After three days of travel along the imperial highway, the trio approached their first destination; the living city of Cyneburg. They flew down an empty highway with Boris driving and Siegfried in the passenger seat. While Boris focused on driving, Siegfried relaxed, watching the scenery pass by and smoking the pipe that once belonged to the Boss. Fields full of different crops could be seen as they flew down the highway, divided by the occasional forest, open plain, or small village or town. With each village or town they did pass, the more the war showed itself in the abandoned and destroyed homes and fields, a sobering sight. Wanting to get his mind off the sad scenery that flew by, Siegfried tried to think of something to talk about. Having spent his whole life in Burkhart, he was unfamiliar with the great cities of Bodanen; that was something to talk about. "So, Bor. What's Cyneburg like? All I know is that it's a 'living' city, whatever that means. It's near some of the heaviest fighting in the northeast, so it's had a hard time as of late, right? Other than that, though, I know almost nothing about the city."
Boris tried to answer Siegfried's questions while refusing to tear his sight from the road. "Well, let me think, I know it is the capital of the fairies. You do know that each race has its own capital city, right?"
"Wait, what? Really! That's news to me. So wait, does that mean that the kingdom of An-ox has multiple capitals? How does that work?"
"What? No, No. There is only one capital for the kingdom of An-ox, and that is the city of Alyd. But there are fifteen mortal races in the second generation, and each has a large city that is the epicentre of that race's culture and history... well, almost all the races, one is missing. Anyway, those cities are their race's capital instead of the kingdom's capital. Though there is overlap with Alyd being the capital for An-ox and angels, but that is the case for Alyd alone. The capital of Raaksha is Sneborg, which is not any one race's capital. As for Cyneburg, I do not know much. I know it is the home of fairies and that it is made of more natural materials like wood and stone instead of steel and glass; it is also greatly infused with different magics. It has also been closed off for a few years now, being unable to hold against Father's army routine attacks on it and the areas around the city." A sobering fact that caused a frown to grow on Boris' face.
"That would explain why the roads are so empty right now. They were packed near Alyd when we left, and now we're the only ones on the road. But if the city's been closed off for years now, how have the people survived?" Siegfried sat up, focusing on Boris and their conversation.
"From what I understand, when the attacks started becoming more frequent and more violent, the city was abandoned by most of the people, other than most of the fairies living there. Fairies do not require as much food or water as some of the larger races, so they have been able to survive with relative ease despite being cut off from trade; at least, that is what I have heard. Despite the fighting, the fairies of Cyneburg refused to leave their historic city and instead fortified the walls and cut off entrance to the city."
"Well, I'd thought to stop in Cyneburg to gather supplies, information, and ready ourselves for the first fight, but with the supplies provided to us by the king and the fact that the city's closed off, it may be a better idea to head straight to the front lines. ...And here I was hoping to see the city, too." Relaxing once more, Siegfried looked out the window and spoke to himself softly. "Ah well; once this is all over, I guess I'll just have to start travelling and see this world for myself."
The door between the seats opened with Blake poking his head through. "Either of you see Cyneburg yet? Shouldn't be too far now." Blake looked past the pair out the front window, gazing at the horizon.
"We should be there soon. Though, we will simply be passing by, seeing as the city is closed." Boris looked on, never tearing his gaze from the road.
YOU ARE READING
Bodanen: Cobalt War
FantasyThe world of Bodanen has known war for forty-five years, but outside the capital of An-ox in a small trading town, a less than average farmer has grown up relatively peacefully. When the war comes to his home, he finds his aptitude for violence to b...
