Max intended to watch the Grand Race from the public stands.
Anna arrived with him before the first airships moved to the starting line. The monthly event had outgrown the earliest races without requiring Max to rebuild the Skyyard. Merchants sold food beneath temporary awnings. Teams maintained their ships in assigned spaces. Spectators filled platforms constructed by ordinary workers around the original attraction.
The course remained the dungeon's responsibility.
Its floating gates marked climbs, turns, and narrow sections where crews had to manage lift and speed. The current course ended with a descending curve around a stone pillar before a straight approach to the finish.
Twelve teams entered.
The Sixth Knot did not. The Five Knots were still repairing equipment used during the Underworld expedition and had declined the invitation without offering details.
