9. The Boiling Point

It didn't take her long to find a shower. Looking in the drawers turned up nothing more than a huge disappointment for possible attire. She would have to stitch something together, but getting clean was what mattered now.

The shower had no door or curtain to hide her nakedness. A large circular shower head above was like heaven to her. Pulling the cord she sighed in delight as the hot water connected with her skin. Plain soap and simple shampoo were like gifts to her after so long. Lathering her arms, she slowed her movements at the marks she saw there.

"They're back." The strange raised symbols brought both anger and a sense of foreboding. Looking down the length of her body it appeared that she was covered in them. It was like a birthmark that covered her entire body. Closing her eyes, she tried to slow her heart beat. In, out. In, out. Her breathing hitched at the pain of the marks returning under her skin. She continued her cleansing as if nothing had happened.

Stepping out into the large bathroom wrapped in a fluffy black towel, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was changing. The moment the blood of that skinny man had touched her tongue, the transformation had started up again. Her hands were shaking as she brought them up to her mouth lifting her top lip to examine her teeth. "A new row already, but why so soon?" There was a fresh row of sharp teeth behind her regular ones. They would soon replace the ones in front giving her new razor like teeth. Next she examined her cheeks. The bone underneath was shifting at a slow pace. She didn't want to go back. It felt to so good to be semi normal, even if she had been half dead. Her eyes were flickering between the shine. The color of her eyes darkening to a crimson color as her anger rose. Black strands of hair turning to the same crimson in her eyes.

"FUCK!" She slammed her fist into the mirror, lodging small pieces in her hand. Kazira could be seen behind her and the look on her face mirrored her own. Her distorted reflection stepped forward and laid a cautious hand on her shoulder.

'I am so sorry my child. This is what must be." She leaned in and placed a kiss on the back of her head. 'Many struggles will be ahead for you. Your abilities will only grow stronger by every passing day. I… don't let the pressure of the change drive you mad.' She stepped back and shimmered away.

Kimera was shaking with anger; the hatred coming off of her in waves. Her skin was turning red all over and the bathroom was heating up. Higher and higher the temperature rose. The towel around her body caught fire and fell to the ground. Glass containers exploded with the heat coming from her. She gasped when she saw her eyes. They were empty. Black pools of nothingness. Her hair was on fire but there was no pain. Her hands were like small flames. She had to calm down or else she was going to burn a hole through the floor and keep falling till she made a hole in the ship.

Riddick was sitting in the pilot's chair going over the flight charts and checking the support systems for the ship. A red light was blinking on the console indicating that the temperature in the western part of the ship was rising at an alarming rate. "The fuck is going on down there?" He rose to his feet and headed towards the problem.

Half way down the West corridor he felt a wave of heat and started sweating like crazy. It was hotter than hell down there. There were five doors in the corridor and only one was closed. The door front looked like it was melting. It was so hot, that he removed his shirt and threw it on the floor. Now he knew where the heat was coming from, but how was he going to get in; the access panel was long gone. There was a strange sound coming from inside. Was that crying?

"Kimera!"

He leaned against the far wall and started kicking the door over and over again until it gave way and a blast of fire came right at him. He would have been badly burn had he not ducked down at the last second. The walls in the room were melting. But they were not made of metal, they were covered in blood. Flesh had replaced the walls and it was bleeding. The smell was over whelming. The poor girl huddled with her back to him was at the center of it all. Lying on the floor surrounded by boiling blood and fire, Kimera was howling and crying. The louder she screamed the higher the flames crawled up the walls. He saw strange marks glowing red on her skin.

"Fuck" His mouth was hanging open at the scene in front of him. What the fuck was she?

Without thinking he ran into the blazing room, jumped the circle of fire and rolled landing right next to her. It was still hot in the circle, but it was more spread out. He was pissed off for some reason. He wanted to rip her to pieces, and then find someone else to rip apart. Riddick's feet felt like lead as his body shuffled towards the huddled form on the floor. He couldn't control himself. Kneeling down beside her, his hands were palm up above her body. A black blade materialized in his hands. He couldn't feel the heat anymore. He was too occupied with what his body was doing. Clutching the blade he raised it high and prepared to land the finishing blow. "Oh god what am I doing?" Arms and hands shaking with the inner fight, he pulled back and brought the blade down with a scream. Kimera's eyes opened, the blade stopped right between her eyes, pressing against her skin.

"What are you waiting for?" Her reply was hissed out, something dark behind it; a stirring of echoing voices. Squinting to see the blade at her head she stared at him with her black eyes.

"You're doing this aren't you?" Riddick growled out. The fire should have spread by now, but it seemed to have a mind of its own. He still held the blade poised above her head with white knuckles.

"Do it. Kill me now and end it. I have no reason to live." The hypnotic voice possessed him. His hands shook and he applied pressure to her head. A trickle of blood ran down her forehead. Her smile was empty of emotion. This wasn't Kimera. It was someone else.

Gritting his teeth he willed his fingers to move, to release the blade. Slowly, his grip loosened and his hands opened to drop the blade. A sudden burst of energy from the body sent him flying into the near wall.

She was howling again. It sounded worse than nails on a chalkboard. The body was struck with convulsions and causing it to arch and twist at impossible angles.

"NO MORE!" She screamed, "I CAN'T BEAR IT!"

He shook his head to right his vision. She was crying tears of blood and she was still writhing after her screamed response. Her body began to rise off the floor, her back bending almost in half as she floated a good six feet off the floor. The first time in a long time, Riddick was scared.

The walls began to creak as the blood was drained from them. Running down, it pooled beneath her. And then she stopped moving. The fire was being pulled in with the blood and he sat there afraid to move. A huge circle of flaming blood was under her rippling and churning.

She dropped from the air landing with a sickening splat into the blood. He crawled towards her slowly, uncaring of the blood that covered him. He had almost reached her when she coughed loudly, sending chunks of black sludge to the floor.

Lifting herself up on unstable arms she arched her back as the bones there shifted. The sound of ripping flesh filled the room as black wings emerged from her back. With her blood dripping from the feathers, she collapsed in an unconscious heap. Riddick continued his approach cautiously. Lifting a trembling hand, he touched her wings. The feathers there were softer than silk. Coming to his senses, he checked her pulse and finding a steady heart beat, he fell back on his ass exhausted.

What the fuck had just happened?

'She has arrived at last.' His head shot up to see Kazira kneeling in the doorway. Then she did something quite disturbing, she bowed.

"What are you talking about?" Riddick had walked over to Kazira, and was looking down at her. When she didn't answer he yanked her up by the hair and was surprised to find that she was solid. Dragging her face towards him he snarled out his question again and this time he got a response.

'That is the real Kimera; the child made of darkness. She is the Priestess of Death.' A sick smile graced her face. 'My mission is complete.' She started laughing hysterically in his face like an insane person. Seeing the madness in her eyes, he slid one hand down to her chin and the other at the back of her head and twisted. Her neck snapped like a twig and he let her body drop. She turned to a pile of ash. Riddick leaned over and spat on the ashes.

Standing up he took a deep breath and turned around. He was relieved to see that she was still out, but for how long? She was different now. Her dark skin covered in those same strange symbols he had seen in the fire. He guessed that wasn't the only that had changed about her.

"So much for our little talk." He leaned down and his hand skated over the marks on her back and over the base of the wings protruding from her back. She was naked and her wings were the only thing shielding her from his view. Riddick reached over and pulled her into his arms. Her wings moved on their own to resume their coverage of her body from him. Clutching her to his chest he walked out of the shower room and down the hall.

They reached the room he had claimed as his own. He lowered her to the bed and crawled in beside her. She looked so peaceful in her sleep. Riddick pushed a few strands of black hair out of her face, and placed a light kiss to her forehead. Getting up from the bed he went into the closet and gathered the restraints he knew he would need when she awoke. He covered her with the bed sheet and restrained her hands and feet to the bed. Pulling the desk chair to the side of the bed, he sat down to think and wait.

With his head in his hands he let out a strangled breath, "What the hell did I get myself into?"