Stathis found Semari on the roof, teaching Misutira how to properly kick, a heavily battered watering can attached to a rope being used as a training target. Heavy clangs split the air, as Misutira’s steel-capped boots made contact, while Semari watched and flicked a brick into the air with her feet, kicking it up each time before it hit the ground.

Misutira gave a slight curtsey, without breaking from her practice before Stathis spoke. ‘Semari, you got any plans for today?’

Semari jumped, spun and kicked, punting the brick into the distance, hopefully not hitting anyone. ‘Was going to doze, maybe teach Misutira some more. She’s getting OK. Why, what’s up?’

‘If you’ve not got anything else on, I was going to head out of the town, if you wanted to come along?’

Semari flapped her arms, mimicking wings. ‘You remembered? Hell yes!’

‘You want some food?’ Misutira had gotten significantly less decorous since regaining her heart, but didn’t seem to bear any grudges, although was never now without a blade at her waist. Anyone breaking in was going to get a nasty surprise; between Semari’s training and whatever she was learning in the basement, she could probably defeat burglars with ease.

‘Yes! Food! Some of those spicy tomato thingies, and the meaty blobs. So, when are we going?’ Semari was getting excited, hopping up and down, dancing around Misutira’s kicks, before bringing the watering can to a stop with a precise punch. ‘We should go now! Come on, let’s go!’

Without the threat of demons, the stony steppes had a certain bleak charm, tiny pools surrounded by plant life, a few animals (but mercifully no goats) scattering as they approached. Redcastle could be seen in the distance, splashed with green and white against the dusty surroundings, as Stathis dismounted, Semari immediately clamping onto her.

‘OK, let’s go!’

Stathis peeled her off. ‘I need space to actually make them!’ She shooed Semari back, before reaching inside herself, feeling the warm, sunny glow, letting her powers manifest. Then Semari jumped onto her shoulders, thighs clamping around her neck, almost choking her, as she flapped her wings to try and regain stability, before managing to pry Semari off again.

‘I’m going to pick you up, OK? Just stop jumping on me!’

‘OK, hurry up! I want to fly!’

Stathis picked Semari up in her arms, glad that she was light, her hair short enough not to flap around and get into Stathis’ face as she launched herself upwards. As soon as they were airborne, Semari started squirming and wriggling, an arm grabbing onto her back, giving Semari enough leverage to break free and swing out into the empty air, up onto Stathis’ back, legs clamping around Stathis’ waist.

Stathis dipped and swerved, trying to stay in control as Semari wriggled around on her back. ‘Dammit, stop moving around up there, this isn’t easy!’ Semari’s leg strength was impressive, as she clamped her legs just above Stathis’ hips. ‘Stop squeezing so hard!’

Semari suddenly wrenched her weight sideways, dragging Stathis into an awkward manoeuvre. ‘Do a roll!’

‘I’m not a horse. And don’t do that!’

Semari wrenched again, enough force that it was easier to go with it, going into a roll, wings tucking in as her stomach roiled from the spin. Semari squealed with delight her grip getting even tighter. Stathis managed to pull up just in time to avoid smashing into a cliff-face, Semari wrapping arms around her chest as she shifted to being vertical, her head right behind Stathis’, breath warm on her ears.

‘That was amazing! Can we do that again?’

It was easier to comply, tempting though it was to throw her off, going through a series of spins and loops, before, finally and mercifully, she felt her energy ebbing, coming back down the ground. Semari detached herself as Stathis enjoyed the sensation of unrestricted breathing, now she wasn’t getting squashed.

‘Why do you want to fly so much?’

Semari was jumping up canyon walls, dangerously high before somersaulting backwards, landing with surprising grace. ‘Flying’s, like, really cool! You can just get up and whoosh, flap away. Who wouldn’t want that? I bet Janaxia’s going to get wings, like, big, evil bat ones, with spikes and stuff. I want wings as well.’

‘You can jump pretty far. Maybe you might find a magical item someday? Or find a wizard to cast a spell on you, that’ll let you fly for a while.’

‘Eh, that’s not the same. I want to really fly, all on my own!’ She was now tearing through the food, despite Stathis having done most of the work. ‘Like, being up in a storm, that’d be really cool. Everything all windy and whoosy everywhere, bet that’d be fun!’

That sounded wet and uncomfortable, but it seemed to excite Semari for some reason. ‘Well, that’s something to aim for, I guess. Uh, please don’t tell Janaxia about this.’

Semari’s gaze was suddenly sharp. ‘It’d be a lot easier if you just told her, y’know. She got over you being, like, super-noble or whatever, and that you’re Carissia’s little sis. And you can be all, like, super-angel badass whenever you want. Maybe turn her hair blue again, that was funny.’ She snickered at the memory.

‘It’s a bit more complicated than that. Please, just try and keep it to yourself.’

Semari huffed. ‘Fine, whatever. Can you, like, fly again now, or is it that it?’

‘That’s it for today.’

She rolled her eyes, apparently expecting Stathis to be able to sprout wings on command. ‘Bleh, that’s no fun.’ She imitated Janaxia’s tone, flicking her hair around. ‘We really must do this again when mutually agreeable, you are quite a pleasure to ride.’ She switched back to her usual voice. ‘I mean, not like that, but it’s pretty cool to fly, thanks! Hey, you think Parth can learn, like, Elf magic and transform people? Being a hawk would be cool. You could fly down and be all stabby and bitey. Get some mithril talons or something, wreck some faces.’ She demonstrated, clawing at the air while making hawk sounds. ‘Hey, what happened to Janaxia’s sis? Reckon Janaxia killed her and ate her soul?’ She made more hawk-like hand gestures, grabbing a stuffed tomato and shoving it into her mouth.

‘No, she thinks the house is creepy, and found somewhere else to stay. And I think I’m in her room. She doesn’t seem to get on with Janaxia, either.’

‘Reckon she knows about Gramps downstairs? He’s all like “ah, Janaxia, my true descendent”, bet that burns her right off. Least that’s what Misutira says, she tells me stuff.’ She nodded conspiratorially before continuing. ‘For a spooky dead dude, he sounds OK. Probably be napping again soon though. Old people do that, like, all the time. Until you’re poke them and they’re not napping, they’re dead.’

She seemed remarkably well-informed for someone that normally came and went via the rooftop, when not fighting cats for the sunniest places to doze. ‘I suppose Kivata would know? They’re mostly all necromancers, having a deathknight in the basement seems like something that would be passed on. Maybe they all get introduced when they’re old enough.’

‘Ooooo, maybe there’s a legacy, and they’re all going to fight for it!’ Stathis mounted up onto the horse again, Semari jumping on behind her, grabbing on far too tightly. ‘Some kind of last-wizard-standing gets the magical power of gramps, that kinda thing.’

‘Gods, I hope not, I think Janaxia’s the youngest of six or seven. Be messy.’ Stathis had to squirm and wriggle, trying to stop Semari squeezing her too tightly.

‘Kethys told me that’s how her family did it, before she left. Total murderfest, everyone stabbing and killing each other until there’s an heir left.’

‘I don’t think Janaxia’s family are going to be that bad. They might be necromancers, but I don’t think they kill each other. Well, probably. At least not on a permanent basis.’

They rode back to town, Semari speculating on how murderous Janaxia’s family might be, and how many of them were sorcerously enthralled by other relatives. To judge by what she was saying, Semari had either been very close to some clan of magicians fighting each other to the judge, or been listening to far too many of Terinth’s stories.