cross feels heavier, as if urging her forward. The air thickens with an acrid scent, and a noxious cloud of death magic wafts up from the crack in the wall, making it difficult for Varrika to see. The pulsing rune responds to Halie's presence by brightening, casting eerie shadows on the walls. The whispering voice returns, its tone like rustling dry leaves: "You should not have come here...". The words seem to carry on the wind, echoing off the stone floor.

I force my wings tight against my back, the feathers aching as if pressed against hot coals. Every instinct screams at me to spread them, to fly out of this cursed place before whatever hungry thing stirs below has its fill—but I can't risk breaking any more of these damnable runes with a clumsy takeoff. The central one pulses brighter with each moment we linger, and I swear something whispers back through the stones when my voice carries too far. Varrika's determination is admirable, even if it makes me want to shake her up sometimes, but I'm not about to let Merrin descend into what's obviously a death-trap staircase just so she can play hero with that cursed sword. The air thickens and a noxious cloud of death magic wafts up from the crack in the wall—I'd recognize that stench anywhere—and I cover my nose, eyes watering. "Stop!" The word tears out before I can stop it, sharper than intended. "If that gas gets any closer to Merrin we'll lose another party member, and this time it won't be from some cursed sword."

I drop my torch low, trying to see past the flickering shadows. The air grows thick with something foul—something unnatural. My holy symbol feels hot against my chest, vibrating like a living thing. This is wrong. We shouldn't be here.

I grimace as the noxious cloud wafts up from the crack in the wall, my eyes watering and lungs burning. The air itself feels tainted, poisoned by some ancient evil. "Stop!" I shout, my voice raw with urgency. "We can't breathe this foulness!"

I grab Halie's arm, pulling her back from the edge of the staircase. Merrin sways in place, the cursed sword still clutched in her hands. Jeane crouches low, shielding her face with an arm. The central rune pulses brighter, casting eerie shadows across the chamber. I swear I can hear something whispering through the stones, a malevolent presence awakening from its long slumber. "Something's not right," I growl, my hand tightening on the haft of my mace. "This whole place feels... wrong. Tainted."

I meet each of their eyes in turn, my gaze hard and unflinching. "We need to be careful. That staircase could be a death trap, for all we know. And that rune..." I shiver, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. "It's like it's alive. Watching us."

I turn to Merrin, my expression softening despite my fear. "Merrin, love, can you hear me? We need to get that sword out of here, but we can't risk your life in the process. Let one of us take it down the stairs."

Merrin blinks at me, her eyes clouded with pain and confusion. The curse twists her features, making her look almost inhuman. "No," she croaks, clutching the blade tighter. "It has to be me. The magic... it's drawn to me. To the curse." She takes a shaky step forward, towards the stairs. I reach for her, my heart aching. But Jeane is faster, putting herself between Merrin and the descent. "Wait," she says, her voice calm but firm. "We don't know what's down there. Let me go first. If it's safe, I'll call back up. If not..." She shrugs, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "Well, you'll all just have to come save my scaly hide."

I open my mouth to argue, but something in her expression gives me pause. She's right, damn her. We need to know what we're up against before we risk Merrin's life. "Fine," I grunt. "But if there's any hint of danger, you get your ass back up those stairs faster than a gnome with a new hammer. Understood?"

Jeane salutes me, a mockery of military discipline. "Understood, Captain."

And with that, she turns and begins to descend into the darkness, her wings folding tight against her back. Merrin sways in place, the curse still clawing at her soul. Halie clutches her holy symbol, praying for guidance. I stand at the ready, my mace gripped tightly in my hand. Whatever lies ahead, we'll face it together. We have to. There's no other choice.