ARC III: BETROTHAL AND MAURICE RAPAX

It was a quiet sunrise on the Caledonian forest like always until de magic training of the Rapax heir began. And you could hear the thunder storms that seem to always hit the northern side of the forest without any explanation from the muggle weather scientist, until a thunder magical strike almost sends our young protagonist all the way to Canada.

Maurice POV:

Well here I am on a nice mourning, waiting for training to end so I can go to sleep and become a functional human being again. But it seems my plans have to wait as I see a wall of pure thunder magic coming straight to me.

``Damn it all old man, are you trying to kill me or blow up our training grounds``

I yelled as I am holding my father's last attack. And use my body to dissipate and channel the lightning energy into the sky using my body as a conductor as I was taught when I was young.

``HAHAHAHA I will need to send something 10 times stronger to even scratch you youngling now move maybe this will teach you not to party with your cohorts friends until midnight`` then my father channels lightning from his whole body like an armor and takes his favorite fighting position.

``Are you crazy old man?

You almost blow out the entire mountain and trees, besides you and uncle always tell me to forge bonds with our men`` I also charge up as we say and prepare to face my crazy bloodthirsty old man.

``That`s not my business, and not if you forsake your duties because you are too tired to wake up then it becomes my business, now move we are only begging HAHAHA`` Then father proceeds to charge up more lightning magic and attack me in close quarters. I was taught different ways of fighting since I could walk as it's the legions way, but when facing a monster like my father you have to rely on your training and instincts or you are getting knock out before you can even blink.

After 4 hours of magical close range training with some injuries but none life threatening, I and my father arrive at our home Rapax Castle at the northern side of the forest main waterfall forge by the teachings of the storm dragon king himself, the symbol of our legion and the creator of our magic,. The castle stands strong and mighty at the top of the biggest mountain. You can see the roman influence on the architecture. We are both covered in ash, courtesy of today's training, Mom would have kill us if she sees the state we are in.

Sadly she pass away defending our world from the enemies we have sworn to defeat. We may be the strongest out there, but we are not invincible something that is ingrained in the core of our lessons: Never to underestimate our enemy, and strike with no mercy until we are victorious.

As we are entering the main hall a servant comes and says something to my father's ear. Then he turns and says.

``Go wash up Maurice an important letter came there is much we need to discuss, join me for breakfast today we will talk after eating`` with that my father turns to leave to his room.

I take the stairs and reach the north tower that is my room, our city in the Caledonian forest is surrounded by mountains. It`s a natural fortress with each mountain managing a keep and an outer wall that connects them making the first ring of defense, then at the base of the mountains there is a aqueduct that takes water from a nearby river, and distributes the water for our city, The second wall and the last line of defense for our city. At the north side there is a big keep that's my family home the main branch of the Rapax clan that looks to the sea and my family grounds nearby were the legionaries train.

Our city's architecture is crazy but really cool, after all our legion has become something completely different from the time of the Roman Empire. We can see Viking influence on our halls and harbors also some Egyptian here and there. But all of it makes a beautiful city that is one with nature itself. We have built in harmony with this forest.

I reach my bathroom and take a look at the mirror, I'm tall for my age 6 feet with a broad and strong build but flexible made for combat thanks to the training I received in my family magic and as the heir and future ruler of our lands. There is a saying here that goes ``to command as Praetor of the legion one must command the storms as the dragon kings did``

I have olive skin black eyes and short black hair cut in the roman legionary style on my left arm I have my SPQR tattoo with the XXI as every legionary has on these lands.

After a healthy shower I arrive at the dining hall the heads of all the cohorts are gather to share a meal with us as is our custom since we settle here more than a thousand years ago. Each cohort represents a part of our history

First is the head, the Praetor my father, with my uncle whose second in command, then we have the 1st whose is our main force, consists of our infantry. Then the 2nd the range specialist whose job is to fight the long range battle and to provide fire support.

Then we have the 3rd the medic cohort in charge of the injured. After them comes the 4th they are the builders they make our fortress and prepare the defensive spells to create our bases on the front line. They specialized on defensive magic.

Then the 5th they are supposed to be the cavalry, but they do not use horses any more you would need to see them on the battlefield to find out. The 6th are the scouts something that we were force to learn as it was one of Rome greatest failure in the past, our lack of scout cohorts that lead to many defeats on the battlefield.

Then we have ambush and sabotage, and some other ones but these 7 are the main ones on the front lines. We are strong because we work together we have become a combination from the best warriors of some of the greatest empires this world has ever seen and we will keep getting stronger. Until our enemy is vanquished.

Then my father is ready to speak, let's see what he wants to talk about. I hurry and take my seat.

``Yesterday a message arrive, from lord Edward Greengrass and his wife Elizabeth nee Greengrass, with a goblin representative of gringotts bank. The message was the activation of a betrothal contract between Maurice Rapax and lord Greengrass heir and Daughter Daphne Greengrass to settle the promise we made for their help to survive the first winters on our land after the fall of the Caesars``

The dining hall is silent they all turned to look at me, we always wonder when that debt would be claim, after all it was made more than a 1000 years ago, but we are grateful and have never forgotten their help. There is even a picture of that lord Greengrass somewhere in our museum. Then it hits me like call water. I tuned slightly pale thank the gods I have been busy mastering my magic to get a girlfriend. That would have been an uncomfortable conversation.

Fuck it seems I'm marring a pureblood princess if I remember my lessons correctly, well I knew this was going to happen. As the only heir to my family after all we have always been careful on choosing spouses on my family, to make the bloodline stronger.

Not worth getting upset over it, besides father will negotiate on my behalf, for the sake of the legion.

``They are asking for the following protection from the legion against the forces of the dark lord Voldemort`` my father continues reading the letter.

After that everyone start laughing for us that terrorist is a joke, getting beat by a baby so close to ``victory`` as if we would have let him rule the island, he had a thing coming. After all if they need wood sticks to fight what can you expect.

`` The marriage of the two heirs not later than 3 years after the activation of the contract, all benefits of joining our legion and in exchange Greengrass exports will also join as a business partner from now on. And house Greengrass becoming a vassal of Rapax`` my father keeps reading, I bet he is finding this funny on my expense the asshole.

``We are honor bound to keep our word, I thought this deal was forgotten but they save us in our hour of greatest need now it's time to pay back that debt. My son as the next praetor do you accept? `` He asks me.

All the Cohorts leaders are looking at me, we do not dwell in politics here, we know how to play them but we are true to our word, honor means a lot here, we are a mix of a lot of different warrior races that have join us with the pass of time, like the Vikings, some Egyptian magical families, we even have muggles here that work for the legion,. We are always taken a lot of care on the gene pool of our legion to avoid deceases and keep getting stronger. After all it is the combination of all those cultures that made what we are today.

``I accept this honor father, I will do my duty as a Rapax`` I yelled back witch a strong voice.

``Good, you have already proven yourself in combat as it is our way against our enemies seeking to harvest our world; we will negotiate the thinner details of this alliance and see what has Edward so desperate to marry his daughter. Son you can go, brother and the tribunes and centurions let's begin the war council``

``YES PRAETOR`` answer all the tribunes and centurions from the cohorts.

All the adults left so I can hang out with the rest of the tribunes and centurion sons and daughters my childhood friends.

``Okay guys lets go hunt something before classes begin later` `I said to my friends we endure the hardest of training together.

As we were hunting and enjoying a beautiful morning I couldn't help my mind from drifting to think about my future fiancé. I hope she doesn't kill me mother already was a handful. Little did I know that I am going for a bumpy ride but one that I would never change for anything?