The Golden Trust Bank was the largest banking chain in the kingdom, having branches in all of the capital cities and in many of the smaller ones as well. More importantly, though, while the bank was independently owned and operated by the Banker’s Guild, it was sanctioned by the Crown. It was not the kind of place the average commoner kept his money. In fact, the average commoner, if he had any money to save, would most likely keep it in a box under the floorboards. The banks were used by the very wealthy for the safekeeping of important items and documents. Nobles and merchants who traveled could hold accounts with the bank, as well, so they could access the money from any of the cities rather than carry large amounts of coin with them. The bank had its own system of mage relays to keep track of the funds being deposited and withdrawn from the various branches.

If he had more time, Rezkin would simply have entered the bank as a customer and asked to secure some item in a safe deposit box, allowing him easier access to the room. Unfortunately, he had to leave in the morning, so that was not an option. At least this way he could take his time. If tonight’s excursion went well, he might even root around in a few of the other boxes to see what secrets he could unearth.

The bank was located in a central square surrounded by guildhouses. The Merchant Guild was located directly to the north, adjacent to the Craftsmen’s Guild. To the bank’s east were the Scriveners’ and Accountants’ Guilds, and to the west was the Bankers’ Guild. Most of the other guildhouses were located within a few blocks of the bank, the greatest exception being the Mage Guild, which could be found to the north at the farthest edge of the town. The mages preferred to keep to themselves and reminded others of their inequality often. Most people preferred the mages to keep their distance anyway, out of concern that some spell might go awry and wreak havoc on those around them.

Needless to say, the area was crawling with security as though someone had kicked an anthill. After dark, everything would be covered in blackness, and the guards’ attention could easily be drawn to movement as the starlight glanced off the curves of the human figure. The evening shadows, with their mottled transitions from light to dark, helped to disguise the burglar better than the near absolute darkness of night. As Rezkin approached one side of the bank, the air buzzed with the power of mage wards.