After the prompt appeared, I surrendered to the invetability of the change. This time, I wasn't tired. I didn't run or panic or resist. I just... let it happen. I knew it was coming - I just knelt down to accept my curse. By doing so, it actually sucked considerably less! Don't get me wrong - it hurt a lot even so, like a cramp in an injured limb, but all over. But... less than it had hurt last night. As the change wracked through my body, I found my mind wandering away from my body a little - and I didn't fight that either. I remembered... the streets of Milwaukee after the united states collapsed. I was... how old had I been? I'd just turned sixteen and I was sitting in my living room, watching a transmission on the TV as Washington DC got hit by a nuclear strike. At the time there had been delegates visiting or something, I couldn't remember, but the president... according to the report, was dead and the attourney general was named president - which of course meant that... most of the uppermost echelon of the US's leadership had been killed. I remembered being more shocked than anything else! My mom was in tears... and I-
A sharp, stabbing pain roused me from my reverie. I was in the inn, and my body was still wracked with agony, but something... something was sticking out of my chest! I lurched to get a look and found a feather! No... an arrow! There was an arrow... or maybe a bolt? lodged in my body! I was now changing... around that, and the agony was almost too much! It was deep too - as I moved, I could feel it in my body, a solid object holding in place, piercing the skin on the other side of my neck, having missed my back by inches! I couldn't... I couldn't breathe! I gagged and lurched, pawing at my throat desperately and saw a figure - a man! There was somebody standing in the doorway! Tears welled in my eyes, it hurt so bad, but my anger... my anger was more substantial than the pain I felt as I gave a reflexive action, a twist of my neck and a GULP, and the wooden shaft snapped inside me. My vision was going dark, but I grasped the arrow and PULLED, yanking half of it out of my body as the figure feverishly tried to crank back his crossbow! I felt something drop off down my back as I rippled and groaned internally, continuing my shift as red pounded in my vision.
> [Health: 64/140]
> [Stamina: 110/160]
> [Mana: 60/110]
Almost as soon as the bolt was out of my neck, I drew in a gasp and loosed a half-transformed squeal of fear and indignation! It was anything but intimidating, just... horrible, and wet sounding.
The prompt was ignored as I staggered desperately to my feet, and the man's eyes flew wide! I poured mana into my body, to heal the hurts he'd inflicted on me, and my furious, ripping snarl became something more visceral, blood pouring from my lips as my breath poured out of my body!
> [Health: 84/140]
> [Stamina: 110/160]
> [Mana: 40/110]
I lurched towards him, and in a panic, he took another shot at me, and hit me in the shoulder, spinning me like an action movie extra and knocking me right to the ground as all feeling vanished in that entire arm and my legs went loose like jelly.
> [Health: 8/140]
> [Stamina: 110/160]
> [Mana: 40/110]
Panting desperately, he was cranking on his windlass, his eyes huge like saucers, when suddenly I heard a beautiful sound!
"GUARDS! STOP THAT MAN!" and the skeleton brigade surged into the kitchen. He looked up just in time to half-step away from the Skeletal Guard Captain's swing of the halberd! It had been a case of 'let the crossbow take the hit' or 'get cut open like a coinpurse' and the THUNK of metal meeting wood sounded out, making the cord SNAP around the lucky strike with the rusty weapon. I just tried to not die - I felt... awful, in a way I couldn't fully process, my vision narrowed almost completely in agony as I continued to transform, despite my injuries. Even so, that bolt in my shoulder snapped too, and there was a metal sound as the head hit the stone beneath me. Feeling resumed in my arm, and I checked my status again, oblivious to the fight as more skeletal guards poured into the room to take battle.
> [Health: 28/140]
> [Stamina: 110/160]
> [Mana: 41/110]
I was... I was healing very quickly, but not quickly enough. The man had drawn a long blade and was holding his own against the entire guard squad, while the captain and his men valiantly held their ground. Shrouded in spectral flesh, I saw the brave defenders of Lambstock going blade to blade with this man, and it was NOT going well. He moved like liquid mercury - it was almost too much, seeing how easily he avoided their polearms and parried each blow. Coughing up some blood that had caught in my lungs, I was still locked in my transformation - paralyzed by pain made all the more intense by the injuries the man had done to me as I watched the fight unfolding to its inevitable conclusion.
> [Health: 48/140]
> [Stamina: 110/160]
> [Mana: 42/110]
My attacker stepped into the guard of one of the captain's men, and removed his head with a flicker of steel, cutting easily through spectral flesh and bound bone with ease, turning the warrior to motes of dust. then lodged the blade with the same momentum deep into the chest of another skeletal guard. Her halberd dropped from her hands, her expression one of shock, and then she too dusted away. The captain grit his teeth and grimaced, fending off a blow aimed for his head, but only just!
> [Health: 68/140]
> [Stamina: 110/160]
> [Mana: 43/110]
Soon, the Guard Captain had his back to me, and was standing alone against the adventurer. I struggled to lift my gaze to watch as my face pressed out in the throes of the change, nearing completion, to inspect the man they were fighting.
> Torch Axebright, level 7 Scout, Frightened, Defiant
It was... it was that man again. He'd come to kill me! He'd seen me... and come to kill me! Why? Was it because I was a werewolf? It was the only thing that made sense to me! Where was Gelidia? She'd clearly heard what was happening in here, she'd sent the Guard in with me after all, but why wasn't she helping?
"Tooorch! We could use a little help out here! Are you having that much trouble with the werewolf and the bone boys?!" a woman's voice, harsh, boisterous came from outside, and I felt reasonably sure... hard-pressed! Also: WE? Oh no... I had a feeling I was in real danger here. Not only was this guy five levels above me, but he was also here with friends! If they were having trouble out there, that meant Gelidia... who had... inspected as level ??, that meant she was strong, right? I could feel myself coming back together, I could feel my body starting to calm! I was finishing my change!
> [Health: 88/140]
> [Stamina: 110/160]
> [Mana: 44/110]
I poured my mana into my body, and clenched my body, willing the transformation to complete, feeling and seeing as my stature grew... and grew. I felt a wave of dizziness as I used almost all the last of my mana up to heal myself, but as I loomed, I was whole. And boy, I was pissed.
"Shhhhiiiit! Shit Shit Shit! She's up! She's up!" Torch screamed, jerking back as the Guard captain feinted at his face with the halberd, guard up and fighting defensively, making full and experienced use of his halberd's superior reach. I could smell the fear on the man, and my wolf longed to tear him to pieces. I was right there with her - he'd tried to KILL me! He hadn't even fought fair - he'd tried to end me when I'd started changing, the little weasel! If Gelidia and the guards hadn't helped, I would be dead! I was alive, I was furious, and I expressed my fury in sonic form!
> A cursed cry pierces the night! Death is on the prowl! Your enemies are shaken!
> [Health: 128/140]
> [Stamina: 110/160]
> [Mana: 4/110]
His knees buckled, and a startled pair of cries came from outside as his little friends apparently felt a wave of terror wash over them! I was on him in an instant, swatting aside his sword as it came up to guard. It cost me a couple hit points and some blood for my trouble, but it was well worth it as the blade rang from the blow and went flying, lodging itself in the doorway. Faster than I thought possible, my instincts bid me simply rush him and swat him bodily with an open paw, raking through his armor like it was made of tissue paper and sending him soaring backward through the doorway with a ripping snarl from me and a startled yelp of pain from him! How any human being could survive that was completely beyond me, but he landed on his back in a kind of curl, bounced up, and rolled to a stop on three of his limbs, visibly bleeding. In a blind fury, I wrenched his sword from the doorway and gripped it in both hands. It bent, and snapped like a particularly tough twig! I hurled the hilt at his head as hard as I could, and somehow, he blurred as he dipped out of the way of it, and made for the door out of the inn towards the street where there were lights.
I made to charge after him, but I was brought up short as the Guard Captain raised his halberd to bar my way. I paused, and looked at the spectral man. He was injured, clearly, but the steely look in his face stopped me in my tracks.
"No, you are safe now. Remain for the moment." he said in a voice I could just make out. "By my Lady's will, I shall protect you with my last breath" he said, seemingly ignorant of the fact he'd already spent it. I figured... ghosts and undead had trouble getting a handle on that - made mistakes, spoke as if they were still alive. I would! It made sense!
I hesitated. He was right. It wouldn't be wise to charge out there after a guy so much higher level than me.
"Leave this place! Leave with your lives while you still have them!" Gelidia's clear, cold voice rang out, and I could hear a sound like... distant thunder. I could see light flashing outside, white and piercing as rain droplets came down into the hole in the tavern's roof. I could feel... something in the air. A tingle, a smell of ozone pervaded everything, and an idea occurred to me.
Had... Gelidia... called a thunderstorm somehow? Her voice rose in a stentorian bellow that was much louder than it even possibly should have been, making my ears slick back and eyes go wide.
"LEAVE." she commanded, and a peal of thunder sounded on cue.
"Uhhh... Inspection?" the harsh woman's voice said
"Gelidia Windbinder, I... I can't see her level, Roxala! She's a Wind Sage" a third voice, masculine, called.
The woman, Roxala I guessed, Cursed sulfurously "Shit that means she's at least in her second tier. Torch! You good?"
A vicious grin of satisfaction spread over the Guard Captain's face. "My lady" he began "is a powerful Wind Sage. The whole family has that talent."
Stolen story; please report.
The man who had attacked me, Torch apparently, coughed several times. It sounded wet, rasping. I'd gotten him good. Real good. How was he still alive? Heck, how was I? He'd shot me in the throat, and nearly took my arm off with that crossbow!
"Are you well?" the Captain asked, face still hard. I nodded, fury still burning in my guts like molten iron, but it was tempered in his resolve. He returned my nod and said
"Stand with us then. Your might may yet be needed this night." we walked towards the door out towards the street. As we passed the hole in the center of the inn, I calmly selected a sizable log, and lifted it to my shoulder on the basis that no stick could be big enough to chase off assholes like these, and we stepped out into the rain. The Captain stepped almost daintily through, halberd at the ready, but I had to dip my shoulders to even fit, dragging out the log with me and easily lifting it to my shoulder. We moved to stand with Gelidia. I stood at her left side while the Captain stood at her right.
I could see the three we were facing in the flickers of their lanterns and the flashes of white light from the furious sky above as thunder muttered in the sky and driving rain plastered my fur to my steaming, aching, raw body.
The biggest was someone I immediately pegged as an orc or something. Her skin was a dark, dark green, nearly black, and she had tusks of white that protruded from above her bottom lip. She was wearing a kind of heavy armor made of bone and fur with a skull for a pauldron, and held a pair of honest-to-goodness round doors instead of something like a sword or shield. Doors? They were iron-shod and tough looking, but they even had knockers and hinges - and she was using them as shields. She had long ruddy brown hair bound in a complex pony tail, and a gash on her head that bled into her eyes around a kind of tiara.
> Roxala Burnbright, Level 8 Armiger, Concerned, injured
The next had 'mage' written over every inch of his body. Compared to the orc woman, he was much more slightly built. Not willowy, not by human standards, but certainly someone who lifted his curly, crooking staff rather than anything like a sword or shield. His staff seemed to shimmer and waiver in a way that put me in mind of a pool of water. His skin was pale-ish, and he wore a wide brimmed hat with a point on it, seemingly built into his blue robe's hood. Both were as travel-stained as he looked, and his eyes shimmered as he said
"Skeletal Guard Captain of Lambstock, level 4, resolved... and... Goldtail Twice-Cursed, level 2, uninjured, angry, uh... confused? - she cons with a red Skull, that's a boss monster!" he said, voice cracking in the last statement. He was the one who had spoken up about Gelidia earlier, I was certain.
Goldtail Twice-Cursed? What? I inspected the man, confused.
> Felorikaan, level 7 Water Sage, Frightened, Exhausted
And what kind of a name was Felorikaan? Was that a wizard we were facing?! Cool! Bad, but... COOL!
"I believe that!" wheezed the last member. Torch, the man who had attacked me. He had mousy brown hair cropped short, and he was human probably, like the wizard probably was. They shared a build, but it was clear at a glance that this fellow was more athletic. A scout, I supposed, had to be more flexible, more agile than an Armiger, whatever that was. He was handsome in his way - less so, as he chugged what had to be a healing potion. It was red and his wounds visibly closed as he stood beside Roxala.
"How dare you attack my city, strike down my guards, attack my friend? Just who do you think you are?" Gelidia hissed, winds whipping around her. Roxala looked more baffled than anything else.
"Excuse-the-fuck-outta-me?" she said, blinking, and shifted her stance a little. "Friend? Your town?"
Quite out of my control, I found my tail wagging a little. A Wizard! Adventurers! They had cool names, too! And... and Gelidia called me her friend! My wolf was baffled at me, but she understood something from this too.
PACK. PACK TOGETHER. HUNT TOGETHER STRONG. FIGHT! FUN! I rumbled in agreement and shifted a little, letting knuckles on one great big paw touch the ground so I could more comfortably shoulder the log I was holding ready.
This was clearly not going to some kind of script. "Uhhhh... Roxala," Felorikaan said timorously, taking a step back "The werewolf is excited now?"
"... Right. We're leaving. Waggy tail werewolves, wind sage ghosts, hell with this. Don't turn your back, don't run. Just... back up to the gate. We're not winning this. We withdraw." Roxala commanded.
"They're... letting us go?" the wizard breathed, clearly confused at this.
"Shut UP, Fel, just keep moving." Roxala growled, letting the wizard past her shield wall and then closing it. The doors actually clicked shut and interlinked with two metal bands for the purpose, I could clearly see, and it looked like the round inn doors were walking away. I could hear 'Fel' protesting, something on the theme of "But Roxala, you don't understand! They have monster cores - creatures with monster cores are mindless killing machines!" before again she shooshed him. Then, they vanished into the night and into the rain.
"Captain, please close the gates." Gelidia said stiffly, and the Captain sprang to obey with a soft 'Yes Ma'am'. He marched to the gate, guard still up, and 'shouted' - his spectral voice was still soft, but his skeletal voice came out as "KREEAAAH" and a skeleton in the gate house formed up into shape. Spectral flesh formed around her, and she nodded. The gate was long ago destroyed, but that didn't seem to stop the Skeletal Guards of Lambstock from shutting it - phantasmal bars slammed down, and created a shimmering zone of air.
> Lambstock locks its gates. Entry no longer permitted for the night. The way is shut.
The window had art, like so many others I'd seen - this one looked like a wall with a portcullis in the center, a skeleton guard on top shaking a fist! Cuute!
I could see holes in the walls - those too shimmered with spectral green light, and from the center of town, green light shot into the sky, piercing the clouds high above in a display of phantasmal power. Gelidia's eyes lit up, and she grinned in my vision.
"Oh! That still works! Excellent." and she turned to me, explaining "I am the scion of the noble family who started this town - I have the authority to do certain things here, such as... close the town off." She looked at the town in its terrible state and seemed to take it in with a sigh. "Not much good against an army of monsters led by a greater demon, but... it should keep out wayward bloody adventurers for the night." and she moved closer to me, eyes full of concern. She cupped my face and I actually felt her ruffle my fuzzy cheeks. I let her, my tail blurring behind me I was wagging it so hard!
"Are you alright?" I nodded, and she embraced my whole head against her chest. "World, thank you... I thought for sure he was going to kill you!" she said, and I could feel her phantasmal form shaking! I gently put a paw behind her back, and pat the shade of the noblewoman. She felt cool, but real enough to my perceptions, and she'd certainly been seen by the adventurers. I had no idea what that meant, but, I didn't care in that moment. That's when the system notifications hit!
> Good Girl! You routed a group of rowdy roughnecks from Rucksberg!
> You defeated Torch Axebright, level 7 scout, in personal combat.
> You defeated Roxala Burnbright, Level 8 Armiger, participating in the battle.
> You defeated Felorikaan, level 7 Water Sage, participating in the battle.
> Bonus XP is gained for fighting multiple opponents above your level!
> Bonus XP is gained for sparing their lives!
> Due to fighting as a group, XP is reduced.
> Due to not being the primary combatant, XP is reduced.
Oh! An XP bonus for sparing them? That was cool! Pacifism bonus!
> Ding Ding Ding! Your Lycanthrope class has reached level 3!
> +1 Lycanthrope skill point
> You have gained 1 lycanthrope skill slot.
> Health +10, Stamina +10, Mana +5
So my Lycanthrope class got mana each level, but my Peasant class did not? I suppose I used a fair bit of mana healing myself and transforming, so that made sense. I wasn't a caster, so I didn't get much but it was *something*. And I gained a skill slot! Sweet!
> Ding Ding Ding! Your Lycanthrope class has reached level 4!
> +1 lycanthrope skill point
> Health +10, Stamina +10, Mana +5
Two for one! Holy cow! The rush of elation that flooded me surged from my chest and flooded every inch of my body! And it was intense - more intense than level-ups had been before! I'd gotten two levels at once, after all so that made sense! Hooooly cow! I scooped Gelidia up and spun her around as she laughed! The Guard Captain looked on, grinning himself as he glanced at us, but was clearly looking at something himself.
"Huh. I leveled." he said, and sounded... much more vibrant, his spectral flesh forming around him more tightly, making him look... more real as magic flodded him from head to toe. He wasn't the only one. The gate guard looked a bit more vibrant too, and had a grin plastered on her spectral face.
> Your Bestial Vigor skill has improved and is eligible for rank up!
> Rank B costs 2 class skill points!
2 skill points? Dang. That was... sort of expensive! But I'd gained two and had one waiting besides, so I decided... it had saved my life. Literally. I'd have died in that second crossbow hit if I hadn't healed with the skill.
> [MONSTER, COMBAT] Bestial Vigor, Rank B: 0%, Your cursed body teems with life force! You resist harm, recover supernaturally quickly from injury, and hunt the night tirelessly! You can heal yourself at an improved rate with Mana, and can infuse your body with Stamina to shrug off harm more readily at an improved rate.
Oops. I'd forgotten I could harden myself with Stamina!
> Your Bestial Might skill has improved and is eligible for rank up!
> Rank D is a free rank!
An easy, easy choice! Rank D was where I started to really notice a difference. I didn't get anything cool at rank D, but the skill upgrade was super welcome.
> [MONSTER, COMBAT] Bestial Might, Rank D: 0%, Your cursed body surges with monstrous strength! Jump higher, run faster, hit harder, in any shape.
No change to the description really, but.. that was alright. It was useful!
> Your Lycanthropic Transformation skill has improved and is eligible for rank up!
> Rank E is a free rank.
Awesome! Yet another easy choice!
> [MONSTER] Lycanthropic Transformation, Rank E: 0% At night your cursed body transforms into a powerful monster.
No change in the description, but it would be easier next time, I felt certain. I'd change back in the morning and find out! This skill was slower than the other two I had from Lycanthrope, but that made sense - I was growing very quickly in the others!
"You leveled up, girl?" Gelidia said, and I nodded against her, setting her down and releasing her. She dug her spectral hand into my ruff behind the ear, and scritched at me. It felt - oooooh. I found myself leaning into the touch with a shudder and a huffing, chuffing sound as she did so! She hesitated for a moment, then seemed to chuckle, resuming and bringing her other hand to bear on my ear, giving me even more scritches! Ooooh man alive, scritches were the best! I must have looked goofy because she laughed! Her forehead pressed to mine again, and she, still chuckling, said
"You were very brave. Good girl." and my Wolf aligned with me in that moment the most intensely she had yet.
"My Lady, and miss Goldtail" the Captain said, at last stepping up to us. I inspected him.
> Captain Wardsmouth, skeletal Guard of Lambstock, level 5, Resolute
"The guard of Lambstock stands ready, my lady. What are your instructions?" and as he spoke, the phantasmal forms of the guards who had fallen in the inn defending me staggered out, their bones taking shape inside them once again as they rose from their graves once more. They were undead - death was temporary for them, I figured. More formed up from the gate house and town proper, marching to stand around us. There were... a lot. Not all of them were guards either - skeletons of people clutching loved ones formed spectral flesh and huddled together or stood resolute, holding hatchets and picks, shields and spears, and stood ready at attention. Gelidia released my head, and I stood up straighter, looking out over the assembled townspeople, undead to the man, woman and... my heart sank. Child. There were... children, too.
"I..." she hesitated only a moment, then firmed up her resolve. "We have repelled invaders this night. The town is ours - it's high time we started acting like it, don't you think?" she asked, and lifted her chin. "We are dead, but that is obviously no excuse - each and every one of you defended your home to the death. For your loyalty, and your service, I, Gelidia Windbinder, thank you. Now, we will continue to do so. Lambstock is ours to defend, and we will hold it against all comers!" she said, and my tail wagged! This was just about as cool as it got! Sure I was standing with an undead army, but it was still officially the coolest thing I'd ever done!
"This is Goldtail Twice-Cursed - Emily Smith. I name her a friend of this town, and her people. She is not to be attacked - she is one of ours. She stands in courage with you and is welcome here." she said, reaching to lay a hand on my snout. I didn't protest, but my tail certainly waggled a bit more behind me!
> Gelidia Windbinder has awarded you a title: Hound of Lambstock
> You no longer draw aggro from Lambstock's guardians or residents.
> Gelidia Windbinder has offered you citizenship: Town of Lambstock.
> Yes / No
I accepted. What else could I do? It wasn't like I couldn't leave later... if I wanted to. But... they'd saved my life, Gelidia, Captain Wardsmouth, and his men.
Right then, I was feeling pretty freakin' loyal.