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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 1238471" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter 22, “Rizah’s Quick Thinking” September 13th, 1019, 5:45 P.M.Just as Rizah was trying to think of a way out of his present predicament two massive explosions fill the air above.   One is inside the Head Howdah with flames erupting out of the open windows of the structure.  The other more massive ball of flame is at the Yoke Howdah.    He watches as the remains of the catapult deck and catapult rain onto the forest, with the flaming debris starting a few small fires.  Rizah realizes that the approaching cavalry troops will be temporarily distracted by the explosions and falling debris, delaying their arrival by a couple of minutes.   That is all the time that he needs.  He removes his last rope from his pack, tossing the grappling hook up into the nearest tree.   He then lies down on the ground, arranging the end of the rope on top of him, and lying so that his wounds are prominently displayed.    Rizah then closes his eyes and spends the next few minutes lying still and thinking up a good story to tell.  He speculates that he is probably the only gnoll that has survived who witnessed what had transpired at the Head Howdah, so nobody else would be able to contradict whatever story he comes up with. A pair of horses rides up, and Rizah hears a gnoll dismount and first approach the pile of bodies near him.  This gnoll approach him, check his body, and states “This one’s still alive.  It’s a Lieutenant.”  “Grab him and let’s go.  The Kadtanach is starting to move again,” a voice states.  Rizah recognizes the second voice as that of Lieutenant Renjarr, leader of the ground forces.    Rizah continues to feign unconsciousness as he is thrown over the flank of a horse.  The rider then has the horse quickly ride out of the way of the Kadtanach’s massive feet, narrowly missing being stomped upon.They ride through the forest and then off to the side, stopping at a point a few hundred feet behind the creature and joining up with the two wagons.   The wagons have been following in the forest path created by the Kadtanach’s dragging tail.    He hears the voice of his former supervisor Gogol say “His name is Rizah.  He served as my Kegyai.  The Chief must have given him my old job.”  A shaman apprentice is apparently in this particular wagon, and casts a Cure spell onto Rizah, healing over the recent wound.  Rizah now opens his eyes and looks up at Renjarr, feigning confusion and surprise.   “Report Lieutenant Rizah”, the officer states.   Rizah sits up and tells them of the tribe coming under attack above by a large group of elves from this world, and that the gnoll heretic druids brought these elves onboard.    He then explains that he had been assigned to the Head Howdah, where he helped the Elite Forces fight the elves.   He tells how several of these gnolls were knocked overboard while still tied together and tethered to the Howdah.   Rizah then explains how he bravely attempted to rescue them, lowering himself down towards them with rescue ropes.  He says that the last thing he remembers is falling through the air, as one of the elves must of detached his own rope.  He speculates that his line must have snagged in the trees and partially broken his fall, resulting in him being injured rather than killed.  Both Renjarr and Gogol both appear to believe the story.Two gnoll cavalry troops soon ride up and join them.  These gnolls report that the second air basket has been severed from the creature and that smoke is now pouring out of the Head Howdah.  The bell alarms have now all ceased.    Renjarr is unsure what to make of these developments.   They notice new movement by the wyverns up above on the rear deck of the creature, and decide to just continue following the Kadtanach.  Around ten minutes later the pair of wyverns fly down towards them.  Each wyvern has two gnolls riding on it.   Three of these four gnolls are trained lizard-riders and the other is Chief Ujjain’s son, Lieutenant Kajjan.   The wyverns land before then and the horses and wagons come to a stop.   Kajjan dismounts and approaches the ground force leader.   He reports, “The situation is dire.  Subchief Drog-Jeru and Yeenoghu’s human guardian have both been killed.  The Kadtanach pilot was also slain and Yeenoghu has now granted my father the honor of piloting the Kadtanach.   I need to bring Drog-Jeru’s senior apprentice Jart-Krin and also the strongest of your group back to protect our Chief.”  Rizah takes all this in, concluding to himself that if Chief Ujjain was foolish enough to put on the helm he is as good as dead himself.   Rizah suggests, “I am still injured, but Lieutenant Renjarr is at full strength.  Take him with you and I will manage things down here.”   Kajjan nods agreement and Renjarr also goes along with this suggestion.   The gnolls mount up and the wyverns take to the air again.    Watching them go Rizah smiles softly to himself, watching as the remaining members of the tribe that outrank fly him away.  Rizah thinks to himself that only death now awaits those above, and is thankful to now be on the ground.   He climbs up onto Renjarr’s warhorse, which he now considers his own, and looks around at the two-dozen gnoll troops which now report to him.   Realizing that his former commander is the most powerful fighter in this group, Rizah says to Gogol, “I am sorry for what the Chief did to you.  I will do whatever I can to help in getting your proper rank restored.   I know that only the Chief can assign rank, however I plan to treat you as a Kegyai and also have the gnolls under my command treat you as such.”  Gogol is elated to hear this, and swears newfound loyalty to Rizah.  Rizah asks Gogol for the name of the senior members and is told that the Archer Kegyai is named Wergul and the Cavalry Kegyai is named Drej-Kron.  Rizah is further reassured at hearing the hyphenated name, since it means that the Cavalry Kegyai is also an apprentice shaman, so his group is not without healing.  He calls both of these Kegyai over to himself and Gogol.Rizah says, “I will need to rely upon the three of you.  I fear that the elves of this world are supported by their own deities and may actually have the power to take the Kadtanach away fromYeenoghu.   We must continue to following, observe and do what we can to support our god.  We had better plan for quick mobility.   Distribute all of the food, water and additional quivers of arrows from the wagons among the cavalry troops.  Rearrange the draft ropes so that horses pulling each wagon can be quickly detached, in the event that it becomes necessary to abandon the wagons.   Each archer should be assigned to ride either one of those horses or to double up with a cavalryman.    Do this quickly, as we must resume traveling soon.”The gnolls all respond immediately as ordered, confirming Rizah’s thoughts that these soldiers will now follow him blindly.     The momentarily delay will also help to create more of a distance between them and the Kadtanach.   Rizah decides to proceed cautiously, and have his group get no closer than a quarter-mile to the creature.</blockquote>

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