Mina nodded and took Naomi by the arm and led the way to a nearby wooden bench. Tom gave them an encouraging smile before following them with careful steps. Sally wished she was going with them.

The guards stepped aside, granting them access to the gilded doors. The interior was pleasantly warm, boasting a line of polished wooden counters with metal bars and a small opening at the bottom, much like a bank or DMV. Women with welcoming smiles, dressed in dark outfits with golden fringes, stood behind the counters.

Darcy went to the nearest counter where a dark-haired woman was watching them expectantly. Sally noticed that this woman was the most attractive of the clerks and her step sister always gravitated towards beautiful women. Seeing Darcy return the woman’s friendly smile made her worry of this world having laws against homosexuality. God, she hoped they wouldn’t burn Darcy at the stake for hitting on a clerk.

“Welcome to the Royal Bank,” the clerk said with a wide smile showing off surprisingly perfect teeth for someone living in a medieval world with lack of dentistry. “How may I serve you?”

A slight blush rose to Darcy’s cheeks as she cleared her throat. “I need to make a withdrawal.”

“Of course,” the clerk bobbed her head. “Your name, please?”

“Sister Korra,” Darcy said with a smile that brightened her eyes.

“And your signature and mark.” the clerk placed a piece of paper on the counter with a black sponge. After a curious look from Darcy, the clerk kindly demonstrated. “Just press your thumb onto the sponge and put a mark on the paper beside your signature. It’s ensuring that only you can access your money at the Royal Bank.”

“Oh, I see. That makes sense . . .that’s very clever.”

Sally bit the inside of her cheek in fear and dismay. In this game world, ‘Sister Korra’ would have left her thumbprint when she first set up the account. Darcy acting ignorant of the process, may raise suspicions. Or worse, what if the thumbprints don’t match!?

Darcy neatly wrote ‘Korra’ on the paper and pressed an ink stained thumb next to it. The clerk studied it to make sure it showed up clearly, and then excused herself to check the accounts.

When she disappeared through a small door behind the counters, Sally leaned close to Darcy. “You better watch it. You’re giving off a nervous energy.”

“I can’t help it,” Darcy hissed back. “I’m not used to lying like this. You ought to be doing this with your +5 Charm.”

Sally rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure, I don’t think that’s going to matter with me being a half-elf. Why did you want me to come in here, anyway?”

“Because Mina would scare the hell out of the bankers. Naomi would try to finger paint with the ink. And the walk from the door to here would have made Tom pass out,” Darcy whispered back hotly, then her face softened. “And I didn’t want to come here by myself.”

“So what happens if there’s no money?” Sally glanced at the door, imagining the clerk bursting through the door with a slew of guards accusing them of fraud.

“We got enough gold for a few days at an inn, I hope,” Darcy sighed. “Then I guess we should get jobs until Tom hears from his uncle and, hopefully, he’ll reward us for saving his nephew.”

Jobs doing what? Sally wondered. And what would they do in this world for money? Go on quests like Naomi would want? Or waitressing? Bartending? Chopping wood?

A side door by the row of counters opened, and the clerk appeared, beckoning them. “Please, come this way, the Head Clerk will see you now.”

They exchanged a look. Darcy chewed her lower lip and said, “Is something wrong?”

“Wrong? No, nothing is wrong, miss,” the clerk said. “The Head Clerk handles . . .” There was a moment of hesitation, a slight faltering at the edge of her smile which strengthened when she said, “special accounts. If you’ll come this way, please.”

Sally examined the clerk’s facial expression and body language, but nothing was registering as concerning. There were two possibilities: either this woman was an excellent actress or everything was okay. However, it didn’t bode well that they were being asked to go into a private room with no explanation. Isn’t that what clerks and tellers did? To delay you from leaving while the cops came to arrest you?

With a nervous glance at Sally, Darcy walked to the door. Running away now would draw more suspicion and may instigate a pursuit. For now, it was best to go along with the clerk until they discovered what was going on.

They followed the woman into a short hall with fine furnishings. Sally watched her for any sign of distress or agitation, but she walked with no nervous glances or stiffness in her shoulders. At least Sally’s +5 Perception was assuring her nothing was wrong . . .yet

The clerk stopped at a wooden door and opened it for them. “Please, make yourself comfortable. The Head Clerk will be with you shortly. Shall I bring you refreshments? We have wine imported all the way from Alexandria.”

“Uh, no, thank you,” Darcy said. “Will it be a long wait?”

“He shan’t keep you waiting for long at all.” She pointed at a cord next to the door hanging from the ceiling. “If you change your mind, please ring the bell and I’ll see to your needs right away.”

“Yes, thank you,” Darcy replied, returning the woman’s courtesy with a nervous grin. “You’re very kind.”

The woman bowed and took her leave. As soon as she closed the door, Sally grabbed Darcy’s arm and leaned in to whisper, “Keep it in your pants.”

“What? I was just being polite,” Darcy whispered back.

“With pretty women, your politeness borders on flirting. Didn’t they hang gays and lesbians in medieval times?”

Darcy flinched. “It’s not like that in the game . . .”

“In the game, maybe, but how can you be sure now? Remember how some things are different in this world than the game? Like an asshole innkeeper who sold his customers out to bandits? Or wolves attacking a village?” Sally reminded her in a hushed voice.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“I can’t help being who I am,” Darcy said, eyes narrowing into stubborn slits.

“I know, but play it safe for now,” Sally begged. “If anything happens to you . . . we can’t make it without you, okay? We need you. And what about Gina? The girlfriend who just moved in with you?”

“Alright, you can stop guilting me. I got the message,” Darcy said hastily, brushing off the subject. “Let’s figure out what we’re going to say to this Head Clerk.”

They weren’t given a chance to discuss anything as the door opened and a little person came inside. He was so small; the door was opened for him by the pretty clerk, who showed him in as if he were also a guest. He wore the same black outfit as the female clerks, but in a man’s style. White hair was combed over to hide a bald patch atop his crown and a large round nose centered his face. He carried a large packet of papers that was almost half his size.

He gave them a brief bow. “Sister Korra and . . .friend, I presume?”

“This is Sally,” Darcy said. “And yes, she’s my friend.”

Earlier, they agreed to keep their relationship as step-sisters secret from others outside their group. It would draw too much attention and unwanted questions.

“My name is Nigel Loam. I serve as Head Clerk at Everguard’s Royal Bank. I understand you wish to make a withdrawal?”

“Yes, sir,” Darcy said, swallowing as a ball of nerves settled in her stomach. “Is there a problem?”

“No problem at all, Sister,” Nigel said. “Only Head Clerks can handle accounts as large as yours.”

Nigel sat across from them on a chair with a booster seat for his shorter stature. The female clerk brought a tray of tea and biscuits and left them alone to conduct their business in private. With tiny hands, Nigel skillfully shifted through the papers. “Your account balance is of 100,000 gold, which is quite a handsome fortune. Sister.”

“Thank you,” Darcy said uneasily. What would she say if he asked where she had attained so much money? An inheritance from a wealthy relative?

“How much do you wish to withdraw and for what purpose?” Nigel asked, with his hands folded atop of the papers.

Sally was glad for the hood as she could arched an eyebrow without it being seen. What business was it of his how they used the money?

“I want to buy a house on Webber Street,” Darcy said as innocuously as possible.

The little person’s thick white eyebrows rose and then lowered slowly, as if he too was breathing an internal sigh of relief. “I see! We have a few agents that can aid you in procuring a home. How soon do you hope to make a purchase?”

“We were hoping to have something by tomorrow?” Darcy said with a small plea in her voice.

Nigel furrowed his brows and adjusted the spectacles atop of his large hawkish nose. “That’s quite short notice, but we shall work something out. What’s your price range, may I ask?”

Darcy looked at Sally, who could only shrug. Who knows how much houses cost in this world? Darcy ventured with, “We’re not sure. We need a two to three bedroom house with amenities like running water, indoor plumbing, and it has to be on Webber Street.”

A short finger tapped a small chin. “I think we have a few places you may be interested in. I can arrange for an agent to show them to you tomorrow.”

Darcy became more relaxed, as if the armor weighed nothing more than a cotton t-shirt. This was going along more smoothly than she could have hoped. “We’re also going to need money for shopping and other expenses. How much would you recommend I withdraw?”

“Perhaps, instead of withdrawing money, use these bank notes,” Nigel suggested, pushing forward a folded stack of papers across the table.

Because of his shorter arms, Darcy had to lean a little to reach the bank notes opposite her. Sally looked at them over Darcy’s shoulder as she leafed through them. They resembled oversized checks from their world, with the Royal Bank crest large in the upper right corner. The paper was thin, like wrapping paper, so they were handled with care.

The pieces were coming together in Sally's head. If Darcy withdrew the full 100,000 gold, that would leave a huge dent in the bank’s coffers. Nigel suggested selling them a house owned by the bank, along with its notes, to keep the money within its vault.

“These are accepted at all shops throughout the Market and the Golden Quarter,” Nigel explained. “You just write the price of your purchases on the paper, sign your name, and press your mark and it will be honored . . .as long as you have the funds in your account, of course.”

Darcy rubbed the space between her eyes in a habit of fiddling with her glasses when she was in deep thought. “Are these accepted by the Order of Shantra?”

“Well, yes, many of our clients give tithes to the Order with bank notes,” Nigel replied with a small nod. “This bank has a rapport with the Order and we appreciate your trust, Sister.”

“It’s a very good bank,” Darcy said, feeling the need to return the gratitude with a compliment. “I’ll still need to withdraw some money to have on hand for the inn. Maybe a hundred gold, a hundred silver, and a hundred copper?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll have Belinda fetch the coins right away.” Nigel raised a hand towards the cord that was several feet away. A white transparent hand left his and floated towards the cord. A trail of wisp followed it as it crossed the room and pulled the cord.

As the bell chimed, Sally saw Darcy was staring in awe at the spectral hand and mouthed the words, mystic hand. The Rogue prodded the Cleric to snap her out of it, as they couldn’t act too obvious about never seeing things that were likely commonplace in this world. The pretty clerk, Belinda, promptly returned and Nigel gave her the order to fetch the money. She gave them a polite curtsy and left to fulfill his order.

Nigel looked them over, shuffling the papers into a neat stack as his amiable expression fell at the edges. His face sternly hardened as he stared at them. “It may not be my place, but I believe you would find my advice beneficial.”

Was there a problem, after all? Darcy kept her face open and friendly. “Yes?”

Nigel fixed his gaze on Sally. “Don’t try to pass as a human in this city.”

Sally blinked. “What? I . . . but, I . . .how?”

The little person sadly shook his head, his eyes filled with pity. “Child, it’s not only your ears that betray you. It’s in your face, the way you move, and draw breath. Granted, I have the sharp eyes of a gnome, but the humans here are familiar with the signs of someone with elven blood, unlike the country bumpkins, who rarely see the elves who know to stay away from their villages.”

With an odd sense of guilt, Sally pulled back her hood. She felt strange baring her ears after having them covered for such a long time. It made her feel exposed, even vulnerable. “Sorry, I . . . wasn’t . . . we thought it would be easier if . . .no one knew . . .”

“There’s no need to apologize. You’re not the first to seek a better life by trying to live as a human,” Nigel said, waving away her apology. “But please, take this warning to heart. The humans have little love for non-humans here and even less so for ones that try to pass themselves off as one of them. There was a half-elf who docked his ears and lived in peace with his neighbors for nearly five years until his elven blood was discovered last winter. They burned down his home and drove him from the city in only his bed clothes. He was found a week later, frozen to death in the wilds.”

Every word that Nigel spoke was a stone in her stomach. Never had she longed for the safety of home, their world. Oh, why did she choose to become a half-elf? Why not a human like the others?

Darcy, noticing Sally’s distress, glared at the gnome. “You seem to have done well for yourself, Head Clerk.”

Nigel took no offense to the rancor in Darcy’s voice. “Gnomes are known to do well with numbers and tinkering as the dwarves are known for their knowledge of rock and metal. You’ll see gnomes such as I being accountants and clerks, as you’ll see dwarves at the anvil and working in a mine. What you will not see is gnomes owning their own business or a dwarven gaffer directing humans. I’ve worked here for sixty years and outlived two human managers. Yet, why would they ever give me the management position, my dear, when they have the young human son of a merchant in need of a position?”

Darcy lowered her eyes, regretful of challenging him. “I’m sorry. And thank you, we didn’t realize the danger.”

“No harm done, Sister,” Nigel said, scooting from his booster chair and landing heavily on his small polished black shoes. “Also, if you’re going to run a household, I would recommend a ledger to keep track of expenses, especially since it seems you’ll be living in Everguard for a while.”

“I will buy one tomorrow,” Darcy promised.

Nigel paused, looking back at them with an imperceptive gaze. “I shall have Belinda provide you with one of our ledgers, free of charge.”

“Oh no, you don’t have to do that,” Darcy said, holding up her hands to ward off his generosity. “You’ve helped us enough already.”

“When I look at you two, I have the feeling that you need all the help you can get,” Nigel said.