[Silthara Palace — The Royal Departure Courtyard — Morning]
Morning across Silthara Palace no longer carried peace. It carried movement.
Orders echoed through marble hallways while servants rushed between courtyards carrying travel silks, weapons, medicine chests, sealed parchments, and imperial banners marked with the crest of Zahryssar.
The palace itself felt awake, preparing and watching.
Outside, within the vast royal courtyard, rows of black-armored Red Knights stood assembled beside enormous desert drakes prepared for travel. Supply caravans lined the lower gates. Physicians discussed medicine supplies hurriedly.
Scouts checked water reserves repeatedly, and above all of it, imperial banners snapped violently beneath the desert wind.
At the center of the courtyard stood Zeramet, dressed fully for travel. His dark imperial robes were layered beneath black serpent-scale armor while silver ornaments rested against his shoulders like sharpened moons.
