Chapter 173 Elsa About To Be Launched
Riding on her horse, she galloped as fast as she can, with only the mediocre scent emanating from her body left lingering behind.
Ignoring all that is within her range of sight, and only focusing her head up, looking at the Wyverns who continue to fly non-stop toward the direction her city is in.
With the gaze she uses to look at the Wyverns above, one could easily discern the desperation in her heart, wishing, if only she could fly, she would have raced herself upward and confronted the Wyverns before they get to the city.
"faster, faster!".
She says, urging the horse to go even faster than it already is, forcing it to push past its limits.
Elsa rode for hours before she had the chance to see the doors of her city from a distance away. Unfortunately for her, the horse she was on, wasn't as fast as the Wyverns soaring in the sky.
Her relieved face when she had almost gotten to her city gates turned sour after seeing smoke erupting from within the city itself.
Hot vapor in gaseous state was being compacted into one, and released into the atmosphere. Getting even closer, she could see the soldiers on the city walls struggling as they released attacks toward the Wyverns, attacks that were unable to reach much less graze the Wyverns in the sky.
Ballistic missiles that were attached to the walls, used for firing off huge stones, are currently being fired in several dose in the direction of the Wyverns.
The force behind it was enough to aid it in almost reaching the Wyverns, yet it was easily evaded before it touched them.
The Wyverns in retaliation, rained down their mana breath inside the city, completely ignoring the futile attempts of the soldiers situated on the walls.
They ignored the walls, and only stuck to attacking the city full of houses, with people inhabiting it. It was obvious with the way they were attacking, that the Wyverns plan is the destruction and slaughter of Murian city and its people, and not the walls surrounding the city.
"you damned monsters".
If things continue to go as it is, the city will be engulfed in the flames of utter destruction, and the people she swore to protect will have their lives robbed of them by the despicable monsters.
Elsa finally got to the gates of the city, and abruptly got off her horse, leaving it to fend for itself.
She had only gotten to the gates, and from it, she pictured vividly the horrid event that had befell her city.
Houses destroyed and some burned to ruins, bodies of soldiers on the floor, with deformity from having parts of their head opened up, while some had stones stacked on them, with the atmosphere reeking of the pure smell of blood.
The people were running helter-skelter with no destination in mind, and only the thought of escaping being incinerated by the breath falling from above, lingered in their thoughts.
The soldiers who are supposed to be protecting the city from happenings like this, were also lost in confusion on how to attack a monster whose activity is situated above, a place where they have no power over.
Even the air weapon they have with them is currently proving useless, and the mages attack also could not get to the Wyverns range.
It does not take a genius for them to realize that all hope is lost, and their city will fall. But not Elsa, she had no such thoughts in her mind, nor was she willing to accommodate it.
In as much as she still breathes, she is the sort of person who would go to the extreme to see that she protects what she vowed to protect, and destroy what she vows to destroy.
Elsa hurriedly rushed herself through the city gate, found her way up to the walls where the ballistic missiles were, all the while ignoring all attempts of her soldiers to strike a conversation with her, informing her of how glad they are that she is back with them.
Elsa got to where the ballistic was placed, and the soldier in charge of it moved away from her so he could express himself to her positively.
"i want you to aim the ballistic with me on top, and shoot me in the direction of the Wyverns".
Elsa wasn't slacking around in any form, wasting on time as she gave out her order, while also adjusting herself to sit on top of the ballistic launcher, ready to be catapulted toward the Wyverns.
"but captain!".
The soldier in charge of the ballista Elsa sat herself on, had on him a very worried expression, and all for a good reason.
The ballista is meant for hurling huge stones, and not a human. Elsa wanting to use it to hurl herself into the sky, could lead to several complications, most of which the blame will be shifted on the one that fired the ballista, orders or not.
The soldier knows how important Elsa's presence is to Murian's military, and the outcome of what will come to be if anything dangerous were to befall her.
He also feared for what will happen to him if Elsa winds up in an uncomfortable situation after he fires the ballista like she ordered him to.
"do it right now, it's an order".
Elsa said, with a commanding tone. Her aim is to use her coarse voice to pester the soldier into submission, and ward off any such hesitation he harbors in his mind.
Her voice however was not able to do the trick this time. She knows, that what she is asking of the soldier could very well lead to series of trouble for him, especially if he is with a family of his own.
This is like telling him to willingly gamble away the life of he and his family in the city, simply by launching the ballista with Elsa on it, and waiting to see what outcome will be arrived.
It is a tough decision to make, and the stress of the city being under attack does not make it any less easier to decide on.
"you are a good soldier, but this is not the time to hesitate. The more you wait, the more damage is being done to our city if you do not hurl me at the Wyverns".
Says Elsa, resorting to gentle speech after seeing that threats will not work on him.
"but captain, what can you do even if you do get up there? They are Wyverns, while we..."
"what? While we are humans? Is that what you were going to say".
The soldier had his head down, not knowing what to answer Elsa with.
"It is fine to lose hope soldier, everyone does once in a while. You want to know what isn't right? It is letting that hope decide your next course of action".
"as long as you still have life breathing within you, there is still hope. As long as you still have your arms and legs attached to your body, there is still hope".
"the only situation you are allowed to give up hope, is when you take that one last breath signifying the very end itself".
"there is not much I can do going up there, but there isn't much I can do staying down here either. I have the body, all I need is the will to push me forward".
Elsa clenched her fist, and bumped it on the soldier's chest, with a face that the soldier could only describe as Elsa asking him how strong is his will.
All hesitation within him vanished, his resolve steeled like the way a soldier's resolve should be.
He moved over to where the rope was, raised his sword and in one full slash, he cut down the rope that would allow Elsa to be catapulted upwards like she wanted.