Round 506

The stone scraped against stone, a sound like grinding teeth. Varikka forced herself through the gap just in time—the ceiling collapsed behind them with a roar, tons of rock slamming down where they'd been standing moments before. She tumbled out into Merrin's arms, both women gasping as the water sprayed over them from above. They scrambled back, already waist-deep in the rushing current that carried them forward into darkness.

Merrin coughed, water streaming from her face and hair. "You okay?" she managed, her grip tight on Varikka's shoulders. The dwarf nodded, but her face was pale even in the dim light. "Sprained ankle," she gasped. "Badly." Merrin bit back a curse. They couldn't fight like this—not with Varikka barely able to stand, let alone swing a weapon. And the water was rising fast.

"Come on," she said, helping Varrika to her feet. "We need to find higher ground." They moved through the chest-deep waters as quickly as they could, Merrin supporting most of Varikka's weight. The current pulled at them insistently, trying to sweep them downstream. And then they saw it—the shape moving beneath the surface, sleek and fast, cutting through the water like a blade.

Merrin yanked Varikka sideways instinctively, pushing her against the wall as she tried to put herself between the dwarf and whatever was in the water with them. "Stay close," she whispered, her hand on her dagger even though she knew it would do little good against something that big moving through the current. Whatever it was, it hadn't surfaced yet—but they could feel its power in the way the water churned around them.

They pressed themselves flat against the stone, hearts pounding, as the shape passed beneath them. For a long moment, nothing happened—then the water calmed, and the thing was gone into the darkness ahead. Merrin let out a shaky breath. "What... what was that?" Varikka asked, her voice barely audible over the rush of water.

"I don't know," Merrin replied, her eyes still fixed on the spot where the creature had disappeared. "But I think we just found our next problem."