Chapter 158 Rusra (II)
The clarity lasted only for a few moments before madness returned to his eyes, causing him to start biting on his long nails - "Have they already begun attacking us?" - he asked, blood already seeping from his fingers.
The soldier shook his head, but still a bit unsettled by the sight of the elder's appearance. The last time he had seen him, the man's movements had been accompanied by the strict etiquette of nobility. Now, he appeared as though he had lost his way in the woods for years, having no contact with humanity.
"Excellent news!" - The elder exclaimed, his enthusiasm deeply contrasting with his appearance and behavior. However, he quickly returned to a state of madness, nervously biting his nails - "What should I give him as a present? A sword? Gold? Food? He will kill me if I don't move accordingly" - he murmured to himself, his thoughts spiraling. Then, he began shouting -"Maids! Maids! Where are my maids?"
The soldier could only stare in bewilderment at the elder, unsure of how to handle the situation. The lord was the only noble left in the city, as all others had followed Duke Latrel's trail to the capital. Now, the responsibility of leading and protecting the city fell upon a man consumed by madness. The soldier felt utterly lost. He should have brought a friend to help.
"Lord! Lord!" - the soldier repeated, attempting to snap the elder out of his crazy state of mind. He moved to shake the lord's shoulders, but before he could, the elder shouted - "Scum! Take your dirty hands off me! Are you here to kill me too? Nobody can kill me!" - In a swift motion, a silver flash appeared, and the soldier could only take a step back, but a sword still found its mark.
It didn't take long for murmurs to spread among the soldiers - "We need to inform the lord" - a veteran soldier said. Another quickly responded - "Someone has already gone to the castle. They should be back any moment." - The veteran nodded -"Great, then we'll wait for orders." The soldiers on the wall felt a wave of fear at the sight of the fluttering banner planted before them, each swallowing hard. However, the mention of the lord's presence eased their anxiety. It was human nature: when under pressure, people tended to relax when someone else took charge of making crucial decisions, washing their hands off.
"We just need to wait; the lord will take care of it" - the veteran soldier murmured, clenching his fists while trying to make himself believe that everything would be fine - "He will save our city."
However, when those words left his mouth, desperate screams erupted from behind him as if the whole city was crying - "An attack?" - he asked, his eyes turning towards the enemies' positions - "No, they are still there." - he could still see the thousands of silhouettes taking cover under the canopies.
Suddenly - "Captain! Captain!" - A desperate, breathless shout reached the veteran as a figure rushed up the wall, his forehead bleeding - "The Lord! The Lord has gone crazy! He's killing everyone!"
"Calm down!" The veteran hurriedly helped the man sit and forced him to take deep breaths. "What's happening?" he asked once the man had finally managed to steady his breath.
"The Lord! He's attacking everyone! He's already killed dozens of our people in front of the castle!" the soldier cried, his eyes filled with desperation. "He has gone crazy!"
The captain didn't wait and dashed down the wall - "Follow me!" - he ordered.