Chapter 13: The Copper Edge
Morning light painted the village gold.
Rex stood at the smelter, examining the copper axe he had finished the night before. The blade was rough but solid.
[COPPER AXE (UNCOMMON)]
[DAMAGE: 12-18]
[DURABILITY: 65/65]
[BONUS: +10% WOOD GATHERING EFFICIENCY]
He handed it to Tor, whose eyes went wide.
"For me?"
"You’re my best woodcutter. This will make you faster."
Tor hefted the axe, a grin spreading across his face. "It’s lighter than stone."
"That’s the point."
Fen stepped forward, looking envious. Rex handed him a copper spearhead. "This goes on a shaft. It’ll pierce hide that stone can’t."
Fen took it carefully. "Thank you, Dragon-Bound."
"Just Rex."
[REPUTATION CHANGE: RIVER FOLK +5]
[Current reputation: 70 (Allied)]
The village was changing. The watchtower stood tall. Water flowed to the fields. Copper tools were replacing stone. But there was still work.
Rhea appeared at his side, her arm still bound but her eyes sharp. "The scouts are back. Goblins. A larger camp, maybe thirty. They’re moving closer."
Rex’s jaw tightened. Not an organised army, but enough to cause losses if they attacked. "We need to deal with them before they get bold. Any chance of diplomacy?"
Rhea raised an eyebrow. "You want to talk to goblins?"
"I want to know if they’re a threat or just scared. That carved stone was goblin-made. Maybe they know something about the ruins."
She considered it. "Nara speaks their tongue."
"Good. We’ll take her. And you."
She smiled faintly. "If I lose my other arm, you’re carrying me back."
"Deal."
They gathered a small party: Rex, Rhea, Nara, and Tor. Nara carried offerings of dried meat, a carved bone, the ancient stone symbol and with Screech on her shoulder.
"Goblins are territorial but practical," Nara said as they walked. "If we offer value, they may listen."
"What do they value?"
"Food. Shiny things. Weapons." She glanced at his copper axe. "That would buy a lot of goodwill."
"Let’s see what they say first."
The goblin camp was hidden in a rocky outcropping. From fifty meters, Rex’s dragon eyes picked out the heat of small bodies.
[DRAGON EYES LV.1: ACTIVE]
[HOSTILES DETECTED: 27]
[RANGE: 50 METERS]
"Twenty-seven," he whispered.
Nara stepped forward, hands open, and called out in a guttural tongue. A small goblin emerged, carrying a bone spear. They spoke back and forth. Finally, Nara turned.
"Their chieftain wants to meet you. Alone."
Rhea’s hand went to her axe. "Absolutely not."
"If they wanted to kill us, they’d have attacked already. Curious is better than hostile."
Rex walked forward. The chieftain emerged... larger, grey-green, a crown of woven bones, yellow eyes sharp with intelligence. Her staff was topped with a glowing crystal. That’s not goblin-made, Rex thought. That’s something older.
The chieftain spoke. Nara translated.
"She asks why you carry the dragon’s scent. You smell like Valthorion."
[DRAGON AFFINITY: 27 → 28]
Rex hesitated. "I was given this power. I didn’t choose it."
Nara translated. The chieftain’s eyes narrowed. She spoke again.
"She says the dragon is her people’s enemy too. They fled its region long ago to escape its hunger. She wants to know if you plan to fight it."
Rex met her eyes. "Yes."
The chieftain stared, then nodded.
[REPUTATION CHANGE: GOBLIN SWARM +20]
[Current goblin reputation: -30 (Suspicious but intrigued)]
Nara translated: "She says the goblins will not attack your village. In return, you will not hunt them. And when the dragon falls, her people will remember your honor."
"Tell her I agree."
They shook hands. Her grip was surprisingly strong. Then she gave him a small leather pouch of copper ore.
"A gift for the Dragon-Bound," Nara said.
Rex accepted. "Thank her."
He walked back. "You just made a deal with goblins," Rhea said.
"I made peace with our neighbors. I’m calling it a win."
[DRAGON AFFINITY: 28 → 29]
They returned in good spirits. The goblin threat was neutralized. Rex had more ore. But that night, by the fire, the chieftain’s words lingered. You smell like Valthorion.
Rhea sat beside him. "I can smell it too. The dragon. On you." She leaned closer. "Like smoke and thunder. Something wild."
"Oh really, might that be what arouses you?" Rex asked with a smirk
"No way, dummy" She touched his cheek. "But the dragon in you is part of you."
Rex took her hand. "I am not sure about what I’m becoming."
"Neither am I. But I know what I see. A man who built a wall. Killed a wolf. Made peace with goblins. Whatever you become, I’ll be here."
[DRAGON AFFINITY: 29 → 30]
The system panel flickered.
