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The glow of a site of grace was an eerie thing. At first it was comforting, a fine reprieve from the eternal danger of the lands between, but soon enough it was a reminder of death, and the loss of its meaning for the tarnished that gravitate around them like moths to a flame.
Dimitri sat beside the graceful shred of light, his eyepatch in his hand as he tried to concentrate. He’d died yet again. He’d died many times, in fact, dying was how he even got here, reborn as this hapless warrior called a tarnished in a land of living gods and destined death. His vulgar militia saw rested on the ground beside him.
His head perked up at the sound of rustling through the brush. The savage boar was quick to grab his halberd and gut the creature that dared try him like this, only to instead be met by another tarnished.
Himmel.
Apparently a hero from his own world, he was reborn here like he was after their deaths, here in this betwixt realm. Himmel had his usual friendly smile to him, to which Dimitri merely gave him a scornful growl as he put his saw down. Himmel sat across from him, that smile on his face refusing to leave.
“Hello there, Dimitri”
“Himmel”
“Still here?”
“It’s a sufficiently serviceable place to rest”
“Still struggling?”
“We’re all strugglers, trying and dying to triumph against our fellow aberrations”
“There’s no need to keep doing this to yourself,” Himmel adjusted himself in his seat, his sword resting on the ground beside him. “There’s lesser and lesser of us, you know. I haven’t seen Laios for weeks.”
“The lands between are a massive place.”
“And yet we see each other frequently enough, but not him. Not the others either. Mario, Sonic, Cato Sicarius.”
“The Erdtree casts a grand shadow.”
“Is that really all you have to say?”
“What more do you want me to say?!” Dimitri raised his voice. He’d tasted death so many times and yet he is still here, and with it the everlasting voices that refuse to cease their taunting and torture. Even in another world they follow. “We’ve killed them all, hero . All of them. So few are left to stop us, deathless machines that bring forth the end of the deathless themselves. Trampling everything underneath. What more do you want?”
“I just wanted to know how you’ve been doing, Dimitri,” Himmel frowned. “You’re always in this state of agitation. Neither Melina nor Ranni were ever able to calm you, no one was.”
“No one can,” Dimitri spat, “not until there is nothing left to kill.”
“That can’t be everything. You were a prince once, no?”
“Once” Dimitri stood up. He had had enough of this chit chat, his focus was broken. Perhaps he shall go and fight, so that when he dies Himmel would no longer be here upon his inevitable return. Himmel however stood up and followed him.
“I can help you with your current obstacle, it can’t be that hard of a boss.”
“I don’t need your help.”
“A real man is strongest with his friends, it doesn’t make you any lesser to call upon their strength.”
“But I’m not a man, now, am I, Himmel the hero? ” Dimitri turned around, holding his arms out wide with a wicked grin on his face, his right eye still bare for him to see, all lost and wounded. “I’m just a savage boar, another tarnished thing ready to kill. All those others you called your friends were something when they came here. They were all heroes, be it noble like you or twisted like that insufferable bastard Cato.”
“That’s not true” Himmel’s frown deepened. “I know there’s more to you. There’s always more to everyone.”
“You’re right. There is. The problem is you refuse to accept that I’ve already found my something more ,” Dimitri turned around again, walking away. “I am a killer, a monster. A cyclopean freak that wants to but cannot die, and so I hunger for blood and seek the hanging of skulls upon pools of oil and fat.”
That was when Himmel ran, and stood in front of Dimitri. “Enough of this! This isn’t right! Who was it that distracted Radahn while we were all stunned and trying to recuperate? Who was it that struck Mohg-”
“Is there a point to this, Himmel?”
“You don’t have to fight alone,” said Himmel. He almost reminded Dimitri of a certain someone. “I’m here, and when we find them, they’re here as well. We can stop all this Miquella nonsense, whatever it is. We can get back to our old lives, or finally pass on, or something. You don’t have to fight them all alone. The lands are meant to be explored by everyone.”
“No” Dimitri moved him aside. He always was physically stronger than everyone else. It made Himmel wonder how much he invested into improving his strength.
“Do you seriously think you can just kill them all on your own?!” Himmel yelled out. “I can fight with you, Dimitri! We can end all of this madness together! For everyone! Why are you so obsessed to fighting them all alone, inevitably dying and being reborn just to fight them again?!”
“And here I thought you were the unyielding one” Dimitri turned around, Himmel flinched at the words. “You never give up, don’t you, hero ? Well neither do I. I never will. I lost my family, my friends, my crown, and worst of all, my beloved. I have nothing, nothing but voices that are as cancerously immortal as I am, and rage.”
“Dimitri…”
“I am not strong enough to be human anymore, Himmel. I am nothing. You died for love, honor, and freedom. Despite the world’s objections you rose above that and claimed it all because you manifested destiny by yourself. Your spirit, your humanity is something that outshines and outlives the gods of this world,” said Dimitri. Tapping the butt of his vulgar saw on the ground. “But I am not you. I do not die for the same things you do. I just…. Die . I can die, I will die. And with it I shall fight them until I stay dead or am reborn elsewhere.”
“I don’t believe that for a second. You can’t fight alone”
“I will”
“Why?”
Dimitri sighed. What more could he say? He mustered a smile.
“I guess it’s just more fun this way.”
Himmel remained silent, stunned at Dimitri’s answer. The blonde put his eyepatch back on and began to walk away again. He had a boss to kill. But Himmel was not done, his voice spoke up once more, halting the bestial prince.
“Then let me have fun with you. I’ll fight by your side. We’re tarnished after all.”
“And why?”
“Because I’m human, because I’m the hero, even if you don’t believe yourself the same. I won’t let you fight them alone. I'll make you realize that deep down you're strong enough, and that you're human too.”
“And what happens if I refuse?”
“I’m tarnished too, Dimitri. Persistence is our thing.”
Dimitri swung around quickly, his saw instantly separated the hero’s head from his shoulders. Himmel’s body faded away into dust before recuperating at the site of grace, where it lingered there for a few moments before reforming his body.
“You are too noble to be tarnished,” Dimitri scoffed, walking back to his site of death. He had runes to get and a score to settle.