Adrian: Baldur's Gate

Far away, in his underground lair beneath the city of Baldur's Gate, Sarevok was having his own problems.

Adrian should've been dead by now. Oh, there were more assassins waiting to find him, to be sure, but that was cold comfort. Lamalha and her vicious band should've finished them, and they had never come back....and Adrian had been spotted back in Beregost since. He must know about the Bandit Camp by now, as Tranzig had failed to report to Tazok. Yet he was still exploring the surrounding environs....

Sarevok was sure it was not cowardice. Not from the lad who had unleashed a Bhaalscream at him. No, he was getting stronger, honing his sword arm, increasing his own skills and those of his companions.

He rubbed the hilt of the Sword of Chaos absently. As the plan progressed, it was proving harder and harder to get back here, to the secret temple of his father. Reiltar, believing he was in charge, was still giving Sarevok "orders", which for the moment he had to continue to obey, until the plan reached the right point.

Reiltar. His foster father, in the same way that old fool Gorion had been Adrian's. Being raised in the Iron Throne had given Sarevok the gold he needed, to find the Cult of the Resurrection, to convince him he could be that resurrection. They had been pleased, and one of their number--a cloaked woman who seemed unusually tall for a human, had been delighted with him....

Irritably, he snapped his thoughts back to the present. It was not in his nature to let his mind wander, but here in his stronghold he could do what he wished. Reiltar knew this place existed, but thought it was a mere military planning base. Sarevok grinned wolfishly. He had no idea, nor would he...until it was too late.

But the matter of Adrian, and his friends....a Drow and a Red Wizard were amongst their number. That was enough to concern him. Adrian was no sanctimonious fool; he picked those allies would be most useful to him. The Dwarf, by all accounts, was one of the stockiest and most resilient of his kind.

He would have to take more proactive measures.

"Tamoko," he whispered, coldly.

His lover, the Kara-Turan beauty, stepped out of the shadows. "Yes?"

"Send our....special friends....to guard the entrance to the Cloakwood Mines."

Tamoko bowed. "It shall be done as you say, but...wouldn't you rather they were at the camp?"

Sarevok normally would've killed anyone who questioned his orders, but Tamoko was special, and anyway she had a point. "We already have a capable staff there, they might get him. Cloakwood is a more crucial nexus point."

Tamoko bowed again.

"In any case," Sarevok added, "With luck Molkar will kill him."

Tamoko bowed again, and vanished, to relay Sarevok's orders.

Sitting in his throne, golden armor clanking heavily. Sarevok continued to brood, golden eyes narrowed.

Adrian and his band had gotten about halfway from Beregost to Gullykin when they were ambushed.

Xzar had given them precise directions, saying that had been one of his and Montaron's stops on the way to the road where they had met Adrian. Adrian made a mental note to ask Xzar, at some point, what exactly they had been doing there in the first place.

"So I kicked him in the head till he was dead!" this juvenile proclamation was followed by snotty laughter that set Adrian's teeth on edge. Arrows began to whiz from every direction; they were surrounded!

Adrian could tell these were the bandits, not assassins sent for them specifically. But that didn't improve his mood.

"Fan out!" he shouted. He himself rolled to the left, with difficulty in his storm armor, came up on one knee and fired his crossbow into the midriff of an unfortunate bandit.

Safana dropped to a crouch where she had been standing, hurling sling bullets at the nearest foe.

Kagain and Viconia charged, their screams unsettling the Bandits opposing them.

Xzar and Edwin whirled. From Xzar's finger, a jet of flame stretched and engulfed a bandit, who staggered around screaming. Edwin blasted another down with a lightning bolt.

The surviving bandits had seen enough; they turned and ran.

Viconia was not impressed. "This is the best the raiders can do?"

"A mere scavenging party," Adrian said. "Not the real threat."

"They'll have gold backing up their real operations," said Kagain.

"We should go to their camp soon, and put an end to this," said Edwin.

"Gullykin first," Xzar pleaded.

"Aye," Adrian agreed. "Then the camp."

They approached the wastelands south of Gullkyin as daylight was failing, when a harsh voice hailed them:

"I am Molkar. You are Adrian. My orders are clear. You must die."