Chapter 2 – The Royal Bank

According to Shadow’s Deep fan pages, Everguard was colonized by humans five centuries ago. It started as a small fishing community and grew into a fort with a battleship harbor. Due to warring with the southern country of Saige, refugees made their way to Everguard. The population expanded the fort into a city which then became a major trading port for Farron Kingdom.

Darcy read the game lore when she was bored or needed some inspiration for world building a campaign for her gaming group. Being an avid player of Shadow’s Deep gave her deep knowledge for the game’s lore. Small bits and facts rose to the surface the more she thought of their destination.

By late afternoon, the trees thinned on both sides of the river, giving way to fields and meadows. On the eastern side was a worn road gradually becoming stone. A few travelers heading in the same direction with their shoulders hunched and faces forward. Some even cast a wary eye at the raft at its passing, while a few friendly souls returned Naomi’s friendly waves.

“I’m cold,” Naomi muttered from where she was huddled beside Tom on the raft. Her patched gi clung to her in wet spots that had yet to dry in the sun.

“Whose fault is that?” Darcy said bitterly. “No one told you to jump in the damn river. Just sit there and be cold until we get to Everguard. And so help me if you dare ask if we’re there yet, I’ll toss your ass back into the water.”

Fortunately, Naomi didn't have to ask. Everguard appeared like a dark speck in the distance, grew larger and larger the further they traveled. The great outer wall stood several stories high in dark stone fetched from the volcanic rock from the northern mountains. Towers rose like fingers towards the sky, with thin trails of smoke and thin flags dancing in the wind. The road veered off towards the far side of the walls while the river headed towards a raised portcullis, granting them entry into a small harbor.

Sally tugged her hood down when she saw guards standing sentry at the edges of the harbor. They wore uniform armor with an embossed sigil of a shield on the chest piece. The villagers moored the raft next to a quay where dock workers were gathering to help unload the barrels. The constant shifting of the raft under the men’s feet made Mina’s face turn to an avocado green, and she lurched over the edge of the raft and vomited. Once Mina finished, Darcy helped her off the shifting raft while Naomi leapt off the raft in a single bound, leaving Sally alone with Tom.

Tom slowly pushed himself to a stand, frustrated at the uncommon weakness in himself. Sally helped by taking his arm and lending him her strength. She kept her head bowed to avoid seeing his face, but could feel the kind, sad smile for her.

No, she would not feel bad about being angry with him. She was not wrong for feeling this way and no amount of smiles and understanding silences were going to change that. Trust and respect were a two way street and since he didn’t care to send any trust their way, she saw no reason to give him hers. How dare he accuse them of hiding something!

Technically, an annoying sing-song voice said in the back of her head, they were hiding something from him.

Shut up, common sense. What were they supposed to do then? Tell him that his world, his life, and everyone he knew were just elements of an online game? That his identity was created by writers and artists who wanted to create a prince character for female Players to fangirl over? Oh, she was sure that would go over well with him. It was best that he remained ignorant of the truth for the sake of everyone involved..

Once they were off the raft and on the secure floor of the dock, she gently withdrew her support, and Tom took a few gingerly steps on his own. “Thank you, Sally.”

“You’re welcome,” Sally said, keeping her eyes lowered to avoid eye contact and seeing his regretful smile.

Thankfully, the others were nearby to distract them from speaking with each other. Naomi declared she was hungry enough to eat a horse despite Mina moaning with her head leaned out over the water in case she needed to feed the fish again. Darcy was looking around, marveling at the city walls which loomed high, almost blocking out the dwindling sunlight.

Darcy collected herself to summon them over for a quick talk. “Alright, just wait a moment while I say goodbye to the raftsmen and then we’re heading to the bank before they close for the night.”

Sally could see that Darcy was anxious about the gold. If the money wasn’t there . . . if all they had was the money in their pockets, then their plans would need to change drastically, such as locking Naomi up so she couldn’t hurt anyone.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Darcy bid the men a brief goodbye, in which she shook all their hands and wished them luck. They seemed surprised she wasn’t giving them blessings, but didn’t dare question the cleric whose party not only took care of the wolves plaguing their village but also saved the lives of their children. Then she led the way towards the city’s Golden Quarter with them following like a strange entourage. Sally kept her hood down, but even the fear of being found out as a half-elf could not keep her from looking around in awe. It was as if they had stepped onto the elaborate fantasy film or tv set. The streets were cobbled together but covered in dirt and mud from countless feet and carts with vendors shouting their goods and prices at them.

“Shoes! I have shoes for little girls with bare feet,” a vendor said, pointing at Naomi, who pranced down the street with stained toes and soles. “Only ten copper for a solid pair of boots.”

“Maybe next time,” Mina called back without a pause in her step.

Being on solid ground, Mina recovered from seasickness and walked while grasping the back of Naomi’s shirt to keep her from wandering off. Naomi gasped at everything, her eyes almost bugging out of her head. If Mina hadn’t maintained a hold on her, then the Monk would wander off in blind curiosity. Even Sally herself would have found it interesting to visit a few of the shops and see the wares.

In video games, cities, and towns provided a variety of upgrades for equipment and resupply of healing and crafting items. Did the System take that into account? She recalled how the blacksmith in Spring Bell village didn’t have weapons to sell even though Darcy had bought some from him in the game the day before. Was that a realistic spin the System imposed, as it wasn’t common for country blacksmiths to forge weapons for travelers in a medieval era setting?

They came to a huge arch in the walls ahead with a raised portcullis. Above the arch was a large sign: Coin Square. The flagstones in the circular clearing were arranged in oriental patterns. On one side of the clearing was a tall stone building with a golden roof. Hanging from the windows were long tapestries with a royal crest of two swords crossing together within a crown. If there was any doubt that this was the Royal Bank, then they would have been dashed by the bars on the windows and the armed guards standing sentinel at the front doors.

Across the clearing was a stage set up, almost like a pillory. At the right side was a podium where an auctioneer would rattle off bids and items sold. A sign stated that business hours were from an hour after sunrise to an hour before sundown.

Sally thought to herself that this was a nice setup. With the bank across from the auction house, buyers had easier access to withdraw money while the sellers could deposit their coin shortly after sales were made. With money coming and going and the round circular area with yellow disc-like flagstones, she could see how it got the name Coin Circle.

Darcy walked out onto the square, her mouth opened in wonder. So many times, she had come here to sell or buy items, or store them away in the bank for different characters. She knew the place by heart and seeing it in real life, with her boots scraping the flagstones, was almost overwhelming. With a gentle prod from Sally, she focused on their purpose of being here.

The men standing guard at the bank didn’t seem too happy to see them. As they approached, the men sidled in front of the door, blocking it. They both wore thick, well crafted leather armor with the royal crest stitched into the shoulder pads and at their left hips were lethal looking clubs.

“Hold there, what purpose do you have with the Royal Bank?” the man on the right demanded.

“Uh, I’m just here to make a withdrawal,” Darcy said, positioning herself at the front where the men could see the Order of Shantra symbol on her chest plate.

The men looked at the symbol, at Darcy, and at the rest of them with skeptical eyes. The same man said in a respectful, but suspicious tone, “Who are your companions, Sister?”

Oh God, they think we’re here to rob the place, Sally thought. Though she couldn’t really blame them - they made for an odd group.

Mina stood a foot taller than all of them wearing hide armor and a greataxe strapped to her back. Tom looked like death warmed over. Naomi hopped from foot to foot like a kid who had too much sugar. Sally’s hood obscured her face like someone about to commit a crime. Yeah, she could see why they would block the doors.

However, they couldn’t snub someone of the Shantra Order, the leading religion of the game world, with temples in each major city across the continent. They were a militeralist church with their own knights and clerics upholding the edict of their Goddess, the FirstBorn Shantra. The guards couldn’t outright turn her away without having to answer to the Order later.

Darc squared her shoulders, putting the embossed symbol of Shantra of the breast plate front and center. “They’re converts and we are exhausted after many days of traveling. Therefore, I wish to access my funds for lodging tonight. Beyond that is the Order of Shantra business only.”

Sally could tell that Darcy had been practicing this little speech since leaving River’s Edge. They didn’t know how much power being a Cleric of Shantra granted Darcy, but hopefully it will be enough to visit the bank without a problem from the security. The guards exchanged glances and looked over at the group. Sally noticed though they were both tall and solid in appearance, they were of different ages. One guard was older with a beard peppered with white and the younger guard’s face was smooth with fewer lines; he made Sally think of an overgrown high schooler wearing a man’s uniform.

He let the older man take the lead in this exchange, who was looking them over thoughtfully. “Only two of you may enter, Sister. The Royal Bank doesn’t allow groups this large within its walls.”

“Understandable,” Darcy said. Her shoulders sagged slightly, signaling her relief that the ploy had succeeded. “Mina, take Tom and Naomi to sit on the bench and wait for us. Sally, you come in with me.”

Sally’s eyebrows shot up. “Me?”