The Emperor Class

The centaurs galloped at full speed towards the forest and the unknown enemy. Colet couldn’t make out what race the enemies were but, even from where he was at, he could tell there were a lot of them. The fact that Ilumin specified “Too many!” worried him as one had a better evaluation of the situation from the air. The Cloud Hawk had already taken to the skies to acquire more information on the enemies but the centaurs would likely be engaged in combat before her return. The chieftain didn’t like their odds from the numerical standpoint. He also doubted the enemy, dressing in dark armor and seemingly swallowing everything around them in darkness, was good for morale.

“Grant me your strength, Goddess of Nature!”

Colet never thought the soft-spoken Nath could project his voice this far. A green aura shone brightly before it expanded outwards engulfing everything in its path. The green aura traveled so quickly that Colet didn't even register it after the fact, let alone brace himself from it. When the aura dissipated, the centaur chieftain found him and the others unscathed while there were no more enemy forces in sight. The centaur chieftain was also unsure if it was his imagination but he also felt more empowered after coming in contact with the aura. As Colet wondered how much damage Nath inflicted on their foe, Ilumin came gliding down above Colet.

Tree strong! More enemies coming!

The centaur chieftain had hoped Nath dealt with the threat at hand. The fact that there were more enemies terrified him.

Where did all of them come from?

An army this large didn’t appear out of nowhere. Between the extensive scouting performed by the coalition, including Ilumin from the air, prior to arrival and regular scouting parties sent in all directions for several kilometers, it would be absurd for them to miss so many soldiers, unless one was dealing with drunk dwarves. Recalling Eupoos’ words, the summoned creature might be capable of feats never believed to be possible. To fight an enemy with unknown powers put the coalition at a huge disadvantage. To make matters worse, the coalition forces were split between the stronghold and their rear.

For the time being, the forest was clear of enemies and the centaurs entered it unopposed. Colet immediately went to check on Nath and was shocked by the Sacnit leader’s appearance. While he wasn’t well versed in trees, even he could tell Nath aged tremendously since they last spoke. The slower movement and tiredness emitted from the Sacnit’s body weren’t encouraging either. When he looked around, Colet noticed the other Sacnits were spread out in a formation they had taken to launch boulders at the stronghold. The dwarven escorts were nowhere to be seen though.

“Nath, are you okay?” asked Colet who had doubts Nath was capable of responding in his current state.

The Sacnit was sluggish in his response and his words initially sounded gibberish. The centaur leader walked around Nath and failed to find any visible wounds. When Konstite and Eupoos reported back, Colet was told many of the other Sacnits weren’t so fortunate. Most of them collapsed onto the ground with their bodies darkening at a steady rate and they were no longer responsive. The few remaining responsive treefolks were in no better condition.

“Young Colet,” said Nath, getting the centaur chieftain’s attention. “Get out of here! The dark power wielder is far stronger than I have suspected. My people might be done for but yours may still have a chance. Go!”

Before Colet could ask for clarification, an ax wielder approached him.

“Chieftain, we are surrounded!”

Colet surveyed behind them and saw several ranks of soldiers covered in dark aura. Without a sound, these soldiers managed to encircle them. The centaur chieftain was initially surprised by the diverseness of the weapons wielded by these soldiers. Some wielded the swords and shields human knights were equipped with. Others possessed warhammers commonly wielded by dwarves. He could even spot a few centaurs as their bodies stood out like sore thumbs. A few unfamiliar weapons were wielded by silhouettes that didn’t match any race he knew of. What these soldiers had in common was the despair they emitted. Staring at them, Colet felt he was staring death in the eye. The longer he stared, the more tempted he was to simply drop his weapon and give up on resisting.

“I will open a path for you, young Colet! Flee from the undead as you cannot possibly hope to win against them. Farewell and may you survive the difficult times that await you!”

In an incredible display of power from the Sacnit leader, giant roots emerged from the ground and came crashing down upon the enemies who stood between the centaurs and the coalition camps. After disrupting the enemy formation, the roots rose slightly above the ground and moved out in a sweeping motion, shoving the enemy soldiers aside. Once the path opened up, Colet gripped his ax tightly.

“Thank you, great Nath. May you find peace in the afterlife. The centaurs will forever be in your debt! We will never forget what you have done for us!”

With no more words exchanged, the centaur chieftain led the centaurs through the opening. As they galloped through the opening at full speed, sweat ran down Colet’s face while he passed by enemy soldiers. Despite being hit directly by an attack that could kill any being except the immortal ones, these so-called undead soldiers got back up. The roots came down a second time but, following the impact, they returned back underground. Before Colet was in the clear, he could see the undead soldiers rising once more.

What does it take to kill these things?

The centaur chieftain didn’t have the luxury to ponder on the matter. His mind was focused on reaching the camp where he would gather coalition forces. Before he could finish processing his thoughts, several screams behind him jolted him back to reality. As much as he wanted to turn around to help the centaurs, he had to reach the camp to reorganize all his troops.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered quietly as he sped up.