But soon, the soldiers noticed a change on the battlefield.
They sensed the mages behind them taking their positions, then heard chanting and the sounds of spellcasting.
Then dozens upon dozens of blue-glowing creatures appeared before their eyes and lunged at the pack of mountain lions.
These were arcane golems summoned by the mages.
The stronger mages could summon several, while the weaker ones contributed one or two.
Their individual fighting abilities varied, but they all shared one trait: they feared neither bites nor claws, and they would neither flee nor shrink from destruction.
Soon, they were locked in combat with the mountain lions.
This checked the lions' forward momentum, as more of them turned to gnaw and bite at these strange creatures.
"Musketeers, ready!" Katel roared.
The first rank of musketeers was already in position, taking aim.
Seeing the rows of gun barrels, the shield-bearing soldiers at the front felt a little more reassured.
"Fire!"
Bang, bang, bang, bang-
Gunfire erupted in perfect unison, and a hail of bullets filled the air.
Countless crimson sprays burst from the pack. Many mountain lions barely managed a roar before crashing to the ground.
Before these powerful dwarf-made firearms, the lions' hides might as well have been paper, pierced one after another by bullets.
Some mountain lions seemed to realize that the greater threat lay farther away. They abandoned the arcane golems they could not bite through and lunged straight at the troops.
But they soon found themselves greeted by one fireball after another, with bolts of lightning mixed in-the specialty of Targ, the ogre shaman.
Rhode led from the front, standing at the head of the Mage Corps and hurling tremendously powerful fireballs into the pack.
Every cast blasted several lions into the air.
The other mages followed suit.
For a