Valeria's singing audition

Valeria had managed to travel from her small hut on the beach all the way to Tianshu to participate in the Flower Festival, an event held to commemorate the victory won by the Elders during the war, but also to recognize the loss and sacrifice that followed. It was one of the bigger events in Shengdao, and all, if not most, of the Elders made their appearance from their respective domains. It was a rare sight to see all of them together, which made all of the shiji around the realm want to see them in all of their glory. They towered over the smaller dragons, true in their power, all while adorned with the most precious jewels and silks for the festival.
The other day, when Valeria first entered the city, she was thrust into the festivities without as much as knowing everyone's names. Her handiwork was subpar compared to others, but they gave her no guff for it. Unfortunately for the piebald shiji, she was not accustomed to decorating such large spaces. She was helped, and loved the sense of deeply rooted community, something that came as a shock. From stories of tourists and passersby, she thought city dwellers were cold and silent to one another. Perhaps it was the gathering of such a special occasion that made everyone put aside their introverted attitudes and come together. Something that Valeria didn't know, however, was that the Elders would come together to pick a shiji to sing with them, to honor those fallen during the great war. It was, if not the most, special honor bestowed upon the shiji with the most powerful voice. Valeria did enjoy to sing, she loved to howl over the sound of waves, a siren calling for its next victim. Seabirds would often respond to her calls with their shrill cries, dancing along the wind that the sea carried over. She had never sung in front of such a large crowd, not to mention the most powerful beings she'd ever lay eyes on.
All around, shiji and companions alike were practicing, making sure their tune is correct and their voice is perfect for auditions. It wasn't until she saw the energy that she felt compelled to enter herself, something she'd never even considered until now. Sometimes Valeria would get sheepish when crabs and birds heard her sing to herself, and now she was going to sing in front of hundreds of beings. She swallowed thickly, and went to pick up the audition papers. There was a song already chosen for the event, which she had to quickly read over. It was a song she'd never heard of before, but one that carried a strong message. The concert with the Elders was meant for everyone to come together at the lakes and pay tribute to those fallen. The audition itself was in front of all of the elders, or those who are present at the time of her performance. Shiji were already beginning the preparations for the concert, building the stage in front of the two bodies of water and placing candles, wreaths of flowers, and tapestries of those who would not be forgotten.
Valeria had to make her way to the sign up booth, where hundreds of dragons were crowded around, eager to put their name on the list for a chance to perform with the Elders. Upon reaching the booth, there were pages and pages of names, which made her wonder if she should even sign up. For her to be chosen out of potentially thousands of incredible singers seemed so far out of reach. She grounded herself, however, and wrote her name down anyways, grabbed the music sheet with the song, and went to her own secluded corner to practice. Valeria herself had opted out of staying in one of the Inns in the city, being as she hardly had any money, and the rooms were probably all filled due to the events going on. She had set up her own camp on the far side of the twin lakes, and to her surprise, she was not the only one doing so. Several other dragons had taken up residense along the banks of the lakes, enjoying the serenity that accompanied them and the rustling of the leaves. At this point in the festival, there were so many cherry blossom petals on the ground that it seemed as if it was always like that, a blanket of soft pink surrounding the beautiful blue of the water. Her camp was small, uninteresting, but it did in fact feel like home to her.
When Valeria sat down to finally settle in and practice the piece she was supposed to learn, it was to her utter dismay that she realized she had no idea how to read sheet music. Of course, the words were very recognizable, but the notes and melodies that marked the page were incredibly unfamiliar. She was overcome by an overwhelming sense of shame. She signed up for a singing contest with no idea how to read music. The symbols and lines were all completely foreign to her, and she had no idea how to navigate this. She looked up and was faced with a sea of shiji, and wondered just how she was going to navigate this issue. Everyone that had a sheet of paper in their hand was reading it intently and carefully, and dread set over. It seemed an impossible task, for who would help their competition? It was an honor to stand beside the Elders and sing with them, of course they wouldn't help her. Valeria sighed heavily and crumpled the paper, hope lost, and tossed it a few feet away from her.
The paper ball bounced a few feet before it bumped against the foot of a very, very tall shiji. She radiated kindness, and her face was sweet. Her coat was a silky blue and green with translucent stars shimmering in her hair. She was talking to another shiji, but turned in Valeria's direction when her discarded paper touched her. The taller dragon turned her shoulders so that her whole attention was on Valeria, and she offered a shy smile and a wave. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to hit you with that," Valeria bent down to scoop up the piece of paper, but before she could, the other shiji did first. "Wait-" without saying anything, she opened the paper and gave it a look before looking at Valeria through her long lashes.
"If you're going to compete, you're going to need this," with a long outstretched arm, she held the now uncrumpled paper back to her. She took it hesitantly, giving it an odd look. "I would, but..." with a deep breath, she admitted what she realized moments ago. "I don't know how to read this, so it's better if I don't enter. I'll embarrass myself," with another sigh, she turned and made her way back to her spot under the tree, sliding down the base until her bottom hit the cold earth. The other dragon walked over to her and towered over her, blocking the midday sun from her eyes.
"Don't worry, love, I'll teach you," before Valeria could respond, the much larger dragon dropped down next to her and pushed the sheet of music up to Valeria's nose. The piebald shiji laughed, taking the paper from her hand. "My name is Valeria," she responded, looking up into her calming face. Upon closer inspection, this shiji was entirely covered in tiny, moving stars, as if she were taken from the night sky directly. Her purple mane was a stunning contrast to the rest of her fur, which faded out to a beautiful green. Most of her body was covered in the same type of traditional clothing everyone around them was wearing, and she adorned a sweet cherry blossom crown on her head, which shone bright pink against her dark colors.
"They call me Berehynia," her voice was like the rest of her, soft and comforting. With a flashy smile, she nodded toward the paper, and, in great detail, began explaining every mark and every note on the page and what they meant. Valeria ate all of it up, even putting out a few notes that made Berehynia laugh. "See? You've got this!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "You will do great."
When they parted ways, Valeria gave her an excited wave before making her way to the audition stage. Shiji were already lined up, and she saw a mix of those were excited to perform, and those who were completely nervous. She had no idea where she stood, as she was both excited with her new knowledge of music, but also nervous. The Elders, Vashaa, Weifang, and Yixin were all present. The other elders must have been off somewhere doing other elder-ly things, she assumed.
Valeria found her place in line, clutching the music sheet to her chest. Her heart was beating so loud she thought others might be able to hear it. She could hear the singing from where she stood, the soft twinkle and melodies of those hoping to secure their spot next to the Elders. The Elders themselves did not talk much, but throughout her time here at the festival, she had heard that their voices could carry music through the trees and into space itself. Of course, they were literal Gods. While she had never personally heard them sing, she could only imagine how amazing their voices were.
When it was her turn, she shakily made her way onto the small raised stage, the Twin Lakes at her back. The wind that traveled across the lake hit her back, making her shiver and the fur on her arms stand on end. By this time, the sun was beginning to set, and dragons and companions alike were starting to light the festival lanterns. When she looked up from her page, she was met with three incredibly bright gazes from the Elders. They stared in waiting, their massive bodies taking up the entire space in front of the stage. Other shiji surrounded them, still decorating and braiding parts of their coats. They looked ethereal here in front of her, eyes boring down on Valeria like spears. The air felt heavy, but still, she took a deep breath, and began to sing her song.
In a realm where valor blooms,
Where heroes rise and meet their dooms,
There's a tale of warriors bold and true,
Whose spirits soar beyond the blue.

They march to battle, fierce and brave,
With hearts that yearn to shield and save,
But now they rest, their battles done,
Fallen warriors, forever young.

Upon the field, their courage gleams,
A symphony of hopes and dreams,
Their armor gleams in golden light,
Defenders of justice, shining bright.

Though they may lie beneath the earth,
Their spirit sings, transcending birth,
Their memories etched in sacred ground,
Their valor echoes all around.

When Valeria finished, their gazes remained still and unchanged. With a brisk clearing of her throat, a small 'thank you', and a bow, she excited. She caught pairs of eyes on her way down, with smiles and small nods indicating her job well done. Her chest swelled with pride, and she hugged the paper to her chest.
Back at her camp, she saw Berehynia waiting for her. When their eyes met, she gave Valeria a toothy smile, and embraced her. "You did so well! I have such high hopes for you, my dear," with a pat on the back, Berehynia left to join her own crowd, leaving her alone in her small camp. It was dark now, the lanterns surrounding the lake reflecting off of its surface. The stars beamed down from above, offering what little light they could. She could hear in the distance that the auditions had ended, and a small string band had started to play, filling the air with their soft tunes. Soft chatter could also be heard, and it was then Valeria decided she would join the festivities of the night, taking part in one of the best festivals she had ever been to.