Round 213

Merrin squeezed through the tight gap with all the grace of a cat shoved into a too-small sack, her wiry halfling frame contorting in ways that would make a circus acrobat jealous. The stone scraped against her back and shoulders as she forced herself through, every muscle straining to find just one more inch of give. And then, with a final desperate heave, she was free on the other side, collapsing onto the cold floor in a heap of exhausted relief.

But the reprieve lasted for all of three seconds. That's when Merrin heard it - the sound of rushing water that sent ice through her veins. She scrambled to her feet, her dark eyes wide with terror as she took in her surroundings. The chamber was massive, easily twice the size of the one above, and filled with deep pools of water that glowed with an eerie blue light. Skeletons lay scattered across the floor, their bones picked clean by some unknown creature.

And speaking of creatures... Merrin could make out several large shapes moving beneath the surface of the water, their eyes glowing like m...

She knew she was in trouble. Big trouble. The kind of trouble that made her wish she'd stayed on the surface and taken her chances with whatever had tried to kill Varikka upstairs. But it was too late for regrets now. She had to move.

Merrin's hand instinctively went to her crossbow, but her fingers closed around thin air instead. Right. Dropped it back in the previous chamber when she was trying to squeeze through that damn gap. Great. Just great. Now all she had left was her heavy mace - hardly ideal for dealing with whatever horrors lurked beneath the surface of this glowing blue water.

She took a step back, her eyes never leaving the shapes below. The water seemed to ripple and shift around them, as if they were stirring something up. Or maybe waiting for something. Or someone. Merrin's heart hammered in her chest as she tried to calculate her options. There was no way out that didn't involve passing through or over that water.

Unless...

Her eyes darted around the chamber, searching for any alternative route. And then she saw it - a narrow ledge running along the wall, just above the waterline. It wasn't much, but it was something. If she could reach it, she might be able to edge her way along and find a safer spot.

Merrin took another step back, her mind racing as she formulated a plan. She'd need to move fast, but carefully. One wrong step and she'd be in the water with those... things. She glanced down at her heavy iron bar again, wishing it was something lighter and more maneuverable. But beggars couldn't be choosers, and right now, she'd take whatever advantage she could get.

With a deep breath, Merrin began to move, her hand reaching for the wall as she inched towards the ledge. Every step felt like an eternity, her entire body tensed and ready to react if those glowing eyes suddenly surged towards her. The water lapped at the edge of the stone as she approached, and she could feel the cold mist on her skin even from this distance.

This was it. Her one shot at staying alive and hopefully finding a way back to Varikka and Seraphine. She just had to make it work.