Episode 24 - Lamenting War Cry
Episode 24 - Lamenting War Cry
Fourteenth Day in the Month of Holly (December 14) in the Year of the Hawk
Floor 2 - Late Afternoon
Bladescape, Malus, Diemond, and Agil came out of the labyrinth to find themselves on the 3rd Floor. It was all ancient trees that had grown to massive sizes and height, with their foliage sprawling well above them.
They followed the path to a small town which had the teleport plaza. It wasn’t active, which meant Kirito and Asuna had headed elsewhere. Bladescape touched it, activating it. She called out “Tolbana” where the others were waiting for them.
The rest of the Wondercolts were right there, waiting. They jumped up at seeing her, rushing over. They all teleported to the third floor and found the others in a tavern. Rooms were already rented. They had convinced Agil to stay and join them for a toast.
With ale in hand, Bladescape stood at the head of the table and raised her mug high. “To the fallen.”
“To all of the brave players who fought today,” Malus added.
“To Malus for surviving those hammers and saving Lind,” Diemond said.
“Mo Ghile Mear!” Konpeito exclaimed.
“Uh, mow gill what?” Agil asked.
“It’s Celtic and it means ‘my gallant hero’,” Konpeito explained. “It’s originally written from the perspective of Ireland herself praising her heroes for their service and lamenting their loss.”
“How does that fit for us?” Agil asked.
“It is a praise and lament to the heroes of Aincrad!” Konpeito answered.
“Then to that!” Agil declared, raising his mug.
Everyone knocked mugs and took a drink.
Natora chuckled as she set her now half empty mug down. “Only Blade and Konpeito know how to say it. So they should say it together for us to finally drink to cement the toast!”
“Mo ghile mear!” Bladescape and Konpeito exclaimed together as they smacked their mugs together and then drank again. Bladescape drank several big gulps before stopping but Konpeito drank it all without pausing, just leaning further and further back as she worked to direct it all into her mouth.
“There are multiple musical renditions based on the original poem,” Bladescape explained to Agil. “You know that seven of us are foreign exchange students, well Konpeito has a strong Celtic heritage and I first heard a version while at her house. I fell in love and since then I've been trying to adapt the ballad into a power rock ballad for us to play. I know it in its original Celtic language and several versions have been made that mix the original chorus in Gaelic with English verses. [See author's note at the end for versions]
“The most important part, which every rendition uses is the chorus: 'Sé mo laoch, mo ghile mear, 'sé mo chaesar, gile mear, suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas fhéin ó chuaigh i gcéin mo ghile mear.
“Which translates to: My gallant lad is my hero, He's my hero, gallant lad, I found neither sleep nor happiness since my gallant lad went far away.
“Some adaptations say things like: Hail the hero, strong and true, Who fought the fight and saw it through, Who swore he ne'er would be a slave, And gave his life, our land to save, Sé mo laoch mo Ghile Mear. From our wild Atlantic shore, Above the mighty ocean's roar, Let's sing from the highest mountainside, Of heroes who fill our hearts with pride.”
“It is the second that both of you are really drawing from,” Agil said. “The hailing of the hero. That sounds like it’s not a slow lament, but a proclamation.”
“In those versions, it is designed to be bold and invoke pride,” Bladescape explained. “The original ballad is seen as that, a huge point of pride. The original is often not a soft, smooth tone of some love song, rather it is heavier on the drums, cymbals, and uses strong inflection to add emphasis on the hero.”
“The original poem doesn’t have the hero die,” Konpeito clarified. “The lament is actually over the exile of the hero after losing the rebellion against the English who had Ireland, Scotland, and Wales under their dictatorial monarchical control.” Konpeito let out a big sigh that sounded like she was content. It was impossible to read her mind at the moment. “A lot like SAO, where we have an evil overlord keeping us here that we must rebel against and beat.”
“Once there was a maiden fair,” Bladescape said, tapping the beat out on the table with her fingers, but not singing. “Now she’s widowed old and grey; Her true love ploughs the salt sea spray, Over the hills and far away. She’ll sit down on yonder hill, And take her pen and write with skill; Her love she’ll raise all else above, Her deeds she’ll praise, his worth she’ll prove. Whoever is brave, whoever is free, Will join and come along with me.”
She switched to another version, but the cadence was the same and her tapping didn’t skip a beat. “In this land, this land unfree, Ooh who will fein to unchain me, My children keyed in vain for thee, To break my chains for liberty. So come my love to battle come, To this fair land so weary sung, Let harp and song the valleys hum, And sound the sound of freedom's drum.”
“Who are you trying to convince?” Agil asked. “Yourself, me, or your guildmates?”
“Uh,” Bladescape stammered. “I just really love the renditions, the poem, the way the drums beat, and the rise and fall of the notes. I’m tired, mostly mentally, and my mind is finding comfort in it. I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. I got lost in it. The term was used a few weeks ago with the guild, but we didn’t go into this much detail about the meaning or lyrics. I haven’t really spoken to Konpeito about it or my attempts to make it into a song for our band. She is our drummer, so not much use when it comes to the guitar and power cords.”
“Nope!” Konpeito exclaimed.
“I don’t even know what I would be trying to convince anyone of,” Bladescape said. “Why?”
“It’s just that, to me, an outsider but a friend, it sounds like it could be a motto for your guild,” Agil said. “It has a rich history and meaning and it is applicable to our fight in Aincrad. Konpeito drew a correlation to the history of the song and our situation, both are similar.”
“I’m not calling for a vote,” Natora prefaced. “But ignoring that most of us can’t say it, does anyone actually object to it being our motto?”
“I’m not a fan, but I don’t have anything better,” Thunderborne said. “I mean, I would prefer to have something more...battle worthy as our motto.”
“Like what?” Knightstar asked. Thunderborne had no immediate answer. “Do any of these house or clan mottos find your fancy: Forget not? By sea and by land? Touch not the cat without a glove? I shine not burn? Tender and true? Care and industry? I learn to aid the unfortunate? Hence hope shines forth? Observe? Mindful of ancestral glory? By counsel, not by force? We are born from the broken oak? I swim without danger? The eagle catcheth not flies?”
“Okay, okay, okay,” Thunderborne said. “I get it. Mottos are not what I think.”
“No, they are not,” Knightstar chuckled. “Japan’s clan history is rich, but they were not like the European’s who had mottos to their family names, houses, or clans. These mottos might be more of what you are thinking: Virtue mine honour. Let fear be far from all. For liberty. Victory or death. I shall stand. He conquers who endures.”
“I like the victory or death one,” Thunderborne said. “That is a warrior’s saying.”
“For you,” Doombunny said. “It doesn’t reflect who I am as a warrior. Knightstar is much more of a ‘Forget not’ or ‘hence hope shines forth’ warrior. I’m not sure what Diemond would be, but something about beauty or generosity. We each have a different personality that leads to a different personal choice when it comes to how we would express ourselves as warriors. As an alliance, it would be more like each of us being our own house, with our own motto, unified under the same banner and having a motto for the alliance.”
“That’s how houses started,” Knightstar said. “With a single person.”
“I should go and let you talk,” Agil said, standing up.
“Sorry,” Bladescape said. “We didn’t mean for this to happen. We can pause it.”
“Nonsense,” Agil said. “It was fun. Both fighting beside you today and getting the drinks after. I also learned something cool, but I need to go through my drops and really check out what I got if I want to get a shop set up. That still is my goal.
“Before I go, let me offer my advice; as a veteran gamer having played many MMORPGs. Whether it’s called a guild, clan, house, or anything else, the guild has an image and that must be reflected in the design of the colors and symbols, as well as a motto if one is used. You are individuals of a single group and you have a very diverse set of backgrounds and ethnic heritages. Tailor the motto to what you want the Wondercolts to be in Aincrad. Guild names can mean very little, like I don’t know what a Wondercolt is and likewise the Dragon Knights Brigade is just a name, but if you do it right, the motto is what the players will really remember and understand when they hear ‘Wondercolts’.” Agil bowed and made his departure.
Malus spoke up. "Thunder, I'm with you. I want a war cry. That said, 'hail the hero' makes a pretty good war cry when you hear it in the original language."
"MO GHILE MEAR!" Konpeito roared.
"Exactly," Malus said. "Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. You look around at us and you see that. It doesn't make any of us greater or lesser than another; each of us is unique and equally important to the group. Diemond was tearing it up today, but most players won't think of her that way, they will think of her and see the outfits and armor she makes for us; our image."
"Thunder, I'm an athlete like you," Natora said. "I agree, I want something bold and brash that means battle, but there is a whole other side to the Wondercolts that is separate from the combat stuff and beating bosses. Victory or Death is so final. It is one or the other. No middle ground. I don't get a ‘one or the other’ feeling from you guys. From all of us. I don’t feel something so brash fits the Wondercolts, maybe the Aincrad Liberation Squad or Dragon Knights Brigade, but not the Wondercolts."
"We shouldn't forget the basics," Bladescape said. "Honesty, loyalty, laughter, kindness, generosity, magic, and friendship."
"Cliche," Thunderborne said, blowing a raspberry while giving a thumbs down.
"It might be true, but it is boring," Doombunny said. "Also, as much as we will live those attributes out in Aincrad and hopefully be thought of in those ways, I don't see them being a good motto for us. They are fragments, not a statement; attributes or pillars, but not a motto."
"Konpeito said it well when she roared it," Reisenki said, speaking up for the ‘junior members’. "It can be a powerful war cry, like ‘hail the heroes for here we come.’ Or it can be the lament for the fallen. Some of us come from both aspects."
"It also can be extended by us to others," Soryuto added. "Like a clap on the back or any other form of praise. ‘Hail this hero.’ The motto not being in Japanese sharpens it in players’ minds. It makes them pay attention because it doesn’t immediately fit in, yet we can make it fit in Aincrad. Sort of like when you receive something official that is written entirely in Kanji. Aincrad isn’t Japanese; most of what we have seen is not Asian, be it architecture, weapons, armor, or music. The motto doesn’t have to be in Japanese. I’m not sure what language the ones Knightstar was saying were in, but some were clearly not English."
“Latin was the primary language for European house mottos,” Knightstar said. “Although the Celtic clans primarily used Gaelic, but no matter if it was a German, Polish, French, Spanish, or even English house, Latin was the language used. To use Latin brought an air of elitism and importance to the motto. It wouldn’t have been thought of as important otherwise. Even minor houses or unimportant families used Latin to give the motto the importance it deserved.”
"A lament, a praise, and a war cry," Diemond said. "Three ways ‘hail the hero’ can be used, all determined by when it is said or how it is said. Obviously when roaring it in the middle of a battle, it is not a lament."
"Kiefer, you have yet to weigh in," Malus said.
"I don't know," Kiefer shrugged. "I want something powerful, yet refined. How it fits us, I'm not sure. 'Victory or death' is powerful, but brutish and as pointed out, final. 'I learn to aid the unfortunate’ is refined and we, you, have made an impact doing that already, but it is not powerful. This 'hail the hero' is versatile and can be strong and a lament. It is also a refined motto, bolstered by the use of the original Gaelic language, not Japanese, English, or Latin."
"Diemond and Kiefer make compelling arguments," Natora said. "Oh, and Doombunny's about the difference between attributes and pillars, and a motto. I say we vote on doing a trial run of this 'hail the hero' motto."
"Moe Gil-ah Mar," Konpeito said slowly. "Moe, Gil, ah, Mar."
"Mo Ghile Mear," Doombunny repeated, getting it spot on the first time.
"I'm gonna have trouble," Malus said with a laugh. "Mo gil-lah mar."
"Close," Bladescape said with a chuckle. “You added an extra L.”
"Darling, are you okay?" Diemond asked. "Your mood has been sliding down since Agil left. I was thinking it was just exhaustion, but I don't see the same fire in your eye or on your lips that you had while explaining the song earlier. Even exhausted, you usually have that fire."
Bladescape let out a sigh. "I mean, yes, I’m fine, but also no. I was harsh to Lind at the end of the battle, reminding him to keep his promise for future boss battles, but I had to be. On the flip side, I didn't threaten Kibaou. It was a promise. I was going to kill him if he tried to or did kill Nezha. After I ended that situation, I had to play arbitrator, ensuring their repayment was fair. Or as fair as I could get it.
“Still yet, twice Kirito was slightly faster than me, being the player to officially eliminate the last of Nato’s and Baron’s HP. The final time, against the big boy surprise, that was a mistake on my part. The kill was mine but I failed to pull it off because I didn’t pick a strong enough skill. Kirito is fast and good, intuitive, but although he seems to have been teaming up with Asuna a lot, he still is solo. I have you guys to come back to. That is my strength and his weakness. Still, it leaves me with, performance wise, things I need to fix."
“Maybe it is a motto that you need,” Natora said. “But I can see why it was a taxing day for you. Kibaou is a troublemaker.”
“I just want to go to sleep,” Bladescape stated. “We can start fresh and early.”
“That is a good idea,” Malus said. “Go sleep. Diemond and I can catch the others up and then we all get an early bed for an early rise to explore this floor.”
BLADESCAPE: Level 17 — Two-Handed Sword — Searching — Weapon Defense — Leather Armor
NATORA: Level 17 — Two-Handed Spear — Purchase Negotiations — Sales Negotiation — Weapon Defense
KNIGHTSTAR: Level 17 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Equipment Appraisal
MALUS: Level 17 — One-Handed War Hammer — Shield — Light Metal Armor — First Aid
THUNDERBORNE: Level 17 — Rapier — Sprint — Acrobatics — Weapon Defense
KONPEITO: Level 17 — Two-Handed Axe — Cooking — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — Martial Arts
DIEMOND: Level 17 — Mace — Shield — Sewing — Light Metal Armor
DOOMBUNNY: Level 17 — One-Handed Dagger — Hide — Fighting Spirit — Blade Throwing
KIEFER: Level 13 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Slash Weapon Forging — Light Metal Armor — Weapon Defense
SORYUTO: Level 13 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Music
REISENKI: Level 13 — One-Handed Axe — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Equipment Repair
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welp, i am caught up o the story now!
And enjoying every moment! I look forward to Doombunny getting her snake lol
11693414
There's a lot to look forward to
11693566
very true indeed! LOL now i feel like rereading Mystic Knight Online, a Harry Potter x SAO fic lol
A little celebration is always a good thing ☺️
Your style of writing really doesn't do you justice. As I was reading the chapter my mind kept picturing all the characters as an 18-19th century aristocrats having a refined tea party. It made me laugh quite a bit especially since that's definitely not what you were going for
11693582
Oh man that fic, I remember reading it but then I forgot when some other grabbed my attention. Gotta get back to it at some point.
Shouldn't it say 'leaning further' instead?
Sure was tough alright.
I just can't shake the image of Pinkie charging into battle belting out war songs now lol. Just the idea of all the other players trying to keep it together in a brawl while warrior princess Konpeito is over there wailing as loud as possible is quite the image.
11693566
There is a quiet a few episodes before Doombunny meets her redesigned familiar. It needed some reworking, but I love the end result and I know y'all will too!
11693414
A whole lot more to look forward to than y'all probably realize!
11693623
Thanks. It doesn't for this. My original works match me much better. One heavily forces me to adapt to slang and southern/cowboy speech patterns and words, for a lot of the characters. That gets fixed in editing. I always write formal first because that's how my mind thinks, even when I intend it to be informal and/or slang. Even when it's in my head as conjunctions, etc. Lol.
I am doing my best to bring my best to Ruby Palace and match my style to it. It's a great proving ground, helping me to refined techniques and become a better writer. Plus it's fun!
11693628
Yes, it should. Sometimes these pairs of eyes are not enough. Lol. I'll fix it.
And yes, Bladescape certainly has a very good reason to be tired. Lol.
11693663
Yes, that is an awesome image. What if she becomes a bard. Lol.
This was a good cool down chapter. And I'm loving the wings at the end of this one too! Are they changing every floor?
11693684
XD could always do an omake chapter were she gets everyone involved in a heart song during a battle leaving everyone confused as hell in the end. Esp Kayaba/Heathcliff
11693702
The wings are matched as best as possible to the chapter and/or character(s) in them. This has Agil a bit more key, so it's his wings.
11693705
She leaves a lot of players confused at the end of any boss battle she is in. Lol.
11693680
Np and be thx.
War cry’s sound almost like a more intense version of a battle cry.
11693582
Is it good? On Fanfiction I assume.
11693676
I'm definitely looking forward to it
11693904
War cry, battle cry, basically the same thing. Lol. But yes, it does.
11693936
yes and yes lol. Its currently 3 storys long
11693936
From what I remember yes it is. I read it on AO3 but maybe it's cross-posted on FFN too.
I'd ask how Pinkie knows a Celtic war cry, but... I think I'm just gonna acknowledge that it's Pinkie and leave it at that.
11696081
It's been worked in a few times and will be mentioned more. Pinkie Pie has a strong Celtic heritage. The Vignettes features it as well.