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Dimitri turned to Amiya, and smiled. "You're right... I may never have another chance again. Thank you so much for your hospitality, Amiya."
He hugged her, and she returned it. "I did what any good person ought to." she said.
"I won't forget you or the kids. I promise."
"I know. Be safe out there."
They let go of the hug, and Dimitri turned to leave.
"Oh! At least let me get you your lance. You'll need that." Amiya said.
"Alright, but hurry." Dimitri said. "They're almost done preparing to leave."
Amiya ran off, coming back with the lance and his armor. Dimitri raised an eyebrow.
"Nikolai convinced me to." she said sheepishly as she gave the lance and armor to him. He nodded, accepted them, and managed to get into his armor in what he assumed to be record time. By the time he got to the soldiers, they had just started leaving.
"Wait up!" Dimitri called out as he got closer, and the battalion stopped. "I wish to go with you."
The soldiers eyed him carefully. "You a Kingdom deserter?" one of them asked.
Dimitri shook his head. "I don't remember. But I want to. And going with you seems like the best chance to remember."
"You don't remember if you deserted the Kingdom?" another soldier asked. "How do we know you're not a spy making things up and trying to wedge your way into the Empire?"
"Because I barely remember anything. And I won't remember my life before if I stay at the village, as friendly as everyone has been to me."
The soldiers debated it amongst themselves, but ultimately decided to allow Dimitri to join them.
"But just in case, we're gonna keep an eye on you." the first soldier said. "Just to avoid the...possibility."
Dimitri nodded. "I understand. Lead the way."
They left, heading east through the Oghma Mountains. In the distance, Dimitri could see a massive sprawling temple. "Is that our destination?" he asked.
"Yes it is." the captain of the battalion said. "Garreg Mach Monastery. The Emperor is currently using it as her base of operations for the Adrestian Empire's strikes against the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and the Church of Seiros. The Leicester Alliance is just...doing whatever."
"So that's why you were hesitant to accept me. You suspected I would strike the Emperor down in the Kingdom's name." Dimitri said.
The soldiers almost simultaneously nodded.
Dimitri slowly exhaled. "I don't understand why anyone would do that. Would it not be better to challenge her openly?"
"Most people would be crazy to." a soldier said. "She's got this wicked powerful weapon that reminds me of yours a bit, only it's an axe instead of a lance. I think it's called...a Hero's Relic?"
"It's called Aymr, you moron." another soldier said, smacking the first on the back of his head.
"Ow! I was talking about the type of weapon it is!"
"Calm." the captain barked, before resuming. "In any case, you wield one of those Relics too, which puts you on par with her if you know what you're doing."
Dimitri nodded. He wasn't sure if he supported or opposed her in his previous life, but he knew he had to find out.
They eventually arrived at Garreg Mach Monastery. It felt strangely nostalgic to Dimitri.
"I suppose we'll just leave you to it, then. Unless you want to stick around with us for a while." the captain said.
Dimitri smiled a little. "I imagine I'll remain here for a little while. But I did enjoy your hospitality. When you're about to leave again, let me know."
"Sure thing." the captain said.
As the battalion went elsewhere, Dimitri decided to go on a bit of a stroll. People were pointing at him and whispering. He didn't realize he drew this much attention. Then again, a lot of people here were dressed a lot fancier than the folk in Remire and the soldiers, so maybe some of the people here knew who he was before...?
He took the risk, going up to a tribal-looking woman with dark purple hair. Lavender markings decorated her face and right arm.
"Excuse me, ma'am, but do you know who I am?" he asked.
The woman narrowed her bright brown eyes, suspicious of him. "I am knowing what you are called. Why are you asking?" she asked suspiciously.
"Because I don't." Dimitri said, taking a mental note of her possible inexperience speaking his language. "I was hoping somebody could tell me who I am, that ways I might remember."
The woman seemed suspicious, but seemingly decided to accept it. "I was not among your hooded child friends. They might have greater knowing of your past."
Dimitri raised an eyebrow. "Hooded child friends?"
The woman raised her eyebrows, as if realizing her mistake, then looked away sheepishly. "I was meaning 'childhood friends'. My apologies. I am still not having familiarity of Fodlan's language."
"Perhaps you could teach me yours sometime." Dimitri offered.
The woman looked back at him. "You are wanting that?"
"If you're willing."
"I would be liking that greatly. It would be joyous to speak to another in Fodlan using my native tongue."
Dimitri smiled. "Then perhaps someday we could do that. In any case, what is your name?"
"I am Petra. I am already knowing your name, Dimitri. It was taught to me by the Emperor, Edelgard."
Dimitri blinked a few times. That name... Why was it familiar?
"Are you well?" Petra asked after a few moments.
He snapped out of his stupor. "I'm okay. I must have zoned out."
"Why were you zoning out? Do you recognize Edelgard's name?"
"Yes. That name. Edelgard. It seems familiar to me."
"Then perhaps I should be taking you to her. If you are wanting." Petra offered.
"I would appreciate that, Petra. Thanks." Dimitri said.
Right as Petra started walking, Dimitri felt a strange, overwhelming dizziness in his head.
"Petra..." he managed.
She turned around, and saw him collapse. As she rushed to his side, 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, he saw Edelgard looking at him, a worried expression donned on her face.
"Oh, thank goodness you're okay. When I heard from Petra that you had returned, Hubert told me you had come here to kill me. But I don't want to believe that. And seeing the state you're in...I think I'm right."
"Edelgard..." Dimitri said.
"Just rest, okay? You look like you've had a long day." Edelgard said.
Dimitri nodded, remaining silent.
"I'll check up on you in a little while."
With that, Edelgard left, closing the door behind her. Now alone, Dimitri let his eye wander around the room. He appeared to be in an infirmary. The bed he was placed in felt decently comfy. Areadbhar was leaning on the wall next to the door, and he let out a slight sigh of relief. He closed his eye, allowing his mind to wander. After some time, his mind brought up Remire Village. The people there had been so kind to him, especially Amiya and her children. Damn, he missed them... He knew his journey to remember himself was important, but he swore to return one day. And he wanted to ensure he would, one way or another.
Maybe he would come back after destroying the Church of Seiros and ending the war the soldiers mentioned. He could go home and be hailed as a hero. But his armor was blue, compared to the army's red. Even Edelgard's clothing and armor were red. Was he truly part of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus? If he ended the war in the Adrestian Empire's name, would he instead be labeled a traitor...?
Or maybe he was part of the Leicester Alliance. No, that didn't make any sense. The soldiers explicitly said they thought he was a Kingdom spy. But they did say that the Alliance was doing whatever, so maybe they don't see it as significant of a threat as the Kingdom, which would explain why they thought he was a Kingdom spy. They probably thought he looked too tough to be from the Alliance.
Or maybe he was part of the Church of Seiros. This sort of reinforced his idea that he was with the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, since it's called...well, the Holy Kingdom. He didn't know what sort of beliefs the Church had, but he figured he should probably find out eventually.
Or maybe he was some mercenary who had been merely paid to fight. At the very least, he knew he wasn't originally with the Empire, with the proof going to his recently-recovered memory of fighting Edelgard.
Continuing to think about where his loyalties were and not coming up with a definitive answer, Dimitri eventually exhausted his mind, and he drifted off to sleep.
Days later, Dimitri seemed to be in a good enough condition to go about the monastery again. He was checked and released from the infirmary, and after a little while, he noticed a person dressed completely in black, with a hood and mask obscuring his face, sneaking out of the monastery.
"Where are you going...?" he asked softly as he subtly followed. He followed the black-robed person out of the monastery and into the forest.
He kept watch from a distance as the black-robed person glanced around, seemingly confirming nobody is there, and then pulled out an ominous-looking tome.
"Let's see if it works this time..." the person said. Dimitri was able to confirm it was a man from his voice. "Last time I botched it and nearly got caught. So, let's give it another go."
He opened the tome, cast his hand out, and spoke in some language Dimitri didn't know. Then, a massive beast unlike anything he could remember ever seeing before appeared. 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.
It then took off running west. Straight for Remire Village.
Dimitri took off running before his mind could even make that choice. He had to stop this beast before it got to Remire Village and potentially destroyed it.
Normally the beast would have outrun him, but because it was constantly needing to knock over trees in its way, Dimitri was able to keep pace. He eventually caught up to the beast and pierced its stone flesh with Areadbhar, but 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 Areadbhar, and narrowly dodged a head-first charge from the beast.
It took a while, but in the end Dimitri emerged victorious.
He retraced the path back to the monastery. The black-robed man was long gone, but that was okay. He had other priorities at the moment.
He looked around until he found Edelgard.
"Dimitri, are you alright? You look like you got into a fight." she asked.
"I did." he said. "And won. It was a massive beast the likes of which I don't remember seeing before."
Edelgard's eyes went wide. "A demonic beast...? Where?"
Dimitri pointed at the destroyed trees. "Down that way. It's dead, and the one who summoned it is long gone. I stopped it before it could reach Remire Village."
"I'll have a battalion sent there immediately to investigate." Edelgard said. "Thank you for telling me all of this, Dimitri."
Dimitri nodded. "You're welcome, Edelgard."
"I imagine some people are still distrusting of you, even after what happened today."
"Perhaps because of my old life. I must not have been on the Empire's side. At least, from what I've gathered."
"You...weren't."
Dimitri remained silent.
"If you want to leave and figure out where else you could go to find yourself, you may." Edelgard offered. "Or you may remain here. It's up to you."
Dimitri nodded. "I will have to think on it. I'll let you know when I've reached a decision."
"Understood." Edelgard said. "Take your time."
She then left. Dimitri seated himself on one of the benches, thinking. Three paths were laid before him this time, and he knew he could only take one.