"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!"
