A vast city sprawled across a flat grassland, its structure divided into three rings, housing well over a hundred thousand homes.
Each section carried its own characteristics; some districts were filled with tall, sleek towers of metal and glass, others with low stone buildings, and still others where the dwellings were shaped from living trees, grown and guided into natural forms of shelter.
At the center stood the palace, rising high enough to brush the cloudless sky. It was as grand as it was formidable, a fortress of white marble built for both beauty and defense.
Its spires burned with white flames that shimmered like living stars, casting pale light across the upper terraces.
It was a beautiful city, and even though the sun had not yet risen, the city was alive with activity. Beneath the blanket of the starry sky, the streets glowed with crystal lamps, magic lights, and movement.
