“Since the ancient times, any ruler worth their salt knew that they needed to provide food and entertainment to keep their people satisfied. Once you start to slack on providing one or the other, it is where the slippery slope to tyranny and a rule of fear starts.” - Saying attributed to Xaliburnus the Conqueror, First Emperor of the Elmaiya Empire.

“I’m still envious that you two got to try an even better version of this. This is already very good!” complained Eilonwy as she shoveled another handful of chopped fresh fish and herbs into her mouth. The six of them had gathered back at the beachside for lunch after they fished for most of the morning, and as it happened, the dish that Aideen and Celia enjoyed on their boat turned out to be a local specialty.

The version they had – made with living fish caught earlier that morning – somehow felt less fresh compared to the one they had on the boat, though, although the only difference between them was the few hours that the fish spent in captivity. Not to say that the dish they had on shore wasn’t good, but that it just lacked a little something compared to the one they had on the cove.

“Then maybe you should’ve caught one as well,” said Kino teasingly as she munched on one of the palm-sized fish, which had been gutted, cleaned, seasoned with salt, then simply grilled beside a fire until they were cooked perfectly. Most of the catch that the group managed to acquire were that sort of fish, as they caught a dozen between them.

While small, the fish had a good taste and other than its spine, its bones were small and soft enough to be eaten as it was, which made it easier to eat. The fins and tail were left on, and had been grilled to a crisp instead. They shattered when bitten, though it was still a bit hard and crunchy. Not something any of the group had trouble with, though.

Kino also had the luck to catch a rare flatfish, the sort that typically dwelled on the bottom of the sea and had both of its eyes on one side. The fish was a prized delicacy and was served steamed in a simple sauce laden with ginger and garlic. The strong heat and pungency from the sauce paired well with the fish’s soft, flaky flesh and clean taste.

Other than that, Áine also caught an eel as long as her arm, though much thinner. The eel similarly tasted great after it was cleaned, chopped up, then cooked into a soup with some local mushrooms and seaweed. The briny soup had a strong taste of the sea, with the tender bits of eel providing some meatiness and savoriness as well, and meshed well with the rest of their feast.

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Visible from the open, simple, straw-roofed gazebo they ate in were local children – many of which showed Merfolk heritage to some extent – playing at the beach. One of the most popular local games was played using a head-sized ball of woven Vinewood, played by two teams that could range from one to five kids on each side.

The children would “draw” their playing field on the sand with some sticks, then set a pair of sticks with a rope tied around head height between them in the middle of the playing field. Each team would then attempt to get the ball to fall on their opponent’s side of the field, with the ball having to fly higher than the rope when it passed the middle.

It was a simple game, made more exciting and interesting by a simple rule. The players were allowed to hit the ball with any part of their bodies, except their hands and arms. As a result, most of the children primarily used their legs to kick the ball around, at times catching it on their chest or butting it with their heads where appropriate.

Most common however, were acrobatic feats of skill and control that involved all sorts of flying kicks to propel the ball towards their opponents at great velocity. That the kids even managed to perform such rallies repeatedly against each other while they played spoke dividends on their fitness and stamina, as well as their skill and agility.

Neither was the game one only popular amongst the children. In some areas of the beach, adults play the same game, only with a slightly larger play area and much more fervor. The group watched the players from afar while they ate, and couldn’t help but think that it was akin to watching acrobatic performances, for free at that.

It was far from rare for a player to leap up high with their back to the opposing side then pulled off a devastating overhead kick to send the ball towards the opponent’s side of the playing area, and more impressive was how such players would not only land safely, but even recover fast enough to intercept a counterplay almost immediately.

As the group themselves grew quite interested from watching the games while they ate, after they finished eating and rested for a bit, they walked down the beach and took advantage of a vacated play area that had been set previously. They borrowed a ball from one of the locals and gave the game a try for themselves.

Áine, Rhys, and Eilonwy made for one team while Aideen, Celia, and Kino were the other team. The elven siblings had an advantage since they had longer limbs and innate agility, but Aideen and Celia were fit and very well-trained themselves and managed to keep up nonetheless. As for Kino, she actually found a little trick that the locals didn’t really use due to their lack of fluffy tails, namely using her tail to receive the ball gently.

The six of them enjoyed playing against each other until the evening fell, with nobody really keeping track of the score. They just played for the fun of it, and to exercise their bodies a bit since none of the six were the type to sit around and do nothing all day.