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[Nerjin]

Something in his tone prevented Sacha from simply saying she hadn't heard any tales of him. In all honesty this man had probably died in battle if he had survived at all.

"I... Is that even a name from back then?" Stalling didn't come easily "I think he was hailed as a... war hero or something for his attempt at the enemy soldiers. Surely four legends from a single battle is enough?"

Internally she slapped herself. Better to claim ignorance than to put up such a lame legend. Well time to do what she always did when nearly caught: evade.

"You knew them better than the bards though yes? Care to inform us as to the true nature of these men beyond simply being characters in a story?"

[SOLDIER First]

Damon quite briefly furrows his eyebrows, just quickly enough that Sacha questions whether he did at all. He pointedly ignores her first two questions, though.

"As I said, Constantine was dead set on becoming a general of his own some day. Whenever Ariston was around, you would think he was the King himself instead for how Constantine treated him... it was quite annoying, I have to admit. He saluted me yet half as much as he did the General."

"I didn't know Milo quite as well as I did the others. Seemed a bit of a loner, but he did well enough in battle, and that was good enough for me."

"And Everard..." Sacha hears a distinct waver as the name is spoken. "Everard fought the hardest of any man I have ever met in my life. Any battle he was in, you could be sure he would end up fighting at least three men at once, and I do not know of a single time he required help in taking them down."

"...I am very proud they forged their own legends, too. I should like to see if I could read them myself, sometime after all of this."

[Tiruin]

"I should recall my terms when I say them--memorialize isn't the same as 'engrave in the cold stone' for only an idea of you to come. Think of a friend, dear Sacha! How close is their memory to you? I could see Lieutenant Damon and General Ariston as a good parallel, but it's more like 'in memory for what's happening to me now', for the one remembering to see something they can look up to in that memory of you." Alain said as she started to tinker with that trap.

"And besides--regardless of going hollow or not--I won't forget what a friend is. And a friend isn't someone that stabs another friend (unless...they're fighting for good reason). So like the General said, things somehow become different when people go hollow. Like a disease. It's something else, like something in you, feeling like you, but small and tiny and not really you. ...Also more about this Milo person please?"

[Nerjin]

"After all this?" Sacha laughs bitterly "Yes, that is a nice thought. I think I would like to start a few legends of my own. The Prophetess of Ynidus finding a cure for the curse with the assistance of two legendary knights, a forsaken noble out to carve her own path, a knowledgeable librarian away from home, and a beautiful archer. Hm... Could use more spice but I'll work on that later."

Something about the way Sacha said 'librarian' was off. As though she didn't believe in the word itself. In addition, her mention of Typhos was quite obvious in its absence.

Sacha nearly jumped when Alain re-entered the conversation. She really needed to pay more attention to the rest of the group.

"I didn't have friends. I had converts." Sacha said off-handedly before catching herself. The didn't exactly paint her in a positive light. She really was letting her guard down too much around these people. Back to evasion.

"Never-the-less, I've never heard the story of a hollow whom remembers their friend. I've heard of entire families slaughtered by a hollow attempting to gain its humanity back though. Though I suppose you might know more than me about that."

[SOLDIER First]

"...well, he always seemed rather shifty. Like he didn't want to stand in one place for too long. Always moving around and looking over his shoulder. Saved him from many a trick the others played on him..."

"...I'm afraid that is the only way to regain one's humanity. You must take it from another person, as Ariston and I did. But I don't regret it."

[Tiruin]

Pondering on Sacha's ideas, Alain had a theme in mind about all of them.

"What do you think about us being friends, Sacha?"

[SeriousConcentrate]

Miss Sacha was lying. Ariston knew that for a fact. She might not know she was, however; according to Alain, he and Damon and all their soldiers were nothing more than fairy tales and stories now. He chose to believe she was unaware of the truth and not to hold it against her. Instead he merely removed his helmet in respect and lowered his head.

"Orimos Constantine. Milo Durand. Brant Everard. Gaman and Geryn Marran. Derik Rhustark. Kericus Welles. Lazlow and Dion Sarn. Jowan Tom. Colin Holde. August Madelm. Kevin Rafton. Mort Sigerson. Donell Barret. Oswin Tark, the Scorpion we called him sometimes. Logen Kalezic. Kain Sanfirret. Dart Waldis. Cadan Garadal. Valor Ogradan. Chas Biggs. Lamont Oehrlain. William Gennaro. Jauren Schildknecht. Garret Perrnov. Kevin Fairleigh. Cornell Rogel. Damon Sourdeval. Ariston Pythias."

"These are the men of the seventeenth unit. The men who all died at Karthmere Citadel. Perhaps history gave them more meaningful fates, but those are all just stories, stories that say only Damon and I died that day while our men were scattered. I do remember Milo wasn't with the rest of us, but Constantine and Everard died with me."

Damon hadn't remembered; in point of fact, Ariston remembered that he had forgotten, and he had stopped telling him otherwise. They were both starting to lose themselves at that point, and the pain in Damon's voice every time he told him how many of their friends were dead... it wasn't worth letting him know the truth.

"I'm sorry for not saying anything, Damon."

He put his helmet back on, rather than face his friend.

[Tiruin]

Alain stopped tinkering at the trap and looked at Ariston (which coincidentally had her pointing her knife at him unintentionally).

"Commander, may I interrupt? Are you worried about being just stories or words in a book like that?"

[SeriousConcentrate]

"...No. Perhaps people take inspiration, and are the better for them. But stories are just that. Stories. The people writing them weren't there with us. They don't know the fear and chaos of war, the triumph of victories, the small moments between battles. The uncertainty. They don't know like Damon and I do. To them, these names are just characters in a book, but they are more than just ink to me... they were my friends, from the insubordinate Fairleigh to Constantine, from the scout Perrnov to a man almost the equal of Damon and myself, Tark."

[Tiruin]

Alain cheered up at the General's ideas.

"That's part of why I like memorizing people. It's just like what you said--it's all in the connections, and also why I'd love to get to know everyone more. So they can tell their own story. Have you read through the books that biographied you, Commander?"

[Twinwolf]

Rosalia simply warms her hands on the bonfire as the conversation is going on all around her. She didn't think it was her place to cut in, and besides, she'd never been great at the heavy stuff.

[SeriousConcentrate]

"I haven't. When Damon and I... escaped... we decided to head straight here. I know only what I've heard. Mostly from you, Alain."

[Nerjin]

"What do you think about us being friends, Sacha?"

"Happily." Sacha said with a small friendly smirk. Who was she to turn down a beautiful woman.

She casts a quick glance at Damon. Sure he'd stolen humanity but... he looked fine for now. Perhaps she would have to keep an eye on him in the future but, for now, Typhos took precedence.

[Dwarmin]

H5! (Since I probably can't H6 then rest, then canto to H5)
Alain smiled at the momentary tranquility that seemed to overcome her fellows, and moved over to Typhos and patted him on the shoulder.

"I liked your poetry back there. I love hearing from people and the stories their lives have."

She looked at the ominous rectangle (which was off by a few degrees at some angles, leading to the assumption that it may be a deeper trap than a pressure plate), and looked back at Typhos.

"I get other people are worried but even if the worst happens, I'll try to memorialize anyone who may fall short of our goal. That said, let's try disarming this trap!"

"Kind words...do be careful. Some traps are trapped, if you know what I mean."

...

"As for memorials, they seem pointless to me. There is no one left to remember, as Sacha says. I have seen many forgotten monuments in my life, given to dust and darkness. All that matters is what you do...while you can still do anything, that is..."

He was not immune to Sacha's air of distrust, if not outright hatred. It tired him visibly.

"I haven't. When Damon and I... escaped... we decided to head straight here. I know only what I've heard. Mostly from you, Alain."

"If I may ask, why did you come here? Did you really think you'd find what you were looking for, or was it merely for lack of any other choice? A final march, as it were? Or something more?"

[SOLDIER First]

"A-Ariston? You knew...? And you never ..."