Adrian: Baldur's Gate

"...it occurs to me," said Xzar to Edwin in another of their conferences, "That this whole business with the poisoning of the mines may be more than we thought."

"Meaning?" asked Edwin.

"Well, whomever it is blames the Zhentarim for their own activities. But it doesn't make sense. We wish to rule the trade routes, not fill them with worthless iron. There's something larger at work here, oh yes my precious."

"Don't call me precious, monkey," Edwin snapped.

"Oh no, Montaron is the monkey!" Xzar giggled.

"Shaddap, ye daft wizard," Montaron snorted. "But e's right, though. Somethin' bigger s' happenin' here."

"Why should Thay care?"

"Because whoever they are, they might come after you next," Xzar sing-sang.

"Mmmm. Perhaps."

"If ye be quite done conspiring," said Kagain, who was on watch, "It's time to go."

Viconia woke Adrian.

There were more of the annoying kobolds, but these had arrows of fire. For once Adrian almost regretted his choice of the crossbow; he could have used such specialized ammunition.

They went down another level and found themselves facing an island on the other side of an underground lake, guarded by several more of the kobolds with their arrows of fire. They were dispatched easily, though one flame arrow bounced off Adrian's armor.

"Look like this is it," he whispered.

"Aye," said Montaron.

They crossed the narrow stone path to the island.

"We're doomed," the Elf mage informed them.

"What is it about mages?" Adrian asked no one in particular.

"Hmmmm?" said Xzar, and Edwin raised an eyebrow.

"I've seen more of your ilk since I left Candlekeep than I ever thought to see in my life."

Edwin shrugged. "Magic rules the world. Particularly in Thay."

"Nay, Gold runs the world," Kagain. "Faster ye learn that, the better life will treat ya."

"The world is doomed, no matter who runs it," said the Elf.

"And who are you, despairing Elf?" Adrian asked.

"Xan. I was sent to investigate these mines."

"By yourself? No wonder you were captured. Pathetic." Sneered Viconia.

"We are all doomed, so we are all pathetic," said Xan.

"Stop whining," Adrian commanded, "And tell me who runs this place."

"A smelly Half-Orc named Mulahey," said Xan. "Though he takes his orders from someone else. He's got skeletons and kobolds by the score in here."

Adrian grinned unpleasantly. "We'll deal with them."

The cave had convenient bottlenecks. Viconia and Montaron held off the kobolds and undead, with Xzar and Edwin hurling magic over their heads into the enemy ranks. Meanwhile, Kagain and Adrian fought Mulahey directly.

Mulahey was not much of a fighter, but he was well armored and armed, and could take a lot of damage. By the time he finally went down, he had gotten in three strikes on Adrian and one on Kagain.

"Help my minions! Helll--urrrrkkkk," he gagged, expiring as Adrian used the dark blade he'd taken from Greywolf to finally cut him down. Adrian had been delighted to discover it had a frost attack of some sort.

They found a symbol of Cyric on his person. Adrian sneered at it. Cyric had always seemed somewhat cowardly to him, for an evil God.

In his chest they found information linking this operation to the Bandits; and clearly indicated they were part of a wider conspiracy. He handed treasure around.

"We'll sleep here tonight," he said. "It should be safe now."

"What about that damned surface Elf?" Viconia asked.

"What about him? He's pathetic. Let him go. The doom he's obsessed with will find him soon enough, I'm sure."

Another dream.

Adrian was sinking through the levels of the mines, chuckling, picking up pieces of gold he'd missed as he went. Eventually he found the shade of Mulahey, trapped in a column of light, unable to move. A dagger of bone floated in the air before it. Mulahey stared it at helplessly, waiting for a death beyond death, and knew no hope. Rightfully so.

Brushing aside the quaint bone dagger, Adrian reached out to strangle the shade with his bare hands. The tools of another simply would not do; he must be sure of it himself. It was strange though, Mulahey seemed somewhat relieved as he faded away in Adrian's grip. A puzzling turn, but of little concern. The mines were his once again.

He turned to go, and found that the single dagger had become five; a skeletal claw that lunged at his chest, trying to pierce his armor, over his heart.

"Accept the tools you are given," said a cold voice. "Accept what is bred in the bone."

Adrian fought back grabbing at the bone knife claw and pulling at it.

He woke abruptly, the sounds of morning around him as the others also began to rise.

He felt a calm sort of anger, but no fear.

His heart was not his weak spot.