"Hey, has anyone seen Noone?"
Tahmel looked around scanning the faces of everyone in the tavern. He was treating all his people to a meal after getting a great haul and had told everyone to be here. Yet - as everyone looked around - no one could find Noone.
Over the past year the rest of the miners had become very fond of the kid. Not only was he nice and always helping out, but he worked like a beast! Even earth-attuned foremen who have been in the mines their whole life refused to compete with him anymore. The boy was a workhorse!
"The last time I saw Noone was three months ago, he was starting on a new mine after his last one ran into someone else's." Everyone nodded, because of how common it is, there were unspoken rules. If you run into someone else's tunnels you can't keep mining there or else you are taking work away from them.
"I remember that he was really bummed about it for a day but got right back to working"
Everyone quickly contributed their last encounters with Noone, trying to find who had seen him last.
"So, no one has seen him in the past three months!?" Tommy was raving mad at this point. After listening to everyone's account, he couldn't help but feel they were a bunch of hooligans! How can someone disappear for three months and no one notice!
"Tommy! Tommy calm down! You know how Noone is, he is probably just working like usual..."
"Three months!!!" The middle-aged foreman gnashed his teeth.
The rest of the miners were starting to worry as well... three months was really too long. Although the mines were pretty safe, there were still accidents that could happen. Noone's father was a miner alongside Tahmel. However, one day in his mine he accidentally stumbled upon an old lava vein that plunged down into the earth... he was tired from an extended use of his body and energy and fell into it… Even Elder Azelle went down the vein to search for him, but by that point he had already passed.
The tavern got quiet. All at once everyone stood up and made haste back towards the mine.
…
"Which tunnel was his?" "Not that one, that's one of my old one's" "get out of there that's my mine" "No No that one hasn't been used for years"
People popped in and out of tunnels trying to recall which ones have been there before and which one was Noone's.
"This one looks new!" "No, I started that one a month ago!"
Tahmel looked on frowning. He was unsure of what do to.
"I found it! This one was started three months ago! Look at the stone! This doesn't belong to anyone else does it?"
All the miners looked around. No one claimed it so everyone immediately scrambled into the tunnel.
They traveled for a few hours without seeing Noone.
"Noone! Noone are down there!" someone yelled.
"Idiot he can't hear you unless you say it out loud."
"Oh, yeah."
Everyone spoke out with their voices. "Noone! Noone respond!" Most of these people had no practice in spoken word. It sounded more like a cacophony of goats than a group of concerned miners.
…
One day had passed since the miners had started down the tunnel,
They still had no signs of Noone.
…
3 days had passed, and all was quiet.
…
4 days had gone by. Even with their sturdy temperaments and ability to go without sleeping, they were beginning to tire.
"My god this tunnel goes on forever. How long has he been working on this!?"
"At least 3 months"
"Mm." the sound a punch landing on someone's arm rang out.
…
1 week later.
"This is ridiculous. There's no way he managed to get this far in three months?"
"No one makes tunnels like this! Why Is it always so curvy and looping around!?"
Keep in mind Noone was mining, to be able to mine out enough distance for two weeks' worth of straight walking was inconceivable given the time he had.
"Maybe he ran into someone else's old mine and hadn't noticed?"
Tahmel spoke out "No... the rock is all freshly cut, but we are getting close."
Everyone breathed out a sigh of relief, even for their sturdy bodies and with their affinities, all the miners were approaching their limits.
At this point they just kept walking, trusting in their captain.
…
Suddenly, the sound of squeaking wheels grinding against stone! The clash of metal and rock!
Everyone's faces lit up! Even Tahmel who had been worrying this whole time.
As they rounded the next corner, they finally saw a mine cart…
And then another…
And another…
And…
It was a train!
After passing 10 carts they finally saw Noone.
Nothing could have prepared them for what they were seeing. Noone had the 10 carts lashed together, and the front most cart tied to his waist. He was pulling all 10 carts with his body. While walking past each one, the miners could tell from the squeak of the wheels that the carts were full to the top.
But, Noone wasn't just pulling. In one hand was a pick and in the other a sledge. He was mining full-steam ahead while dragging minecarts behind. "What a monster" The miners thought simultaneously. They shared a glance.
Shirtless and covered in sweat, muscles bulging under the strain and sparks lighting up the tunnel in front of him. Noone looked like god of the mines.
"Noone!" Tahmel yelled out to him.
The sound of metal against stone suddenly ceased. Noone turned around in shock. "Tommy?" He saw all the miners behind Tommy, "uh, guys?"
The expressions on everyone's face was ghastly.
"What are you all doing here?" Noone was genuinely surprised to see them all.
"You moron! You have been down here for three months! What were you expecting!? We thought you were dead!"
"Three months? Really?" As Noone thought about it he didn't really feel like three months had gone by? Then again… he was fairly hungry.
He just smiled and laughed it off.
"I don't know how strong you must have gotten to be able to pull all this, but you certainly must have had a good haul Noone." One of the miners took the initiative to jump up into one of the carts.
"OH MY GOD." Everyone looked up at him. "ITS ALL HIGH GRADE?" He lifted a hand-full of minerals and gems and ores up to show everyone.
The way everyone looked at Noone suddenly changed. Were they all filled like that? If so… that would just be too monstrous.
"Here Noone, let us help you pull it back." "Do you need any food? You must be hungry?" All the miners scrambled to offer Noone a hand.
Noone laughed at their antics.
"No need. No need" He waved his hand. "I can do it."
"Alright you guys knock it off!" At this point Tommy was starting to come out of his shock. "Noone, you should really let us help you haul all of this back. It took us a week to make it here on foot, lord knows how long it will take you to drag it all back alone.
Noone smiled. "No no you misunderstand Tahmel." Noone picked up his sledgehammer and walked to the end of the tunnel.
When he struck the stone a resounding boom and even shaking that rocked everyone in the tunnel occurred. Then another. And another. The tunnel surrounding Noone started to spiderweb and crack.
But… the walls should not be cracking like that unless there was something on the other side!?
Everyone looked on wondering what Noone was up to. Tommy frowned and stood close, ready to pull Noone back in case it opened up into a pit.
Finally, the wall in front of Noone exploded outward in a hail of broken stone. Light immediately flooded into the cave. Everyone stepped out into the light and incomparable shock painted their faces. One after the next their jaws hung open. This was the city! In fact… they were right in front of the forge!? They all stared at Noone in horror. No one understood how he had done such a thing.
Not just them in fact. The forge workers who have been hearing the booming for a while were all gathered there as well. Abject shock could be seen in their eyes. What the hell!?
Noone just stood there covered in sweat - but standing tall with a pick in one hand and a sledge in the other. His eyes were shining as he looked at the forge.