Harmonic Winds

[Parth Makeo]

[align=center]In Forta's spare time, she had been helping around a music shop in Ul'dah, hidden in the back alleys and ran by an old Hyur man of Midlander origin. short white hair and sporting a full beard enough to look like a pillow. In secret, Forta would arrive to help the man clean, prepare and even run the counter while he worked on repairs in the back. It had it's old charm and charisma and the man's repair skills were beyond anyone's comprehension. [/align]

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But one day, Forta was cleaning the back room when she stumbled upon a strange looking case. A black case that looked quite bulky. Her curiosity soon peaked as she took a look inside. Unhinging the locks, she pulled it back and after a slight puff of dust...she eyed a musical device she's never seen before.

 

"W-what in the seven hells is this thing?"[/align]

 

[align=center]Forta examined the instrument. One side had ivory like piano keys, the other had a myriad of buttons and the whole thing was connected by a billow that stretched and compressed with ease. Holding it up, her fingers couldn't quite get a good idea of how to hold it. "It's heavy..."

 

The old shop keeper in the meantime was finishing up a polish work on a violin when Forta came into the room with a question.[/align]

[align=center]"Sir? What's this weird piano?" Forta asked. The old Hyur shifts his classes and smiled warmly. He replied "Oh that's not a Piano, Forta. That's an Accordion." and he gently took the device to properly hold it. His right hand upon the keys and the left on the buttons as he soon demonstrated the instrument in action. His skinny fingers pressed on a few keys and buttons, each one a different cord in sequence as he either pulled or pushed very gently.

 

As it worked like a billow, the sounds it made were varied. Yet each note and chord vibrated like a Harmonica, yet had more complexity than most instruments. Hearing the simplest notes from low to high, Forta was for once astounded by the distinct and unquestionable sounds.

 

"Haha! I still got it...but the old girl could use some new reeds..." The music owner mentioned just as Forta asked "Sir! C-can I have that instrument?" really taken by the instrument. He chuckled. 

 

"Of course you can...but promise you will take good care of her. It's hard enough to make them without the right parts." 

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[align=center]Over the next few weeks, Forta would take lessons from the man in-between her job. She wanted to learn this instrument and how it worked. Out of all the instruments she's seen and heard, nothing seemed as unique as the Accordion. It felt right up her alley. And yet as she continued to do this, Forta knew people would make fun of her for using such a strange instrument...If she would have to play it, then it would be somewhere remote...

 

So the day was set. Forta took her very bulky case and went to Costa Del Sol. The mountain beyond was easy enough for her to climb up even with the added weight but she couldn't be seen....not yet. As she hopped from indent to indent with the help of her internal Wind, she soon reached a flat and grassy plateau with a few flowers and some rocks. "...This should be good..." 

 

Forta would take her seat and prepare the Accordion as needed. First, she started with the row of keys, hearing the tones. Going from low to high and doing it several times before she had a good idea of what she wanted to play.

 

Forta took a soft breath...and with her hands and motions, proceeded to play a soothing but quite happy melody that the shopkeeper gave to her. Her fingers fiddled rapidly upon the keys and buttons as the accordion shrunk and expanded to bring air through it. The reeds making different kinds of sounds and all in one package sounds like more than one instrument. Yet her melody wouldn't go unheard...soon a small little bird joined her, curious as to the sound she was playing...and then another. A few little birds soon perched to hear this weird sound yet also how someone like Forta made it up here.

 

Forta smiled gently, not wanting to disturb her tiny audience members as she just continued to play the shopkeep's melody in secret. Enjoying the time she had in her personal solitude in the wild...

 

And it is said that at times, the melody carries down from the mountain and across La Nocea and even managing to reach Limsa. Her wind Aether carrying the sound across so much that many have considered this a strange phenomenon...

 

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[align=center]Some have called it 'Garuda's lost melody' while others deemed it to be the 'Siren's sister'...but regardless the name, it's just Forta Quintessence enjoying her secret passion with nothing but the wind and birds.[/align]