Grand Epic Elemental

Chapter 1: Ishkhandar

The wind whistled across the dunes as a trade caravan made its way westward.

At the front was a man on horseback. He wore a dark brown cloak and the veil of his wide-brimmed weimao shielded his face from the windblown sand. Behind him was a long line of horses, merchants, and their precious cargo.

The heat was oppressive and the days monotonous. They had trekked for weeks, spending the nights at caravanserai when they were available and camping out under the night sky when they were not.

However, things were looking more hopeful today. Beyond the mountains on the horizon was their destination Ishkhandar, the capital of the Western Region.

***

Marble columns with fluttering banners lined the streets. Children kicked up clouds of dust and flower petals as they played in the corridors. Musicians tapped their drums in the corners of the plaza. Vendors hawked their wares in the bazaars.

The scent of freshly baked flatbread wafted in the air. There were stalls with bins of dried dates, raisins, pistachios, and walnuts. Across the way were greengrocers with tables full of lemons, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and eggplants. A mountain of watermelons stood in front of another stall. Colorful patterned fabrics hung from clotheslines stretched across the alleyways.

It was late afternoon when the caravan passed through the city gates. However, rather than going to the bazaars, they headed directly to the palace at the city's center.

The palace walls were covered with blue and green mosaic tiles and golden swirls. Silk sashes fluttered from the top of the tall columns that flanked the main gate. As they passed through the gate, the cloaked figure took off his weimao, revealing a man in his early twenties with gracefully curved phoenix eyes and waist-length black hair tied in a ponytail.

His name was Leiyu, and he was the bodyguard of the caravan.

Palace attendants led them to the stables where their cargo was unloaded. Leiyu was drinking water from his flask when another attendant approached them.

"His Majesty the King wishes to personally greet you all," he said.

Leiyu's eyes widened and he turned to the other merchants. They looked back at him and at each other.

"Come this way," the attendant said.

Once inside the main hallway, Leiyu stared wide-eyed at his surroundings. In his homeland, the Eastern Region, he had only seen palaces from afar and had never dreamed that he would ever set foot in one, much less in a foreign land. The walls were covered with gold, precious stones, and colorful tiles. The domed ceilings were decorated with ornate geometric patterns. Slanted columns of light shone through the high windows and formed patterned shadows on the glistening marble floors.

The throne room was even more extravagant. Silk sashes flecked with gold wrapped around marble columns. Flower garlands lined the gilded walls, which had even more gemstones and iridescent tiles.

Leiyu and the merchants were ushered to the center of the chamber. Only the shuffling of feet could be heard.

"His Majesty King Xenon enters!" an attendant bellowed.

The merchants dropped to a kneeling position and Leiyu followed suit.

He lowered his head but moved his eyes upward to catch a glimpse of the entering monarch.

King Xenon entered the throne room flanked by two others. He wore a flowing imperial purple cape, a vibrant royal blue embroidered chapan that stretched to his boots, and a vermilion sash around his waist. He was in his early forties, but his face still retained a youthfulness tempered by the faint lines around his eyes. His brown hair was tied up in a bun held together by a gold ring with an embedded sapphire. Across his forehead was a gold band with a larger sapphire.