Imperials Vs. Sentinels 2- a new threat rises

Part 12- The duel he always wanted... almost

The day had come at last. This was the day the Viking threat was eliminated. The knight army had fought the vikings back to the beach and the final push was now at hand. The knights marched to the beach with tens of thousands of soldiers, ready to take back what was rightfully theirs. Kraven was also expected to be there, and he wouldn't leave the beach alive.

"Are you ready, Shade?"
Xavier asked as he walked alongside the young Zoroark.
"Yes. I couldn't prepare myself any more. I hope I meet Kraven on this battlefield. After all he's done to me, I'll rip his skin from his body."
Shade's voice was one of an angered and vengeful beast, able to make even Xavier feel uncomfortable. Luca and Ryan, along with the flaming arrow, were also involved in the attack, giving the knights an advantage on the battlefield. The vikings knew they were coming, and their defenders were being fortified. They wouldn't lose Verana without a fight.

Back at Verana's fortress, Queen Blaze stood on the balcony overlooking her land, seeing the smoke, fire and rubble that polluted it as a consequence of war.
"It's terrible... this land was once so full of life and so alluring, but now, when I look over the land I rule, I see destruction, soldiers and innocents losing their lives, and the landscape permanently scarred by war."
She fondly remembered how her land had looked before the war against the imperials began. The lush green grass and pretty flowers were a sight to behold. It was no wonder the emperor looked to claim it. Now, however, the land was littered with corpses and burned buildings.
"It was such a peaceful place, and now I can barely look at it."
Richard stood beside her, trying to console her.
"Worry not, my queen. The land will look it's best again. Once the war is over, we can work on rebuilding it, perhaps better than it originally was."
He told her. It seemed to cheer her up a bit.
"Yes, I suppose you're right. These wretched Vikings have done a lot of damage, however. It will take a long time to rebuild the land."
She replied. She looked out over the horizon, seeing the sun setting. It casted a warm, orange glow across the sky as she stood over her land, holding the charm of her necklace in her paw. She held it to her chest, reminding her of her mother and all she'd been through since her tragic demise. She shed a tear as she thought of it. Queen Blaze was usually a strong, calm and collected leader, but she wasn't immune to emotions. She too had feelings, and they would show from time to time. Richard stood next to her, putting his paw on hers.
"All will be well, my queen. You shouldn't worry about that."

The next morning, the knight army arrived at the beach. As expected, the vikings had fortified it with the very last of their supplies in the country, and they had guards posted around the main fortress, a fairly sized wooden building, constantly. They spotted the knights charging at the base first, alerting the last vikings on the beach of the invasion. The two sides collided once again, with Luca, Ryan and the soldiers with them fighting with all the strength they had. Luca proved that his training had helped once again, severing the limbs of countless Vikings and decapitating others. With one savage swing, he severed the torso of one Viking, having their internal organs fall on the floor in front of them and having their disembowelled body follow. Such things didn't faze him. He had seen worse. He continued fighting with the same demonstration of strength he'd shown against the imperials; it was as if he hadn't changed at all.

Ryan and the flaming arrow also helped the invasion greatly, targeting large groups of vikings at a time. Their razor sharp arrows pierced the vikings' clothing easily, puncturing their bodies and causing them to fall. This was why they had been recognised by the queen; their aim was unmatched by any archers the nation had ever seen.

Xavier and Shade were given the task of infiltrating the main base that had been discovered by spies sent to scout the base. Once the army was distracted, they made their move. Sticking to cover wherever they could find it, they stealthily made their way to the fortress. It didn't take them long to reach the entrance. Many vikings could be heard inside, shouting and picking up weapons. The two hid as they heard another group of vikings near them. They soon passed to join the fray, and Xavier and Shade were once again alone. They looked inside to see the main hallway empty. Weapons drawn, they entered, encountering minimal vikings. Their guess was that the majority of the vikings were already outside. As they turned a corner, a small group of vikings spotted them. The fight was short, but Xavier had taken a small injury to the leg. It slowed him down to an extent.

Shade then spotted another Viking, strangling him with his vicious grip.
"How many times have you done that?"
Xavier asked.
"Too many."
Shade replied.

The two then found themselves in a long hallway, with two metal gates suspended by ropes. What happened next surprised them both. Kraven himself turned the corner and began to approach them.
"Well, if it isn't Shade and Xavier, here at my own fortress. You shouldn't have come here. Especially not in that condition."
Kraven indicated Xavier's injured leg.
Shade was burning up again, as he always did when he saw Kraven. He took a few steps forward and swung his halberd at the rope, causing the metal gate to crash down between him and Xavier.
"You've ran from us for all this time, but now you'll face justice. You have nowhere to run this time."
Shade harshly replied.
"Justice? I'm only here because of your lack of compassion for us vikings. You were the one who started this war. Don't pretend that you're better than me. The blame for all of this goes both ways."
Kraven replied.
"You have a lot to learn, you young fool. I'll be the first to teach you what happens to those who mess with vikings."

Shade made the first move, swinging his halberd with great power. Kraven dodged it and countered with a swing of his own, faster than Shade's. shade took the hit, chipping his armour. Shade continued to swing, but Kraven was faster than Shade originally thought. Even in the confined hallway, Kraven moved too fast for Shade to keep up. Kraven used his speed to catch Shade off guard and knock him backward. Shade lost his balance and found himself on his back, with Kraven holding his axe above his head to swing at him. Shade held his halberd across his chest and blocked the hit. The two struggled to overpower each other, with Kraven trying to push downward and bring his blade to his throat. Alternatively, Shade was trying to push Kraven back and regain his composure. It was then Shade was able to utilise one incredible feat of being a Zoroark, strength. He may have been slower, but he had a big advantage in strength. He pushed Kraven back and the two continued to exchange blows while Xavier could only watch.

Inside, Kraven was a little scared. He faced an extremely strong and angry Zoroark, and his anger only made him more fierce. He didn't show his fear however, and continued to fight. He managed to wear down the armour on Shade's chest, and soon it developed a weak spot. Shade had also noticed, and was extra careful to protect it. Kraven swung at him again, but quickly stopped and swung at Shade's chest plate again, causing it to crack. Shade let out a cry of pain as blood began to trickle from the wound. Shade grabbed Kraven's neck and flung him away, still bleeding. As Kraven tried the same technique, Shade parried it and swung at Kraven with all of his strength. He swung through Kraven's block and hit him hard on the side of his body, causing Kraven to shout in pain and fall back. Shade approached him, a smile on his face. He'd forgotten about his own injury. He had finally done it. He had the chance to kill Kraven, the chance he had dreamed of since the war began.
"Now I've got you."
He said sinisterly, only a few steps away. Kraven just chuckled however.
"Well, this was fun. But now, I'll be on my way."
It took a brief moment for Shade to understand what he meant. He suddenly realised and looked up.
"No... no!"
He tried to charge at Kraven, but he was too late. Kraven cut the rope, causing the gate to fall between the two.
"No! You coward! How dare you run from us again!"
Shade shouted, repeatedly clashing his blade with the bars of the gate. Kraven began to slowly walk away, his injury slowing him down.
"You won't get away with this!"
Shade shouted, causing Kraven to turn around.
"I already have."
He replied.

Shade angrily rattled the bars, furious at Kraven's repeated successful escape attempts. He then remembered Xavier. He turned around to see him looking back at him.
"We need to get after him!"
Shade shouted.
"It's too late for that. He's gone."
Xavier replied.
"No, I won't believe that. I'm going after him."
Shade replied. With all of his strength, he managed to lift the gate a few inches and get through with the gate almost pinning him there. He continued to pursue the Vikings while Xavier exited the fortress the way they came in. The fortress was now barren of life.

Xavier joined the battle outside, which they were winning by a clear deficit. The Viking lines were thinning; they simply couldn't match the knight numbers. As hard as the tried, they couldn't penetrate the knight offensive line. It was far too solid. After a short battle at the furthest shoreline, the Vikings were in full retreat. Their ships lay ready for them at the shoreline, and they quickly began to board. The knights continued to charge after them, killing anyone too slow to make it to the ships. Shade joined the knights as they advanced, and once the Viking departed from the land, the Flaming arrow fired volleys of flaming arrows after them, not doing any major damage, but killing a few on board. The knights celebrated their victory as the Viking ships sailed back to Blunder in defeat. The knights had won their land back for a second time, and although their job wasn't done, they had earned themselves some time to restore their land before attacking Blunder.