Sanctuary: Safe Haven

Kael continued on, his voice steady but grim, "Our shock troop, Aron, found a group of people hidden away in an abandoned building. He was rescuing them when he encountered a group of attackers that seemed to return from somewhere. As soon as they crossed paths, he was forced into a clash while protecting the people.

Aron endured for a time, but the attackers kept coming—wave after wave, seemingly endless. He couldn't escape to where the other shock troops were, so he stood his ground and protected the group. When he was at his limit, he had to use Noctis' clone to teleport here. That's how the event unfolded."

Kael paused for a moment, gauging Canna's reaction. Canna's jaw was clenched, and his eyes were already burning with rage.

"But there's more to this, Canna," Kael added. "The people Aron fought weren't all soldiers or criminals. Some of them were children, civilians. Based on Noctis' report, it seems like they were under someone's command, forced into that battle. Aron did his best to knock out those who didn't have killing intent, but when it came to the ones who meant harm—those driven to kill—he had no choice.

He killed them without hesitation."

Kael's voice dropped as he finished, "Noctis estimates that Aron must have killed over 70 people before he escaped."

Canna's face darkened further. His fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. His voice was cold and steady when he spoke. "Where's their base, Kael? Let's strike them now."

Kael, however, shook his head. "This is different, Canna. Way different. This isn't like fighting the orcs where one battle can end it all. No, this is an underground faction—one that's been doing this for a long time. They're deeply entrenched in the kingdom.

To make matters worse, they have powerful backing from someone inside the kingdom."

Before Canna could respond, the door to the room opened, and Flora entered. "Master," she began, her voice steady despite the situation. "One of Noctis' clones was able to enter the dreams of one of the men rescued by Aron. We have a name. Noctis will report."

Right on cue, the real body of Noctis stepped into the meeting room. Mortem materialized out of the shadows, and Vorgrim took his place beside him. Other key figures of the sanctuary followed, all of them sensing the gravity of the situation.

Noctis stepped forward, addressing the room. "The underground faction responsible for this is known as 'The Black Thorn.' They've been a festering parasite in the kingdom for years, dabbling in every form of darkness—kidnapping, murder, blackmail, human trafficking, and worse. The kingdom's forces and even some clans have tried to root them out before, but they've always failed. Why?

Because they're well-connected, with powerful allies in the government and adventurers on their side." Your next journey awaits at empire

Noctis paused, letting the weight of his words settle before continuing. "In Kharath and its surrounding villages, The Black Thorn has set up small bases in eight locations. When they're attacked, they flee to those bases, evading capture. There's no way we can eliminate them all without careful planning and precision.

This faction is too large and too entrenched for us to strike without a full-scale operation."

Canna's blood ran cold as Noctis detailed the atrocities The Black Thorn had committed. The air in the room felt heavy, as if everyone present was absorbing the horrifying reality of the situation.

The room buzzed with tension as Noctis continued. "If we make a move, we need to hit them all at once. We can't afford to let any of them escape."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Kael nodded in agreement. "Exactly. We need a pre-emptive strike to take them down in one coordinated assault. Noctis, do you have a complete map of their operations?"

Noctis shook his head. "Not yet. I'll need at least two or three more days to finish the mapping. I've sent my clones to gather more data—"

He wasn't able to finish his sentence, as Canna suddenly stood up. The tension in the room spiked as everyone could feel their leader's barely restrained fury.

"Continue," Canna commanded, his voice low but dangerous. His subordinates, attuned to his emotions, could feel the storm brewing within him. His anger was palpable, filling the room like static before a lightning strike.

"Master," Noctis began cautiously, "I understand your anger, but we don't have enough information yet. Please, give me two or three days. I'll gather everything you need. But... I have one request."

"Speak," Canna said, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous glint.

"We need more people, Master," Noctis said carefully. "Our sanctuary forces, while strong, aren't enough to cover the entire kingdom and its villages. We need manpower, people we can trust. I suggest we find them."

Kael suddenly had an idea. "Canna, aren't you in with the second-ranked clan? Couldn't we leverage them?"

But before Canna could respond, Noctis interjected. "Master, Kael, if I may, I strongly advise against involving Clan Varran directly."

Canna and Kael exchanged puzzled glances. It was Mortem who spoke next. "I agree with Noctis, Master. We don't know who to trust yet. There could be moles in that clan—people loyal to The Black Thorn. It would be too risky to bring them in without knowing for sure.

I suggest we take this matter to Dravos first. Let him handpick warriors he trusts."

Canna sighed, the tension easing from his shoulders as he considered Mortem's words. "You're right," he admitted. "I've been blinded by my anger." He paused, letting the room settle before issuing his orders. "Noctis, gather the information. Mortem, stay in the shadows and follow Noctis. If you find a base, I want you to be ready to deal with anyone you find there.

Vorgrim, prepare the shock troops. Flora, ready the equipment and inform the dwarves to have everything set. Elandra, contact the guardians—I want them on standby to protect the sanctuary in case anyone tries to breach the domain."

Canna's orders flowed swiftly, and his subordinates moved with precision. The sanctuary's forces began mobilizing as the preparations for the assault began. The room buzzed with a flurry of activity.

"Oh, and Noctis," Canna added, his voice softer but no less intense, "contact the other diplomats and shock troops. Warn them that we're striking in two to three days and that there won't be any reinforcements available if they get into trouble."

Noctis nodded and left to fulfill his orders.

The sanctuary was once again a hive of activity. Warriors were preparing, gathering weapons and donning their armor. The dwarves in the forge were working overtime to ready the necessary equipment. Guardians were being summoned to protect the sanctuary from any potential retaliation. The entire sanctuary moved like a well-oiled machine, all in anticipation of the coming battle.

And at the center of it all stood Canna. His face was calm, but beneath that calm exterior, a storm raged. Canna wasn't a hero. He never claimed to be. But anyone standing in his way, especially those who harmed his people, would face his wrath. And when the time came, The Black Thorn would learn exactly what it meant to face Canna Yakane.