"And winning it faster is very tempting but not worth trading against certainty of winning it."

"Yeah. I am not expendable."

"Less than us, even forgetting your powers. At least when we die we come back."

"Yeah."

"We're trying to make strategic decisions with that in mind, now."

"Good."

"I do hope you're right you can bring back our dead."

"Me too," she sighs.

After a while they near Beth Miqlat. 

Illia did a really good job designing the place and Odette did a really good job building it.

It is stunning and he is generous and specific with compliments.

"You know it's not totally finished, right?"

"I noticed, but it's come along very fast and it's clear how the rest'll come together."

"Oh, good." She is so proud of her city.

"It is incredible. It would take us a decade of work to achieve what you've done already."

"It won't take you so long when you're more advanced with my kind of magic!"

"I know! In a few centuries anyone'll be able to build a city with the wave of a hand, it'll change the world!"

"Did you see how densely I wrote that sigil into the walls?"

"Can't see that from here, actually. I am glad to hear it."

"It was an easy and convenient thing to do to make the place safer."

"And to mean it can hold out against anything until you're back. That's great news."

"Densifying the sigils on other cities is on my to-do list."

"Thank you. It must be a long list."

"It really is."

"I hope the city doesn't add to it. I think it will do a great deal of good."