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"Pilgrimage"

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To twenty-one year old Caesar Halberd the human, the situation of witnessing Goddess Gaia in his dreams for the past three months had become easier for him as well as to those people he'd called friends. In fact, today, where he'd formerly seen her as a sign of tension, he had come to accept her visits as messages of promise.

Indeed, after so many stressful months beforehand of him hallucinating of lands, places and people he'd never seen before, after having had the goddess of Felldew tell him repeatedly during his said dreams that his destiny awaited outside of his northern kingdom of Norlinth, Caesar had gradually come to accept the only possibility before him; a possibility that he hadn't been quite sure, as a scholar at the time, he was at all ready for in the beginning.

Until now, anyway, where he was now strong in body, mind and soul after much rigorous training. And he would need all of himself to be strong if he were take on his destiny during the days of traveling across his world of Felldew.

Truly, whether he'd wanted to set off on one or not ninety days ago, due to seeing the goddess, Caesar had been bound to sooner or later begin that honorable event which was called a "pilgrimage" amongst his people. In his slumber, he had been told by her grace to go off on a longer than long journey that would - like it had done for his ancestors before him - no doubt show him many things. Things that would prove to be naught but beautiful, strengthening along with memorable.

In turn to experiencing these beautiful things, during all of his journeying, Caesar would come to find out things about himself that he didn't know. He would surely flourish to be wiser, bolder and grow into a more fitting adult than he already was. Of course, with his cunning mind, with his generous heart, he was a fitting adult already. However, in the future, he would sport a strong body, a firm courage as well as a valiant spirit; traits that had made humans heroes of Felldew since the days of Felldew's grandest champions, Adam the Human Liberator and Eve the Dragoness.

Yet, despite the fact that he knew he'd grow stronger while traveling, the only real questions to Caesar at that time three months back had been... why was he, a mere scholar of the Norlinthian city, chosen out of everyone?

Honestly, why did her grace of the heavens choose him, a common brother amongst the priests of the church? Sure, having served three years in the army suppressing the bandits of northern Tundran, Caesar had experience in the ways of combat. Nevertheless, he'd never favored the terror of battle. And clearly, in this Kingdom of Norlinth, there were other if not older humans far more familiar in the methods of battle.

Either way, Caesar just couldn't get over why hadn't the goddess selected another youth? A youth who had a better sword arm, who had plenty of confidence to call upon, who had a gift if not enthusiasm for travel? In all honesty, why had it been him selected by the heavens to go into the outside world?

It was before during these troubled days where he was being called by the goddess, that Caesar had in fact grown to be comfortable in not being a possible pilgrim candidate but rather enjoyed being in the library. There in the said archives, he'd read in comfort for many a year, let his mind expand and allowed his soul to be filled with knowledge about Felldew. Knowledge that'd been accumulated by his kind - by pilgrims, most of all - from everywhere, far and wide, for the last few hundred years.

Without a doubt, during their history of honoring the goddess, few humans of the north had ever been given the honor of becoming goddess guided pilgrims of Felldew; the pilgrims that'd traveled the various lands, fought evil, helped the weak, collected knowledge, grown into heroes and overall became legends themselves.

Nevertheless, during his twenty-one years of growing up with the priests in the church, during his twenty-one years of reading rather than training for combat, during his twenty-one years of simply living of his life... never had Caesar imagined becoming an actual pilgrim of Felldew. And when he'd faced the certainty that he was going to become a pilgrim, what was he to do? Obviously, with the goddess visiting him in his dreams, he couldn't turn back from his destiny lest he wanted everyone to look down on him in turn with disappointment for the rest of his life.

Clearly, rather than keep on saying that he was unsure of what to do, he had to bravely face his future like the many other pilgrims of the past had. He had to become a, well, man.

All in all, even though pretty much average in most every way, although not as brilliant a warrior as his fellows, Caesar had come to accept the fact that he - like his many forefathers - was destined to do great things. During the days of the last few months, he had come to terms that he was chosen by the goddess to fell the wicked, protect the helpless as well as bring peace to his world of Felldew. He had to listen to and go along with how his friends told him that it was a tremendous honor to be going on a pilgrimage.

And now, so many days later since he'd begun to take on his training as a pilgrim, with ninety days having come as well as gone where the harshness of winter had finally given way to the rather sunny if not agreeable pleasantness of spring, Caesar had learned that his role as a pilgrim was not one to fret about. Rather, having read up on the various pilgrims who had traveled the world before him, his pilgrimage was going to be an experience that really would - as said - help him grow in every good regard.

He would not regret this. He would not regret being a pilgrim. He would set off into his world today and return next year a stronger, wiser, fitter human being strengthened by the many anthromorphic anima races he'd met, befriended, maybe even loved during his journeying.

Yes, with the dawn just beginning to peak over the eastern horizon this morning, Caesar wasn't as hesitant about setting off on this goddess guided adventure of his like he'd been three months ago. Instead, with a confidence in his footsteps, having learned much from his elders on what to expect on the road around the world, with many a weapon along with supplies strapped onto his person, the young pilgrim man of Norlinth was now patiently walking the southeast roads towards the coast of Onyx Bay.

For by the goddess's decree, it was there where the sea otters - close, older than old allies of mankind - dwelled that Caesar's adventure was bound to begin. It was there that he would start to grow in body, mind and spirit. It was there that he would, for the first exciting time in his young life, do what he'd only read about in the church's library up to this point; live a life of adventure.

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As it'd been said for him beforehand, Caesar hadn't ever dared to think that he would be handpicked by Goddess Gaia to go off on something as sacred if not traditional as a pilgrimage. Why was because he was willing to admit - like countless time before - that he wasn't exactly the strongest, wisest nor handsomest human alive.

Still, where he'd forever thought himself "normal" enough, apparently he wasn't. Not with humanity's goddess currently sending him off on this enlightening journey across Felldew, anyhow. Not when he was presently traveling along the southeast roads, underneath the gentle warmth of the springtime sun, towards otter territory to meet with the leaders there.

So what was it about him that had attracted Gaia's attention? What was it about himself that made him so very special in her eyes? Special enough to have him begin this quest of spreading goodness in her world where she pleased?

As it was always said over the pilgrims she chose to do her bidding, Caesar was aware that the goddess had neither favorites nor unique requirements in recruiting servants. She simply chose someone because she thought it was the right choice. Truth be told, it wasn't usually the top dog that she selected out of all of humanity. Rather... she more often than not forced someone average like Caesar to go out into the outside world where she never failed in helping them become wiser, stronger along with braver in themselves.

Basically, one way or the other, Caesar had been picked to set off on this pilgrimage due to who he was; a humble, quiet if not reclusive soul who needed the chance like now to come out of his shell, to be shown how strong he could be and to see for himself just what he was capable of doing.

And where he honestly didn't see himself as an attractive character, maybe he was wrong about that too. That or - like the other pilgrims before his time - he would come to realize just how handsome his personality was to others by the end of his pilgrimage. At this thought, at thinking of gaining affection from Felldewans during his travels through one means or another, the beginner pilgrim couldn't keep from blushing profusely. Then, as his head began to fill with the thoughts of him gaining friends, allies, lovers who would be willing to give their lives for him... he shook his head vigorously, slapped his face and huffed sternly.

Hmf, it was too funny a thing for simple Caesar to think of gaining friendship, alliances as well as romance. He had only just begun his journey. Still, would he make many companions during his pilgrimage? Only time would tell. That and Gaia.

Truth be told, although supposedly normal for a Norlinthian, Caesar wasn't exactly an ugly character to look at. At least he hadn't ever sent the girls of his homeland scurrying for cover every time he'd neared them in the past. Rather, now that he thought back on it, the girls in the church - the priestesses - had accepted him with naught but smiles. He'd been a good friend to them. And they had been good friends to him in turn.

Being a little more than six foot in height, it was plain to see that Caesar wasn't short. Having dirty brown hair swept back out of his gentle face, with eyes the color of sapphire like the waves of the Waiting Sea, he wasn't completely undesirable. Rather, without his knowing, he gave off a certain formal if not humble allure. As for his clothes - the traditional hooded pilgrim outfit consisting of a blue-white traveling cloak, brown leather boots, black trousers as well as silver necklace - they definitely made him look good.

Nah, not good. They made him look really good. They made him radiate with a foreign, holy shine.

In the end, whether he wanted to believe he was ugly or not, despite his supposed averageness, Caesar was indeed handsome in his own respectful right. Why he didn't believe so at the moment was that he'd never given himself a chance back home to prove otherwise. Rather than having ever gone to a celebration in the church or to a festival in the city, he'd taken to staying in the quiet recesses of the library where, with a candle burning gently on the table beside him, the books hadn't sneered at him or joked about his choice in clothes or commented on how his hair was styled.

All too quickly, thinking about his home while walking southward through the thawing tundra and out onto the shore where he could look upon the vast expanse of glimmering salt water that was the Onyx Bay, Caesar became a bit homesick. Mind, having lost his father during the rebellion of the Ursine in the northlands of Tundran when very young and seeing as his mother had died giving birth to him, he didn't think of his parents while homesick.

Sadly, not having been ever able to remember their faces... he just couldn't imagine his folks. He instead thought deeply about the church where he - like all other orphans - had been adopted. Where the wise brother priests and kindly sister priestesses had taught him not to live in despair but how the goddess wanted; happy.

Without wanting to do so, instead of focusing on where he was going, the softly smiling human youth soon lost himself in recalling memories of his home. Ah, yes, he couldn't forget the colorful windows of the cathedral's main hall where the sermons were held for all of the people daily.

He remembered the kitchens downstairs where the most marvelous of food had been made for breakfast, lunch as well as dinner without fail. There, ha ha, with the cooks waving their ladles like swords, the sneaky friars nibbled on "extra" rations and - when caught by the said cooks - blamed their roundness on other things in the world.

Most of all, though, he recalled the library with its endless stores of books, documents as well as scrolls. Oh, as his feet guided him through the sands of Onyx Bay's beach at the moment, how Caesar longed to be back in the cathedral's archives where he could sit down with some fresh bread, a cup of tea and read to his heart's content all day, every day.

Ah, yes, how wonderful that sounded. Rather than pounding his way over the sun bathed sands of the coast of Onyx Bay, the idea of spending all day in the library rifling through books was now evidently a dream to Caesar. Truly, without a book in his hand or food to munch on, he couldn't very well sit down in the dunes right now and try to pretend that this environment around him was as good as back home. Bah!

"Oh woe be me." Caesar grumbled to himself for the first time today, looking up to the sunny heavens that were slowly growing hotter by the hour. Maybe it was spring but the beach, phew, was a place of heat. "Here I am, naught but a simple pilgrim with no books to read, no food to eat nor any cloud to keep the sun from melting me down."

Coolly, sweeping his blue-white cloak out of the way of his feet, the beginner pilgrim lifted his hand to visor his eyes from the glare of the sun. He squinted towards the cloudless, blue heavens and joked to himself, "Alas, this is still the time of spring, Gaia, your grace. You realize that, right? If so, then let me - your humble, warrior servant - at least get to the shade of the woodlands of River Country before you go and turn on the summer weather. Please?"

As if he was heard by her holiness somewhere at some time, before astonished Caesar's eyes, a collection of clouds did indeed blot out the sun several minutes later. The shade was most appreciated. Truly, sighing to himself, picking up his pace, the beginner pilgrim prayed to himself.

"Thank you, Gaia, your highness. Your show of mercy upon me is most generous."

Suddenly, at abruptly thinking again of his beloved library back in Norlinth, an inspiring thought dawned upon the young pilgrim man. Rustling into the packs of supplies on his back, he eventually managed to fish out a certain novel he'd brought along for the trip; "Goddess Gaia's Felldew". The said book was a glossary that he had been given by the head priest of the church as a gift just before his departure.

As it'd been described to him, Goddess Gaia's Felldew was a helpful novel. It was a font of infinite wisdom detailing the history along with landscape of the world. It would most certainly be a key item during Caesar's journeying.

Or it would have been... if he hadn't been so distracted in the item which made him unwittingly trip on a nearby collection of rocks next, sprawl face first into the sands of the beach and send it flying out of his hands through the air into the incoming wave. There, carried back up onto shore by the incoming wave reaching up onto the beach, the novel floated for a moment on the waves before sinking almost mockingly out of view of its flabbergasted if not now sandy owner.

For a moment, not really knowing what had just happened, with the sun peeking back out from behind the clouds, Caesar just kind of laid there on the beach sand. Then, when realizing he had thrown his only real source of remembering home as well as finding his way through Felldew, he threw off his supplies, kicked dirt into the air along with plain vented his frustration at the situation.

Naturally, him having lost the book was all a simple mistake on his part. Yet, if he hadn't been so swallowed up in trying to remember home, if he had been paying attention to where he was going rather than cramming his nose into some pages, he wouldn't have tossed his valuable tome into the bay in the first freaking place!

Yet, now, the glossary of a book was gone. Gone because Caesar hadn't watched his footing! Gone because, when only a day in, he was a sad excuse for a pilgrim!

"Goddess damned! - Stupid rocks! - I couldn't have thrown it towards land and not the sea?! Stupid, stupid, stupid-" He bitterly huffed, holding his head in his hands as he tried to remember how exactly he was to get to the sea otters of Onyx Bay. He just had to keep following this coastline, right? Next, as the sun vanished behind another set of clouds, the young human straightened up, brushed himself off and collected his senses, "Okay, okay, okay... You're a pilgrim, Caesar, you can do this. All you need to do is stop being so stupid."

At this, the beginner pilgrim rolled his eyes. "Easier said than done, stupid. You haven't even finished your first day and you drowned your means of a map. Congratu-freaking-lations." He stood up next, straightening his pose and then looked around himself curiously. "Alright, relax. You just need to calm down, take several deep breaths, stand up and look around for any landmarks to... use?"

Next moment, as his squinted eyes registered what lay before him, as he suddenly began running forward across the beach while getting out his bow, it seemed a likely possibility that perhaps the goddess - in her own mystical way - had made Caesar stumble as well as throw his one distraction out into the ocean.

For you see, where he'd been distracted trying to read a book rather than pay attention to his surroundings, he hadn't seen what was happening a little distance ahead of him. He hadn't seen until now that there were a trio of figures mercilessly fighting... and one was going to get killed if not helped at once! Truly, up ahead, further along the beach where frantic Caesar was now dutifully sprinting while nocking an arrow into his drawn bow, there was a murderous conflict in the works!

However, it wasn't until he got closer that the young pilgrim fearfully realized that there were two barbaric, wild looking, painted wolves trying to commit murder right in front of him. This was most astonishing. Wolves were natives of Tundran, not River Country nor Onyx Bay. Where had these hostiles appeared?

Either way, at seeing his foes, Caesar's mind didn't stall with uncertainty. Rather, his fear was overcome with a sense of urgency; urgency to save the one the said wolves were currently ganging up against. Still, where he was urgent to land a hand and help the wolves' victim, the pilgrim's spirit didn't panic. Panicking would solve nothing. Rather, as it'd been trained to do for the last three months, it remained cool, collected as well as brave.

Like he had read about them back in the libraries of Norlinth, Caesar realized that the fierce canines at hand were each about six and a half feet tall in height. They were indeed tall. Their fur, bulging with showing muscle, was a greyish-black hue. Their fierce fangs along with claws were shaded the color of the steel headed spears they had in their paws. Spears that they were using to poke at a defenseless, wildly struggling, snarling she-otter ensnared in a firm, complicated net they both were hauling up the beach away from the inviting waves!

An otter was a creature of both land and sea, true. However, in this situation, the wolves were stronger than a lone otter on land.

Thus, as he thought this through, it was obvious almost instantly to Caesar that he had happened upon this situation just at the right moment. The wolves had clearly just jumped the captured she-otter, netted her when she'd looked to escape into the water at hand and now were going to... Well, what the dogs intended to do with their prey didn't need to be said because it wouldn't happen. Not when, throwing all caution to the winds, coming up in their blind spots, becoming the warrior he didn't imagine he could be, the human pilgrim leaped onto some rocks nearby rocks.

From his vantage point, effortlessly drawing an arrow from the quiver on his waist which he pulled back against his bowstring, the human from fired the said arrow straight and true. In turn, with a "pang" sound that alarmed everyone at the scene, the shot arrow hit one of the very shocked, howling wolf's right in the back!

As wanted, when coming under attack, the barbarians let go of the net. Hissing, chewing on the ropes with her fangs, the she-otter was then allowed to rapidly struggle against her bindings as her captors whirled towards their assaulter.

Good! Good. The wolves hadn't used the otter lass as a hostage of any sorts. They were primal dimwits. They couldn't think that far ahead and use her against the heroic human. For the moment, all that Caesar had to do, goddess willing, was not get stabbed through by one of the charging dogs' readied spears. As for the enemy coming to him, still behaving like the warrior he doubted he was, the beginner pilgrim waited for the wolves to be upon him before he easily jumped off of his rock, over their baffled heads and landed neatly on his feet behind them.

My oh my, if only he could have seen himself perform such an acrobatic feat. He was scholar anymore. He was a pilgrim for sure! His leap would have impressed even the cats of Summerdine Isle to the south! Heh, with her eyes wide, her jaw hanging a bit open, the netted she-otter looked impressed enough from where she lay.

However, Caesar didn't have time to feel proud of himself. No, not when he had two blood thirsty foes, snarling savagely, intent on sticking him with their poles!

Next, immediately when hitting the ground after his majestic leap, letting his last three months of elite training for combat take over, Caesar rolled forth under the stab of the first wolf to attack him who he solidly uppercutted under the chin good and proper. Then, as both canines - one shot by an arrow in the back, one with an aching chin - lunged for him, he continued to show off his expert combat dance when he simply yet deftly deflected another few hostile jabs which he smacked away with his hardy bow.

Easily, when an opponent made a grab for him but missed, Caesar fluently stepped back out of the way of a bite meant for his face. His reply to nearly being bitten was that he, rather mockingly, smacked his attacker square in the jaw with his free hand. This made the said attacker snarl even fiercer as his fellow swiped. With effort, Caesar ducked the swipe, sidestepped his foe, yanked the said foe's tail which let loose a howl from its owner, then kicked the wolf down onto his gut. In turn, at seeing as fellow knocked onto the ground, the other wolf still standing charged the human who caught the spear stabbed at him next. Tugging the spear towards him, with a gritting of his teeth, Caesar head butted his last enemy who he threw onto his downed partner.

Now with both of the savages down, the beginner pilgrim effortlessly, drew out three arrows, knocked them against his bow and had them aimed at his dazed enemies. Within a heartbeat, at seeing the fierce glint in their foe's eyes, the pair of brigands instantly went from being tough brutes to being losers. Truly, where they had been looking to kill a moment ago, they were now howling for mercy as unsure Caesar had his three arrows pulled against his bowstring.

The dogs had a reason to fear. All three arrows were pointed accurately at their chests.

Still, as he allowed his senses to catch back up with him, Caesar realized that it wasn't fear that was making him shake slightly. It was disbelief. Heh, where he'd only read about battles back home, this fight had been easy enough, hadn't it? Even with his training, who would have guessed that quiet, bookworm him had had the skill to pull off such a quick if not epic victory against the feared wolves of the north?

Hmf, it seemed he had the makings for becoming a pilgrim, after all. It looked like the goddess had chosen right amongst humans once again. Regardless, this wasn't a time to be caught in such thoughts. Not when there were two sneaky, murderous wolves to deal with at the moment, anyhow.

"No, wait, flat face!" One of the wolves barked, trembling visibly in fright when seeing the human aim the arrows for him. "Flat Face", mind, was a rather rude term that the anima had come up with for humans long ago. It was something usually the filth of the world used. "We didn' mean any 'arm. We was jus' 'avin a good bit o' fun, wasn't we, Fletcher?"

"Fletcher", the smaller of the two wolves that Caesar had shot in the back from the beginning of this unpleasantness, snarled in reply at his fellow, "Oh come off it, Grinad! Ye' think this 'uman is stupid? Why do ye' think 'e attacked us in the first place, eh? Cuz' he saw what you and I were up to! And bein' the human he plainly is, he jumped in to ruin our supposed fun. Just like any other human would. Them and their talks of justice and valor and-"

"Oh, feh, don't mind this 'ere empty head, flat face." The first of the wolves that'd spoken, "Grinad" apparently, chortled like a rat for his all too honest companion that was eyeing Caesar most wickedly even though at arrow point. Again, the term Flat face was used. It was not appealing. "Honest, 'uman, me'self and me mate 'ere didn't have anything bad planned for that she-otter there. We was merely tryin' to 'elp her get untangled was all."

"Truly?" Caesar replied, actually acting more macho about the event at hand than he would have ever guessed possible in the past while being locked away in the library. Seriously, if only he could see himself at the moment. He looked grand with his bow at the ready. "You were only helping the otter maiden get free of that net? How? By stabbing her to death with your weapons?"

"Yes." Fletcher instantly stated coldly, an evil sneer on his face, "That was the idea."

They'd meant to kill. That was what the crimson eyed pair of dogs had meant to do if Caesar hadn't appeared and he knew so. His anger was building at this. His judgment, his valor, was being hazed over by something else. Something he'd been warned about during his pilgrim training... Revenge.

"NO, IT BLOODY WELL WASN'T!" Ratty Grinad howled in turn, shaking his head rapidly as the arrows were drawn further back on the bowstring, "Look, look, look, we was only tryin' to 'elp the otter lass when you came runnin' in with arrows flyin'. Me and Fletcher, we were trying to cut the net off of the sea dog."

"And that's the truth is it?" Caesar wondered, not at all believing the story he was being told for he'd seen bloodlust in both of the wolves faces and nothing more before his arrival, "Is that the honest truth?"

"Yes-" Grinad began.

"No-" Fletcher started.

Yet, both of the wolves were cut off from saying anymore when a new voice joined in the conversation. A voice that dripped with anger, frustration along with hatred towards the surrendering wolves under Caesar's gaze. A voice that would have been beautiful had it not been so fierce.

"No! That's not the honest truth at all!" The she-otter shouted, having finally ripped her way out of the net, grabbed up the wolves discarded spears and approaching her foes with a wicked glint in her own sapphire eyes. She was, despite her rage, a very pretty thing. Her anger was like early morning frost; sweet yet chilling. "These bags of scum weren't looking to cut the net off of me! Oh no, they were actually looking to cut off my pride and joy. They were looking to cut off my tail first and then my ears and then my fingers and then my-"

"A jest, a jest!" Grinad snickered twistedly when there was nothing funny about what the otter maiden was claiming. He squirmed nervously when Caesar's eyes fell onto him once more. "Seriously, little miss, we were only jokin' about all of that. You didn't seem to hear me tellin' you to stop squirmin' so I could cut ye' loose. If you had stopped movin', myself and my friend would have-"

"I never stopped squirming because you never said such a thing as cutting me loose, WRETCH! You were too busy trying to poke holes in me." The otter lass almost screamed due to emotion, a wild shine in her wet eyes now. She was shaking from fear, anger, disgust. Her show of emotion brought Caesar back to reality. She cleared his mind. Next, with a snarl, she raised both of the spears in her hands to bring them down on Caesar's captives, "Hah! It's not so funny when the tables are turned on you, is it, wolves? Is it?! Now the two of you stop squirming around and let me deal to you what you deserve. I'm going to take both of your tails like you were going to take mine!"

Yet, just as the punishment was about to be delivered, just as Caesar felt like letting it happen, he suddenly remembered something about him being a pilgrim. This wasn't justice. This was revenge. He remembered he had to be fair as a pilgrim. He had to be righteous, he had to be sensible. True, for what they'd been plotting to do, the wolves at hand deserved to be punished.

Yet, they were unarmed. They were defenseless. They had been, like planned, stopped from taking an innocent life. Now, they we were going to be tortured by this maddened she-otter? This she-otter who wasn't clearly thinking straight about the moment and would, in the future, more than likely regret her decision in making them bleed?

No. No one was going to be further hurt than they already were.

And when realizing this, when coming to terms that he couldn't allow further bloodshed, the warrior side of Caesar took over again. Confidently, setting aside his drawn back arrows, he stepped in the otter's way who gave him a most surprised face. One that was almost matched by Grinad as he put his face in his paws and peeked out through the cracks of his fingers to see what was going on.

"No, hold on. That's enough. There's no need for this." Caesar said in what he hoped was a gentle, calm enough voice for the otter maiden to understand. Her eyes, although stunned, shined with hostility. "Look, I've already dealt them what they deserve. In fact, I intend to do more. However, they will not die today. We cannot kill them."

"Why?!" Was the otter maiden's cold question in turn, the two swords still raised up above her head, "They would have killed me if you hadn't arrived when you did, human. Don't you realize that?"

"Yes, I do. Fortunately, mind, I was here to keep that from happening. I got here in time." Caesar said back, honestly surprised to see how logical he was being despite the tension of the situation at hand, "And ask yourself, miss otter... are you like these wolves here? Are you really a killer?"

"Yes." Ratty, Grinad wondered, wringing his paws nervously, "Are you really a killer, miss otter - Ouchies!"

"Shut up." Caesar stated, having kicked the wolf in the nose, "Don't talk. You talking means you're more likely to die at this point. So stay quiet."

When there was no response to his voiced inquiry form the she-otter, the human pilgrim tried his best to smile a comforting smile to gain more control over the moment, "No, she-otter, you're not a killer. Neither am I. We're sensible Felldewans here, not savages. Our senses of right over wrong are what separate us from these curs. You know that. All people with good hearts know that."

At hearing the human's wise words, the hatred gradually faded from the otter's bluer than blue eyes. She slowly lowered the spears down to her sides in turn, looking very thoughtful over what she'd been told. Indeed, she was no killer. She was a good Felldewan. She couldn't kill the wolves. For if she killed them... then she was no better than they. She would become them.

"Fine. Whatever. Like every other one of your goddess blessed kind, you're right. " The otter maid grumbled at long last, throwing aside the weapons in her paws and gracefully venturing back towards the salty waters of the sea. Her elegant steps, swaying hips and slim tail made Caesar's heart flutter a bit. "Do what you will with those idiots. I want nothing more to do with them. Not that I wanted anything to do with them in the first place."

Hm, how fantastic. It not only seemed that Caesar was a warrior now but he was also something of a role model too. It appeared that he had a charismatic side when he wanted to show it, didn't he? Yes, indeed. Thanks to his said charisma, he'd just kept further bloodshed from being brought about.

He'd kept the two wolves - although underserving - alive. He'd kept an otter lass from making a terrible mistake. This was it. This was the start to him becoming a pilgrim, wasn't it?

And as for keeping the said wolves alive, while the human had his back turned to them, they suddenly became a bit bolder with their situation. For with a snarl, with fangs ready to bite, they both suddenly lunged towards supposedly unknowing Caesar who, surprised yet fast, ducked away into a roll. Then, with several rapid swipes of his bow, kicking them in the sides for good measure, the pilgrim knocked out both of the filthy dogs without further struggle.

Next, using the remnants of the fish net from before, the beginner pilgrim tied the senseless hostiles to the nearest set of rocks where they hopefully wouldn't be able to get out for a while.

When finished in tying up his enemies, Caesar picked up the disregarded spears nearby. Effortlessly, he snapped them in two over his knee. Then, with a mighty spin in place, aiming for Onyx Bay, he threw the shattered weapons far into the waves where they spun underwater with the sunlight shining off of their steely forms.

Thus, hopefully, with their weapons gone, with them tied up good and proper, the wicked wolves wouldn't be doing anymore evil doing for a long time. If anything, if goddess Gaia were kind, the canines would learn from their experience today and cease living such twisted existences. As it went in Norlinth, there was never a bad time to say "NO" to evil ways. Rather, there was always a time to say "Hello" to better, civilized, proper ways of life.

So, giving them one last distasteful look, the human pilgrim left his foes to decide their fate for themselves. Now, ignoring the recent battle, trying not to feel too proud of himself for having won his first actual fight involving spear-wielding wolves, he had to figure out some way of getting to the sea otter settlements of Onyx Bay. At the moment, he knew he had to follow the coast to the nearest otter settlement.

Still, where was the nearest said settlement? Who would know?

Instantly, hoping she hadn't vanished into the big blue when going her own way, Caesar turned towards the sea to try to determine if the formerly netted she-otter was anywhere to be seen. And by the goddess, yes, standing only in the shallows up to her knees, she could be seen clear as day as she went graciously about cleaning the grime off her spectacular body. Grime that'd built up onto her when she'd been dragged up the beach earlier, of course.

Now that he wasn't fighting off her captors, now that she wasn't behaving like she was intent on chopping anyone into little bits, Caesar took notice of how very beautiful a creature he'd saved from certain doom. Truly, as if in a trance he couldn't break out of, it was as if the young human was watching perfection herself washing off her hourglass shaped body. Speaking of her shapely body, it was colored muddy brown as she want about tidying up her back length, ebony colored hair, checking her slim yet powerful tail, rubbing down her lean and strong limbs.

Mind, Caesar had seen plenty of desirable females during his time alive. Most of those females had been his own kind. Yet, as the goddess had taught all of her children since the beginning of creation, love was a boundless thing. Be it between two men or women or a man and a woman, be it between an anima and human, the romances of Felldew knew no boundaries thanks to Gaia's teachings.

And now, trying his best not to get too caught up in suddenly realizing that the she-otter he was watching had left her torn garments - an Amazonian looking two-bit professionally made of intertwining reeds - back on the shore and was now fully nude for all of creation to see, Caesar was thankful to the goddess for allowing love to reign supreme. Why? Quite honestly, if love hadn't been allowed between different species... the human pilgrim would have turned into a heathen just after several minutes of watching the sea otter maiden washing herself.

They were several minutes that felt like forever. That was until - with a glorious whipping back of her damp, black mane, with a delicate huff - she turned her gaze back towards the shore, noticed her human savior try to act like he hadn't been staring at her and addressed him curtly, anyhow.

"Has something caught your eye, human?"

"Er, yeah, actually. I was taking note of how very, uh, large... Onyx Bay is." Caesar lamely if not stupidly answered, trying his best not to sprint off into the distance out of sight of those sapphire blue eyes watching him almost keenly. Good goddess! Her eyes were like literal gems to behold. "This is my, um, my first time seeing it in fact. I never thought it'd go on and on like this."

"Heh, that's Onyx Bay for you." The she-otter answered with a purr, resuming cleaning herself up rather than stare at her admirer who felt ever so relieved to be out of the spotlight. Still, blast it, he couldn't keep from watching her tail swing lazily from side to side. "But this sight is a small thing compared to what lies below the waves. It's unfortunate that you - a land walker - wouldn't know what I - a sea swimmer - am talking about at the moment."

"Oh, I don't doubt that the world underwater is vast." The pilgrim admitted, having read enough back home. He was not so vain or unknowing about some things. "Vaster than what I see now. More beautiful too, I bet."

"And what do you see now, friend?" The otter lass asked, looking over her shoulder at her admirer, "Something vast? Something... beautiful?"

Friend? Is that what he was to this she-otter? Well, things had become that quickly easy between Caesar and this sea otter, hadn't it? It seemed so. Not that he was complaining. He had kind of saved her life, after all.

Either way, getting a hold of himself, the beginner pilgrim said while trying not to sound to nervous, "I see water. Miles and miles of it until I can see no more beyond the horizon out there. It is vast if not beautiful under the spring sun."

"I see." Was the otter maiden's rather gentle response, glancing at her human fellow for a short second before going back to cleaning herself. Had she just... smirked at him? Was she, er, toying with him? "And that's all you see then? Nothing else? Nothing more... alluring?"

"Er." Caesar mumbled, feeling a bit ashamed all of a sudden. What did she mean by "alluring"? Was she truly messing around with him? They had just met. "More alluring, you say?"

"Yes, human. Only a moment ago, you seemed rather interested in something near the shore." The she-otter said, graciously swishing her hair out of her face which made her watcher's heart leap into his throat. She then placed a hand on her hip and assumed a casual pose that nearly made his heart explode. "No, not near the shore but near me. It is indeed vast and beautiful but there is not only the sea here. There is also me. Am I not as alluring... as the sea?"

"Uh..."

"You can be honest, human. I am used to the stares. I have received many of them in the past." The otter lass admitted, smiling now. She'd caught him. She hadn't run away from him either. Rather, with a shine in her eyes, she looked pleased. "I welcome them. Do not worry. I think nothing less of you. Not unless you throw a net over me, anyway."

"Ah. Right, ha ha. Well, um, there's nothing to worry about there. I haven't got a net on me." Caesar chuckled shyly, now behaving like a complete dolt trying to impress a prettier than pretty girl at a festival. Goddess, where had all of his heroic charisma gone?! He was falling over himself here? "Um, well, if you think nothing less of me... Then I have to admit that there is an alluring something to all of this sea I see; you."

"Heh, thank you." The otter maid said back, swishing her hair again in her wonderful way. She winked charmingly. "And where I am alluring... You are a most heroic addition to this scene as well, you know."

"I... I am?" Caesar dead panned, pointing dumbly at himself like Wukong caught stealing bananas in Summerdine, "You don't say."

"Why yes, I do say. Most certainly. Why wouldn't I?" The sea otter wondered if not churred, now sounding sweet, "You just saved me. Did you not consider that heroic?"

"Well, it wasn't like-"

"And not only did you save me from being hurt but you also saved me from making a most horrid decision." The otter lass explained to her curious human fellow.

Next, she leisurely sloshed out of the shallows, grabbed up her torn primitive clothes, walked straight up to her newly made friend and stood before him without worry. All the while, she was not at all disturbed over how he tried to - as a gentleman - not look too long at her fully matured breasts or womanhood. And for his show of respect, if anything, she seemed enticed by how he seemed to not want to look at her like some kind of weirdo. She giggled softly.

"For that, human, you have my thanks. I am grateful to you for having saved my life and my dignity." The otter lass admitted, actually intertwining her free fingers with increasingly reddening Caesar's own. She knew her way around males, it seemed. She was a pro at charming. "Even when I was trapped in that net... it is clear that Gaia was watching over me when she sent you, a champion, my way."

"Now hold on." Caesar flustered, feeling very shaky along with embarrassed about all that was being said to him for reasons he couldn't identify. He was just himself, mind. Maybe he was fated to be some kind of hero but he wasn't there yet. He had a lot to learn! These words directed to him were kind but he wasn't worthy of them yet. "I'm, er, no champion, miss. You see, I might be one someday but not now. One victory doesn't make me champion material."

"Why not? Why do you degrade yourself?"

"Because I - You see - You were being dragged along and - The wolves needed to be taught a-" Caesar rambled, brushing his hair back out of his eyes along with looking anywhere but at the beauty curiously watching him a foot away. He didn't realize his honest rambling only made her want to admire him more. "I'm just not as great as you're claiming, she-otter. I'm just a guy who came along when the timing was right. And I'm very glad I did. Now here. Take my cloak and cover yourself up, please."

Yet, as the human attempted to pass her his traveling cloak so that she wouldn't be nude... the sea otter gave him an innocent but smug look. Next, pushing the offered clothing aside, dropping her own garments in the sand, she purposefully leaned forward. Immediately, almost tripping over himself, not at all understanding how he'd gone from wanting to see this maiden so that he could ask her for directions to get to the nearest otter settlement in Onyx Bay and now having her perhaps flirting with him, Caesar floundered backwards.

"Why do you offer me your cloak? There is no one here but us. And did you not just say that I was alluring?" The otter maiden giggled, having enjoyed the frantic aftermath of her being close to her hero, "Are you ashamed at what you see? Do I make you uncomfortable? Do I disgust you?"

"NO!" Caesar literally shouted in reply because that was not at all what he'd meant! No, she was anything but disgusting. She was downright gorgeous! Next, while the otter lass snickered at his earlier outburst, he controlled his frantic senses to speak normally or almost normally. "No, no, no. You don't disgust me. I was just thinking that... your clothes were all ruined so I offered you my cloak so you could stay warm."

"But today is a warm day, is it not?" The she-otter countered, being troublesome on purpose. Smiling brightly, eyes scrunched, hands clasped behind her back, she was the picture of beauty.

"Yes, well, it is warm I suppose." The human admitted, feeling helpless. Please, couldn't the she-otter stop toying with him like this? He was pathetic when it came to the opposite sex, it seemed. Some pilgrim he was. "Still, you could catch a chill after having been in that water."

"Hm. Maybe so, maybe not." The otter lass contemplated, turning away and giving Caesar a moment to catch his breath, "Then again, I've lived in these waters all of my life. For twenty-four years, I've been learning from this bay. I know its dangers. And catching a chill is the least of my worries. Maybe not for you, though. Tell me, friend, were you not on your way to somewhere before you came to my rescue?"

Oh thank the goddess. Caesar was finally back on track of what he'd meant to do all along; get to Onyx Bay and see the leaders of the sea otters.

"That's right. I was actually on my way to a settlement known as Serkwesh southeast of here." He said aloud, putting his cloak back on with a sigh of relief that his personal space wasn't being invaded... even though, honestly, he hadn't had any issue with it being invaded to begin with. He just couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that even though they'd just met, the otter lass had clearly been toying with him. "Pray, do you know of Serkwesh? Could you help me - ERK!"

Not having paid attention again to where he was going, Caesar walked smack dab into the she-otter who, with a smirk, let him realize by himself what'd happened. Then, when he caught on that he was leaning into her, when he felt her chest pushing against his own through his clothing, when his blood heated up in every part of his body - especially down below in his pelvic region - at feeling her against him, the human slowly stepped back as coolly as he could.

Their lips had been centimeters away, mind. Not only that, the human had drunk in her wild yet refreshing scent during only that brief moment of contact. She had enjoyed his scent in turn. And as she now watched him with a beaming grin on her face, it took all of Caesar's willpower not to seize the angelic otter, to kiss her, to pleasure her.

Ugh, if only he wasn't a virgin. Maybe he would have had the confidence to take this maiden if he had some sexual experience under belt. Yet he didn't. And at the thought of sex, he was a bit terrified of messing up this moment. He didn't want to come off as a dork in any sense.

"Right." The pilgrim said at long last, trying to stay calm and not let his ever growing want take control of his senses for the teasing otter lass watching him sweetly, "Serkwesh. Have you heard of it?"

"Of course." The otter maid replied, shrugging simply.

"Can you take me there?"

"For my champion? Of course!" The sea otter churred, brushing her ebony hair over her slim shoulders. For her champion? The phrase made her named champion blush a bit harder. "However, that'll have to wait until later on tonight. Maybe even until tomorrow morning."

"I beg your pardon?"

"See those clouds building up out there over the big blue?" The maiden otter explained expertly, pointing out towards a collecting buildup of grumbling, thundering black clouds gathering some distance in the formerly clear sky over Onyx Bay, "They're about to let loose another grand spring rainstorm in an hour. And if I were you, I'd stay off of this coast in a sheltered place until the storm passes. For if you don't, the waves that'll reach up onto this beach will drag you away into the sea before you make it even halfway to where you're going."

It was true. Already with the winds picking up in strength, the waves were becoming a bit more rough in slamming against the beach that Caesar stood on. He didn't doubt within an hour's time that his travels would be hampered by dangerous tidal waves. How was he going to find shelter from them, though? All that there was around this area was open beach. So, where could he go to avoid being drowned?

"Just ask what needs asking." The otter lass cut in to Caesar's thoughts, smiling to herself, "Ask if you can stay with me until the storm moves on."

"Seriously?" The pilgrim breathed. At thinking of him being alone with this otter lass for a full day, his mind instantly spun into wild, hot, crazy thoughts that made him squirm. "Uh, I wouldn't want to impose on your family-"

"It's agreed then. You'll be staying with me until the danger passes." The otter maiden cut in, not waiting for her human fellow to try to come up with some dumb excuse to squirm out of her sudden invitation to her abode. She liked him. She wanted to get to know. He was going to stay with her for a bit, no questions asked or excuses made. "And I have no family around here, human. It's just me and my hold. You'll like it. Trust me."

"Er, right." Caesar admitted, not really having a choice when the she-otter took his hand in hers and began dragging him off towards the south. She was strong as well as pretty. "I... trust you."

Did he though? With the way they'd come to rapidly know each other in the last hour, with the way she was being so friendly towards him, with the way she wasn't taking "no" for an answer, did he trust this otter maiden? Did he trust himself? What was this paranoid feeling rising in his stomach that told him... he wasn't going to soon forget his friendship with this female?

How could he tell that when they reached her abode, there was going to be a lot of her leaning towards him and him leaning back until he final hit a wall with nowhere else to go? And with nowhere else for him to go then... er, what would happen?

Goddess Gaia, where would things go from there? What kind of day of adventure was the beginner pilgrim bound for today? Was this really how his journey as a pilgrim was going to be? Because of it was... he could soon learn to come to like it.

"Alas, I never got your name, miss." Caesar said next, doing his best to keep up with the pace of his she-otter guide. That was right. He'd never asked this girl for her name. How disrespectful. "I'm Caesar. Caesar Halberd of Norlinth."

"A pleasure. Truly." The otter lass chimed back, a happy gleam in her eyes as she gave him a smile over her shoulder. Next, playfully, with a wink, she introduced herself, "I'm Nelanee. Nelanee Reefton."

How very fitting. Indeed, it was only fitting for such a pretty name to belong to such a very pretty she-otter. Caesar felt he wouldn't forget it. Not ever.