Sultan's Palace, City of God
The metallic voice startles the two guards at first, but they quickly resume their posture. The lion man speaks again.

"Ah, it is the Captain's blasphemous mechanical bodyguard and her insect collection, then," he responds icily; he'd been far more congenial with them months earlier when he hadn't known precisely who they were. "She has asked that you be permitted entry upon your return from wherever it was you were. I shall escort you inside," he adds, still curt. His human companion taps him on the bracer.

"Perhaps I should escort them, honoured brother." The aazlai haruumphs and makes a dismissive gesture, and the gates swing open as his human counterpart leads you through.

"I must apologize for his manners. He is a dedicated servant of both our sultan and the almighty one, but his are a wild people and they know little of common courtesy."

Seems that it's a day for racists.

Spoiler
Show
Amirah can tell that the human guard doesn't like allowing magical creatures into the compound any more than his companion, but he's much better at hiding his displeasure. With all the eyes of the swarm at her disposal, however, he cannot hide that displeasure from her.