Chapter 3
The Royal Decree
Khepri announces his quest to his advisors, who scoff at the fable. Despite their doubts, Khepri's resolve hardens. He prepares for the arduous journey, gathering provisions and his courage.
The grand hall of the palace, usually alive with the murmur of courtiers and the rustle of fine linens, was hushed, a heavy silence pressing down like the midday sun on the desert sands. Pharaoh Khepri stood before his council of advisors, his young face earnest, his heart aflutter not with fear, but with the weight of his decision. The scrolls lay open on the polished obsidian table, their ancient papyrus brittle with age, their hieroglyphs speaking of forgotten magic and impossible journeys. He had spent days poring over them, his sleep disturbed by visions of withered fields and gaunt faces. Now, he had to share his discovery, his hope, with