"Why isn't the ballista ready yet?"
One of Elonia's commanders muttered anxiously, glancing back over his shoulder. He was waiting for the Celeste Empire's massive ballista, designed to take down monstrous beasts, to be loaded and prepared. Elonia's ballistae had long since been destroyed, leaving them dependent on their allies.
But the Celeste Empire, using various excuses, had delayed deploying the weapon, effectively sacrificing Elonia's soldiers in the meantime. Without the ballista, there was little hope of destroying the Pamir Empire's siege engines.
The commander gritted his teeth, his frustration mounting as he imagined the political maneuvering at play. With no other choice, he turned to his soldiers and shouted, "Prepare the fire arrows!"
If reinforcements weren't coming, they had to make do with what they had. At his command, flaming arrows arced through the sky, aimed at the siege engines. Some landed behind the imperial shields, sparking brief flames, but they quickly fizzled out, causing no significant damage. Instead, the arrows burned the unprotected tribal soldiers, whose screams echoed through the battlefield.
The elite troops, encased in steel armor, marched onward without hesitation, trusting their heavy plating to withstand the fire.
"Damn it," the Elonia commander muttered under his breath. He had carefully selected the best archers for this defense, yet their efforts were barely enough to slow the enemy's advance.
A massive siege tower, reinforced with thick wooden beams and steel plates, loomed closer to the fortress. Its wheels screeched loudly as it gained momentum, the ominous sound drawing the attention of the defenders atop the walls.
"They're bringing up the siege tower! Get ready to repel them!"
The commanders' voices rang out, rallying the soldiers. "If we fall here, the fortress and our families are finished!"
One commander raised his sword high, his voice carrying over the din of battle. Arrows continued to rain down on the fortress, and while some soldiers managed to block them with shields, many fell to stray shots.
Despite the mounting casualties, the remaining soldiers held their ground, their eyes filled with grim determination. "Hold on just a little longer! Victory is within reach!"
The Pamir Empire's elite troops were equally relentless. They mercilessly whipped the tribal soldiers ahead of them, forcing new waves of fighters to replace those who fell. The tribesmen, caught between the arrows from the front and the whips from behind, had no choice but to keep advancing.
"Raise the siege tower!"
In retaliation, the soldiers atop the fortress walls shouted orders, hurling massive stones at the approaching tower. A boulder, too large for even two men to embrace fully, rolled with deafening noise toward the siege tower, crushing the unfortunate tribal soldiers in its path. Yet the tower remained intact, inching ever closer to the wall.
"They're coming! Everyone, prepare yourselves!"
Tension was etched into the faces of the fortress defenders as they braced for the imminent clash. Weapons drawn and shields raised, they awaited the onslaught.
"End this here! Hold your ground!"
With a triumphant roar, the imperial siege tower reached the fortress wall. A massive wooden ladder descended, and the Pamir Empire's elite soldiers began pouring onto the wall.
"Come! Let's finish this here and now!"
The defenders responded with battle cries of their own, brandishing their swords as they charged forward. None of them faltered; all stood their ground.
"We're almost there! Kill them all and take the fortress!"
The combined soldiers of Celeste and Elonia fought valiantly to repel the imperial forces. Yet, with siege towers now pressing against the fortress walls from all sides, the defenders found themselves increasingly overwhelmed.
The battlefield descended into chaos. Black smoke billowed into the sky, while the roars of monstrous beasts and the cries of dying men echoed in every direction.
Among the defenders, a soldier wielding a sharp dagger worked frantically to sever the ropes securing the ladders. Others joined him, their sharp eyes searching for vulnerable ropes to cut.
"We can't let them gain a foothold!"
The commanders' orders weighed heavily on their shoulders as they sliced through each rope with precision. Each severed rope sent enemy soldiers plummeting to the ground below, their screams adding to the cacophony of the battlefield.
"Target their commander!"
A soldier aimed his arrow at the distant enemy commander and let it loose. But the arrow missed its mark, falling harmlessly into the enemy ranks.
"Damn it! Why won't these arrows hit?" he muttered through clenched teeth. Frustrated, he nocked another arrow and tried to steady his aim, but hitting a commander amidst the densely packed enemy forces was no easy task.
"Forget it. I'll never be a hero like Count Michael," he spat, drawing his sword instead. He decided his efforts were better spent cutting down the enemies scaling the walls than futilely aiming at a distant target.
Others on the wall shared the same sentiment, turning to engage the climbing enemy troops directly.
"Cut off their fingers! Do whatever it takes to stop them!" one soldier yelled as he slashed at the fingers of an enemy soldier gripping the wall. Screaming in pain, the soldier lost his hold and plummeted below. But more enemies quickly took his place, their heads emerging over the parapet.
One Elonian soldier, recalling the family he had left behind, drew his sword and thrust it into the throat of an enemy soldier who had just climbed over the edge. The young enemy fell, coughing blood as he tumbled back down the wall. Yet the Elonian soldier moved on without hesitation, facing the next foe with steely resolve.
"Roll the boulders! Crush them before they reach the top!"
The command rang out as soldiers heaved massive boulders off the walls.
The boulders tumbled down with thunderous force, smashing siege engines and flattening enemy soldiers. In another section of the wall, cauldrons of boiling oil were tipped over, pouring the scalding liquid onto the enemies below.
At the commander's shout, soldiers hurled torches into the spreading oil. Flames roared to life, engulfing the enemy ranks. Panicked cries echoed as soldiers, ablaze, fell to the ground in a desperate attempt to extinguish the fire.