Chapter Four
A booze bottle had dropped out of the sled and Jack had called out the group that she would get it prompting Asha to yell her name and she could see a creature heading straight for Jack. The sled stopped as Asha ran toward Jack and yanked her away just as the creature swooped down and Fry was instantly by Jack's side asking her if she was alright. Next thing everybody knew, Paris crawled out to retrieve the booze bottle taking the wiring and the generator out with him and Asha knew that he was a goner because she could see the creatures heading for him. A bright green flare quickly erupted causing Asha to gasp and close her eyes momentarily but her eyes adjusted to the brightness and she had to like it or not as the group carried on slowly but she had not missed the fact that Riddick had looked over at Jack and she knew that he had known about Jack's secret. He could probably smell it as well the creatures had done which was the reason why Asha had stuck to Jack closer. However, about ten minutes later the group found out that Riddick had circled them, causing them to cross their tracks once again. He explained that there was an canyon up ahead but he had circled to buy him time to think. Johns as usual complained and Riddick told both Imam and Johns when they questioned him that it was Death Row up ahead especially with the girl bleeding. They turned to look at Fry to see if she had been bleeding. She hadn't so they both looked at Asha to see that she was not bleeding neither. Johns had said that the women were not bleeding until Riddick had pointed out that it wasn't them he had been talking about and the penny dropped. Jack. Fry turned to the kid and she promptly sat down, with unshed tears in her eyes. Asha did not like Johns tone of voice and she stepped forward when Fry and Johns both argued especially when Johns had told Fry to shove a plug up Jack and Asha growled clenching her right hand which curled up into a fist. Shortly, both Riddick and johns had walked on ahead forward as the group trailed a bit behind for them to talk and that. Johns had told Riddick to do the girl and Asha because he knew that Asha would protest but he knew what Riddick's answer would be to use for a much better bait.
They suddenly both fought and Fry told everyone to leave the sled, Asha had to take point in front of the group to watch out for the creatures and they ran off only to bump into Riddick. Asha already knew that Johns was dead when Fry asked where the merc was only to have Riddick respond by saying which half. Fry had asked the group what was to happen to the cells now they were intending to head toward the skiff. Riddick had informed them that he would take the cells and Asha didn't miss Fry's facial expression but she did not say anything. Everybody was still pretty much scared of Riddick except for Asha for obvious reasons. The group jogged ahead after Riddick had started to tug on the cells yelling at them to move so they hauled their asses until they felt something wet dripping onto their skin and Asha had been behind Fry when she looked up after Fry had commented that the creatures were killing each other in the air, not realising that Riddick had told her not to look up. A pair of dead creatures had hurtled toward Asha but Riddick had grabbed her into his arms and pushed her forward. She had nearly stumbled, losing her footing but she caught her balance and kept going until there was a blockage of rocks up ahead causing the group to stop momentarily. Riddick pushed through telling them to keep moving and started to push the rocks to the ground to make a clear path and let out a grunt as he pushed through. Asha had been behind him and whirled around, hearing an loud scream so she pushed past Jack to see what had happened and saw the kid, Suleiman in trouble by a creature so she helped both Fry and Imam to yank him to safety. Fry left Asha's side while she ripped a piece of her sleeveless top from the bottom and helped Imam to wrap a makeshift bandage around Suleman's right ankle which had been bleeding badly. She suddenly heard Jack screaming and she looked up to see a black creature on top of a bone where Jack had been laying underneath. Fry shone her torch onto the black creature but it had knocked her back so Asha went to attack the creature when it hurtled itself onto Riddick when he had approached and soon enough the creature was soon dead.
Asha checked if Jack was fine and glanced toward Riddick to make sure that he also had been alright. She went to make a step forward when something had caught her attention and she looked up. Rain? It was raining? She heard Riddick burst out laughing and asked Imam where was his god now. While Fry and Jack had worried about the torches, Asha had been more worried about the cells seeing that Riddick had left them to save Jack's life despite the fact it had been against his better judgement. The young convict made her way toward the cells but had been shortly stopped by Riddick's calloused hand pushed against her taut stomach, his pointed look told her to stay point as he had to think rather quick. Asha's long black hair and clothes were heavily soaked within minutes, and let out a soft gasp when she heard Suleiman had let out a blood curdling scream as one of those black creatures had taken him from above. She had heard Imam screaming out for his now dead follower in Arabic prompting Asha to turn to Riddick shouting that there had to be shelter for the remaining survivors or they would all be killed. He gave her a very slight but brief nod to let her know that he had understood and he saw an opening with a huge rock preventing the way in so he had pushed against it, his loud grunts pulled Asha's attention toward him so she was within his side within minutes and let out a soft grunt as she used all her strength to push against the rock until it had given away. Riddick told Fry, Jack and Imam to head on inside and shoved Asha inside before preventing the survivors to escape by blocking their escape with the very same rock that he had pushed. Asha yelled as she struggled to push the rock out and with an angry shout, she used her right foot to furiously kick against the rock. She had ignored the pained throb in her foot, which had emitted in waves. Fucker. She had knew that he would end up doing something like this and save his own damn ass but she hadn't known WHEN he had planned to proceed with his plan because the plan had been hers. She couldn't do anything except leaning against the rock on her back as she had watched Jack transfer what left alcohol she had left to Fry's bottle and ran her hands through her long hair as the flame died down and heard the creatures screaming out.
She tightly squeezed her eyes shut, desperately ignoring the loud whispers begging her to kill the others and haul her ass to the skiff. She wanted to until she opened her eyes and saw the blue glow-worms. As Jack and Fry hurriedly started to fill the glow-worms inside the bottle, Fry had told the group that she planned to go after Riddick until Asha told her no. Asha would be able to get to the skiff faster than the docking pilot seeing that she could see in the dark and could see the creatures anyway. Jack would be better staying by Fry's side anyway. Fry argued but finally yielded to Asha's orders and Jack handed Asha her bottle, she had feared for her safety. Fry, in her opinion wouldn't have given Asha the bottle but hey whatever flew Jacks boat. She could see the kid had a slight bond with Asha she supposed. Imam helped Asha to crawl upward out a tiny hole she had found and jumped off the cliff and landed on her feet in the spitting rain. She let out a grunt as the mud splashed onto her clothes and took off toward the skiff, holding the bottle above her head. She hadn't really needed it but she took it anyway in order for Jack's sake. She hadn't wanted the kid to worry about her. Come on, she was a murderer for Christ's sake. She yelled when a black creature swooped at her and soon enough, she stopped in front of the skiff where she had seen Riddick in the pilot seat, obviously intend to take off. She panted as both convicts stared at one another and she slowly went to the back where he had lowered the ramp. She threw the bottle onto the ground as he started talking about he had admired her strong survival trait. Asha made him laugh when she had asked him if he was scared but she ignored his taunts and pleaded for more light for the others but he hadn't given enough so she slumped to the ground onto her knees. The young convict felt so tired, she felt that she had basically enough. She was only eighteen years old. She couldn't believe it when Riddick proposed that she take off with him and leave Fry, Imam and Jack to their fates. She had told him that she couldn't do that, her conscience started to eat at her as he had helped her onto the ramp.
She had been willing to sacrifice the group until Riddick turned his head to look toward the screech a creature had let out. It had been then the memories of earlier events had sparked into Asha's mind. It had been the image of that particular kid's face that caused the rebellion in her. She let out a furious yell and lunged for Riddick, causing her to fall onto him as he fell onto the ground but he had kicked at her stomach to get her off him and he flipped her around beneath him and quickly placed his shiv at her throat, pressing down threateningly. He had reminded Asha that she was a murderer, an escaped convict who had killed not a saint nor human. She yelled furiously at him that at least that she would die for them, specially for Jack and he had pressed his shiv closer to the point where he had nicked her skin and the crimson blood began to have seeped out when he had asked her once more if she was really prepared to sacrifice herself for them. She confirmed it, which caused the big bad man to get off her within a flash, and hauled her upright into a standing position and wiped her blood away with his forefinger. Asha quickly got into action, ripping another piece of her vest and wrapped around her neck, which had pressed against firmly against her skin, lessening the flow of the blood momentarily. He smirked at her as he sheathed his shiv and took off toward where he had left the others; Asha had been following him closely. They grunted as they pushed open the rock and Asha smirked at the group as Riddick came up behind her, leaning against the rock as he commented if anyone hadn't been ready for this. Imam responded by saying that there had been his god, which Asha had ignored. Shortly the group kneeled down as Riddick peered around the corner, waiting for the creatures to clear him a path to run through and he silently clasped his hands to Fry's, while hers had been clasped to Asha so tightly, Asha had to grit her teeth as Fry dug her nails into Asha's hand. The young woman ignored it and clasped hers into Jack's hand while Imam had his hand around Jack's right arm.
Jack had raised her eyebrow as she heard Asha mutter bitch under her breath but had thought it had been her imagination as Riddick took off with the others in tow. He yelled at them to keep going, as they had now known the way to the skiff. When they had reached the skiff, Asha had realised Riddick had not followed them but had been held back by Fry ordering her to go back inside the skiff with Jack. Asha did not like that tone in Fry's voice and was about to bitch at her seeing she did not take authority to anyone until she had heard a male yell and realised that Riddick was in trouble. Fry took off as Imam held both Asha and Jack back, preventing any of them to follow Fry. The tree of them sat onto a seat; both Asha and Jack looked at Imam who had started to pray for the safety of Riddick and Fry but Asha had known in her heart that only one would most probably survive. She could hear the creatures' screeches becoming closer; her head shot up when she heard something. Riddick's screams 'Not for me'. It was then she took off and ran toward Riddick where he had laid in the ground, his leg bled pretty bad as he kept staring in the direction that Fry had gone as the creature had taken her. He had been aware of Asha calling his name as she struggled to support his weight as she had tried to yank him into a standing position. The young woman told Riddick that they had to get off the rock as the creatures were going to close in. They were still alive which snapped Riddick back to the land of the living so to speak. He heaved his weight and struggled to get into an upright position and became aware that Asha had been by his side. He thought that a creature was going to take her took so he had pushed her off him started to push her away from him. She would not take the hint and had to punch Riddick to let him lose his control of his thoughts in order to help him out as she half dragged half yanked him toward the skiff. Soon as the pair stumbled in, Asha quickly dumped Riddick into the pilot seat and closed the ramp up, preventing any creatures to enter into the skiff and sat down momentarily, getting her breath back and that had included her shredded wits.
She closed her eyes, listening to Imam commenting that he had no idea where to start his prayers as there had been so many losses and Jack had said she knew where she would start. Riddick had started to power up the engines but a sudden jolt had caused Asha to snap her eyes open as Jack had asked Riddick what he had been doing in a panicked tone. He wouldn't leave until he had said a proper goodnight to those fuckers and promptly powered up his engines and took off, instantly frying the black creatures that had flown into the skiff. Fry, you fuckers was the only thought that had crossed Asha's tired mind. She had been aware that Jack sat into the co-pilot's seat and commented that there would be a lot of questions wherever they went and bumped into especially into mercs. What would they have to say about Riddick and Asha? As Riddick told Jack to tell them that he had died somewhere back on the planet, Asha nodded, silently agreeing and said toward Jack to tell them merc fuckers that Asha died a long time ago. That she had died while she had escaped a slam. While Riddick kept himself busy, piloting the skiff, Imam had fell asleep a while ago and Jack had started to drift in and out of sleep in the co-pilot sleep so Asha silently got herself into an upright position and walked toward Jack and silently took off the young girl's belt and carefully carried her onto the makeshift bed that she had made up beside Imam and laid Jack there who only stirred once. A soft sigh escaped Asha's mouth as she placed herself into the co-pilot's seat, without a word spoken and stared outside the window, toward the stars. Funny, she used to love the stars when she had been small and used to be her dream to explore the universe and be free like the wind among the stars and now, she hadn't felt like that and strangely enough, she had been fine about it. Asha untied her small makeshift bandage around her neck and slowly took it off and shoved it inside her left side pocket of her trousers and used the palms of her hands to rub her face and eyes to fend off the tiredness she had felt creeping upon her body. She hadn't wanted to fall asleep at least not yet. But her body had screamed at her to close her eyes and she had done, thus letting the sleep overtake her. She had not felt the warm blanket that Riddick had placed over her and he had chuckled softly as he took care of his leg and placed the ship on auto headed to the nearest planet for provisions and shit. He needed to catch up his beauty sleep. This had been a long ass day.