Round 353

The water roared through the corridor behind them, rising fast enough to make Merrin’s heart pound in her chest. She’d twisted her ankle badly when she fell on the jagged stone, and now the gash on her left calf was bleeding steadily, mixing with the cold water that already soaked her clothes. The dwarf woman had hauled her up onto the basin’s edge with a grunt of effort, supporting most of Merrin’s weight while trying not to think about how much longer this precarious platform would hold them above the rising floodwaters.

But as they caught their breath for what felt like the first time in hours, something moved in the shadows beyond—the unmistakable gleam of eyes watching them from the darkness. Varikka’s hand went reflexively to her mace, but she knew they were in no position to fight whatever lurked there. The water was already waist-deep on Merrin, and the current was growing stronger by the second.

“Merrin!” Varikka shouted over the roar of the flood. “Can you see anything down there?”

Merrin strained her eyes through the gloom, trying to make out shapes in the churning water. “I think I saw something move,” she called back, her voice shaking. “Something big.”

The dwarf woman felt a chill that had nothing to do with the cold water. She knew they needed to get Merrin out of there fast, but the only way off this basin was through whatever lay waiting in those shadows. And with Merrin’s injured ankle, even if they managed to fight their way past the unseen threat, moving quickly enough to escape the rising waters would be nearly impossible.

“Stay close,” Varikka said, her grip tightening on the mace. “We’re getting you out of here.”

Merrin nodded, though she knew Varikka couldn’t see it in the darkness. The water was already up to her chest now, and the current was pulling insistently at her legs. She tried to focus on anything but the cold, the pain in her ankle, or the unseen eyes watching them from the shadows.

“I’m ready,” she said, her voice barely audible over the roar of the flood. “Just... be careful.”

Varikka nodded grimly, knowing that careful wasn’t going to cut it this time. She took a deep breath and stepped forward into the darkness, mace raised and ready for whatever awaited them beyond the reach of the water’s light.