Adrian: Baldur's Gate

Adrian sat up slowly, wiping the grit from his eyes as he awoke from the horrible dream. He was fairly sure he had gained new abilities, but was in no particular hurry to find out what they were. Normally a grimly self-possessed fellow, Adrian was unsettled. He needed a minute.

Safana was still wrapped warmly around him, sleeping peacefully. He looked down at her for a moment. He did not care for her, nor she for him, but all the same it was good to be intimate with someone, in full contact so much of the time. That was something he had missed in his life. His eyes drifted over to the sleeping Viconia, and he sighed.

His eyes strayed to the wizards. Xzar was on his knees before the campfire, cooking eggs. Edwin was rolled up in a foetal ball, still asleep. He remembered the dream; it wasn't just that they didn't want to tell him, they were afraid to tell him. As Jaheira had been.

Adrian sighed. He must know, eventually. But he would wait, until he met Xzar's superiors.

About an hour later, when the whole group was awake and breakfasted, he explained his plan. They would head back to Beregost to see if there were any more commissions to be had (they also had some Bandit Scalps for Officer Vai), then south to the actual area of Firewine Bridge.

Kagain agreed with the plan wholeheartedly. Most of the others were indifferent, except Xzar, and even he understood that the more party building they went through, the better.

The day was foggy, but the sun was bright, and slowly burning that fog away, as the party headed south.

In Baldur's Gate, Imoen was training as a mage. Harpers surrounded her. The mage Danelaus was her trainer.

The magic missile fizzled and faded into useless sparks in her hands. She sighed.

"Concentrate, Imoen," said Danelaus, a kindly old man with a long beard. "Focus your energies."

Off to one side, Khalid and Jaheira watched.

"D-do you think she'll win through?" Khalid asked her.

"She has potential," Jaheira murmured absently, eyeing the high vaulted dome that was the Harpers headquarters in the city. "But in truth, I'm still more worried about Adrian."

"T-that's part of why we're training her," Khalid pointed out. "He'll let her t-tag along, he cares for her."

Jaheira nodded. "I know, I just hope she finds him before it's too late."

Across the room, Imoen exclaimed in delight when a magic missile flew from her hands and struck the target square.

"Good, Imoen," said Danelaus. "Now try this..."

Far beneath the city, Sarevok bolted upright in bed, knocking Tamoko aside.

"What?" she murmured.

"The bandit camp is lost," Sarevok said through gritted teeth, eyes blazing in fury.

"How do you know?" she asked blearily, sitting up.

"I always do," he bit out, and bolted from bed. Kicking open a door, he charged into a hallway. "Semaj! To me!"

The sun was hot as Adrian and his party returned to Beregost. It didn't take long for Adrian to hear the true tale of how the Burning Wizard got it's name....