Chapter: Processing Plans
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Screeching and swishes of the wind around them made Nayla to keep looking forwards. She could see those creatures circling them, wanting to get closer to them but couldn't with all the light they had.
Everyone was following Riddick and her, pulling the sled with the power cells and forming a circle around it with rope lights wrapped around their bodies. Nayla and Riddick were jogging a slow pace, looking around their surroundings and just seeing hundreds of those raptor creatures.
"Riddick, there is too many. And I think that I can make out some form of canyon or mountain ahead." Nayla whispers, seeing the creatures outline in the bluish silver glow thanks to her glowing eyes. She watched as the creatures flew in between this opening and landing on the walls on either side of the opening path. The creatures were scurrying up the walls, fighting one another or resting on the wall.
"I know."
"Is that why we are going in circles?" Nayla asked him, already noting how they ran over their tracks from before. Riddick glanced at him and nodded making her to nod back.
"Have to come up with some plan to get through without fucking up and becoming ripped to shreds." Riddick told her.
Nayla glance behind her to see the group had stopped for a few seconds as the cutting torch that Paris was cutting ran out and shut off. Nayla looked back forwards as the group began moving again.
"Wait."
Both Riddick and Nayla stopped and turn to see Jack pulling the rope light off her body and going to grab a flare that Paris dropped when grabbing one of his spirit bottles.
"Jack!" Fry shouted.
"Ah shit." Nayla hissed, taking a stop forwards to save Jack, but Riddick pulled her back. He wrapped his right arm around her waist and held her against him.
Riddick and Nayla watched as everything turn into utter chaos. A raptor creature came down to get Jack, but Imam tackles her to the ground. With a creature in sight, Johns began to blindly fire shotgun rounds into the air and trying to hit one and almost shot Fry in the face. Then another creature came down, hitting Paris and sending the antique dealer staggering and began to freak himself out that he ran from the group, pulling the rope light with him.
"Paris, get back here!" Fry shouted, seeing the rope light was beginning to tug to the point that he was going to rip it out of place.
Nayla had wanted to crouch down, moving to do so and she felt Riddick crouch down with her and pulling his handmade bone shiv from his pocket. She pulled out one of her short swords, watching as the raptor creatures were frantically circling around them and wanting to get one of them.
Soon, Paris had ripped the battery for the rope lights off the sled and caused all the rope lights to shut off around everyone.
"Fucking lovely." Nayla hissed, now she had to rely on the flashlight that was beaming from its spot clipped on her belt. Riddick had this strap across his chest and he had a flashlight clipped to the back of it too.
They all stared into the direction of where Paris went. Only Riddick and Nayla could see Paris get stabbed through the stomach by one of those creatures. But they all could see Paris spit out some of his liquor from him mouth while lighting the liquid on fire. There were creatures all around him and once that burst of fire disappear, the creatures lunge forwards and torn the antique dealer into ribbons.
A pop then a sizzle sound made Nayla and Riddick to make their way over to the group. They had lit a flare and then began to light each torch that was made out of the spirit bottles. It was their only light source now.
"Well, it's good to see you two are ok." Johns sarcastically said when Riddick and Nayla stepped closer to the group. Riddick was still staring at the creatures eating Paris body away while Nayla was glancing at everyone in the group, checking them over.
"Do I even wanna know?" Fry questions, noting how Riddick was staring out in the dark.
When all the torches were lit, they began moving again.
Nayla took note of how Riddick stared down Jack then looked away. Riddick grabbed Nayla's arm and pulled her a bit ahead with him.
"What's the matter?" Nayla whispers to him, seeing his face slight get a pissed off expression.
"At first I thought it was just a cut…wasn't a heavy smell then. Now, it's like fresh cut bloody meat with the girl." Riddick whispers to Nayla.
"Hmp. I know. Worst time to get your period. Glad mine went away a couple days before this trip." Nayla replied in the same tone.
"Too much information." Riddick lowly mumbles making her to snort with amusement.
"Can we pick up the pace?" Fry shouted up to them.
The sled stop moving and everyone watched as Johns went to tell Fry off, but he stopped. Instead, they all stared at sled marks on the ground. They finally realize that Nayla and Riddick were leading them in circles.
"Wanna tell me what the hell's going on?" Johns came up to Nayla and Riddick asking.
"Why have we circled? Are we lost?" Imam came over; wanting to know what is going on.
"Listen." Riddick simply said, kneeling down and staring out in the dark.
"Do you even know where we are?" Imam snapped, losing his chilled back and calm personality.
"Listen!" Riddick stood up shouting and slightly glancing at Imam in the corner of his eyes.
They all turn to stare at Riddick then looked around their surroundings to try to listen on what he was hearing. There were the usual creatures' sounds, but there was more but the sounds seem to be bouncing off a surface. The sounds were echoing and traveling around.
"Canyon ahead. I circled once to buy some time to think." Riddick explained the situation before them.
"I think we should go now." Imam told Riddick.
"Oh, I don't know about that. That's death row up there. Especially with the girl bleeding." Riddick said, not looking away from the canyon up ahead of them.
Instantly, everyone looked in between Fry and Nayla.
"What?" Johns asked in a disbelieving voice.
"What the fuck are you talking about? They are not cut." Johns looked in between Nayla and Fry, looking the two women over and seeing nothing.
Nayla eyes went over to Riddick and narrow a bit. He stared back at her with a slight shrug then looked over at Johns, who was still trying to figure it out.
"Not the adults." Riddick said, turning fully around to stare right at Jack with a slight raised eyebrow.
"Her." Riddick nodded his head at Jack causing everyone to turn around and stare at the twelve year old.
"You've gotta be kidding me." Johns said, not believing that Jack was actually a girl.
"Meet Jackie." Nayla said, resting her hands on her hips. Riddick shook his head as he found it amusing how Nayla could still have a sense of humor in a mess like this.
"I-I just thought it'd be better if people took me for a guy. I thought they'd leave me alone instead of always messing with me." Jack began to explain to them, tears coming to her eyes.
"Jesus, Jack, why didn't you say something." Fry paced in a small circle, not believing this was happening. But she stopped as Jack crouch down on the ground, crying gently in fear for what they would do to her. Kneeling down beside the young girl, Fry put her hand on her back and looked at them.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, sweetheart. Are you really bleeding?"
"You could've left me at the ship, Fry. That's why I didn't say anything sooner." Jack began to say.
"They've been nose-open for her ever since we left. In case you haven't noticed, they go off blood." Riddick said, repeating his warning from earlier about making sure that all cuts were taken care of and that these creatures want blood.
"You're not making this better. It's not her fault." Nayla whispers to Riddick, glaring at him and then looking away to keep eyes on their surroundings. Riddick huffed a bit then looked forwards to stare at the scared twelve year old girl.
"Look, this is not gonna work. We're gonna have to go back." Fry stood up, saying.
"What'd you say? You're the one who got us out here in the first place." Johns turn away from staring out in the darkness and made his way over to Fry with menacing steps.
"I was wrong. I admit it. Ok, can we just get back to the ship?" Fry admitted, shutting her eyes to not roll them at Johns and then open her eyes back up to stare at him standing before her.
"I don't know, Carolyn. Nice breeze, wide-open space. I'm starting to enjoy my fucking self out here." Johns sarcastically stated.
"What, are you high again? Just listen to yourself, Johns." Fry replied.
Nayla brought her hands up to her head and began to rub her temples. She was starting to get a slight headache with all this bullshit stuff going on. She just wanted to get off the fucking planet and laid down to rest. But that wasn't going to happen any fucking time soon with all the bitching.
"No, no, you're right, Carolyn. What's to be afraid of? My life is a steaming pile of meaningless shit anyhow, so I say mush on. The canyon's only a couple hundred meters, after that it's skiff city. So why don't you butch up, stuff a cork in this fucking kid and let's go." Johns waved his hands about exclaiming.
"She is the captain. We should listen to her." Imam stepped forwards, saying with a glare at Johns, not liking how rude Johns was being. But also, they could all sense that Johns was getting impatient and getting this craze look in his eyes.
"This is never going to stop." Nayla growled, tilting her head back and staring up at the raptor creatures circling above them in the darkness.
"Listen to her? When she was so willing to sacrifice us all."
"What's he talking about?" Jack instantly asked, staring at the back of Fry's head.
"This does not help us." Fry got a flash of fear and guiltiness in her eyes.
"During the crash, she tried to blow the passenger cabin, try to kills us in our sleep." Johns was explaining making them all to stare at Fry with a look of shock, except Riddick and Nayla, who stood back and watch as everyone seem to turn against each other.
"See what you done. It's like a fucking domino effect now. One thing happens, something else happens right after." Nayla lowly hissed at Riddick.
"Truth had to be spoken." Riddick replied to Nayla.
"We are fucking disposable. We're just walking ghosts to you." Johns shouted.
"Shut your fucking blowhole!" Fry charged forwards, but Johns shoved her to the ground.
"Fine. Fi—"Imam came forwards, saying and having enough but was cut off.
"ENOUGH!" Nayla shouted causing everyone to look at her. She stepped forwards, feeling this rush of energy pulsing through her body that made her body feel stronger.
"This whole fucking arguing isn't solving anything. It is not benefiting us to get back to the skiff and off this motherfucking planet. So the kid is bleeding, who gives a damn and it's not her fault. We all have cuts on us from some point on this planet. And now with this arguing about blowing us away…whole gives a flying fuck right now because we are dealing with these fucking raptor creatures right now. We are alive at this very moment. Now, I say we fucking work as a crew, get through this canyon as a crew, work as one, and let's get to the fucking skiff." Nayla snapped, panting a bit as she glared down all of them. She felt the energy still pulsing through her and she turn away, staring out in the dark and at the canyon.
"Spoken like a true queen." Riddick stepped besides her, lowly saying.
Seeing Nayla snap like that, Riddick took note of how her scent was nothing but power. Her eyes seem to glow more and she seems to have strict and angry authority to her voice. Therefore, Riddick knew this was her Alpha Royal bloodline breaking through. This was her Furyan queen side.
Everyone stood in silence for a good minute.
"How much do you weigh now, Fry?" Johns lowly said in a mocking tone towards Fry, who was curled up on the ground.
"I'm going to stick my short sword through his head." Nayla growled, turning around to charge Johns but Riddick wrapped his arms around her and held her back.
"Ssshhh. Down there, beautiful." Riddick purred into her ear, holding her against him as she gave a slight struggle them calm down. She sheathed her short sword back and relaxed in Riddick's arms. He slowly let her go but stayed close near her, just in case.
"The verdict's in. The light moves forward." Johns said, lighting up a flare and moving forwards. He nodded his head for Riddick to follow him to which Riddick patted Nayla's behind and walked away to go see what Johns want with him.
Nayla stood there, waiting to see what was going on. When Riddick glance at her and nodded his head, she nodded back and turn around to stare at the others.
"Come on." Nayla said, turning away and began walking towards Riddick standing beside Johns, who was eyeing her up and down, walking to them.
The others were pulling the sled with one hand and torches in the other.
Nayla walked right beside Riddick as Johns kept a flare near them for large light.
"Ain't all of us gonna make it." Johns lowly told them.
"Just realize that." Riddick replies.
"Seven of us left. If we can make it through the canyon and lose just one, that'd be quite a feat, huh?" Johns said as they began to walk through a ribcage of what used to be some form of large animal.
Nayla glanced in between Johns and Riddick, realizing that Johns was actually thinking about getting rid of someone to give them less baggage to carry. But also, using someone as bait to get those creatures off their backs. Nayla instantly believed that this was going to be an interesting conversation.
"Not if I'm the one."
"What if you're one of the six?" Johns questions, but jumped a bit as they heard one of those creatures fly near them then disappear into the darkness.
"I'm listening." Riddick said to which Nayla looked up at him. He glance at her and gave her a sly wink before Johns could even see it. Seeing Riddick wink at her, Nayla knew that Riddick wasn't really going to obey Johns wishes, not one bit.
The others behind them were dragging the sled, but slower than before. Nayla could see that Imam was trying to reassure them, but Fry was glaring up at Johns, Riddick and Nayla. Nayla knew that Fry knew that something was being exchanging between the men. Something that no one wants to believe, think about or do.
"Battlefield doctors decided who lives and dies, it's called triage." Johns told them.
"You kept calling it murder when I did it." Riddick replied.
"Either way, I figure it's something you can grab onto."
"Sacrificing?" Nayla asked making Johns and Riddick to nod their heads at her.
"Hack up a body, leave it at the start of the canyon like a bucket of bait." Riddick explained the idea.
"Trawl with it. We got extra cable on the sled. We drag the body forty, fifty feet behind us." Johns explained his idea.
"Nice embellishment." Riddick mockingly said, which Johns didn't seem to catch on. Nayla shook her head, not believing the two were discussing ideas about sacrificing one of the people. However, she knew that Riddick wouldn't go along with it. Instead, he was going along Johns words. Though, that made her began to think on why Riddick was pretending to be civil with Johns in this interaction.
"Well, I don't wanna feed 'em. I just want keep 'em off our scent." Johns replied.
"So, which one caught you eye?" Riddick asked, glancing over his shoulder to stare back at the group. Nayla looked back too, instantly seeing Fry say something to the group and then their pace slowed up even more. Nayla definitely knew that Fry knew that something was up.
"No, no, don't look you two. Christ. What the hell's wrong with you two?" Johns waved his hands at Riddick and Nayla making them to look back forwards.
They kept walking, getting closer and closer to the canyon.
"All right, enough of this shit. You do the girl, and I'll keep the others off your back." Johns said, stopping in his spot.
Nayla felt Riddick laid his hand on her back and then pulled her flashlight off. He handed it to her and stared her in the eyes.
"Keep it close, move back to the others." He lowly told her before turning around to face Johns with an emotionless expression.
"It's not too big a job for you, is it?" Johns points this out to Riddick.
"I'm just wondering if we don't need a bigger piece of bait."
"Like who?"
"Nayla move."
Nayla quickly began back tracking then turn and ran as Riddick and Johns began fighting. She made it to the sled with everyone else.
"Leave the sled. And Move." Fry shouted, all of them running around a pillar of bones.
Nayla didn't want to leave Riddick but her alpha mate told her to go. She knew that he wanted her to be safe as possible. She stood with the others, but her eyes were searching for any signs of Riddick.
She was jogging backwards, but stopped as the others had stopped too. She watched as Riddick appeared behind a pillar and came storming over in their direction.
"Stop." Nayla commanded as the group was going to run again. They stop and turn to see Riddick now standing before Nayla, checking her over then looking at them with narrow eyes.
"Back to the ship, huh? Just huddle together until the lights burn out." Riddick said, stepping beside Nayla and glaring at each of them. He was wondering why he would send his mate with this bunch, but then again, he was here now. But also, Nayla could handle herself very well if something bad was to happen.
"Get away from us." Fry pointed her torch at them.
"Till you can't see what's eating you. That the big plan?" Riddick questions them.
"Where's Johns?" Imam asked, taking note that Johns wasn't present with Riddick.
"Which half?" Riddick asked, staring down the holy man.
"We're gonna lose everybody out here. We should've stayed at the ship." Jack said, her voice cracking as tears were coming to her eyes again. She had turn away for no one to see her tears, but everyone knew that she was going to cry by her voice cracking with sad emotions.
"He died fast. If we have any choice about it, that's the way we should all go out." Riddick said, moving towards Jack and standing right behind the twelve year old.
"Don't you cry for Johns. Don't you dare." Riddick lowly said to Jack before walking away and going off to the side to look at something. Nayla looked after him to see that Imam was following after him.
Nayla turn around to stare at the others, taking the three before her in. Her eyes going over to Jack, seeing her trying so hard to not cry. Nayla glanced over at Fry, seeing the pilot staring around her surroundings. The last of Imam's followers were frantically looking around, moving in his spot in circles and jumping at every possible sound that pierce through the air.
Turning away from them, Nayla stared back over to Imam and Riddick talking. Then she looked away to where she saw Riddick appear after dealing with the Johns situation.
"Hmp, he kept his promise about Johns alright." Nayla lowly said with a smirk.