Chapter 4: Close Call

"We have tried to revive her, but we haven't had much luck," Hassan tried to get Riddick's mind back to reality as the 'murderer's' silver eyes started to move quickly back and forth trying to comprehend the situation, "For punishment… she got off easy. She is still with us- barely, but she is still there."

"How is that getting off easy?" Riddick rumbled.

"The real penalty for going up top and stealing from the Necromongers is a slow, painful death," Hassan said in near whisper.

Riddick clenched his fist and hit the wall to the side of the doorway. His teeth started to become painful from all the pressure Riddick was applying to them to try and keep his emotions in check. Hassan watched as the wall began to crack a little from underneath Riddick's fist, and really understood. Riddick did care for Kyra. Riddick. The murderer with a more than healthy bounty on his head and a plentiful record of victims… cared for a young woman he hasn't seen since she was fifteen years old in New Mecca.

"Where is she?" Riddick said through his gritted teeth and fist still a quarter inch into the wall.

"Why in Hell would we tell you?" Toombs shouted from his place leaning in a nearby doorway, jumped over the steps toward Riddick and stood directly behind him, "You left her with them! And just where were you when she was beaten, huh?"

"She told me to go with Vakko," Riddick grumbled pulling his fist from the broken wall, but stayed facing the giant crack he created, "I wanted to help the kid, but she told me to go. I shouldn't have listened. I should have stayed with her and fought off the ass holes."

"Bull shit!" Riddick turned in one swift motion and shot a warning glance at Toombs, who didn't even flinch and continued to dig his own grave, "You left her there to die! Admit it!"

Riddick grabbed his collar, pulled Toombs off the ground and shoved him against the same wall he was staring at only a few moments ago, "I would never do that to Jack! I may be a murderer, but I would never hurt her. I wish that I never had to leave her, but I had to. I had to because I wanted to keep mercs like you from dogging her and keeping a tag on her ass ever where she went! Don't ever accuse me of hurting her. Accuse me of murderer… cold blood; I say I'm guilty, but never of hurting Jack. Got that, merc?" Riddick spit out the last word in such hatred that a few people took a step away from the scene.

"Her name is Kyra, Riddick…You never cared," Toombs whispered. Riddick began to raise his fist to punch Toombs to oblivion, until-

"Enough!" Hassan spoke up again from the side of the two men, "Mr. Riddick, Toombs. We are all hurt and emotional. This will solve nothing."

Riddick let his grip on Toombs slip a little and turned to Hassan as the young man spoke the very same words that Imam had said so long ago. The face of the Holy Man flashed in front of Riddick's eyes as well as the dark hole they were in back on that rock five years back. Jack was huddled in the corner, still a scared fifteen year old girl, still trying to pass as a young, rebellious boy. Carolyn sat on a piece of scrap metal still trying to find a solution and get as many people off the rock alive. Then right in front of him stood Johns with his stupid grin. Slowly reality began to slip back to Riddick and Toombs face began to replace Johns's smart ass smirk.

"Hassan's right," Logan stepped out of the main structure, "Riddick, put Toombs down. I'll take you to see Kyra."

Riddick looked back at Toombs and dropped him to the ground, "Don't get in my way merc, or I will do what I should have done instead of leaving you tied up in that hotel room a couple of years back."

"I'll do what I like, quicksilver," Toombs grumbled as he watched Riddick step over him and follow Logan into the structure.

"Why do you fight him?" Hassan asked helping him up and dusted him off, "He is in our same situation. He does care, not matter how hard he tries to hide it."

"He's a murderer, Hassan. Plain and simple," Toombs got up and began to wipe off some of the dust from his hair, "And now he has talked to Vakko and survived. That means he was offered an exception. I don't trust him."

Hassan watched as Toombs walked off to another building watching the main structure the whole time.

"Allah," Hassan took a breath and started to walk back into the structure, "Give me strength."

"So you actually talked to Vakko, huh?" Logan asked Riddick as they made their way to his and Kyra's room, "What's he like? I heard he was a general or Lord in their society."

"I didn't meet the man, I met the woman," Riddick said his eyes still focused on the room ahead.

"Ah, Dame Vakko," Logan nodded with a little of understanding, "I heard she is even worse."

"I'd much rather not touch on the subject," Riddick said with a tone that seemed to tell Logan not to push it.

"But…"

'This one never learns, does she?' Riddick asked himself.

"What did you two talk about?" Logan stepped in front of Riddick, blocking his path, "One can't help but wonder."

"It's none of your business," Riddick pushed past her and walked toward the room, "Never ask me again."

Logan watched him disappear from sight and let out a frustrated sigh, "Fine. I will find out another way. I always do."

Riddick walked over to the side of the room and found that the table that sat right inside the doorway was covered with fresh water, different plants and herbs and medical instruments. It looked like Hassan was interrupted and left a few herbs and water in a bowl at the end of the table. He noticed the crushing instrument was sloppily thrown on the table and left a trail of the hopeful herbal remedy.

He walked a little further into the room, taking quiet steps as if the quiet nature will improve her condition. The bed soon came into his view and right in the middle of the soft blankets he saw Kyra. Her breathing was shallow and she looked like hell. Her right eye was purple and nearly shut closed. The wound over her left eyebrow reopened and new cuts covered her face and lips. He saw some of –no doubt- many bruises covering her arms and upper chest. She made soft noises and moan from her throat to sound her discomfort.

"God… Kid, what did they do to you?" he sat down next to her in the now unoccupied stool and touched her hand closest to him. He took off his goggles from the top of his head and threw them to the side of the room, "I shouldn't have left you. Shouldn't have listened."

"You didn't have a choice, Mr. Riddick," Hassan walked in and went straight back into working on the herbs, "She has the kind of spirit that will never stop fighting. She wanted to fight them… without any help. No matter how difficult others say it is, or how dangerous it truly is."

"So you don't blame me?" Riddick looked at him, "The merc sure does."

"Toombs is very picky on who he trusts," Hassan started to crush more of the herbs into the bowl and walked over to the bed, "Besides, why should I blame you? According to Kyra you are an admirable person. Maybe my trust may not be very high toward you considering your background, but her trust in you is enough for me."

"I should be somewhat grateful," Riddick commented.

"And I think that a man that reaches out to God in a tough time deserves a chance," Hassan dabbed some of the herbs on Kyra's forehead.

"Hassan, I have not 'reached out to God' my whole life. What are you talking about?" Riddick looked at him with a smirk on his face and then looked back at Kyra.

"I heard you just speak his name when you first saw her in her condition. Just as I had."

Riddick looked up at Hassan, "Do you care for her?"

"All ready putting the defenses?" Hassan saw the confusion on his face, "Do not worry, Mr. Riddick. She is my little sister. I have already loved and lost my heart."

"She says she may go further if you agreed."

Hassan knew what he meant, "She is just trying to heal from the hole you left in her life. It was- and must have been- very difficult for her. You were all she had to hang on to."

"She was better off having nothing than," Riddick mumbled looking at her scratched face, "Besides she had the Holy Man."

"You really believe that?" Hassan continued with his work as if the conversation with Riddick meant a lot less than what it actually did.

"Did she ever tell you why I left?" Riddick looked down at Kyra, "I left her behind at New Mecca so she would be safe. She would live a normal life. Get a small job and her education. She wouldn't have to worry about mercs breathing down her neck. She would-"

"Have her heart broken," Hassan interrupted, "You have no idea how much you hurt her leaving her without a word. To me, that isn't protecting her. It led her to this life. Lead her to him-"

"Him who?" Riddick looked at Hassan threatening him with his eyes if he didn't give more information.

"Pay no heed to it. It's in the past where it should and will stay."

They stared at each other for a little while and then Hassan sighed, removing a cloth covering a gash on Kyra's arm, "Then she was led back to you."

Riddick decided not to push at it. He was too tired, mentally and physically. He would beat it out of someone later if he needed to know.

Hassan stood up and smoothed his robes, "I'm done here. I will be back in the morning."

"You're not staying?"

"I've done all I can. You must stay with her now. She needs someone who cares," Hassan walked briskly out of the room.

Riddick sighed and squeezed tightly to Kyra's limp hand, "Sorry, kid. I wish I never came into you life. It would have been so much easier for you."

He brushed some of her hair off of her damp skin. He could smell the herbs that had soaked into her skin. Her eyelids were flickering a little as she fought through a nightmare or a very extreme dream. Her breathing became a little labored as her teeth began to grind against the other rows.

"Riddick…" she murmured as she squeezed his hand.

He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "I'm right here, kid."

"Don't- not again. Please… please stay with me. Don't run again. Stay, please. For once, keep a promise. Keep the promise."

Riddick though for a moment and leaned back on the stool a bit. Could he really promise that? Promise to stay? He's been running for so long, staying in one place would feel wrong. But he can't leave her behind. Not now. Not again. She would kill him.

"I'll give you this… Kyra," he started, trying out the new name that felt so foreign on his tongue, "I will never be more than a few miles away. I won't promise that I will always be in your sight or always standing right by your side or always in hearing distance. But you will always get to me if you need to."

Kyra seemed to calm down a bit. She released her grip on his hand again and let him apply the pressure, "Thank you."

"Sleep now, ki-" he put a hand on her forehead and watched her relax, "'Night, Kyra."

He put his upper body on the side of the bed and let sleep over come him.

He was no longer next to Kyra's bed, holding her hand and watching her sleeping. He was standing in the middle of a jungle forest, looking around him cautiously. He tried to reach for his shivs, but they were not on his person any where, and he didn't like being caught unprepared. He began to look around the jungle again and found that it was nothing like he had ever seen before. Leaves and vines hung around him in bountiful amounts, but no animals were found or even heard of.

"Confused?"

The two syllables rang out from behind him. He kept his calm demeanor and saw the origin of the voice. An older looking woman stood at the edge of the clearing, staring at Riddick.

"A little," he started to walk toward her, "Who are you, may I ask?"

"My name is Aereon. I am from a race called the elementals," she saw Riddick open his mouth, "And before you ask what an elemental is and why you are here, let me explain."

She walked around Riddick slowly as if sizing him up for something. She headed back in front of Riddick and looked into his eyes, "An elemental tried to keep balance in the universe. As you can see the scales have tipped to favor these Necromongers."

The lush, familiar jungle began to fall away to smoldering lava pools and an endless desert, "Elementals are more than human, but we do not know everything. That's why we –along with the rest of the universe- need your help."

"Me? Why me specifically?" Riddick crossed his arms over his chest, "The last time I checked the rest of the universe didn't give a shit about Richard B. Riddick, except to kill him."

"Ever hear of a Furyian?"

"Do not dance around the subject, woman," Riddick grumbled, "I'm no a very patient man. And I hate to dance."

"I am not. I bring this up because you are a furyan. The only opposing force to the Necromongers. You are the balance to this equation."

"I have not idea what you are talking about. I am a human. I was born on New Earth," Riddick said still unmoving.

"You may have been told that when you were in the orphanage, but you have nothing but furyain blood running through your veins. And that is why you must help."

"How are you so sure that I am what you say I am?" Riddick asked a little disturbed that she knew that he was in an orphanage.

"Otherwise I would not have been able to contact you in your emotional time."

"What emotional time?" Riddick asked with a chuckle. Richard B. Riddick never has emotional moments. The thought was absurd. Aereon nodded for him to look behind him and he saw a version of Kyra lying helpless on the bed where he left her. Her breathing was even less shallow that it was before. Her brow furrowed and then relaxed a couple of times to signify another nightmare.

"Kid…" Riddick just stared at the fading image.

"You never have emotional moments?" Aereon questioned him out loud as if she had heard his earlier thoughts, "She is slipping, Richard. Just as we all are."

"Can you help her?" Riddick asked with no emotion, his face still stone and his fists clenched.

"No," Aereon said simply. Riddick closed his eyes from behind his goggles and tried not to show the pain. The helplessness that he felt for the first time.

"But you can, Richard," Aereon's voice was soft and barely above a whisper, yet it drug Riddick the five hundred miles back to the conversation without a sweat.

"What do you mean?" Riddick couldn't hide the eagerness in his voice as he stepped toward the older woman, "How can I help her?"

"Just as you can help us all," she looked at his side at one of his hands, "Put out your hand."

"I'm not much for handshakes."

"Do it," Aereon spoke in a demanding voice that Riddick didn't care too much for. Especially since he was the one usually in charge. He held out his right hand anyway and let the elemental study it closely. She then closed her eyes and began to chant slowly. A light began to glow and Riddick was a little freaked out by it. Suddenly Aereon's eyes flew open.

"to save her you must save us all. There will be a time where she must make the choice between two lives. She will look to you, and you must make the right decision. Heal her," she let her hands drop to her side, "Find you light within the darkness."

"How do I heal her?"

"Wake up and find your light."

Riddick felt the movement from underneath his arms and the heat from dawn outside made him a bit uncomfortable. He began to shift a bit, but he wasn't the only one moving. He opened his eyes and saw a small head of hair right under his chin and leaned up on his left elbow.

'Kyra,' he stared down at her and was amazed to find that most of her grave injures were healed. The huge bruises that were on her arms were starting to fade and some were yellow in color. The gash above her eyebrow was a faded scar and the blood from the gash in her arm was starting to clog and heal faster than anyone could ever heal. Her arm wrapped around his waist and he raised his eyebrows at the gesture.

He tried to comprehend the accelerated healing that Kyra was showing and rubbed his head with his right hand. Something caught his attention and he focused on the palm of his hand to find something burned into his skin. In the center of his palm was a picture of a left hand print. He thought back to the dream and Aereon, but shook it off. It wasn't possible, although with everything happening, there was a good chance that it might just have been real.

Then his mind focused on a different question, 'How did I get on the bed with her?'

Suddenly he looked down just in time to see Kyra open her eyes and smile up at him.