Whenever the shadow of a great dragon swept over the hills and earth, many descendants carrying the bloodline of great dragons were born upon the land. Astrologers claimed that the next generation born beneath a great dragon's shadow would possess miraculous powers, and this was the origin of the Year of Dragon Shadow—
A thousand years later, the azure sea still washed against the shores of White City just as it had a thousand years before. Sea foam drifted across the sapphire-like surface, leaving uneven wet marks along Antisqui's seawall. The highest wave had already reached the lower edge of the relief of Leviathan, the sea beast carved into the seawall. An iron ring there marked the highest water level in White City's history. By now, it was covered in rust and weathered beyond recognition. So they say.
This long seawall had been built during the era when Tyrenk, Lord of White City, forged swords into plowshares. It connected to the stone pier stretching into the distant azure bay, where hundreds of ships of all shapes and sizes were moored. Among them, the Elven Court's sailing ships stood out—their long line of vertical sails and curved prows resembled sabers. The fleet had crossed the ocean from Ailanta to reach this place, arriving in five batches.
That day, the citizens of White City had watched fully armed elven troops disembark from those ships and head east, one batch after another. After that, they never appeared again.
More than half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Rand once again stood beside the seawall, watching the yellowing tips of the sails. The elves had not returned. Only the empty fleet remained adrift in the bay, resembling ghosts. It was not that no one coveted them, but everyone who dared reach