Round 906

The roar of rushing water filled the chamber, a relentless sound that seemed to vibrate through the very stone walls. Varikka pressed herself against the slick surface, her injured ankle throbbing with each beat of her heart. The swelling had grown worse since they'd entered this damned room—her boot felt ready to split now, the leather stretched painfully tight over her swollen flesh. "Merrin!" she shouted again, her voice barely audible over the din. "Answer me! Where are you?"

Silence answered her call, broken only by the pounding of water somewhere nearby. Panic began to rise in Varikka's throat like bile, but she forced it down with sheer will. She couldn't afford to lose control—not here, not now. The dwarf woman pushed herself upright using the wall for support, gritting her teeth against the pain that shot up her leg when she put weight on her bad foot. She needed to find Merrin before whatever was causing all this water found them first.

The chamber wasn't large—perhaps fifteen feet across at most—and the walls were smooth stone, slick with moisture and algae. A narrow opening gaped darkly in one side, the only way out or in. Varikka limped toward it, using her free hand to brace against the wall for support. The passage beyond was even narrower, barely wide enough for her shoulders. She paused at the entrance, peering into the darkness.

"Merrin?" she called again, her voice softer now, almost pleading. "If you can hear me, answer! I'm coming!"