I circled around the wall trying to find the entrance to the city. Up close, the wall was gigantic and the slow curvature of the wall hinted at a big city inside. Eventually, almost directly opposite the direction I had come from, I found an entrance. There were four guards, and a few wagons and people lined up to get in. It was clear that they were paying a toll. One, that I couldn’t pay.
Invigorated by the sight of the city, I waited until nightfall. The short window at night before the moons dawned, I climbed the wall. I heard footsteps coming from above. I froze, clutching on the wall. But they passed, I was unseen. Or so I had thought until a voice called out.
“Come on up then, haven’t got all night.”
A frisson of fear went through me, had they seen me? I stayed in place. Perhaps they were talking to someone else. When a silhouette leaned over the wall, looking down at me, I knew otherwise.
“You with the basket around the neck, come up already.”
I clambered up to the top of the wall. On the top, there was a rather narrow walkway, wide enough for two people to walk abreast with one another. Indeed, there were two guards covered in light leather armor waiting for me. An older and a younger one. The younger one had a scraggly unshaven look, but his armor was newer and in better condition than the older one. He stood tall and confident, with a fit body. The older man was shorter and rounder, his armor worn and ill-fitting around his stomach. A torch illuminated their faces, and I saw that they had a light brown skin. They had matching wide noses, although the younger guard had fuller lips. According to the light beard of the younger one, I could imagine tight coils had their head not been close shaven. The younger one spoke, it was the same voice that had called me to come up.
“That’ll be two leera then. One for each of us.”
“Excuse me?”
“None of that, we gotta make a living somehow. At least it is no fiver we are asking for, that entrance toll is highway robbery.”
“I, I have no money.” Nervousness was making me stutter. I haven’t spoken to anybody for weeks.
“Maybe we can reach an accord then.” After saying that, the younger guard put his hand down to rest on his belt. He looked to the older one, as if in guidance.
I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, that I knew what was coming next. To my shame, I began to cry. Something had broken me when I lost everything. I was walking on an edge of control, and this hurdle made me lose it. It was silent tears, I couldn’t stop them, they dripped down my chin in staccato flow, going faster and faster. Hating myself, I begged.
“Please, please.” My shoulders hunched in. I didn’t know what I was begging for. If it was to let me go, let me through, or perhaps for death. The older guard slapped the back of the head of the younger guard.
“Now then, no need for that. This one can be a stupid one sometimes, but he did not mean it that way.”
I couldn’t stop the flow of tears, but I nodded to show I understood.
“We know what it is like to be desperate, otherwise we wouldna have a side business like this. We will let you through this once, but next time you have to pay.” He paused “and if I hear any rumors about guards letting someone through free like, you’ll be the first I come a-knocking for.”
I nodded more vigorously, tears flying about. It was an empty threat, not even I knew where to come knocking for myself.
“Thank you.” My voice was shaky. I crossed to the other side, but before I climbed down, I turned and made eye contact with the older guard.
“What’s your name?”
“Why are you wanting to know that?” The younger guard interjected, but the older one still answered.
“Garius Bonumveer”
“Thank you Garius Bonumveer. I will remember you and your kindness. If I can ever repay you I will.” It may have been a trick of the firelight, but I thought that his cheeks colored. I swung down, exiting as quickly as I could. I was embarrassed by my tears and sincerity. Besides, I didn’t want to give them a chance to change their mind.
“That was against the rules!” I overheard the younger guard hiss to his partner.
“There are times rules are meant for following, and times they are meant for breaking. Let me tell you which is which..” Was the last I heard until their voices faded. When I was close enough to jump the last part, I landed gently. I was surprised to see houses built right up to the wall. It was mostly dark, with a few lamps lit here and there. Judging by the run-down nature of the houses, and the closeness they were built next to one another, I had landed in a poorer part of the city. I walked around a bit, exploring. Eerily, there was nobody about.
Eventually, I found a strange road with cubes built into the street. I curled up in one that stunk particularly bad, hoping the stink would deter anyone from looking in. One hand around my basked, and the other clutched at my necklace hidden under my clothes.
***
A strange chirping sound woke me, disoriented I looked up. There was a woman standing over me, holding cages of birds I didn’t recognize. Her hair grew in tight wild curls, it was unbound framing a face with chocolate colored skin and harsh wrinkles.
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“You’re no bird to sell.”
I clambered up. “Please excuse me.”
“Tomorrow sleep somewhere else. If the wrong guards catching you sleeping in ma market corner, it won’t be just you eating shit.”
“Yes, of course.” I reached out my hand. “Hello, I’m Marin. Would you like me to help you set up your corner?”
She looked at my hand suspiciously, I let it fall to my side. “Now what you be selling? What you want?”
“Some food or work would be great.” I smiled brightly.
“Bah, should have given you a good kicking awake. Be nice once and can’t get rid of them.” She spat at me. “Don’t know how beggarings like you get in the city. You can go to the whities selling your juice for all I care, don’t come near me no more.”
Rubbing the spit off, I walked away with a brisk pace as though I had a purpose. I wouldn’t want to do anything to arouse suspicion. I walked the whole morning, walking deeper and deeper in the city. The deeper I walked, the larger the houses were, some even had facades with elaborately painted murals. Eventually I realized that my clothes had begun to stand out, and people were staring at me. I swiftly turned back. Walking around the poorer section, I saw a group of children kicking around a ball. They looked like they lived poorly, thin with matted hair and streaks of mud.
“Hey!” I called out to them.
They all stopped playing, their attention made me self conscious.
“Can you please point me to the whities?” I hadn’t understood the reference of what she had meant earlier, but as it sounded like an insult, perhaps the standards of working for the whities was low. The part of me worried that selling juices was an euphemism for sex work, was silenced by my hunger and the reassurance that with my wound, I wouldn’t be an attractive choice for a pimp.
The boy holding the ball under his arm answered me. “The whities? You new here?” A taller boy shoved him from the back, hard enough that the other boy fell to his knees, freeing the ball. One of the other kids ran after it.
“Of course she new here.” He stepped forward, despite being one of the taller ones, he barely reached the height of my chest. “You want something, you pay for it.” He held his hand out.
“I have nothing to pay you with. Besides, all I want are directions.”
“You want the right directions, show us what’s in your basket.” Moving the material of the hammock aside, there wasn’t much revealed underneath. My torn clothing, the rope from my wedding that Matre had symbolically tied into a fancy knot, a more worn one as well, that I used when sleeping in the hammock and two empty waterskins.
“The ugly girl is married!” He shouted out, to the delight of the others. They started laughing and jeering, circling around me.
“Dibs on the waterskin!” One of them said, an arm snaking out to grab it.
“Hey, wait!” I reached out to grab it back, the movement jostling the basket towards another child, who grabbed at the hammock. Within a few seconds, my basket was empty and they were running in a practiced scattered manner. The leader who had mocked me, had my marriage knot in his hand. He stopped running shortly and threw it back at me, hitting my head.
“Stingy bitch!”
Picking up the rope, I placed it in the basket. It looked forlorn, in the empty space. I didn’t bother running after them. Perhaps I could have caught up to catch one of them a few weeks ago, but in my weakened state walking straight was already a chore. I continued walking in a random direction, as though nothing had happened.
“Psst.” Someone leaning on a wall of a house gestured to me.
“Don’t you be listening to them, you’re a pretty girl. Now why you be looking for the whities? A hard lot like them will only be sucking the pretty out of you.”
He looked nice. His hair was full and neatly combed, it was the same color as his skin, a rich brown. His smile was friendly, with even white teeth. His pants were the same baggy brown shape that I had seen people of the poorer districts wearing. But his shirt was a finely woven material, an off white color. He even had a ring, it looked to be an iron like material. Despite that, there was an uneasiness I felt in his presence.
“Thank you. But they are expecting me.” I arched my brows at him. The unease I felt made me lie.
“Well now, why didna you say it like that to the kiddies? They wouldn’t have crossed you then.” He pushed off the wall and began walking. “Come on, I’ll walk you there. A gesture of my goodwill.”
I couldn’t tell if he was being truthful, but I followed, hoping he was leading me to the right place.
“My name is Martin.”
“Marin.” I spoke shortly.
“Martin and Marin, sounds like we were destined for one another.” He flashed a smile at me. “How long have you been married?”
“Do you hit on all the married women you know?”
Unphased he winked at me.
“Only the pretty ones.”
I groaned, “I walked right into that opening.”
“Yes you did.” His smile seemed more genuine this time. “I doona want trouble from the whities, they are a dangerous lot. But if you ever leave them friendly like and be needing a better place, ask around for me.” Despite what he said, I was finding it hard to be fearful of a gang named after a nickname for underwear. Stepping aside, he knocked at the door we had arrived at. It was darkened with age. The house was larger than the others on the street, and seemed to be older too.
The rust on the hinges made the door screech the most cliche sound as it opened, and revealed a man so tall he had to stoop slightly at the doorway. I understood now why they had called them whities, I thought I had been pale before but here was someone with skin that was a true white. His hair was white too, shoulder length and framing face. Surprisingly light and healthy looking. His eyes were red, his hands large and clawed with blackened ends. But it was the fangs peeking out that gave it away. The words I had heard before, selling juice, sucking the pretty, clicked and my stomach dropped. Vampires.
“Yes?” He said, sounding bored.
“This is Marin, she said you were expecting her.”
“Indeed. Thank you Martin. Come in Marin.”
“I will be leaving, alway happy to do a good turn for you Sir.” Nodding to the man, as he raised his hand goodbye, Martin ran away, although he disguised it as a brisk walk. It was when he raised his hand, and the sleeve slipped, that I saw scratches all along his arm. Scratches that could have been from anything, like an animal. Or a hand, a feeling in my gut whispered in me. But I didn’t feel like I had dodged a bullet. Right now I wanted to exit too, I was doubting whether I had made the right choice. A pimp would probably have been better than this.
“Come in, Marin.” He opened the door wider. He didn’t voice it as an invitation this time.