Fortunately, during the rest of their journey to Palma nothing else of note happened and they saw no more of Old Chad. That didn't keep them from being stressed and paranoid with the possibility of encountering Old Chad, so to say that it was a pleasant second half of the journey would not be exactly true. It was only when they saw the strange structures poking from under the sand that the three of them felt safe in any way. They were these strange metal structures that nobody knew the purpose of, it was probably made by the Ancient People, before the Fall, and whatever else they might do, at the very least, they kept Old Chad away and made it possible for Palma to exist as a city at all. Benjamin had heard many times, from Layla and other Mutants, that it was quite the beautiful city, but stressed and tired that he was, he was in no shape to admire anything. With an almost absent minded goodbye they separated from their guide shortly after entering the city.

He wasn't sure how they got to the hotel they would spend the night at, since Layla seemed as dazed as he was, but get there they did. He was barely aware as he greeted the hotel's receptionist, a surprisingly pleasant lizard-ascended Mutant, and got guided to the room he would share with Layla. The sun had just gone down, but after that frantic life-or-death situation Benjamin just couldn't conjure up the will to do anything but lie belly-down on the comfortable enough bed he found in the room.

The two of them were saying nothing to each other. What was there to say? There were no words in any language that could truly calm somebody down after the kind of experience that the two of them had just gone through. The Sand Leviathan was too great an existence. So for what seemed like an eternity, each of them separately, while together, tried to digest and deal with almost getting killed by an immortal building-sized being. Benjamin concentrated on his breathing, trying to take deep, calming breaths, releasing them just as slowly as he took them. Meanwhile, he could hear Layla pacing nervously pace around the relatively small room. Eventually she decided on something.

“There's something I have to do.”

It was an affirmation. Under no circumstances was she asking permission for anything. Honestly, he didn't care. Even if she tried something on him, he probably couldn't resist, so he just just grunted and approval. Moments later, the lights were turned off. Was she going to assault him sexually or something? Whatever. He thought to himself, he had heard that during times of violence, people might get more sexually active as way to make sure they would leave offspring behind. Maybe that was it? But as he lay still on the bed, nothing happened. He wasn't even being touched. So out of curiosity he turned his body to look around.

What he saw dazzled him. The lights were off, but the room was not completely dark, as parts of Layla's body were glowing in the dark. Thinking back on it, she did say that was a firefly before becoming a Mutant. She moved with a mesmerizing grace, was she dancing? Not exactly. Her movements didn't follow a set rhythm and were quite small. There was something incredibly calming about them and looking at her, Benjamin forgot for a moment about his own anxiety and dread. It was beautiful. Then, he felt dirty, so that's what she said she needed to do, such a pure thing.

“What are you doing?”

He asked, out of pure curiosity, out of a great need to know. Layla immediately froze. Looked at him, but before he could get a good look at her expression, stopped.

“I don't know!” There was something sad, hurt, in her voice, as if she was unsure of her own worth. “Apparently it's an instinct shared by many Mutants ascended from arthropods. Probably is derived from mating rituals or something...” Did she believe it herself? There was resentment in her voice as she spoke. “Of course, I wouldn't know for sure, since I've never met another firefly-ascended Mutant... Much less a male on of the sames species as me.” Was she crying? She was crying. Benjamin couldn't see it, but he knew. “It helps calm me down...”

Her voice had become only sobs at this point. Benjamin hugged her, unsure of what to say. No, he just shouldn't say anything. Words were not the kind of thing that she needed at that moment. He wasn't sure, but it wasn't so much that he saw something that he shouldn't have seen. She was just vulnerable. Exactly how or by what he did not know, but he knew that asking anything else at that moment was more likely to hurt than help her. So he held his silence, only hugging her. He had been so absorbed by his own close brush with death, that perhaps he had not given the necessary attention to someone perhaps more shaken than he was.

\

Leaving Layla to sleep in the room by herself, Benjamin found himself at the hotel's lobby. He wasn't completely sure, but the receptionist now was another person, even if they were an incredibly similar, also lizard-ascended Mutant. As Benjamin sat on one of the sofas he called, his voice showing concern.

“Hey, Mister, are you OK? My sister says you and your friend looked pretty shaken up when you arrived, maybe talking about it will help?”

It was just as well, Benjamin had wanted to strike up a conversation and ask about a few things, but wasn't completely sure. And being quite frank, he really thought he needed to talk about it.

“Well, here's the thing, we were coming from Destroia...” He didn't embellish the story or go into too much detail. What need would there be for such a thing? As he talked with his terrifying close encounter with death, he realized that, as unlucky as he might have been running into Old Chad like that, he was just as lucky or more for having survived it. “... So you see, right now I'm kind of mentally recovering, I need some place to really relax.”

There was likely to be something of the kind right? Along with Destroia, this city was the bridge between the Wildlands and the Empire, although from the Wildlands side rather than the Imperial side. It was probably just as important for its role as a merchant city as it was as a tourism site. The receptionist's reaction confirmed this.

“That story sounds pretty rough. Old Chad sure is an scary fellow, every year some people end up missing, so I suppose you do need some good relaxation. In the center of the city, right next to the oasis lake, there's a relatively new establishment that everyone talks really well about. The Duke's Respite, it's a bathhouse and sauna. Rumors say that the Mayor is a big fan of it, so I'm pretty sure you can get some good relaxation there.”

A bathhouse? Benjamin had never gone to one, although it seemed like they were quite popular in some of the northern cities of the Empire. He was sure that that would be a novel experience and probably just what he needed. Maybe it would be good for Layla too?

“That sounds like a great idea! Let me just go back to my room and get me friend. She did go through the same experience as me, so I suppose she might appreciate some relaxation too.”

He turned to go back to his room, but the receptionist called him. He showed a slightly concerned and not altogether sure expression, like he was planning out something complicated without a real answer.

“Ahem, Mister, it seems you're not all too familiar with how this city works. Hmm, I don't think there's a good way of saying it, but, I don't think you can take your friend with you to a bathhouse, let alone a high-class one like the Duke's Respite.”

What? Why? What reason could there possibly be? No, wait, there was no way there was some kind of idiotic law about absolute segregation of gender, like women and men can't even bathe in the same building. There was no way. Was he showing irritation on his face? He didn't want to scare the kid, but he couldn't help feeling irritated at the possible alternative.

“Well, you see... Hmm, Mister, things is... Your friend is ascended from an insect, right? No offense, meant! I have nothing against people ascended from insects! She is, right?”

There probably was a more delicate way to respond to his question.

“Yes, she is, from a firefly. So what?”

But he didn't feel like being delicate at that very moment.

“As a matter of... Public hygiene policy, or so the mayor says, many service establishments should be segregated: Non-human, mammal or avian ascended Mutants are not allowed in a bunch of different places in the city... It is the law...”

To say he was shocked was an understatement. He supposed that since everyone in the Empire were humans, that there wasn't this overt kind of bigotry, so it didn't even cross his mind that perhaps this place of such promise of freedom might have it. It made him mad, just so mad. Still, he made an effort to calm himself, the poor receptionist probably had nothing to do with formulating such a law and was obviously a victim of it as well.

“I, see.”

What could he do? What should he do, with this frustration and rage that were welling inside of him? He had a really bad idea, going and confronting people about their bigotry. Although, hey, it's been one bad idea after another ever since he started this little adventure, right? What was one more bad idea?

Of course it had to happen that way. Why wouldn't it? With Benjamin's luck lately, it should only follow that he would have to eat crow like this without even actually speaking a single word to the person he was going to lecture.

Of course, he left the hotel he was staying in full of righteous fury and indignation. He wasn't completely sure of where this bathhouse was, but he knew that their policy of not allowing Mutants who weren't ascended from either mammals or birds was absurd! Something like that would never fly in the Empire! Wait, was he thinking favorably of his own homeland, which he had always felt was extremely authoritarian? That gave rise to mixed feelings within Benjamin, but in the end merely steeled his resolve and indignation, after all, if it was the kind of thing that not even the oppressive Empire did, how wrong would it be?

So on his way he went. Of course, since he didn't really know the way and was in an unfamiliar, not exactly small city, he got lost. So he wandered like an idiot for a while before calming himself and asking directions from a nice dog-ascended Mutant that ran a fruit stall. With these directions, he managed to reach the city's center, which surrounded the oasis lake. There was, however, a still really big obstacle: He had no idea how big the lake actually was, so it ended up that just reaching it actually meant nothing in terms of getting to this The Duke's Respite bathhouse. He had reached the lake's edge but then found out that perhaps he wasn't that much closer to finding the place. So this time he asked someone who looked like he was a policeman, a quite imposing raven-ascended Mutant, or so he seemed. The damned bathhouse was apparently on the other side of the lake. So Benjamin walked. He thought he would die of embarrassment as he asked a fellow human for directions and was directed to right behind him: The sign above the building clearly said: The Duke's Respite.

And so he arrived at the location. The hotel's receptionist probably wasn't lying, because that place really was full of people. It probably did provide a good service, even if not to everyone. After entering and getting on the line to speak with the receptionist, Benjamin realized that he had a big problem: Was it really okay for someone to just demand to see the place's owner? Probably not... Using the medal he had gotten from Prelestia was always an option, but was it really okay? Wouldn't that be some kind of abuse of authority? But then again, wasn't that exactly what the medal was for? Wait... First, he had used his father's “technique” of shutting someone up with a coin, then he took cues from how he acted with his wife in order to not make a complete fool of himself with Layla, and now, just like his father, he was about to throw around the influence of people more powerful than he to try and have things go his way. Holy shit, was he becoming just like his father?

“Good evening, sir.”

Before he could ruminate further on that, he found himself face-to-face with one of the receptionists to the bathhouse. She was a... cat-ascended Mutant? That couldn't be right... She looked just like a human... but she had cat ears! No... As far as he knew, there were plenty of human-ascended Mutants and sometimes those gained characteristics of other animals. That was probably his bet bet... Not that it mattered! Keeping as much awkwardness as he could bottled up, he asked with confidence to meet with the place's owner, taking just a moment to show the medal that was proof of a close relationship with Duke Prelestia. He felt about the girl, who was clearly uncomfortable, but he wouldn't be stopped. After she disappeared for a few minutes inside, a human man, this one without cat ears, guided him to what looked like an office. He was invited to sit at a chair facing a quite elaborate desk. After a few more minutes, he heard the door open and close, he would get to met with the place's owner.

“I'm sorry for taking some time to meet with you, but I wasn't expecting any important guests today. I was taking a look at a few baths and saunas before they opened for the evening. You see, some might call me suspicious, but its only respectful of me to make sure that my clients will get the service they expect, which includes a properly clean place. I am Jacob, owner of this humble establishment, how may I help you?”

Benjamin stood up and shook hands with the man who walked in, then after taking a glance at the man's shoulder, immediately regretted coming to this place. A fucking Tal. Great, how would Benjamin be able to lecture a Tal on bigotry and prejudice without being a complete asshole? Despite its various flaws, the Empire has no bigotry! That sounded stupid now when he was reminded of the existence of the Tal, who were quite violently persecuted in some regions of the Empire. Still, even if he was feeling quite humiliated inside, Benjamin couldn't just leave without saying anything.

“Nice to meet you, I am Benjamin. I'm not here about anything official. I am just a traveler from the Empire who would like to know more about the Wildlands. I've heard good things about your business, and it doesn't seem like they were false. Still, there is something that's concerning to me... Is it true that some Mutants, like those ascended from reptilians or insects aren't even allowed inside?”

Jacob listened calmly to him, raising eyebrows at some parts, but overall not being rattled. He stroked his beard as he gave an answer that wasn't exactly what Benjamin was looking for.

“Oh, that law. I must say that I am not a very big fan of it myself. Even if there are legitimate health concerns behind it, I would like to think that I am able of building and commanding an operation that is able to segregate different people in the same building while giving the same quality in service. Thanks to that law, I am going to have to procure a second building for a bathhouse that can serve all the people that I can't here, and since I can't be at two places that the same time, I won't be able to inspect everything myself. It is actually quite vexing, really. Do you intend to fight it in any way?”

To say that Benjamin was shocked as he heard Jacob talk was an understatement. Being against was all well and good, but was it really okay if it happened for all the wrong reasons? So segregation was okay, just not when it interfered with his business? What the fuck? Still, Benjamin had to calm down, no need to get angry, he was just here to talk and this Jacob guy wasn't exactly an enemy...

“Wait, so I get that you oppose this partly, but not entirely? Also, don't you think that something like this reflects badly on the idea that the Wildlands are this place of freedom and choice? Surely as one of the Tal and perhaps knowing how they are sometimes treated in the Empire, you can't think of this kind of thing as good, right?”

Damn, Benjamin felt stupid, and he had a suspicion that Jacob's next answer was going to make him feel even more stupid.

“Why should I oppose this entirely? You know, although there might be some amount of bigotry behind it, there is a very good reason why this law was implemented. Your clothes are quite good, so I am going to assume that you are well-educated. Perhaps a son of nobility from the Empire?” No comment. “I'm sure that you are well aware of the fact that there are plenty of arthropods and reptilians that are poisonous, which does not change even after they have ascended. Would you be comfortable bathing next to someone who could kill you with their poison, even by accident?”

That was an uncomfortably difficult to answer question.

“Well... I... don't know.”

Fortunately, Jacob didn't seem like he was in the mood to press the point and humiliate Benjamin, so he went to the next point.

“Also, about this reflecting poorly on an idea of freedom... You seem to be gravely misunderstanding something about what kind of place the Wildlands are. Whatever freedoms and good things you get, are not handed to you, you must seek and build them through your own strength. The only universal freedom we have is that for the most part you can enter and leave any place with very little restriction. Don't like some place? Go somewhere else, fight to have it changed or shut up and put up with what the local authorities have decided.”

That was something that he had already begun to realize. But perhaps that was the nature of freedom. In a way, freedom to tyrannize others was also a kind of freedom, even if only applied to a few people.

“Still, I don't think its a good attitude...”

He wasn't about to accept it as something that was good.

“You last point was about how could a Tal endorse such a law, right? Well, having never gone to the Empire, I have never experienced it myself, but I do hear some sad rumors about the way my brethren are treated in the Empire. And while it makes me sad, I can't say that I cannot comprehend the kind of feelings that might spawn such mistreatment. We do keep our mysteries and never completely assimilate wherever we go. Although I really wish it wasn't the case, some people simply dislike those who aren't completely known or like them. It might not justify it, but that there is a cause and effect there which cannot be denied. That said, the Tal are the Tal, and Mutants are Mutants. It would be better if you don't mix different contexts.”

There was something wrong with what he said, Benjamin could feel it, something wrong or not quite truthful, but he couldn't say what. He knew that he would probably get destroyed in a rebuttal, but he still kept going.

“Okay, I understand. But if you give reason to these kind of attitudes, then where does it end? Isn't it better to seek a solution that isn't quite so... aggressive?”

The older man showed a smile.

“Don't misunderstand me. As I have said before, I am not a fan of this law. I just want you to understand that perhaps it's not as baseless as you might think, which makes it much harder to oppose it that you might think. Mayor Katzgart is no fool and he is well able to protect his laws using words, as well as claw and weapons. Now, I don't know if you came to me in opposition to this because of your conscience or a personal injury suffered by a friend. But if you do intend to change this law, then I can only wish you good luck. Also, would you like to make use of our facilities? I can attest to their quality, it's free of charge for friends of the great Duke Prelestia. Or perhaps you would like some more information about this city?”