They left early the next day. Mommu's bleary eyes squinted in the sunlight and he shivered in the chilly early morning as the sun rose, staining everything with a pink glow. Birds sang with gusto in the treetops. The grass was crisp beneath their feet. They were going to be on the road again, and he hoped they wouldn't encounter any further trouble.

Aga's eyes were wide and shining with tears but she fought not to blink as she silently grabbed Tia's waist in a death-grip and bit her lips, head down. Tia patted her head, looking as though she didn't know what to say – and she probably didn't. It wouldn't be the first time she'd said something insensitive, but he was glad to see she kept her mouth shut. He knew Tia could empathise: every time Master left to go on a quest, she would be in tears, weeping at the fact she was left behind. They would probably never see Aga again.

"Be a good girl, Aga," Tia said, in a surprising show of maturity. She smiled down at the small, shiny-eyed face. Aga blinked her tears away and gave a big sniff.

"You too, Tia. You have to be a good girl too," she replied, sticking her chin out. The three young people chuckled and patted Aga's shoulder.

Enlil knelt down on one knee and spoke to her at eye-level. "Look after your Papa, Aga." She nodded, her face grave.

"Take care on your journey." Namru's aged face crinkled in a forlorn smile. The grey streaks in his hair were more prominent in the day light. His eyes held a bleak look, reminding Mommu of the expressions he used to see. "Grace be with you, my friends."

"Grace be with you," they said in unison.

****

After a while, Mommu couldn't stand it any longer. With a small sigh, he slowed Kuri the carrier so that it matched Enusat's pace. He passed a cloth to a sniffling Tia, who dabbed at her eyes quickly, failing at being inconspicuous. Kuri turned its head to the side, nuzzling the girl's knee with affection. She patted its nose absent-mindedly, hiccupping.

"You are too soft, Tia," Mommu said. "Are you going to cry like this every time we pass some poor villager and his young child?"

"I cannot help it." Tia hiccupped again, her large green eyes drying at last. "We are just going to leave them to their own devices. We are not going to help. They will probably starve within–within–"

"I will give it half a year," Enlil said unhelpfully.

"Enlil!" Mommu could punch the boy. Tia's face crumpled again. Big fat tears fall silently down her pointed face, dripping onto her carrier's neck. She hid her face under her brown fringe, fumbling for another cloth. Her strands of hair framing her face were plastered to her cheeks from the gushing tears.

"Be quiet, Mommu," she said, mopping her tears away. "I do not want Master to see."

He bit his lip, looking ahead. They passed the lush green area surrounding Mooncliffe and began to enter the outskirts of the next densely populated city. The tall trees were replaced with small farms and the flowers with tall, yellowing grass. The moss and weeds that had taken over their dirt path had begun to recede, becoming dirt again. It seemed they were headed for some bustling civilisation. The clear country air became mustier and they started to pass people for the first time since leaving Mooncliffe. Most of them were merchants, carrying goods on their shoulders or carriers. Each of them nodded with respect at Master Anu; some even bowed and said, "Grace be with you".

They passed some slaves along the way, usually seen in the distance doing manual labour in the fields or occasionally carrying heavy wares, walking in the wake of their owners. Enlil's fists tightened on his carrier's rein each time they passed another dishevelled, miserable-looking slave with downcast eyes. Mommu kept throwing glances at him anxiously. To anyone else, Enlil was just another boy, but Mommu could feel the boy's anger burning slowly inside. He did not want to incur his wrath.

Thankfully Enlil's rumination was interrupted as they had to continually make way for other travellers heading in all directions. Particularly of note were groups of flamboyantly-clad people joking and laughing loudly. Some of them displayed tricks or little shows, such as standing with their head on their carrier's saddle, juggling many objects or even instances of Wind magic.

"Why are there so many strange people heading in the same direction as we, Master?" Tia said, her eyes following the path of another magic user, who was spinning several leaves in a rapid circle above his palm. Mommu was also fixated by the Caster who could utilise Wind magic without the use of a staff. The user noticed the two trainees' attention and winked at them. Tia giggled and Mommu blushed profusely, furious at having been caught looking at frivolities and turning away at once.

"Kiramone is a city of exhibition and dreams," the old man said, slowing Aplaa, his carrier. He didn't look at the Caster showing off, but instead stared straight ahead with cold disinterest. "People of all sorts of background and reasons travel there; some stay, some travel on to other places. It is a city of opportunities and for people to start anew."

"It sounds like a wonderful place," Tia sighed dreamily. Master Anu's jaw tightened at her naiveté.

"It is a city where many get lost or led astray," he paused, and then carried on gently. "It is not a place for young people. It may seem tempting and adventurous to be lost in a beautiful city, but its wonder is not all that it seems. I must ask you to trust me on this, Tiamat."

"You speak so negatively of a city that sounds so wondrous, Master." Tia pouted.

"Not everything is as straight forward as you see it, Tiamat," Enlil interjected. Tia made a face at him. Mommu knew he had a point, but he also knew Tia was taking no notice of any of these warnings.

"I just do not see how a city that sounds so wonderful could be bad."

Her attention was captured by the next group of people moving – no, parading – past them. They had four carriers linked together in pairs towing a colourful carriage with wheels that glistened gold and little flags with the emblem of Dernexes standing at the four corners at the top. Two men, dressed in equally fine clothing with ruffles and long sleeves made with a beautiful silky cloth, rode a little ahead of the carriers. A third man sat at the front of the carriage, hanging onto the reins of the four carriers.

"Out of the way!" yelled one of the men at the front, waving furiously at a group of merchants that were moving at a slower speed.  "Can you not see we are in a hurry?"

"You do not have to be so rude!" complained one of people shunted away by the thundering hooves and noisy riders.

"Do you not know who we are?" demanded the second man with an air of arrogance. "We are the entourage picking up the great and powerful Windcaster of Kiramone! Do you want us to tell the great Windcaster Enki that the reason he could not make the king's summoning on time was because you blocked our way?"

When the people in their path had all scuttled away and the road ahead was clear, the group stormed on ahead at a great speed, throwing up dust clouds in their wake and indifferent to the people it left behind who were spluttering.

"Are you to meet this Master Enki, Master Anu?" said Tia, entranced by the flamboyancy of the crew disappearing into the distance. Mommu noticed the disapproval on her Master's face.

"Yes, I shall be."

The people sharing their path were increasing in numbers. The noise level rose dramatically to the point where conversation was almost impossible. They were clad in all sort of clothing: farmers, tradesmen, manual labourers, performers, travellers, all swarming towards the same city entrance, which was a gold-plated arch with ribbons dangling from all sides. Squeals of delight and roars of approval exploded from the city like sparks from a fire. Hundreds of people swarmed the streets, shouting and waving. The air was vibrant with energy.

Master stopped in his tracks. The three young people stopped too. The people around them poured past like a stream meeting a boulder. The old man turned to face them, a wry smile on his wrinkled face, beneath his pale blue hood.

"This," the Master's voice was dry and barely audible over the noise, "is Kiramone."