All That Glitters...4

Chapter Four

"IMMY!" Kal and Cel screamed together as she vanished in a purple sparkle of light. It almost seemed for a moment as if Kal would try and jump after her, throwing himself off the edge in the process. Minsc and Jaheira each grabbed an arm to make sure that did not happen.

"What's going on? What...why...?" Kal stammered incoherently. He had caught something about "illegal magic" and "all involved are to be arrested", but he didn't understand it.

"I am afraid this is one of the things you will have to learn about Amn, my friend," Yoshi said, grimly. "It is unfortunate that my first lesson as a guide to Athkatla must be linked with such a terrible event."

"All right, Yoshimo, let's hear it. What just happened?" Kal asked, having recovered some of his composure. Before Yoshimo could begin answering, however, a guard walked into the area.

"Nothing to see here, citzens," he said in a loud voice. "Return to your normal activities...nothing to see here." Walking up to the group he said, "You are lucky that you were not arrested with the girl. Please leave the area, by order of the Amnish Guard."

Kalvorin gave him a long, chilly glare. The guard flinched momentarily from what he saw reflected in the startlingly golden eyes, but stood his ground. "Very well," Kal grated. He spun about quickly, his started companions taking a moment to react. "Yoshimo - where's the nearest inn? We all need a rest. Once we get a room you can finish telling me about what's going on."

"The Mithrest and the Den of the Seven Vales are near," Yoshimo began.

"The stuck-up fops and dandies at the Mithrest would never tolerate people who looked as we do," Jaheira said. "Let us go to the Den. I know the proprietress somewhat and can likely get us rooms."

Kal turned and raised an eyebrow. "Been around this way before, Jaheira?"

"As a Harper I go many places. Athkatla was one where I spent time - enough time so that I know this place passing well. This is Waukeen's Promenade, the center of the city's mercantile district."

Yoshimo chuckled mirthlessly. "Some would say that the city is but a mercantile district. It is not called the City of Coin for nothing."

"Indeed. I will need to know more about this place, but our first priority is a place to rest." Kal paused, then, and looked at the sky - clear, and the temperature was warm. Kal turned back to the guard.

"Yes, citizen?" the guard asked, a little nervously.

"Sir, what is the date?" Kal asked coolly.

"It is the first of Mirtul, thirteen-seventy Dalereckoning, citizen."

"Thank you."

Yoshimo had caught the exchange. "Then it has been under a week since I was captured. A good thing to know."

"Under a week for you, perhaps, but I happen to recall the date we walked out of Baldur's Gate. Jaheira, do you remember, as well?"

Jaheira had already turned very pale. "I...I do. Fourth of Mirtul, thirteen-sixty-nine."

"So we've been down there a few days shy of a whole year. No wonder I'm scarred. I don't even want to think about what he did with a whole year to play with." Kal shook his head as if shaking away his experiences in the dungeon. "Anyway, to the Den. Our concern has to be about what's happening now, not what's over and done with. Yoshimo, lead the way to the Den of the Seven Vales."

---

After securing rooms, the group headed downstairs to eat and talk. Kal wanted to know more about Athkatla. They found themselves a small, undisturbed corner of the Den taproom, where Yoshimo began talking about Athkatla, with some help from Jaheira and some occasional outdated comments from Cel, who had been around this way several hundred or so years ago.

"All right, I understand the organization of city into districts. Fine. But what about those wizards that took Imoen away?" Kal asked, after a particularly dry section on the division between the Government and Bridge districts.

"They are the Cowled Wizards," Yoshimo said, "The self-proclaimed magical authority of Amn. To cast wizardly magic, you must have a license, which is a thinly disguised bribe."

"Self-proclaimed? What do you mean by that?"

"By that, my friend, I mean that they are not officially designated to do such a thing. The Council of Six rules in Athkatla, but they have no jurisdiction over the Cowled Wizards."

"So, what you're saying is...the Cowled Wizards just appeared one day and declared themselves to be responsible for magic use? And no one can stop them because they control all the magic?" Kal could hardly believe that a city - no, a nation - functioned with this kind of principle. So much for justice. A group of magical bullies telling people what to do because they hold all the cards.

"The history is quite a bit more involved, but I sense that you are not so interested in the intricacies at the moment. Yes, for all intents and purposes you are correct, though they like to pretend to be as official as possible. They even take up residence in the Council of Six building in the Government District." Yoshimo paused. "I see what you are thinking, paladin. But it is not as tyrannical as you are no doubt picturing it to be. History in Amn has not been favourable to wizards. There are many in the city grateful that wizards are not exploding spells above their heads every moment of the day."

Kal shook his head. "Perhaps, but I'm still uncomfortable with it," he said. "A dangerous precedent - that the process of law here can be upset simply by enough force to do so."

Yoshimo laughed. "My idealistic friend, the precedent was set long ago. The Cowled Wizards are merely the largest and most brazen example to date. Besides, I have had the honour of knowing a few Tyrrans on my travels, and I am sure you, like them, have a habit of pointing out that justice is not law, at least to vanquish your white-blue-and-purple choirboy image, if for nothing else."

Kal smiled, for Yoshimo had hit right on the mark with that one. "That is true. In Baldur's Gate, some of the things I had to do were...differently legal. Or they were...creative interpretations." He leaned back. "Now I'm sounding like...Imoen...." His voice and smile trailed off.

There was a moment of awkward silence, no one knowing what to say to that.

"Very well, then. I'll give these Wizards a chance," Kal said, after the moment had passed. "What do we do to get her released? You said they maintain a presence at the Council of Six building: can we launch an appeal from there? Or is there a fine to pay? Where is the prison? I would at least like to visit her."

Yoshimo's eyes darted about. "Eh, well...you have encountered one of the more unfortunate aspects of the quasi-legality of the Cowled Wizards."

Kal's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"He means," Jaheira said, "that you do not launch appeals to the Cowled Wizards. Nor do you visit their prisoners. Nor do you pay fines."

"So...how do you get prisoners released?" Kal asked, dreading the answer he already knew.

Jaheira looked miserable as she replied, "You don't."

"That is unacceptable!" Kal's hand came down on the table with such force that it snapped a chunk off the side and resounded with a boom and a crack that startled all the other patrons of the Den for a second. After a few more seconds of stunned silence, everyone else returned - slowly - to what they had been doing before, Missus Patricia with an unmistakable you're paying for that glare. "What I meant to say," Kal continued in a calmer tone, "was that we must find a way, Cowled Wizards or no." Heads nodded. "Is there no way of getting her back?"

Yoshimo began to smile again. "There is always a way. The most difficult part, I would imagine, would be finding the location of their prison. The Cowled Wizards are tight-lipped about that, just as they are about most things."

"Minsc knows! We will find these wizards and squeeze them like the wine-press of goodness until the juice of truth slips from their slimy, evil mouths!"

Kal grimaced. Quite the images he comes up with. "As tempting as that sounds, Minsc, it would also land us in a heap of trouble that I don't want. While I don't have much qualms about breaking these wizards' self-imposed law, it wouldn't be wise. We'll need to find some other way around them."

"What about the Order?" Cel piped up from her scabbard. "The Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart. Remember, Kal? Ajantis invited you to visit him here."

"Ah, right. I remember now. It seems so long ago. What of the Order, Yoshimo?"

"Indeed, the paladins and priests of the Order are active in the city," Yoshimo said. "Their High Hall is found in the temple district. But they do not involve themselves with politics much - the Council of Six and the Cowled Wizards fear little intervention from the Order."

"So, they wouldn't know anything about the Wizards?"

Yoshimo shook his head. "Unlikely. They promote law and goodness within the city, a little too strictly for my taste, but try to keep themselves as far from the Wizards and the Council as possible. They like the current state no more than you do, but they realize...."

"...that a conflict with the Wizards would be even more disruptive to the city and nation than their presence. I understand that," Kal said, cutting Yoshimo off. He paused in thought. "Fine, then. Forget the Order. What about those black-garbed figures that attacked Irenicus? There's something else going on, here. I think we need to find out."

Yoshimo grinned cheerfully. "Leave that to me, my friend. The dives and seedy establishments of drink are my environment, and extracting information is my kind of skill. Better I do it than you; many here in Athkatla would remember you for the gold eyes alone. I must admit, I am curious as to that myself."

"Perhaps I can tell you that story some other day, Yoshimo."

"Very well." Yoshimo then stood up. "I shall then embark on my search for information. I suggest you get some rest, and I shall meet you in the morning with the fruits of my endeavour."