Quick note; I've got a friend of mine, Vixen, helping me with the Latin in this. Since she's far more fluent than I am, Old Norse is more my specialty, it should be more accurate from this point forth.
Ozpin took periodic sips of his coffee as he reviewed the security footage from the previous night. He'd been awoken by a call from the academy's chief of security, Edward, about an attempted escape on Rapax's part, resulting in the brutal deaths of five employees. However, Edward had said that the whole situation was very suspicious, as a handful of the guards acted like they were covering something up. Not only that, but he'd caught one of them attempting to tamper with the security footage, clearly unaware backups were automatically saved directly to Ozpin's computer. And, watching the footage and listening to the conversation that had been picked up, he knew he had to do something.
The tapes revealed a group of corrupt guards plotting to murder Rapax and sell his belongings in the underbelly of Vale. However, they severely underestimated the Centurion, as he quickly overpowered and killed most of the group, only two having survived the scuffle. But what caught Ozpin's eye wasn't quite the fight itself, though he was admittedly impressed by Rapax's combat prowess, but what happened precisely afterward. He had the perfect opportunity to escape, but instead of doing so, he immediately dropped his weapon and surrendered, giving himself over to the guards he'd just been fighting moments prior.
While the immortal Headmaster wished Rapax hadn't gone to such lethal measures, he was entirely within his right to defend himself. If anything, his surrendering revealed his intentions far more than the fight ever could. But, he'd made it clear he cared little for Ozpin's opinion. The only one he seemed to care even a little about was Summer, the woman sitting in his office watching the tapes on her Scroll. She was walking much more effortlessly than yesterday, as her Aura had regenerated and begun rapidly healing her wounds overnight. Qrow was unable to join them as he had important business to finish outside the city. That, and he never liked being in one place for too long due to his Semblance.
"He didn't have to kill them." She muttered, clearly conflicted about the whole situation. She agreed with Ozpin, as she believed he was right to fight back against his aggressors, but the relentless brutality he displayed unnerved her.
"Has this changed your decision to accept his offer?" He asked, snapping her out of her stupor.
"N-no! No." She quickly replied. "I just… I don't know. I already knew he wasn't against killing his enemies, but this just seems excessive."
"Look at this from his point of view." He began, seeking to ease his former pupil's mind. "If he and Ylfur are to be believed, they are soldiers hailing from a world embroiled in a brutal war, not too unlike what Remnant went through not so long ago." Summer nodded, her concerned look softening somewhat.
"I know where they're from, and I understand it's hard for soldiers to get out of that kind of mentality. But this just makes me wonder what kind of war he was in that trained him to fight and… kill like that."
"A vicious one," Ozpin said, remembering his previous lives. He'd seen ancient combat before guns were even conceived. They were excessively violent and harsh, warriors brutalizing each other with whatever weapons they could get their hands on. When Ozpin watched the footage, he didn't see a sadistic murderer taking pleasure in his actions. He saw a soldier trained to kill being thrust into a dangerous situation and reacting accordingly.
"In any case, today is the day we put him to the test," Ozpin said as he stood.
"Right." Summer followed suit. "Do you have his Scroll ready?"
"Yes. We will get him outfitted and have him sent out to retrieve Strawberry." Summer sighed with relief at the mentioning of her beloved weapon. It was a staff with a scythe blade on either end. It was far simpler than Qrow's weapon, Harbinger, but she preferred it that way.
"I'd like him out as soon as possible. I don't like the idea of some random wanderer finding Strawberry and taking her."
X
Rapax was led through the halls once again, a fresh set of clean clothes, not a jumpsuit, having been given to him after the previous night's… events. Strangely, there was only one guard accompanying him and, judging by his mannerisms, he was a new hire. Interesting.
The guard led him into a room labeled "Contraband," the walls lined with tall metal shelves. They were utterly barren, all aside from his armor and shortsword sitting near the back of the room. Standing in the center were Ozpin and Summer Rose. The woman he had attempted to kill. The guard left before Ozpin spoke.
"Ah, there you are." Ozpin greeted with a smile, his signature cup absent from his hand.
"Ms. Rose, your injuries have healed." Rapax pointed out, noticing the lack of bandaging and her ease of walking.
"The wonders of Aura." She said, still nervous being in the same room as him.
"I am glad for this." He said with a slight bow of his head before turning his attention to the Headmaster. "Why am I here?" He had a pretty good idea, but he couldn't be sure just yet.
"Young Ms. Rose has made her decision." Ozpin began, indicating for the woman in question to continue. Rapax tensed up as she approached and, unexpectedly, produced a key from her pocket.
"I accept your offer." She stated before unlocking his handcuffs. He rubbed his wrists, getting the blood flowing once again. Though he tried to hide it, his relief was apparent to those present. His quiet sigh and the way his shoulders relaxed were dead giveaways.
"You are free to retrieve your equipment," Ozpin said, indicating to the golden armor on the shelf. Rapax moved to it before picking up the helmet placed on top and inspecting it. It was clean of any damage and even looked to have been wiped down recently. He examined the rest of the armor before donning it, starting by strapping the shin guards to his legs, then the cuirass shaped to resemble his toned chest. Then finally, once his gauntlets had been secured, he clipped to his back his cape bearing the visage of an eagle, the symbol of the Great Empire from which he hailed.
With his gladius sheathed at his hip and his helmet clipped to his belt, he turned back to his former captors, now allies.
"I am ready to take the oath." He said as he approached Summer. She looked somewhat nervous and unsure of what to do.
"Is there anything I should do, or…?" She asked, but Rapax shook his head.
"No, it is to be performed alone." He drew his blade in a reverse grip before placing his armored fist over his heart and kneeling before Summer, head bowed.
"On this day, I, Rapax, Centurion of the Great Empire and son of Amarantus the Stoic, hereby pledge my life and blade to Summer Rose. From this day forth, I shall obey her will until the day she deems my debt to her paid. With strength and steel, I will defend the lives of her and her kin, even should it bring about the end of my own. I will be hers to command, for good or ill, towards whatever purpose she sees fit. And should I break this oath, my life will be forfeit, and may my soul be forever cast into the void. Iurant autem milites omnia se strenue facturos quae praeceperit Summer Rose, numquam deserturos militiam nec mortem recusaturos pro rosa."
With that, Rapax rose to his feet and sheathed his gladius, gaze resolute.
"My life is yours to command. What would you have me do, my Mistress?"
"Um, well, I need you to go out into the Emerald Forest and get my weapon back." She asked, and he nodded.
"Before you go," Ozpin interrupted, "take this." He reached his hand into his pocket and withdrew a pair of small metal cylinders attached through unseen means before handing it to Rapax. "Open it."
Doing as he was told, he was surprised to see not parchment, but what looked like glass. Soon after, the glass came to life, alight with various icons and labels on what was what. Luckily, his father taught him to be fluent in English, and since this world seemed to use the same language, it was easy to discern most of what was happening.
"What is this device?" He asked.
"A Scroll. It has many uses, but you only need to know one. Can you read the text?" He asked.
"Yes. My father taught me English extensively, a language you seem to use as well."
"We call it Common here, but it's good you know it. Ylfur wasn't so fortunate." Rapax had a comment but held his tongue, as it would only cause unnecessary tension. "Tap your finger on the icon beneath 'Messages.'" He spotted the icon, a series of four bent lines of varying lengths fanning upwards. Doing so, he was brought to a short list containing only two names; Summer and Ozpin. Tapping Summer's name, a black screen popped up with her name at the top and an arrangement of letters and punctuation at the bottom. He quickly put two and two together.
"Instantaneous messages?" He asked, Ozpin nodding.
"Your Scroll is already connected to mine and Summer's, allowing you to communicate with us quickly from anywhere within the range of the CCT Tower here at Beacon." Ozpin briefly explained. "When you find Summer's weapon, Strawberry, tell her before returning. And should you encounter trouble you can't handle alone, tell me, and I will send help."
"Understood." Rapax rolled it up and tucked it into one of his pouches. Remembering what happened to Summer's Scroll, he made a mental note to add padding to his pouches to prevent his new Scroll from breaking. "When will I be leaving?"
"Whenever you feel ready, though the sooner, the better."
"I would like to leave immediately." He'd had lunch not long before being summoned, so he was operating on a full stomach.
"Excellent. A Bullhead will drop you off at the edge of the forest, where you'll make your way to where Summer was attacked. If you'll follow me." Ozpin began walking towards the exit, Rapax and Summer in tow.
As they walked through the halls of the academy basement, they eventually reached the elevator. Rapax had already been inside before, so he knew what to expect. The route back to the Bullhead dock was made in slightly tense silence, as he could still detect Summer's wariness of him. It was understandable, and he would have to work to earn her trust.
Nothing noteworthy happened on the way back, as he'd already seen the architecture on the way in. It was impressive, he had to admit. When they finally arrived, Rapax bade them farewell before boarding the flying vessel. After strapping himself in, the Bullhead took off, and he was on his way.
Looking out the window, he couldn't help but gaze at the rushing sea of green beneath him. It was only grass for the moment, but there was the occasional tree. Far off in the distance, he could make out what looked to be a vast, sprawling city, even larger than the Iron Legion Capitol. Perhaps he would walk its streets someday. But those were thoughts for later.
"We're approaching the dropzone. Get your gear ready." The pilot called from the cockpit. Giving his gladius and pugio one last check, he donned his helmet and determined he was ready. The Bullhead neared the ground, opening its hatch as it descended. Once it touched down, Rapax disembarked, and no sooner had he done so, the pilot took off again, heading back towards Beacon.
Looking around, Rapax recognized the clearing. It was where he and Ylfur had last fought, the signs of battle still there. The broken tree he'd been launched into, the torn-up dirt that'd been kicked up in the scuffle. He knew the way back from here.
Setting off, he traveled through the green forest. The sounds of nature surrounded him, only interrupted by the light clinking of his armor and the crunching of foliage under his boots. Sunshine leaked through gaps in the canopy, bathing the surrounding area in soft golden light. It was a shame he didn't get to do this often back in Heathmoor, as he was always busy planning or carrying out attacks. He'd always had felt at ease when in nature, something instilled in him by his mother.
X
"Be gentle with him, Rapax," Gratia said as she handed her son a tiny mouse. The young boy hesitated, holding his hands close to his chest, unsure what to do.
"What if it bites me, mother?" He asked, but the older woman simply smiled.
"Do not fear him, my little sun shard. He is harmless." She gently unfurled his hands and put some seeds and grain in his palms. The small grey creature perked up and hopped from Gratia's hands to Rapax's, startling him. His instincts told him to drop the rodent, but he resisted, watching it closely. It sniffed the food before beginning to eat, taking care not to nip the skin beneath. Gratia giggled as she saw the wonder in her son's face.
"See? There is no need to worry." Once it finished, it stretched before curled up in his hands and falling asleep, breathing softly. Gratia picked it up, careful not to wake it, and began gently stroking its ears. It squeaked pleasantly, remaining still.
"Here, you try." She took Rapax's hand and guided it to the small furry creature. He ran his finger along its back as soft as he could, coaxing the same squeak out of it. He looked up at his mother, a broad smile on his face.
The sun shone behind her, her long, dark hair framing her kind face. She loved showing her little sun shard the beauty in nature. It gave her an excuse to get out of the house and wander the gardens, nurturing the softer side of Rapax. Though he'd made it clear he wanted to be a Centurion when he was of age, she didn't want his heart to be as cold as his armor would be. Luckily, it seemed to be working.
She gently roused the sleeping mouse and set it on the ground, where it scampered away into the greenery. "Come." She said as she stood, holding her boy's hand. "It's almost time for your lessons with father." Rapax groaned at this.
"But mother, I want to stay outside with you." He pouted. She chuckled before lightly ruffling his hair, dark as hers.
"You wish to become a Centurion, yes?" He nodded. "Then you need to take your lessons seriously. A Centurion that cannot lead is no Centurion at all." He sighed before hanging his head low.
"Yes, mother." She smiled at this.
"Good. If you do well, I will take you to the market to buy sweets." That renewed his vigor as his eyes lit up and he hurried back to the house. She watched as he went, hopeful of the man he would grow up to become. Something caught her eye from above. Turning her gaze upwards, she saw her husband, Amarantus, watching from a balcony. Even through his beard, she could see the soft smile on his face. He nodded at her before turning back inside, likely to prepare for Rapax's lessons.
X
Rapax shook off the memories of his mother. They would do nothing but distract him from what he'd been ordered to do.
If my mother could see me now, she wouldn't even recognize me.
He'd arrived back at the hill he'd initially attacked Summer. The memories shamed him, but he suppressed them. He knew the path back to the place he fought the scorpion man at, but the problem was the trek was rather far. The best he could do was continue the journey on foot and hope he came across a sufficiently sized Dire Wo- Beowolf to use for transport.
Strangely enough, despite walking for most of the day, he felt little in the way of fatigue, as if he'd only just begun. Perhaps increased stamina was another effect of Aura? Possibly, but he would have to ask Ozpin about it upon his return to Beacon.
As he continued forward, he thought back to the Warlord who had come with him; Ylfur was his name. Ozpin will have undoubtedly recruited the warrior. Rapax was not ashamed to admit he was a strong fighter, especially with his Semblance, so the Headmaster would have to be a fool to turn him out. He wondered what sort of work he'd be doing? Likely nothing that involved any kind of subtlety.
X
Ylfur twisted the Boarbatusk's neck at an unnatural angle, silencing its squealing with a crack, before tossing the lifeless corpse to the side. He turned his attention to the classroom seats, where Ozpin and some of his staff were determining his combat ability. Ozpin had brought him, Glynda, and two other teachers he had not yet met, Bartholomew Oobleck and Peter Port.
"Is that all?!" He shouted as he raised his arms into the air, Semblance alight. He had slain multiple captured Grimm, including an Alpha Beowolf, by himself. His sword and shield had been knocked out of his hands by the Boarbatusk when it unexpectedly rolled at him. So he just used his fists.
"Ha! Good show!" Peter hollered back, laughing and clapping all the while.
"Fascinating. Something about the act of battle fuels his Semblance, but what?" Bartholomew asked no one in particular. "I would also like to question him about his culture. I've never heard of anything like it."
"Maybe some other time," Ylfur said as he picked up his sword and shield, clipping them to his hip and back, respectively.
"Indeed. I have something I need our new friend to do before you can question him." Ozpin said as he stood up, his colleagues following suit.
"You must have many tales from your clan, and I would love to hear them!" Peter said before giving his farewell and exiting the classroom, Oobleck following shortly afterward. A short pause followed as Ozpin watched the door they'd left through.
"Do they know?" Ylfur asked.
"No. They think you come from an isolationist tribe that's been surviving on a hidden island far to the north of Atlas." Ozpin informed him.
"Does anyone outside Beacon know?" Again, Ozpin shook his head.
"The Vale Council isn't even aware of your existence, and I've made sure it stays that way, at least for now. But enough of that, there's something I need you to do."
"And that is?" Ozpin beckoned for him to follow outside the classroom. As they walked through the empty halls, they talked.
"It's nothing serious. Summer is returning home to see her family, and after the ordeal she's gone through, she wants to spend more time with them."
"Aye." Ylfur nodded. "Understandable. I'm guessing in this line of work, life expectancy isn't exactly high."
"Correct, for the most part. She wishes for you to visit. Her husband, Taiyang, is eager to meet you, as are her daughters, Ruby and Yang." Ylfur quirked a brow at that.
"Taiyang?" He asked with some recognition.
"Yes, do you know that name?"
"Somewhat. One of the other factions from back home, the Wu Lin, were a general group of warriors hailing from a place I think was called China. Whether they were exiles or left on their own to find their fortune, every warrior had different motivations. One of them, a Shaolin named Taiyang, threw his lot in with us." This had Ozpin's interest. Obviously, Summer's husband wasn't from Ylfur's world, but it was interesting he shared a name from someone there.
"Oh? And what became of him?" He inquired.
"He fought alongside us for a little over two years. I wasn't there for this, but I got word later he'd died defending a fishing village from a large group of bandits. He held them off while the people living there fled to a nearby fort." He sighed with a slight smile on his face as if he recalled a pleasant memory. "Even if he didn't believe in the Gods, I know Odin saved him a spot in Valöll. If it hadn't been for him and his insane skill with what was pretty much a glorified stick, a lot of innocent people would've died." He chuckled a bit at that.
"You say there was a fort nearby. Were they not able to send help to the village?"
"Normally, yes. But they'd just sent the majority of their men to help with a siege, so they only had enough to keep the fort secure. The bandits knew this and attacked the village under their protection, knowing there wasn't anybody to defend them." He scowled. "Cowards, the lot of them. But enough of that. When am I heading out?"
"In a few hours. The Bullhead is fueling up, and you will be on your way to the island of Patch, where they live. In the meantime." Ozpin reached into his pocket and produced a small device. "This will be your Scroll. It is a device you can use to communicate with us. Due to your inability to read Common, I've enabled a feature allowing you to have the Scroll read what the words say. Simply highlight what you want read by holding your finger on the words to light them up in blue. Then tap the speaker symbol."
Ylfur opened the device up, glad he finally got one. He started testing the text-to-speech almost immediately, learning where everything was. He wasn't entering the apps, just figuring out what was where. It was somewhat humorous seeing such a mighty warrior learning to use technology. After a moment, he sighed and tucked it away into one of his pouches.
"I'll fiddle with it on the way to Patch. Thanks for this."
"You're very welcome. Now, in the meantime, there's work to be done. Give Taiyang my regards when you see him." With that, he nodded before heading off back to his office. Ylfur was about to leave as well when he realized something.
"Where's the Bullhead dock?" He muttered to himself.
X
Taiyang watched from the window of his kitchen as Yang and Ruby played in the backyard. Yang had played sick the day before to avoid doing chores and unintentionally preventing him from seeing Summer in the Beacon infirmary. As punishment, she wasn't allowed to hang out with friends for a few days.
He'd heard all about what happened to Summer in the Emerald Forest, especially the encounters with the strange warriors, Ylfur and Rapax. They claimed to be from another world, Heathmoor, or Midgard, as Ylfur had called it once. He also heard about Rapax's attempt to kill Summer after calling her a witch and his excuses afterward. He didn't care what the man said, Tai wanted to see him rot in prison for what he tried to do.
But one thing Summer had told him was Rapax's offer. Instead of going to prison, he wished to pledge himself to Summer's service, a tradition among his people. It would serve as punishment and a way for him to seek atonement. Tai loved Summer, but she always saw the best in people, sometimes to a fault. She wouldn't tell him whether or not she took this offer until she got back home, and it made him worried she accepted it. He didn't like the idea of this attempted murderer being around Yang and Ruby in any capacity, and from what he'd heard of Ylfur, the giant warrior didn't like it either.
He was brought out of his thoughts by someone ringing the doorbell. That was strange. The only person supposed to be coming was Summer, and she already had a key to the house. Confused, he walked to the front door and opened it.
"Hello-?" He was cut off by a short, red and white blur smashing into his chest.
"Tai!" He heard Summer's voice cry out. Her arms wrapped around him in a tight hug, one he reciprocated.
"I'm so glad you're alright!" He said with a smile as she pressed her face into his chest. He lifted her to eye level and kissed her, her giggling as he did so.
"Where're the girls?" She asked.
"Playing in the backyard." He put her down and made to get them but was stopped by Summer's hand still holding his.
"Before you get them, I need to tell you something." She looked slightly nervous, though it was hidden beneath her elation at being home.
"What? What's wrong?" He had an idea where this was going, but he didn't want to make any guesses just yet.
"It's about Rapax." A twinge of anger flared up at the mentioning of the man that'd tried to kill his wife.
"What about him? I thought he was-" Before he could continue, she blurted out.
"I accepted his offer."
…
This was gonna be a long day.
Sorry for the long wait on this. I got hit with writer's block hard enough to give me a concussion. No action this chapter, but nothing wrong with that. Just a bit of setup.
Brian H.H: The Lad himself. Still love this review.
JawsOnYou67: Perhaps eventually, but not quite yet.
Stone125: Neat.
That's all for now. I hope you all enjoyed, and I'll see you when next we continue this saga.
Skål!