"Sorry. I promised to give you Felix's past but instead told you mine."

Iris said as we reached halfway to our destination.

It was an arduous climb. I lost count of how often I slipped and almost tumbled down the mountain.

And then there were the near-endless wild ardimals keen on having my beautiful face for dinner.

Incarni! A gorgeous guy can't catch a break, can he?

I glanced up at Iris. Her story still lingered in my mind.

This girl's suffering during her childhood was worse than Mordred's.

I couldn't help but be disgusted by her brother's actions. Hunting humans, that too their sister...

How despicable.

In my past life, I'd witnessed cruel lords hunting down humans for sport, making it a sickening festival.

I really enjoyed introducing their face to my sword.

But in this futuristic world, I'd hoped such barbarism would be long gone.

I sighed. Humans remain the same regardless of the world or time period.

"So. Felix requested you tell me his past?" I asked.

Iris nodded, turning around. "It was one of his last requests."

"So hit me with it," I said, meeting her eyes.

Iris furrowed her brow, "You sure you want to hear another somber story after listening to mine?"

"Well. His past can't be as bad as yours," I shrugged. "He was not messed up like you."

"Yeah. That's true," she bobbed her head. "Let's talk while we climb."

"So Felix was the youngest of the Valions. That is why he's in the Shield," she gave me a knowing look.

I just gave her a baffled stare. "Yeah? Am I supposed to be aware of that?"

She looked at me like I just landed on Asteris from outer space.

"What the hell? You don't know the Valions? I knew them and I lived in a bloody attic!", she was at a loss of words.

"Were you living under a rock?"

"A rather opulent rock called the Dawn Palace," I clarified.

"Not helping, Your Highness!"

Iris sighed, pressing her fingers to her forehead. "Oh Incarni. I refuse to believe that the second High Prince is ignorant of what is happening outside the bloody Dawn Palace."

"My servants didn't really give me newspapers, so I'm quite behind in world affairs," I admitted.

"That makes sense," she crossed her arms, "So the Vallions were an Axial Family and used to rule what's now the Sleveria Duchy."

"Felix was the youngest and he had a good life. Amazing older sisters, loving parents, even a loving girlfriend."

"Jasper," I said.

Iris nodded, "Duke Valion was a well-respected man and quite powerful."

"But he wasn't strong enough to stop the fall of his family by the hands of the Sleverias who were a family under the Valions."

Her eyes darkened. "Felix's whole family was killed, and he was taken prisoner."

I suddenly remembered Felix's words about his sisters.

So that's what he meant.

"The Sleverias were hell-bent on eliminating the people close to the Valions. Unfortunately, that included Jasper," Iris continued.

"But just as they were about to kill her in front of Felix, he proposed a deal."

"A deal?" I raised an eyebrow, feeling a sense of unease.

"Felix would become a Deathwalker in exchange for Jasper's freedom and safety," Iris stated.

"After serving his sentence, they were to leave him and Jasper alone. If Felix ever died, they still must leave Jasper alone and not harm her in any way possible."

"Looks like the latter happened," I noted bitterly.

Iris's eyes were downcast, "Yeah."

My eyes narrowed as I looked at her. "But the Sleverias are a powerful family and they are not exactly saints. They could disregard the deal entirely."

She smirked. "Not if the deal was made in the presence of the High King."

I stared dumbfounded. "What? You mean His Majesty?"

Iris nodded, "The Vallions were good friends with the Pendragons. Felix called in a favor with your father and the High King agreed to be a witness."

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"He even bestowed royal protection over Jasper."

"And recent history has taught us that if one messed with a person under the High King's protection. Things would get rather bloody."

She shrugged. "His Majesty may be a strict ruler and a douchy dad but he is a man of honor."

"Good for him, I guess," I grumbled.

Iris chuckled and shook her head, "Daddy issues. I swear."

And so we continued on our way.

After another hour of climbing, fighting more bloodthirsty ardimals, and preventing Iris from taking more wrong turns, we finally reached the woods where we got lost the first time.

Even better. We are now at the edge of Minerva's teleportation range.

A bit more distance and she will be able to green flash our cold asses back into the Shield.

Hold up.

"The color of Locus is silver. Why is there a green flash when Minerva teleports us?" I wondered aloud.

"Oh, that's an after-effect of the code," Iris explained. "As I told you, it's a vastly complex code, so there are bound to be some ripples as a result of its execution."

"Plus," she added with a playful smile, "It makes things more dramatic."

"Great," I muttered, "An AI with a flair for the dramatic. I feel reassured by her presence."

Iris laughed. It was a genuine, infectious sound that cut through the tension.

"Maybe you are a little funny," she teased.

I was about to retort how hilarious I was when I suddenly tripped and face-planted into the snow.

Iris lost it.

"Oh, Incarni! That was hilarious!" she exclaimed. "Listen, if you survive your sentence, you should definitely take up a career as a comedian. Or something better, a jester!" She laughed uncontrollably.

Grumbling, I picked myself up from the snow. Brushing off the snow from my shoulders, I glanced at what I tripped on and my jaw hit the floor.

"No way," I muttered and brushed off the snow, revealing a twisted horn that looked like an icicle.

Iris finally stopped laughing and noticed me kneeling and brushing away the snow.

"What is it?" she asked and stopped in her tracks. "No fucking way," she said and her lips crept into a smile.

"Is that what I think it is?"

I nodded, a baffled smile on my face. "Looks like your black bolt from back then didn't just hit the side of the mountain."

Excitedly, she came beside me and together we cleared the accumulated snow.

"What a weird fortune," I remarked as I gazed down at the fully grown Glacial Hornbear, dead and preserved by the freezing snow.

"So," we looked at each other. "Who's going to carry it?"

Iris raised an eyebrow. "You were the one who provoked me."

"You were the one who shot the damn bolt," I countered.

"Well? Who made me shoot it in the first place?"

We bickered like this for some time and before things got violent I proposed a round of rock paper scissors.

"Alright. Let's do this!", Iris smacked her lips and clenched her fist.

We both yelled.

"Rock! Paper! Scissors!"

"DAMNIT!"

*******

"So you beat the Fairy of Tenebris in rock paper scissors and made her carry the corpse of a full-grown Pookie Bear?" Dorothy's face was a mixture of shock and awe.

"My, you're quite good at dealing with fiery ladies," she remarked with a sly smile.

I gave her a flustered smile as her dreamy eyes captivated me.

It had been a day since our hunt.

Many eyebrows were raised when we arrived in the Shield covered in blood and Iris carrying a Pookie Bear corpse with a grumpy expression.

And that's how I spent the first night of getting a new room and a roommate. By sleeping on the floor despite there being two beds.

Iris had dumped the Pookie Bear corpse on my bed.

I sighed, "I swear, That girl is just plain unhinged."

Dorothy didn't respond. Instead, her gaze shifted past my shoulder, her sly smile remaining on her beautiful face.

"She is behind me. Isn't she?" I asked.

Dorothy nodded.

"Yep. And I am having the funny urge to unhinge your jaw," Iris's voice made me turn around.

She looked stunning in her Deathwalker uniform and her deep blue eyes glittered with mischief.

The blue ends of her hair looked brighter than usual.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I was trying to find my way after submitting the Pookie bear corpse and saw you in Lorvar's. That's when I remembered that I needed to sharpen my daggers." Iris answered.

She tilted her head, "But what are you doing here?"

I turned my gaze from her to the beautiful shop owner. "Dorothy asked me to come here. She didn't delve into much detail."

"So what it is?" I asked the teal-eyed beauty.

Her expression softened and her smile turned melancholic.

"Ah yes. Someone left a special gift for you, Mordred."

"Who?" I asked, intrigued.

Even Iris was curious as she stood beside me.

Dorothy cast her eyes down, "Felix."

"Ah. I see," my heart throbbed from a sting that had become quite familiar now.

"What is it?" Iris asked, her voice more mellow than before.

Dorothy bent down and disappeared behind the counter. She reemerged holding something long covered in a black velvet cloth.

"He wanted you to have it. Even paid for the materials," she said as she unwrapped the mystery object.

"Whoa," My breath was taken away as I gazed at the ebony-colored bow. It had a sleek and aerodynamic design, emphasizing both form and function.

Its limbs curved gracefully with intricate silver patterns and runes etched on the edges.

The grip was wrapped in a black velvety grip that feels comfortable to the touch and the string felt taut and quite strong.

"By the Incarni," Iris's blue eyes hovered over the bow, and she traced her finger along its ebony-colored limbs.

"Is this Nightwood?", she asked, her eyes wide with awe.

Dorothy nodded with a small smile. "Nightwood and state-of-the-art carbon fiber. The bowstring is made from a durable and flexible nanomaterial, enhancing its overall strength and resilience."

"The string can absorb blood and amplify the power along with imbuing the arrows with blood. Perfect for Haema warlocks."

"A built-in holographic sight provides accurate readings, no matter the environment or time of the day."

"It has a silent release mechanism, perfect for stealthy shots. A sequence of runes carved into the limbs ensures quick amplification and application of ardor into the arrows."

"Overall. A pretty sweet weapon of destruction," Dorothy remarked, "My old man had a hell of a time crafting this baby."

I was speechless. Felix prepared something this amazing. What did I ever do for him except scream at his dead body?

Guilt and sadness gnawed at me, and I bit my lip. This was his final gift to me, one that would give me a chance to survive in this hell.

"Thank you, Felix," I choked on my words and then looked at a teary-eyed Dorothy. "Thank you."

She smiled and wiped her tears. "I'm just fulfilling his final wish."

There was a heavy silence for a moment which was broken by Iris.

"I hope you are proficient with a bow, Your Highness. We have a battle scheduled today and I have no idea when we'll be called."

I blinked, my sadness and longing replaced by confusion.

"What do you mean scheduled? Also, just call me Mordred, now that we are roommates."

She smiled. "Fine Mordred. You are now part of Unit 21 and we're gonna go for battle soon enough."

"What?" me and Dorothy chorused, looking at the Fairy of Tenebris in shock.

"You're now a member of Unit 21?" Dorothy turned to me, her teal eyes widened in surprise.

"I am?" I asked back.

Iris smirked. "Yes, you are."

"Oh Incarni," Dorothy sank into her chair and shook her head. "Now I feel bad for you."

Somewhat disturbed by her look of pity I asked, "Why?"

"Why? Mordred. Unit 21 contains powerful Deathwalkers who are also the most unhinged in the Shield," she replied.

My eyes went over to Iris who nodded with a wide grin. "Yep! Welcome to the Lunatics, Mordred!"

Just then, the daemon alarm blared around us. Mine and Iris's bracelets started blinking rapidly.

"Oh, that's just fantastic!" I swore.

Dorothy quickly brought out a quiver full of black arrows and tossed it to me. I caught them and put them along with the bow into my bracelet.

"Don't you bloody die!" Dorothy crossed her arms and yelled over the blaring alarm.

I nodded and looked at Iris who looked quite excited.

"This is going to be fun!", she declared.

I couldn't help but smile.

"You don't say."