The battle for the Open Plains was ignited as soon as the WarHordes made their push out from the protection of the Fortress. (Roughly 118,000 Orcs and 60,000 goblins invaded. Around 2,000 Orcs lost their lives at the gates. ) Thus beginning a long and brutal campaign, that would inflict many losses on both sides. For while Orcish armies were teeming with veterans that had fought in over a dozen battles, they would still need to pin down the enemy in order to defeat them. A strategy that would be difficult to employ against such a mobile force that refused to meet them in the field. Instead the Centaurs under Drakane's command retreated further out into the Open Plains, where they could maneuver and re-position their forces to deal out as much punishment as they could, without incurring heavy losses themselves (Centaur forces number around 76,000. Centaurs lost around 2,100 at the gates.) A tactic that had served them very well in the past.

With their enemy declining to exchange blows with them, the Warhordes were forced to give chase each time the Centaurs came sweeping down along their flanks to strike at their army. Vanishing before The Unblooded could be deployed to bring their crossbows to bear down upon them. And while their shamans were able to hurt the Centaurs with their bolts of lighting, they too found it difficult to react to the endless Centaur attacks that assaulted them night and day. Whittling away at their forces.(Goblin casualties 4,000, Orc casualties 1,700.Centaur casualties were around 890.)  

Eventually the Warhordes were forced to commit The Unblooded to the front lines of their formations, to ensure that their armies remained mostly intact on their march through the plains. This move by the Warlords, initiated a running battle with the enemy, who saw the Orc shields that guarded The Unblooded as a challenge to their mastery of the Bow. A challenge that would be taken up by hundreds of skilled Centaurn archers, who raced towards the Orcish lines dodging crossbow bolts, to fire their arrows through the small slits in the shields that sheltered The Unblooded. Such was the skill of the Centaurn archer, that despite this added protection many Orc shields and Unblooded lost their lives. Lives that came with a heavy cost to the enemy, exchanging thousands of Centaurn lives for handfuls of The Unblooded. (The Unblooded lost around 600 warriors, Orc Shields 1,300. The Centaur casualties were around 9,000.)

An unfair exchange, but an exchange nonetheless that the Centaurs would win. For while the Centaurs had the ability to replace their fallen warriors easily, the Warhordes could not or would not. For few Warlords were willing to sacrifice the lives of their young Orc warriors to the oblivious death of a common Unblooded warrior. An Orc that would never be remembered for his/her deeds upon the battlefield. And with no volunteers willing to reinforce The Unblooded ranks, their numbers began to shrink gradually with each attack. With less and less crossbow bolts being fired into the enemy. 

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

High Shaman Grozak could have of course demanded that each Warlord send more warriors to replace the fallen Unblooded, but he himself was unwilling to see more Orc warriors desecrate themselves by wielding these cowardly crossbows, so instead he prayed to Lord Sezarath for guidance and in return he received a vision. 

Far out towards the center of the Open Plains lay massive stone tablets that were shaped to appear like the Centaurs of legend that had gifted the Horslords with life, and a seat beyond the stars. A holy and sacred site, the stones allowed the Centaurs to connect to the planes below and above them. It had also become the burial place, for those Centaurs that had given up their lives for the homeland. 

Having being gifted with this sight of their most holy ground, Grozak immediately commanded the Warhordes to march night and day without rest towards the Sacred Stones. His goal to draw the Centaurs into a proper fight.

Drakane soon realising the Warhorde's true destination, increased the ferocity of his attack, to pummel the Orc's ragged ranks in order to halt their rapid march forward. But despite the heavy casualties taken along the way, the Warhordes refused to slow or stop their relentless advance towards the Sacred Stones. (Unable to defend themselves properly or attack, much of Warhordes took losses. Goblins 12,000, Orcs 6,000. Centaurs took light losses 130.) Fearing disaster, should the Orcs reach the Stones, the great horselord spread word far and wide for all free Centaurs of the Open Plains to gather together to defend their most Sacred Site from the ungodly intentions of the Orcs, before racing off ahead of the Warhordes to take charge of the defenses taking place at the Stones. His words brought thousands of Centaurs racing towards the Sacred Stones. (Around 60,000 Centaurs made their way to the Sacred Stones.)

Garnering the reaction he had desired all along. Grozak informed his Warlords to prepare for battle, and declared that in two days time, they would finally face the enemy and put their axes to test for Lord Sezrath. Encouraged by the thought of finally battling their enemies like true Orc warriors, the Warhordes pressed onward eagerly, increasing their pace, till at last they reached the outskirts of the City, where the Sacred Stones stood. Here the real battle would begin, for the Centaurs would not allow a single inch of Holy Ground to be defiled by the enemy.

Overall Battle Statistics

Orcs - 118,000 - 9,600 = 108,400

Goblins -  60,000 - 16,000 = 44,000

Centaurs - 76,000 - 10,020 = 65,980 + 60,000 = 125,980