"Come on," Lacuna said, glancing at the still-as-long line winding toward the gates. "If you're truly what you say, then we've got another chance."
His hopes ran high, so high he didn't even ask for proof if Sonder truly had any magical power.
Sonder rose without question, and together they rejoined the crowd.
The line moved in fits and starts; a tide of weary travelers pressed against one another, tempers running thin.
At last they stood again before the crystal-paneled booth. The same red-skinned guard sat within, his mohawk brushing the pane, his eyes narrowing at the sight of them.
"You again?" He rasped, his coarse voice filled with disdain. "Didn't I already tell you-"
Before the words could finish, Lacuna stepped forward, puffing himself up, trying to look older than he was. "We're no ordinary travelers, because she's a wizard. A true sorceress."
The guard's eyes flicked to Sonder, then back to Lacuna, suspicion written plain. "A wizard, is she? Funny, she didn't say so before."
Sonder said nothing, meeting his gaze evenly through the crystal.
The guard considered. Then, with a grunt, he reached for a lever beneath the desk. Somewhere below, gears turned, and one of the smaller iron doors in the wall creaked open.
"Take her through. She'll be examined," he said and then looked to Lacuna. "You will go with her."
The crowd muttered behind them, a ripple of interest at the girl called wizard. Lacuna kept his chin high, guiding Sonder by the elbow as if he'd done this sort of thing before.
Inside, the air was cooler, shadowed by the mass of the walls, the sand stilled by stone.
They were led down a narrow corridor by another guard until it opened into a broad chamber. The place smelled of dust and iron.
Waiting there was a figure who resembled the mohawked guard enough to be kin.
His skin was a lighter shade of red, and his head was barer, with hair cropped short.
Instead of armor, he wore a dark red robe stitched with gold, and around his neck hung a sand-colored scarf.
His eyes swept over Sonder and Lacuna as the door closed behind them.
"So," he said, his voice rougher than stone, though calmer than the guard's, "you claim sorcery." His gaze settled on Sonder alone. "Show me. No tricks, no sleight of hand. If you wield the Art, I will see it."
Lacuna leaned toward Sonder, whispering, "This is it. Show 'em."
Sonder lifted her hand and called on Fire.
It rose swiftly and hot.
It licked upward, curling into shapes that cast harsh shadows across the chamber.
The examiner's scarf stirred in the sudden heat. His eyes, which had been cool and appraising, flickered wide for the briefest instant.
The flames twisted into a ring, then into a line of sparks that scattered harmlessly across the air.
At last, she let them gutter out. The smell of smoke lingered.
Lacuna let out a shaky laugh. "See? I told you! She's-"
"Quiet," the examiner snapped, though his voice was not angry so much as intent. His gaze never left Sonder.
He leaned back, folding his hands into his sleeves. "You will be allowed entry. You will be allowed to stay three days; if by then, you do not find a sponsor or obtain a permit, you will be forced out of Gloam. Your presence will not go unwatched. Do you understand, outlander?"
Sonder gave a single nod.
He gestured to the guard at the door. "Take their names. Give them entry tokens."
The door creaked open.
Lacuna nearly skipped as they were ushered into another passage, a grin plastered across his face. He whispered to her, "We made it. We're in!"