"This is the residence of the Windcaster of Kiramone?" Tia's incredulous voice echoed up and down the high-ceilinged hall. Mommu shushed her, looking like a frightened rabbit, his eyes darting to all the archways down the length of the walkway. Tia craned back over her shoulder. She had thought – they had all thought – this was a meeting place for the great and powerful. Not a home.

They had been silent as they passed the guards standing at alert at the intricate metal front gates, who had sharp lances in their right hands and not a muscle twitching under their smart, colourful uniforms. The marble steps were polished to a gleaming white, the long, thick carpet under their feet carefully hand-stitched and embroidered. The soles of their boots sunk into the soft material. Paintings hung all the way down the great hallway. Coats of armour stood stiffly at equal distances at the sides. Tia could swear she heard angelic music in the background, soft and sweet.

"He certainly captured the essence of Kiramone well," Enlil said dryly, his pale eyes taking into every intricate detail and gleam of gold-plated decoration.He had the same disgusted look on his face as during the mage's performance.

"Welcome, my friends!" A dramatic, melodic cry came from the top of the stairs, at the end of the hall. The four turned to the source of the voice. The two trainees' jaws dropped and Enlil sighed heavily. "It is I! The great Enki of Kiramone! How blessed I am to have you in my brilliant presence! Oh what joy! What happiness!"

Master Anu's arms trembled – whether from suppressed laughter or displeasure, it was hard to tell – as the figure gambolled down the stairs, his cloak fluttering theatrically behind him and the multi-coloured feathers atop his gleaming hat fluttering in motion. Before the four travellers, Enki of Kiramone removed his hat and took a sweeping bow, so deep that his chin-length golden hair nearly touched the deep purple carpet. He snapped up again, replacing the hat at a jaunty, confident angle and scanning the three gobsmacked young people with sparkling blue eyes.

"Do you appreciate my beautiful abode? My sumptuous sanctuary? My ravishing residence?"

Tia gaped. She'd never seen such a confident person before, or such an unconventional Windcaster. She peeped at Enlil; he seemed nauseated. She struggled to keep her face straight.

Master Enki looked – and probably was – very young for a Windcaster. He brushed, with a swift hand, his golden hair out of his face, closing his eyes for extra effect, and sighed.

"It is wonderful to have the great Caster Anu in my humble home," he cried, reaching the bottom of the stairs. It seemed he was unable to keep his voice to a reasonable conversational level. "Please! Make yourself at home – I insist upon it!"

His looks and histrionic personality gave her little room to form coherent thought. She suddenly met the man's eyes.

"And this beautiful lady–" With a deft hand, he grabbed Tia's in his own, bent down to her eye level, and stared straight into her startled green eyes. She gave a squeak of surprise. A furious blush made its way up to the roots of her hair. The glittering baby blue held an intense gaze. She was put on the spotlight. "– is your apprentice, Anu? Surely you are too old to have such a gorgeous young female to be doing all your chores and hard labour!"

"Tiamat is more than capable of being Master Anu's apprentice," Enlil said, a little too sharply. Tia was startled by the hostility in his voice. The respect he held for Master Anu was wholly absent. Master Enki paused, blinking at the slave boy.

"Oh?" he said, his silky voice more serious as he dropped Tia's hand. He glanced at him up and down with a deliberate expression. "You are not a Caster. I do not sense the Wind in you."

"He is my assistant, Enki," Master Anu interceded in his quiet voice. Master Enki's cherubic features remained thoughtful, and then a smile crept across his face.

"Interesting, Anu." He straightened up, smoothing his silky, heavy coat. "Three travelling with you to Capital? That's an awful burden, particularly through Hume."

"We are not–" Enlil began hotly, but Master Anu held up a hand, silencing him. Tia could see Enlil struggling, but he relented.

"We are not here to discuss my companions, Enki." There was a hint of impatience in the Master's voice. "There are topics of greater importance we must discuss. Where is your apprentice?"

The young Censor appeared disappointed that Master Anu did not rise to the bait. Master Enki made a face at him, careful not to smudge the colours painted on his cheek and around his eyes. He waved a regal hand and from one of the side rooms stepped another figure, wearing the same cerulean trainee's cloak, rimmed in white as Tia and Mommu. He was taller than the two, with a mop of curly dark hair and dark eyes fixated on his Master. As he reached the group, he gave a curt bow, lowering his eyes with respect.

"Grace be with you, Master Anu," he murmured. His voice was rich and mature. Tia warmed to him at once.

"And you," the old Windcaster acknowledged the trainee.

"Kingu, can you take these kids somewhere and entertain them?" Enki asked, with a small, delicate pout. "And can you bring me some cold honey water? The festivities are making me sweaty and you know how I hate to be sticky. And get Inanna to pack for me! The carriage is arriving soon!"

"Have you not made preparations yet?" Kingu's voice remained calm, but he had a frown on his face.

"Can you not do it?" the Caster whined. "Please. You know how terrible I am at this! And I am oh-so-busy!"

The trainee sighed and nodded.

"Excellent!" The man brightened at once, his cheeks blossoming pink. Without a backward glance, he strode into one of the arched doorways, arm outstretched grandly in front of him and pale blue cloak swishing at his heels. "Come with me, my dear Anu. We have much to discuss!" his grandiose voice faded as they disappeared down the corridor.

The four young people stood in silence. After the noisy scene with the self-absorbed Windcaster, the silence left behind suddenly felt very heavy and awkward. Kingu didn't give them another look. He walked purposefully to one of the other archways where a slim maid stood, waiting anxiously for orders. He exchanged mutters with her and she hurried off. He gave another sigh as he returned to the three young people standing uncomfortably amongst the grandeur.

"My apologies," he said, bowing his head. "My name is Kingu, Master Enki's apprentice. Welcome to our abode. I hope that your stay will be pleasant here."

"I am Tiamat," Tia said, flushing when their eyes connected. "And this is Mommu and Enlil. Grace be with you."

"And you." He nodded courteously to all three of them. "Please, follow me."

They went through a wooden door and passed beneath the grand stairs Enki had descended. Via a windowless corridor so narrow that the edges of their cloaks touched both sides of the walls, they weaved around corners, their way lit by the candles flickering on the stone surfaces. They passed nobody along the way; it seemed the staff were preoccupied with events elsewhere. Their boots tapped sharply on the granite floor, echoing with a hollow tone.

The ground sloped gently downwards. They were going slowly underground. The temperature in the air dropped by a few degrees, relieving the stifling heat the three travellers experienced from the packed crowds outside.

"Is your Master always this–this–" Enlil, at the back of the line, struggled to find the right term. Mommu held his breath, hurrying along to keep up with Kingu's long strides. Tia's eyes were fixed on the bobbing, curly-haired head of the taller boy. Kingu had a confident presence, with his squared, wide shoulders and purposeful steps. Tia, with her short legs, half-ran to maintain the same speed.

"Melodramatic?" Kingu said, with a wry smile. "Yes, he is rather fond of theatrics. But he is a very talented man. Out of all the Casters in this Kingdom, he is the youngest but one."

"How do you cope with these theatrics?" Enlil couldn't keep the scepticism out of his voice. Tia giggled.

"Do you find it hard to bear, Enlil?" she said teasingly. She blushed as Kingu chuckled, in front. He pushed open a squat wooden door on the side, stepping aside cordially to let the guests through first.

"Master Enki—" Kingu paused as if choosing his words carefully. "—is a good man, even if he is rather strange. He is a supremely talented Windcaster and he looks after Kiramone well. You will find that–" The trainee's next words were interrupted by a great gasp of glee from Tia.