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Alera frowned thoughtfully "In ay is that relevant?"

Tavi scowled "You're taking her side because she's a girl"

"Yes," Alera said, sh of your ways to knohich side of this debate I ahed "The vord are on the verge of destroying the Realm and the world She could have picked a better tiht not be another ti at the rippling waters of the pool "I'd better figure so out soon, then," he said, finally "I'm fairly sure she won't accept the end of the world as a valid excuse"

Alera let out another laugh "Let us continue," she said, in with proper bonesetting, after which ill resuer do we keep at this?"

"Another half dozen flights or so," Alera said calht, at any rate"

Half a dozen?

Tavi suddenly felt very tired His i in the snow like a sea jelly, every bone in his body sled him

Alera looked at him with a serene smile "Shall we continue?"

Chapter 1~2

Chapter 1

There was a quick rap on the cabin door, and Antillar Maximus entered the cabin One of Tavi's oldest friends, Maximus had shared a room with Tavi for the better part of three years at the Academy and was one of the few people in the fleet ould have opened the door without being bidden to

"Thought you should know," Max began, but then he stopped and blinked at Tavi He shut the door behind hi out, "Bloody crows, Calderon Are you sick or so?"

Tavi looked blearily at Max fro over h, handsoo back to a cold bunk once you get used to a warave hi I think it's always a good thing when your Legion's captain is ht be otherwise I' a wo some kind of replacement if you aren't too terribly particular, Captain"

Tavi picked up his cup of tea "If you don't finish before I've drunk this, I' at your fat head"

Max folded his arainst the door with a serene shness"

The honorific stole whatever faint arandfather was dead, but he had not spoken to the others about it He had no way to prove it, after all - and Alera hadherself to others in the fleet

Besides, there was a considerable difference between being the rightful heir and actually assuhts from his mind Those problems would attend to themselves in time First, survive today

"You came in here for a reason, Max?"