Deathwalkers

Bloody Massive.

Now that I am standing in front of the Shield, I am overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the structure that is taking up my entire field of vision.

It just keeps on rising into the sky, a colossal black wall that went for kilometers on both sides. I could see many cameras dotted along the wall and guards staring straight ahead.

The main entrance to the Shield consists of huge black double doors, each at least 5 meters tall. In the middle, they bear the insignia of the Pendragon royal family.

A draconian serpent biting its tail, forming a ring.

An ouroboros. It symbolizes the eternal rule and absolute power of the Pendragons.

I looked at the insignia. It is the symbol of the family that I am now a part of, a family of the person who never acknowledged me in my previous life and the one who ignores my very existence in this new life.

It may be a design, but I feel intimidated by the serpent. I can feel its eye staring at me as if gauging whether I am a true Pendragon.

As I was getting the evil eye from a symbol, the young man whom Kay had just spoken to approached me, his cyan-colored hair swaying in the wind.

"Hey there! I am Felix Valion. It's an honor to meet you, Your Highness."

The young man greeted me with a smile and an enthusiastic handshake as he led me toward the main door of the Shield. He has to be the first person who ever saw me as a Prince.

Sure, Gawain loves me as a brother and Queen Guinevere is nice to me but this is different. This kid named Felix sees me as the second prince of the Pendragons.

I have no idea how to respond to this enthusiasm, "Uh. Same to you, Mr. Felix.", I said with a nervous smile.

Felix chuckled, his bright green eyes twinkling with mischief, "Just call me Felix. I'm only a few years older than you."

He is a tall young man with a slim figure and fair skin. I noticed his hands were scarred and rough.

Despite the near-freezing cold of Les Anciennes, he wore a crimson full-sleeved high-waist jacket over a full-sleeve black vest, a combat belt with spaces for daggers and swords, black slacks with crimson accents, and black combat boots.

I noticed two black stripes on the left sleeve of his jacket.

Wow. If this is the uniform of the Shield, then I must say that Kay has good taste in fashion.

Felix noticed me looking at his uniform and gave a smile, "If you're wondering how I am fine in this cold, Deathwalker uniforms are heavily enchanted."

"They are highly durable, although not on par with armors used by knights, they'll make sure to keep you alive. They have good resistance against ardor attacks, regulate temperature and they are auto-fitting."

"And the best part? They're even self-cleaning! So you don't have to worry about cleaning blood off your uniform after every battle.", he said those grim words with the most cheerful smile.

"Okay? That sounds reassuring.", I said, my confidence level decreasing along with the temperature.

Felix placed a hand on his chest, "I'll be your guide in the Shield and will help you get ready for today's battle."

I was taken aback, "Today? I have to fight immediately?"

He gave a sympathetic smile, "Sadly, yes. All recruits are to be on the battlefield as soon as they step foot in the Shield."

"We receive recruits every week and most of them arrive in batches. They are given a briefing by a high-ranking Deathwalker and are led to processing. After that they are sent to the other side.", Felix explained.

He continued, "There are also recruits like you who arrive individually, usually from important families or talented individuals or both.

For them, a well-experienced Deathwalker becomes a guide and helps them through processing and sends them to the battlefield."

I nodded half-heartedly. I already don't like the sound of 'processing'.

Felix looked at me expectedly, "You look like you have a lot of questions"

"Yes. A lot.", I replied.

"Fire away."

"What do you mean by Deathwalkers?", I asked as we stopped in front of the main doors.

"That's what we are called, your Highness.", Felix replied.

"What do you mean by that?"

He shrugged and said, "We're the ones who venture beyond the wall, risking our lives to protect the world from the dangers of the Tear. That's why we are called Deathwalkers. We literally walk toward Death."

"Deathwalkers.", I said, "That sounds cool."

Felix nodded with a smile, "I know, right?"

The huge doors slowly slid open but before we entered something caught my eye.

On the airfield, I saw two aircarriers. One was smaller than the other and the storage areas of both were getting loaded with long black boxes.

An uneasy feeling swept over me as I noticed the identical nature of those boxes and the sheer number of them.

Surely they can't be...

"Hey, Felix.", I called out to the young man. "What is it, your Highness?", he asked with a smile and noticed where I was pointing at.

"Are those?", I looked at him. His smile had vanished into a grim look.

He nodded, "Yes, your Highness. Those are the remains of fallen Deathwalkers."

Dread enveloped me as the workers finished loading the black caskets into the bigger craft and moved away as its huge engines powered up.

"That's a lot of caskets.", I said, unable to process the words.

Felix took a deep breath, "They were the ones who fought yesterday."

I just stared at him in disbelief, "You're joking, right?"

He sighed and gave a sad smile, "I wish I was. This is our reality, your Highness."

He nodded to the craft that was slowly getting off the ground, "That is Charon 1, it is used to transport the dead to the Tomb."

"The what?"

Felix pointed to a mountain a good distance away from the valley. It was partially concealed by the clouds, giving it an eerie look.

"Engineers and Terra warlocks worked together to hollow out that mountain to form the Tomb, a facility to bury or cremate fallen Deathwalkers."

I looked at the Tomb with a curious expression. If I die, will my body be taken by the royal family or will I be loaded onto that craft and taken for burial in that cold mountain?

"Their remains aren't sent to their families?", I asked Felix.

"Well, most Deathwalkers in the Shield are orphans and those abandoned by their families. They are taken to the Tomb."

"For those with families, we inform them of their loved one's demise. If the family wishes to bury the fallen themselves, we send the casket to them. If they prefer the Deathwalker to rest in the Tomb, we honor their request.", he explained.

A lump formed in my throat. An entire mountain had to be carved to bury the dead. The death toll is ridiculous. Just how dangerous is the Tear?

Felix nodded to the second craft, "That is Charon 2. We use that to transport fallen Deathwalkers to their families."

The feeling of dread worsened in me. The urge to flee this place screaming like a little kid grew stronger.

Unfortunately, the main doors opened and warm air rushed over me.

"Shall we enter, your Highness?", Felix asked me, looking at my expression. I must be looking quite scared to him right now.

To enter or not to enter?

Unfortunately, In the end, I don't have a choice.

I took a deep breath to calm myself down. The air felt like tiny icicles assaulting my mouth but it calmed me down and the chill distracted me.

I nodded, "Alright. Let's get in. Also, please call me Mordred."

"But your Highness..", he started to speak but I stopped him.

"It's fine. Besides.", I gave a small smile, "You allowed me to call you Felix. didn't you?"

He was taken aback by my response for a moment before he broke into a smile, "Very well. Nice to meet you, Mordred."

He held out his hand and I shook it for the second time. This is the first time someone other than Gawain was so friendly with me and he also seems like a genuine guy.

I wonder. Could this be the first friend I make in this world?

"Now then, Mordred.", Felix turned around, "The commander has already welcomed you but on behalf of the Deathwalkers. I welcome you to the Shield."