RUSTY

Rusty let Chul win. The goblin was fast, but the young dragon no longer had any trouble navigating the landscape or coordinating his limbs, and he could have sped ahead of his friend at any time. He’d had a few conversations with CWChat about attributes it had been willing to impart what it considered common knowledge. Attributes in the E range were average for adults of most species, with no boosts from leveling or rigorous training. Smaller races, like goblins and lillits, started life with below average [Might] and [Vigor] scores, in the F range, whereas a dragon entered the world with some serious advantages.

Even as a hatchling, he’d been stronger and tougher than most humans, even those who had some levels and training. But draconic attributes advanced less quickly than other races, every five levels until level twenty, and slower after that, and they got reduced benefits from training. He’d also gotten a few extra ranks in his physical attributes from his size increase, which would occur every ten levels. They were minor compared to the full letter grade change that came with a boost, and he hadn’t been given a choice as to their distribution. The change had happened automatically when he started getting bigger.

When the option came to boost one attribute, he’d chosen [Agility] because he was tired of tripping over his own legs. Then he’d done it again at level ten, because his [Might] and [Vigor] were already high for his level, and he wanted to have balanced statistics. He was also a little leery of raising his [Wits] score because he wasn’t sure how he felt about augmenting his own mind using the [System]. It had given him a bonus already during the puzzle challenges, and CWChat had been no help in explaining why that had happened, but he assumed it had something to do with being a transmigrator. The [System] had given him a low [Wits] score to start with because hatchlings weren’t terribly intelligent, and then it had realized there was more to his mind than his hatchling status would imply and readjusted his score to match the reality.

That was the explanation he was going with, anyway.

Having seen Chul’s status screen, he knew that his [Agility] was now higher than the goblin’s, but that wasn’t the entire reason for the difference in their speed.

He had invested in [Movement Mastery], and doing so had given him an interesting option for his advanced skill choice. When Chul pointed out the heap that would mark the end point of their race, Rusty slowed down. He watched Chul clamber up, as nimble as a monkey, and then dove headfirst into the base of the mound.

It was his first time trying out [Trash Diver]. It wasn’t natural movement, in the sense that it required mana, and that was fine with him. Actual worms moved through the earth by eating the dirt in front of them. It wasn’t fast, and it wasn’t pretty. Rusty could move underground, or at least under junk, at walking speed. It felt like swimming through mud.

After their impromptu wrestling match, during which Rusty was once again careful not to use his full strength, he summoned his status screen. He could do it mentally now, but he preferred speaking the words.

“Hello cruel world.”

Russel “Rusty” Garfield

Trash Dragon

Level 10

Attributes:

Wits: E5

Vigor: D3

Agility: D9

Spirit: E4

Might: D3

Health: D3

Mana: E8

Recovery: E9

Class Skills:

Material Mastery: 15

Physical Mastery: 10

Movement Mastery: 10

Breath Mastery: 5

Trash Diver: 5

Absorb trash: 5

“Wow,” Chul said, drawing out the word. “That’s a lot different. What’s [Absorb Trash] do?”

“I can eat junk,” Rusty said, “and it heals me. It might also strengthen me, but the description wasn’t very clear.” He’d had several options for his advanced skills. [Dreadful Scales] and [Deadly Claws] were abilities that gave a temporary boost to his natural armor and weapons, and [Burst of Speed] was exactly what it sounded like. The one that had really tempted him was [Trash Manipulation], which had read like it would give him weak telekinesis specific to trash, but he’d chosen the skills he had because he liked their utility.

Chul grabbed both sides of Rusty’s head, his face splitting into a wide grin. “That is the best. Power. Ever.”

The pair spent a while longer playing in the junkyard, exploring the limits of their advancement. When Rusty used his full speed, Chul had no hope of catching him, though that didn’t deter him from demanding race after race through the alleys of Midden. They also caught a sizeable rat, which Chul held to his chest until it stopped squirming. He hummed to it to calm it down and fed it a morsel of apple core from his hand.

“I’m going to name it Beti,” Chul said, setting the animal down once he was sure it wouldn’t bolt.

“Is it a girl?” Rusty asked, eyeing the brown furred rodent. It sniffed at him and recoiled, retreating behind Chul.

“I don’t know,” Chul said. “Does it matter?”

“I guess not.” Rusty backed away to give the rat some space. It was eyeing him fearfully, its whiskers quivering. “Did you just tame it? That was fast.”

Chul shrugged. “I got a fifteen in [Nature’s Bond]. I guess that’s pretty high for any old rat.”

“Maybe we can find a better one,” Rusty suggested, his stomach growling.

“Nu-uh,” Chul said. “I like her. “She’s my new friend, so she’s your friend too, and she’s not for eating.”

“If you say so,” Rusty agreed. He hadn’t really wanted to eat the rat to begin with, though she did look tasty, and he’d been extremely hungry since he started molting. With Chul as the Great Goblin, the tribe would provide them with food, but the goblins never had much of a surplus, and Rusty didn’t want to be a burden on Chul’s followers. Now, however, he had another option.

[Absorb Trash] wasn’t picky. He would get more of a benefit from valuable trash, treasures that could be added to his hoard, but in a pinch, anything would do. There wasn’t a lot he couldn’t eat; wood, shells, cloth; even metal if it was thin enough for him to chew, and it all went down about the same.

So it was that when the gang found them, Chul was talking to a rat, and Rusty had his head half hidden in a pile of garbage, stuffing his face.

“What the…” Jiho trailed off, running a hand through his oily hair. “Doesn’t matter. Look, Grik sent someone to find you. There’s been a message from one of the other goblin families, and the Great Goblin is needed back at the camp.”

“Sure thing,” Chul said, hopping up. “Can I bring Beti?”

“Who?” Johi asked, squinting.

“My rat.” Chul lifted the animal for display, and it accepted the treatment with an impressive show of indifference.

“Whatever,” Jiho said, “come on.”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Sooji, who was close behind him, smiled. “Good for you, Chul.”

The group walked back together to Chul’s hideaway, where Seok was still busily picking up rocks and putting them down again. He had worked up quite a sweat, and he insisted that Nada, who Grik had sent to fetch them, observe him carefully to learn his technique.

“Never too young to start resistance training,” Seok instructed. “Want it, do it, be it, that’s what I always say.”

Nada nodded along, more than a little confused.

“You can keep messing around if you want,” Jiho told Seok as they approached, “but we’re going back to the camp.”

“I’ll go with you,” Seok said. “Someone has to run interference for Chul.”

It was early in the afternoon when they arrived back at the den. The Midden tribe was still hard at work establishing itself in a new location, with goblins bringing in materials to erect shelters, cooking and scavenging and preparing spaces for mushroom gardens. Chul and Rusty were immediately swarmed. Some of this was friendly attention, Rusty fascinated the goblin children, and they never seemed to tire of seeing him spread his wings, or touching his scales, or asking him to use his breath weapon on them, which he would not do.

A goblin with a bone necklace and mottled skin tried to corner Chul and demand that he give him the rights to a particular rain basin nearby, claiming that he had seen it first, and Seok stepped between them.

“Hold on there,” Seok said. “The Great Goblin is very busy. You can talk to me, or you can talk to your mom, but you can’t talk to him like that.”

“There you are,” Grik said, using his staff to push aside a few of Chul’s other supplicants. “Where have you been?”

“You said I could take some time to myself,” Chul protested.

“Did I? Well, that’s over now,” Grik said hastily. “Heavyarm wants to have dinner with you.”

“Heavyarm?” Chul said. “Where is he?”

“In his family's den, of course,” Grik said, adjusting his sash. “This is very important. If he’s invited you to meet with him, that means he’s considering giving you his pledge. You need to visit him right away.”

“Can I bring my rat?” Chul gestured to the animal huddling between his legs.

“What?” Grik blinked. “I don’t care. The point is, it’s time for you to be the Great Goblin. Heavyarm’s family has a large territory. If he pledges to you, others will follow.”

“Did he pledge to Toogi?” Johi asked.

The elderly goblin shook his head. “He did not. All the more reason for you to make the most of this opportunity.”

It was only a journey of a few miles. While the junkyard could seem endless, and the goblins seemed to think of it as an entire nation, Rusty was becoming increasingly aware of how small their world really was. The gang all went, except for Jiwoo, who was still squatting in the entrance of their den like an overweight gargoyle, smoking a pipe of dankroot. He insisted that someone always had to remain behind to guard their treasures, and Rusty was thankful that the old goblin had taken this task onto himself to an obsessive degree.

Rusty could always sense his hoard, though the details grew fuzzier with distance, and he would have known if something was taken. It wouldn’t have been difficult for him to track down any thieves whenever they returned, as his material sense would have led him right to the offenders, but it was much preferable to avoid that kind of situation to begin with.

“You can’t trust these goblins,” Jiwoo said, his eyes red both from smoke and lack of sleep. “Don’t let all the pledges fool you.”

“Thanks, grandfather,” Chul threw his arms around the older goblin.

Jiwoo grumbled at the sudden display of affection, pushing Chul away, though he didn’t look displeased. “Just go show those grubbleknucks who’s in charge now. I’ll be here.”

********

Rusty placed his claws carefully as they followed the pathway leading up to Heavyarm’s manor. The path had was pieced together out of salvaged bricks and ceramics, and though it was durable enough, it felt more like a mosaic than a sidewalk. A young goblin caught sight of them as they approached, and rushed inside the main door of the house, which wouldn’t have been out of place on a nobleman’s manor, and they were shortly greeted by Heavyarm himself, along with his closest family members.

“Well met, fair travelers, and many welcomes to my humble abode.” The big goblin wasn’t carrying his famous shield, but a short sword was strapped at his hip.

“Hi there,” Chul said, waving brightly. “Thanks for having us.”

“We’re very honored,” Sooji said, offering a slight bow, and Heavyarm nodded to her in acknowledgement.

“Allow me to introduce my family,” he said, gesturing to the goblin matron beside him. “My first wife, Minju.”

Her head was wrapped in a shawl, and her frame suggested she had carried many children. “It is our honor to host the Great Goblin,” she said primly.

Rusty took in the goblin family as the introductions continued. Heavyarm had a second wife, Sunhi, who looked more like Heavyarm’s sparring partner than his consort. Her bare belly showed off a set of tightly packed abdominals, and her muscular arms put Seok’s efforts to shame. They had two sons and two daughters on display as well. Taehoon and Jiwon both took after their father, mimicking his straight-backed stance and serious demeanor like a pair of little clones. Bokhee’s strong jaw and build marked her as Sunhi’s daughter, while Minseo, the youngest, had a softer face framed by dark, wavy hair.

After her introduction, Bokhee stepped forward to extend a hand to Chul, and when he responded in kind, gripped his forearm for a spartan handshake.

“Well met,” she said.

“You too,” Chul grinned. Not to be left out, Taehoon and Jiwon followed with the same gesture. Then Jiho inserted himself, gripping every available forearm in succession, which led to Seok jumping in to do the same. The endless circle of handshakes that ensued came to a stop at a grunt from Heavyarm, whose stern look caused his children to retreat to their original places behind his wives.

“You’ve come just ahead of the evening repast,” Heavyarm said. “Enter within, and we shall await it together.”

The gang was ushered into the entrance, and as Heavyarm went ahead, Minseo stepped in front of Rusty to place a delicate hand upon his silver horn.

“So lovely,” she said. “You are a wonder.”

“Thank you,” Rusty replied, a little taken aback. Chul and the others were following Heavyarm and his family, which left him and the goblin girl alone in the entrance hall.

“Our repast won’t be for a time yet,” Minseo didn’t show any sign of surprise at hearing him speak, so it seemed word of his intelligence had finally finished circulating among the goblin community, “will you allow me to show you the garden?”

“Is that alright?” he asked, looking past her to the retreating backs of the other goblins.

“Of course,” she said, “we won’t be called for until the meal is served, and father is very proud of our flowers.”

Minseo guided him around one side of the manor, under an archway covered in blooming vines. In a quaint walled area, they had stripped away the junkyard to reveal the soil beneath. The plants, a greater variety than Rusty had seen anywhere else in Midden, thrived in orderly beds of vivid blossoms and lush greens. It reminded him of the clearing where Chul had introduced him to the elf girl, Aila, though there was no hornet’s nest to avoid. They had devoted most of the garden to food crops; he spotted cabbages and green shoots that might have belonged to potatoes, but the flowers looked to be purely decorative. Minseo touched a few of the blossoms as if in greeting before leading him through the dirt paths, pointing out plants as she went.

As they walked around the edge of the garden, Rusty heard whispering behind a large rhododendron, and he spotted a goblin woman through the leaves. It was Mudroot, the [Shaman] who had taken part in the trials, bent in conversation with the overgrown bush.

As Minseo and Rusty came around, Mudroot stood up straight, one hand pressed against her own back in support. Her dark eyes were set in a weathered face tattooed with tribal symbols, and she regarded them both warmly.

Minseo bowed respectfully.

"I’m sorry for the intrusion, my lady. I didn't expect to find you here.”

“You didn’t?” Mudroot chuckled softly. “You must not have been thinking it through.” She focused on Rusty. “I know of you, of course, young dragon, but we have not formally met. My name is Chintoo, but you may call me Mudroot, as everyone else does.”

“Russel Garfield,” Rusty replied, wondering if this was really a chance meeting or if Minseo and the [Shaman] had wanted him alone, “you can call me Rusty.” He didn’t feel threatened by the goblin woman, and Minseo seemed genuinely apologetic about interrupting her.

“Rusty,” Mudroot said, “a fitting name. I take it that the new Great Goblin is here as well.”

“Pretty much the whole gang,” Rusty said. “Do you live with Heavyarm?”

“I do not, but I tended to his injuries after the melee, and he has been gracious enough to host me here.”

“Chintoo is the wisest [Shaman] in Midden,” Minseo said, “she has been teaching me how to speak with the garden.”

Mudroot’s smile was rueful. “If it is true that I am the wisest, it is only because there are not as many [Shaman]s in the junkyard as I would wish. Tell me, Rusty, you said your friends are with you. Does that include the orange-haired girl? I’m sorry, I do not know her name.”

“Sooji? Sure, she’s with us. Why do you ask?”

“This bush, these flowers,” Mudroot said, gesturing to the garden at large, “have you ever seen anything like them before?”

Rusty looked around. “I haven’t. It all feels out of place to me. The weeds and the mushrooms I see everywhere else feel more natural. But what does that have to do with Sooji?”

“Mmmmm,” Mudroot hummed. “These plants, they flourish here, as they would flourish anywhere, with a little care and proper soil. I have a similar garden of my own, and maintaining such a thing in Midden requires labor and dedication beyond what most goblins will spare. Our people are content enough to scrounge for whatever they need, surviving on the leftovers of humans rather than growing or building anything of their own. It always makes me sad to see a green shoot in a garbage heap, knowing that it will soon be plucked or stepped on, or wither from lack of good soil. So many seeds fall in Midden, never to take root, or failing when they are only sprouts, and more goblins than not will never realize what this land is missing.”

“My father knows,” Minseo said, “that is why we have all this.”

“Your father is a wise goblin,” Mudroot agreed, and Minseo beamed at her praise. “Why don’t we go inside? I’m sure he will be wondering where you both have gone. He didn’t send you out here, did he?”

“No,” Minseo admitted, “it was my idea.”

With one last circuit around the garden, Rusty followed the two goblin women back into the manor. He was still curious why Mudroot had asked about Sooji, but he was smart enough to realize that her commentary on the state of the flora of Midden had not been idle. Was Sooji one of those green shoots that had failed for lack of soil? It went without saying that her life, all their lives, would have been very different if they had been born in the goblin homeland. Sooji had never explained why she couldn’t have children, if there was an explanation, and now he wondered if that was a widespread problem for goblin women in the junkyard. The goblin population seemed very robust, especially considering how many lives were lost to human raids, but maybe they were being held back by more than the presence of humans.

The interior of the manor was lit by high windows as well as a large cooking fire, and Rusty found the gang seated around a large table in the center of a spacious hall.

“My errant daughter has returned,” Heavyarm announced, sparing Minseo a stern glance, “and the dragon with her. Let us have our meal, and then we can discuss the terms of my surrender.”