Disclaimer: Rae is mine, Chrys is mine, the sitchiation is mine, and the village is mine, but Riddick is not.

Damn, Not Again!

The firs' person from the village tha' we me', besides Chrys, I mean, was the healer, Zacharia.

"Zacharia, I've got a patient for you." called Chrys, and the man emerged from the back of his treehouse apartment, lookin' over both me and my goggled companion. He took a couple steps t'wards me and I fel' Riddick tense up beside me. I glanced a' him, bu' his expression was neu'ral.

I fel' a coldness in my limbs and tried t' turn back t' look a' Zacharia, only t' find tha' I couldn'. I was frozen. My eyes wouldn' look away, my expression couldn' change, and when Riddick finally no'iced tha' I was starin' a' him, I couldn' stop the blush tha' rose t' my cheeks faster than a bird in the air.

Damn.

When I finally could move again, I looked a' Zacharia, who was breathin' heavily and swea'in' pre''y hard as well.

"Wha' did you do t' me?" I snarled, and a strong hand grabbed mine, spinnnin' me 'round t' face Riddick. For a momen', I didn' do anathin', and then I no'ticed tha' he was holdin' the hand tha' had been sho' while I was in stasis. I freed my hand and then unwrapped i', marvellin' a' the unbroken flesh tha' gree'ed my eyes. I looked down a' my leg and then tested i', pu''in' a li''le weigh' on i' and then grinnin' when I realized i' was no longer broken.

I looked back a' Zacharia and gave him an apologe'ic smile.

"Sorry, 'bout tha'. Wasn' expectin' t' be momentarily paralyzed." I said, as I worked a' the splin' tha' was preven'in' circulation. Riddick looked mildly in'erested in tha' commen', bu' didn' say anathin'.

When the wrappin's were off, I stood up and rota'ed my ankle before takin' a couple steps. I smiled. Excellen', now I'd be able t' go back t' stealin' for a livin'.

"Thanks much." I said, grinnin'. "I don' think I could have gone much farther with a broken leg." I said, glancin' a' Riddick. Act'ally, withou' his help, I prolly would still be a' the ship, dead. I'd been unfair t' him on this li''le journey.

Understandable, though, I mean, he had been runnin' me ragged for the pas' ten months. I hadn' expected him t' be so...civil...ish.

Damn.

Wha' am I thinkin'?

Chrys insisted tha' we stay for the celebration tha' they were havin' tha' nigh', and a' firs' I fel' uncomfor'able. Don' know why, I jus' was, bu' then I was introduced t' the main drink of the ev'nin'.

Gaheft.

Highly al..acolhol...Avery fine beer-like substance indeed. I was smashed before nigh' even fell, and my fear of Richard simply mel'ed away.

He's really no' a bad guy, ya know?

"Are you really an Ayorthian?" he asked me, as I walked barefoo' along a tree branch above him. Chrys had loaned me one o' her ou'fi's fer the ev'nin'. It was a hal'er top and a skir' with sli's tha' wen' all the way up t' the wais' band.

"Oh, aye." I replied, finishin' my second mug of Gaheft. My cheeks were a rosy red color, bu' Richard seemed no' t' mind as he watched me through his goggles. The villagers were playin' their celebration music down below us and I, bein' heavily inebria'ed, was dancin' a li''le bi' along with the rhythm.

""I've heard of 'em, but I've never met one before."

"Sure ye have. Ye me' me ten months ago." I giggled, twirlin' and then makin' some fancy foo'work back down the rather long and surprisin'ly strong bu' thin branch. Richard smirked, finishin' off his own mug of the sweet bu' no' overpowerin'ly sugary beverage. I think tha' was his third or fourth.

"I heard all Ayorthians hate space travel because they're afraid of heights or something."

"No, we're fine with heigh's." I corrected, sashayin' down the limb with my eyes closed. I would never've done tha' if I'd been sober. "We don't like the though' tha' the only thing protectin' us from the empty vacuum of space is one or two layers of me'al. Life suppor' could fail a' ana time, we could be attacked, nuclear radiation, etce'era."

He chuckled and I smirked, relishin' the shiver tha' traveled up my spine. Standin' almos' direc'ly above him, I crouched down and handed him my empty mug, which he accep'ed from his relaxed and reclined position in the crook of the tree. I went back t' dancin', usin' my arms as well, now tha' they weren' burdened with the heavy mug.

"I heard another rumor about Ayorthians." he said, and I no'ed tha' his tone was no'icably diff'ren'. I knew exac'ly which rumor he was speakin' of.

Damn.

I sobered some, and stopped dancin', lookin' over my shoulder a' him. He simply stared a' me through those infernal goggles. I jus' wan'ed t' rip them off his face t' see his eyes.

"Don' believe ev'rythin' ye hear in a crowded bar room, Richard B. Riddick." I growled. His eyebrow lifted and I narrowed my eyes a' him. The misty veil tha' had been drownin' my brain in deliciously happy though's all nigh' was rapidly clearin' away.

I tried t' focus on the music again, bu' i' seemed so poin'less, so I jus' stood there, tryin' t' figure ou' wha' in the world was goin' on with me.

"Hey!" called a voice and I jumped a li''le before turnin' t' see Chrys climbin' acroba'ically up the tree t' talk t' us. "How're you enjoying the Full Moon festival?" she asked.

My hear' leap' up inte my throa' and formed a lump tha' made i' impossible t' breathe.

"F..." I took a deep breath and tried again as Riddick looked a' me curiously. "Full moon?"

Damn!

"Uh-huh. You didn't notice?"

Oh, this is not happenin' t' me.

No' many people know this abou' Ayorthians, bu' the concep' of a spli' personali'y isn' jus' a concep' t' us, i's a fac' tha' we have t' live with. Every full moon our spli' personali'y, in my case, Daeva Stormcloud, takes control for as long as there is a full moon.

I had t' ge' ou''a there before she ruined everythin' and killed these people.

"I have t' leave." I blur'ed, and then, seein' tha' the both of them were blockin' my exi', I used my thief trainin' t' the bes' of i's advan'age, climbin' down the branches of the tree t' the ground.

I could hear Riddick climbin' down af'er me, cursin' and wonderin' wha' the hell was goin' on. Well if he chased af'er me...again, i' would jus' be his faul'.

Daeva has never liked any of the men I had been 'round a' the time of my transformation.

I hi' the ground in a crouch, and, lookin' a' my arms and legs, groaned when I realized they were turnin' black.

Damn.

I tore off a' top speed towards the jungle when someone grabbed my arm, mos' likely Riddick.

A growl came from my throa', bu' wasn' made by me as my eyes turned blood red. I turned and lashed ou' a' him, scorin' four deep gouges across his ches'. He le' go, surprised, and I stopped, my eyes flickerin' back t' normal. I stood there, shocked and then backed away.

"Rae..." he growled, and I swallowed.

"Don' follo' me." I said, ou' of breath. I' was ge''in' harder t' breathe as I turned and star'ed runnin' again, inte the wilderness as the black spread ou' over my entire body. Daeva was no' a nice person.

If Riddick chased af'er me...

Damn.

A/N: Okay, Gaheft is like whiskey. Yes, I stole Ayorthian from Ells Enchanted, so sue me, and if you have any other questions, put them in your review.