The hour that followed wasn't particularly long, but for Max, who stood on the precipice of danger with threats mounting from all sides, it didn't pass by peacefully either.
During that time, Princess Lyra stood beside him like a steady presence, her gaze sweeping across the other forces and factions with unflinching focus.
Every now and then, she would lean slightly closer and whisper another warning, naming faces and backgrounds, identities of those Max should avoid provoking under any circumstances.
Just as Max was absorbing another such caution, Lyra subtly gestured toward a group standing with quiet authority under a black and silver banner—the emblem of the Obsidian Order. "You see that girl over there…"
