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Dimitri slowly exhaled. "As much as regaining my memories could mean to me... I will remain here. Remire Village needs all the help it can get. Abandoning it now after being shown such hospitality would not bode well on my conscience."
Amiya smiled, wrapping her arm around his. "I completely understand. You really are a kind man, Dimitri."
He looked at her, and smiled. "I will join in the upcoming hunt. We will need as many people out there as we can."
"Shall I get your lance for you?"
"Yes, thank you."
Amiya left, leaving Dimitri alone with his thoughts. His choice had been made. He wasn't sure what was going to come for him, but he was going to make sure he was as ready as he could be.
An hour later, Dimitri headed out with the hunters, lance in hand. His bright black and blue armor, matched by his blue cape, seemed to make him appear larger than he actually was. The blade of his lance was glowing once more as he held it. He couldn't help but feel drawn to it yet again. As if it was beckoning to him. Calling out to him. Dimitri started to feel as though there was much, much more to this lance than he first thought...
A pair of fingers roughly snapped in front of his face.
"Hey. C'mon." one of the other hunters said. "You said you wanted to be here, so don't lag behind."
"Oh, my apologies." Dimitri said sheepishly. "I must have zoned out."
"Alright. But don't let it happen again while we're out here, alright?"
"Understood."
The two of them caught up with the rest of the hunters, and the group set out. Dimitri quickly learned that by spreading out his cape with his arms or other means did in fact make him appear bigger, which served as a valuable distraction while others bagged the larger game he was garnering the attention of. That wasn't to say Dimitri had no kills of his own, as he had killed several deer and elk with his lance, and at one point he successfully took down a bear all on his own.
With Dimitri's help, the hunt was a massive success. Combined with the rations Remire Village had received from the soldiers, they were set for quite a long time. Everyone cheered at the sight of all the hunted animals the hunters brought, especially at the sight of the bear.
"Whoa...!" Kimora said, amazed. "Mister Dimitri killed a bear!"
"I've never eaten bear meat before! I wonder what it tastes like?" Nikolai said, licking his lips.
The animals were cut up and divided among the villagers, and everyone got more than enough meat to last.
When Dimitri and Amiya heated up a part of their portion of bear meat, the family enjoyed a hearty supper.
Days later, as Dimitri was playing with the kids, they heard trees crashing to the ground. A lot of trees.
Dimitri turned his head towards where the trees were falling. "...Nikolai. Kimora. Get inside."
They ran into the house, and Dimitri picked up his lance and headed off into the forest. But, to his surprise, a massive beast unlike anything he could remember ever seeing before emerged, as if threatened by Dimitri's presence. It moved like a living creature yet was decorated in stone. Its proportions were in no way natural, and its guttural roar seemed almost demonic.
Whatever this beast was, Dimitri needed to kill it as soon as possible. He readied his lance, and charged at the beast. When the lance pierced the stone flesh of the beast, it roared with pain before rearing back and slamming one of its clawed hands into Dimitri, sending him flying into a tree. He got up, picking up his lance, and narrowly dodged a head-first charge from the beast.
As he fought the beast, something flashed in his head.
Dimitri crashed into the ground. He shakily tried to get up, clutching his lance, staring at the beasts who had demolished him so easily. In front of the beasts stood a woman garbed in royal red, a bright golden crown adorned on her head. She seemed almost...sad.
"If only things had played out differently..." the woman said somberly. "You were truly gifted, Dimitri. But this vengeance against me has left you as little more than a shell of who you once were. You have let yourself fall to madness."
"Why do you lecture me on madness, Edelgard?" Dimitri demanded. "Why, when you were the one who started all this bloodshed?!"
"I intended to end this war with as few casualties as possible. But you have become hellbent on tearing every single one of my soldiers apart, and putting my head on a pike at the gates of my own home." Edelgard said. "The Dimitri I remember was never this callous."
"That Dimitri is gone." Dimitri spat coldly. "He was killed when you dared to start this senseless war."
"And so instead of trying to negotiate with me, you resort to mindless murder." Edelgard responded in kind. "And yet I'm the insensitive, uncaring one."
Dimitri didn't respond. A black-haired man in black robes showed up.
"How fares Dimitri, Your Majesty?" the man asked.
"He is defeated." Edelgard said. "And yet he intends to label me the villain. But I can tell there is still good in his heart, Hubert."
Hubert narrowed his eyes. "Are you certain?"
"To a fault, I suspect. I know the Dimitri I once knew is in there. He has simply chosen to hide it away so he can justify killing me. Which he would have done so by now had he truly wanted to."
Desperate to prove Edelgard wrong, Dimitri picked up his lance and charged, only to take a blast of magic to the eye, from Hubert. He collapsed on the ground, clutching his face. The pain was unbearable.
"Unfortunately for you, Areadbhar shall not taste Lady Edelgard's flesh." Hubert said, staring at Dimitri.
"DIE!!! BOTH OF YOU JUST DIE!!!" Dimitri screamed as he grabbed Areadbhar and swung it at them as hard as he could. They both leapt out of range, and Dimitri charged at them again. They beat him back successfully, with Edelgard showing great restraint.
"No... I will not be defeated..." Dimitri snarled. "I will not rest... Not until both of you have had everything you love torn away, your very pride shattered before your eyes! I will do what it takes... I WILL DESTROY YOU, EDELGARD!!!"
As he took another step towards them, the ground between them cracked. The cliff's edge then broke apart, and Dimitri fell. Edelgard ran up and reached her hand down to try and save him, but she was too late.
As Dimitri fell, he could see Edelgard reaching to him. He almost felt like he could grab her hand. He saw the look of terror on her face, and a small part of his mind lamented that the last time he would see her, she would be sad.
Everything went black.
When Dimitri opened his eyes again, a cleric was tending to his wounds. He was still in the forest, but he was badly injured, and the beast was no more.
"Is it over...?" he asked.
"It is." the cleric responded. "Though your injuries were significant, the beast is dead."
"And what of Areadbhar...?" Dimitri asked.
"Areadbhar? Who is that?"
"Not who, but what... It is my lance..."
"Oh. Well, I have it right here." the cleric gestured to Areadbhar.
Dimitri relaxed a little. "Thank you..."
They then heard rustling. Before they could act, a person dressed completely in black, with a hood and mask obscuring his face, appeared. He seemed to have been looking for the beast, but came to a complete stop when he saw Dimitri.
The two stared at each other silently for several seconds.
"The King lives..." the man said softly before turning and rushing off.
Dimitri got up, his injuries fully healed. The trail the black-robed man left was still fresh, but for how long?
"Let us return." the cleric said, also standing up. "I imagine your family will want to see you after what you've done here."
Dimitri slowly exhaled. He was at a crossroad once again. Only one path could be taken of the two that were laid before him.