Chapter 7: New Beginnings 7

Elania and Yolani navigated through the streets, their eyes scanning every sign and stall. The bank was on one of the lower levels of the city’s largest, most central island.

The closer they got to it, the more the vibrant colors and sounds in the district came into evidence, with vendors hawking their wares and people going about their daily lives.

Elania scanned the signs above the shops and stalls, searching for any indication of the bank’s location.

A sign with the words “Bank of Contia” etched in elegant script caught her eye.

She pointed to it, a smile spreading across her face. “There it is. That’s the bank.”

Yolani followed her gaze. “I’m really glad that you can read everything. It makes navigating this city so much easier.”

Elania laughed, the sound bright and carefree. “All that studying on Earth is finally coming in handy,” she said, amused. “When I first got here the skill seemed useless. Who would have thought?”

Yolani nodded, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. They walked in silence for a moment, the sounds of the city swirling around them. “Elania, can I ask you something?”

Elania glanced at her, brow furrowing with concern. “Of course. What is it?”

Yolani bit her lip, her eyes searching Elania’s face. “Your family back on Earth. Don’t you miss them?”

Elania froze, shock widening her eyes. The question hit her like a physical blow, knocking the air from her lungs.

She hadn’t thought about her family in so long, having pushed the memories of them to the back of her mind. But the pain came rushing back, threatening to overwhelm her.

Yolani’s eyes widened with horror, and she pulled Elania into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have brought it up. I’m sorry, Elania.”

It felt like drowning, the weight of guilt and sorrow crushing her chest. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t move. The world around her blurred, the colors and sounds of the city fading into a distant haze.

“I haven’t thought about them at all,” Elania whispered. “But they must be so worried about me. I was away at college, but surely they know I’m missing by now.”

Yolani squeezed her, a lifeline in a storm. “It’s okay. You’ve had so much on your mind. It’s understandable that you haven’t had time to think about them.”

But the words did little to ease the acute ache in her heart.

She knew Yolani was right; she had been focused on survival, on finding a way to navigate this strange new world. But the guilt still gnawed at her.

Around them, people stopped to stare at the panicked demi-divine.

That wasn’t great.

Elania took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to solidify herself and push down the emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

“We can talk about it later,” she said, barely above a whisper. “Right now, we need to focus on our survival. And getting money is part of that.”

Yolani nodded and they moved toward the bank with purpose.

As they approached, Elania noticed the presence of Silver Soldiers stationed outside. Their polished armor glinted, and their stern expressions seemed enough to discourage any thoughts of mischief.

No one moved to stop their entry.

The interior was incredibly ornate, with intricate stonework adorning the walls and artificed lighting casting a warm glow over the plush furniture. The opulence was almost overwhelming. It seemed too posh for a banking establishment. Then again… it was named after the city.

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As they made their way further into the open lobby, a security officer positioned in the back watched them with keen interest. His gaze lingered.

A lady in a suit appeared quickly, her delicate features framed by long, pointed ears. She bowed her head respectfully, a warm smile gracing her lips. “Welcome to the Bank of Contia. My name is Elara Silverwing. How may I assist you today?”

Elania blinked in surprise. Tessa was the only elf she’d met and… just about everyone she had met was human, actually. There was an awkward silence as she stared. It took her a second to realize that.

“Oh, um, hello,” Elania stammered. “I’m sorry, I just… I haven’t seen many elves around here. Are you… I mean, is it common for elves to work in banks like this?”

Elara blushed, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink. She nodded, her smile turning slightly bashful. “Yes, it’s common for elves to work in various professions, including banking. But don’t worry,” she added quickly, her eyes lighting up, “I’m not a cannibal or anything like that. I’m a forest elf!”

She flashed them a wide smile before she continued, “Anyway, how can I help you two today?”

Elania glanced at Yolani, who stepped forward to address the question.

“We have some mana shards and crystals we would like to turn into currency,” Yolani explained.

Elara nodded. “Of course. Do you have your own scrit or crit yet?”

Elania shook her head, feeling a bit sheepish. “No, we haven’t got any. We just arrived in the city yesterday.” Hopefully that wasn’t a problem?

To her relief, Elara simply nodded, her smile never wavering. “That’s totally fine. I can process new accounts for you before you go to the appraisal division.”

Yolani and Elania exchanged a glance, both nodding in agreement. “That would be great. Thank you,” Elania said.

Elara led them to a small room set aside with a desk, the space feeling private and secure. She used a magic pendant and a drop of blood to open a locked safe, the mechanism clicking open with a soft sound.

From within the safe, Elara pulled out two blue cards and two yellow cards, the colors vibrant and eye-catching.

Those were probably the magical papers they had heard about earlier.

Elara gestured to the four paper cards after placing them on the desk. “These are blank scrit and crit cards,” she explained. “I’ll initialize them for you now so you can use them to store your balance and make transactions.”

She drew a complex symbol on each of the cards, her fingers moving with practiced ease. As she completed each symbol, the paper lit up with a soft blue glow, and a yellow square appeared in the center of each card.

Elania watched as the magic took hold. She had seen nothing like this before, and the idea of using paper as currency was familiar yet new at the same time.

Elara reached into the pouch at her waist and pulled out a small piece of metal, holding it out to Elania and Yolani. “To attune the cards to you, you’ll need to place a drop of blood on each one,” she explained. “This will ensure that only you can access your balance and make transactions.”

Elania and Yolani exchanged a look.

“Blood… magic?” Elania asked.

Elara nodded. “It’s routine and strictly regulated by the bank’s processes. I can assure you there is no danger to either of you.”

With a nod, Elania took the metal from Elara and pricked her thumb, wincing slightly at the sharp sting. It healed instantly, but a small dot of golden liquid appeared all the same.

She pressed her thumb to the first card, watching the blood soak into the paper. The yellow square on the card changed to a green check mark, and a black zero appeared in the center. The second card was exactly the same, just a different color.

Yolani followed suit, pricking her own thumb and pressing it to the remaining two cards. The touch screens on Earth came to Elania's mind, the way the paper responded to their touch and changed before their eyes.

“So we get to keep them?” Elania asked.

Elara smiled and nodded. “Of course,” she said warmly. “These cards are yours now and will hold your balance. To make transfers, you must hold the paper and touch it with another valid card its owner is touching. The indicators on the cards should be self-explanatory.”

Elara stood up, gesturing for Elania and Yolani to follow her. As they walked, Elara explained that the Appraisal Division could grade their mana shards and crystals, determining their value and exchanging them for the appropriate amount.

“Scrit and crit can be divided into values less than one as well,” Elara said. “So even if your shard or crystal isn’t worth a full unit, you’ll still receive the appropriate fractional amount.”

Elania nodded, the concept immediately clicking in her mind. It was like the decimal system used for currency back on Earth.

“What if we have less than one scrit or crit?” Yolani asked. “How can we get a shard or crystal back?”

“I’m afraid you can’t,” Elara explained gently. “You must have at least one full unit of value to collect a physical crystal or shard from the bank.”

She explained that there were delays in processing large volumes of shards and crystals if they needed to collect them and that it was best to make an appointment beforehand to ensure a smooth transaction.

Elania and Yolani shared a look, a silent conversation passing between them.

“We have several to exchange,” Elania said hesitantly. “Is that going to be a problem?”

Elara shook her head. “It might take a little longer to grade them,” she admitted. “But the bank isn’t busy today, so we should be able to process your transaction without delay.”