The Great Harmony Shard

Deep in the metal womb of the grand floating fortress there lay a secret vault. Few in The Revolution even knew it existed. Digital beams guarded it, sounding alarm if any person crossed their paths. Trigger controlled doors guarded the only ways in and out, which were themselves guarded by three revolutionaries at any given moment. There was no paint or decoration on the halls that led to the massive chamber, only matte grey metal and glowing tubing.

That was where Sayane, Azag, Attis, and Echo were now being led towards. No one spoke. Before the group had even entered the great vault that awaited, Sayane could feel the air changing. It was colder, staler. Whispers of fears spoken in dead languages danced in the air. Crackling static could be heard if no one moved or breathed. Without having windows to reveal the outside, Sayane knew they were below the water’s surface now.

Soon, they reached the guarded door. None of the guards stopped them. Erosc pressed his hand onto the door’s glyph seal, and it opened in silence. As the door opened, Sayane swore she heard distant screams. Still, she stepped forward into the giant vault, and bore witness to the might and size of the Grand Harmony Shard before her that was ensnared in a wickedly menacing tangle of twitching crimson energy.

“Sounds be saved… The Dissonance…” Attis murmured.

Erosc approached the towering shard that was bobbing ever so softly in its building-sized support beams. The Great Harmony Shard was well over fifty meters tall. Sayane guessed that it was closer to one hundred meters, if anything. Smoothed, crystalline edges refracted light all around the enormous room that held it prisoner.

All around its base were a dozen totems of synthetic machina technology that felt out of place. They glitched and sputtered every second as they spun in silence. Glowing red rubies stood atop their crowns, which produced the beams of red dissonant energy, which burst forth to envelope the shard with every snap.

Erosc began to speak.

“A decade ago, we found it in the ruins of Carrassun… We tried everything we could to remove the Dissonance’s hold, but to no effect.”

His words were lost on Sayane, who was beginning to feel unpleasant.

Now she was sure she heard static and screams. The uneasy faces of her companions told her she was not alone. Scratching wails bled from the air and clawed into her mind. Her stomach turned in knots. Every second she faced the howling red, she felt a gnawing rage and sorrow build in her mind. Voices of doubt and despair moved across the void and into her mind as dirty hands gripped her throat. The hair on her neck rose and a scream built in her throat.

“RRRRRRAAaaaaarcccgggggghhhh!!!! Enough!!!” she cried out.

Everyone turned to her but she did not cease. Without a word, she undid her satchel and lowered the instrument to the ground. Echo rushed to aid her in understanding. All of the councilors stood and watched. Tears built in Sayane’s eyes.

Something about this was affecting her more than others. Something was wrong with her. She was always wrong. She always failed. No one ever truly cared about her; they were just using her. Shut your voice and seal your lips. Saw out your tongue you wretch! Get away from me you worthless fool! STOP THIS NOW!!!

The words were screaming in her mind, but they were not hers. But she was sobbing nonetheless as she put everything in place.

“NO. No. No. No. Nonononononono…” she murmured as the words continued to scratch at her soul.

Shaking hands almost dropped the metal but she inhaled and focused. Then she felt his hand at her back. His bare hand. Azag was there, sending a wave of calm into her spirit. The voices faded, and Sayane realized she was crying. Latches clicked into place and she stood. Azag’s touch lifted from her back and he returned his glove.

“It was… hurting you. More than us,” Azag explained as he stepped back.

“You were screaming,” Attis added.

“I’m sorry. Maybe it’s because I am a songstress?” she asked.

“Perhaps,” Echo agreed.

“Who would make such wretched things? Who would want such cruelty in the world?” Sayane asked as she steadied her breathing and held her diaphragm.

She knew the answer, but it was still so surreal to her that in all worlds across all dimensions, the propensity for wickedness knew no bounds. A sneer of defiance curled her lip as she glared up at the hissing red waves and stepped into the instrument.

“I will destroy you. Mark my words,” she snarled as the yellow bands surrounded her.

As soon as the yellow bands appeared, the red energy began to destabilize. The very walls of the room began to shake as roars of chaotic noise rose from the void.

“Sayane!!” Azag cried out.

“I’m fine! I can do this!!” Sayane yelled back.

Glowing bands of yellow pulled resonant beauty into the air as strained, melancholy cries built into noble strength. Hearing the sacred sounds caused several Councilors to fall to their knees. The Great Harmony Shard heard the strings and let out a drowning boom that shook Sayane’s organs within her body. It was responding to her.

“Child! You are succeeding!!” Attis cheered.

Sayane knew she was not strong enough to break the dissonance yet, but she knew she could wound it. As she waved her hands and let her body flow like rhythmic water, the entirety of the room filled with wondrous sounds. Red spikes of hate snapped out at her but could not harm her.

Every lashing from the red felt like it was pulling the wind from her lungs, but she felt no pain. She knew this was the Dissonance trying to steal her song.

“Ohhhhhh ohhhhhhh ohhh ooooooooohhhhh OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!” Sayane called out.

Waves of white radiance pulsed out from the shard, striking the red barbs with cataclysmic force, causing them to glitch and slow.

“OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH OOOOOOOOHHHHH OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!” Sayane intoned at the top of her lungs.

More waves of white rushed out and collided with the red. All of the technological bracings began to shake and droop.

“You’ve got it Sayane! You’ve done it!!” Azag shouted.

Rigid fingers bent inwards with strain as the Dissonance threatened to pull her stomach up through her throat. The enormous shard rose as the resonance built. All of the white waves receded like the ocean before a tsunami. Sayane knew she could win, at least for a moment.

Lyrics for her next song was already coming to her.

“SINNNNNNNNNGGGGGGG YOUUUUURRRRRRR SOULLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! OHHHHHHHHHHH SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGG YOOOOOOOOOOURRRRRRRRR SOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUULLLLLLLL!!!!!!!”

All around them, the dissonant red became erratic and unhinged. Beams no longer leapt towards the shard but towards one another. Before them, the shard turned silent. Then the tsunami of sound appeared.

Horns of long lost worlds bounded out like a cavalry charge of pure white sound. Their battle cry nearly knocked over the audience, and Sayane braced as the white cascaded towards her. But the blast did them no harm. Instead, feeling it gave her a sense of tranquility she had not truly felt since arriving in this world.

Dissonance broke and screamed in agony as the red beams shattered into thousands of thorny strands. Sayane had won.

For that moment, the Dissonance was gone. Victorious strings and horns sounded their calls of gratitude as Sayane lowered her hands and weakly stepped out of the ring.

No one dared to speak. All they could do was marvel at the temporarily crippled Dissonance beacons. For several seconds, they all sat in silent reverie as Sayane drooped into the arms of her companions. Then, there was a mocking crackle, and thin red strands returned. Within seconds, the Great Harmony Shard was ensnared in Dissonance once more.

But it didn’t matter. Sayane had proven she could destroy it.

“Now imagine me with an entire symphony,” she said to the Councilors.

To her utter surprise, Erosc fell to his knees and lowered his head to her.

“Forgive me, Sayane the Songstress, for ever mocking you or your companions. You are truly the mightiest among us. The Revolution is at your aid. Tonight, I will personally escort your allies to the distant vault. Our dropships and attack skiffs will outmaneuver any Silence defenses.”

Behind Erosc, all of the other Councilors knelt and lowered their faces in respect. Erosc raised his head. Sayane smiled a gentle smile and extended her hand to help him rise. Once he was upright, Erosc faced Azag.

“We will return with every instrument we can find. Azag, Echo, I shall follow your lead. Tonight, music shall truly return to the world.”

Sayane couldn’t contain herself and let out a cheer of excitement as she jumped in the air and clapped her hands. For the first time in either life, she had a true purpose in singing. It was no longer about fame, or success, or personal fulfillment. Her voice and her musical creativity would be the lightning rod of defiance against the Dissonance. And once it was gone, The Revolution could finally take the fight to The Silence.