*Date: 33,480 First Quarter - Iron Confederacy*
Demir stepped into the forge for the first time in this settlement, the smells of molten metal and soot filling his nose. The hum of bellows and sparks flying against steel felt familiar, yet foreign. Here, the walls were reinforced with salvaged plates, racks of weapons lined up, and enchanted runes etched into some rare pieces. This was no dwarven village; this was human ingenuity pressed into survival.
Sin, Timmy, and Selene lingered at the doorway, watching, anxious but curious. The twins had barely slept since the mine rescue, their eyes still clouded with shock and grief. Yet now, surrounded by humans who had endured four long years, a spark of purpose ignited in them. Marco was sleeping like there was no tomorrow.
Demir picked up a roughly shaped steel ingot. He attempted something he'd never done alone: forge a weapon with a rune slot. His experience with armor taught him the basics, but weapons were a different discipline. He carved, hammered, and folded the steel into a blade, following what he remembered from games. The edges were uneven, the balance awkward. Sweat ran down his temples as he muttered, "Maybe if I try... no, wait, the rune... it should - ugh!"
The first attempt ended in frustration. The blade bent slightly, and when he tried to inscribe a rune, a small shock of magic sputtered and fizzled, burning a faint scorch into his palm. The weapon looked more like a dull practice piece than the gleaming instruments he had seen in the hands of real warriors.
"Thought you said you were a crafter," came a familiar voice.
Demir flinched and looked up to see Thalia walking into the forge, her red hair catching the torchlight. She folded her arms, her brow slightly raised.
"Armors and blades are different beasts. I learned only armor, but this... I see now. I... I thought it might be similar," Demir admitted, gripping the blade. "I just wanted to try. I need to make something... to defend my friends."
Thalia nodded slightly. "Ambition is good, but rushing without guidance can be dangerous. Let me show you something." She gestured toward a partially assembled sword on the rack. "See these rune drawings? These are left from the old days. Each one has a channel that must align with the weapon's spirit. Even when the game was working, creating overpowered stuff was a game on its own. You need lots of practice."
Thalia examined the Stone of Power in his hand. "That looks like a Stone of Power. It is not the best grade, but it's a miracle in these times. Forge something that complements that rune."
Demir exhaled and nodded. He set the blade aside. "I'll keep practicing."
"Next week another party is leaving for another loot run. You might want to attend. I am not leaving this time" Thalia said.
"I will definitely go," Demir replied.
"Come now. We will interrogate that talkative goblin."
While Demir stewed in his failures, Thalia guided him toward the council chamber. The settlement's central hall was fortified with wooden beams, watchtowers peeking through small windows, and banners marking different human clans. Five figures dominated the room:
Thalia, a skilled mage and the settlement's coordinator, moved with quiet authority, her sharp mind overseeing both defense and logistics. Roderic, clad in chainmail and weathered by countless skirmishes, exuded a blunt, strategic presence that demanded attention - a true leader. Elandra, a bow-woman with eyes as keen as a hawk's, scanned the room constantly, her mind always calculating angles and threats. Matthis, wiry and precise, meticulously kept records and managed resources, his ever-watchful gaze missing nothing. And Neya, a healer and mage, radiated calm and quiet authority, her soft voice carrying weight whenever she spoke. Together, they formed a council as diverse as it was formidable, each complementing the other's strengths.
They were mid-debate over how to manage food, manpower, and the recent intelligence about the Iron Prince's dealings with goblins. Whispers of "he trades with the chieftains," "feeds his own while others starve," and "expansion threatens neighboring settlements" floated across the room.
Demir quietly entered, Sin and Timmy behind him, Selene holding her head high despite exhaustion. The council paused, regarding the newcomers with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. Thalia introduced them, emphasizing the twins' and Demir's recent heroics in freeing slaves from the mines. A few council members muttered under their breath about mouths to feed, but Thalia's insistence on the survivors' value quieted dissent.
Suddenly, a commotion near the rear of the hall drew Demir's attention. Kazzak, the goblin responsible for much of the mines' suffering, had been brought before them. The creature was bound, struggling against the chains, his eyes flicking between humans and Demir with a mixture of fear and cunning.
Thalia gestured sharply. "Kazzak will speak."
Demir's heart raced. After days of tracking and fighting, the chance to confront Kazzak in a controlled setting made his fingers itch for a blade, but he remembered the first attempt at forging and hesitated. His sword lay at his side, useless for interrogation but comforting in its presence.
Kazzak snarled, voice hissing in the human tongue he had painstakingly learned. "You think you've won, humans? You meddle in forces you do not comprehend. This world is ours now!"
"We are not trying to take your world. We are trying to survive. And if possible, flee," Elandra said calmly.
Roderic barked questions, precise and cold, while Neya observed Kazzak's responses, noting inconsistencies. Elandra kept her bow trained on the goblin's limbs, ready to respond if he acted out. Matthis recorded every word, and Thalia moderated, ensuring the interrogation did not become a free-for-all.
Demir observed, understanding more about goblin society in a single hour than he had in months of combat. Kazzak revealed hints about goblin trade routes, their rapid expansion, and - even more troubling - the possible complicity of dwarves, including the Iron Prince, in supplying weaponry. Demir's stomach churned as he recalled the blades and armor he had fought.
Suddenly, Kazzak's voice, harsh and frantic, cut through the council's discussions. "Unnatural expansion cannot be stopped! Let me go. Soon we will take here. You think we don't know where puny humans live? Soon after, the Iron Prince will lose his footing, and dwarven cities will be ours as well. We only acted like it was a fair deal, taking their pathetic items. Once we conquer them, they will have no choice but to craft us the finest weapons!"
Demir suddenly jumped forward. "How... how many of you? How can you be so confident?" he asked sharply.
Matthis, the wiry quartermaster, adjusted his glasses and spoke with measured certainty. "They are mostly level 15. They cannot possibly threaten the Iron Confederacy."
Elandra, eyes narrowing, added, "And they will never leave their burrows. Doesn't matter how many gather - these goblins lack the coordination to contest us."
Kazzak's gaze snapped toward them, frantic, his confidence flickering into anger. "Believe what you want! We are unlimited in numbers with what we have, and we have smarter people guiding our chieftains! You cannot imagine what we can do!"
"There were goblins who could judge armor pieces with the naked eye. How could you do that when my armorsmith master couldn't do that?" Demir pressed.
Kazzak smiled with malicious satisfaction. "There are so many things you humans don't know. The world is ours to play with now."
Thalia stepped between them, voice calm but firm. "Enough. Threats and boasts achieve nothing here. Demir, continue your work."
The council's murmurs faded into the background, his focus sharpening.
Demir went back to the forge. He hammered and folded the ingot, feeling every vibration, every subtle resistance. The blade was crude, slightly bent, but sturdier than his first attempt. The rune slot remained elusive, magical energy flickering like a stubborn flame, resisting every attempt to embed it.
Demir wiped sweat from his brow, nodding. "I'll keep trying. One day, I'll understand it."
Hours passed. Sin and Timmy watched silently, occasionally offering small encouragements. Selene moved among the freed humans, distributing food and water while casting discreet glances at Demir, a quiet pride in her eyes.
By nightfall, Demir had produced his first crude weapon - no rune slot, edges imperfect, but functional. He stepped back, observing the result. Thalia studied it with a faint half-smile, half-amused, half-approving.
"You learn fast, Strovan. Not as fast as you think, but fast enough to survive," she said.
Demir gave a faint smile. "It's a start."
Marco finally woke from his eternal sleep and looked at the first attempt with his enchanted glasses. "It's an F-grade start."