Round 127

Merrin's wiry halfling form cuts through the water with desperate efficiency, her compact build surprisingly buoyant despite the heavy mace still clutched in one hand. The cold seeps into her bones, but she ignores it, focusing on the task at hand. The water closes over her head, darkness enveloping her vision. She opens her eyes wide against the stinging salt, peering through the murky greenish-black depths. At first, she sees nothing but shifting shadows and the faint outline of submerged rocks. Then— movement. A figure, pale and blurred, drifting just beyond her reach. She kicks harder, propelling herself forward with powerful strokes. The water resistance fights back, but adrenaline fuels her muscles. Closer now, she can make out details: long hair splaying in the current, limbs limp and unresisting. It's Seraphine. And she's not moving.

Merrin surges forward the last few feet, wrapping one arm around her friend's torso while keeping a firm grip on her weapon with the other. She begins to kick for the surface, hauling Seraphine alongside her. The weight is immense, dragging them both downwards, but Merrin grits her teeth and keeps pulling. They break the surface together in a rush of bubbles and displaced water. Merrin gasps for air, treading water frantically while supporting Seraphine's dead weight. "Halie! We need you now!" she shouts between breaths, her voice echoing off the cavern walls.*