Chapter 52: The Roots of Morning

The first night in the temple courtyard was not restful, but it was not miserable either. It was something in between—a state Siu-Bak had learned to recognize as the natural condition of his life. He lay on a thin mat borrowed from a stack in the corner of the hall, the stone floor radiating a patient cold through the fabric, and the Dragon Beggar's Art hummed a low, steady tune in his chest. Not...