Baldur's gate II_ throne of Bhaal - Drew Karpyshyn [5]
There was something else: Immune to all physical weaponry, Abdel was vulnerable in another way. The big sellsword was no stranger to violence. His chosen profession had nurtured and honed his bloodlust, feeding the evil part of him that was the legacy of Bhaal to all his children. Only Jaheira's love had prevented Abdel from succumbing to the taint of the dead Lord of Murder and becoming a soulless killing machine like his half brother Sarevok had been.
The support and guidance of the woman he loved had enabled Abdel to fight against his own impulses. With Jaheira's patient and understanding hand on his shoulder, he had learned to control the hate and the rage within him, to suppress the terrible transformation that threatened to overwhelm him. But that control was fragile. The wholesale slaughter of his pursuers might unleash the terrible monster he had learned to cage within himself.
It had happened before-to both himself and Imoen, though Abdel had purged the beast from Imoen's spirit in a vicious, bloody battle at the foot of the Tree of Life. But the potential for Abdel to turn into a mindless abomination bent only on killing every living being within reach was still very real. In victory over his enemies Abdel's very identity could be consumed by the foul essence of his unholy father and his body would transform into the four-armed demon that was the physical manifestation of Bhaal's evil on Faerun. If he wasn't careful, Abdel knew, he might become the Ravager again.
The slightest whisper of leaves caused Abdel to spin around and drop into a low crouch, drawing his heavy broadsword from the sheath on his back in a single, fluid motion. He stood with the blade poised to strike at the first appearance of the unseen intruder, his powerful hands clenching at the hilt of his weapon so hard his knuckles were white. The enormous muscles of his arms and shoulders rippled and twitched in anticipation, then relaxed when Jaheira emerged from the forest and stepped into the clearing.
The attractive druid held up a handful of small, three-cornered leaves, then popped one into her own mouth. "These will help, but we still need to sleep. Even you, Abdel." She handed him one of the leaves. "For Imoen. Just place it under her tongue if she's too tired to chew."
Abdel did as he was told, dropping to his knees and setting his sword on the ground as he tenderly lifted the head of his exhausted half sister. She didn't respond to his voice when he urged her to take the leaf, so Abdel gently tilted her face back and opened her tiny mouth. He slipped the leaf beneath her tongue and lowered her head back to the cold ground. Jaheira handed him a blanket from the pack she carried on her back, and he carefully arranged it over the winsome body of the sleeping young woman.
Jaheira lay down a few feet away, and Abdel crawled over beside her. She snuggled up close, resting her head in the crook of his massive arm and pressing herself against him to try and draw warmth from his well-muscled body.
"I spoke to the animals of the forest," the druid whispered in a groggy voice, already succumbing to the welcome embrace of sleep. "They will warn us if anyone approaches."
Reassured by Jaheira's words, Abdel shifted slightly on the cold ground, trying to get comfortable without disturbing the already sleeping druid. He had full confidence in Jaheira's ability to commune with the birds and beasts of the forest. He knew they would be well watched over while they slept, but for some reason Abdel could not will himself to close his eyes.
He struggled with the dilemma of their situation. The hunters were close, and with both Imoen and Jaheira able to travel less and less each day it was only