The city was lit brighter than ever and, in the streets cheers sounded out as men and women could be seen dancing and drinking. A group of miners were charging through the streets, bursting into taverns demanding booze. In another part of the city, seamstresses were causing an even bigger ruckus. They had the half the elders on the ropes in a drinking match!
After everyone had witnessed Noone bursting through the wall of the city in front of the forge, they had been speechless.
After unloading the ten mine carts however, they couldn't cheer loud enough!
The miners and the forgers carried Noone into the city chanting the whole way.
Noone himself was initially excited and having a good time, but when everyone refused to put him down until he bought them all a pint, Noone had a very different look on his face. However, that was all for show.
In Tapestry, even if one had a lot of personal wealth, what could they even spend it on? So he had no problem treating everyone.
The tavern-keep was originally very confused. Why is everyone coming all at once? Between the two groups there was around 80 people.
When he heard about what Noone had done, he didn't hesitate to have one of his staff find Porose as soon as possible and inform him.
One can imagine how things went from there.
When the elders found out about it, even they were so impressed by the haul Noone had managed to bring in that they decided to let loose too!
And that was how half a tavern-full of elders came to lose a drinking match against an entire crew of seamstresses - most of which weren't even a quarter the age of the elders.
A burly earth-attuned man suddenly burst through the tavern doors. "I HEARD THERE WAS A DRINKING MATCH TO BE HAD HERE?!" Flexing upon his arrival. At which point he saw a group of passed out elders piled up in the middle of the tavern floor being danced around by young seamstresses. Before anyone could respond to his challenge he had disappeared back through the door.
"How terrifying!" He stayed clear of those women the rest of the night.
…
Noone was sitting up in one of the unused caves that overlooked the city, with him was Adria sipping from a pint.
"Not too bad Noone. Two riots in the span of a year, at this rate Tapestry will run out of booze."
Noone just looked at her. If Tapestry was going to run out of booze anytime soon, he was pretty sure it would somehow involve Adria.
"I think the last one started because of you, you had just returned from your coming of age, remember?"
"Is that right?"
"Mhm"
"huh."
They continued watching the lights and the city as everyone had a good time. Ever since the festival last year, it had become increasingly noisy. Noone's existence had caused people to start trying to work on being a bit more vocal, even when they didn't have to be. Porose continued to push more vocal festivities as "celebrations like the ancestors of old." But everyone knew it was for Noone.
Noone at first was shocked by this when people would actively approach him to work on their language.
Even more shocked he was when Liter came to him and told Noone that he had been swamped with visitors to the library!
"You should go see the elder." Adria said out of nowhere. She looked at Noone, not saying anything more. Noone glanced back.
He had noticed from a while ago she has seemed to have a lot on her mind. He wanted to ask, but figured she would tell him when she was ready. This seemed to have to do with that.
"Alright," he said casually.
…
"Hey Elder Azelle, Adria told me you were looking for me?" After a day of searching around Noone had finally managed to find the elder. When he checked the elder's quarters, he heard that Elder Azelle went to the library. When he checked the library, he saw neither the elder or Liter.
Odd.
So, he just kept searching around being pointed in different directions by people who had seen him.
"Hm mm. Ah! Noone yes, did she tell you that? Hmm." Elder Azelle rubbed his bald head in frustration. "Indeed, however before that, have you seen Liter anywhere? I don't know where he keeps disappearing off to."
Noone shook his head. Liter has always been a busy body. When he is not in the library, he is usually somewhere in the city recording something for the annals.
"Have you checked the Forge? He might be cataloguing the material I mined?" Noone proposed this, not thinking much of it.
"Ah! That might be it. Why didn't I think of that...? I have just had so much on the mind you know? Or I suppose… not yet." He shook his head, "Alright! Will you meet me later in the Elders Hall?"
"Of course, Elder."
"Thank you Noone, Also, you did a mighty fine haul in the mine. I heard you nearly gave all the miners a heart attack. I went and checked the tunnel you dug, I don't know how you did it, but I noticed that there was something peculiar about the path you took, hmm?" The elder smiled knowingly and winked at Noone. Noone just smiled in return.
The truth was, not having an affinity had caused him to become especially aware of the stone around him. Learning to feel the earth and recognizing patterns and ley lines in the city. It was like the earth around him was some giant beast with a unique body filled with patterns and veins.
…
Noone was about to turn a corner when a thin scholar rushed around it and crashed cleanly into him. The scholar bounced off of Noone and landed on his backside. Noone was a bit stunned too but quickly recovered and helped Liter to his feet.
"Hey Liter, you're in a hurry!" At this point Noone noticed the lines on Liters body,
"Wow! Liter! You have improved in your understanding of your universe laws!?" He was shocked. According to Liter, most of the scholars and librarians of the past have never been able to increase their natural affinities. Even after countless studies.
"Haha. Hey Noone" he brushed himself off and stood up straight. For some reason he seemed more imposing than usual. Not like the frail nervous scholar he usually was.
"Sorry! I gotta run! The elder has some stuff he wants me to get together for him! I will see you later!" With that he bounded down the hallway. Noone continued as he was, only to hear Liter round another corner and crash into someone else. Noone just chuckled, what a guy.