“Out of my way, common trash!”
The arrogant voice cut across the marble terrace like a screeching saw.
Young Master Ao Lie of the Void-Claw Dragon Sect marched forward in heavy, stomping strides. His dragon robes were embroidered with emerald thread, and a jade crown sat crookedly on his oiled hair.
In his left hand, Ao Lie clutched a scroll of fine golden silk. With his right hand, he shoved roughly against a small, hunched figure waiting patiently by the brass stanchion.
“Do not block my path, beggar,” Ao Lie barked. “I am the future master of the Void-Claw clan. My bloodline goes back seven hundred generations. How dare you stand in front of me?”
The person he shoved stumbled backward onto the polished marble.
It was a young boy, barely seventeen years old, dressed in patched linen trousers and a faded grey tunic. His clothes were covered in thick black soot. His right leg was shriveled and twisted at an awkward angle, supported by a rough crutch made from scrap metal. He caught his balance against the railing, coughing softly into his sleeve.
“I apologize, Young Master,” the boy whispered quietly. “The guards told everyone to wait in line. I have been here since midnight.”
