Round 892

The orb pulsed beneath the surface, its rhythm steady and unsettling. Merrin's fingers tightened around the jagged rock, her knuckles white in the gloom. The current pulled at her relentlessly, each surge threatening to tear her from Varikka's grip. The dwarf woman's arm around her waist was a lifeline, but even that strength had its limits.

"Elric!" Merrin screamed, though the rushing water swallowed her voice almost instantly. "Help us!" Her lungs burned for air, and the cold seeped into her bones with each passing second. The faint light below seemed to mock her struggle, promising some unknown horror waiting in the depths.