Sanctuary: Safe Haven

Three months flew by as Canna's quest to find a sea for his azure expansion continued. Sepra, a colossal planet capable of fitting eighteen Earths within its borders, proved to be a vast and challenging terrain to explore. The sanctuary's shock troops had been dispatched to search for a suitable sea, but all they found were lakes, rivers, and oases. The elusive open sea seemed to hide in the farthest reaches of the world. Canna remained patient, letting his troops do the hard work while he focused on the sanctuary, content with life inside for now.

Despite his position as the leader of a powerful sanctuary, Canna found solace in simple tasks. He could often be seen farming, much to the surprise of the other farmers. Canna, revered almost like a king, worked the soil as diligently as they did, often summoning his undead to help with cultivating his fields. At the moment, he was experimenting with a fruit similar to a watermelon, tending to his crops as part of his daily routine.

But today was different. Canna wasn't tending to his crops. He was locked in a heated battle with two of his loyal subordinates—Vorgrim and Dravos.

The sparring field crackled with energy as Canna stood in the center, dual electric whips in hand. Sparks danced in the air around him, charged with his affinity for lightning. Vorgrim, the hulking warrior, wielded a massive battle axe, his every movement powerful and deliberate. Beside him, Dravos, the former saint of Clan Varran, gripped brass knuckles with sharp, pointed ends, his stance tight and aggressive.
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Without warning, Canna lashed out with his whips. The electric tendrils cracked through the air like thunder, striking at his opponents with terrifying speed. Vorgrim sidestepped the first whip, his axe coming up to block the second, but the electricity surged through the handle, forcing him to release it with a grunt.

Dravos, quick on his feet, darted in, aiming for Canna's side. His brass knuckles gleamed under the light as he aimed for a strike, but Canna was faster. With a flick of his wrist, one of his whips coiled around Dravos' arm, electricity pulsing through the length of it. Dravos grunted in pain, but broke free, delivering a swift kick to Canna's ribs that sent the dragonkin sliding back across the ground.

In response, Canna unleashed a barrage of wind and water arrows that hovered behind him, firing them in rapid succession. Each arrow whizzed through the air, forcing Vorgrim and Dravos to dodge and deflect. Vorgrim spun his axe in a wide arc, cutting through the arrows while Dravos rolled under a barrage, avoiding a particularly deadly strike that whistled past his ear.

"Not bad!" Vorgrim growled, swinging his axe in a powerful overhead strike aimed at Canna. The ground trembled under the force of the swing, but Canna was already gone, moving with lightning speed. He reappeared behind Vorgrim, his whips crackling as he lashed out again, this time targeting both of his opponents simultaneously.

Dravos managed to block the first whip with his brass knuckles, but the force of the impact sent him staggering back. Vorgrim, still reeling from the previous strike, barely had time to raise his axe before the second whip struck him across the chest, leaving a searing line of electricity in its wake. The pain coursed through his body, momentarily paralyzing him.

Canna followed up with another flurry of wind and water arrows, each one more precise than the last. The arrows bombarded Vorgrim and Dravos, keeping them on the defensive as they struggled to keep up with Canna's relentless assault. The air crackled with energy, and the ground beneath them was scorched from the heat of the battle.

The trio exchanged blows with deadly precision, each strike more intense than the last. Vorgrim and Dravos worked in perfect sync, their years of training evident as they tried to outmaneuver Canna. But Canna was too fast, too unpredictable, his lightning affinity giving him the edge in speed and agility.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the three fighters stepped back, breathing heavily. They were covered in light wounds, nothing serious, but enough to show that the fight had been intense. Sweat dripped from their brows as they slumped to the ground, catching their breath.

Vorgrim was the first to speak, his voice gruff but laced with respect. "My liege, I must say, you've gained much more control over your power since ranking up to a Great-Transcendent."

Dravos, still rubbing his shoulder where one of Canna's whips had struck, grunted in agreement. "Those whips are deadly. They paralyze you if you're hit too many times. And those arrows of yours—combined with your speed—it's a nightmare to fight you."

Canna chuckled, brushing a stray lock of white hair from his forehead. He had indeed grown stronger since his ascension to Great-Transcendent. His training routine had been relentless, sparring daily with Vorgrim and Dravos, testing his spells against Mortem and Flora, and even battling the shock troops when time permitted. His stamina was formidable, thanks to his dragonkin heritage, allowing him to recover quickly between sessions.

As they sat in silence for a moment, Noctis appeared, his usual shadowy form materializing nearby. "Master," he said, his voice calm and composed. "I've received some interesting information. A trade is happening in about a month, at a port not far from here. We can accompany the traders if you wish."

Canna raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "A trade, you say? And where is this happening?"

"In a small village called Timberborn," Noctis explained. "It's a peaceful place, more like a beginner's village. The monsters there are fairly weak, nothing compared to the creatures we've faced. But the port there leads to more interesting locations, and we might find what we've been searching for."

Canna rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Timberborn, huh? Interesting." He then turned to Noctis, his decision made. "Call back the shock troops. I'll meet them at the village. Tell Flora to prepare my robes. We're heading out today."

Noctis gave a quick nod. "Understood, master."

As Noctis vanished, Canna couldn't help but feel a stirring of excitement. It had been a while since he'd ventured outside the sanctuary, and the thought of new opportunities—and potential challenges—awaited him.

"Let's see what Timberborn has in store for us," he thought to himself. Little did he know, this simple decision to leave the sanctuary would set in motion events that would shape not only his future but the future of everyone under his care. The winds of change were stirring, and Canna was ready to face them head-on.