Adrian: Baldur's Gate

Don't look!" Adrian shouted. "Don't!"

Frantically, Tiax and Viconia tried to summon undead, but they were spent. They could hear the thing looming behind them, hissing. There was a second hiss behind it; there were two of them.

"Xzar, your pet!" Adrian called, desperately.

Xzar shook his head. "Can't call it for another day."

"Then you and Edwin summon your jellies and other monsters! That will at least buy us time!"

A basilisk tried to bite into Adrian's leg, but his storm armor held. The jewel whispered to him, begging him to unleash it's power, but he couldnt; in this confined cave system, the lightning bolt would bounce back and kill them all.

As the wizards began to call their monsters, Adrian stepped slowly to the side, then backwards, seeing the bulk of the basilisk behind him. Then he closed his eyes lest it turn and look at him. Opening his eyes again he stared at the floor, at the monster's flesh, anywhere but the eyes.

Finally he was behind the first one, hearing the hisses of the second one off to his left. He began to hack and slash at it with his green sword, and it tried to turn to face him, but Gnolls and wolves had been called by the Wizards by then, and it was forced to stare down this new threat. Two Gnolls turned to stone, but the remaining three, flanked by six wolves, closed the distance adn began to fight the first one.

Kagain held his axe in front of his face, and it's enchanted surface reflected the gaze of the second Basilisk, petrifying it. Then he rushed to help Adrian, coming in from the flank. Viconia and Tiax came up behind him. The summoned monsters kept the basilisk busy until the party could kill it.

"That was fun," said Edwin. "Really, it was. Let's never do it again, hmm?"

"I sincerely hope not," agreed Adrian. "Is there anything we can do for Obe?"

"If we get out of here, I can contact Tethtoril," said Deder. "He can come back down here with a Stone to Flesh scroll."

"And when we get out of here, hunted by the Fist for Reiltar's murder or no, I'm going to take us to Beregost to buy some of those scrolls for ourselves, in case we do run into more of these things."

"With perhaps a stop at High Hedge on the way?" Viconia asked him.

Adrian nodded, and both wizards smiled a little, knowing what he really meant' he still wanted to kill those Golems. Perhaps Thalantyr as well.

They bedded down that night in the form Basilisk lair, surrounded by the previous victims of the monsters, including Obe. There were about eight of them, mostly monsters, a pair of human warriors in addition to the Dwarven Obe. It was an uncomfortable place, but not as uncomfortable as the crypts they had left behind.

Another dream.

Adrian was a small child again, running through the hallways of Candlekeep. That old Buzzard, Ulrant, was on his heels, shouting vague imprecations. Little Adrian didn't know what they were, and didn't care. He just wanted to be left to his own affairs.

Eventually they ran out into the inner courtyard, between the fountains that flanked the paved path as it exited the Castle. Gorion stood there, waiting for them, a stern expression on his face.

Seeing him, Ulrant and Adrian just stopped.

"You can both stay here," Ulrant sneered. "But I tell you, that child will be the death of you."

"That is a risk I will gladly take," said Gorion quietly, "That the rest of the Realms may be spared."

Ulrant huffed and turned away. Gorion followed him, tousling Adrian's hair as he passed. Adrian appreciated the gesture, but knew the truth; nobody wanted him around.

He stared into the fountain to his left, and saw himself staring back out of it, as though it were a reflection. Only the reflection had no eyes; only black, empty sockets like a skull.

Instead of feeling fear, Adrian angrily waddled over to the fountain, reached in, and yanked his surprised reflection out by the throat. "Me, understand?" he snarled at the empty-eyed twin. "Not you, me."

"Turn away from the darkness," another voice entreated. He turned, still throttling the twin, and saw in the other fountain, another twin of himself. This one had eyes, and dressed in casual merchant clothes, and looked happy and relaxed. "It is not yet too late."

"Neither of you understand," Adrian said. "I am myself and no one else." He lfited the twin he was throttling and threw him into the fountain where the other was. The happy twin looked astonished as the half-throttled one collided with him. There was a bright flash, and both were gone.

Adrian woke, and knew instantly that he had a new power. What exactly he was not sure, save that as with the Ghoul touch, it was in his hands. Some sort of draining spell perhaps.

He roused the others, and they moved on.

They stopped as they heard voices up ahead, low murmured conversation that echoed to them through the caves. Adrian looked at Tiax, who understood immediately. Slipping into the shadows, he moved ahead.

A couple minutes later he was back. "Two warriors, a thief and a mage," said Tiax. "Iron Throne agents, by their conversation."

Adrian nodded, unsurprised. Probably waiting here for Reiltar, or Sarevok. Or hperhaps word of his escape was already about the Keep. Whatever, he would remove them.

He whispered to Edwin for a minute or so. The Thayvian nodded and smiled, and made the entire party invisible, himself last.

The Throne quartet were still muttering amongst themselves as they snuck into the large cavern where they were. Adrian and Kagain stood astride the lead warrior, Viconia and Deder by the second, Tiax by the thief, and Xzar and Edwin by the mage.

Adrian and Kagain were the first to attack, the others popping into visibility on their cue. The enemy were powerful, but caught by surprise. Only Tiax had any trouble, as he was on his own, and an arrow from Deder and magic missiles from Edwin helped him out. They slaugthered the foe in minutes, only Tiax was harmed, and even he not much.

"Finally we can get out of these caves!" sighed Adrian.

"Well, I'd like em in other circumstances," said Kagain, and Viconia nodded.

"Whatever, let's get out of here."

And so they did. Unfortunately, as they exited to the surface on the southern side of the Keep wall, Emirikol was waiting for them.