The Lapis from Rephidim manage to reach the pavilion of Clan Kerebos before the beginning of the festivities, much to Aaron's relief. A group of conies finished with their setup duties are already playing volleyball. Another group is busily setting up some sort of corral not far off, while yet another group sets out a feast on a series of low, long tables and unloads some dauntingly large barrels of wine from a Vykarin pulled wagon.

"I don't see Mom anywhere," Aaron tells Anisa, "so the Coliseum crowd probably hasn't let out yet."

"Should we help them out?" the white doe asks with a smirk, "or should you teach me how to play volleyball?"

"That depends," Aaron says, raising a finger, "on how recovered you are from yesterday. Do your ribs still hurt?"

Anisa prods her sides with her fingers. "A little, but I've had worse. I think I can handle it." She shrugs. "No pain, no gain!"

"Heh, I always say, 'No pain, no problem,' myself," Aaron jokes, and brings the doe over to where the conies are setting up a standing net in the middle of a chalked rectangle. "The basic object of the game is to keep the ball in the air on your side of the net, and get it to hit the ground on the opposite team's side."

Anisa scratches an ear. "So you carry the ball, or you can only hit it? Doesn't seem too hard either way."

One of the conies brings a dark leather ball to the makeshift volleyball court, and the adolescents begin to choose teams. "You hit it. Holding it is a foul. I'm not entirely clear on the scoring, to be honest," Aaron admits. "Want to just watch for the first game?"

"Sure," says the doe, taking a seat in the grass. "Besides, this seems like a better spectator sport than the coliseum. The only thing getting beat up is the ball."

The buck sits down next to Anisa and nods. "I don't recall these games ever breaking out in violence," he says. Meanwhile, the conies have split up into two teams of six, more or less evenly spaced apart on each side of the net. The nearer team apparently won the coin-toss, and the right-corner player steps back out of the rectangle to serve the ball. He (or she, perhaps) holds it out in one hand and hits it with an underhanded swing with the other to send it over the net.

"Do you have to start at the back like that," asks Anisa, "or can you start anywhere?"

The opposing team's first row works together to keep the ball in play, jumping up to hit it back across the net. The play is rather fast and furious, as the young Lapis try to knock the ball past each other's guard.

"I think they always serve from the back," Aaron says. "The players rotate around, so that everyone eventually serves." As he explains this, one of the net-guards leaps up and slams the ball down hard before her opponent can intercept it. The ball goes to the other team now to be served, but no announcement of the score – if any – is made.

Anisa grins at the slam. "That's an interesting move. Gotta remember that. So this is more of a fun game than a serious one, I guess?"

"Yeah, although I think some of the Clans will form teams to play against each other on special occasions," Aaron says. The next serve is a bit too hard, and the ball passes beyond the border of the court. A younger coney runs quickly after it as it bounces towards the corral.

The doe nods, and continues to watch the match. "So there's a limit on how far you can hit it?"

Aaron watches the ball retrieval, and says, "You don't want it going out of the rectangle, otherwise it's a foul and the other team gets to serve. To score, the ball has to land inside the boundaries."

"Too bad you can't body check the other team," Anisa says with a grin. "That'd make things easier."

The little coney finally catches up to the ball, and kicks it back to the volleyball players. The players on the serving team rotate around clockwise, so that a new person is serving. This time, the ball is lobbed high, so that it comes almost straight down into the midst of the opposing team.

"Tackle them?" Aaron says, looking at Anisa in surprise. "Usually the members of the same team will crash into one another trying to reach the ball."

Anisa pokes the buck. "It was a joke. Besides, we've done enough fighting for a while."

Sure enough, three coneys collide as they make to intercept the plunging sphere. It bounces off of the head of one of them, and a fourth player is able to lob it back over the net … only to see it slammed down again into the undefended area left by one of the tangled up teammates.

The doe lets out a laugh at the antics, and claps for the scoring team. "That was a good move."

Since they scored, the same team is allowed to serve again. They politely wait for the less coordinated players on the opposite team to get themselves back into position before serving again. As the game goes on, more people show up to watch.

Anisa swivels an ear to the arriving crowd. "Looks like the others are getting here now. They won't make them stop, will they?"

Aaron shakes his head. "No, there are plenty of other distractions," he says. As if to punctuate his statement, there is a loud roar from the corral area.

The doe's fur stands on end, and she quickly turns to look at the corral. "What in the First Ones was that?"

There is already a crowd blocking any direct view of the corral area, but Aaron says, "It's the Clan Zaki. A sort of sacred animal, and a very violent one at that."

"What is it, exactly?" Anisa fur stays poofed out, the rabbit still not completely at ease with the noises. "It's not some kind of meat eating Dromodon, is it?"

"Nothing like that," Aaron says, patting Anisa's shoulder. "They don't eat meat at all, just this lichen-like stuff. Zakis are these creatures that run alongside the Goliaths out on the Wandering Roams. Each Clan here is named after one of those Goliaths. The Zakis seem to fight each other, and anything else, constantly."

"So why keep em?" The doe crosses her legs, smoothing out her ears. "I mean, if it breaks out, it'd probably smash everyone to bits."

"Because the candidate warriors have to show that they can stand up to the Zaki," the buck notes, his voice and face expressing a certain disdain for the idea. "A lot of armor is made from Zaki leather, and there are other important uses for various parts of the monster. New warriors hunt them to be fully accepted into the ranks. Lucia will have to do it, too."

Anisa grimaces. "I think I'll stick to volleyball then. I don't think I have to worry about wanton acts of destruction there."

The game pauses as one of the players is taken out after getting beaned in the head by the ball. "Looks like there's an opening on the losing team's side, if you want to join in," Aaron notes.

The doe blinks, then grins. "Losing side, eh? Well, at least I know I won't cost them the game." She gets to her feet, and brushes herself off. "You can be my cheer section. Wish me luck!" The Lapi walks over to the group. "Um, hi! Need another?"

One of the older conies – apparently the team captain – looks to Anisa with hope in her eyes. "Are you a good player?" she asks the white doe.

"Uh, actually," says Anisa, "this is my first time to play, but I think I've got the gist of it!"

The captain's whiskers twitch nervously, but in the end she has little choice. "Alright, take the center forward position, right behind the net," she says, pointing to the named spot.

Anisa looks to where the doe points, and nods, walking over to the spot. Great, she thinks, up front right away. The white Lapi motions to the captain that she's ready, and takes up a stance.

The opposite team serves the ball, which comes in low and causes several of Anisa's teammates to move forward in anticipation – but then one of the front-line players on the other side jumps up and hits the ball from behind to give it an extra, unexpected boost that sends it towards the rear defenders.

The coney behind Anisa manages to deflect the ball upwards with her palms, so that it now falls towards Anisa's head.

The white doe looks upwards, and more in reflex than in actual thought, leaps upwards at the ball and swipes at it with her paw, giving a small yell as she does.

The ball is sent arcing over the net, where Anisa's opposite punches it back … but not at the proper angle. The ball strikes the net, and the serve goes to Anisa's team. "Everyone shift!" the captain calls, and Anisa is rotated to the right forward position.

Awkwardly, the doe takes up her new position, stifling a laugh. "Hey, this is kinda fun."

The leather ball is launched past Anisa's head, and the center-rear defender easily intercepts it. He lobs it upward, and one of the forwards turns with her fists together to catapult it back over the net, towards the corner opposite Anisa's position.

Anisa keeps her eye on the ball, following its position as closely as she can while remaining in a crouched and ready position.

The rear-left player hits the ball, but her hands were held unevenly and it sails off to the side and out of the court: a foul.

Anisa sets her ears back in minor annoyance, but grins anyways.

And so the game goes, each side making the occasional gaffe. But overall, it is experience that carries through, and the team that adopted Anisa is eventually defeated by a not particularly narrow margin. The doe's chest is burning a bit with each breath from the workout, and she's worked up a good thirst.

Lightly clutching her side as she walks back over to Aaron, Anisa grins at the buck while breathing heavily. "Well… how was that? Dagh, I need a drink."

"You look a bit flushed … and remember to watch your language; this is a holiday after all," Aaron says, and guides the doe to one of the banquet tables. There is an entire section devoted to beverages, and Aaron leads past the various kegs and jugs to a simple bowl of fruit punch, from which he ladles Anisa a mug. "Here you go!"

The doe swigs down the entire cup in just a few gulps, then sighs with relief as she wipes her mouth off. "Thanks. Sorry about the curse; just sort of a force of habit." The Lapi ladles herself another cup. "Gonna play next round? I still have to get back at you for the other day." She grins.

"Hey, get me a cup too," calls the familiar voice of Lucia. The Valkyrian doe is seated at a bench not far away, with her left leg stretched out awkwardly across it while a pair of coneys and the elderly healer do something to it.

"Lucia?" The smaller of the white doe blinks, and pours another cup. "What happened to you?" The Rephidim Lapi hands the Valkyrian the drink. "Did you fight in the coliseum?"

"Oh, nothing like that," Lucia says, and eagerly downs the drink. The coneys are apparently sewing up a long gash in the doe's leg, under the supervision of the old healer. "I caught one of the Zaki's claws is all," she explains.

Anisa winces, taking a seat by the larger doe. "You actually took on one of those things? Does that mean you pass?"

Aaron hovers close by, in case the does need something from him.

"Oh, it didn't kill me, so yes I passed this little test," Lucia says with a laugh. "It's nothing compared to what I still have to do, though. Are those flowers I smell on you?"

The smaller doe laughs. "We just went to a garden for a while. Aaron was showing me more of the town. It was really pretty. So what else do you have to do?"

Lucia's eyebrows arch up as she takes in Anisa's exhausted state, and Aaron's relatively calm one. "Well, I still have to hunt down one of the Kerebos Zakis myself, and participate in a few more raids," she explains.

"Ugh, that sounds like fun," Anisa says sarcastically, eyeing Lucia's strange reaction to her words. "Will you be fixed up in time?"

"Oh, this will heal in a few days," the warrior says, dismissing the gash with a hand wave while the coneys finish sewing it up. "Five days," the elder healer corrects.

Anisa grins. "You ought to go to the flower garden with us. It'll help you relax."

At this statement, Aaron hides his face in his hands, and both of the coneys and the old healer join Lucia in staring at Anisa. "You are joking of course, Anysia?" Lucia whispers to her.

"Um… " The doe thinks back, then suddenly remembers what Aaron said about the gardens. "Oh! Ha! Yeah … just a joke! A joke!" The doe's ears blush bright red, as she silently curses at herself. "I meant the fields, anyway. My accent you see, it gets in the way… "

The two coneys giggle at Anisa's embarrassment, and pack up their surgical kits to follow their teacher, who merely shakes his head as he wanders off into the crowd.

Blushing bright enough it can be seen from under her fur, Anisa leans closer to Lucia. "No, it's not what you think. We didn't do anything, so just get that image out of your mind right now!"

"Ah, you were of a more meditative mind then?" Lucia asks, sitting normally and rubbing a cramp from her upper leg.

"Anisa just finished a game of volleyball," Aaron finally says to Lucia.

"We were just there to relax," says the smaller doe. "And yeah, I just finished playing a game." She smirks in spite of herself, suddenly finding the notion funny.

"Ah, that reminds me," Lucia says. "Xavier, your mother bade me to tell you to come to the main tent if I saw you. And that you come alone," she recites, ticking off the points with her fingers. "It's back by the main Clan Pavilion."

Anisa blinks, and looks from Lucia to Aaron in curiosity.

"Oh," Aaron says, whiskers twitching in concern. "Did she say what it was about, or look upset or … anything?" he asks.

"She said it was about business and trade," Lucia says, pronouncing the words "business" and "trade" as if there was something unsavory about them.

The buck relaxes after hearing this, and says, "Okay, keep an eye on Anisa for me then, will you?"

"Looks like you're summoned," Anisa says. "I'll stay here and keep Lucia company while you're gone." She laughs. "Or her keep an eye on me."

"Well, have fun then, in moderation!" Aaron bids, and then heads off towards the main Pavilion.

The crowd is clearing slightly nearby, to make room for some bucks carrying long wooden poles.

Anisa watches the buck walk off, then turns back and pokes the other doe playfully. "You and your mind! I'm from Rephidim, remember? We don't do things like that there." She grins, and turns to look at the bucks. "What's this?"

"I know little about the Sky Realms," Lucia says, then looks to where the bucks are laying out the poles to form a kind of extended tic-tac-toe board. "Pole dancing," she says. "Something the Guardians do."

"All the more reason for you to come visit when we go back home." Anisa looks at the group, and watches them set up.

In total, eight bucks sit on their haunches to form the sides of a square, each one holding onto two of the poles. They soon begin to clack them against each other and on the ground, until the poles are forming several sets of rapidly expanding and contracting squares. Several people in the surrounding crowd begin to clap their hands or stamp their feet in time to the beat.

From somewhere off to the side, a black form leaps into the center of the gnashing poles. It's Roland, and he's spinning a torch in each hand as he jumps and dances to avoid getting his toes caught by the moving wood.

Perking an ear to catch the rhythm, the doe joins in. Slowly at first, but soon she gets the hang of it. She laughs as Roland suddenly appears, watching the show with much more interest.

The buck's few white patches make the dance seem a bit surreal as they leave afterimages in Anisa's eyes, along with the streaks from the flaming torches. Roland shows off even more by doing back flips and other gymnastic feats as the pace of the dance picks up. Even Lucia is drawn into staring.

Anisa leans over, and nudges Lucia with an elbow. "Quite a show, eh?" She grins at the other doe.

"Very impressive, yes," Lucia agrees, not taking her eyes from the dancer.

Just as the clacking of the poles seems to reach a crescendo, another form leaps into the dance. The newcomer is gray and white, and one arm and shoulder are bound tightly in bandages, but he manages to twirl a torch expertly in his good hand.

"Isn't that the guy from the coliseum?" asks Anisa, still keeping with the beat. "The guy from the box?"

After a moment, Lucia nods and says, "Yes, I believe that is Zig-Zig of Hydron. Their emblem is on his loincloth."

Roland and Zig-Zig face off in the dance, each trying to outdo the other in shows of acrobatic skill. Zig-Zig's injury put him at a disadvantage here, as Roland is able to do handstands while holding the torches in his teeth.

Laughing, the smaller doe looks to Lucia. "Better keep your eyes off that bit of clothing there, girl."

"What?" Lucia asks, turning slightly to glance at Anisa. "It is the only clothing either of them are wearing though."

Clearly outmatched, Zig-Zig concedes to Roland by back-flipping clear of the poles, and saluting him with the torch.

Anisa grins, and shakes her head, looking back to the dance. "Nothing, nothing, I was just fooling you." She watches the pair a bit longer. "That's unreal that they can do that. I'm a fairly decent acrobat, but nothing like that."

Roland grins in triumph and tosses his torches into the air, then leaps after them. With a final CLACK, all of the polls are slammed to the ground just as Roland lands, holding the recovered torches in his outstretched arms. The crowd applauds loudly, making up for the sudden lack of noise from the poles.

Anisa joins in on the applause, rising to her feet to cheer for the large buck. "Bravo! Now teach me!" She yells playfully,

Roland spots Anisa and Lucia in the crowd, and roars out a laugh. "Sorry, little one, this is only for Guardians," he apologizes, and hands off the torches to one of the pole-bearers before heading over to the two does. Zig-Zig comes along as well, recognizing the pair from the Coliseum.

The smaller doe retakes her seat beside Lucia, and grins as the bucks come over. "That was an impressive show, I'm amazed you could still do it all bandaged up like that," she says to Zig-Zig.

The gray Gladiator sits next to Anisa, and puts his uninjured arm around her shoulder. "Ah, this? I've broken every bone in my body already, so a broken shoulder won't keep me down for long."

"Don't they make a cute couple?" Roland says to Lucia as he sits down next to the larger doe.

Anisa arches a brow at the buck's forwardness once more, but grins despite it. "Broken bones make for good character. Are you guys thirsty? There's punch if you want some." She glances at Roland, eyes widening a bit into a semi-glare.

"Honey mead for me," Zig-Zig requests. "I have to keep my strength up, after all. The night is long, and my rest-breaks are short," he jokes.

"The fruit punch is fine for me," Lucia says. Roland just nods, and asks, "Want me to help fetch them, Anysia, while these two convalesce from their injuries?"

Gratefully, Anisa nods, and after politely steering Zig-Zig's arm off of her shoulders, gets to her feet. "Honey mead and fruit punch. Got it."

Roland gets the mead from one of the kegs, the smell of which nearly numbs Anisa's nose. "I imagine you will be leaving tomorrow, assuming Aaron survives the negotiations with Tyche that his parents are subjecting him to."

Grabbing two cups, Anisa fills them with the fruit punch. "I suppose so, since our time is almost up. What kind of negotiations are they putting him through? Some kind of good or something?"

"Hydron has many products that would probably be useful beyond Amazonia," Roland says, fetching a cup of the punch for himself. "It is a matter of securing an appropriate royalty for Kerebos that Aaron needs to attend to."

"Gee, sounds like a lot of fun," the doe says. "I kind of feel bad, like I've been distracting him from work while he's been here. I hope he doesn't get in trouble for it."

Roland chuckles and leads the way back to the others. "Xavier isn't here to work, and I'm sure he'll enjoy the outcome of this little bit of business on the side."

Smirking, the doe follows Roland back to the others, and after handing the juice to Lucia, retakes her seat. "Miss us? So, what's next tonight? Any more shows?"

"The Vykarin races, the blessings from the High Priests and Priestesses, and a few other rituals," Roland says. "And the presentation of sacrifices, but that's not a public event."

"Thank goodness for that," Anisa mutters to herself in Standard.

"Ah, I don't suppose you have any of those bunny creatures to spare?" Zig-Zig asks with arched ears and sly grin.

Anisa looks at Zig-Zig curiously, "Why is that?"

"Sorry Ziggy, but if there's an extra then I'll see that Lucia gets it," Roland counters.

Zig-Zig blinks at Anisa. "Why, to offer up to the gods for luck, of course! Although as a slave my mistress is expected to cover that for me."

The smaller doe frowns, and remains silent at the comment. "So, uh, the races? What are those like?"

"Very dusty, I imagine," Lucia says, which causes Roland to burst out laughing.

"And very dangerous as well," Zig-Zig points out. "To win, both the rider and the mount was cross the finish line alive."

Anisa grins at the Valkyrian, and nods. "It's apity I'll miss most of it, since we're going back tomorrow. But I'm getting a tad homesick."

"So you fight in that too? Guess I should have known that by now," says the doe with a slight smirk. "Too bad you don't have volleyball in the games, that was actually pretty fun."

"Volleyball?" Roland asks, grinning still. "That is a game for coneys. Sometimes the Clans will compete though. It is just for fun however."

"Maybe so," the Rephidimite counters, "but its pretty fun, and no one gets maimed. I like that part."

"Scars add character," all three of the Amazonians reply at once.

Anisa blinks at the chorus, then suddenly laughs out loud. "Okay, good counter. But anyway, tonight's for fun, time to rest and relax."