Rayen: Attention dear readers, we are now 4 chapters away from the ending of Walking in Darkness. After which I will be focusing on the next one.

Alou: *wakes up.* Why does my head hurt so much?

Fry: Because you mixed Brandy and Morphine.

Alou: Why did you all let me do that?

Rayen: We didn't even know you did it!

Jack: It kinda had us worried...

Alou: Fuck...

Rayen: Not to cause pain, but think the three of you could do the thing?

Alou, Jack, and Fry: Walking in Darkness is a fan-created work. The Riddick Chronicles and all its characters are property of David Twohy. Alou Ackerman, and all scenes and lines related to her are property of Rayen Autumn King. Please enjoy this work, and support the official release.

Alou: Ow...

Chapter 20: Prayers

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I glance around and watch as the predators perch on the rim watching us as we stood a good hundred yards from the canyon entrance. I adjusted Alou a little bit and half-growled. It seemed Johns's body didn't give as big a distraction as I hoped, and now I had to work out how to keep the kid safe… how to get the cells back to the skiff… and how to lose as few people as possible.

Fry walked up and stood next to me, "How many do you see?"

I smirked to myself tempted to scare her, but didn't feel the need. They could use a little hope, so a little white lie wouldn't hurt, would it? I looked at her, "One or two." I then turned and sighed softly.

I know she didn't buy it, but she didn't comment as she looked toward the young girl, "Jack?" She indicated with her head to the lamps and bottles.

She glanced at our stock, "Three full bottles. But almost time to refill." I was proud of Jack, at how strong she was being. But I knew that underneath, she was wanting to do nothing more than curl up in a ball…

Wait… That gives me an idea… I thought, glancing at the sled, picturing it as like an earth-turtle shell over the girl as a shield. It would be awkward for her to move, but it was our best bet.

Fry's shoulders dropped, "Doesn't seem like enough to turn back on, does it?" She sighed looking back into the darkness.

I shrugged, "Only see one way. Turn the sled over and drag it like that. Girl down low. Light up everything we got-and run through like dogs on fire."

It took a moment but Imam seemed to pick up on what I was saying, "The sled as a shield…" He nodded seeming to agree.

Fry pushed on my chest stopping my movements; why wouldn't she just go with it? "What about the cells?"

"I'll take those." I walked around her, there was no way she was going to stop me from protecting Alou anyway I could.

I felt her eyes burning holes into me, "We're just here to carry your light, aren't we? Just the torch-bearers."

"Whatever you want, you won't have any light to bear if we don't get moving," I sighed heavily, "Let's just back an' boot up." the others nodded in agreement, and we circled back to a sheltered area that was easy to light up as a way of protection without wasting resources.

.

We started with stringing the power cells together, so I start fashioning a harness from the old straps, which had gotten damaged a bit, so doing so was a trick. I also wanted to use them to help make a new pack harness for Princess, so she wouldn't fall off my back. I was not going to be able to hold on to her… I paused every now and then to check on her where I had laid her on the cargo tarp they had been using as a pack bag for bottles.

She was sleeping fitfully, her breathing on the shallow side, but not so bad as that I was concerned. I gently ran my hand through her hair, which seemed to calm her for the time being. She made a soft sound in her sleep, her body following my hand when I would pull away, but she would settle after a little while before I had to do it again.

I need to keep her out… I have a feeling if she were awake, she would get herself hurt more… and I am not making her anymore of a target than she has to be, I thought to myself as I worked the nylon, but I have to be careful with the amount of drugs I give her… fuck. I growled lowly as one snapped in half. "Damnit…" Jack ran another stray strap over to me, and I gave a small smile like smirk. "Thanks, kid."

"Is Alou okay?" she asked, kneeling down to check on the woman.

"Yea… just sleeping… I might give her a little bit more morphine just to keep her safe… keep her as a low interest target," I explained as I used the strap she brought me to replace the one that broke. "Think you will be able to move fast enough with the sled over you?"

Her jaw set, and I watched as her fists clenched. "If I want to live, I better fucking keep up shouldn't I?"

I chuckled, and turned away. "Be glad Princess isn't awake; she might feel inclined to scold you for that language."

"You use it all the time…"

"Yes, but I'm an adult. You're still a kid," I countered, though my thoughts went elsewhere. I'm barely an adult by the standpoint of my age, but I've been an adult since I was younger than you kid… way younger.

She gave a slightly annoyed noise, and I reached over and rubbed her head. "H-hey!"

"You're a good kid. I suggest you not follow in my footsteps. You'll wish you hadn't," I stated.

"Why?" she asked, and I sighed softly.

"Just trust me alright?" I stared at her, and finally, she nodded. "Good, now go help Fry get that rigged up so you don't have to hold on to it."

"Yes, Riddick," she said, getting up and going back over.

I looked over at Alou, and smiled to myself as I slid myself a little closer to her. Her presence was keeping me surprisingly focused. If she wasn't injured… I wonder almost if she would be helping. If she would be offering insight. What she would offer.

But with her incapacitated at this time, because of the morphine I gave her to ease the pain from her ankle, I had to guess what she would say. Things probably along the lines of everyone shut up and deal with shit I would bet… I'm sure there would have been several choice words with Johns telling Fry's secrets. And maybe something getting swung for the merc's head…

.

As I worked and thought, Imam's voice close behind me muttering in his native tongue surprised me out of my thoughts, though I didn't let this show as I turned to him. "What're you doin'?"

Imam seemed taken aback, "Blessing you like I have the others." I raised a brow. "It's painless…"

I huffed. "And pointless."

A moment passed before he answered, "I see. Well, even if you don't believe in God, it doesn't mean He won't be-"

I chuckled, "You don't see." I pull on the harness shoulder, a knot slipping tight and into place to secure it into shape. "'Cuz you don't spend your life in lock-down with a horse-bit in your mouth and not believe." I growled softly as I adjusted another part, and pulled it tight with the sound of sliding nylon and a snap. "And you surely don't start out in a liquor store trash bin with an umbilical cord wrapped around your neck and not believe." One more knot was secured with a sharp sound. "Oh, I absolutely believe in God." I paused and looked at the holy man. "And I absolutely hate the fucker."

Imam nodded, "He will be with us. Nonetheless." He started to move off to go finish, his hands gently moving his beads.

"Give my blessing to the girls. They need a spare," I called after him. Especially Alou.

He said nothing in response, but sat again and I could hear him and his son muttering something… some prayer of protection I'm sure. I'd give something more suited for good luck or something like that as opposed to whatever that was…

Alou made another distressed sound, and I turned as she sat up with a gasp. I raised a brow; she shouldn't be waking up that easily with the morphine… it was bad enough she woke up with Johns and Fry fighting, but I think that was just instincts telling her to be alert.

I studied her as she painted heavily, and I watched as her hands frantically started accessing herself, going to her face to trace everyone of what I had assumed was freckles before, until I noticed something; they were raised from her normal skin.

Not the arrangement of dark freckles I had thought. Scars. Across her nose, up one cheek, and around both eyes… probably the source of her blindness.

This made a growl build deep in my chest, and it only grew more and more as she moved to other parts of her body-ribcage, stomach, shoulder, tracing a line from one armpit to the opposite hip… to her back. Every place she touched was as if in memory of a previous injury. Accessing them…

"Princess… who fucking hurt you?" I growled before I could think on it, and I felt myself flinch as she jumped and her eyes stared towards me; I took a deep breath to calm myself down before I spoke again. "Tell me and I'll make them fucking pay."

She inhaled sharply, then let out a whimper as she shook her head and reached towards her ankle. "Not now… we focus on survival… and fuck my ankle hurts so much…" she took a deep breath, slowly drawing that leg towards her to run her hand over her ankle. "I think the morphine has worn off…"

I exhaled, and then inhaled again before letting it out slowly. "Alright… but this will be discussed at some point, Princess… and I will take care of whatever fucker hurt you."

She let out a soft chuckle, and I watched as she smiled at me. "Maybe someday, Sir-Shiv-A-Lot… I might just take you up on that…"

I nodded, and reached for the makeshift pack I was crying the morphine in. "Alright… I hate to do this… but I think just til we get to the skiff… I should give you more morphine."

She inhaled slowly, and then she exhaled softly. "Yea… That's probably for the best… I'm sorry for being so useless…"

I grabbed her jaw-gently, but firm enough to get her attention-and forced her to look straight at me. "Don't. EVER. Call yourself useless again, Princess. Everyone is useful, and you are far more useful than most. So don't you dare doubt yourself." I gently let go of her. "Right now, unconscious or not, you are keeping me focused on getting to that skiff."

Slowly, she nodded, and I leaned forward and buried my nose in her hair to inhale her scent. "A-Alright…"

"I'm gonna give you the morphine now," I stated, and then exhaled and pulled out a needle and the morphine. "If it wasn't for the canyon… I'd leave you alone…"

"Alright…" She held out an arm as I drew the right dosage, and I gently injected it into her veins, watching as slowly, she slipped back into blissful unconsciousness.

I am gonna make anyone who has ever hurt you pay, Princess... I thought as I pulled her closer, letting her head rest against my thigh to ground myself as I finished the harnesses. I'm gonna make sure you get out of here and go wherever you want.

.

We moved back to the canyon entrance once everything was ready. Imam and Fry ready to pull the sled, Suleiman walking next to it and Jack under the sled. Everyone but my girls holding at least two lights to keep the creatures at bay. It was the best formation for the number of people we had.

I pulled on my goggles before picking Alou up and getting her situated on my back. The kids helped me to get her secured with the second harness I rigged, her arms held to my chest. To keep her legs safe, we carefully tied her ankles to her thighs to keep them from dangling and out of my way if I had to climb over shit, and then her knees had a strap that kept them close to me with the harness. We also found a small piece of metal that we secured to her back to use as a shield for both her and me, so one of those flying fuckers couldn't get us from behind. And over that went the lights I had before.

"As fast as you can," I said lowly, adjusting a strap before I rolled my neck as started walking back towards the cells as Suleiman helped Jack get the sled onto her back and secured.

Fry blinked at me, "You sure you can keep—"

I growled, "As fast as you can." I had Alou… I was not gonna fall behind. If anything, I would push ahead if I had to. I was getting her out. And I would try my damnedest to get the rest of them out…

The pilot nodded slowly, and took point, Imam and Suleiman on either side of the metal turtle that was Jack and the slid on flank, while Alou and I took up the rear with the cells dragging behind us. I counted off a moment, watching the predators above us.

"On my mark…" I rumbled, and everyone crouched like runners at the starting line. The predators shifted, looking elsewhere, and I exhaled before I let out a bellow. "NOW!"

Fry set off at a dead sprint, and Jack, Suleiman, and Imam following her lead as I pulled on the ropes for the cells, growling low as I got myself going before charging forward after the group, quickly catching up and forcing myself to match their pace. I wanted to move faster, but we were stuck at Jack's speed unfortunately. And she had limited vision. I only knew one thing…

We had to make it through that canyon...and FAST.

Rayen: Dun dun duun!

Alou: Shhhhh! *clutches head.*

Rayen: I'm sorry... *offers excedrin.* That's get you patched up before Riddick decides to gut me...