A Werewolf In Under-Town

“So that’s an every time sort of thing?” Professor asked as Shaggy struggled into a shirt.

Shaggy finished putting on his shirt and lifted his bags of newly purchased clothes. He followed his new friend’s out of the small store they had found. He was surprised how quickly he found a clothing store. For a town full of unforgiving, evil, and altogether irascible villains, they had a pretty decent selection of clothes. Of course, he had to shift in the street. So he had to run into the store stark naked.

But with a small loan from the Professor, the cowboy, Two Gun, and the mage Jar-lock, he put together a decent outfit. As well as purchased a few more clothes for later. Now he had to make it home without getting mugged. But with the group he was traveling with, he was pretty sure he was going to be fine. Abby, the hoodie wearer and the Claire the green giantess were waiting outside along with the four NPCs Obadiah, Roy, Terrance, and Marie.

After some awkward eye contact and mutterings, their group eventually got underway. They headed north, toward the Brute Clan mansion. On the way, several groups stopped to stare at their odd party, but they went unaccosted for the remainder of their journey. Which slightly worried Shaggy. He was absolutely sure that Tillani and the Rakgu crime family were not going to have their slight go unanswered. He was just hoping that the idiot NPC would attack them when they were all in a group.

Shaggy was making plans to discuss what happened with his own group when the old cowboy, Two Gun, spoke up worriedly.

“Uhhh, Professor. Does that look right to you?”

Ahead on the dirt road was the mansion’s main wrought-iron gate. But standing in front of it, weapons at the ready, were six of the biggest members of the Brute Clan Shaggy had ever seen. They did not look friendly, and they were staring right at their group. The Professor gave an audible sigh as he stepped forward, arms raised.

“My name is Professor Pack Rat. I am a friend of Wulkun and Aqwen. As well as a friend of the Brute Clan. I mean no harm and come to trade. Please go ask someone from the original Brute Clan down here and we can avoid a fight.”

None of the lizards moved, however. All throwing death glares at the Professor. Shaggy felt the others tense up beside him and he was more than sure there was about to be a fight when the thudding of footsteps resounded from the mansion-side of the gate. Soon, Aqwen came barreling toward the gate, followed closely by Vlad’s shadowy movement form. But while Aqwen got to the gate and slid to a stop, Vlad’s shadow-self flitted down toward Shaggy and stopped before it reformed into the pale vampire player.

He gave Shaggy a once over taking in his new clothes and bags. “Seriously? You’ve been gone for like three hours. How have you gone through so many clothes already? You’re not even wearing what you left here in.”

Shaggy shrugged. “What are you? My mom? You try to fight with claws without getting blood everywhere.”

Vlad simply raised an eyebrow as Aqwen’s raised voice sounded from the gate. She was in a heated argument with the six Brute Clan gate guards. Shaggy was willing to guess which clan the group came from, by the way they were shooting death glares at the Professor. Their small group of players stood idly by and watched as Aqwen gave the guards a severe dressing down.

Soon the shouting grew quiet and Aqwen waved them over as the guards slowly opened the gate. Shaggy winced as the left-side gate he had collided with drug slightly through the dirt. He tried not to look at Aqwen as they approached. Luckily, the Professor was happy to take up the conversation.

“Hello, Aqwen. I see you have new recruits.”

Aqwen gave a quick bow. “Greetings, Professor. Yes, the Brute Clan is doing very well for itself. Something you would know if you were down here more often.”

The Professor sighed heavily as they moved as a group through the open gate. “I have obligations topside. You know that. Also, if what just happened was any sign, I don’t think my presence down here would be very welcome.”

“Bah! That only happened cause the new group of clan members don’t know you. Something that could be remedied by you being down here and taking care of clan business.”

“Man, you really want me to visit more. You must have really missed me.” The Professor teased.

Aqwen stopped and spun angrily toward the Professor raising a scaly finger. “Damn it, you are supposed to be down here helping Wulkun as his aide-de-camp! But instead, I have to follow the old lizard around and attend meetings, take notes, remind him of people’s names. Not to mention handle the mansion’s security! I was raised to be a warrior, not an old lizard’s secretary!”

Shaggy snorted. “You were all raised to be warriors, apparently.”

Aqwen shot him a withering look, but remained quiet. The Professor glanced between the two before he put his arms up in a placating gesture. Shaggy noticed that the Professor’s robotic left arm, slightly hidden by his lab coat, seemed different from when he last saw it. The Professor waved his hands toward the mansion as he said.

“That’s not my job, Aqwen. You know that, and you are more than capable of finding a replacement. You just don’t want to leave Wulkun’s security to anyone else. Now can we walk and talk about this at the same time. I have gifts to distribute.”

Aqwen glanced at all of them before her eyes fell on the big crates the NPCs were carrying. She gave a wordless nod, and they all continued walking. She glanced over at the Professor before she started the conversation again.

“Last time I wasn’t with him, he got abducted.”

The Professor scoffed. “He went willingly. Also, if any force comes to your gates now, I think the greeting they would get would be entirely different.”

“Yes, it would.” Aqwen said simply, but with a cold finality.

Shaggy glanced over at Vlad as they walked and tried to ask a question, but he was interrupted by a joyful greeting from Wulkun.

“Professor! So good to see you down here so soon. I hope our security wasn’t too overzealous in their job.”

Apparently, the whole elder council had come out of the mansion to greet them. Shaggy wondered if they were tired of going in and out all the time. Then again, he wasn’t sure if they were still in a meeting or not. He shot a look at Vlad, who seemed to catch his meaning, and simply nodded. Shaggy grimaced at the thought of a two-hour long meeting as the Professor was introduced to the various council members. Next he introduced his own party, showed off the two crates of goods.

“Sorry to say, but I can only make so much. Also, the other crate will go to our mutual friends here for services rendered. They helped collect the metal that went into the weapons.”

Gor’kinak got an ugly look on his face, but Shaggy was happy to see that V’alla and Jerald looked content to take what they could get. Shaggy was surprised they warranted a whole crate, but he wasn’t about to say anything against it. Vlad, however, didn’t have the same idea.

“We will be more than happy to just take what we need and give the rest to our new allies. We are still a small group, anyway. So we don’t need much.”

Shaggy sighed internally as Wulkun and the other elders looked delighted at the gesture. Shaggy turned a forced grin at his vampire companion. Vlad simply shrugged and moved to help open the crates. The entire group of players and NPCs moved around the two crates as Aqwen and the NPC Roy opened the first crate. Inside were a bunch of shiny metal weapons.

The Professor leaned over and plucked a slim metal pole from the crate before reaching in and grabbing a spear tip. He connected the two pieces together and then held the six foot spear out toward Wulkun, but the old lizard waved him toward the other elders.

“I am more than familiar with your work. Show the others.” Wulkun said, smiling happily.

The Professor shrugged and handed the first spear to Jerald, who took it gingerly. Meanwhile, Aqwen was taking out several other weapons while Roy was explaining what all they had made. Shaggy and Vlad moved to the side to allow them to have a quick conversation. Vlad glanced at the all metal weapons and grinned toothily.

“Our allies grow stronger and so do we.”

“So I take it negotiations went well then?”

Vlad nodded. “Oh yeah, they were a little more receptive after we helped with the Phreaks. Although Gor’kinak and V’alla wanted to make the eradication of the Phreaks our chief priority.”

“And you disagreed?! I think between our two groups, we could probably clean them out within a week.”

“No,” Vlad shook his head. “They wanted us to take the Phreaks out by ourselves as our stated objective for the alliance, basically using us as a stick to poke the Phreaks with. They would hit back at us and while we were both fighting, the Brute Clan would be safe. It was a good idea, but I would not let us be used like that. We are most definitely going to striking at the Phreaks. But on our own terms.”

Shaggy nodded as he saw Aqwen pull out a long handled metal club from the crate. She gave it a couple of test swings before she nodded happily. Shaggy glanced over at the lizard elders as they talked with the Professor.

“So, no other problems?” He asked Vlad.

“Not really. They just want a place to call home and they don’t mind protecting themselves to do it. Although you were right about their caste system. But, they have been a militaristic society since they were created… or born. I can’t get a handle on how the Brute Clan came to be. It seems that the Ruling Clan of lizards bred them as guards and menial labor. But I can’t nail down whether they are genetically modified or were straight up trained from birth.”

Shaggy shrugged, not really interested in the breeding habits of giant lizard people. “Well, either way, we are going to have to solidify our own base of operations, anyway. I had another run in with Tillani and it went as well as the first.”

“Can’t let you go anywhere by yourself.” Vlad joked, shaking his head.

“Hey, not my fault. He stepped to the Prof and his friend’s cause of what they were selling. I just got caught in the crossfire.” Shaggy explained.

Vlad looked dubious. “You did nothing to antagonize the situation?”

“Of course I did.” Shaggy snorted. “The guy is a wang-rod. So I put a little fear of the wolf into him. But he, of course, issued dire warnings about our health in Under-Town. So we are going to need to close ranks for a few days and build up resources and keep recruiting.”

“Yeah, I tried to get some lizard muscle, but they were real cagey about letting their clan members join a criminal gang. Something about it dishonoring their noble heritage.” Vlad explained.

“Gee, I wonder who said that?” Shaggy said, glaring at Gor’kinak as the big lizard practiced with a metal spear.

The large lizard looked fairly impressed with the weapon and was discussing it with the NPC, Marie. As Shaggy watched, he felt someone behind them and quickly turned to find the old man, Obadiah, standing behind them. Shaggy noticed that Vlad looked startled as well, which put him slightly on edge. Anyone who could sneak up on both of them with their combined senses was not to be trifled with. Even more surprising was that the old man didn’t have a scent trail.

The NPC nodded at the Professor before saying. “Our mutual friend over there thinks you and your friends can help me.”

Shaggy and Vlad shared a look. “Maybe. Depends on what you need doing.”

“And where.” Vlad added.

Obadiah nodded his head as he lowered his voice. “I am just gauging your interest right now, but suffice it to say, I have been given some funds to do some clandestine work in and around Austin.”

“What type of work?” Shaggy asked.

“And who would we be working for?” Vlad asked at the same time.

Obadiah glanced at them before he nodded, coming to a decision. “For now, let’s say you will be working for me and the jobs will vary from some light B&E, kidnapping some troublesome individuals, and maybe, just maybe, some wet work.”

Shaggy raised an eyebrow and glanced over at his friend, The Professor. The tall lizard player was showing off a small shield he had on his arm. Meanwhile, Vlad next to him had a contemplative look on his face. They shared a look before Shaggy thought of a problem.

“I would have no problem helping. But as you saw, that gangster Tillani is going to make life down here a little difficult for us in the near future. Anything you can do about that?”

“Me personally?” Obadiah asked, shaking his head. “I can’t be seen making moves in Austin, even in an underground town like this. But what I can say is that nature abhors a vacuum. Just like our lizard friends down here found out.”

Shaggy got a confused look on his face as he tried to work out what the old man was saying. But Vlad seemed to pick up on his meaning quicker.

“Maybe, but our friend the lizard got lucky. Not only did he run into two major players down here, but he killed them both. We probably won’t be that lucky.”

Obadiah grinned. “Real operators make their own luck.”

Shaggy snorted as the old man grinned at them and walked back to his group. “Think about what I said. If you and yours need some work, I’ll be staying in Under-Town for a few days. I hope you’ll have your problems sorted out by then.”

Shaggy and Vlad put their heads together as the old NPCs wandered back to the Professor’s group and put a hand on Roy’s shoulder. Vlad raised an eyebrow at Shaggy. Shaggy shrugged in response.

“That guy doesn’t smell right.”

“I don’t know. He seemed okay to me. If not a little too cloak and dagger.”

Shaggy shook his head. “No, I mean literally. Something about him smells off. He smells like metal and plastic. Along with something else I can’t identify.”

“Wow. Look at you going full dog all of a sudden.” Vlad joked, patting Shaggy on the back.

“You have no idea. But if we are done here, we need to get back to our own territory and see if there have been any reprisals from the Raks.”

Vlad nodded. “Our negotiations were pretty much done, anyway. Let’s get our crate and skedaddle. We have some planning to do.”

Shaggy raised an eyebrow. “You understood all that nonsense about nature abhorring a vacuum? What was he even talking about?”

He and Vlad walked back toward the group of players and NPCs as Vlad explained. “If I understood him properly, we are going to have our work cut out for us. But if we can pull it off, it will be epic.”

“What the hell do we have to do already?”

“It’ll take some information gathering. But we are going to kill as much of the Rakgu leadership as we can.” Vlad said with a fang-filled smile.