Round 438

The water lapped at their boots now, rising fast. Merrin had yanked Varrika through the gap just before the whole section collapsed behind them, a thunderous roar and shower of stone dust proving how close they'd come to being buried alive. Now they clung to a ledge barely wide enough for both of them, watching as what had once been solid floor became rapidly flooding cavern.

Varrika's face was pale in the flickering torchlight, her jaw clenched against the pain from her sprained ankle. She shifted her weight gingerly, testing her footing on the slick stone. "I'm trying," she said through gritted teeth. "But this thing isn't going to hold my weight for long."

Merrin scanned the area quickly, her rogue's instincts screaming at her to find a way out before they both drowned or the whole damn place came down around their ears. The ledge wound along the edge of the main chamber, disappearing into darkness ahead and behind them. Torches flickered weakly in the distance, barely illuminating the scene of disaster.

"By the Goddess's mercy," Merrin breathed, clutching Varrika's shoulder for balance as another section of wall gave way somewhere nearby. The sound of rushing water grew louder, and she could feel the vibrations through her boots. "We need to move. Now."

Varikka nodded, but her expression was grim. "Move where? I can barely walk on this ankle, let alone run from whatever's chasing us." She gestured toward the darkness ahead with her chin. "Unless you've got a secret exit hidden in your boot, we're trapped between drowning and being pounded into paste by that thing."

Merrin's eyes narrowed as she spotted movement in the water below them. Something large was swimming through the rapidly rising floodwaters, its shape distorted by the churning water but unmistakably alive. Great. Just what they needed - more monsters.

"We're not trapped," Merrin said firmly, though her stomach twisted with doubt. "We just need to be smarter than everything trying to kill us." She met Varrika's eyes steadily. "Trust me. I've gotten us out of worse scrapes than this."

Varrika managed a weak smile despite the pain and fear etched across her features. "When you put it like that, how can I refuse?"