Sing Me the Song of Madness

Without music, life is pointless. Music sets our insides on fire and bridges the gaps between the ordinary and the extraordinary. So, when music left our world, I made it my mission to bring it back or die trying.

I'm writing this account so historians have an accurate description of the events I created to save the world from bleakness. Without me, we would still be living in the hell created by the treacherous Goddess of Music.

At the start of the year 345 of the 2nd Era, the last beautiful note was played. After that—nothing. Instruments twanged like they were played by amateurs and the best singers in the land screeched out notes so impure you wanted to claw your ears off. The land was in trouble and as its Emperor, it was my duty to protect it.

I searched the records for an answer but without knowing what I was looking for, progress was slow. It wasn't until a certain rumour started circling through the city that I found my starting point. A travelling merchant had heard the pure sound of music while travelling through the mountains. He tried to follow it but it echoed off the rocks and he couldn't pin down its source. Defeated, he moved on.

I had something new I could go on.

For months, I searched through my entire library. I obsessed over every detail, skipping meals and anything else that would take me away from my quest. The more hopeless it seemed, the harder I searched. It took time but when I finally found what I was looking for, I knew that the Gods themselves had blessed me on my quest.

Hidden away in the oldest tome was a story about a monastery dedicated to the Goddess of Music herself. It was said that within the monastery walls, the physical body of the Goddess rested. It was there she could be summoned and spoken too.

Maybe, just maybe, I could find out why she took back her gift from this world.

No amount of research would reveal the monastery's location but if the merchant's story was true, then I could just follow the music. Unlike him, though, I wouldn't give up until I found what I was seeking. Putting together a small exploration team consisting of my son, daughter, and a handful of my most trusted guards, we left the city behind to bring music back to the land.

I do not know how long we travelled the mountains in our search. Days, months, years? I just know we never stopped searching except for an occasional trip to the city to resupply. We explored every inch of the winding mountain passes, getting maddening close, only to find ourselves at another dead end. The music surrounded us day and night, echoing off every rock and every dream. When the mountain finally revealed its secret and the monastery unveiled itself before us, we were taken aback by the sight.

Atop a small, snowy plateau, a village of gold shone in the evening sun. The temple, a stumpy building that sat low and wide, occupied the largest area with smaller houses lined up along the single road from the gate to the temple.

The villagers, mostly the wives and children of the monks, watched us cautiously as I marched towards the temple confidently. Whether shocked by the sight of outsiders or simply by my presence, we went unchallenged until we reached the foot of the temple. A couple monks dressed in fine silk robes bowed in greeting to us. Their words were lost to me as the enchanting music coming from the temple filled my heart. I resisted the urge to knock these monks out of the way so I could reach my goal.

"I must see the Goddess of Music," I demanded.

"We do not allow visitors to set foot within the temple," one of the monks informed me. "It is sacred land and only those who are worthy are welcome."