The doe from Rephidim is still a bit tender in places from her injuries, but at least they aren't any worse than they were the other day – thanks in part to her bedmates not crowding against her last night. The pillows are broad and thick, and only a few feet from the open end of the booth to provide the best view of the arena, the floor of which is perhaps a dozen feet below the edge. Tapestries showing the seven-headed symbol of Clan Hydron drape down the sides of the booth to block out the sight and sound of the nearby spectators, but there really isn't much one can do to soundproof against such an enormous crowd.

Linnea leads the Kerebos party – herself, Esai, Lucia, Aaron and Anisa, along with two warriors – to the front of the booth, and bows to the toga-clad doe reclining on a lounge. "Greetings, Tyche," she says. "May the blessings of Fortunatis and Abaddon be upon you this day."

The cream-and-chocolate colored doe stands up and returns Linnea's bow. She's nowhere near the height of the black-furred Amazonian – no taller than average for Rephidim really – but what she lacks in height she makes up for in beauty. Lithe and well-groomed, only her eyes and bearing suggest that she's close to Beatrice's age. "It is a rare pleasure to see you, Linnea. You really must visit Dianus more often," Tyche says in a soft voice. "And I see you've brought your esteemed husband and son with you, as well as some new guests."

With a sweep of her arm, Linnea introduces Anisa and Lucia. "These two are Anysia and Lucia Snowshoe, both visiting from far off realms," she tells Tyche, and then introduces her to the white does, "And this is Tyche Circerae, head of Clan Hydron, and her daughters." Indeed, arrayed on cushions next to Tyche's lounge are four coneys ranging from perhaps sixteen to twenty years of age, all of them the spitting image of their mother.

Anisa smiles to the group, and makes an awkward bow to the new acquaintances. "It's a pleasure to meet you all, I really like your decorations."

Lucia also bows to the Hydron matron. "Indeed, your Clan name is well known even in Valkyria."

"Ah, flattery will get you everywhere, dear children," Tyche says, and then gestures to the front row benches. "Please, seat yourselves; the first match is about to begin."

The bruised Rephidimite takes a seat on one of the benches, giving a smirk at the softness of the cushions. These Amazonians seem very different from the other clans. "This in living in style," she whispers to Aaron playfully.

Aaron smirks to Anisa, and starts to sit down next to her – but Tyche's hand on his arm stops him. "Please, Aaron," she says, deliberately using his non-Amazonian name, "sit with my daughters. They've missed you."

Lucia sits down on the opposite side of Anisa, and grins as Aaron gets dragged off with a frightened look on his face.

Anisa arches a brow at the buck, an amused but surprised smirk alighting her face as he's taken hostage. "Seems he's quite popular with this crowd," she whispers to Lucia. "Maybe they'll duke it out for his affection – I'd pay to see that!"

"The first match will begin; the champion of Gogran against the champion of Hydron!" booms out an amplified male voice, which is nearly drowned out by the enthusiastic roar of a hundred-thousand Lapi spectators.

"Oh, I think Tyche would try to marry him herself if she were younger," Lucia whispers back, close enough that she can be heard over the crowd. "Hydron is eager to gain outside trading contacts."

"For Hydron, welcome Zig-Zig the Clever!" the voice announces, and the crowd cheers wildly as a gray blur pinwheels into the arena from the gate to the right. After a few acrobatic somersaults, the Gladiator lands on his knees and begins blowing exaggerated kisses to the crowd. Zig-Zig doesn't look any taller than Aaron, but the muscles beneath his gray fur and white chest are clearly defined. For armor, he wears only a leather skirt and bronze helmet with a short, sturdy spike jutting from the forehead.

Several does waves and cheer from the front rows, trying to get Zig-Zig's attention – including all but the oldest of Tyche's daughters, who makes sure Aaron doesn't try to escape during the distraction.

Anisa grins. "Linnea would love that, I bet. They seem to be quite different from the other clans, I've seen." The rabbit watches Zig-Zig come out to the field, and cocks her ears. "Say, he's not bad looking." She looks back to the Hydron Matron. "Do they all look like that where you come from?" She gives a quick grin in Aaron's direction.

Tyche smiles to Anisa, and says, "Most of them do. We pride ourselves on being the most beautiful of the Clans."

"Zig-Zig certainly seems to be popular with the crowd," Lucia notes, and eyes the gladiator appraisingly as well.

"And fighting for Gogran: Boufa the Giant!" comes the next announcement, and a hush falls across the crowd, broken only by a few nervous cheers. Having to duck his head to get through the opposite gate, Boufa lives up to his name. He must be at least eight feet and half as broad, with arms so long and massive they could easily pluck a spectator from the first row. His normal-sized, if somewhat slope-browed head looks tiny in comparison to his body. He wears a studded-leather loincloth and bands of leather wrapped around forearms that look like they could break a Rhian's back with one blow. Zig-Zig makes a show of yawning to make it clear he isn't impressed by his opponent's size.

Anisa begins to form a reply to Tyche, but cuts herself short as she does a double take at the Gogran champion. "By the Procession, he's huge!" She shakes her head to make sure she's not hallucinating. "How's Zig-Zig supposed to fight something like that?"

"He is clever," is all Tyche says, and doesn't show any more concern over Zig-Zig's opponent than the gladiator himself does.

"I can't imagine anyone wanting Boufa's services, even if he is a champion," Lucia whispers.

Various weapons are lowered from the audience onto hooks mounted high on the arena walls. Once finished, a horn blares out to signal the start of the battle, and the two gladiators rush to the walls to choose weapons. Boufa lumbers over and plucks a giant metal-bladed axe that nonetheless looks small in his hand, and Zig-Zig grabs up a ten-foot long trident before running back to the center of the field.

The Rephidim doe furrows her brow, and after a quick glance at Aaron and his harem, turns back to the arena. "Yeah," she whispers back, "he doesn't look like the brightest candle in the chandelier."

With a roar, Boufa begins his charge, building up speed slowly but steadily. Zig-Zig holds his tri-tipped spear in both hands, and charges as well, quickly becoming a blur of speed.

Aaron gives a nervous glance towards Anisa, and tries to follow the action on the field.

Boufa swings his axe at head height, and would have easily decapitated the smaller Lapi if he'd actually been there. Instead, the blade slices through the upright shaft of the trident, but it's already too late. Having used the spear as a pole-vault, Zig-Zig lands against the giant's chest, bringing Boufa's charge to an abrupt halt as he tries to regain his balance.

Before the giant can dislodge him, Zig-Zig grabs onto Boufa's cheeks and gives him a comical kiss on the mouth – just before slamming his head forward and driving his helmet-spike deep into his opponent's sloped forehead.

The crowd erupts in cheers again, while Aaron looks a bit ill.

Anisa starts to laugh at the comical antics, but stops quickly as the smaller gladiator makes his attack. "How did he do that?"

"Impressive," Lucia notes. "Zig-Zig really knows how to use his head," she says with a completely straight face.

There is a moment of stillness as the two Gladiators stand frozen, and then Boufa begins to fall backwards like a felled tree. Zig-Zig rides him down, finally standing on the giant's chest as the enormous body strikes the ground and raises a cloud of dust. Leaving his helmet embedded in Boufa's skull, the gray rabbit holds his arms out in triumph and soaks up the adulation of the cheering crowd.

Blinking, the small doe takes a moment to parse the events, then slowly begins to clap as well with a grimace on her face. "Well, that was … short."

Zig-Zig takes a victory lap around the field while a pair of Vykarins appear to drag off the body of Boufa.

"Zig-Zig usually plays with his opponents first," Tyche admits. "But that would have been dangerous with Boufa, who can be very quick once he gets warmed up."

The grimace turns into a frown as the larger Lapi's fate becomes clear, and the doe folds her paws into her lap. "I guess I should at least be glad that it wasn't bloody," she mutters to herself in Standard.

As the weapons are being pulled back up into the stands, the victorious gray Lapi comes to a stop beneath Hydron's booth, then leaps up to grab onto the edge and back-flip the rest of the way in one smooth motion. He lands before Tyche and falls to one knee, saying, "I hope that I pleased you, Mistress."

Anisa turns in amazement to watch the gray Lapine's acrobatics, and can't help but smile in amazement at his antics, regardless of the prior events.

Tyche's younger daughters quickly surround the gladiator, and begin to clean the dust and flecks of gore out of his fur with water and combs. "You did well, Zig-Zig," Tyche says, and taps the buck on the forehead with her fan.

"The next match will be between Abderos of Kimera and Guilio of Cyclon!" the announcer bellows while the field is being cleaned up.

"Those moves were impressive," Anisa says to the buck, more out of curiosity than anything else. "How the heck did you learn to do that?"

Zig-Zig stands and smiles to Anisa, while the daughters change his attire and wrap him up in a clean toga. "I never tried it before today," the buck admits. "To use the same move twice would invite one's opponents to devise a defense."

Linnea leans across her husband to whisper with Tyche, while Zig-Zig saunters over and bows to Lucia and Anisa. "And who might you two lovelies be? I can offer a special rate for sisters," he says with a wink.

The white doe makes a quick glance out to the arena, then back to the gray buck. "I mean in general. It doesn't seem the usual Amazonian technique." She holds her paw out to the warrior. "My name's Anisa Snowshoe. It's nice to meet you."

Zig-Zig gallantly kisses the back of Anisa's paw, which causes Aaron to glare at him from behind. "Lucia Snowshoe, of Valkyria," Lucia says, introducing herself as well.

The crowd cheers once more as the next set of gladiators enter the field. These are much bigger, more like the bucks Anisa has seen at the villa – one brown with white-tipped ears and a white belly, the other one a smoky white. Both are unarmed and unarmored, to the point of not even wearing any clothing at all.

Anisa blinks, and blushes under her fur at the kiss, having expected a hearty handshake instead. "Oh, um… thank you." The doe smoothes her ears out to regain her composure. "You were very impressive out there. To be honest, I didn't know how well you'd do against someone that big."

"Size is of no consequence to a skilled gladiator," Zig-Zig claims, and gives a quick glance to the field before returning his attention to the does. "It is speed and wits that matter."

"And charm too, it seems," Lucia comments, grinning at the buck.

Anisa makes a quick glance at the field as well, then turns back to the gladiator. "That's what I always say! I'm a bit of a fighter myself. Maybe you could teach me a thing or two." She grins at her fellow Snowshoe's comment.

The starting horn sounds again, and the two opponents immediately grapple with each other. It looks like this match will involve wrestling instead of weapons.

Boldly, Zig-Zig sits between the two does and puts his arms around their shoulders. "Gladiators aren't allowed to train with does," he says apologetically. "But I'm sure there are other things we could teach each other." Looking to Anisa, he asks, "You have a strange accent, little one. Where do you hail from?"

Down on the field, things pick up as the brown-furred buck manages to get the other off-balance, pinning him to the ground and delivering a vicious-looking blow to the neck with his elbow, much to the crowd's enjoyment.

The smaller doe is taken a bit off guard by this, but can't help but give a bashful smile at the buck's forwardness. "Um, I'm from Rephidim, the sky island," she stammers. "I'm visiting for the New Year's." The doe doesn't even notice the gladiator battles anymore.

Several young conies begin to arrive in the booth, until they need to form a line to speak with Tyche, apparently.

"So, you are not sisters then?" Zig-Zig asks, looking back and forth from Lucia to Anisa. "For surely this lovely warrior hails from Valkyria, having the countenance of one sculpted from snow by the gods."

Another cheer surges from the crowd, after the gray gladiator throws off the brown one, and gives him a powerful kick to the groin.

Anisa smiles. "No, although she's becoming like a sister to me. I came here with Xavier," the doe motions back to the other buck, giving a quick glance. "Who knows, though? We may be distantly related."

Lucia does not blush… at least, not in any perceptibly way, since it can be difficult to tell with lop-eared Lapis.

Aaron is also ignoring the match, but turns to feign interest in it when Anisa glances his way.

Anisa blinks, and turns her attention back to Zig-Zig. "Are you in any more matches today?"

"Ah, he has the look of soft-living," Zig-Zig says with a nod, and smiles at the sight of the line forming behind Tyche. "I will fight against the winner of this match," he notes, again sounding unconcerned about it.

With the brown-furred buck bent double from the painful kick, the gray one finishes him off with a double-fisted blow to the back of his head. The brown one is driven face-first into the dirt – and stays there, motionless.

"Abderos of Kimera is triumphant!" roars the announcer, barely audible above the cheers of the crowd.

"Soft-living?" The doe flops an ear, but then grins, wondering if Aaron heard the remark. She idly watches the end of the match, swiveling an ear to the line. "You must be pretty popular. Looks like you have groupies." She laughs. "So, are there weapons in the next match?"

"I won't know until the match begins," Zig-Zig says, then stands and stretches. Several of the conies have already left, while the remaining ones mill about patiently.

Anisa looks up at the buck, turning quickly to give a taunting grin at Aaron. "Good luck in your next match! You'll have to come talk to us some more when you win."

The gladiator bows to Anisa and Lucia, saying, "With such to look forward too, I can hardly help but triumph." The conies part to let the buck by, while Aaron glares at his back the entire time.

"It is a shame I am destitute," Lucia whispers to Anisa. "I wouldn't mind a night with Zig-Zig."

Vykarins begin bringing out what look like long sawhorses onto the field, which they line up to form a makeshift fence down the long axis of the stadium.

The small doe watches the fighter walk off, and covers her mouth as she giggles at Aaron. "You'd better be careful," she says to the black and white buck in Standard, "you might burn a hole in his back." She arches a brow at Lucia. "You and a few others, it seems."

"If he survives this next match, his price will probably double," Lucia notes, and points with her chin towards the milling conies. "They must represent wealthy warriors or Clans."

Aaron tries to look innocent, and turns away from Anisa to whisper with Tyche's oldest daughter, who appears to be cutting off the circulation to his right arm.

"It appears that the next contest will be a joust," Linnea comments, turning towards Tyche. "Not something where Zig-Zig's skills will be of great use."

Anisa stifles a giggle at Aaron's predicament, and turns back to Lucia. "His 'price', eh? No offense," she shakes her head, "but that still strikes me as weird. He must make a killing, though."

"Of course," Lucia says. "Gladiators fight to the death, after all."

"Er, that's not exactly what I meant… " The doe's ears wiggle in stifled amusement. "But never mind that. I think poor Aaron's about to be mobbed to death."

"Facing one another in the joust will be Abderos of Kimera and Zig-Zig of Hydron!" booms the announcer, and two heavily-armored figures on Vykarin-back enter from opposite gates onto the field.

"Joust?" Anisa looks to the larger Snowshoe. "What do they do in this? Ride Vykarinback?"

"Zig-Zig will be at a weight disadvantage now," Lucia comments. It's pretty clear that the Kimeran is half-again as large as Zig-Zig. "They will try to unseat each other with lances."

Indeed, coney "squires" enter the field, each burdened by several heavy-looking lances, and take up positions next to the mounted gladiators.

"Yeah, but he was in the last fight too," Anisa says. "He probably has some kind of trick up his sleeve."

Taking up their lances, Zig-Zig and Abderos wait for the horn to blow. Once it does, they begin to charge towards each other on opposite sides of the fence that was set up. With a crash, their lances break against each other's breastplates, knocking the gladiators back – but not unseating either one.

While the crowd cheers, the bucks recover and pick up fresh lances before turning to face each other once more.

"Warriors will sometimes duel this way in Valkyria," Lucia tells Anisa. "The winners often bear horrible wounds afterwards."

Anisa leans forward in her seat, ears perked ahead as she watches the match intently. "Dagh, that looks dangerous. Everything looks dangerous here." She shakes her head. "I hope he doesn't get skewered."

The second charge shows that Zig-Zig isn't fully recovered from the first, as his lance slides off of Abderos's armor while he nearly gets twisted around from a blow that shatters the armor on his right shoulder.

This prompts an even louder response from the crowd, some of whom begin to chant, "Abderos! Abderos!"

Wincing, Anisa sets her ears back with a frown. "I don't know if he can make it," she whispers to Lucia. "He seems banged up."

At the far end of the stocks, Zig-Zig clearly favors his right side now and holds the fresh lance with his left arm. Abderos raises a fist to the crowd before getting his own fresh lance.

"His shoulder may be broken from such a blow," Lucia whispers back.

The smaller doe nods, glancing quickly back at Aaron.

Once more, the two gladiators charge each other on their Vykarins. At the last moment before impact though, Zig-Zig turns nearly sideways to avoid Abderos's lance and raises his own slightly higher.

Turning back to the duel, Anisa's ears perk up at the last minute bit of trickery, and holds her breath.

To the delight of the crowd, Zig-Zig's lance catches Abderos under the chin and tears the larger buck's head clean from his shoulders. A joyous fan in the third row catches it and raises it in triumph.

Amazingly, the headless body does not fall from its mount. The squires have to pull it off of the Vykarin once it comes to stop at the end of the field.

Jaw dropping, Anisa's ears turn pale at the spectacle, and she quickly looks away while squeezing her eyes shut. "First Ones!! Why do they have to do that?" The doe shudders, and keeps her gaze set on the floor.

"Do what?" Lucia asks. "Surely you don't expect them to leave the body on that Vykarin's back?"

Zig-Zig's victory lap is not as energetic as his previous one, as he raises his left arm only to the adulations of the crowd.

"N-Never mind," the smaller doe says, still keeping her eyes to the ground as she tries to keep from being sick. This time, she doesn't clap, and instead pulls her brush out and works on her ears nervously.

"Zig-Zig of Hydron carries the field!" the announcer yells over the crowd. "There will next be a riding exhibition by Clan Cyclon!"

"Are you okay?" Aaron calls over to Anisa in Standard. "Would you like something to drink? I know I need one."

Once more, Vykarins clear the field of the fence and broken bits of armor.

Swiveling an ear at the buck, Anisa then looks in his direction and nods, "I think that's a good idea." Standing, she pats Lucia on the shoulder. "I'll be back in a bit. I have to get some refreshments."

The doe doesn't have to go far. As soon as she stands, a coney bearing a tray of glasses (made with real glass, not earthenware) is coming down the aisle. Aaron snatches two of them, having momentarily escaped Tyche's daughter, who has disappeared along with the other girls, and offers one to Anisa.

"The daughters are off to tend to Zig-Zig," Aaron tells Anisa.

"I'm much more partial to vanderat races myself," Esai says to Lucia. The older buck has also managed to get a drink and is stretching his legs.

Smiling lightly at the buck, Anisa gratefully accepts the water and takes a big gulp. "Good thing them and not me," she says, shaking her head. "I dunno if I can look that guy in the eye now." She looks up to Aaron, and can't help but give a grin. "You seem to be popular with Tyche's group. I don't see what you were so upset about earlier."

The drink turns out to not be water, but some sort of mildly alcoholic tea. Aaron sips his own, rather than downing it like the doe. "Oh, well… I suspect it's strictly a business interest," he admits, lopping his ears to hide a blush. "And you didn't seem to mind Zig-Zig's attentions earlier," the buck points out.

Anisa's fur frazzles out as the alcoholic taste hits her; her eyes water as she gives a few coughs. Catching her breath, the doe blinks at the drink, and takes a few more sips. "Well… I'd be lying if I said he wasn't a good looking guy, and that the attention wasn't nice." The doe gives a slight smirk.

Aaron actually seems to slouch a little. "Oh, really?" he asks. "But you shouldn't get your hopes up. Amazonians aren't exactly the dating types, and he'll probably be preoccupied with … err … business once he's recovered."

Several coneys troop past, heading out of the booth. Only a three of them look like they have good news to report, however.

The crowd noises pick up again, as something is happening on the field. Strange cries can be heard to drift up from below.

The doe gives an amused smile at the buck's reaction, her ears flopping sideways in humor. "You never know. The world's a strange place." Grinning, the doe takes another sip of her drink, then playfully musses Aaron's flopped ear. "But you're probably right. Besides, he's not my type." She winks at the buck, and looks out to the field.

Several odd creatures have been released into the field. They look at first like the skeletons of giant birds with wicked looking beaks, but it becomes clear that they are composed of something other than bone. They cry out horribly, and jump at the walls as if trying to get to the people in the stands.

Anisa's ears spring up, her nose twitching rapidly. "What in the name of the First Ones is going on? What are those?" The doe takes a few steps back, closer to the buck.

"Grooks," Esai notes as he retakes his seat next to Linnea. "I wonder how the bloodsuckers were captured?"

"They're a sort of monster from Moltpaa," Aaron explains to Anisa. "Some of the underground caverns extend into Amazonia."

Downing the rest of her drink, Anisa sits back next to Lucia. "But … what are they doing out there? They seem dangerous."

The horn sounds, and one of the gates opens to disgorge four mounted warriors bearing the one-eyed Goliath standard of Clan Cyclon. With whoops and shouts, they begin to herd the monsters towards the center of the field.

"This must be the riding exhibition," Lucia says.

The grooks are not easily herded, and stab out at the warriors constantly. The clang of beak against shield rattles through the air.

Anisa pats the seat next to her, motioning for Aaron to sit down. "At least it's not Lapis this time." Still, the doe avoids looking towards the field.

Aaron sits next to Anisa, and watches the spectacle in fascination.

Two of the mounted warriors stand up upon the backs of their Vykarins, and begin to swing heavy-looking lassos over their heads, while the other pair of riders act to shield them from the vicious stabs of the grooks.

The doe watches Aaron for a bit, then ventures a reluctant look at the arena. "Are they gonna kill them?"

In a fine display of coordination, both warriors release their lassos at the same time, catching a grook around the head and one of its legs. Tying the ropes quickly to their armored saddles, the pair goad their mounts to run in opposite directions.

"Apparently," Aaron notes. A moment later, the grook is torn in half – although it does little to slow down its attacks, as the separated halves still claw and stab at the Lapis. There isn't any blood or gore, as the grooks apparently don't have any guts.

The pairs of riders begin to alternate; one group acting to shield the other while it snags the monsters with lassos. Eventually, the grooks are reduced to small enough pieces that they are effectively dead.

Anisa still gives another wince, and looks downward at her feet. "I don't know how much longer I can watch this, Aaron," she says in Standard, fidgeting in her seat. "It may be the norm for Amazonians, but it's starting to get to me."

Nodding to Anisa first, Aaron turns to his mother and says, "I'm going to show Anisa some of the city, before the big party starts, if that's alright?"

Linnea gives Aaron a somewhat disappointed look, but finally nods. "Do not get lost, and do not be late to the festivities," she says, and then makes a gesture of dismissal.

Aaron offers Anisa his arm. "Shall we?" he asks her.

Patting Lucia on the shoulder once more, the smaller doe stands, and takes the offered arm with a bit of a blush. "Delighted to. You won't get in trouble, will you?" she asks in Standard.

The buck shakes his head. "Tyche's girls are busy, so it won't matter if I'm here or not," he replies.

Lucia looks up to the pair and says, "Have fun!" before turning back to the exhibition.

Nodding, Anisa follows the buck's lead, relieved to be free of the arena's spectacle.

Outside of the coliseum, several pavilions are in the process of being erected. Cartloads of food and party supplies crowd the lanes as well as they move towards the nearby Temple plaza.

"Anything in particular you'd like to see?" Aaron asks Anisa. "Or do you just want to go someplace quiet?"

"I hope your mother won't be mad," Anisa tells the buck. "You really didn't have to leave. I could have come out by myself. I just couldn't watch that anymore." She looks up at the buck. "Someplace quiet would be nice – gives me a chance to collect myself."

Aaron nods, and navigates the doe through the wagons towards one of the temples. From the giant statue of a plump Lapi with a crowd of children at her feet, this particular temple seems to be devoted to the Amazonian version of Ashtoreth, the fertility goddess.

The buck leads Anisa around the main temple, which is full of does that look similar to Tyche and her daughters.

Anisa looks up at the statue, and gives a small smile. "Kind of reminds me of Mama, in a weird way. I wonder how she's doing? And Daddy and the boys for that matter… " She shakes her head, catching herself. "Sorry if I embarrassed you back there."

"Oh, I wasn't embarrassed by you," Aaron says with a chuckle. "And we'll be heading back to Rephidim in a day or so." Around the side of the temple, the pair comes up against a long wall with a small gate set into it.

Aaron rings a bronze bell attached to the wooden gate, and explains, "These are the gardens of Ashtoreth. I doubt anyone is using them now."

"Seems like we just got here," the doe smirks, "although I must be honest that I'm getting a bit homesick." She looks out over the gardens idly. "Who embarrassed you then?" The Lapi smiles. "They seem to be very fond of you here."

The small door opens, and small golden-furred acolyte steps out and says something in Olympian. Aaron replies in kind, and passes over a metal coin bearing the stamp of Clan Kerebos. The acolyte accepts the coin, and gestures for the pair to follow her. "My mother, of course," Aaron finally answers Anisa. "And I really couldn't say Tyche's motives come under the heading of 'fondness.'"

The acolyte leads them along a flagstone path through the most lushly vegetated garden Anisa has ever seen. Songbirds sing from the branches of manicured fruit trees, and the ground is hidden by all manner of flowering plants and small statues of fecund Lapis. There are even decorative streams spanned by miniature bridges.

"'Fondness' can mean a lot of things," the doe smirks. "At least they seem to respect you. It beats being hit on by a hotshot gladiator, that's for certain." The small Lapi smiles at the garden, the sight of it making her relax visibly.

The acolyte takes them along a side-path, and brushes aside a curtain of flowering vines to reveal an overgrown gazebo. A miniature waterfall somewhere behind it provides a soothing burble, while the well-kept interior contains a large padded couch and a table holding a long-necked jug and a bowl decorated with a mosaic of Lapi children.

Aaron thanks the acolyte in Olympian, who then leaves the two Lapis alone. "You should be able to relax a bit here, I think," he tells the doe.

Anisa takes a seat on the couch, and reclines backwards with a sigh. "This place is neat, but I'm starting to understand why you didn't want to live here." The doe shakes her head. "It's pretty intense, all the killing and stuff."

"And Dianus is downright civilized compared to the rest of Amazonia," Aaron says, and sits at the end of the couch next to Anisa's feet. "There are some places near the border where the warriors bathe in the blood of their vanquished foes."

The doe makes a disgusted face, pulling out her brush and working on her ears. "You say this is how Lapis are when we're left to ourselves. I'm glad I'm a city girl then. I never knew we were quite so violent." She twitches her nose slowly, calming down a bit. "I wish we could kidnap Lucia or something and take her back with us. I wouldn't want to be left behind here."

"It might be hard to bring her along," Aaron notes. "She wouldn't want to leave her Vykarin behind, after all. But you can invite her if you want – just don't expect her to find Rephidim any more appealing than you find Dianus."

Anisa laughs, and lays her head against the arm rest. "I was only joking. I doubt she'd be happy up there. If it weren't for all the killing and stuff, it wouldn't be such a bad place." The doe lays her feet in the buck's lap. "So, do you ever miss the place? Tyche's girls were really pretty."

"I wouldn't want my children growing up here," Aaron says, and starts to rub Anisa's feet. "There are plenty of pretty girls in Rephidim, after all."

Anisa giggles, and wiggles her toes at the buck's hands. "What, you mean you don't want any deluxe sized killing machines?" She grins. "Although I'd be willing to bet you do have a bit of a harem back home. Your brother would be envious."

"I certainly do not!" Aaron says defensively. "I've been too busy, and never even had a real home until recently." He tickles the doe's feet in retaliation. "This is the closest I've come to being on a date in months!"

Anisa laughs at the tickling, pulling her feet away. She smirks at the buck. "A 'date', huh?" The doe sits upright, smoothing out her toga. "So, do you treat all the girls to bloodthirsty spectacles, or only the special ones?" Her grin morphs into a smile.

"The others usually settle for dinner," Aaron says, grinning back. "You, however, need to be challenged, I think. At least I know your limits now!"

The doe arches a brow, still smiling. "Oh, so this is a date?" She laughs, and scoots closer to the buck. "Who says you couldn't have found my limits out through dinner?"

"Because I know that your appetite is limitless," Aaron says, and chuckles. "And we'd better be careful here. This is a mating bower in the garden of the Goddess of Love after all!"

Anisa blinks, looking around the garden in genuine shock at first, but then falls into uncontrollable giggles. "I see what your game is, you crafty Kavi!" The doe grins, and tousles Aaron's ears. "Lure them in and trick them! For shame!"

Aaron puts up his hands to try and fend off Anisa. "Hey, it was the only quiet place I could think of! And I always wanted to see what one looked like," he says. "And we really should be careful. I mean, when things get weird, we're the only familiar things around. It's natural to cling to each other."

The doe draw her hands back, her smile softening a bit. "Well … that's not necessarily a bad thing, is it?" She doe's gaze rests on Aaron for a bit, then she quickly looks away with a blush. "Besides, it is very beautiful here. I'm glad I got to see it."

Looking away, Aaron nods and says, "Yup, wish there was a place like this on Rephidim. Although some noble probably has something like it on his estate." Glancing at Anisa, he adds, "And you aren't just saying that because I'm the first Lapi to beat you that isn't a sibling, are you?"

Smirking softly, the doe brings her legs up onto the couch, and sits Hekoye-style. "No," she says, keeping her gaze on the ground. "Not because of that. Besides, my brothers have never beaten me." She looks up with a smile.

Aaron blinks at that revelation. "Really? I guess girls fight dirtier than boys, though," he says, and reaches over to muss up Anisa's ears. "Hey, maybe you should put a garden into your health club along with the public baths!"

"Hey!" Anisa giggles, bringing her own paws up. "I'll have you know that I always fight fair!" She catches one of the buck's paws. "A garden would be nice."

Aaron doesn't pull his paw back immediately. "I'm sure Springer would be glad to help out with something like that, where she could really get creative," he says, grinning. "Feeling any better now?"

The doe smiles, not pulling her own paw back as well. "Much better, thank you. Thank you for bringing me along, too."

"Thanks for giving me an excuse to duck out of the coliseum!" Aaron says. "The family games tonight will be more fun, and less violent. Ever played volleyball?" he asks.

"Volleyball?" Anisa cocks her head sideways in curiosity. "I don't think so, what is it?"

Grinning, Aaron says, "Oh, you'll love it! It's all about jumping while punching a ball over a net."

The doe's ears perk up at this. "Punching, eh?" She grins. "Sounds like it was made just for me."