Adrian: Baldur's Gate

They were surprised by the presence of the Ogre Magi, which by rights should've given that worthy the advantage. But he made a classic mistake; he started boasting and gloating. He hadn't got three words out before Adrian's minor drain and magic missles from Xzar and Edwin intercepted him.

This was not enough to kill him, of course, but he was smart enough to stop talking and start casting. Too late. Another minor drain from Adrian was accomanied by Kagain charging, axe upraised. Safana's sling bullets also made themselves felt.

Nevertheless, the Ogre finally turned invisible, and Viconia promptly dispelled that advantage.

But this Ogre Mage proved both tougher and more clever than Droth had been. Realizing he was magically outmatched, he raised his large scimitar and attacked.

Kagain parried the blow, but the force of it knocked him back. Viconia began a lethal dance; jumping in, striking, then sidling away again. Adrian himself stepped forward, sword raised, and the blades sparked at they met. Adrian absorbed the blow, much to the Ogre's surprise.

It was at that point that Edwin and Xzar sent in another horde of magic missles, which finished the foe.

"Good," Adrian said, breathing heavily. "None of us injured. I've the feeling there's more trouble ahead."

"Surely we've finished the ringleader," Safana protested.

"Aye," Adrian agreed. "But what about all his little friends? I feel there's probably more lieutenants about."

Viconia was nodding, slowly. "We can't leave it as is."

"What do you suggest, then?" Edwin sniffed.

"That Safana scout ahead."

This time it was Kagain who spoke up. "Adrian, I be with ye on most things, but not this time. Surely we can go collect our gold and leave?"

Adrian calmed himself. He would stop this undermining of his authority by cunning, not rage. "Think, Kagain," he said, as evenly as he could. "More foes means more gold."

Kagain grunted.

Safana winked and slipped into the shadows. A few mintues later she was back. "It's bad," she said. "A mage, two flesh golems, and about six of those kobolds armed with fire arrows."

Adrian nodded, thinking carefully. "All right, here's what we do..."

Edwin turned Adrian and himself invisible, and Safana slipped into the shadows again. She slinked down through the enemy ranks, and hid behind a wall.

When they were sure she had enough time, Adrian and Edwin slipped into the main hallway, and spied the enemy mage.

"Now," Adrian whispered. He fired his crossbow and Edwin unleashed a lightning bolt. This ended their invisiblity, but that didn't matter; the key had been to strike first.

Edwin threw himself back out of the corridor, and Adrian fell prone, to the floor. The lightning bolt struck the mage, passing through him and harming him a great deal. The crossbow bolt added a bit more damage. The energy blast bounced against a far wall, barely missing the hiding Safana in the process, and came back, disrupting the mage's attempt at casting a spell. He was still alive, however.

Adrian threw himself flat again as the bolt passed over his head and reflected back down the hallway, but it sputtered out before reaching the mage agian.

Safana's lips tightened; she had been hoping not to have to do her part. She slipped from the shadows and backstabbed, killing the mage. Then, as the Flesh Golems noticed her, and the kobolds began shooting, she began to run like mad.

One burning arrow managed to lodge itself in her shoulder, then she had tumbled past Adrian. Now it was Kagain and Xzar's turn.

As Adrian continued firing crossbow bolts at the approaching Flesh Golems, Kagain rushed past him, screaming a battle cry as his enchanted axe bit into the chest of the lead Golem. At the same moment, Xzar raised the wand he had found in one of the caves, and summoned forth a quartet of Gnolls, to take on the Kobolds. Adrian got to his feet, unsheathed his sword, and charged, to aid Kagain against the Golems.

The Gnolls managed to kill two of the Kobolds before they were taken down. Then the firey arrows were raining down on Adrian and Kagain as they battled the Golems. Xzar used the wand again, and this time wolves materialized; the remaining Kobolds fell quickly to the furry hunters.

The surviving wolves then went to aid Kagain and Adrian against the Golems. They could not actually harm the Golems with their nonmagical fangs. But the Golems, being stupid, didn't know that, and so turned to face this new threat, which enabled Adrian and Kagain to finish them off.

They collected the magical treasures of the mage and the Ogre Magi, and then got the Hells out of there.

Gandolar Luckyfoot had been pleased and generous, giving them 500 gold. Not much, but profit all the same. Xzar and Edwin were pleased with the magical trinkets they had gotten. Safana had been healed by Viconia, and Adrian and Kagain visited the temple.

"Tomorrow we go to the Bandit Camp," Adrian told the party, much to Xzar and Edwin's delight.

As he went to get into bed, Safana began whispering to him. He paused, then nodded.

"So, soon he will fulfill our purposes," said Edwin, rubbing his hands.

"Yes," Xzar giggled. "He will be of great value to us--"

"I'm glad you think so," Adrian's dry voice cut through their late night conversation.

They started, and looked up. At Adrian staring down at them with open anger. At Safana flanking him, a naughty smile on her face. At the pair of glowing red eyes over his other shoulder, which they knew to be Viconia's.

"You really should be careful about who's listening to youre late night plotting sessions," chided Safana.

"You never know who they might tell," said Viconia.

"Or what the consequences might be," Adrian said in a voice of ice.

Xzar was white as a sheet, lip trembling. Edwin's mind was racing furiously, trying to think of something to say.

"I am a mercenary, first and foremost. If you want me to serve some nebulous purpose of yours, then by all means offer to pay me and tell me what the mission is up front. But for all your usefulness to me, you're not irreplacable. You try controlling me again and I will personally chop you into pieces. Is that understood?"

Xzar and Edwin stared at him, too numb to speak.

And Adrian's temple boiled over. As he had on the night of Gorion's death, he tapped into the deep dark fury of his nature and screamed,

"IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?!?"

Had either of the wizards been standing, they would have been knocked down, As it was, both were sent rolling like tumbleweeds. The campfire went out. All the night creatures in the area stopped their noise.

There was a silence for a minute.

"It is understood," Edwin managed.

Adrian stalked through the darkness until he found Xzar and picked him up.

"Y-yes, I understand!" Xzar squealed through the vicelike grip Adrian had on his throat.

"Who do you work for," Adrian snarled into his face.

Xzar was having trouble breathing. "Guk....we will reach the city of Baldur's Gate before this is over, assuming you don't kill me now..gggg...."

"Aye," said Adrian.

"You will...agg....meet my superiors then, guhhhhhh, you have my word..aaaakkkkk.....Adrian. They...gruhhhhhh....will explain better....hhhhh...than I could."

Adrian throttled him a moment longer, staring into his eyes with that cold gray stare. Then he dropped him, and turned away.

Kagain, who had remained silent throughout this business, began relighting the campfire. When he did, it revealed Safana and Viconia staring at eachother in excitement and fear. Their expressions were mirror images; What is he?

After wheezing for a while, Xzar crawled painfully over to where Edwin was leaning back on his hands, looking bemused.

"Edwin...." wheeze "...what have we got ourselves into?"

The Red Wizard's face was grim. "Trouble."