The dragon peered cautiously around the corner, her expression nervous, before she darted out, scooping up her cat and taking cover behind another pillar, whispering to it. ‘You little turncoat! Every time you’re with that woman. I’ve never met someone so desperate.’

Semari dropped down behind her. For a dragon, she seemed OK, or hadn’t eaten anyone yet. Even Janaxia, and she seemed to want to be eaten, at least in some senses of the word. It was quite funny watching the dragon hide from her though, clearly unused to being aggressively hit on all the time. The cat saw her coming, eyes watching as Semari approached, making a mewing noise.

The dragon jumped, a sudden wave of heat washing through the air, hands shaping into claws as she spun. When she saw Semari, she coughed, trying to retain some dignity as she rearranged her robes. ‘Ah, the brawler. I was worried it might be that wizard, she is rather persistent.’

‘Yeah, she’s got some weird tastes, no offence. Think she’s had her heart set on bagging a dragon for a while, and not used to people saying no to her.’

‘Wretched humans! Coupling with the lesser races is utterly distasteful, and with someone so brazen to boot. And her soul is a dark and blackened thing, some agent of the heavens should have disposed of her long since.’ The dragon sniffed, a coil of smoke coming from her mouth.

‘She’s pretty evil, yeah. Like, all spooky and weird and stuff.’ Semari stared at the cat, as it stared back, refusing to back down. She hissed at it, making it flinch back, the dragon stroking and soothing it. ‘Good at zapping things, but that’s about it. I guess she looks good as well, but that’s not really my thing.’

The dragon stroked and soothed the cat. ‘She seems to have quite charmed you, hasn’t she?’ The cat mewed back. ‘I give you part of my soul, and this is how you repay me? Being used as a stalking horse and bait by that dark-touched devil-girl? Has she used some charm or power I cannot detect on you?’

Semari shook her head. ‘Nah, her charm spell is rubbish, it’s this evil crown of iron and fire and stuff, pretty obvious. Might be tuna or something? Cats like fish, right?’

‘Llewdu is far too smart for such trickery. Isn’t that right?’ She tickled it under the chin. ‘No, I think you are simply falling for her wiles, aren’t you?’

Semari got closer, carefully poking the cat, ignoring the glowering look it gave her. ‘I can try and steer Janaxia away from you, if you want.’ The cat hissed, but the dragon appeared to consider the idea.

‘She is something of a bother, and I would rather not devour her. Fionarasa at least appears to believe there is some level of debt owed. And I would prefer not to anger the kin of that warrior you follow; when the heavens are roused to anger even my kind find it wise to lay low. If you could direct that would-be seductress in some other direction, then I would look kindly upon it.’

Semari punched her fist into her palm. ‘No probs, Janaxia’s funnier when she’s all tense and wound up. Not had any relief for a while now, I wanna see what happens when she pops. Probably get all gushy somewhere, gonna be funny as hell. But I want a favour, otherwise I’ll tell her when you’re in the baths.’

She growled, flame licking from her mouth, her clothing ruffling in the sudden heatwave. ‘Oh? What would a mortal dare demand of me? Speak carefully, brawler – while I might not kill you, I dislike being threatened.’

‘I wanna fly! One flight, then I’ll show her away.’

‘People have fought to the death for the honour of a single flight, and you wish to bargain for such a thing?’ She looked annoyed, the cat squirming in her arms as the heat intensified.

‘Yeah, ‘cos Janaxia’s, like, really pushy, and you need all the help you can get, unless you want to wake up with her. So come on, one flight? Please? Hey, I think she’s over there.’ Semari pointed at a random corner. The dragon twitched nervously, glancing where Semari pointed, looking ready to bolt. She seethed, before agreeing.

‘Very well then. But I sincerely hope you hold your end of this arrangement, mortal.’ She stepped close, sniffing at Semari. ‘Although there is something strange about you, as well. Much has changed in my time away from the world, such things as that woman should not be, who knows what unseemly fraternization has happened in such a time? Very well.’ She grinned, showing far more sharp teeth than any human had. ‘For your sake, I hope you have a strong grip!’

The world dropped away as they rose into the sky, wind buffeting her as giant wings flapped. Up high, the giant dome of the valley even more obvious from, the castle at the centre of the verdant green forest. The dragon’s hide was rough, easy enough to keep a grip on, as it twisted and whirled through the air. Semari raised her arms in the air, yelling from sheer exhilaration and adrenaline as the dragon bucked and whirled, air rushing past.

It dove, doing a barrel roll then swooping low, upside down just barely above the tops of the treeline, holding her arms out, plucking a few leaves as they moved. Then it spun again, twisting and spinning through tight bends, leaving Semari dizzy and breathless. It paused for a moment, wings stretching to brake itself, neck extending and blasting out a stream of fire, backdraft sending a scent of char drifting towards towards Semari.

‘Go faster!’

She could feel a rumble beneath her as it growled acknowledgement, wings beating once, twice and then it dove, Semari clamping her legs as tight as she could to stay on, the ground rushing up to meet them, castle streaking towards them. At the last minute, they pulled up, momentum shifting into a dizzying rate of ascent as they climbed towards the sun Semari hooting and yelling. All too soon, it was over, a rather more sedate descent putting them above one of the towers, Semari leaping onto a flagpole and spinning around to reach the roof, as the dragon transformed back, gracefully landing in her human form.

‘That was amazing! You went all, like, whoosh and zoom!’

‘I must say, I wasn’t expecting you to enjoy it quite so much. Most people throw up, or fall off, sometime earlier. You have an impressive leg strength.’ There were slight bruise marks around her neck.

‘You shoulda said something, sorry! But that was cool. Thanks!’ Semari looked over the edge. ‘Janaxia’s down in the courtyard, so you might wanna take a back route, or she’ll be all over you.’

‘Thank you, mortal. Loath though I am to admit it, you have done me a service this day.’

‘No probs. Let me go distract her, that’s always funny.’ Semari jumped over the edge, the stonework rough enough to make handholds easy, as she dropped down to the ground behind Janaxia, currently engaged in some boring conversation about magic stuff with Hakara. Semari crept close, then struck, two fingers stabbing forward in several swift strikes, hitting a number of points on Janaxia’s back. Her legs crumpled from beneath her, as she fell over, straight into a puddle.

Semari ran, just as bolts of energy peppered the air behind her, dark essence scorching through the air as Semari evaded, hearing a dark incantation cracking the world as she scampered up a wall, hopefully out of range, as Janaxia cursed behind her, her creepy not-words accompanied by a cascade of magical bolts.