Chapter 2: The Worm and the Mountain

The first bell of Azure Peaks did not ring. It boomed, a sound like a bronze giant striking a gong the size of a lake, and it rolled through the stone halls of Windstep Hall like thunder through a canyon. Ryu Jin jerked awake on his straw mat, his heart slamming against his ribs. For a moment, he did not know where he was. Then the cold light of dawn spilled through the window, and he remembered:...