The Serpent's Cipher

Previously

…The jungle’s silence returned, no longer a warning, but a mournful dirge for the camaraderie that had been lost. I had to find a way out of this, to regroup, to somehow salvage the quest. But the bitter taste of Lyra’s betrayal lingered, a venomous reminder that even in the pursuit of legend, the most dangerous monsters could wear the faces of those we held closest. The Serpent's Cipher was still my goal, but the journey had become infinitely more complex, and infinitely more lonely.