“Hmm… then I will possibly end our training in the dungeon a bit earlier today and take Zilnek with me to explore. Kilniara? Garnedell? If you have anything you wish to do, you may do so this afternoon, but it might be wise to be cautious of where you are. Staying at the inn might be a good idea unless you are with me for the next couple of days.”

Both replied, nodding immediately but offered nothing verbal and Joe nodded back to them before the conversation dried up and Joe turned back into an instructor, wandering around the three and offering tips, corrections, and approval as appropriate. When they exhausted themselves, Joe pushed them to continue, if only for a short time. He really didn’t want to push them too hard as they’d likely not used their own body in some time, especially for Zilnek and Kilniara. When they were all quivering slightly, he ended, making sure they stretched and cooled down. Their cool down quickly came to an end, and Joe had all three out the door and down in the common room bright and early, just after the false dawn.

Breakfast was warm and hearty, if not very delicious. Joe found that he really did miss spices, but two hundred days without had made them a memory and not truly something his tongue actually noticed as missing. Regardless, when he had the time to relax and not worry about how his stats could cripple him, he was going to spend effort on learning how to cook and bringing back the food he missed as one of the first things he did. Although, the lady back at the small town really knew how to cook, once I bribed her enough. Hmm… maybe I can just find a good place?

Grateful that Kukurnal hadn’t showed up for breakfast that day, their morning meal ended quite quickly and all four were soon out the door and heading in the opposite direction Joe was used to going. Kilniara’s guidance to the baths led them in another direction.

“So. Garnedell thought I was a follower of Enki. What did you and Kilnaira think Zilnek? Is how I bathe truly that strange?”

Zilnek took a bit to reply before shaking his head and smirking, “How you do? No, but your incessant need to do so every morning and evening? Yes.”

“Ha! If you had to smell me after I exercise, you would be the first to force me to bathe!”

Zilnek laughed at that before shaking his head, “Humans do stink. That is true!”

“Have you smelled yourself? I feel like I’m drowning in stench.”

“Hey!” Zilnek shouted loudly, looking up at Joe to see his grinning face before sheepishly smiling, “Acokzau do not smell. We only perfume our surroundings.”

“Is that what you call your stench? Perfume of Acokzau? How much do people pay for it?”

Kilniara began giggling brightly as Joe continued and Zilnek fought to hold back his own smile, “I’ve found humans seem to be the ones who seek it out most.”

“Oh, truly? They use it to cover the stench from their bathrooms?”

Both Kilniara and Zilnek jumped as if goosed at this point, both looking at Joe with some surprise before Kilniara replied, “Hey! I’ll thank you very much to know that our scent is used as perfume!”

Joe raised his eyes at that point, his surprise and response genuine, “Really?”

Kilniara looked at Joe furiously until Zilnek began splurting out in laughter, his eyes tearing at seeing Joe’s honest acceptance of Kilniara’s statement. She soon couldn’t hold her face anymore and began cracking up, the two Acokzau laughing uproariously with Garnedell chuckling beside them.

“Ok. Ok. You got me on that one.”

“I think a bit more than that, Joe,” Garnedell snapped back, getting his own jab in.

“You, too, Garnedell? Are none of my apprentices loyal to me? Oh! To think that I would be betrayed by my own! I… I… I don’t know if I can continue! I’m… I … oh woe is me!”

The other three all giggled at that and shook their heads, unable to reply as the giggles had firmly taken ahold and they simply laughed for the rest of the trip to the baths with Joe egging them on with continued jokes and his overacting.

When they reached the baths, all three were able to calm down and Kilniara led them inside to the management to seek out an allotment. Garnedell and Zilnek, however, begged to stay outside, not wishing to be waiting around for the paperwork to be done and Joe simply waved approval to them as the scampered outside to enjoy their time.

Kilniara and Joe went on alone and were soon led by a servant into the bowels of the baths before heading up some stairs to a small office area which was cramped and unpleasant, despite being clean and tidy. They waited outside the door for some time, while the servant disappeared into another door for a bit of time before opening the door and ushering them inside to a slightly smaller room which was crammed with a small desk and strange cabinet against the wall that Joe couldn’t quite figure out. Is that a filing cabinet or drawers… or… something else?

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Joe whipped his head back to the occupant of the room when he heard her speak, “How may I be of assistance?”

Kilniara quickly bowed and began speaking, “Master Joe seeks an allotment for the baths.”

“An allotment. For a master. What is he a master of?”

“An adventurer, ma’am.”

The respectful tone in the bathhouse manager’s voice dropped at that point and she shook her head, “I have little need for another adventurer to dirty our waters. The bathhouse is only for residents of Coushar. Leave.”

“Miss. Master Joe…”

“Did you not hear me? Leave,” the woman waved them away, not even looking at them.

Joe found his ire rising and waved off Kilniara when she tried to continue speaking. He looked at her for a bit, thoughtful, as he considered his options. As he was about to open his core purse, she looked back up at him and began frowning in disapproval.

“Are you deaf as well? Leave or I will call the guard.”

Joe’s eyes narrowed at that and he reached in and pulled out a core and tossed it, sight unseen, on her desk. She shrieked when she saw something land on her desk but then froze in astonishment. Joe stared at her for a moment before reaching forward and pulling back the core. When he started reaching for it, she quickly reacted and slapped a hand down on the core.

“Ah… I’m… certain I misunderstood. I believe we can…”

Joe cut her off and turned to Kilniara, “Is there another bath in town?”

Kilniara’s eyes widened before she nodded, “Yes, there is, but…”

Joe nodded and cut her off, reaching across the table and clamping down on the manager’s hand before prying it open and retrieving his core, “We do not appreciate your attitude. Goodbye.”

“Sir! Sir! Ah! Please wait! We can discuss this,” the woman called up, scrambling out of her seat as she scrambled from around her desk and followed them out of her office.

Joe slammed the door behind him before quickly turning to Kilniara, “How far away is the other bath?”

“Quite far. Another half a great bell travel.”

Joe grimaced and before continuing down the stairs with Kilniara at a bit slower pace. The door behind creaked open quickly and the manager came tumbling out, “Sir! Sir! I’m sure we could come to some kind of arrangement.”

Joe stopped and huffed, allowing his irritation to show for dramatic effect before turning, “How much for four bathing tokens?”

“Ah, it would be quite easy for a weekly bathing token. Only one bronze. Quite reasonable…”

Joe cut her off, “No. Four daily bathing tokens.”

Her eyes widened at this a bit before she bobbed her head, “A nickel, sir. A nickel each for a wonde…”

Joe’s eye twitched when he heard Kilniara choke at the price and he glared at the woman before she quickly cut off her reply.

“Ten bronze, sir. Ten bronze only. It would be my pleasure to have your company in my bathhouse.”

“Bring me the daily tokens. Four daily tokens. I will wait for you at the entrance. I will not wait long.”

“Sir, I can get them,” she cut off when Joe glared at her and abruptly walked away, Kilniara trailing after.

Joe heard her scramble back up that stairs and into her office and Joe lengthened his stride to get away. He really didn’t want this going down where it would be a he said she said. He wanted it out in front of everyone. That manager did not engender trust at all.

When they slipped past the corner, Joe turned to Kilniara but continued walking quickly, “Is that normal?”

“What? The poor are ignored?”

Joe sighed at that but said nothing, shaking his head before nodding in acceptance, “I guess that makes sense, but man, that’s an unpleasant experience.”

“You shut her up pretty quick,” Kilniara replied, smiling up at him brightly.

“Maybe, but I want to make sure she does not sell us fake tokens. May I be able to see a legitimate token?”

Kilniara frowned at that before shrugging, “I do not know.”

Joe grunted at that and decided he needed to get to the entrance a bit quicker. The two fell silent and Joe made it back to the front quick enough before stopping to talk to the attendants at the entrance

“If I may ask,” Joe began, speaking to two attendants that were enjoying a conversation as there were no customers at the moment, “who has seen a daily token?”

The two attendants looked at him, eyes widening slightly with the girl looking at him with appraisal. Neither said anything, but a third quickly chimed in.

“I have seen daily tokens, sir.”

“Excellent. Could you describe it to me carefully?”

“Uh, well… it is a bath house token of simple wood with a bath on one face and the Galgandar clan crest on the other. It is painted gold.”

“Are all tokens the same? Monthly, weekly, and daily?”

“Only the paint is changed.”

“Is there one I could see?”

The girl who’d been checking him out earlier quickly came forward at that, “You may see mine, master, although it is only a weekly token,” she offered with unnecessary sensuality.

Joe ignored the primary offer but thanked her for the token, examining it closely for a few seconds before handing it back. It was as described, but in an off white tan color. Huh… the weekly color must be tannish white, then.

Joe then turned away from all the attendants and back to Kilniara, not wishing to engage with them anymore. Kilniara laughed at Joe’s discomfort before slipping an arm into his and leaning against him.

“You seem uncomfortable.”

“Like I said. I do not enjoy meaningless relationships.”

Kilniara fell silent at that but her face absolutely glowed as she pushed herself more tightly into his side. Joe chuckled at that glancing down at her for a moment before his smile dropped and he turned to the depths of the bathhouse; the sound of rapid footsteps echoing from the depths.

Kilniara stepped back from him and took on a stoic demeanor as the manager rushed into the room, her breath coming a bit fast.

“Ah, sir! You are here! Excellent. I have your four daily tokens. I hope I have been of service.”

Joe nodded and took the tokens, evaluating them carefully before dropping them in a pouch on his pack and nodding to her. He pulled out the payment and dithered a bit about core before deciding to give it to her. He didn’t want to irritate her and bring trouble down on them. He counted out the coin and with the last dropped a core in her hand as well as the last coin.

When she saw the final payment, she smiled brightly and bowed her head, “Thank you, sir. I am happy I was of service.”

Joe simply stared at her a moment, uncertain how to continue before simply leaning forward and speaking quietly but firmly, “It was not pleasant.”