Imperials Vs. Sentinels 2- a new threat rises

Part 6- Escaping enemy territory

Xavier and Shade climbed the long wooden staircase in which Kraven resided in, which he used to live in with his now deceased mate. They looked through the fortress, searching for a staircase to the dungeon. They searched for longer than they had planned before eventually Shade found a staircase that looked to lead where they needed to go.
"Father, over here."
Shade said, leading Xavier down the staircase.

They arrived at another maze of tunnels and cells, the walls made of stone and lit by torchlight. The walls had moss growing on them and there were small leaks in the roof, causing water to drip from it.
"More tunnels. Now what?"
Shade asked.
"Simple. We search them all."
Xavier replied, beginning the search.
"Xavier? Shade? Is that you?"
The pair heard a voice, looking for the source of it.
"Ryan! Yes, it is us. Where are you?"
"In here!"
Ryan replied, causing Xavier and Shade to turn into a room and see him and his surviving team members chained to the wall.
"Are you alright? What happened?"
Xavier asked, both him and Shade cutting the captives free.
"We were ambushed twice when we tried to leave. We held off the first attack, but we were weak when the second attack took place. We were captured and brought here."
He replied.
"Did you tell him anything?"
Shade asked. Ryan looked ashamed.
"I told him everything. Why we were here, the queen's plan, everything. He knows all of it."
Ryan told them. Xavier looked concerned.
"We need to take him with us. If he knows about the queen's plan, he could destroy us. Let's get him on our way out, while we still can."
Xavier instructed. The group left the dungeon and the fortress, heading to where Kraven as Shiv had been left. As they got there, they saw an unnerving sight.
"They're- They're gone!"
Shade shouted.
"I can see that. But where did they go?"
Xavier asked. Ryan shook his head.
"I have no idea."
Xavier growled.
"I should've known it would be a bad idea to just leave him here. Either way, there's little we can do about it now. Call the army into a retreat. We have what we came for."

The remaining knights fell back to the ship, only half of the knights that had arrived left, Even less without major injuries. The vikings rallied and shouted their war cries as they saw the invaders leave, but Kraven had nothing to celebrate in his mind. He had lost too much to think about that. He, along with the surviving vikings, had to bear to watch as he buried his mate, the mother to his three younger Pokemon, and live on without her. The three young Pokemon stood beside him, all in tears. He tried to stay strong for them.
"I'm gonna miss her so much!"
One eevee said, still crying.
"We all will."
Kraven replied. 
"She'll be remembered for a very long time."

The ships docked at Verana, and Shade, Ryan and Xavier reported to the queen.
"It's worse than we originally thought, my queen. They're vikings, and there are hundreds of them."
Xavier told her.
"Vikings! I should have known."
The queen replied.
"Anything else?"
She asked.
"Actually, there is. They're lead by... they're lead by Zap, the bounty hunter we once knew. He's also known as Kraven now and he's probably intent on attacking us."
Shade added. The queen was astounded.
"All this after one scouting mission. What exactly happened there that lead to the death of over 100 knights and the declaration of war between us and these vikings?"
She asked, annoyed. Xavier told her the story of what happened. The capture, fighting Kraven and Shiv and the rescue.
"So, you killed his mate and now he wants us dead?"
Xavier was taken aback a little.
"It was to ensure the safety of Ryan and his group. Keeping them there may have gotten them killed."
Xavier replied.
"Well, it doesn't seem to have done us much good, does it, general?"
Xavier sighed.
"No, my queen. Either way, their army was weakened in the attack. It may be some time before they can organise an advance of their own."
He told her.
"I see. Well, we shall organise a defence for precautionary measures only. It may also be time to call your old friend down from his home in the mountains."
She replied. Xavier smiled a little.
"Indeed it may be. I'll think about it."
He replied, thinking of his old friend already.

The viking army gathered in the settlement's centre, with Kraven standing among a podium in the centre of the gathering. He looked at he soldiers around him, ready to fight for him until they breathed their last.
"As many of you know, Shiv, your leader who which I stood beside, was killed in the knight invasion of our land."
He began.
"The attack was unexpected, unjust, and the motive isn't known. But know this. It will not go unpunished!"
Some of the crowd cheered at that.
"We will march our armies to their gates and teach them what it feels like to be invaded and destroyed without warning, and we will teach them just how tough us vikings can be!"
The crowd began to support him upon hearing his words.
"The knights think that they're untouchable, and that they can simply go around attacking who they want to. We'll prove them wrong, and we will do that by attacking Verana! From this day forward, Verana is our target, and we will declare war against them with the desire to crush them without mercy! We will destroy them all, and we will avenge our leader!"
The crowd fully supported him now, cheering and shouting for the whole village to hear.
"I'll do it for you, Shiv. I won't fail you."
Kraven said to himself.

After that moment, the war between the vikings and knights had begun. With one side preparing to attack and the other to defend, the losses and casualties of the war had only just begun, and the result of the war couldn't be predicted. Whether brutality or disciplined strategy would prevail was soon to be decided as the first battle of the war was soon to take place, and it would be a bloody battle indeed.