Round 188

Merrin's eyes widened as she saw the tentacled horror release its grip on Varikka, sending the woman tumbling backwards into the churning water. She moved instinctively, diving forward and grabbing Varikka by the arm, hauling her back towards shallower ground. "Fuck! Are you okay?!" She shouted over the roar of rushing water, barely able to hear herself. The cold bit deep as she knelt in the rising flood, helping Varikka sit up and catch her breath.

Seraphine's head broke the surface nearby, the elf woman gasping and sputtering as she fought to stay afloat. Merrin waded over, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her towards solid ground. "Come on! We need to get out of this water!" She could feel the current tugging at her legs, growing stronger by the second. The temperature was already dropping, and her teeth were starting to chatter.

Varikka nodded shakily, pushing herself to her feet with Merrin's help. Together they waded towards the edge of the chamber, the water now waist-deep and rising fast. "What the hell was that thing?" Varikka demanded, her voice trembling slightly as she looked back at the dark shape still visible beneath the surface.

Merrin shook her head, scanning the room for any sign of an exit or higher ground. "I don't know. And I don't want to find out. We need to get out of here before we drown or freeze." She spotted a narrow ledge running along one wall, just above the water line. "There! Come on!" She grabbed Seraphine's hand and pulled her towards the relative safety of the stone shelf.

As they climbed up onto the ledge, Merrin could feel the cold seeping into her bones, her fingers already starting to lose sensation. The water was now chest-deep in the center of the room, swirling with unseen currents. "We need heat," she said through chattering teeth. "Fast. Or we're not going to last long up here."