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Episode I: Free steps!

It had gone a week after Undreas had left the town, and he had settled down in an abandoned watchtower not too far from a main road. From there, he explored the surroundings, extending the search area for every passing day.

He didn't find much in his explorations, other than what nature had to give. Trees, plants, rivers, ponds, swamps... and other not too interesting things. He rarely encountered other anthromorphs or humans, but when he did, he gently greeted them, most often getting a greeting back, if not ignored or avoided.

But he was never attacked, unless by wild, ferocious and/or hungry animals like bears or cheetahs, or sometimes even wolves. But since he was so fast and agile, he could flee the area quick enough for the animals to instantly give up.

He spent a few months in the wild, still training his mind and body, before he returned to the town to see if something had changed. It had certainly not, but he liked that. Since he had lived there for so long, he felt like it was his home.

The first thing he did, was to visit the orphanage. It was as it used to. Some of the cubs he knew from his time there, still stood around in the yard, watching the younger ones play. He waved at them from the distance as he walked closer. They smiled when they saw him and walked up to him.

They talked to each other for a while, and asked where Undreas had been. He replied by telling them he was an explorer and he wanted to know of all the land so that he never had to feel lost.

After that, he headed to the harbor pub. He knew the bartender fairly well, and wanted to have a talk with him, and something to drink. He never drank alcohol, but instead ordered a raspberry drink.

He got the same questions asked as from his orphan friends. Where had he been? He gave the same answer, but since the bartender was adult, he entrusted him with more information. He wanted to become an explorer.

"What about treasure hunter?" The bartender suggested. The seafarers docking in the harbor were mostly treasure hunters, and they came here to buy and sell goods, or bank their findings.

Undreas thought for a while, looking at the bunch of people sitting at one of the pub entrance tables.

"I think that's a bit too dangerous for me." He replied

The bartender laughed a little, then gave Undreas his drink.

But he'd consider it. The treasure hunter thing. To explore would just mean he'd observe. To be a treasure hunter meant he could also take things he found in the wild, left by other people, unless they were currently owned by others. Yes... leftovers. He'd never steal anything from graves or treasure chambers or such... maybe an item or two, if he saw something he liked... But treasure hunt to get rich? No... that's not his goal.

So he finished his drink and paid for it before he left the pub, saying goodbye to the bartender. He wouldn't stay the night in the town, but he'd stay till sunset. So he spent the rest of the day at the harbor, looking at the horizon. Thinking. Planning.

Suddenly, he felt someone closed up on him behind him. He looked back, but saw no one. Not a single person close by. He could only hear wild laughs and glasses clashing in the harbor pub, in the distance.

But he felt something close to his neck just the second before he turned around... Must've been imagination. He was so relaxed he could hear the fishes play beneath the water at his feet. Maybe it was just the wind.

He couldn't calm down after that though, so he got up on his feet and headed back to the southern gate, watching the straight road float away into the horizon.

"Maybe I should sleep here tonight anyway?" he thought, looking back into the now mostly sleeping town. The street lanterns were still lit. Some houses had their lamps on, and the inn was all lit up, full of people inside drinking and talking.

One night in the town couldn't hurt that bad. So he turned back and entered the inn, some its visitors, strangers to him, cheered for Undreas as he enterd. He smiled and waved at them before he walked to the innkeeper, asking for a vacant room. He got one for a rather cheap price, entered it, locked it from the inside and went to sleep.

"Where shall I go tomorrow?" he thought for himself. He would ask a treasure hunter in the pub first thing in the morning, for a hint or a location to some interesting place.

End of episode.