Colet found himself swallowed up by darkness. He called out to the others but no one responded. He took a few steps but couldn't tell if he even moved. Then, he sensed a few presences nearby.

Serve the new chieftain! He will lead the centaurs to greatness!

Colet tried to locate where the voices came from but the darkness was absolute in concealing everything. Then, half a dozen centaurs materialized from the darkness before they wrestled him to the ground. The ambush was done so well that Colet didn't realize his situation until he was pinned down.

Don’t you want to see a golden age for the centaurs? Why create this division?

The former centaur chieftain pushed with all his might but he couldn’t break free. He looked up and saw those holding him captive had no faces. He wasn’t even sure if the voices came from them.

Are you so tempted by power that you would let the centaurs die for your sake?

Colet wanted to shout in fury but nothing came out of his mouth. Never had he felt so powerless. As frustration boiled within him, a familiar face appeared before him.

Father?

You are unworthy of your position. Let go of the past and embrace the future!

What future? One where centaurs serve the dark gods?

A true chieftain would abandon his title in return for the greater good of the centaurs. Have you become blind to it all?

Colet writhed in pain as the voices in his head grew louder with each passing second. Centaurs he had known in the past all urged him to join Ides. He knew it was easier to listen to them and serve Ides.

“As a chieftain, you won’t have an easy path ahead of you.”

Colet found himself by his father’s deathbed once more. Despite being at death’s door, his father had an aura only a true leader exhibited. The two of them were the only ones in the room and just finished sharing the words they put off until their parting. With those words out of the way, Colet received his final lecture on what it meant to be a chieftain.

“You will have tough decisions that require you to walk alone. That is what separates the chieftain from the others. You aren’t performing your duties for wealth, fame, praise or anything trivial. You live up to your duties because you are part of the royal bloodline. If becoming the enemy is the only way to save the centaurs, then you will pick that path without hesitation. A time will come when you are tested. When that day comes, will you be ready?”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

I may not be the strongest or skilled in spellcasting.

Colet grabbed the shoulder of one centaur and tossed it some distance away. The centaur shattered into pieces upon impact with the ground.

Nor am I a born leader on the battlefield or in the court.

The centaur chieftain stood up slowly with the centaurs on his back turning to dust one after another.

Yet, I carry the blood of centaurs who won’t let such simple mind tricks overwhelm them. I would rather die than serve a weakling and, if I must die, I will do so on the battlefield.

The darkness vanished as quickly as it showed up. Colet never felt so drained in his entire life. Nothing during his travels nor the earlier spellcasting came close to what he felt. While his eyelids were heavy, the centaur forced himself to look around. What he saw made him frown. A part of him wondered if Ides had already won with the last stunt he pulled. Nearly all of the centaurs were gone. Other than the healers, only Igas and a handful of support spellcasters remained on the ground. Colet couldn’t tell if they were unconscious or dead. As he caught his breath, Zulgar walked towards him.

“The centaurs just went above ground,” he said simply. “We couldn’t stop them without fighting amongst ourselves.”

Colet took stock of the situation after nodding his head. The remaining centaurs were decapitated with only him still conscious, though he would be lying if he claimed that he was in a better condition. The centaur chieftain dragged himself beside Sofice, feeling relief when he sensed her breathing. Meanwhile, the beastmen leader stood beside him. After a short silence, Zulgar spoke up.

“What do we do now?” Zulgar asked.

The centaur wondered if they could still go ahead with the plan. Without the numbers they boasted earlier, the plan couldn’t proceed as normally. With Ides discovering the chamber, he questioned if their plan was leaked. After a brief moment, he turned to Zulgar.

“We may have to abandon this place. It’s no longer safe.” He gestured at the beastmen. “I don’t doubt their battle prowess but the odds are heavily against us.”

“Agreed.” Zulgar nodded at the remaining centaurs. “We’ll start assisting the evacuation of the remaining centaurs then.”

“You aren’t worried about them slowing you down?”

“We beastmen never leave our brothers and sisters behind.”

Without another word, Zulgar returned to his beastmen and shouted orders. Colet watched as the beastmen organized themselves into groups of four per centaur. They coordinated themselves to carry the centaurs with a sense of urgency. Unsurprisingly, Zulgar stopped beside him, offering to support him until he could stand and walk on his own.

“This might be our last battle,” said Colet.

“Are you afraid to die?”

“I have a few regrets but a warrior doesn’t turn down a chance to die on the battlefield.” Colet offered a smile. "I can share our story of defeating that abomination."

“Well said!”

The group was about to leave the chamber when some uninvited guests arrived. An undead centaur stood at the mouth of one of the demon's tunnels and stared at the centaur chieftain with lifeless eyes. It was then joined by undead dwarves and undead beastmen. Colet quickly reached for his weapon and took a step forward. Beside him, Zulgar had drawn his weapon, eager to do battle.

“It’s a shame we won’t get a chance to see our demon allies in combat.”

“We can always request a friendly spar in the afterlife.”