Round 202

Merrin's breath came in short gasps as she squeezed through the narrow opening, her heart pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat. The creatures' claws scraped against her back, their guttural growls echoing off the stone walls and sending shivers down her spine. She could feel the heat of their breath on her skin even after she emerged into the larger chamber, the torch held high illuminating the space around them.

Fuck me sideways, Merrin thought as she took in the scene before her. The chamber was filled with rushing water, the sound of it flowing through hidden passages deafening. And floating in the center of the room was... something. Something massive and dark, its shape barely visible beneath the churning surface of the water.

Varikka! Merrin shouted, her voice barely audible over the roar of the water. The priestess had already waded out into the shallows, seemingly mesmerized by whatever lay beneath the surface. Get back here! It's not safe! But her words were lost in the rush of water and the distant groans of the collapsing tower.

Merrin knew they needed to move, to find higher ground or at least a place where the water wasn't rising so quickly. But her eyes kept returning to the dark shape in the water, a primal fear gnawing at her stomach. What if whatever was down there had already claimed Varikka? What if she'd already...

No. Merrin pushed the thought away, focusing on the task at hand. She needed to find a way out of this flooded chamber before they all drowned or whatever lived in these depths found them. The question was, which direction should they take? The passage behind them was blocked by creatures, and the water ahead seemed to be flowing towards...

Varikka! Merrin shouted again, her voice cracking with desperation as she waded out into the shallows after the priestess. She had to reach her before it was too late.

Merrin's heart raced as she followed Varikka into the deeper water, the current tugging at her legs. This is a fucking terrible idea, she thought to herself, but she couldn't just leave the priestess to whatever lay beneath the surface.

The water was ice-cold, seeping through her boots and leathers, chilling her to the bone. She could feel her fingers beginning to numb as she reached out towards Varikka, trying to pull her back to shallower ground. Varikka! Come on, we need to get out of here! But the priestess seemed oblivious to Merrin's pleas, her eyes fixed on something below the surface.

Merrin finally managed to grab hold of Varikka's arm, tugging insistently. Hey! Snap out of it! We're going to fucking drown down here if we don't move! She could feel the current growing stronger, pulling at them both, trying to drag them deeper into the rushing water.

With a grunt of effort, Merrin managed to haul Varikka back towards the shore, her muscles burning with exertion. What the hell were you thinking? she demanded as soon as they were both standing in shallower water. Do you have any idea how close we just came to being pulled under?

Varikka shook her head, her eyes still wide with whatever she'd seen beneath the surface. I... I'm not sure. There was something down there, Merrin. Something ancient and powerful. I felt... drawn to it.

Merrin cursed under her breath, her teeth chattering from the cold. Great. Just fucking great. Now we've got some mysterious underwater entity to deal with on top of everything else. What did you see? And more importantly, can we get the hell out of here before whatever it is decides to pay us a personal visit?