The party's adventure continued on in the face of all adversity they came across. Transformations, shrinking, all fell by the wayside of their stubborn determination to see what treasures lay ahead.

They swam at a level pace; having come to the conclusion, that no matter how fast or slow they went, the traps would catch them in some way or another. The best thing they decided was to not waste time and just face these obstacles as they passed.

So far they had little incident following the frog fiasco leaving room for some actual casual conversation for once.

"What is up with this place," asked Melinda. "What's up with this witch Cylla? So far none of these traps have been that dangerous, just stupid."

"Unless you consider, 'dying of embarrassment' an affliction." Replied Roland.

"You got that right. I thought you had to be a snobby mage to transform this much in a day."

"...Right. Well either way it seems Cylla's rumored power isn't all it's cracked up to be or he is purposefully messing with us."

"Peh, I doubt he's even half of what the rumors say- hey where's Esther?"

The conversation died off when the mage and paladin realized their cleric was no longer besides them.

"Oh damnit," screamed Roland. "She was just besides us a moment ago, she couldn't have gotten-"

"HELP," came a voice from far off.

Without a moment's hesitation, the duo swam with all their might to the voice's origins. They soon came to an opening into a vertically large room, in the center of which was a vortex of water being vacuumed down into a dark abyss below. And to the side of the room, desperately holding on to a block of ice was...

"ESTHER!" Melinda screamed.

She attempted to approach the cleric but was suddenly pulled back by a screaming Roland.

"Wait! You shall be sucked in as well!"

"Who cares! Esther's my friend, I'm not about to let her die!"

"I'm not saying you should. Just give me a moment!"

In less than a minute, Roland had brought out his spell-book, flipped through the pages, and began chanting some esoteric phrases. A ghostly hand then arose from the book and grabbed on to Melinda. The stem of the hand then wrapped itself around an ice pillar as tightly as possible. 

Without a word, Melinda understood and swam into action. She reached out desperately towards Esther who was losing her grip on the block. 

"Esther! Grab my hand!" 

The pull of the water was incredible. It was like fighting the currents of a hurricane in desperate attempt to not be flung along rocks. It took everything in Melinda's power to not let her hand get wrenched towards the vortex in the center. 

Slowly Esther reached out one of her own hands. She nearly even reached Melinda's, but the power of the vortex, and the fact she loosened her grip on the rock proved to be her doom. Esther slipped.

"ESTHER!!!!!" Melinda's scream echoed far and wide as she saw her best friend being flung across the room and then down, and down into the dark hole below.

There was nothing left for poor Esther but to scream and panic as her fate seemed sealed. The only other option was less of an option but rather a reflex shared by all puffer fish merfolk when fear and anxiety took over. 

...

~FWOMP~

...

...

...

The room was calm, and the current quieted.

"Well... that solved that little problem." Muttered Roland. 

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