Chapter 15: Wolf in the City

The pain that wracked Ricky’s body now was ten times worse than the stabbing stomach pains he had been experiencing before. Every fiber and sinew felt like it was being electrocuted, his bones were on fire, while his skin had a feeling like a thousand pins being pressed into it at once.

And then he saw himself begin to change. His arms were turning into furry grey and dog-like limbs, his hands into paws with long black claws.

*Achievement: Something different! You have altered your physical form. +10XP

*World event: You have transformed into the form of a timber wolf.

So. He was a wolf.

But what was this? Rather than slipping easily out of the manacles, he now found himself painfully stuck, his right paw trapped.

He scrabbled with his hind legs, biting at the manacles, trying desperately to get free.

The city guards had moved closer again, but both had stopped a few paces away, eyeing him with horrified expressions. Ricky felt amused despite his predicament. It must seem like the most evil of magic to them; he assumed that lycanthropy was not a widely used trait among citizens of Imperialis – though perhaps he should have actually asked Xarok about this.

Pushing hard on his rear paws, Ricky finally managed to free himself, and within moments he was bounding forward, darting directly in between the two city guards before dashing off across the marketplace.

*Achievement: Slippery customer! You have freed yourself when tied up. +20XP

*Damage report: You have lost 1 hit point (63 remain).

*Quest 022 complete: Escape from the Imperialis guards. +20XP

“Damn, what the heck is that?” he heard someone cry out. Some locals were pointing, a few ran screaming, but most just observed

“Just a big dog,” he heard someone say.

He was a big dog in the big city, then. That was a better image – he really didn’t want to attract too much attention.

Accordingly, Ricky slowed his pace and kept close to the walls. However, this resulted in several children and an elderly drunk failing to notice him until he was really close, and then screaming. Things had been quieter when he had run right past them.

Ricky paused and looked around. The market was quite close to the city gates.

He also knew that it was roughly circular.

But which of the many side streets and alleys led the way he wanted to go?

Map please.

“I am sorry, Ricky. You can’t access the map while in wolf form,” said the guide.

Ricky growled.

He scurried on to the nearest large-looking side street, and then hurried down it. It did not look familiar; again a group of children were playing here, and again several ran from him screaming, while others flattened themselves against the side walls, wide eyed.

If he could have, he would have chuckled.

More concerning were the deep, consuming hunger pangs he felt when he looked at those children. The hunger was a genuine pain in his stomach.

A hole. A loss.

The blood from the slain half-dragon had been a tasty snack, but he knew on some level that this hunger could only be filled by some juicy hot steak.

Flesh – human or otherwise. Thick, raw and bloody for preference.

Trying his best to focus, he ran on.

*Achievement: Mental fortitude! You have exerted willpower for the greater good. +10XP

There was an alleyway to one side, and this he darted down, hoping to find somewhere quiet or preferably deserted – apparently an all too rare occurrence in this buzzing hive of a city.

Sure enough, this place, too, was busy with people, with both human and elvish smells.

It was a cobbled square, only around five yard across, and the people were for the most part engaged with hanging white squares on a rope.

Five in all.

Four of them backed away, and quickly disappeared into nearby doorways. The fifth, a stocky old woman with long grey hair, pulled a knife out of her cardigan pocket, and levelled it at Ricky.

Ricky snarled.

The woman dropped the knife, then turned and fled.

*Achievement: Monster style! You have intimidated a foe into submission. +10XP

*Combat event: All foes in the vicinity have now left your immediate surroundings.

He was fairly sure he was still being watched, but what the hell – he had to change somewhere.

Guide – transform me back to a human.

“Ricky, the minimum time that you can retain wolf form is twenty minutes.”

What? Well, how long has it been?

“Seventeen minutes.”

If he could have sighed, he would have.

Fine then. I’ll wait.

Still in wolf form, Ricky stalked around the square. The locals had not returned to their chores, and he took a moment to sniff at a wicker basket of laundry, and then at a pile of something unpleasant-smelling in one corner of the area.

He also peered at the knife that the old woman had dropped. It was a very fine-looking an old blade, shaped like a hawksbill, with a gold inlay along the blade, runes on the ivory handle, and an emerald-jeweled pommel.

He really wanted it.

I should really grab that on my way out, he mused.

*Quest 023 (Level 1): Steal the jeweled knife.

Then the hunger returned with a vengeance. Ricky-as-wolf settled down into one corner of the area, as far as he could from the entrance way, and focused hard on not thinking about eating people.

Please, he thought, please don’t let any children come into the square.

“I’m afraid I can’t do anything about that, Ricky,” said the guide.

He growled again. I wasn’t even talking to you that time. Look, Guide, just transform me back the instant that you can, okay?

“Very well, Ricky.”

He stared at the cobbled ground for a moment, and then closed his eyes. Come on, he thought, come on – please, just let another minute pass, without...

Just then, two small children walked into the square. With the senses of a wolf, there was no way he was going to miss them.

They looked so delicious....

*World event: You have transformed into the form of a human.

“Oh my... oh, thank goodness,” muttered Ricky, stumbling forward has he transformed mid-way through a dash across the square towards his prey. Skidding to a halt, he apologized to the terrified-looking children, and then hurtled past them and back into the alley. He knew all too well how close he had come to sinking his teeth into those innocents.

*Quest 023 update: Steal the jeweled knife (quest failed).

Soon, he found himself back in the market again. And with the height and perspective of a human, it wasn’t hard to see which way the empty wagons and carts were moving as traders and merchants began to make their way back out towards the gates of Imperialis.

An hour later, Ricky was back on the well-paved road which he had followed on his way to Imperialis. This time, however, rather than heading back north past the fringes of the forest he was going south. He remembered the map well enough, and the signpost had been clear, too: Doomstar – 15 miles.

*Quest 024 (Level 3): Travel to Doomstar.

None of his possessions appeared to have been affected in any way by his sojourn in wolf form. He was pretty sure that he hadn't been wearing or carrying anything during that time, but on reverting, it was all still there – his armor, pack, and weapons. Somehow even his leather armor had vanished and then returned.

It was a pity he hadn't managed to grab that valuable-looking knife. But perhaps theft was something he should try to steer clear of, even in the simulation. During his months on the road in the real world, leaving the shattered remnants of Europe, Ricky had been scrupulously particular about this – you don’t steal, even if you are hungry, even if you are in need. Barter had been the way to get things. That or stopping to do some laboring for local people.

Not that there had ever been much in the way of food or equipment available on the road.

The guards at the gates of Imperialis had been considerably less interested in questioning him on his way out than they had been on the way in. That made sense, he supposed. Their job was to keep undesirables out, but if folks wanted to leave? Well, unlike the New Baravian marshes, this wasn't a prison camp.

The stretch of road leading south was constructed in a similar way to its counterpart to the north, but there were some notable differences, too. There was no forest in sight now, for one thing. After he had passed the last of the farms that ringed the city, he could see the ocean off to the left; Imperialis was indeed a coastal city. From the map in the guild house, he now knew that it sat on the southern coast of a vast bay.

It appeared that there had once been farms in the broad, flat strip of land between the road and the coast, too, but the further south he went, the fewer signs of habitation he saw. Instead, the area was characterized by the occasional abandoned and broken-down farm building, by fields choked up with weeds, and by sand dunes which were gradually taking over what was left of the arable area. Even the road itself, despite being just as wide and well-constructed as its northern branch, was notably dirtier and more choked up with weeds. All of which surely indicated infrequent traffic.

Ricky reflected on how very realistic every aspect of the Dark Framework seemed to be – besides the magic, goblins, and werewolves, of course. It was the little things – the small areas of damage to buildings, the pattern of light on surfaces, the rich, realistic textures – everything felt as though he was really there. There was a strong sense that many years had passed in the game world, too. While in fact he was wearing a mask inside a sleeping pod, in a camp outside New Baravia.

Yes – New Baravia. Citizenship. That was the target. It was what all this was for. A reason for coming, and for exhausting himself overnight. He had to find one of the mysterious keys to the city, and it felt like he had lucked upon some major insights: the Tooth and Claw Guild had access to a gateway that would lead to one of the keys. And while he had very rapidly been separated from his new guild, he had at least been set a mission that he could still work towards. The orbs would open the gate, and thereby lead him to the key.

Granted, Gabriella had been a little vague about what was on the other side of the gateway. It couldn’t lead into New Baravia directly, as he’d have to leave the sleeping pod to do that. And would there be more than one key on the other side, once the gate had been opened? Or one that they could share? Well. It would be disappointing if that wasn't the case, but at least he would be several steps closer to his goal. And it didn’t feel like Xarok and the others were gearing up to use him and then stab him in the back. The guild felt genuine – a brotherhood. A pack.

Now, though, with the guild house under attack, all he could do was hope that the other orbs that the guild had collected remained safe, and that Xarok was safe too. Perhaps Ricky could even speak to the man in his guard alter-ego. He would certainly have to find Gabriella in her real form, and let her know that he had left the city early.

The trouble was, he had no idea how to find her.

And anyway, hadn't he promised to work with Julie? How exactly was she connected to the Tooth and Claw Guild?

Ricky scratched his chin, once again focusing fully on the road. He could worry about all of that later, he reasoned. With luck, all of his various contacts would work together for the common good. For now, it was starting to get dark, and he could now see the towers and walls of a ruined city on the horizon.

But there were figures on the path ahead which did not look human...

Accumulated XP: 840 (unspent: 340)