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She smiled at him, and said, "Clever, my Aleran"

He winked at her Then he slowly drew his sword He extended it deliberately to his side and concentrated

The metal seeth of the blade, a white-hot wreath Tavi reached down into hi point, gathering heat and preparing to unleash it

He extended the sword toward the gate with a scream, and fire and a sudden haates The white-hot firebolt slaate with a force as real as any raates, strained beyondwithin theate

And a hundred feet of the city's wall, on either side of the towers

All of the as they flew into pieces, bursting into their own heat and wild motion as the overstrained furies within were finally pushed past the limits of the physical e on the matter about theion supply wagon, or as long and as sharp as the largest sword - went flying and spinning away, sent crashing through half-burned buildings and crushing the bases of the outer ring of towers by the will of Gaius Octavian

Secondary collapses followed, buildings that were torn to shreds by the destruction of the gates falling in beneath their own unsupported weight And when those structures fell, they claiside them

All told, it was nearly four fullstone and masonry quieted

Tavi winced The dae had been a little more widespread than he had expected He'd have to pay Riva for the blocks he'd ruined

"Aleran," Kitai breathed in awe

He turned to face her and tried to look as though he'd meant to do that He focused on the positive; at least the duration of the collapse had given him a little time to catch his breath and somewhat recover from the effort to cause it

The silence that settled around thenant with anticipation "Ready," Tavi told her "Stand ready"

"You still think she will respond?" she asked quietly

He nodded tightly and resettled his grip on his fiery blade "She has no choice"