if melodies could change the world

• chapter two •

Gather round, you vagabonds,
Picking fruit and hopping freights
Anyone who's wondering,
Wondering why the winds have changed

Eurydice sat herself on the ground next to Orpheus, already entranced by the first couple lines of his song. It was sweet and soulful and began with an open invitation, not what she would expect in a song about the gods, but Orpheus seemed to defy all expectations, didn't he.

I'll sing a song of a love gone wrong,
Between a mighty King and Queen,
Gather round, and I'll sing a song
Of Hades and Persephone

She watched as his fingers plucked another string on the lyre. He looked so focused, so raptly in tune with his music, it was almost as if he was lost within the world of his song. Perhaps his focus was what drew her in, it was contagious almost, she knew the story of Hades and Persephone by heart, yet she was on the edge of her seat. She couldn't wait to hear his version.

Queen of flowers, queen of fields,
Queen of the green and the growing earth
Lady Persephone, half of the year,
Was bound to stay down in the Underworld.

Orpheus's voice was intoxicating, so beautiful and unique, and she'd never heard anything like it in her life. It was soulful and magical and very high, not what she'd expected, but again, he defied all expectations. When he sang to her, she felt like she was under some sort of spell, like his voice had put her under a trance. That, and his beautiful poetry, the lyrics he had written, the spectacular imagery he had created to tell this story that everyone knew. How could he just do that? She didn't understand it. She wished she had that sort of talent. It was almost like Orpheus's music was a gift given to him by the gods.

On the other half, she could walk in the sun
And the sun in turn burned twice as bright
Which is where the seasons come from,
And with them the cycle,
Of the seed and the sickle,
And the lives of the people,
And the birds in their flight,

Eurydice's heart was racing, leaping out of her chest. Had Orpheus moved her this much? How had a song done this? Maybe he was right, maybe he did have power. If not to change the world, and make it permanently beautiful, then at least to make it not seem as bad for a little while. He had the power to inspire, to make you see how the world could be. The power to make you believe. Eurydice sat in rapt attention, as Orpheus sang his last verse.

Singing la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
Oh singing, la la la la la la la
La la la la la la

He strummed a final chord and looked at her, awaiting a reaction from the songbird. She looked at him in shock, still trying to process how he managed to do that. In all of three minutes, he had managed to sweep the cynical girl who had given up on love straight off her feet.

"That's good," she smiled, clearly quite impressed with his performance.

"It's not finished..." he shook his head, looking down at the ground again.

"I didn't say that it was finished. I said that it was good," she laughed, smiling at the ground before turning back to Orpheus. "And if it's that good now, I can't even imagine what it will sound like when it's finished," she gave him a teasing wink. "You'll have to play it for me then."

"Maybe I will," he smirked. "If you're still hangin' around these parts."

"When you sing your song, will it change the world?" She smirked.

"I'd like to believe that it will."

Eurydice stood up from the ground, reaching a hand out to pull Orpheus up as well. "Lover," she smirked, teasing him with nicknames once again. "Lover, if you can, tell me this,"