Caught Between Advance and Retreat

After Rend received Agamaggan's blessing, he suddenly saw dust rising in the north—the kind of sight only a large cavalry force could create.

"Quick, everyone, mount up and prepare for battle. It's very likely those damned centaurs are coming." Having just received Agamaggan's blessing, Rend's senses expanded greatly in an instant, and he was the first to detect the cavalry force to the north.

The previously cheerful, playful crowd immediately turned serious. They had just successfully obtained the Quilboar sacred relics; they could not let the centaurs disrupt them now. Although the relics could originally have been handed over to the centaurs, Agamaggan had now chosen to become a Loa god of the Darkspear Clan. Only with the Darkspear Clan controlling these relics could they truly communicate with Agamaggan. Otherwise, they would be unable to draw upon his power or provide him with the power of faith and sacrifices.

Rend's forces were originally elite Horde cavalry, and they swiftly formed their battle lines. King Varok, the strongest warrior in the army and a man who loved charging into battle, stood at the very front, waving his battle axe and bolstering morale. Rend, as commander, directed the cavalry from the center, ordering the Tauren Kodo Beast riders to the front. If they encountered enemies, the heavy cavalry would make an excellent spearhead.

Arnak Grimtotem, chosen by Rend as the right man to serve as the army's spearhead, had a stern expression on his youthful face. He stood ready to hear Rend's command and lead the cavalry behind him in a charge at the enemy.

Soon, the cavalry force from the north entered their sight. They really were centaurs—every last one of them a centaur marauder. Could the centaurs truly be planning to send marauders to harass the Quilboar villages?

As the centaur marauders drew closer, Rend could roughly gauge the size of their force. There were only a little over ten thousand of them, clearly a force Rend's army could swallow whole.

"Wait, Rend. Those aren't centaur marauders. They're like us, but they're hiding it with magic." Magatha stepped forward. Though she was not the strongest in the group, her sensitivity to the elements was undoubtedly the sharpest.

"Everyone, stay alert. King Varok, you are the strongest warrior among us. I believe only you are suited to ask that force their true identity." Even if they were not centaurs, they still had to remain cautious. There could not be the slightest lapse on the battlefield. King Varok was undoubtedly the best choice; even if they were enemies, he could still retreat unscathed.

King Varok rode his personal wolf to question the other side alone. He was clearly pleased with the task. Proud King Varok was naturally willing to take on such a dangerous and difficult mission—it was recognition of his strength.

A warrior also rode out from the centaur force opposite them, ordering the rest of his troops to remain where they were. Clearly, they had no hostile intent.

King Varok and the other warrior met. Without asking any questions or launching an attack, King Varok dismounted and ran over to embrace the other tightly. The centaur marauder disguise would lose its effect as soon as they dismounted or fought; it was merely a trick of the eye. The other side was also Orcs, and they were someone very close to King Varok.

"It's you, Broxigar! Hahaha!" King Varok slammed a fist against the other's chest, an intimate Orcish greeting.

"Hahaha, Varok, you didn't expect it to be me, did you? Come on, let's join up. I have important matters to report to Chieftain Rend." Broxigar was King Varok's older brother. Though they had different mothers, the two had depended on each other since childhood. Because of his talent for command, King Varok had been recruited by Orgrimmar as an adjutant. Broxigar, while lacking his brother Varok's talent for command, was even stronger in battle. With his overwhelming strength, he became the bodyguard of Orgrimmar and Thrall, saving the Horde's Warchief from danger countless times.

From afar, Rend saw the other side drop their centaur marauder disguises. Though he could not make out who they were from this distance, it was obvious they were very close to King Varok. He therefore ordered his forces to lower their guard. They were likely a relief force sent by Warchief Thrall.

"It's you, Broxigar. Did the Warchief send you to relieve us, or has something happened?" When the Saurfang brothers rode their wolves up to Rend, he recognized this old hero he respected—the man who had wounded Sargeras, and a member of his Blackrock Clan.

"Chieftain Rend, the Warchief sent me with news. The centaurs can no longer hold back and have begun attacking our positions. We were sent by Warchief Thrall to relieve you, but the centaurs' million-strong army has completely blocked the road back to our position in Mulgore." The centaurs' patience was limited. Although the Horde's previous actions, which had wiped out hundreds of thousands of centaurs, had made them somewhat fearful of the Horde's strength, after several days of confirmation, they learned that the Horde only had several hundred thousand troops. They decisively led the centaurs in besieging the Horde's positions. In the original history, the Horde had not been on the defensive. Instead, they had chosen to clash head-on with the centaurs and, after paying a tremendous price, won a great victory. But this time, with Rend and the others' actions, Warchief Thrall cared more about achieving greater results with the smallest losses. Thus, he sent Broxigar—his bodyguard and captain of the guards—to relieve Rend and the others.

The centaurs launching an attack was within Rend's expectations. Once they learned the Horde's troop numbers, these beings who had always bullied the weak through superior numbers clearly could not comprehend the Horde's true strength. But even after joining Broxigar's ten thousand cavalrymen, they only had twenty-five thousand cavalry in total. Though they were the elite of the entire Horde, Rend clearly had no confidence in charging headlong through the centaurs' million-strong army.

Once their momentum was stopped by the centaurs, that million-strong army could grind down their force of twenty-five thousand. They could only find another route—but Mulgore had only one entrance connecting to the Barrens, with no other roads.

As an old player, Rend naturally knew every map in Azeroth. He had even earned the achievement for exploring Azeroth, flying everywhere on his phoenix. Mulgore was practically his second home. So he knew his current position was a huge problem: ahead lay the centaurs' million-strong army, while behind him was a sea of Quilboar about to pour out in full force. What was he supposed to do?

"Child, perhaps I can help you. I know of another road leading to Mulgore." Just as Rend was struggling with his dilemma, he suddenly entered another scene. Agamaggan had drawn him into a vision.