IX. The Fallen
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Cassius repeated their names in his mind.
Claudius Farnese and Metis Cobble. Continuing and counting down the list. Again and again and again.
Two new names to add to the list. The list that Cassius had already deemed too long grew yet again. Although, it was inevitable that it would get at least one name a year longer than it was with a year passing year. However, the addition of a singular name was not something that he had the privilege of thus far. How many more years before it would be so? How much more of Two's blood would have to be spilt before their sacrifices bore fruit once more?
Their sacrifices will not be in vain.
He recalled Ateius' words saying with every repetition of the list of the fallen. For their sacrifices did not be vain, they had to remember them. Were they remembered? By him they certainly were. But the rest of the District? By Aetius Verndari? Even thoughts of such things had seemed somehow blasphemous. Of course, remembered them, just the same as he did. Yet Aetius did not seem to care to remember, he just kept on moving forward year after year.
"Are you aware of what your ambitions are costing us?" Cassius asked.
"And what has brought this about?"
"Do answer the question with another question and answer me."
"Yes, of course, have I not times that our path whilst honourable, is also inglorious and drought with blood," Aetius replied.
"That blood. The fallen. Do you remember them?" Cassis questioned
"I do. Each and every one. I would not be able to live with myself otherwise." Aetius declared.
"The ones we have just lost. Their names."
"Cladius Farnese and Metis Cobble," Aetius answered. "Let it be known that their sacrifices were not in vain and they are the honoured fallen."
Of course, he remembered their names, it would have been foolish to think otherwise, the most recent Games were still fresh in the memory. There was old adage about the honoured fallen. The fallen could honoured if they weren't first remembered.
"The games before mine."
"Perseus Stone and Athena Viari," Aetius stated. "If the fallen are the honoured they must also be remembered."
Cassius' fears had been dispelled. However, he shouldn't have expected anything else. "We may remember them, but do they? The trainees, the wider district?"
"Not all of us can carry our burdens."
"It is not a burden to remember, those we have lost. It is our duty."
"What are you proposing?"
"We something, in remembrance of our fallen. So they are not forgotten. So that they cannot be forgotten."
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Cassius walked the Hall of the Fallen once more, looking over the long list of names that he had already committed to memory. But that was all that remained of them in this place (and his mind)…their names. A name could speak to the vastness of the individual. It was fate they had been condemned to by the passage of time (and by his need to remember).
He gazed at the most recent names, pressing his hand against gilded engravings, gold in black stone.
Nero Montanya and Leto Rhodes.
Two more in the list, that Cassius had long seemed too long. How naive he had been back then. Naive to what loss truly meant. This would last their memory Two (and to himself) and another pair of names amongst many.
The so-called remembered and honoured fallen.
Soon they would not have the privilege of being the most recent, ultimately becoming as distant as the first names that were etched in this stone. At the top. Not quite in sight. But he still knew what he read, he would not been able to continue for this long otherwise. Nero Montya and Leto Rhodes would become like them in the end, not just another name in the list of many.
Another offering to the fallen.