Ice Age: Love's Grasp by

Mitchicus

Chapter 4: Ryu and the Kaiser

A/N: Another chapter of my first non-KFP story! Please be sure to check out my other stories as well when you get the chance! Please don't find this chapter offensive in any way. I will explain in the author's note at the end my purpose behind it. And now to the chapter!

His eyes widened as he saw who it was. "Ryu?"

"Hello, Nikolai." The female said smiling, and then pushing forward and getting on top of Nikolai and reversing who was on top. "It is good to see you."

Nikolai growled and pushed back at her, getting on top of her again and ensuring that she would not be able to get the upper hand again.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded.

He let her up, and circled her, the female still smiling. She had tan fur, black paws and eyes, and black on the tip of her ears. Shira was puzzled on who this was, and what Nikolai knew her from.

"I'm only here to see my savior, Nikolai." She said, looking at him with an innocent expression. "You saved me at that battle and I never got to thank you…let alone find a home."

"You will not find a home here!" Nikolai snarled.

"Nikolai, don't." Shira said.

"She is no good! She cannot stay here." He roared.

Shira saw Ryu like herself, looking for a home.

"She's like me, Nikolai. She wants a home." Shira said. "Let her stay." She said, pushing on his shoulder with her paw.

Nikolai took a deep breath and sighed. "Fine, but keep her away from me."

He walked away, leaving the two alone. Shira turned to Ryu.

"I'm sorry; my brother is a little overprotective and aggressive." Shira said. "So he saved you years ago?"

Ryu nodded. "A battle in Germany. The German saber clans, and some Siberian clans, allied together and fought against invading clans to those territories."

"I was at that battle!" Shira exclaimed. "My father was Siberian, and my mother German. They met each other during the German-Siberian alliance years ago, and so my brother and I have Siberian and German blood in us. This was when my pack under Kravon actually fought for a noble cause against the invaders!"

"Kravon? Never heard of him…" Ryu said nervously. "Anyways, I was one of the invaders unfortunately and was wounded, but Nikolai saved me and helped me recover from my wounds; then he let me go, hoping that I would find my retreating clans. Unfortunately, I didn't. I just roamed and looked for a home. Now I have come here to try and win Nikolai over…perhaps become his mate.

Shira whistled. "Well, you'll have some trouble with that last part." The two laughed. "But you'll have a home here. No worries."

"Thank you…what's your name?" Ryu asked.

"Shira," She responded smiling.

"Thank you, Shira." Ryu said.

"You're welcome. So, would you like me to show you around?" Shira asked.

"Of course." Ryu said smiling.

Meanwhile, the evil mastermind watched with a grin on his face. "Excellent, Ryu."

He said, no one hearing him but himself. Another saber went beside him.

"More and more Siberian and foreign clans have joined us, my lord." He said.

"Excellent, Dimitri." Kravon said.

Hours later.

No one in the herd knew of where Nikolai had gone. The saber had gone underground, into a series of caves that worked as large tunnels, and they connected to the European continent.

He found an underground volcano, filled with magma and hot geysers. That was where he would meet the leaders.

"Where is he, Fritz?" One asked.

"He will be here, Arthur." The Saber Tooth responded.

The Smilodons gathered there all represented their clans, which held large packs within them.

"I wait in this volcano for him to turn up, but he has yet to. Where is he?" One asked, named Bruno.

A geyser's burst shot up.

"I have arrived, my friends." Nikolai said, the geyser's burst finished.

"Nikolaus, it is good to see you." Fritz said smiling.

"And you, my friend." Nikolai said, jumping off of a rock and landing in front of them.

"We haven't seen you since the battle for Germany and Siberia." Bruno said.

Nikolai nodded. "Much time has passed since then."

"Why have you summoned us all, Nikolaus?" Arthur asked.

"There is a new threat to our lands, my friends. This time, it is from Siberia."

"Siberia? We have been allies since we defeated the barbarians! Why would they betray us?" Fritz asked.

"They have a new leader who has risen up to unite them." Nikolai said, pacing the ground in front of him and being sure not to fall into the magma.

"Who? Surely it is a barbarian, who the Siberians believe to be one of their own." Bruno said.

"No…it is Kravon." Nikolai said.

"Kravon?! He fought alongside us!" Arthur exclaimed.

"He has been corrupted since then. He tried to force my sister into marriage with him, and so we both left the clan. Now he hunts us down for revenge, and is determined to finally crush us with undefeatable numbers. However, once he's done with us, he will turn on Germany and invade it, promising his comrades your lands and much more."

"That is something we will not accept." Fritz said, stepping forward. "We will fight until the last man falls before we become slaves!"

"I have no doubt of Germany's extreme courage and bravery, my friend." Nikolai said.

"What must we do to stop them, Nikolaus?" Fritz asked.

"Ready all of your troops; though you will be outnumbered, our strength and bravery will defeat them." The silver tiger responded.

"And who will lead our unified army?" Arthur asked.

Fritz smiled. "I think we know who will."

The group nodded.

"Kaiser Nikolaus will lead us to victory against our former allies." Bruno said smiling.

Nikolai smiled. "I will gladly lead you all to battle."

"Then it is settled." Another said, named Hartwin.

"Long live the Kaiser!" Fritz shouted.

"Long live the Kaiser!" The others shouted in unison.

Nikolai's smile widened. "We shall send them back from whence they came, my friends!"

The group cheered, not knowing that Diego had followed Nikolai and had been watching the entire conversation.

"What will you fight for, Kaiser?" Fritz asked.

Mitch laughed and paced the ground next to a wall. "Glory…honor… revenge…" He said, scraping the wall with his claws in an eerie manner, and then stopping. "And of course, the preservation of our glorious Germany."

"We will give our lives for that cause." Bruno said.

"A new age has dawned for Germany! One of power yet peace, and prosperity! Once this is over, there will be no more war, no more sorrow! We will take our place firmly in this world in our glorious future!"

The group cheered, and saluted him with their paws. Diego thought Kravon was dead. Now he knew otherwise, and a large war was brewing. But he did not want Shira, himself, or any of the herd to be a part of it.

Lava shot up around the room for a brief minute, but none were afraid with the eagerness of to follow their leader to battle.

"We will triumph, and push them back to Siberia, if not conquering them!" Nikolai said. "Nothing will stand against us!"

A blizzard descended on the island, concealing Kravon entirely.

"I can't find Nikolai." Ryu said, approaching him. "He's gone."

"How did you lose him?" He demanded, grabbing a hold of her throat with his paw.

"He just…walked away after I came in…I'm sure he'll be back." Ryu said.

Kravon sneered, and threw Ryu to the ground, the female coughing from the grip on her neck.

"Once this blizzard subsides, I will release the Megalania; when Nikolai, Shira, and their friends die, they will get a slow and bloody death; and I will watch the Giant Ripper do its work, and if the Germans are alerted, there is a good chance that we will not win this, though we outnumber them."

"But why kill Shira's friends? They have nothing to do with what she and her brother have done in the past!" Ryu asked.

"I enjoy more carnage to watch. You should get used to it, especially if you want to stay with us and have a home." Kravon said.

"Yes…my lord." Ryu said.

Kravon smiled. "Soon they will be dead and there will be nothing between us and conquering our former allies. Everything is working just as I have planned now."

A/N: Kravon prepares to unleash the ancient Giant Ripper on the herd. Please don't find the chapter offensive, as I did not try to do so. I wanted to show the "German" sabers as proud and strong, and I would in NO WAY want to put a bad image on them. I am German myself and I am proud of it. They want to defend their home and make Nikolai their "Kaiser" since I know German history and know that the Imperial Germany had that as their leader. I want to show them as the good guys of course, and the Siberians as villains. No offense intended. Next chapter: The Giant Ripper. The Megalania is released. Please review, share, comment, and please, NO FLAMES!