Ilumin confirmed the advance of the beastmen and these were the same beastmen led by the supposedly very impressive leader. As they got closer, the beastmen’s physical appearances were more discernible. They possessed the head of a bison and body of a muscular human. Their bison legs allowed them to not only run as fast as the centaurs but, according to reports he heard before, they were also very maneuverable. Faced with exhausted centaurs, the beastmen easily gained ground in their advance. The centaurs couldn’t possibly win a foot race at this point.
“Bow wielders! Fire as soon as they are within your range!”
At the chieftain’s command, the bow wielders notched their bows and aimed above the heads of the spear wielders and ax wielders. Due to the group moving at the same speed for a few hours, they had adjusted to the rhythm and could fire towards their rear while moving.
“Eupoos,” Colet called out to the Magus. “Hold off any spells. I don’t believe this is the right time to waste mana.”
The Magus simply nodded his head. The other spellcasters behind him looked slightly nervous. The loud roaring of the beastmen could be heard and, given their numbers, the roar could unsettle all those unfamiliar to it. Then, the sound of arrows let loose could be heard as a volley was unleashed. Calls of pain could be heard in the rear but the loud roaring didn’t cease. The bow wielders then unleashed another volley into the enemy resulting in the same result.
Beastmen falling back! They stop chase!
Due to the beastmen becoming bold, Colet asked Ilumin to fly above him relaying what was happening. The news worried Colet because a beastmen leader capable of fighting and thinking was a deadly combination. He now knew how this leader had so many followers. Against mostly unarmored beastmen, repeated arrow volleys into their forces could yield deadly results. Yet, the two arrow volleys likely didn’t even make a dent in the beastmen numbers. In addition, it was far more likely for the centaurs to run out of arrows before the beastmen were all killed. The temporary withdrawal of the beastmen also meant they weren't throwing away their numbers until they had better odds. Colet called out to Illumin.
Please let me know an estimate of their losses and the weapons dropped.
The weapons and, on rare occasions, armor determined the status of the beastmen. The standard weapon for beastmen was either spear or club. The two weapons were easy to make and replace. Due to the shortage of metals on the plains, more advanced weapons weren’t readily available. Yet, one would be foolish to underestimate the effectiveness of primitive weapons when used en masse. Following a battle, the spoils would be gathered in one location to be distributed between beastmen. Good weapons were always picked first and the strongest ones would take armor after obtaining a strong weapon in a past battle. In the beastmen society, the strong got first picks at spoils, moving them up in status. As one could imagine, those who moved up in status would stay there while the weak ones were stuck at the bottom. Colet doubted any of those strong beastmen were among those taking arrow fire but the info of what the weakest beastmen wield could be critical information to their victory.
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Few dozen beastmen dead. Swords. Axes. Shields.
The information confirmed the worst in Colet’s mind. The beastmen leader of thousands not only could think during battles but also had the foresight of equipping even the low status beastmen to make them deadlier on the battlefield. Even without this beastmen leader, the strategy of throwing bodies at the enemy commonly adopted by the beastmen would prove to be too much to handle for the centaurs. The entrance of this single leader could spell disaster for them.
“Chieftain,” said Igas. “I fear we are surrounded.”
“What?” Colet questioned the statement. ”What makes you so certain?”
“I learned a spell from one of the Sacnits on my way here. It’s called Far Sight and, for brief moments, I can see far into the distance. I saw large hordes of beastmen, easily numbering in the tens of thousands, standing between us and our home. We might reach them in an hour or so.”
With the beastmen in the vicinity staying some distance away, Colet asked Ilumin to scout ahead until she either found the hordes of beastmen or confirmed their path forward was clear. With the Cloud Hawk soaring ahead, the centaur chieftain felt blind as he couldn’t see the battlefield. The beastmen never stopped roaring and a part of him believed his centaurs were being herded into an encirclement with the beastmen urging them on. The centaurs galloped for several more minutes before Ilumin returned.
Lots of beastmen! Up ahead! Too many!
“Igas,” Colet said to the leader. “You are right. I hope you learned a spell from the Sacnits that can get us out of here.”
“I fear Far Sight was the only spell I learned.”
“A shame! It looks like we are making our final stand here.”
The centaurs kept galloping until the hordes of beastmen were spotted. The centaur chieftain then ordered them to halt their advance. He knew better than charging straight into fresh beastmen who were ready for their arrival.
“Magus,” he spoke loudly. “Please prepare us for our final stand!”
Colet didn’t have the illusion a miracle would happen that day. His centaurs were hungry and exhausted. Their numbers greatly paled against what the beastmen had gathered for the hunt. Spells and bows, being their advantages over the beastmen, were limited by the mana and arrows they possessed. The beastmen weren’t going to give them a chance to pull off a miracle. They would continue attacking until all the centaurs were dead or too wounded to resist. After that, they would become the feast of their enemies. Colet’s regrets were not destroying the Purificator and leaving the centaurs back home to fend for themselves. As a chieftain, he wasn’t able to save his people. The last thing he could do was to take as many beastmen with him as possible. A part of him was further saddened by the fact that his victory would change little of the plains as the beastmen would continued their reign.