"What business do you have in the city?" I asked before the expression on her face told me that was a deeply personal question.
"The same as you I'm sure," She spat.
"I'm sorry," I tried to cover my mistake. "I'm new here."
"Oh so then you don't know?" She said. I shrugged. "Only the desperate come to Umbrion." Her shoulders drooped and she offered, "If I'm being honest, I was getting desperate. I didn't want to become one of the restless spirits, but I'm no closer to finding my final destination than I was when I first got here. I thought when the torches went on that the Guardian of the Gates would be back. But who am I kidding? She's never coming back." She sighed.
"I heard that I might find a resting place here," I said, trying to speak carefully. Her eyes became dark.
"That's all you'll find. Umbrion is the place where you go when you are ready to be done walking forever." She said.
"How does it work exactly?" I hedged.
"You really don't know anything," She hissed. The pain was evident in her eyes.
"I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked," I cast my eyes away.
"It's alright," She sighed, letting her shoulders relax. "I just didn't think anyone would come here if they weren't ready for it to end. That's all. Anyway, I'm not exactly sure how it works myself. I just know that the Viator come here to help us leave. Once they let you into the city you just have to find a willing Viator and they will consume your spirit, allowing you to stop walking forever."
A deep shudder went through me when I realized what she was saying. All these people came here to.... to commit suicide. I tried to hide the revulsion from my face.
"Where do you go? Afterward, I mean?" I asked.
"Well, as far as I'm concerned you don't go anywhere. You're just done. I've been here a few times, just trying to work up the courage to do it." She said, and I could see the finality of her decision written across her face. How could this happen? My mother had left all these people until they had no choice but to resort to these desperate ends. I felt a swell of anger bubble up inside of me.
"I see. I don't think I got your name." I asked.
"Annabella," She said.
"It's nice to meet you," I replied. "I'm Esther."
She smiled weakly at me as the line moved on. We stood in silence until we wound forward to the gates.
"Well, I'll be on my way then." She said to me. I had an impulse to reach out and stop her, but what could I do? I couldn't tell her where her final destination was. Still, there was an itch I couldn't quite scratch. Despair filled me as she walked away.
I ran towards her to catch up. "Annabella wait," I watched her turn around, her expression conflicted. "Is there anything I can say to convince you to change your mind?"
"No.” She said harshly. I could see the offense written in her face. "If you aren't going to help me then you need to leave me alone."
"I'm sorry," I said, feeling all the remorse in the world. This was my fault. If I hadn't lit the torches and given everyone false hope, maybe she wouldn't be as upset right now. "I just need to ask you one more question. If someone needed more information, where could they go?"
"I don't know," She hesitated. "Probably one of the Viator bars."
"Thank you," I said. "I'm really sorry Annabella, that you couldn't find another way."
"Why are you apologizing for that?" She huffed. "It's not like you're the Guardian." I almost laughed despite myself, but the irony was too dark.
The city itself was bleak. It was darker here than anywhere else in the liminal world. The buildings were ancient and grim. They towered over everything, making me feel like I was being watched. But perhaps I was being watched. I realized that if I didn't want to be mistaken for someone desperate like Annabella, the only other option was to make people think I was a Viator. I drew the hood up on my armor. I felt the black material expanding to create a loose hood that would hide my face. Now I would just have to find a likely looking bar.
The first place I came to was busy, but it looked dingy. The sign had fallen off long ago and there did not seem to be any intention to replace it. I peered inside, but the bar was filled with all many of terrifying men. They were huge and many of them had skin pierced with spikes and rods. I didn't think I could blend in there. I kept walking until the streets thinned out. There were not as many people milling around.
14
The City of the Dead
I turned down a long alley. It was filled with what seemed like soot, but there weren't any factories anywhere nearby. There was a thin layer of the greasy dust all over and I had to brush my hands to get rid of it. At the end of the alley to the right, I saw a lantern hanging over the doorframe. This would be much better. Perhaps it was somewhere quiet that I could scope out a potential informant. I walked over to the doorway and a man appeared out of the gloom. He had been sitting against the wall, but I hadn't seen him at all considering how dirty he was.
He gave me a sickening leer, "If you stay here long enough you'll look like me too," He laughed. His voice was low and menacing. I shook my head and walked toward the bar. I didn't have time for any trouble. He didn't like that. "Oh you think you're better than me now, but just wait. You'll drain a couple of these sad sacks then you
