It was night time now.
"It is said the comet always precedes them, these "World Enders." Imam said.
He was standing out on the balcony looking up at the sky as a comet passed by.
"The Cul-De-Sac planets are gone, 8 million settlers missing. The entire acolyte system is gone, too." He said.
Riddick turned his head when he sensed Zeesa was listening in on the conversation.
"My God, how do I save my family?" Imam said, as he fiddled with his prayer beads.
"We'll find a way, Imam." Rhea said, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"For the sake of everyone, I hope so." He said. "Have you heard anything I've said?" He said, not having heard Riddick say anything.
She turned to see what he was doing, and saw that he was looking toward where Zeesa was. He turned to look at Imam.
"You said it's all circling the drain. The whole universe, right?" Riddick said.
"That's right." He said, nodding.
Zeesa used her pointer finger to wave at Riddick from where she was hiding. He closed one of the doors he was sitting next to in the room.
"Had done some time." Riddick said.
There was a knock at Imam's door and some people in cloaks came in. She shook every one of their hands, and she greeted them with a head nod.
"The one you want is now here." He said.
Riddick got up abruptly and closed the doors of the room once they were all inside. He pulled the mask off the first man in a cloak, and the others took their masks off themselves as he went down the line to look at them. There was a gentle yet sturdy breeze that made the candles flicker, and a white ghost like figure appeared. He had his shiv to the throat of an elderly women with snow white hair. She was dressed in all white and wore a loose hood on her head.
"And whose throat is this?" Riddick asked, addressing the woman.
Rhea anxiously rocked on the balls of her feet.
"If you cut my throat you'll not be able to receive the offer that brought you here. Though, I'll tell you why it's so vital that you did come." The woman said.
"The blade comes off when the bounty comes off." Riddick said, never lowering his blade from her throat.
"This is, Aereon. An Envoy from the elemental race; she means you no harm." Imam said, trying to get him to lower his weapon.
Aereon moved in a white cloud to get away from his blade. She appeared behind everyone making them, except for Riddick and Rhea, start a little.
"There are very few of us who have met a Necromonger and lived to speak of it. So, when I choose to speak of it, you should choose to listen." Aereon said.
"Necromonger?" Riddick asked.
"It is the name that will convert or kill every last human life, unless Furyan warriors are found. They were the one race that would not bow, the only race the Necromongers still fear." She said.
'Not bowing to anyone no matter how powerful they seem. Yup, he's a Furyan.' Rhea thought, looking at him.
"Maybe you should pretend like you're talking to someone educated in the penal system. In fact, don't pretend." He said.
"There is a story, Riddick, of young male Furyans strangled at birth. Strangled with their own cords." Imam said.
He turned away from the group and faced the balcony.
"When, Aereon, told this story to the Helion leaders I told her of you." Imam said.
"What do you know of your early years?" One of the cloaked men asked.
"Do you remember your home world? Where it was?" Imam asked.
"Have you met any others?" The man in the cloak asked.
"Others like yourself?" Aereon asked.
Riddick turned to her before answering.
"Sister, they don't know what to do with just one of me." He said.
"Spoken like a true Furyan." She said.
"I don't care where I'm from, I want the bounty off my head." He said.
Hard knocks descended upon Imam's front door. There were shouts demanding for them to open the doors. Azure opened the door to the room they were all in.
"They are searching houses!" She said alarmed.
Imam shushed her.
"They look for a man who came here today, they think he might be a spy." She said.
"A spy?" He asked confused.
"Did someone see him come here today? Did they?" She asked sternly.
"Azure, stop." He said. "I will send them away, but wait one minute, please." He pleaded, addressing Riddick.
He looked at Imam with a hardened face.
"Will you wait one minute to save worlds?" Imam asked.
"Not my fight." He said.
"So, you will leave us to our fate, just like you did her?" Imam asked.
He paused as if what Imam said got to him. The soldiers that were at his front doors finally burst in.
"Come, let's try to send them away." Imam said, getting everyone out of the room except for Rhea.
Riddick and she watched as the others were thrown out of the house.
"You're really going to leave us all here to die?" She asked.
She looked down at the men who were holding Azure back.
"There is no one here!" Azure shouted at the men.
"You don't understand, he can help us! He can help us!" One of the cloaked men tried to reason with the soldiers.
The soldiers were on the other side of the door now.
"Get somewhere they can't see you." Riddick said, going over near the candles.
She backed into a corner and got ready to fight. They made eye contact for a moment. What she didn't say with her words she showed with her eyes.
"No matter what you say to me your eyes will always tell me the truth. The past isn't the past." He said seriously.
She looked away from him. He made sure to look away from her direction before the doors opened so he wouldn't give away her position. He put his hands up as if in surrender and had his back turned to the soldiers.
"You're not afraid of the dark, are you? The light hurts my eyes." He said, and extinguished the candles.
"Bet I take out more than you can." She said.
She had gotten behind him shortly after he extinguished the flames.
"We'll see." He said.
She could hear the smirk in his voice, and though she didn't want to admit it she had missed it. It reminded her of the brief time they had spent together. Even if they hadn't spent that much time with each other she had formed a bond with him. The soldiers started shooting and a brawl broke out.
