Round 603

The water wasn’t rising—it was falling, in a massive torrent that threatened to sweep them both away. Merrin screamed as the wave hit, clinging desperately to Varrika’s sturdy frame as they were tossed like ragdolls by the sudden flood. The dwarf woman grunted with effort, her powerful arms wrapping around Merrin’s smaller body and holding tight as they fought against the current.

For a moment, it seemed like they might be pulled under, swallowed up by the darkness of the rushing water. But Varrika was having none of that. With a roar of pure determination, she planted her feet on the stone floor beneath them and pushed back against the flood. The water tried to drag them away, but the dwarf woman’s grip remained ironclad.

They surfaced together, gasping for air as the last of the water rushed past them and into the darkness beyond. Merrin coughed and sputtered, her heart pounding in her chest as she clung to Varrika like a lifeline. The dwarf woman held her close, her own breathing rough but steady.

"You alright?" Varrika asked, her voice gruff with concern.

Merrin nodded, unable to speak past the lump of fear in her throat. She looked around at their surroundings, taking in the half-flooded chamber and the ominous sound of shifting stone above them. The torch had gone out during their near-drowning experience, leaving them in near-total darkness save for a faint glow from somewhere nearby.

"We need to keep moving," Varrika said firmly. "The water will rise again soon, and I don’t fancy being caught down here when it does." She helped Merrin to her feet, supporting the halfling woman’s weight with one strong arm while using her mace as a makeshift walking stick with the other hand.

Merrin leaned on her gratefully, her legs still shaky from their near-death experience. Together, they began to pick their way through the ankle-deep water toward the source of the faint light, both women acutely aware that time was running out—and that the tower above them was doing its best to ensure they didn’t make it out alive.

The true test of their survival had only just begun.