Symphonic Odyssey
: Vol. Two: Beneath the Hawthorn Tree: Verse One-Hundred and Two

It had taken until almost dawn, but Cypher had eventually caught up with Alvin and Glenda, as well as the rest of Silent Night. It wasn’t long after that before Ulric eventually arrived, covered in blood. He had taken the rest of his team to the side and explained what had happened to Ashley and the two traitors.

Their group seemed shaken at the betrayal of Jason and Harold, and a few of them even began to shed tears at the loss of their companion. Alvin and Glenda were also troubled to hear such news and offered their condolences to the members of Silent Night. There were many questions that needed answering since those events had unfolded.

When had Harold and Jason been turned? How long had the Order known about the mission to take Cypher to Seven City? Even more unsettling was the question of what else did they know? If Silent Night had been compromised there had to be another traitor somewhere in the Academy.

It was a topic that Silent Night, Alvin, and Glenda had been discussing for quite a while as they built up a small campsite on the edge of the forest, the large circular walls of Seven City standing resolute in the distance. Dawn was only about an hour away but the main gates wouldn’t open for another three. As it was, they decided to rest and regain what energy they could since the night before had been so eventful.

Cypher was reluctant and eager to get this over with, but Alvin assured him that as soon as the gates opened they would be heading inside to replace this tree that hid his inheritance. As Alvin explained, Seven City was a hub for travelers, merchants, sellswords, and even refugees. His explanations went a long way toward distracting Cypher from his desire to finish this outing as quickly as he could.

The prosperity the city enjoyed was due to its high volume of Conductors and the services and goods they brought with them. Mages of all types could be found here and Seven City stood as one of the last great gathering places specifically for Conductors.

Cypher admired the massive seven-foot thick wall that stretched along the length of the valley the city rested in. The wall curved for miles around the city, encompassing the entire valley and connected to the lower part of the steep smooth-sided mountains that surrounded it, blocking it off from any kind of frontal or rear attack.

In the very middle of the wall sat heavy wooden gates, with steel lined around and between the thick, squared cuts of oak fifteen feet long. It would take an army of considerable size to breach that outer defensive layer, one that had not existed in some time. If that wall and gate weren’t defense enough, a series of projectile weapons and other battle-worthy machines fueled by Zight rested atop the wall.

Alvin had said that before the Ark War, Seven City had been used as the capital of Dellorim, and as such, it was highly defended with weapons and walls forged from or enhanced by Zight. For all intents and purposes, the city was impregnable. Even now guards roamed its upper levels in search of any signs of danger. Although in the era of peace this land had enjoyed, they had grown lax and somewhat lazy in their duties.

However, as per the old routines, the gates would open once per day an hour before noon and would remain open until sunset. If you had business to attend to within the city or if you wished to leave, it had to be within that time frame. The security of the city was a top priority given the sheer amount of wealth contained inside.

Alvin knew a lot about Seven City and was more than happy to share his knowledge with Cypher but after such a massive expenditure of both Zight and mental energy, he needed to get some sleep. He was mentally exhausted and there wasn’t a surefire way to restore mental energy other than the passage of time and rest.

Of course, Cypher ended up passing out the moment he found a comfortable way to lay on his bedroll, and after a few hours, Alvin woke him up. Cypher looked around to replace that the entire camp had been repacked and only his bedroll remained.

He quickly rolled it up, put back on his equipment, and the group then headed towards the front gate. Like anyone else who wished to enter, they had to wait in a long line of carriages, wagons, and even people on foot. Seven City was a massive hub of activity in the Kingdom of Dellorim and regardless of the day, it was always busy. When their turn to go inside finally arrived, they allowed the guards to inspect them for dangerous or illegal magickal items and after replaceing none, the group headed in through the large gates.

Cypher marveled as he beheld the inside of the city. It was just as protected as it was outside. Stone-shelled houses were built on the hill leading up the mountain and were constructed in interlocking patterns that were set close together so that barricades could be easily built between them.

This design culminated in a close-knit array that had the brunt of its defenses built around the castle at the heart of the city. A series of large crystals held in silver basins sat on each street corner, and Alvin pointed out that in times of crisis, they would start to levitate and hover.

When this happened, they would also begin to emit colored light and the glow of that light informed the citizens of the severity of the situation. On occasions when the city would need to be evacuated, a vast system of tunnels was scattered in every direction underneath the streets.

These tunnels, however, now lie abandoned, dormant, and unused in this era of peace. Although their exits and entrances were still heavily guarded or watched. Cypher was quite interested to hear about this city his parents once called home and as they walked Alvin pointed out the various districts that made up the city, and each was sectioned off into a ring.

First off, at the heart of the city stood a large castle that once housed the royal family of Dellorim. It was long abandoned by those royals after they moved to Cael at the end of the Arkwar, and was only really used now for trials and other important matters. Although, a large library could be found inside and was accessible to all who could pay the modest entry fee.

After that, you had the Royal district. It was located in a ring that circled the large castle in the middle of the city. The royal district housed visiting nobles or others of high status in the City such as the mayor or the wealthier families, and the bulk of the administrative offices were also located there.

Beyond that ring, one could replace the Market district which held several crafting guilds, and many shops for the buying and selling of goods. Various Guilds also resided here, such as the Mercenary Guild, the Conductor’s Guild, and the Adventurer’s Guilds. They were good places for strong Conductors and warriors to earn their living, deepen their knowledge, or seek their fame.

After that, which was the area Cypher and his group were currently passing through, you had the housing and farming districts which were separate areas but considered part of the outer ring. The housing area was located just beyond the Market district and was easy to spot with its many rows of houses and huts.

The areas for farming though were all located around the edges of the surrounding wall and Cypher knew that somewhere among them was Alex’s home. Alvin had been quite thorough in his explanations and Cypher was soaking it all up.

But the true beauty of Seven City, as Alvin went on to explain, was not found in its military design, nor was it found in its perfectly designed royal, housing, and market districts. No, the real beauty of this wondrous city was in the people that lived there. All of them were hard dependable workers with hearts of gold and an unshakable will of steel.

Crime in Seven City was next to non-existent. With so many Conductors and guards patrolling the streets getting away with any kind of criminal activity was downright impossible. But the need for petty theft and murder wasn’t something people here even considered once they settled in.

Charities and public services of all kinds could be found for those down on their luck. Several homeless shelters, a provisional distribution center, and a place that offered various jobs were among the many opportunities that lay waiting for those with a desire to change their lot in life for the better.

Because of that, it was no surprise that so many people migrated here on a regular basis. Some came to regain stability in their lives after a natural disaster, bandit raids, or other misfortune befell their villages. Others came to take advantage of all the travelers and trading to start their own businesses, while still others simply came here looking for a better life altogether in order to settle down and start a family.

Alvin’s explanations went further in-depth as they walked and Cypher was all too pleased to have a distraction as they headed toward their destination. Eventually, they arrived in the eastern area of the housing district. It was here that they would begin their search and Cypher was eager to get started. However, as they looked around a problem quickly presented itself.

On every street, one could replace rows upon rows of those trees, and Cypher could only groan with frustration as he saw that each one had patches of blue flowers growing beneath them.