Adrian: Baldur's Gate

"Mages!" Adrian shouted. Xzar and Edwin wasted no time discussing the matter, but simply began twisting their fingers and mumbling their Words.

Adrian, Coran, and those pirate crewmen who used archery began firing into the creature. Adrian was vaugely amused to see Tiax hurling sling bullets.

As the ship drifted closer to the whirlpool, Edwin and Xzar launched their fireballs. The twin detonations rocked the ship and turned water to steam. The Kraken howled, but continuted to rise up out of the water.

"Again!" Adrian roared, as Zavrian commanded several of the ship-boarding crossbows to fire.

They were hurting it, and it could not strike back, but they simply weren't doing enough damage to it. It continued to rise up out of the water, tentacles flailing. Soon it would be in range. The next pair of fireballs slammed into it, but still it rose.

Xzar pulled a frost wand from his robes and triggered it. Several tentacles snapped off useless, and the Kraken howled in fury. Viconia and Tiax exchanged a glance and called upon the power of their dark Gods to aid the crew.

As the powers of Shar and Cyric flowed through him, Adrian gasped. He doubted very much that Cyric would want to aid him.

As the crew gave a great roar and moved to the railing to attack the Kraken, Tiax's eyes blazed. "Tiax knew it," he whispered harshly.

Adrian hurled a minor drain into the creature, and magic missiles from the mages swarmed it. Bexira and Zavrian leapt to the front. Zavrian whirled like a dancer, his blades spinning, cutting off tentacles. Bexira had two morning stars, a long sword, and a meat cleaver and she struck the foe mercilessly.

A tentacle lashed out, grabbed an unfortunate pirate from the deck, and dropped him, screaming, into the Kraken's maw.

"Summon!" Adrian roared. The mages nodded, and soon there were Gnolls and Wolves crawling all over the exposed flesh of the Kraken, biting and slashing. They fell easily, but they distracted the Kraken from the crew.

Safana screamed defiance and threw her enchanted singing sword. It found a Kraken eye and ruptured it. The Kraken screamed in real pain.

Kagain danced to the fore, slashing and hacking with his axe. Another pair of tentacles were lost. Soon there would be none left.

Realizing this, the Kraken heaved it's bulk, meaning to smash into the ship and sink it.

Viconia and Tiax cried out, and suddenly the dying wolves and Gnolls were replaced by Skeletons and a Ghast. Taking the hint, Xzar and Edwin called upon the jellies they had stolen from that fool Narcillicus.

The Kraken howled as the undead and the jellies crawled all over it's exposed surface. Finally it gave up, and began to sink below the water again. The jellies continued to attack it as it went down.

Zavrian was pale. "Break out the rowers! Raise the sails! GET US OUT OF HERE!"

Two hours later, they were clear of the dark skies and the beast. Zavrian was confident--well, reasonably so--that they were safe from it. The ship had largely escaped damage, and only one crewman had been lost.

"Adrian," said Tiax.

Adrian turned on the shifting deck. "Aye?"

"Cyric knows what you are, now."

Adrian remained unmoving. "And?"

Tiax grinned. "Ye do not wish your father's power, do ye?"

Adrian sighed. "I don't want his job, if that's what you mean. The power I have, I use for my ends, not Bhaal's."

"Nay, you use them for Cyric's, now. Bhaal is dead and so he shall remain. Cyric knew, shortly after his Ascenscion, about the spawn. Your goals will aid Cyric."

Adrian shrugged. "Whatever."

Tiax merely smiled again, and walked across the deck.

Adrian didn't know whether to be angry or relieved.