After Fiona has refused medical treatment until she knew what was happening Bryan had tied her up and escorted her out into the halls. They wound their way through the bowels of the ship, passing military, men who didn't question the prisoner in his hands. He stayed silent behind her, his hold strong but not threatening. His hands guided her diligently and she was oddly reminded of the years they had spent being friends in secret. It all felt like a lifetime ago though, and she sighed, eyeing up the men that walked past them, desperately trying to understand what was happening.
Fiona found herself worried, the metal of their suits jagged and thick. She hadn't needed more than a look let alone the hug from Bryan to know that the metal was too strong to be broken. Every last single military man that moved past them was large, muscular, built to hold the weight of their armor.
She couldn't fight her way out of this one.
They turned down their last corridor and Bryan spoke to the guard posted outside the tunnel, the mans eyes leering in her direction as he thought about what had been said.
"She doesn't look like one."
"I'm just doing what was ordered. Do you want me to head back to the Lord Marshal and verify instruction?" Just the mention of their leaders name had the unknown guard shaking his head vigorously before side stepping and giving them room to enter.
Fiona was pushed forward, the tunnel absent of any light. They moved through complete and utter darkness for what felt like eternity. She could feel a small blow of air on her face, her hair brushing over her cheeks as it fell loose from the knot at the back. Brian kept silent; the only noise that remained constant was the clank of his metal boots on the ground, his arm grinding at the joints when he shuffled forward. The air pushing past Fiona grew stronger and stronger with each step and when it became a steady gust, hair tossing around and lifting up, a light became visible just at the edge.
Her last step was from night to day. She moved forward and suddenly all that there was was light. She squinted away from the darkness, her body recoiling. Bryan held her upright with a firm hard metal hand on her waist. He released her to untie the bounds on her hands; and she was free. Moving away from him quickly, Fiona turned abruptly and watched as he once again removed his helmet.
"I figured you would know by now he's not going to hurt you." The voice echoed around her head and she had to look to Bryan to see if he too had heard it. The words seemed to slip in and out of her head, so soft on her brain she felt like putty.
"Who was that?"
"Just me." Her voice was so close. Fiona spun, moving closer to Bryan, figuring he was the lesser of two evils right now. The woman's figure dropped down in front of her out of thin air, her robes all around her billowing in the soft air that gusted throughout. She was transparent, the white walls and white ceilings giving her a glow. Fiona was mesmerized, watching the edges of the woman flicker to and fro with each gust, each pull of the wind around them.
"Who are you?"
"Aereon."
"And why am I here, Aereon?"
"That is in fact, a very well placed question." The woman smiled, moving closer to Fiona who in turn moved further away. The solid of the two took note of Bryan's hand as it returned to her waist, his attempt at comfort not going unnoticed. She stepped away from him once again, putting distance between her body and his touch. "I am an Elemental, an Air Elemental to be exact. My powers are very limited on this planet my child, you have no need to fear me."
"That's what they all say and then they slice and dice you up for dinner."
"We Elemental's are rarely hungry."
"What can I do for you?" Fiona crossed her arms, sizing up the woman, eyes bouncing to Bryan who had taken to leaning back against one of the great white walls. He was slowly dismantling the suit on his body, taking the arm pieces off, removing gloves. Fiona's eyes watched as he pulled away the chest plate and sat it down on the ground, revealing thick black long sleeved attire. She could see the tip of the scar she had given him so long again, just near his throat. "I'm not in the business of breathing too heavily everyday, so you'll forgive me if you're looking for a life line."
"I don't need constant airflow, he uses the wind to subdue me. When in the presence of oxygen I am completely solid, however, space lacks the ingredient to my survival. The tunnel you passed through is linked to the key element in all black holes. I can't pass through it, at least not without guidance. The wind is a constant reminder to the lack of solidity here. It keeps me drained." Her smile was weak, her eyes bouncing around the room. Her steps seemed to glide over the ground, her feet carrying her away from Fiona. "You are much stronger than I remember."
"Must be confused lady, too much air in here. Oxygen packs a nice little high."
"You're just unaware. But that is fine, we knew from the start that you would be resistant."
Silence. Fiona uncrossed her arms and shook her head. A small chuckle came from her as she reached back and let her hair down. The eyes in the room watched as she pulled the strands up and retied them out of the way. Her eyes smiled, her face smiled, her body shook. The aggravation on her arm was on fire, the cut from the rocks on Crematoria all done bleeding, but still held jagged gross edges. She wished, just a little part of her did, that she was back in that prison so she could take a bath in the eternal life that was offered.
"I'm not looking for whatever it is you're offering lady."
"No, you're looking for him." Aereon moved forward, creating a smaller gap between her and Fiona. "Which I find comical, since you left him there on that planet. He is not the saving grace. Not yet. You're not ready for that step. In the middle of all this blur you missed a few crucial stops." Aereon sighed, swiveling around to put her back to them. Fiona did not hesitate, the knife she had on her belt pulled and tossed. The ghost of a woman seemed to know it was coming though, her figure dissolving just enough for the tip to pass through. "You'll have to try harder next time. I'm different as you know."
"In the end lady, we all bleed the same."
BREAK -
He enjoyed the fear in her face when he brushed past her. She didn't register it at first, her proud and confident features watching all the guards ascend away from the world below. She held her head high, an invisible badge of control on her chest. She was no one; that much he knew, but she at least thought she was.
When she registered him, saw through all the metal and duplicates it brought a smile to his face. He could have very well of hidden his eyes, but this was more enjoyable. And a little bit of fear was always good. She wouldn't tell the Lord Marshal, her need to be queen was too great.
Her fear was the stench he walked away with, the smell wafting up from the emotionless society. No one here felt fear and he prided his ability to make it quake in that inbreed woman who turned so painfully to second-guess herself.
BREAK -
"I haven't much time. Things have been set into motion and I need you to listen." Aereon flitted back, Bryan now by her side. "You are destined for something much greater. In my world there are four main elements. Earth, wind, fire, and water. We coexist in a balanced society and preach to the world to do so as well. On a grander scale, at the top of the chain, where the mortals do not understand, there are two main focused elements that govern our society. The light and the dark." Aereon turned to Bryan, a small smile on her features. "Bryan was the original light in our society. He has been away for so long, developed more of a human side than others, and took the sacrifice to find you."
"You think I'm an elemental?"
"I do. But it's not an easy path to come by. To be a proper elemental you had to have been raised on your planet, with your people. Sadly your mother did not see it that way."
"Look lady I don't know what the hell you're talking about."
"The child of darkness shall be raised in the evil that the world provides. She shall overcome the trials and tribulations, rise up and encompass the world around her to take on a new order. A new kind of evil." Aereon chuckled softly, looking to Bryan once again, both women watching as the man stepped forward. He looked down at Fiona, a soft smile there on his features. His hand reached out, soft and light, he slid his fingers down along the side of her face.
Fiona held the air in her lungs as she watched his eyes dance over her face.
"I have been searching for you for years, and when that merc dropped you at the prison I knew. You tried to seduce from me my knife and it took all of me to take action the correct way. But you had to learn to protect yourself, had to learn to come into your own with struggle."
"What a wonderful present." She pushed his hand away, sighing deeply as she took a step back. "As much as I love family reunions I think this is over. Too much nut for my taste."
"Fiona my child, you must understand." Aereon pushed in closer to her and she did not move away. The woman carried with her the smell of air, the smell of the world. "Destiny has brought you to us, and we can't let you go. We need you to take the next step."
Bryan pushed in and grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him. She tried to struggle but his strength had always been too much for her. He used the rope from earlier to tie her up once again. He gave her the softest of regretful smiles.
"And what's the next step?"
"Purification. Darkness, in its deepest fashion. Through the acceptance of darkness you shall rise."
BREAK -
Riddick brushed the invisible strands of hair away from her face. She was so pale. Her lips a deeper shade of gray than her skin, her eyes had closed ages ago. The bodies in the room still stood, still soaking in the death of their Lord Marshal. He didn't pay them attention, his focus on the dead child in his hands, her womanly features disappearing in front of his eyes. He knew she wasn't changing, not for real, not for everyone else, but all he could see before him was the body of a dead bald child, handmade goggles pressed to her forehead.
You keep what you kill.
The voice in his head pulled him away from the dead body of Kyra. He rose from the ground, moving towards the chair at the front. His body slouched down as he dropped his face into his hands. Getting too old for this.
He chuckled to himself, looking up at the faces that had all turned towards him now. Their eyes waited patiently, and as if someone had whispered a command, or hit a button, they all sank down into a bow, a row at a time. Their bodies dipped to the floor and Riddick watched as Vakko fought the desire to fight, fought what he had thought was going to be the outcome. His woman beside him, she tugged and toppled down, bowing before their new Lord Marshall.
BREAK -
"Please Bryan." Her pleading words shook him, she could see it. His eyes glazed over as he took her in, watching the machine latch on. The point entered in the back of her neck, drilling a whole deep inside. Her face screwed up in pain, the noises coming from her now too much.
He had to turn away, move to the other side of the room as Fiona screamed for him. The noise that crawled out of her chest was beastly. She tried to release herself, the pain even more as she fought. Each tug, each pull, the noises grew in magnitude as she yelled not only at the world but also for him. She yelled for him to release her, to stop it, to stop the pain.
Then she was silent.
He turned around so he was facing her once more, stepping closer yet as her body hung there lifeless. Aereon had told him it would only take seconds. She would revise from the incurable death of humanity and rise as the child she was supposed to be. She would come back to him, not human anymore but something else. She would be there, and he wouldn't feel the shame he did anymore.
Her eyelids twitched.
He reached out, touching her arm lightly, the machine whirling suddenly. He pulled back, watching as the latches released her. Her body crumbled to the floor, her skin growing paler each second. She was so light, so easily moved. He pulled her towards him, dropping to the floor himself. Her chest rose with breath and he reached out, running a finger over the skin of her cheek. The color in her was fading, her lips growing gray, her skin pale.
When her eyes did open they were black. He stared down at the pupils that tried to register what was happening around her. The panic flooded her face and he tried to sooth her but the screams came back. She pushed him away, pushed as far from him as she could go. She slammed into the wall, hands reaching out and gripping the floor, eyes frantically surveying the room.
"Fiona?"
She looked at him quickly at the mention of her name. He could see the pain in her face, her eyes dilating larger yet. She looked lost, confused. Her wounds were gone and an unnatural glow emitted from her in the darkened hall.
"Who?"
