Aya stood alone on a training field, looking out into the distance. In front of him was a massive log, easily twice as long as he was and probably three times as heavy. It was for lions to train with, not wild dogs, but he wanted to get better, dang it! He had to stop those shells that came whizzing towards him. Size alone wasn't enough, you had to be fast and strong and tough. He turned his gaze back to the log and let out a slow breath before throwing his shoulder against it. It rocked just a little bit, but other than that didn't budge.

Watching from a short distance away was a cheeton named Tenisi. He was new to the pride and, although he had never played before, had taken to Kikombe like a fish to water. He wanted to get on a team, so he had been walking around the training fields. It looked like everyone had a nice little group, though, and he didn't want to intrude. That's when he had noticed the wild dog all on his own, trying to push a huge log. He trotted over to the other male and spoke up once he was close enough.

"Hey. That looks like a pretty heavy log," he said, smiling at the wild dog.

Aya glanced up from his struggles to see a bright green cheeton that he'd not met before. "Oh...yeah, it's really heavy," he said with a little grin. "I figured I want to be really strong so I should train with the stuff the lions use. But...I think I have to get kind of strong before I end up really strong."

Tenisi laughed just a bit and he moved forward to stand beside the log and the wild dog. "Well hey, aim for the stars, right? I'm Tenisi. Want me to help you push it? I could stand to be a bit stronger as well."

"Oh! Yeah, that would be great," Aya said with a grin. "I'm Aya. Well. That's my nickname. My real name is way too long so just Aya is okay. So, to push this, maybe we can try rolling with our paws?"

"Sure," Tenisi said, hopping onto his hind legs to rest his front paws on the log. "Are you on a team?" he asked, looking over curiously at the other male.

"Oh...no, not yet. That's why I'm training. So I'll be good and someone will want me on a team," Aya said as he mimicked Tenisi's stance. "So far no one wants me, though," he added with a little sigh. "They like bigger animals in the goal. But I don't see why they won't take me! I'm really big for a wild dog."

"Aw, I'm sure someone will pick you," Tenisi said as they both began to push. Silence fell between them as they grunted and heaved and dug their paws into the dirt, and finally the log began to roll. It was slow going and a struggle, but together they pushed the heavy log from one end of the field to the other. Once they reached the other side they hopped over the log and re-positioned themselves, getting ready to go back the way they had come from.

"You know," Tenisi said once they reached the other side once more. "You could always start your own team. Find people to play with you instead of looking to join someone that already has a team."

"I thought about it," Aya admitted as he sat down to rest. "But I'm not Captain material."

"Well...just because you get a team together doesn't mean you have to be the Captain," Tenisi said. He didn't want to be the Captain, either, but maybe they could find some third party that would take it. Well...if they decided to work together as a team. Aya was certainly friendly enough and a hard worker. That was good enough for him!

"What about if we started a team?" he asked as they got back to work, rolling the log back and forth across the field. "Me and you and...well. We'll find someone that will take up the third spot. Then we'll have a team, and then can add more people to it once we get really good and make everyone else jealous."

"Hey...that's a great idea!" Aya said excitedly. "Oh, I like it...finding one player isn't hard. Finding two is! So, what position do you play? I'm a goalie," he added, hoping the cheeton wouldn't say the same thing.

"I like offense," Tenisi said with a nod, which made Aya yip in delight.

"Great! So we just have to find a defender," he said as they stopped rolling the log once again. They rested a few minutes before making one more pass, this time doing the back and forth in record time. They collapsed on the ground once they got back, the log still rolling away from their momentum.

"We...are gonna be...the best team...ever!" Aya panted, his tail wagging happily, kicking up a little dust storm behind him. Tenisi laughed a bit as he heaved beside the other, a gleam in his pink eyes.

"Yeah...just gotta...find a...defender." He lifted his head, an idea suddenly striking him. "And you know what? I think..I know someone...who just might...fill the position."

Aya perked his head up curiously, finally catching his breath enough to speak normally. "Oh? Who might that be?"

Tenisi grinned at the other. "Iqhawe."

"Iqhawe?! But he's Taji's son! He must be on a team by now," Aya said, hoping to the gods that that wasn't the case. The son of the Player Overseer who was, in fact, a star Player himself?

"And he plays defense," Tenisi said with a grin. "He'd be perfect. Let's go grab a drink and then see if we can find him. Good work out there," he added, slapping Aya's back with a paw as he stood up.

"Thanks. You too," Aya said as he sprung to his feet. Today was looking a lot better than it had been just a little while ago. Now he had to hope Iqhawe hadn't been picked for a team yet. Chatting with his new teammate, they headed to the nearby watering hole, trying to guess if Iqhawe was free and if he'd be their Captain if he was.

FIN
WC: 1072