Round 844

The water crashed over them both, cold and unforgiving. Merrin gasped, the shock of it stealing her breath as they were swept downstream in a torrent. Her head still pounded from the gas, vision swimming unsteadily at the edges while she fought to keep Varikka's weight distributed evenly between them. The dwarf woman's injury meant she could barely move without pain showing on her face, and Merrin knew carrying her through this was going to be nearly impossible.

But the sound of pursuit grew louder with each second that passed. Heavy footsteps echoed off the stone walls surrounding them, drawing closer through the water with terrifying speed. The Guardian pursued without pause or rest, its unyielding gaze fixed on their retreating forms even as they were carried downstream by the rushing current. Merrin's heart hammered in her chest, fear and adrenaline surging through her veins as she desperately searched for any handhold or ledge that might offer them a moment's respite from the relentless flow.

And then, suddenly, the channel opened up into a small pool at the end of the fast-moving stretch. Merrin managed to drag them both onto a narrow ledge just beside it, her arms shaking with exertion as she pulled Varikka up onto solid ground next to her. They collapsed there together, gasping for breath while the water surged past mere inches away. The Guardian's heavy footsteps grew even louder now, echoing off the ancient stone walls surrounding them on all sides.

It had found them again. Of course it had.