hotmtlnovel Chapter 289 Aftermath
Chapter 289 Aftermath
hours had passed inside the sanctuary, and the warriors of clan varran were now rested and waiting for what was next. despite their exhaustion, saint dravos had held them back, not allowing them to rejoin the fray just yet. all the while, he was in communication with his son, kargan, who was still in the heart of the battlefield. the fight outside was nearing its end, but it had come at a steep cost.
casualties were reported left and right—even clan varran had not been spared.nôv(el)b\\jnn
however, the battle was a massive success overall. the black thorn had been crushed, their hostages rescued, their elites and leader dead.
inside the sanctuary, canna called for an urgent meeting. he needed to understand the full extent of the situation outside, and noctis was the one who had been monitoring every detail.
when dravos, varya, and lira arrived at the meeting room, they found canna already seated with kael, vorgrim, flora, and elandra. the air in the room was heavy with tension and anticipation. everyone was eager to hear the report.
noctis stood before the gathered leaders and began his detailed report, his voice calm and steady. "sanctuary forces report," he started. "sanctuary inhabitants: injured, 10,000; dead, zero." he paused for a moment, letting the numbers settle into the minds of the room. a sigh of relief passed through the group; despite the brutal fight, they hadn't lost a single life in the sanctuary.
noctis continued, his tone more solemn now. "forces outside report: black thorn forces—injured, 200,000; dead, 190,000. clan drakengarde—injured, 2,000; dead, 700." dravos, lira, and varya listened intently, knowing that their own clan's toll was next. "clan varran—injured, 1,500; dead, 450." discover more stories at empire
the number hit like a hammer, and varya couldn't help but lower her head, grief weighing on her shoulders. lira closed her eyes, taking in the heavy loss. dravos remained stoic, though his knuckles whitened as his fists clenched.
noctis pressed on. "clan skarn—injured, 3,000; dead, 500. adventurers—injured, 45,000; dead, 30,000. kingdom army—injured, 70,000; dead, 50,000. royal army—injured, 20,000; dead, 10,000. this includes the lives of two saints."
the sanctuary will heal them."
he then stood up, his gaze fierce and resolute. "now, prepare the troops. we strike in one hour."
the room fell silent as the leaders of the sanctuary rose from their seats, ready to execute their next move. the battle wasn't over yet, and canna had no intention of letting the black thorn regroup or escape.
outside the sanctuary, chaos still reigned. the top clans had already withdrawn to assess their losses, leaving behind the adventurers who fought with a burning hatred, driven by personal vendettas. alongside them were the royal guards and the kingdom's army, tasked with fulfilling their duty to rid the kingdom of the black thorn.
yet as night fell, even the most hardened warriors were forced to regroup, exhausted from the relentless day of bloodshed.
the fighting had lasted only a day, but the rivers of blood spilled had left an indelible mark on the land. corpses littered the ground, and the survivors, both victors and vanquished, were left reeling from the scale of the carnage. there had been so much loss in such a short span of time, and the toll weighed heavily on everyone.
within the castle walls, king aerys khall read through the reports, struggling to comprehend the devastation that had unfolded in a single day. his kingdom had lost two saints, a blow that would weaken their military might for years to come.
what he did not yet realize was the true reason for their deaths—that they had followed the portal back to the sanctuary when zephyros and solara were teleported away, sealing their fate in the heart of the sanctuary's wrath.
king aerys stared at the reports, the weight of his responsibilities bearing down on him. he knew he would have to make difficult decisions in the days to come, but for now, his kingdom had to focus on recovering from the aftermath of the black thorn's downfall.