Round 99

Merrin's grip tightens on her heavy mace as she listens to the scratching noise echo through the chamber. The water level continues to rise behind them, now waist-deep and threatening to sweep them back into the depths. "Stay close," she hisses to Seraphine, her dark eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. "And whatever you do, don't fall behind." The wiry halfling scout woman knows they're out of their depth here, but she also knows they have no choice but to press forward. As the sound grows louder, more insistent, Merrin realizes that whatever is coming is far too close for them to mount a proper defense. She's seen what happens when adventurers underestimate the dangers of ancient ruins - and she has no intention of joining their ranks.

With a deep breath, Merrin wades forward into the deeper water, her mace held at the ready. The icy liquid laps at her waist, sending shivers through her exhausted body. "We need to find higher ground," she calls back over her shoulder to Seraphine. "And quickly." The elf woman nods, her face pale in the flickering torchlight as she follows Merrin's lead.

The cavern opens up before them, vast and shadowed, the ceiling lost in darkness far above. In the center, a wide river flows, its surface gleaming with an eerie luminescence. Merrin feels a chill that has nothing to do with the cold water. Something about this place feels wrong, ancient and malevolent. But they have no choice. They have to keep moving forward.

As they wade deeper into the water, Merrin notices something strange - skeletal remains scattered along the riverbed, their hollow eye sockets seeming to watch them pass. And then she sees it - a pair of glowing eyes, deep within the water's depths, staring directly at them. "Seraphine," she hums, her heart pounding in her chest. "I think we have company."