The Centaur's discipline was extremely poor. Fights were common in their camps, and many even mated on the spot.
These barbaric creatures only had a natural physical advantage. As long as the major powers of Azeroth understood their weaknesses and took the time and effort to formulate appropriate strategies and tactics against them, the Centaur would eventually disappear into the river of history.
In subsequent versions of the Warcraft game, the Centaur had long disappeared from players' sight, while creatures like Murlocs, Naga, and Gnolls still maintained a high appearance rate.
Hogg can fight for another 10 years (humorous).
With the rise of humans, Azeroth gradually entered an era of turmoil.
It wasn't just the Centaur's incursions; members of The Hidden Path stationed in UnGoro Crater reported that the Qiraji in Silithus were beginning to stir.
The Qiraji who had been guarding AhnQiraj seemed to have finally recovered some vitality after thousands of years of licking their wounds, and scattered Qiraji figures began to appear in the Silithus desert.
The Qiraji Empire had a very clear class system. Ordinary Qiraji were usually of very low status, equivalent to the lower-class laborers in human society, eating little and working much.
The Qiraji who could evolve into humanoid forms were all nobles of the Qiraji Empire. These Qiraji rarely appeared, so their presence in Silithus proved that the Qiraji Empire was preparing for outward expansion.
Andreas was unsure when the Qiraji would officially launch their attack. This time, he had summoned The Hidden Path and the Cenarion Circle from Anathiss, primarily not to deal with the Centaur, but to prepare for the Qiraji.
If traveling by air, Marshanhi and Silithus were only separated by Feralas, a very short straight-line distance.
As soon as the Centaur trouble was resolved, all troops participating in this Centaur encirclement campaign, including the Southern Legion brought by Shandris from Eversong, would head to Silithus.
'Although I can't remember the exact time, I still have an impression of the name War of the Shifting Sands.'
Andreas carefully observed the five strongest Centaur through a telescope; they were currently gathered together, arguing heatedly.
'Centaur, you are the best training material. I don't have time to slowly entangle with you. Let's solve this once and for all.'
...The 200,000-strong Southern Legion led by Shandris was marching rapidly through the Feralas jungle. Under Shandris' command, the entire army maintained silence. The vanguard led by Leticia had already entered Marshanhi first.
Although they had not yet completely split, the five major Centaur clans were already showing signs. The Kolkar Clan, in particular, resided near the exit from Marshanhi to Feralas.
Due to the chieftain heavily conscripting the village's population, when Shandris led the vanguard into Kolkar Village, this village, which only had a large number of old, weak, sick, and disabled, couldn't even organize a decent counterattack.
"Kill! Don't be soft-hearted. This brutal race has no reason to exist!"
Andreas had issued a kill order to Shandris even before their departure. The Centaur, a race that only destroyed and took without creating, and treated betrayal as commonplace, was not needed by Azeroth. There was no place for them in the future of Azeroth.
Although Leticia was usually carefree, she was very reliable when serious.
The Centaur spellcasters who remained gathered together, summoning thunderclouds in an attempt to slow the Night Elves' advance, allowing their kin to find an opportunity to charge out and escape.
Leticia had already known about the Centaur's mobility through intelligence, and the slowly advancing encirclement gave them no room to charge.
"Swish!"
A moon wheel cut a strange arc, hitting three scattered Thunder Callers in succession. Blood spurted from the wounds on their necks, and they quickly screamed and collapsed to the ground, weak.
Although Lunara was also a quadrupedal creature like the Centaur, she showed them no mercy.
She felt a familiar aura from these Centaur, but more so, their brutality and unnamed fury inherited from the Earth Princess.
Poisoned energy spears were thrown consecutively from Lunara's hands, while she used her equally flexible mobility to pursue the fleeing Centaur, delivering fatal blows.
After burning down Kolkar Village's largest royal tent, the Kolkar Clan, having lost all hope for the future, was essentially declared to be on death row.
The towering flames and thick smoke were noticed by the Centaur army far away at Ghost Sentry Post. After the Kolkar Chieftain identified the direction, his face immediately turned ashen.
Under the gloating gazes of the other four chieftains, he silently led his clansmen away from the Centaur allied forces' encampment.
"Hmph, idiot."
Chief Kolkar sneered, "He forgot to arrange defenses for his home base while campaigning. The Kolkar's demise is well-deserved."
Chief Magra turned to look at his three compatriots. "Speaking of which, which of you did this, Kolkar?"
"Not me."
"Nor me."
"I didn't either."
After the three chieftains stated their positions, they exchanged glances and simultaneously turned their gaze to Chief Magra, who had asked the question first.
"Don't look at me, I didn't do it either."
Chief Galak's face grew serious. "Although I don't entirely believe your nonsense, if none of us four made a move, then who ambushed Kolkar Village?"
Silence fell for a moment, then Chief Malodi tentatively asked, "Could it be the Tauren?"
"Impossible!"
Kolkar, the vanguard against the Tauren, was the first to dismiss this speculation.
"The Tauren's main force has been under our surveillance. There's no way they would have the spare capacity to detour south and ambush Kolkar."
"Then, who exactly was it?"
Before the four contemplative chieftains could reach a conclusion, an urgent and unpleasant horn blast suddenly came from the direction the Kolkar Chieftain had departed south earlier. The faces of all four present changed simultaneously.
"This is the horn of distress for the Holy Land? That Kolkar fellow wouldn't deliberately falsify military intelligence, would he?"
"Probably not. This kind of thing absolutely cannot be joked about."
Kolkar glared hatefully in the direction of Ghost Sentry Post. "These beef-people are lucky. Let's retreat first! The Holy Land must not be lost. We must return to defend Mother."
"Go!"
...Dorn Bloodhoof, stationed at Ghost Sentry Post, saw the Centaur army hastily packing up their camps and preparing to withdraw. His expression became agitated as he turned to Andreas.
"Speaker Moonshadow, could it be?"
"Heh~ It should be correct."
Andreas turned to look at the southern sky; a Storm Crow was rapidly approaching, flapping its wings.
"Shandris has arrived, Chief Dorn. Let us also prepare to pursue."
Andreas looked in the direction of the Centaur's retreat, a hint of cold light in his eyes.
"There are only two passages into Speargroove, which leads to Maraudon: the east and the south. Shandris will lead her troops from the south. If we just block the east, then it will be like a walk in the park."
While Dorn Bloodhoof led the main Tauren force trailing the Centaurs at a distance, Shandris happened to rendezvous with Leticia's vanguard.
With their whereabouts exposed, the Night Elves' Southern Legion no longer needed to hide; Shandris immediately ordered a forced march to seal the southern valley exit before the Centaurs could return to Spear Valley.
After years of peace, the Southern Legion had grown somewhat lax; many soldiers were baffled by Shandris' alternating orders for silence and speed, grumbling under their breath.
Yet as regulars of the Night Elf Republic, they still trained rigorously, and obedience was etched into their bones.
Despite their doubts, under the High Commander Shandris, the legion quickly abandoned its old pace and double-timed behind her.
Mindful of the Centaurs' terrifying mobility, the acting deputy—battle-druid chieftain Laynella—sent Raptor Druids ahead to scout Spear Valley.
The caution of Laynella and Shandris proved justified.
When the Raptor Druids reached the skies above Spear Valley, they saw the vanguard of a Centaur army galloping south through the narrow eastern pass.
The previously relaxed druids were startled by the Centaurs' speed.
These four-legged humanoids thundered like war-horses, raising huge dust clouds near Maraudon; a rough count put this Centaur force at over fifty thousand—every one a cavalryman.
'...Now I see why the Tauren begged for help.'
One Raptor Druid said grimly, 'Sara, turn back at full speed; tell General Shandris.'
"Yes, sir!"
"The rest of us continue north—this isn't their main force, probably the Gilgish vanguard racing home."
When Shandris' main body received the courier, they had just reached the three-way fork between Gilgish Village and Spear Valley; the distant dust was already visible.
Shandris cupped her chin. "Laynella, I'm leaving you thirty thousand. Stop the Gilgish from flanking us."
"Ahead, a big hill blocks sight to north and east—you know what to do?"
Laynella grinned. "No problem. At their pace they'll arrive in twenty minutes—plenty of time for me to set a welcome."
"Good—it's yours."
Though friends, in the field the brisk Shandris was all business.
"Leticia, take the vanguard under the Raptor Druids' guidance into Spear Valley and seize the best defensive ground first."
"Understood."
Knowing Shandris' ways, Leticia accepted the order without a word, leading her Night Saber cavalry toward Spear Valley.
Lunara, no true soldier, was puzzled by the earlier exchange.
"Leticia, what was that about? Is thirty thousand enough for General Laynella?"
"More than enough."
Leticia grinned wickedly. "Watch—the Gilgish rushing home to save their kids are going to suffer."
"Faster! Faster still! The village is in sight!"
Centaur chieftains are styled Khans; the Gilgish Khan, seeing smoke rise from his village, urged his warriors on in desperation.
He feared for Maraudon, but saving his people came first.
If too many Centaur foals died, the Gilgish would face a crippling gap, and rival Clans would pounce.
The Gilgish spear-bearers rounded the last hill; the burning village lay just ahead.
Suddenly the lead Centaurs screamed and crashed; at their speed, a fall meant death.
They fell like wheat, fouling the ranks behind; the Khan had to order a slow-down.
Before the tangle could reform, an army burst from the dead ground behind the hill.
Sentinel longbows sang; volleys from the rear rained into the Centaur column, sowing panic.
Poorly disciplined, the Centaurs milled in terror, trampling each other to dodge the unseen arrows.
The Khan's heart chilled; the red haze of rage lifted, replaced by dread.
He spun to see purple-skinned, long-eared warriors sealing his retreat.
The road to the village was riddled with small pits sized for Centaur hooves; one misstep meant a certain fall.
Traps ahead, pursuers behind—stripped of their famed mobility, the Khan sweated as spell-light began to glimmer behind the enemy line... even as Laynella's ambush clashed with the Gilgish, the Southern Legion, guided by Leticia, had seized every height before Maraudon's cavern.
Leticia's vanguard cleared the few Centaurs left in Spear Valley; when Shandris arrived, they were already fortifying.
The southern throat of Spear Valley was sealed. In that knife-edge terrain, only a handful of troops were needed—just post them on the cliffs; the mountain supplied endless stone.
Meanwhile, the four Centaur Clans retreating from the Kodo graveyard entered from the east.
Though worried for holy Maraudon, the four Khans weren't fools; they left forty thousand to guard their rear against a Tauren sally from Ghost Post.
Andreas laughed on seeing the rearguard. "Arrogant beasts—do they really think a few thousand can hold a hundred thousand Tauren in open battle?"
"Hmph!"
Dorn Bloodhoof, fed up with hit-and-run, snorted twin jets of steam.
"Tauren warriors, the hour of reckoning is here—charge with me!"
"ROAR!"