Boxed in at the Bank

Landing on the warm stones that lay basking in the sun before the Stormwind bank, Anslym and Stalkuren transformed out of their avian forms.

“It seems busy; would you want to grab something at an inn and wait till some people leave?” Stalkuren asked as he looked into the crowded bank. The velvet ropes that marked off lines for patrons of the bank were full beyond capacity.

“For someone who is thousands of years old, you sure are impatient.”

As they walked inside they each felt a sudden chill through the air.  A Gnome Death Knight cut in between them.  She held a bone in one hand and some dust in the other.

“Rot the flesh from their bones I will,” she squeaked, “Holding all my money because of suspicious activity.  So I invest a few thousand gold pieces that I looted off that noble, it’s not like he needed it!  Nope, not a single copper can be moved, not a single one!  I tried to explain it to them, it wasn’t a gift! It was his, and then something….. happened and he didn’t need it anymore, the gold was ownerless!.” 

She threw the dust on the ground before she stuck some of her pink hair behind her ear and put her helmet on as she continued ranting as she headed off towards the inn.

“Something happened?” Anslym asked.

“Was ownerless?” Stalkuren replied in shock.

The line seemed to not be moving at all so they both took a seat as they began their wait.  Stalk perched on the edge of the stone bench as Anslym took a seat next to a Dwarf that has tattoo markings that sprawled along his face.  It was a tight fit.

“I know, it’s crowded in here.  You’re a pebble for Therazane’s sake! Shouldn’t you get used to it?”  The Dwarf said in a language that sounded like stones tumbling down a hill.  The little earth elemental grabbed onto the dwarf’s thigh and squeezed.

“Ouch!” the Dwarf yelled as he jumped back and knocked his elbow off of Anslym’s shoulder guard.

“It seems to me that you’re stuck between a rock and a hard shoulder brace,” Anslym replied to the injured Dwarf.  The Dwarf chortled as the rock elemental laughed so loudly it sounded like a cascade of marbles on a hard surface.

On the other side of the bank a Human Hunter was cleaning out her gun as her pet wolf jumped onto her lap and the gun went off, the bullet embedding  itself into the ceiling.  The bank went silent, until.

“You stupid mutt! How many times do I haff’ta tell you not to do that! I could have blown someones bloody head off!  That’s it, I’m taking you to the stable master and as everyone one in this bank as my witness I’m going to cut of something VERY important!” The wolf just slinked under the bench, tail between its legs; protecting himself from the ever feared Mei Francis.   As a Worgen at the back of the bank yelled, gave the evil eye to the hunter, and left the bank clutching his goods.

A Banker rushed to assess the damage done by the rogue bullet, meanwhile the bank regained some of its usual volume.  Deeming that no real damage had been done, the banker was making his way back to the teller station when he happened upon Anslym.

“Master Anslym?”

“Indeed.”

“We were hoping you would come in soon.  We have a situation that requires your immediate attention.  If you would please come with me, your friend can accompany us as well if you permit it.”  Anslym and Stalkuren both followed the teller passed the outraged crowds of people who had spent their morning waiting.

They passed a Night Elf Rogue leaning against a wall, she was picking at her nails with a dagger that looked sinisterly sharp.

“He’s paying his debt now,” she said to the teller that was in front.

“Excellent, I hope he wasn’t difficult to track down.”

“Nah,” she shrugged as she cracked her knuckles, “cried like a little girl though.”

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“Who was that?” Stalk asked the teller.

“We don’t have a name on her.  She comes in every now and again in need of money, she offers to go out and collect debts for the people who think they can get away with it.”

“You said it was a matter of utmost importance.”

“Ah yes, well as you can see we did some major renovations here and when we were redoing the vault your deposit box came loose and emptied out all over the floor.  It’s bank policy that we only collect what was spilt and the owner needs to put back what was lost.”

“Alright shouldn’t be a problem, there was nothing in there that was too…. volatile.”

“No, it’s just the number of items that was stored inside the vault is numerous.”  The teller said as he led them into a room that was filled with items that went from baskets of wilted flowers, to a giant helmet that was used to filter radiation, to items he had acquired from Northrend and the Outlands.

“I hope you didn’t have plans for the afternoon.”

Stalkuren groaned.

                      *                             *                             *                             *                             *

After many hours of cleaning, trying on, throwing out and putting away Anslym discovered two things.  First of which was what brought him to the bank in the first place, his deck of cards and second of all a heart shaped gem.  It was a gem he had discovered during his times in Stranglethorn Vale, or more accurately, Zul’Gurub.  It seemed to be pulsating a faint light, slowly and surely but still there.  Just like a heartbeat.  With the Heart of Hakkar and his cards clutched tightly under his arms he strode out of the bank into the sunlight and somewhere far off another Draenei was watching him.