Aquria

You may have heard of Cordelia, the bard. She travels all across the world, and her songs detail the stories of our past. There are many bards like her, who sing such stories; but there is something quite enchanting about her songs in particular.

I was lucky to be passing by in Lyraea castle city, for a commission. In a local tavern, she was performing. There I sat among the lively bar patrons, a truly joyous atmosphere as her wondrous song filled the air. In the corner of my eye, I saw none other than the princess Kyria herself, sitting by herself, enjoying a drink, likewise admiring the song of Cordelia. It was rather a surprise to see her, though of course – who wouldn't want to enjoy such an amazing performance?

People danced as Cordelia’s clear and beautiful voice sang a song of the past – a story from Phosphoria, about the legend of a lighthearted warrior who took down a great avian beast. She played a heavenly accompaniment on the harp – her fingers moved swiftly; the plucks of each string merged with her sweet voice, and floated through the air like the wind. In that moment, I saw a vision of a girl taking aim at those monstrous wings overhead, to protect her people with her power. Her confident smile; the shot of victory – it was all so vivid with Cordelia’s song.

The final chord struck, and the people applauded and cheered. Cordelia laughed along; it was so nice here, wasn't it?

I took a sip out of my drink; I opted for just a cup of tea. I wasn't intending on any alcohol tonight. The cheers died down as Cordelia prepared for her next song. A focused expression, her hands readied at the strings. Anticipation held over our heads in silence, as she took in her upbeat breath and her hands began to flow across the length of the harp; both the movements of her arms and the ascending passage she played felt like the flow of water.

“Bring me back to the waters that I came from…”

I recognized the tune immediately; it was a common folk tune common in Aurius, where I hail from. But hearing it from Cordelia herself was so… indescribably wondrous and captivating.

This song is called “Aquria,” and it is a song of mourning from the War of Origin. It is important in that it represents the will of our goddess Thaliann, and how, in her sadness, she vowed to protect us no matter what.

And that will of Thaliann; in Cordelia’s song, I felt it more vividly than ever. In an instant, I was at the lakeside back home, looking out upon the water’s waves, feeling that same sadness; that lost feeling. “Tides will rise, and tides will fall;” so was that passion that overtook my heart.

The flowing arpeggios of the harp resonated with the emotive and gentle voice of Cordelia; truly enchanting the audience in silent and reverent wonder.

This sadness; this grief; I had never felt it so poignantly. Somehow, I felt like this is truly Thaliann’s will conveyed through this song; I knew of it, but I had never quite felt it like this before.

In the War of Origin, many many years ago, many lives were lost as the gods and humans fought for this new world. Our world as it is is so peaceful; but our gods and our ancestors fought so much to protect us, and gave us so much in order to ensure us a thriving, bountiful life. Grief is love; love is the desire to protect.

And now I know just how legendary this musician is – Cordelia has unparalleled artistry and emotion in her music; connecting to the hearts of everyone here. Holding my cup of tea, I thought to myself deeply as her song rang out through the air.

You know, I want to do my best, too. I live a life as a mercenary to help people out. But somehow; it's really strange, how just one wonderful performance can change your outlook. Because, thanks to Cordelia's song, I feel more motivated than ever now to help others in any way I can. To remain in these times of peace and prosperity, I want to do all that I can. It's the least I could do to repay thanks to everyone who came before us, who made it possible to live in such a peaceful world.

Aquria… For centuries the song has been passed down, but hearing it like this? I never really would've expected a song I've known my entire life to suddenly make me think about all this.

I think there isn't much to worry about in life, I just have to do my best in doing what I can.