Round 177

The narrow passage ahead seemed to offer no escape, yet Merrin found herself drawn forward by sheer desperation. The sound of rushing water grew louder with each passing second—a sound that sent fresh jolts of terror through her already overtaxed system. She didn't dare look back to see how close the torrent was, knowing full well that even a glance might break her concentration and send her stumbling.

The passage narrowed as she pressed deeper, forcing her to contort her body in ways that made her muscles scream in protest. Cold water splashed up around her thighs now, soaking through her leathers and chilling her to the bone. At last, the tunnel opened up into a larger space, and Merrin found herself standing at the edge of a massive underground lake.

The water was dark and still, save for one thing: pairs of glowing eyes floated just beneath the surface, dozens of them, staring directly at her. She froze, heart pounding, as she realized she'd stumbled into something far more dangerous than mere rising water.

The heavy iron bar clattered to the ground as Merrin backpedaled frantically, her breath coming in short gasps. The eyes remained fixed on her, unmoving, and for a long moment, nothing else happened. Then, with a sound like rushing wind, something enormous began to surface in the center of the lake. A tentacled horror rose from the depths, water cascading off its massive form as it turned towards her with a hunger that made Merrin's blood run cold.

She didn't wait to see more. The halfling whirled and dove back into the relative safety of the passage, her heart pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears. The sound of rushing water grew louder behind her once more as the flood pursued its relentless course, but Merrin knew now that the water was the least of their problems. Something ancient and terrible lurked in those depths, something that had been waiting for intruders—and she'd just delivered herself straight into its lair.

The iron bar lay forgotten on the floor as Merrin fled, her only thought to warn the others before it was too late.