Notes:
I will NOT be considering the DLC wave to be 'cannon' to this story. I began writing and planning before it was ever mentioned. If you ever played Resident Evil, we can consider the DLC like the 'Ghost Survivor Stories'; a wonderful little what-if that doesn't actually happen :p
I'm not changing direction now, that's all.
Narrow Paths
As the assassin climbed up onto the crate and centered himself on the box, Byleth assessed that he had no choice. Even without the ladder, the assassin could rise to his and Dimitri's level, and so Byleth made a calculated decision. He summoned his greatest fire spell and shot it toward the assassin, setting the three crates and the assailant aflame. The sounds of the assassin screaming as the fire crackled confirmed that it was a deathly blow.
His chest compressed and his world went spinning once more. Byleth closed his eyes and fastened his entire body to the ladder, dreading that he would fall like Dimitri feared earlier. Even in the darkness beneath his eyelids, he felt his head whirling. Byleth barely heard Dimitri, who said, "With those crates burning, someone should notice us." He had not noticed Byleth's state.
Which made sense, as Dimitri was locked in his own battle. Magic was an especially weak form of his and he thought back to his lessons. Reasoning and knowing the mechanics of the world led to magic. It is a form of both will and wisdom . . .
He felt a crackle in his hand. Dimitri visualized the full circle, then showed the upper half of his body, releasing the magic contained in the inner circle of the summoning spell. His thunder was too out of control and missed the marksman by an unfortunate low curving arch that stained the stone around his feet.
Left open, the marksman countered and Dimitri just barely ducked low enough for it to brush passed the top of his head. Byleth opened his eyes. It was spotted vision that rocked back and forth inconsistently, but was slowly returning to normal.
Byleth moved his hand to his waste and removed the dagger from his belt without trying to sway too much one way or the other. "Dimitri." He called gently, lifting his hand to gift him the blade. "Think of it like a javelin throw." Using magic would clearly kill Dimitri, Byleth concluded.
Dimitri planned a devious attack. He summoned a circle once more, allowing the marksman to prepare for another lightning strike. Dimitri rose and released the magic, and the marksman dodged. While he was mid recoil, Dimitri sharply threw the knife, which pierced the marksman in the heart. 2 enemies down. A smoke distress signal. Things were already looking brighter.
Dimitri climbed to the balcony and raised Byleth with it. There were three balconies that faced the rest of the monastery, but they were not connected. There was a window to each, but not a door. They were installed for decoration purposes, not practical.
Byleth inspected the window. The monastery kept these windows locked and therefore it could not be opened from the outside. Byleth decided they could not afford to wait around and he smashed the window – a beautiful stain glass with red tones – with his elbow, careful to not cut himself.
"Professor!" Dimitri scolded, 'Those are a thousand years old! You just destroyed history!"
"The windows do not mind. It's us or the property, and I don't think anyone would care about another repair." Byleth carefully removed shards from the sill, then threw his leg over one at a time, entering the inner hall. Dimitri followed, still disappointed at the property damage.
"We could have waited for backup," Dimitri grumbled.
"As I thought," Byleth pointed at one end, "Those stairs probably connect all the way down into the underground passages. We could attempt to use them, but I am not sure that would get us anywhere."
"We would most certainly get lost," Dimitri agreed with hesitancy. He walked to a lever – there was one on either side of the hall, but he chose the one closest to a very tall ladder that extend into the belfry. "We can raise the gates now." Dimitri said.
"With that fire, we cannot return the way we came." Byleth sighed at his own destruction. He had no choice, though. "Let's leave the gates for now. I have a different idea."
"Oh?" Dimitri raised an eyebrow. The professor's mind at work was always a magical thing.
Byleth pointed to the ladder, "If you can unsecure the bolts fastening this in place, we can use it to climb down to the bridge. Since we are on this side, we can open the window without damaging it."
"That might be safer," Dimitri inspected the middle section of windows. The ladder was narrow enough to be fed through, but he worried the length would give them the most issues. Between the two of them, though, a coordinated plan would make the professor's plan doable.
Byleth opened the window – they were sliders and one half moved on the other – giving them enough space to exit freely. Byleth made sure the marksman was dead before retrieving the bow and the knife, which was stuck firmly into the archer. With a tug that knocked his vertigo back into play, Byleth very carefully returned to Dimitri.
"I'll keep the knife," Byleth said, "You're a decent shot as long as you don't snap it. I'll give you this in case we're found." Byleth handed Dimitri the bow and quiver. He equipped himself without argument and in turn gave Byleth his sword.
"Since you'll be staying on the ground, you might need a better weapon than a dagger." Byleth nodded and Dimitri ascended the ladder, making his way to the bolts. On both ends of the rectangular hall were staircases and Byleth watched them warily from the center.
Things were going a lot smoother. No further physical wounds, just the ghost ones that panged despite them no longer technically existing. Between his shoulder blades and his 'heart' rang out the most frequently, but Byleth did his best to ignore it. They would be safe soon. . . with any luck.
Since everything spiraled so quickly, the chance for Byleth to reflect on Dimitri's final message had not presented itself. Something about monsters or enemies in the holy tomb. That claim would need to be looked into once they deployed trustworthy knights to scout the cathedral grounds for the remainder insurgents. Though still tensing his muscles, Byleth felt reassured that the stealthier of the two encounters were disposed. They should hear heavy footsteps should the axe man or the false soldier guard arrive.
Dimitri decided to climb all the up and remove the secured holds from top to bottom, ensuring that if he fell due to instability, the landing would be less severe. He kept an eye out for the openings as well and would be ready to use the bow if needed.
The sound of loud and heavy clanking drew both of their attention to the same stairwell. It took them a few minutes, but they homed in on Dimitri and Byleth while the prince was still airborne. Unfortunately, Byleth had very little choice but to assume his usual battle stance.
The sword in his grip weighed differently. The steel was no more distinct than any other generic weapon he handled before – but Byleth's body wanted to drop. He wanted to sleep. He relied heavily on adrenaline at that point – his pulse picked up and he prepared a defense. The noise also alerted Dimitri, who straddled the ladder as if he were atop a horse to free his hands for the bow. He would not let the enemy strike down the professor this time.
This time?
Dimitri felt a strange sense of . . . Déjà vu. Didn't the professor say something to that affect earlier?
Dimitri snapped out of his inner confusion and readied the bow, letting it hit the first soldier who entered. Dimitri's drawback was infinitely stronger than the average male, so the force of his pull ensured a fatal shot. Unfortunately, that meant he had limited durability.
He had a finite number of arrows as it was, so Dimitri kept up his raid. He felled all three soldiers from the stairwell opposite to where they first arrived, leaving Byleth without engaging the enemy once. Then they heard the clatter of armor again – this time from both sets of stairs.
Dimitri continued to descend and unbolt while they approached. He would use his hands to tear apart anyone who dared touch his professor, but he could not do that while still on the ladder. He wanted the professor to have very little action this time around.
Byleth, meanwhile, was very thankful for the support. He wearily observed both entrances, fatigue clouding his mind all the while. He would have to participate this time, though it was possible Dimitri could manage both sides on his own.
The last of the holdings were removed and Dimitri slid the rest of the way down. He sheathed the bow and collected a spear from one of the dead soldiers. Byleth stayed on his heels, not caring to be separated at the moment.
"If we stay polarized like this, it would force them to have to catch up." Byleth realized, finding it useful to have moved to the stairwell anyway. Dimitri had the idea to ambush them while they were huddled on the stairs. He lunged at them, spear wildly, but controlled, hacking through them and their defenses. He went rabid, a rage that turned him into a cold, thirsty monster.
"Dimitri," Byleth called him back, "Do only what you need to."
The prince blinked, then nodded. The soldiers were enormously outclassed and no more. The next wave finally made it to the hall and wasted no time rushing in, but Dimitri blew past Byleth and met them head-on. He pierced the center man's torso and spun his lance around to gash the next on his backswing. Byleth battled the one who was nearest Dimitri but still unphased by the fierce spear. Byleth shielded Dimitri from a near hit and the professor dueled with unimpressive footwork.
Dimitri came at the professor's opponent from the side and swept him just as easily. Byleth and Dimitri squared one-on-one with the last two survivors, Byleth less than graceful with his footing and Dimitri boorish with his immediate breakthrough his own enemy's line of defense.
Byleth found himself only using his sword to block incoming axe attacks, even though he typically was much faster and agile. If Byleth were alone right now, he would have died several times over . . . again. It was not until he leapt back and felt his ankle roll on the land that Byleth nearly slipped his grip. A sharp pain rose from his ankle and Byleth winced sorely at it.
Dimitri rammed his spear into the axe man's neck, severing it cleanly on his pullback. Blood splattered like a fountain before the rest of his body dropped.
Byleth sighed, both in relief and concern. Dimitri's feral demeanor vanished just as quickly, displaying immediate concern. "Are you alright?" Dimitri asked, giving the professor a look over for injuries.
They were close as Dimitri confirmed that his professor was left unharmed. His professor, who had lied and angered him, but also guided him to the light and had made great strides to uphold the monastery against the Empire. Why were these facts so conflicting?
Dimitri suddenly held Byleth's gaze, looking into the emerald eyes that were once a dark blue. What did he feel? An overpowering answer came to him and Dimitri aggressively leaned in to kiss Byleth, unable to resist those eyes calling out to him. When Byleth did not struggle or stop him, Dimitri dropped the spear and grabbed at the professor's hips with both of his hands, drawing their pelvises together.
"I take it we're going back to my place, then?" Byleth asked when Dimitri came up for air. He felt a rise from both of their trousers, but Byleth kept that information to himself. Dimitri did not answer with a verbal agreement, and carelessly went for another round, attempting a full on make out session, though the professor did not respond so willingly. They were, after all, ambushed several times.
Dimitri ignored it for the moment. It felt so good – so freeing – to finally express his emotions this way; to finally have the professor in his reach. In his hunger, he accidently bit Byleth's lower lip and drew blood.
The only new injury (aside from a rolled ankle) that the professor sustained so far, ironically enough.
Dimitri apologized immediately, "I'm sorry, Byleth, I didn't mean to –" The name slipped without a thought. It was strange – like he had called the professor 'Byleth' before. Only it could not be. "I am sorry. That's your brother's name. I'm not sure why I did that."
The professor chuckled, exhaustion and pain ignored for the moment after that show of affection. Oh. Dimitri remembered alright, but not completely. Those memories were returning in muddle fragments and only caused more confusion to the bemused prince. "You did not misspeak. My name is Byleth."
"But," Dimitri began to protest.
"I do not have a brother. None that I know of, anyway." Byleth explained in the briefest way possible, "I will explain it when we are safe. Let's move this ladder before more reinforcements show."
"But . . . But . . .! Byleth Eisner is dead! Died when he was born!" Dimitri screamed in an outburst of his misunderstanding.
Byleth merely laughed at him, breaking their close proximity and limped to the ladder, "My father lied about a lot of things. Would you put it passed him to fake my death?" That left Dimitri with his mouth hung open. Byleth began to retrieve the ladder and beckoned Dimitri to help.
"You can't just drop that on me and not give me a few moments to process it!" Dimitri shouted.
"If you alert any more trouble to our location," Byleth narrowed his eyes, "I will explain once we are safe. There is a lot – and I mean a lot – of lies left to undo with all of this."
"Why would Jeralt fake your death?" Dimitri asked. The amusement on Byleth's end wore off. They needed to focus on retreating and regrouping.
"He had his reasons and that will take some time to explain. Please, give me a hand with this. Or will I have to do it by myself?"
Dimitri swallowed his confusion for now. He helped Byleth position the ladder and hoist it through the window. It took a few efforts to lower it without hurting either of them and repositioning it so it was manageable; long ladder, long hall, but narrow path left them scrapping the walls more than a handful of times, but they finally fed the unruly long piece of wood through the small hole they had to work with.
On the center balcony, the one hanging above the bridge, the ladder was indeed too long, but that was a better problem than it being too short. They positioned the ladder against the wall and four of the steps rose above the balcony railing.
"Look," Byleth pointed to a wyvern approaching them. Either help saw the smoke rising or an enemy took to the skies – either way, Dimitri readied the bow in case of trouble. They quickly eased once they saw Seteth on the back of the winged beast.
"Report!" He yelled, "What in blazes is going on, here!?"
"Enemies in the cathedral," Dimitri answered, "They blocked the gates. We had to improvise our escape."
"Several dead," Byleth pointed at the lone marksman confirming Dimitri's statement, "We do not know if there are any more intruders."
"Argh!" Seteth exclaimed as if he were pained, "What happened to that window!? That was not in that state of disrepair this morning!"
"The enemy . . . did that." Byleth lied.
"Hmph. Understood. Lower yourselves, I will watch for your safety." As Seteth gave that instruction, Byleth saw many familiar silhouettes near the bridge. The scouts must have made notice of the fire and alerted the class – his trusted students – and the advisor.
Much, much better. The strength of Dimitri made this ordeal doable. The strength of all his trusted members would completely overturn those horrible events. Dimitri climbed partway down first, then descended slowly to keep an eye on Byleth's steadiness.
Do not fall, Dimitri repeated over and over in his head.
There was a minor tremor from the ground. Perhaps they both just imagined it? It was light. Then a few more. They were not nearly close enough the ground for an earthquake to erupt.
"That can't be?" Byleth questioned. An earthquake fit nowhere in the undone timeline, though the approaching thunderstorm did. If it was not a natural disaster that awaited them, then the source of that quake could only mean a large beast was approaching. That was also an event that specifically did not happen – though if they were becoming desperate . . .
Then they were in trouble again and also in the worst possible position. Were they outsmarted? How? The shockwaves that came next rattled the ladder, once again upsetting Byleth's vertigo. The sky spun around him and the earth lurched below.
Do not fall. Byleth ordered himself, though he could also apply it to the ladder as well. Had it toppled sideways, all that Dimitri and Byleth did were for not, lost at the bottom of both a torrent and sharp rocks that could shred them.
Seteth noticed this alarming occurrence and lowered his wyvern to them, "I can carry only one of you."
"Take him," Dimitri said. He could slide down this just as fast. Before Byleth could object, he felt the giant claws very gently pick him up and carry him toward safety. Dimitri propelled himself to the bottom and ran to his friends and comrades. Partway, the demonic beast ripped open the gates and busted through the opening, puncturing a hole through the hall and balcony Byleth and Dimitri just escaped from.
The Blue Lions went to join Dimitri, fearlessly fighting off the beast as they learned to do so after many encounters. They were not phased by the sight anymore, Byleth observed. When Seteth lowered Byleth, he stopped the professor, "Wait. You are injured, correct? Leave this to us."
"But my students," He began to say.
"I will aid them. They are strong and you know it. They are more than just your students now, professor. Alois, guide the professor to the audience chamber. Gilbert is already checking everywhere else for signs of foul play. You need not worry, professor."
"A-Alright." Byleth sighed, feeling the decline once more. He could not rest, though, knowing his closest friends were fighting one of those creatures.
"My orders are to take you to safety," Alois reiterated once Seteth soared into action.
"I know. I know." Byleth watched the coordinated assault. There was nothing to fear. They could handle themselves . . . they were no strangers to this, after all.
Byleth refused to move. His body would not let him.
"Professor." Alois said, though he understood Byleth's hesitancy. "The Goddess will watch over them."
'No.' Byleth thought. 'The Goddess is with me. I am now her. She cannot watch after them if I avert my eyes now.'
They broke through the demonic beast's protective shell. It whined, loud enough for the entire monastery to have heard it. Alois patted Byleth on the back and said, "You see? They know what they're doing, son! Let's just get you somewhere safe."
"Sir!" A soldier ran up to them, "I have a report for you!"
"What is it?" Alois said. Something about this soldier seemed familiar. Too familiar.
Alois was taken by a surprise throwing axe from the bushes, hitting him squarely in the center of his heavy armor. Luckily, it only dazed Alois but the soldier went to impale the knight before the shock wore off. Byleth responded in kind, using his fire magic to tranquilize them both for Alois to recover and end the soldier.
Magic. It was draining Byleth. He felt like his body would drop again. He could not register what Alois did next, nor could he hear what was happening with the beast behind them. Byleth's body finally caved and he felt himself falling forward.