Round 346

The rising water surged past Merrin's knees as she frantically traced the symbols above the pressure plate. "I can't read them!" she cried out to Varikka, her fingers trembling against the cold stone. The dwarf woman was already waist-deep in the rushing current, her scarred hands gripping the edge for dear life.

"Forget the damn symbols!" Varikka shouted back, her voice barely audible over the roar of water. "There's a mechanism behind you—turn it before we both drown!"

Merrin spun around, her eyes wide with panic as she spotted the hidden gear mechanism embedded in the wall. She threw herself against it, desperately cranking the handle as the frigid water rose to her chest.

The chamber shuddered as the drainage system activated with a groan of ancient stone. The flood began to recede, but the current was still strong enough to sweep them both away if they didn't find purchase quickly.

Varikka scrambled for a handhold above her head, her powerful arms hauling her up onto a narrow ledge just in time. She extended a hand down to Merrin, who was barely keeping her head above water as she kicked frantically against the rushing current.

"Grab on!" Varikka shouted, her fingers outstretched. Merrin reached up with a desperate lunge, her cold hands grasping the dwarf woman's wrist in a vice-like grip.

With a grunt of effort that spoke to her immense strength, Varikka hauled Merrin up onto the ledge beside her. They collapsed together in a heap, gasping for breath as the water continued to drain away below them.

"We made it," Merrin wheezed, her whole body shaking with adrenaline and cold. "Thanks for not letting me drown."

Varikka let out a harsh laugh, water streaming from her beard and mustache. "I owe you one for that rescue earlier," she said, clapping Merrin on the shoulder with enough force to make the smaller woman wince. "But we're far from safe yet. That flood was just the beginning—we still need to find a way out of this death trap before the next disaster strikes."