Kubla Khan

Crowned beneath banners of flame, the rider thunders forth as both sovereign and soldier. His empire rises behind him in stone domes and gilded halls, monuments to victories carved with blood and iron. Mounted on a steed born of smoke and thunder, his sword weighs more than mortal hands should bear. With each thrust he expands the borders of his dominion, yet with every conquest the shadows within him grow longer. The songs of triumph echo in marble courts, but at night he hears only the cries of the fallen. His victories are etched not just into the land, but into the marrow of his bones, pressing heavy upon his soul. To his people he is empire made flesh, a symbol of unshaken power. To himself he is the keeper of burdens no throne, no crown, no spear can ever cast aside.