The city of Sky's Edge was a chaotic and hopeful place, built at the foot of the Skyspire Peaks.
From a distance, the mountains looked like any other colossal range of rock and ice, their peaks sharp against the blue sky.
But as one drew closer, the true nature of the Azure Sky Palace was revealed. The face of the largest mountain was not solid rock.
It was riddled with thousands of openings, each one glowing with a soft, internal light. The entire mountain looked like a giant, vertical beehive, a home carved into the very stone of the world.
Rhys stood at the back of a line that was thousands of people long. The line snaked through the main street of Sky's Edge and ended at a massive, open gate carved into the base of the mountain-sect.
This was the entrance to the outer grounds, the place where the annual disciple selection was held.
