The edge of Oblivion, just a little past sane
He awoke, groggy, unsure, and damned unsettled. The who, was clear, the where, was clear, the when…was iffy…but why, the why he just couldn't get his head around. Why had someone attacked him, and NOT killed him. He opened his eyes, as they adjusted to the din of the place, he noted the blood, massive amounts of blood, brackish, acrid smell, and the rent flesh. Then…he noted later in hindsight a bit late…that he wasn't alone. The creature was sitting in the corner, resting actually. Part cat and part question, and he was sure that the beast was responsible for the carnage, but not clear on who the blood and tissue 'had' been. He sat up, and felt the pull of a cracked rib, and a strained shoulder. He felt strangely sure that he was safe the animal had dispatched his assailants with little difficulty. When he stirred the creature perked it's ears, and turned in his direction, and their eyes met. Strange glowing eyes, and the kinship sparked as it always did….yeah it was 'an animal thing'.
The creature rose, and stretched gracefully, odd, for a beast of such bulk, and ambled over him, as he sat rubbing the injured shoulder. It sat, facing him, their gaze never faltering, he leaned in, nose to nose, eye to eye, will to will the beast nuzzled him lay at his feet, neck exposed. Riddick reached down to pat the creature and felt the remnants of flesh on it's face. He remembered entering the hanger, and finding Braxus waiting. Braxus, and his band of Merry Mercs, all hoping for an easy payday. There were thousands of merc in the universe…and Jox had decreased their numbers by 2.
Riddick had come to Welion 4 in search of the pieces to the puzzle that he had obviously missed. Jack had become Kyra, her admiration for him had turned to hatred, Fry was dead and he was alive, and there was more shit happening every day. He had become Lord Marshal, leader of a race of people less humane than and he had lost himself, in a breath, and a gaze, he has spiraled. With Kyra's dying breath he had broken, he didn't know it then, but everyday he was becoming more unsteady.
Jox was a part of a previous adventure, during his brief stay on Crematorium. A stowaway actually, while all the fighting and killing had been erupting he had simply walked onto the platform and into the cargo bay, to await the winner. He had decided that his time there had ended. With the purifier or what was left of him, crackling in the hell that was daylight, Riddick had readied the ship.
He didn't know why he had started to call it 'Jox', it just came to him, and seemed to fit.
As Crematorium faded into the space of the universe, Riddick thought, preparing for cryo-sleep. What had happened, he had wanted to take Jack, but knew that he couldn't, knew that with him she would always be prey, always the hunted, never to rest. He couldn't do that to her….he wouldn't.
Jox studied him, and spoke, ''Reedeek', he sprang to his feet shiv in hand, Jox looked at him. ''Reedeek' 'you…you can speak?' 'YES' the cat creature purred, he paused, thinking, 'well why haven't you spoken before? ''Nothing to say' he said, simply. 'Humans use many words, and most of them are meaningless.' Riddick relaxed a bit, he was actually both surprised and amused, the creature that he had come to trust, could speak, and somehow had never deemed it necessary, never said a word until now. 'REEDEEK you plan a course that will lead to destruction. You will get what you seek, and you will NOT be allowed to modify your request, be careful REEDEEK, careful of your desires and mindful of your fears.' Riddick thought, mulling over the words of his first actual friend. He thought about that now, Jox a creature of unknown origin, the first being to ever be called friend by the most feared man in 26 galaxies. A cat like creature the size of a lion, and a killer, that consumed what he killed. The eyes bound them, although Riddick couldn't fathom why. "I tell you I am bound to you, and that I will die in your alliance." 'I pledge my 'pzrhrz' my friendship, and I accept yours in return.' Riddick extended his hand and Jox sniffed it and placed his head in it. "I…I've never had a friend before….he stammered, Jox looked at him and gave a hard gaze. 'Neither have I, we are alike my 'friend', which is our bond and curse.' They remained locked in a gaze. Riddick seeing the creatures existence unfold in his mind. They were jolted back to the present by another intruder. Cricks leader of the Merry Band as they were known had come to look for his comrade, Riddick and Jox faded back into the darkness. Making their way through the back alleys to the dungeon they both called home...for now. Riddick thought about the weeks that had passed since Kyra's death, and his taking his leave of the Necros. He thought of Jox, and his first encounter with the creature. How instictively he had trusted the silver eyed monster. Sure that the feeling was mutual. Jox had seen the fight between he and The Lord Marshal. Seen Kyra's death,
He was saddened by it. Riddick didn't know how he knew. He just knew. Sitting in the darkness, they thought of the future. Riddick knew as usual,he was being hunted, but there was no bounty on him this time. The Necros hunted for their Lord Marshal. They wouldn't rest until he had been found. Riddick felt the slithery tendrils of depression, for the first time in his life he was paralyzed. He had loved Kyra...he didn't know how or why, didn't know what the feeling was. He was only sure that it was good and he craved it. And now there was no more no more of the drug, that made him feel...for lack of better assessment human. But he also knew that it was bad...bad for him to feel the stirrings, urges that had been reserved for women on outbacked planets, women without names or futures. Harpies steeped with the stench of despair, and empty smiles that promised whatever you could afford. He'd left her with Iman 4 years ago, just before her transformation to womanhood was complete. He'd noticed the breast, and the long legs, the honeybrown hair that curled when it was wet, and the smell of her...it still made him ache. He'd left before he changed. He left before he'd changed her. He knew, that Jack was becoming a woman, and that he wasn't a man to have.
He wondered, wondered, what should his next move be, wondered if Kyra had passed knowing how he felt, wondered...is there nothing more than this...Riddick thought to himself. He'd had rotten luck from the start. Never claimed by any father, discarded by a mother with something better to do, trash bin for a craddle, and spilled beer to nurse an infant with an attitude, 'the world was shit.'
Jox, sat by his comrade, watching the thoughts that presently addled the mans' mind. They played like a never ending cinema. Jox saw the sadness that he harbored, the pain that was buried so deep below the surface like a rotting corpse, poisoning the soul, stunting the growth of warmth, and compassion. He felt Riddick slump down and watched the shoulders heave. When he came too, Jox was laying on him, his full weight restraining the large limbs. He was drenched in sweat, and he felt like liquid shit. He brain was grainy, unfocused, but there it was again...that hole. What could he do to fill it? What?
Dame Vaako reveled in her coup, she was good, each time she recalled the events that had led to Riddicks' depression and subsequent departure she smiled. Though her plan had almost splintered in the end. She had never seen Lord Marshal 'phase' she did not know, that killing him would require the oeuvre of all her puppets.
Where his lady was gloating, Lord Vaako, was all but panicked, Lord Marshal Riddick had disappeared, without warning there was no one at the helm, no one to lead the vast army of half dead nomads. Vaako wanted to take the helm, wanted to rise to the position for which he had been born, the position that before, his acceptance of 'the faith' he had held, but Riddick was a formidable adversary, and not one that he thought he could best. So he waited, they had orbited Welion 4 for the past 13 days, waiting for Lord Marshal to regain his faculties. Who could turn down the Power, the command of Millions and the amassing of in-exhaustible wealth.