Well, my muse decided to scream at me to draw an otter after seeing the video of an otter eating a lettuce leaf as seen here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b0ZbcdbMBI

This is Gilgamesh Arteshbod, child of Persian warriorhood and of the ruling class as his species is considered holy by their form of Zoroastrianism. Each of the royal family is served by the "immortals", 1000 male dogs and 1000 female dogs to be within minutes of them at all times.

Gilgamesh long exceeded his father's expectations as a warrior as he won the Riyadh Tournament of Arms. The winner could ask anything from the emperor besides the crown or challenge a grand champion to be elevated to that rank. Gilgamesh chose the fight and became the Grand Champion by defeating former grand champion, Enkidu. A powerful ursine who nearly killed him and vice versa. Both became close friends almost immediately as they balanced and equaled each other in intelligence and strength and trusted the other's gut instinct.

He defended his title of Grand Champion a total of six times in the next seven years. The sixth year was due to the fact that Loke, the wolger from the north, chose to ask the Emperor to pardon all of his opponent's crimes. Gilgamesh took particular interest in this as he knew Loke's opponent was already injured and beaten before the fight... but took part in the Rite of Equite, which was an additional 8 combatant fight between each round for worthiness (though in the opponent's case, it was forced as many were doing it to fatten their purses). However, only one refused to relinquish the pardon, demanding that Loke's opponent give him one pound of belly meat that she stole... straight form her belly! Gilgamesh jumped down from his seat and pointed a blade at him in defiance, calling him a coward. The tiger just licked his muzzle and told him he had no right to interfere. Loke then pushed Gilgamesh's blade aside with his own and told him it is alright... he could have one pound of his opponent's belly meat... and nothing else as the wolger winked at the otter. It took a moment for the otter to realize what the wolger was thinking and smirked. He stepped closer to the heavily beaten opponent and saw it was a weasel in a red bandana, Wren.

The tiger lord quickly spoke and demanded a razor to be taken to the weasel's belly,"Nice try, "champion" but you aren't gonna catch me with that silly law.... you planned on cutting off my head if I removed any of her fur... correct?'

Loke: Of course not... this young otter was going to shave it off with his blade first... correct?

Gil: Yes, would be a shame to lose your head over fur.

As the tiger lord nodded, the otter took his blade to Wren's belly, shaving it clean as the weasel smirked, licking a bit of her blood off her mouth and onto his blade, winking down to him. At that point, the otter realized the plan... her plan. He backed off as he held the weasel.

Gil: She is prepared, lord... take your belly meat and must only be a pound and a pound only. It shall be weighed out and if you take even a sliver more... you shall be executed... if you didn't take enough.. you forfeit it.

# Yes yes... get on with it. I can do this in my sleep.

As Loke prepared his blade, the tiger lord can only lick his chops and asked one of his servants to prepare a fire and grill to share this treat with the emperor. As he slowly flicked his blade, he walked up to the weasel and examined her stomach complately.

# You did a magnificent job in shaving this one. You must be experienced in taking care of this.

Gil: Not at all... just know how to take care of business with a blade.

# Your loss... but I'm going to take my time in inserting this blade. I want to make sure I get this meat perfectly cut and give her the maximum torture as she made me miss out on a meal.

As the tiger lord inserted the blade into Wren's belly, Loke quickly cut the lord's head off. As the emperor's guard arrives with the emperor, he was demanded to tell why he cut him down. Loke just pressed his finger against the small daggertip wound in Wren's belly and presents his white fingertip that is stained in blood and simply stated, "Wren told me once... that if you make a demand and take more than what it is... you lose your life. He never asked the emperor for Wren's blood as well as the flesh." The emperor only nodded and said in honor of his wisdom, he granted the wolger the choice once more. Loke chose to challenge the Grand Champion from Sino.. and defeated him quickly and overpoweringly.

Gilgamesh can only laugh hard at the scene. As the tournament ended, he only hoped to see the weasel fight again. The following year, his seventh year as one of the Grand champions, he arrived along with Enkidu at the opening ceremonies as all the warriors stood before the emperor and noticed Wren. He pad particular interest in where she fought and betted on her to win each fight... all the way to the finals. The priesthood interfered before the final could begin and demanded that the "dragon gods" said she was unworthy and must fight their champions to prove herself.

Gilgamesh himself was the high priest of the dragon god of wind and quickly communed with her as she said that they were full of it. Wren defeated their champions one by one, becoming exhausted to the point she couldn't keep her eyes open. The lords then stepped in and demanded that since she couldn't "do her duty" that a replacement must be selected as they had a warrior tiger to do the deed. Wren just grasped a cane on her back and challenged him. As Wren slid her left foot back, she gripped the top of the cane with her left hand as the tiger struck at her and Wren quickly parried the attack and killed the tiger in one fell swoop of the blade within and quickly resheathed the blade. Also, Wren's body was lined with frost and lightning... the sign she was blessed by Glacier, the dragon god if ice and storm.

"Zatoichi.... the blade of the blind swordsman.... the blade that sharpens every last sense of the body, but any who use that blade with sight... loses it forever.... and that weasel knew it. If she couldn't keep her eyes open..."

Enkidu: Then she might use it and open her other senses.

Gil: Exactly.. damn she's frightening!

Gilgamesh shakes with anticipation as though Wren was exhausted, the emperor declared that the tournament final be held off for two weeks as he was outraged at the priest's attempt to lie as Wren proved them wrong and the fact that Wren was blessed by Glacier and the hawk tribe challenging her declared their patron god WAS Glacier... so the final should reflect an honoring of the dragon god.

The final came quickly as the town was filled to the brim of every single kind of mustelid you could imagine, excited that one smallest of their own was about to take on one of the most arrogant of their foes as they slammed the coliseum to the brim, not even leaving spaces on the perches for the hawks as they claimed them the previous night.

The fight was a fierce one as the weasel should have been outmatched by the more experienced and powerful hawk... but the clever weasel was unafraid and defeated the hawk by using his power and flight against him by using the weasel's trademark attack on the back of his neck to stop his flight and slammed him into the ground. Though the hawk was still alive, Wren only spared him as his mate stopped her and asked for her and her children to serve Wren as she was chosen by Glacier... where the hawk first disagreed but agreed. Wren let them go, only if they would serve to protect the people with the Rangers (an independent group that served only to protect the citizenry). The strongly mustelid crowd cheered as Wren was then declared the winner as cries of "Flower of Mustildae" erupted from the crowd.

At that time, Gilgamesh heard the emperor gave Wren the choice.... anything her heart desired besides the throne.... or the right to challenge a grand champion. As Wren closed her eyes, Gilgamesh quickly jumped from the stands and onto the field as Enkidu quickly facepalmed, muttering how much of an ass he's gonna feel if she challenged someone else.. or asked for something. Wren could only smirk as she barely cracked her eyes open and saw Gilgamesh standing there and knew what she was going to do. She then immediately lifted her head up and screamed out Gilgamesh's name. The biggest grin came across his face as he unsheathed a single blade instead of his usual two katanas he received as gifts from the far east. This was a more European style blade with no guard and only a bare hilt.

"Excalibur... the sword of kings," Gilgamesh's father said,"He palns on ending this quickly... his strongest blade. The sword that dominates the opponents will... "

Wren saw the blade and smirked and then lowered her own bandana to cover her own eyes. Gilgamesh couldn't grin wider if he wanted to as he saw Wren pull out the same cane from the previous year as the weasel spoke plainly,"Give me two minutes... and I'll have drawn his blood"

Gil: Two minutes? You challenge me like that... and say two? Fine... if you don't, you lose that blade of yours.

Wren: And what do I get if I even shed a single drop of your blood and you get none of mine?

Gil: Total victory, my admission of loss, and more.

Wren: *smirks* We shall see.

As the fight was declared, the arena grounds began to be overcast as rumbles from the sky began. A priest quickly got between the two, stating the dragon gods were unhappy with this fight and results of the previous match. At that moment, a bolt of lightning pierced the sky and struck the priest dead. As one of the bet takers overlooked, a quick dust devil of a wind snatched up all of his tickets and took them skyward. He could only mumble,"The gods.... they're here.... they want this fight.... they're betting on this fight's outcome... " as there was only one ticket remaining... one of Wren's name on it as he gulped as the gods to him must be favoring the prince.

The emperor stood up and declared that the Dragon Gods accepted this fight and the conditions, may they fight with bravery and sheathe their weapons in honor.

As the emperor lowered his arm, a bolt of lightning pierced the air as the two quickly attacked each other. It was a very high paced match that outdone any Chinese martial art film's wet dream. The storm picked up in pace and ferocity with each blow. What was a rain squall turned more into a winter storm that the desert dwellers have never seen. Gilgamesh loved every moment of it as anticipation of the killing blow was coming. Within seconds of the two minutes conclusion, he dodged Wren's thrust and was behind her, ready to cleave her head off as he went wide eyed as he felt a small prick and jumped back in time of seeing a blade that cut through Wren's cloak.. right at his throat!

"Shit! She planned that!" he thought as the bell gonged the conclusion of two minutes, "Strike where you know your opponent will be next, not just react.... "

Wren just quickly cut through her cloak as a priest moved to declare the match as a streak of blood went across the priest's robes.

"BLOOD!" a young tiger roared and pointed out ,"There is blood on the priest's robes! WREN DREW HIS BLOOD!" as her homecrowd of Riyadh quickly roared out in victory that shook the ground they were on. A large, older badger darts out of the stands with various others and picks up the weasel in victory as she could only meep out "Squeaky!" as she smacked the overjoyed badger's head as the rest of the crowd followed suit as the celebration took over beyond any ceremony would allow as they carried Wren out of the stadium... as the first tournament grand champion from Riyadh in over 30 years.

Gilgamesh could only stand there, dumbfounded as Enkidu put his hand on his friend's shoulder, "Losing for the first time is a shock... I too experie..."'

Enkidu stopped as he heard the otter start to laugh as his eyes were full of mirth and joy,"Enkidu... I'm not worried about the loss... it's life. Just in fights like this..... so exciting... I can read the life and hearts of who I fight..... and it was fight like this.. that I met my best friend for life... in you Enkidu.... and in this one... I have met... my bride!" as the otter turned his head to grin at Enkidu.

"I am going to marry that woman! Intelligent, witty, strong willed, brave, and takes no shit!" as the otter's tail sways quickly.

"Not under my watch, son." as Gilgameash's father steps down to him,"You will marry a river dog like we all have."

"No... " Gilgamesh looked at his father and put his hand on his father's shoulder,"It is said that weasels are like us... but come from a thousand male and female dogs that were never born.. hance their size and intelligence... but Wren is different... you'll see... She'll make you a wonderful daughter... and queen and wife for me.... let alone mother."

His father knew better than to challenge his son like this... as he stood up to his own father and married a common otter against his own father's wishes.

Name: Gilgamesh Artshbod
Title: Prince (in where we would call Persia in our world)
Profession: Warrior/Battle Master
Weapons: Preferred Double Wield/Great Sword
Likes: Shrimp, leafy plants, pranks, games, equality and balance
Dislikes: Cruelty, sticky foods, laziness, useless traditions