The tentacle crashed down with such force that the entire chamber trembled. One moment Thorin stood defiant, axe raised in his good hand, the next, only rubble remained where the dwarf had been, crushed beneath a mountain of writhing flesh.
"THORIN!" Nik's scream tore through the chamber as he lurched forward, his injured leg forgotten in his desperation. Water surged around his knees, fighting his every step.
"Nik, stop!" Apollo shouted, but his warning was lost in the chaos. The gold in his veins burned cold with urgency as he nocked another arrow. 'Not Thorin. Not like this.'
Nik reached the edge of the impact zone, hands clawing at the massive tentacle. His efforts were futile, like trying to move a mountain with bare fingers. Blood from his reopened wounds clouded the water around him.
"Help me!" he pleaded, looking back with eyes wild with panic.
