Her parents purposely put their chains in the opposite direction of where they planned to go. Now, the group was all together in the storage dock of the ship, trying to get together as many weapons as they could get. "And what the hell are these?" Carolyn asks.
"Maratha war picks from northern India." Paris tells her. Nova eyes over the blade with mild interest. She, like her father, prefers small blades rather than long spears. She likes to get up close and personal. "Very rare."
"And this?" Zeke pulls out a long reed tube like instrument.
"That's a hunting blow-dart pipe from northern Papua New Guinea. And that's very, very rare since the tribe is now extinct."
"Because they couldn't hunt shit with these things, would be my guess." Zeke says, causing Nova to grin.
"We have a little girl in the area, Zeke." Shazza says, looking over to Nova. Nova gives an innocent smile, despite wanting to roll her eyes. She's been swearing since she could talk.
"What's the point anyways? If the man is gone, he's gone. Why should he bother us?" Paris asks, completely oblivious on who they were really dealing with. Not that Johns had all the information either. If he did then he'd know exactly who Nova was.
"Maybe to take what you got." Johns says, his voice an annoying drawl. "Maybe to work your nerves." He grabs his guns, loading them, and cocking them. "Or maybe he'd just come back and skull-fuck you in your sleep."
"He sounds like a charmer, but again, we have children present." Shazza says. "A little girl."
"I don't think anyone cares." Nova says to Shazza. "And I heard worse." She smiles at Shazza and makes his way out of the door with the rest of everyone, grabbing a small blade that was resting nearby.
Johns took to the roof, using a pair of binoculars to keep watch. Shazza and Zeke took to getting the oxygen tubes working. Nova took hers and wrapped it around her neck. She didn't seem to need it like everyone else, but she could only figure that her parents would need it.
She takes a moment to use her extra hearing and see about whether or not she could locate her parents. It's only then, when she's really focusing her hearing, that she hears noises coming from below them. She frowns and focuses harder. The planet was hollow and below them sounds to be caverns and something lurks in those caverns.
"Imam, if we're looking for water, we should leave soon, before nightfall, while it's cooler." Carolyn says, causing Nova to tune back in. She stares at the ground a little more hesitantly. She knows her parents would never let anything happen to her, but she couldn't help, but worry about just what lies beneath her feet.
"Ali." Imam says, squeezing his smallest boy gently.
Paris runs off to them. "Excuse me. I think you should see this." He says to the group. He leads them over to where he had previously been and they notices just what got him all worked up about. In the sky was not one, but three suns. A blue sun in one direction and a red and white one in the other direction.
"Three suns?" Jack questions.
"Bloody hell." Shazza says.
"So much for your nightfall." Zeke says.
"Every sun must go down." Nova whispers, squinting at the lights even with her goggles on. "It's when it goes down that I'm worried about." But no one hears her.
"So much for my cocktail hour." She rolls her eyes at Paris' words.
"We take this as a good sign." Imam says. "A path, direction from Allah. Blue sun, blue water."
"Ever wondered why I'm an atheist?" Zeke asks.
"Never cared much." Nova mumbles under her breath. "Why bother getting to know any of you, you're all dead by nightfall."
"It's a bit of a bad sign. That's Riddick's and Amethyst's direction." Johns says.
"I thought you found their restraints over there towards sunset." Carolyn says.
"Right. Which means they went towards sunrise." Johns says. "Zeke." Johns takes out a pistol and cocks it. "Fully loaded clip. Safety's on." Shazza looks uncomfortable with the gun. Nova couldn't stop the smile that came to her face. Guns Nova didn't care much for either, but it's because they are so impersonal and safe compared to death by hand-to-hand combat. "One shot if you spot either of them, okay?"
"Don't tell me you're going off too." Zeke says as he notices Paris walking over with one of his ancient weapons.
"Yeah." He says in response. "What happens if Mr. Riddick spots us first? Or the woman… Amethyst was it?"
"There'll be no shots." Johns chuckles, he clearly is impressed by the couple. Nova grins and draws her finger across her throat towards Paris, causing him to gulp.
She skips off and grabs a hold of Shazza's hand, smiling up at the woman. "Can I come with you?" She asks innocently. First lesson her parents taught her, deception. She's young and cute. People will see her as innocent and naïve, they'll want to protect her without realizing that it's themselves that should be protected from her.
"Sure, sweetheart. Just stay close." Nova nods. They all make their way in the direction of the blue sun. Imam starts chanting as they walk. Nova rolls her eyes and glares in Imam direction. It was grating on the ears.
"Quiet!" Johns snaps, which for once pleases Nova. He got Imam to shut up. "Shh, shh, shh." He hisses. Some rocks fall down the hill beside them. Johns cocks his shotgun like weapon and starts up the hill.
Nova hears the boys shouting and sees them tossing stones.
"Seven stones to keep the devil at bay." She hears Imam say.
"You're on a trip to New Mecca, right?" Carolyn asks.
"Once in every lifetime, should there be a great hajj. A great pilgrimage. To get to know Allah better? Yes, but to know yourself, as well." Carolyn laughs a rather unamused laugh, clearly thinking about the incident on the ship.
"Yeah."
"We are all on the same hajj now." Nova slips off undetected. Without Johns around, no one is paying close attention to her. She rounds the hill and comes to a stop. She cocks her head and turn, there crouched is Riddick.
"Here, papa." She says, holding out the breathing tube. He moves quietly forward and takes it in his hand, taking a deep breath of air.
"Don't you need it?" Amethyst whispers as she rounds the corner.
"I don't seem to." Her parents exchange a look. "Is there something wrong with me?"
"No, it's your papa's blood. It changes you." Amethyst crouches down beside the girl. "Makes you stronger."
"But papa needs air."
"He is much stronger than us. He can go further with this dense oxygen." He hands Amethyst the breathing as he notices her heavy breath.
"Take a few hits." Riddick orders, his voice rough and gravely. Amethyst does as asked before going further with explanation.
"You are even stronger than Riddick in ways. His blood runs through your veins and you have evolved from him. One day, you may even surpass your father." Nova cocks her head to the side. "Each generation will grow stronger than the last. You grow stronger than your father. You can last much longer than him with this dense planet, but eventually you will need to take a hit of this. Just not yet." She takes another hit.
"Keep it, mama. You need it more."
"I'll be okay." Amethyst says, but Nova pushes it back.
"No. Keep."
"They'll notice."
"I'm just a little girl. I lost it." Nova pouts.
"Try harder." Riddick says.
"I was climbing the hill, I fell, I got hurt. The oxygen tube slipped off and I don't know where it went. I'm sorry." Tears come from her eyes.
"Better." Riddick says. "Go before they suspect." Nova nods and kisses Riddick's cheek and hugs Amethyst.
"Breathe." She tells Amethyst before climbing up the hill. Riddick and Amethyst disappears as quick as they appeared. Nova let out a yell as she made herself fall.
"Nova!" The group shouts as she goes tumbling down the hill. She grunts as she hits the bottom where the others are.
"Are you okay?" Shazza asks.
"Why on earth was she climbing the hill?" Paris asks.
"Shazza, is she okay?" Imam asks.
"What's going on?" They all turn as Johns walks up with Carolyn.
"Nova was playing on the hill and she fell." Shazza says. "She seems to be okay, just a bit bruised."
"I'm sorry." She cries, sniffling. "I lost the oxygen tube." She whimpered as she shifts.
"Don't move, you may be hurt more than I know." Shazza says.
"I just wanted to get higher and see the area better." Nova sniffles. "I lost my footing." She breaks off into a sob. "I want my mama."
"Oh, you poor thing." Shazza pulls her into her arms. "It's okay. You're going to be okay."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It wasn't your fault. As long as you're okay then that's all that matters." Shazza whispers as Nova sniffles. "Come on, sweetheart, let's see if you can stand." She helps Nova up and Nova shakes slightly. "Are you okay?"
"I just feel a bit dizzy. But I'm okay." She sniffles. "I just ache."
"Yeah, you took a bit of a tumble." Johns was quiet through the entire thing. Staring at Nova with a deep stare, as if she was a bug under a microscope that he was studying.
"We should get moving. I saw a group of trees up ahead." Johns says.
"Trees. There must be water." Imam says.
"That's what we were hoping for." Carolyn says. Nova went to move forward, but Johns placed his hand on her shoulder, stopping her movement.
"How about you stick close to me kid. We don't want you to get hurt again." Nova looks up at him, keeping her face blanket.
"Of course, sir."
"I've been meaning to ask. What's up with the goggles?" Nova beams.
"Cool, aren't they? I found them on the ship! It looks like Riddick and Amethyst's posters."
"Posters?"
"Yeah, the planet I was on previously. They had wanted posters up of the two of them. Do I look cool like them?" Nova smiles.
"There's nothing cool about them, kid." Johns says, causing Nova's smile to falter.
"He's right, Nova, they're dangerous. I want you to stay far away from them, okay?" Shazza says.
"Okay. I'm sorry. Do you want me to take the goggles off?" She asks, trying to look as upset as possible at the idea.
"No, it's fine. It's bright out. You can keep them." Shazza says, earning a look from Johns. "I don't see the harm. They're just a pair of goggles. Come on, kiddo." Nova smiles and takes Shazza's hand, letting her lead her away from Johns.
"Just keep an eye on that damn kid." Johns orders. Nova smiles up at Shazza.
They make their way towards the trees, but Nova can tell right away that those aren't trees. They're bones. The young boys rush ahead, exclaiming in joy, while Nova hangs back with the others. They start over the hill and just like Nova thought, the trees were bones that came from a ribcage. The rib cage formed a valley in the hill for them to walk through.
"It's a communal graveyard, perhaps, like the elephants of earth." Imam says. One of the boys begins to speak in his language. "He asks what could have killed so many great things."
"Is this whole planet dead?" Carolyn asks.
"Let's check it out." Nova says as she makes her way down the slope.
"Nova, honey, be careful." Shazza calls.
"I thought I told you to keep an eye on her." Johns snaps.
"She's a kid." She walks with the boys, looking around at all the bones. One of the boys had picked up a bone and was running it across the other larger bones. From the corner of her eye, Nova could see Johns going through the ribcage, searching for Riddick. Nova's eyes flicker up to the above portion of the ribcage where an indent was that Riddick was sitting with Amethyst in his lap.
Nova moves away from the boys, no sense trying to make conversation with boys who barely speak English. She catches up to Carolyn, walking quietly behind her. She stopped to take a puff of air, but the air chamber was empty. She begins to look through her bag for another. Nova's head cocks as she hears the sounds of steps coming from behind Carolyn in the bones. Her eyes flicker over and sees Riddick crouched behind Carolyn. Carolyn pauses, having heard something.
"Are you low?" She spoke up, distracting Carolyn.
"Jesus!" Carolyn places her hand over her chest. "Do you not make noise?" Nova cocks her head to the side.
"I just spoke."
"No, I meant…" Carolyn sighs. "Forget it. Shouldn't you be with Shazza."
"Yeah."
"Well, why aren't you with her?"
"Because I'm with you." Nova spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and it was, but it wasn't what Carolyn was asking.
"Why are you not with her? Why did you come join me?" She asks.
"You looked lonely." Nova says, taking a seat beside where Carolyn was standing, her back to Riddick. "Sit. Please. I want to talk." Nova pouts, causing the woman to sigh and sit beside her.
"What do you want to talk about?"
"Well…" Nova bites her lip, drawing in the dirt. "I'm kind of scared."
"Of Riddick?"
"No…" Carolyn looks at Nova.
"Then what? What are you scared of." Nova opens her mouth to speak, but then Johns walks over, taking a gulp of liquor. Nova shut her mouth, pulling her legs to her chest, and buried her fast in her knees. Her goal was to make people afraid of Johns.
"Drink?" Johns asks, holding out the bottle. Carolyn frowns, glancing over at Nova's huddled body. "What's with the kid?"
"Nothing." Carolyn says, taking the bottle. "She's just a bit scared by what's going on. She's all alone." Nova glances at Carolyn. "Probably shouldn't do this." Carolyn suddenly says as she unscrews the bottle's cap. "It dehydrates you even more." She points out, but takes a sip regardless.
"You're probably right." Johns chuckles, looking a bit shaky.
"Mmm." Carolyn grimaces.
"You know, you could have stayed back at the ship. Probably should've." Johns tells her. "If we don't find water, you know what happens."
"I wanted to get away." Carolyn says.
"I've never seen a captain so ready to leave her ship." Nova watches the debate with one eye, while the other watches Riddick. Was he really going to kill Carolyn right here with Johns beside her?
"I think we should keep moving." Carolyn says, pushing off the bones and standing up. "Come on, Nova."
"What did Owens mean… about not touching the handle?" Carolyn didn't answer, but there was a panic in her eyes. Nova looks up at her with a curious look before glancing over towards Riddick, making sure not to turn her head in the slightest.
"It's just between you and me, Carolyn. I promise." They both looked down at Nova. "The kid won't say anything." He reassures Carolyn, looking down at the girl. "I'll make sure of it." Carolyn leans against the bones, Riddick now standing very close behind her and Nova could finally make out the weapon he held in his hand. It was a sharpened bone shaped like a thin, long, and straight.
"I'm not your captain." Carolyn says. "During the landing when…" Carolyn struggles for her words. "When things were at their worst, Owens was at his best." Riddick lines the bone right up to the back of Carolyn's neck, right in the sweet spot he loves. "He's the one that stopped the docking pilot from dumping the main cabin." Her words hit Nova, causing the girl to stare up at the woman in wonder and amazement. She was willing to kill them all to save herself. Selfish, but in the end it'd be the same thing Nova would do. The same thing Riddick and Amethyst would do if only it meant the three of them were together. "The passengers."
"And the docking pilot being?" Johns asks as if it wasn't already obvious. Nova felt rough calloused fingers brush the back of her neck, she forced herself to remain still and not make any sudden movement in order to not be noticed by the two adults beside her. The fingers leave and Nova knows that Riddick is gone. He left Carolyn alive. For now.
Nova heads off, leaving the adults together. She skips off towards the others and they begin to make their way further through the makeshift graveyard. Nova runs her fingers over the bones, sneakily slipping a small bone into her boot, promising herself to sharpen it later to use it for a weapon.
"Captain." one of the boys called. He started talking in Arabaric, causing Nova to raise an eyebrow. They follow after the boy and see the others surrounding a toy robot. Another of the boy is playing with the head of the robot, causing it to spin and make noises. Carolyn takes it from the boy to look it over.
"It's a toy." Nova says as she places her hands on Carolyn's arm and peeks over at it.
"What's the matter kid, your parents never gave you any toys?" Johns asks.
Nova hid a smile. "You are the toys." She said it so softly that none of them could hear her.
"What was that?" Carolyn asks.
"My parents never could afford toys."
"Did you want this?" Carolyn asks. Nova wrinkles up her nose and starts forward.
"No." She answers simply. The others followed after her. They eventually came out of the valley and saw a settlement up ahead. The boys begin to call out, but no one answers. There was no activity at all.
"Is there anyone there?" Carolyn shouts. They walk through the area and Johns picks up a water bottle, but it was empty with a few pebbles in it. Nova hums softly, skipping around the area as if walking through a park, not at all seemingly concerned with the emptiness of the settlement.
"There was water here." Imam says.
Nova slips into a building, looking around it. Whoever was here had seemingly vanished in thin air, leaving behind everything. Nova ran her fingers over the surfaces of the table, which was covered in a thick layer of dust. She pauses as she comes across the bedroom. The building was the housing building, made up like a community building. It had one main room, which held a small sitting area, a dining table with chairs, and a tiny kitchen. Off to the right was the bathroom and to the left was a room containing multiple bunk beds. Her attention, however, fell to one of the bed which had blood on the sheets and a little broken porcelain doll on top. She ran her fingers through the blooded curls, humming in thought.
She felt a presence behind her, turning she saw Amethyst, leaning in the doorway. "Where'd they all go?"
"Same place as we all go." Amethyst says, her voice soft and quiet. "Down beneath the earth, to a place hotter than any other. Hell."
"What about heaven?"
"Heaven wasn't built for people like us." Nova hums.
"But where's the body?"
"Eaten. Do you hear it, little star?" Nova wrinkles up her nose. "Do you here to scrapping of nails?" Amethyst crouches down behind the girl, whispering in her ear. "The clicking of hungry tongues, the grinding of sharp teeth. Something is below us, hungry and impatient."
"The monsters?" Nova asks.
"Yes, little star, the monsters."
"They won't take me, will they?"
"Never." Amethyst promises.
"Will they take the others?"
"Most definitely."
"What are they?"
"I'm not sure, little star. There's still too much unknown. I don't know what they are, only that they live beneath us. I'm guessing the rest."
"The rest?"
"They killed these people. I don't know what they're waiting for with us, but something is coming. Something big." Nova pursed her lips, staring at the bed for a minute before nodding.
"Death is coming." The little girl says, looking much older than she was. "It's death. That is what is coming."