Byung had gestured for the Chieftess to follow him to somewhere more private, his hand extending toward a path that led away from the crowded main square where goblins mingled in uneasy observation. He intended to discuss logistics—housing arrangements for the tribe, patrol schedules, resource allocation, the practical matters that consumed his thoughts. But before he could take more than three steps, Maui's hand shot out and grabbed his arm with surprising urgency, her fingers digging into his bicep hard enough to make him wince. She pulled Byung aside into the shadow of a nearby building, away from the Chieftess's direct line of sight, her green eyes wide with something between panic and determination.
"Wait," Maui hissed, her voice low but intense, breath coming quick as if she'd just sprinted. "You need to know something before you go anywhere with her. There's a ceremony, a tradition among orc leadership when alliances are formed through respect earned in combat."
