Beastly Bonds
Chapter IV
It had ended that the boss simply wouldn't pay enough for him, so they went to Crematoria, where the 8.5 mil had been paid up. He had been there ever since and between the idea of escape and perhaps even meeting Richard all these years later…it was little mind-numbing. Holding onto one of the nearby rocks, he pulled himself up and slowly made his way to the ramp, where Krent was holding the door open for him.
"Thank you, Krent."
He replied with a grunt while Litman stayed silent.
"You always were so eloquent."
Krent chuckled.
"If not a little thick." He added, moving towards the continuation of ramp to the right, instead of to the left, where the steep cliff led to Jack's cave.
At this Litman let out a roaring laugh while Krent made insulted noises and smacked his friend on the back of the head. Tipner smirked as he made his way slowly down the ramps, feeling but not obviously taking note of the watchful stare that followed him. He knew although Kyra had been angered by him, she wasn't going to let anything happen to him. Not every convict in Crematoria respected him.
"Tipner!" Litman shouted, making him turn around and lean on the rusted metal railing.
"Is there something a matter, Litman?" He questioned, breathing deeply. He was a beast past its prime, majestically declining in strength as he grew older.
"You're going alone? What about the kid?"
"MY NAME IS METH!" A voice shouted from inside Tipner's cell, earning a flick of the middle finger from Litman.
"You can watch him, come with me, split up, it's your choice, gentlemen. Although I can assure you, I'll be quite safe." He replied, ignoring Meth's shout from before.
With an annoyed snort Litman instructed Krent to stay and watch Meth while he would go with Tipner. Jogging up to catch him, Litman shot him a dirty look before he continued to walk.
"Something wrong?" Tipner asked, glancing into the cells. It was a lull in time for Crematoria and many of the convicts rested. The miners were at work but they rarely stopped. Men covered in filth, a mix of dust, blood and who knew what else, were sleeping. Resting at least, but the occasional twitches in the limbs showed Tipner that they were in fact quite awake, just resting.
"Kyra's gonna be pissed. She wanted you to stay in your cell so both Krent and I could look after you." He growled, sending a warning glare to a convict who started to approach them. The man stepped away, knowing it wasn't wise to pick a fight.
"How is she going to know? I'm just going for a walk." He reasoned, sounding like he was a wealthy man taking a turn in the park with his terrier.
"She just knows." Litman stated, sparing a glance over the edge, where he observed that the majority of Crematoria was at rest.
"I highly doubt it. She just can't be everywhere at once. She isn't God." Tiper replied, realizing that the following stare was now gone and he suddenly felt a little afraid. Kyra usually had nothing better to do but to follow him and guard him, so why was she suddenly absent?
"God doesn't exist here, Tipner. You know that. Look at all this-"
"Litman. Do you hear that?" He asked, tightening his grip on the railing. They had stopped walking and the familiar feeling of the python constricting his insides and his thoughts. This python was commonly known as fear, but to Tipner it was deadly.
"Hear what? There isn't anything…oh fucking shit." He trailed off, realizing it as well.
"My reaction didn't involve as many curses, but yes, my thoughts exactly. I can't get back fast enough, pick me up. Now!" Tipner raised his voice, angry at both the fact that he was caught unawares and that he wasn't strong enough to run back to his own cell.
Litman easily scooped him up in his arms and hightailed it back to the cell. This caught the attention of the other convicts and just as they reached the cell door the buzzer sounded. Getting in, Krent slammed and chained the door shut, startling Meth who had been sleeping just moments before.
"What's going on?" He asked, pulling himself up.
"Feeding, that's what." Litman replied.
"So?"
"They knew we were getting too comfortable so they didn't have a feeding for a while. How long as it been?" Tipner asked, pulling himself into the worn seat in the stone wall.
"No idea, but a while. Too long." Litman supplied, glancing at the door. Shouts and screams were echoing in the prison and he turned away with his back to the prison bars.
"So? I'm still confused." Meth pressed, feeling nervous.
"Feeding time, kid. We are the food for those hellhounds. They don't get fed otherwise. They've been starving them since the last time they were released. They'll be absolutely fucking crazy now. I don't think we're even safe up here." Litman added, ignoring the paling of Meth's face.
"What…we…" he began to stutter as he heard the first roar.
"That wasn't necessary, Litman. We're perfectly safe and you know it. No cats-"
He was cut off by the steel body of one of the hellhounds slamming itself into the prison bars, knocking Litman to the floor. Grabbing the chain he pulled on it hard, closing the prison doors even tighter.
"SHIT!" Meth yelled, pulling himself back closer to Tipner. "Where's Kyra!"
"No time to think on that. Just…" For once Tipner found himself blank for reassuring phrases. The cat wasn't giving up, clawing and roaring as it dented the rusted bars even more. They were going to break soon and there would be a four person meal. Litman scrambled back, holding the chain tight. Krent helped him and they pulled back as far as possible without letting the chain go.
Meth covered his ears against the painful screeching of metal on metal as the cat dragged it's head down the prison bars, roaring and biting at the air the entire way. Yet suddenly in mid-screech, it stopped and Meth opened his eyes to find the cat was suddenly gone. The breathing of every man in the cell was labored, even panting. Fear had bitten them all, leaving a numbing venom behind. Yet Litman and Krent still held tight to the chain, the buzzer hadn't sounded yet so they knew the hellhounds were still out there. But as soon as the beast disappeared it came again, a raging fury of starvation hurdling itself against the prison bars and it one hit, they broke, sending flakes of rust everywhere. Litman and Krent only swallowed again when they felt the chains suddenly come loose in their hands.
Shaking it's head, the grey scales blazed into red and orange, rising as the emotion and anger in the animal became stronger. Meth had almost altogether stopped breathing as the hellhound approached them, now huddled together, awaiting to awaken in the bottom of the grim barge that would carry them down the river Styx. Saliva stretched between the opening canines as a throaty roar burst from the hungry animal. The tail, now a steel-plated whip of fire, snaked back and forth across the floor as the owner of it stalked closer. It eyes glittered like finely cut sapphires frosted with ice, sparkling in craving for flesh. Yet in mid-step, it stopped and raised its head and cocked it, its long smooth ears twitching.
A figure appeared in the entrance of the cell, teeth bared and snarling. In panting breaths it gave off waves of undeniable and intense strength, causing the hellhound to completely turn around and emit a warning roar. Green eyes showed only ire for the intruder and two shivs appeared in its hands. As Tiper gripped Meth's shoulder even harder, he realized immediately that this hellhound confronted Kyra as a threat, not only that but one that could easily be equal or better than itself. Both crouched in a defensive stance and ignored the shrill repeating buzzer, that was having no effect on the hellhounds. They had become too starved, too crazed and feral with hunger to even respond to the sound.
With the gravelly slide of Kyra's boot the fight started. Both launched at each other, blades and claws released and ready. She slashed at its neck, only to tear off a few scales, causing the hellhound to shriek in pain, falling to the ground in mid-leap. Yet it got up immediately, jumping at her again, but this time she was outside of the cell, waiting for it. They immediately went in the direction of the ramp, but didn't move from the front of the cell. Krent made a move to stand but Litman grabbed him and held him down, knowing it would draw the beast's attention. Tipner and Meth looked on in fascination as Kyra sliced and shoved at her opponent, never taking notice of the multiplying wounds on her own body. A brief break in the battle came when she kicked the animal backwards, making it collide with the metal table and fall to the ground. The table toppled with the weight and was shoved back by the push in the cat's body and made a sort of defense for the four men. The legs of the table faced towards them and they crawled behind it and kept a wary watch from just above the edge of the fallen furniture. Although her strength wasn't at its peak, Kyra stood, wiping blood from the side of her mouth. The beast was barely able to stand, limping on one paw. Blood trickled in rivulets down the natural muscled forms of both fighters, absorbed by the dusty floor. Jack reworked her grip on her shivs and went back down into a defensive stance, holding her ground. The hellhound released its claws and sheathed them again, slicing at the rocky surface beneath its feet. Only pained breathing was heard as the gladiators readied themselves for battle again.
With a single bound the hellhound made a final jump at Kyra, who sheathed her shivs and grabbed a lone steel bar from the mangled heap of prison bars, backing up to the edge. She met the jaws of the beast by horizontally slamming the bar into its mouth, locking it in its jaws and behind its razor sharp molars. Yet she was pushed back by the raw speed at which the animal had leapt and was falling down the center of the prison. Ramps flashed by as Kyra took out her shivs again, biting her lip against the pain as the hellhounds claws tore into the shoulders, securing a grip. With little time left, she managed to swing both legs around one side and hit the ribcage of the opponent, making it the bottom, its back hurtling towards the ground. Clenching its jaw, the prison bar snapped in two, falling out the sides. It tried to reach forward and bite her, but failed. Sensing its end was near, it let out a defeated roar of shame and Kyra felt it vibrate through the body. She barely saw the miners flee as she ripped off scarlet scales from the animal below her, finally reaching soft flesh. Raising both shivs above her head, she slammed both of them down into the vulnerable chest cavity, causing instant death. Yet seconds later both were slammed into the ground, right down through a rift in the ground where miners worked, creating a small crater. Body exhausted with shock and loss of blood, Kyra collapsed on top of the dead hellhound's body, instantly welcoming the gentle, numbing darkness that enveloped her.
Silent minutes passed as the dust settled, but still the miners refused to move from their hiding places. Far above the heads of Krent, Litman, Meth and Tipner could be seen, necks craning over the railing, trying to see if Kyra was still alive. The silence was broken as the buzzer sounded again, but flashes of crimson scales were still flickering about, only briefly distracted by the commotion, but more interested in their meals. A brave miner stepped forward but was flattened by a steel blur of silver. From above Tipner recognized it as the alpha that Kyra had described before. Larger than the rest, it proudly wore battle scars and had even dealt a few grisly blows to the guards. While the other hellhounds only had prominent top and bottom canines, the alpha's mouth was akin to a saber tooth tiger's. The canines weren't abnormally long, but almost every tooth except for the back molars were canines. Before he had been thrown into slam, Tipner had had the rare chance to be educated. He had been interested in biological sciences and had studied a species similar to the hellhounds that prowled Crematoria. Looking back onto the scene, the miner scrambled back with a warning growl from the alpha. It had obviously already fed, seeing how it didn't grab an easy meal by the legs. Scanning the area, it seemed to decided that it was safe to turn its back to the rest of the prison and did just that. Dipping its head to the ground, it sniffed towards the edge of the crater, swiping at one of the broken prison bars, causing it to skitter across the floor and fall into another mining rift.
Walking into the crater, the alpha warily observed the scene. The other hellhound was obviously dead, seeing how its body was now twisted into angles impossible to survive. The two shivs twisted into the open chest, which the alpha saw as removable talons, also was proof of the death. Moving closer, it breathed out, ruffling the mussed hair of the killer. This resulted in a sudden body twitch, making the alpha step back. A groan emitted from the form as it moved and barely managed to sit up. Kyra opened her eyes to find the calm, if not curious, and intense blue eyes of the alpha hellhound staring directly at her. Running her hand through her hair, she cracked her back as she sat up straighter, earning a look of question from the other hellhound. Turning to the side, she looked at the one she had killed. Grabbing both shivs, she wrenched them out and wiped them clean on her pants. Sheathing them she glanced at the alpha, who had relaxed into a seated pose, watching her every movement. What was she supposed to do now? She had killed one of them and wasn't sure if there was a rite she was entitled too.
Standing, she stumbled slightly but gained balance quickly. This wasn't a time to be weak, she told herself. Stepping over the body of the hellhound, she looked around and her eyes rested on the mutilated body of the government official. It had become a meal as well and it had been a request of hers to have it done. Did she have some sort of power over them? Shaking these thoughts aside, she bent down and slipped her arms beneath the body, pulling it from the crater. It wasn't easy but in a few moments it laid on the dusty floor, not two feet away from the alpha, who watched on with interest. Kyra sat down on the ground between the two hellhounds with an undignified 'thump' and she swore the alpha was laughing at her. Looking to her right, she saw the dead hellhound's eyes were still open, still looking starved and crazed. Jack suddenly tensed with mental pain and fear when she saw the eyes from the angle she was sitting were shining silver. In her mind's eye, a gruesome scene unfolded.
He had been caught and thrown into highest security solitary, where the guards actually did their job. His goggles gone, the darkness vainly sought after but only bright white light surrounded him. He was blind in this environment. His physical and mental defenses began to crumble, he no longer fought back when the guards came in and abused him. Any touches too intimate would result in a lost body part, but soon even that was impossible. Broken with starvation for darkness and crazed with the gnawing undying will to survive, dull silver eyes stared out from a dead skull.
In her mind's eye, her idol had fallen.
Jack shook herself free of these images, brought back into reality by the wetness on her face. The brief images had brought stinging tears to her eyes and they washed away dirt, leaving tracks of clean skin behind. Roughly wiping at her eyes, she turned to the left to see the alpha sitting alarmingly close to her, so close she could feel the inhale and exhale of its ribcage. Her eyes went back to the dead hellhound and to chase away the nightmarish thoughts, she leaned over and closed it eyes. She immediately sat back, closing her eyes tight, unbidden images of a broken Riddick plaguing her vision. Kyra was startled into consciousness when she felt a rough tongue licking her shoulders. Glancing behind her, she found that the alpha was licking the wounds the dead hellhound had given her. The tongue, like the scales, was by no means gentle. Its rough, methodical rhythm did soothe the pain slightly, but it felt like wet sandpaper being dragged over the open skin. Yet it still calmed her considerably and by the time it was over, she was almost missing its presence. Turning in her still seated position. She slowly raised a hand to its head and was relieved to see it push its head into her hand, like a loyal dog wanting a good scratch behind the ears.
Fully turning so she faced it, she quickly glanced at its underside and confirmed that the hellhound was male. Looking back up, she rubbed his ears and her hand came over the tag pierced into the ear. Frowning she saw it was labeled '19' and she suddenly wanted to take it out. To the crew, the hellhounds and the prisoners were just about the same. Both labeled as unnamed creatures, grouped into the same inferior category. Going back down to his neck, she held onto it as support as she stood, her body still shaken up from the fall.
Tipner had been watching from above and the pair was oblivious to their surroundings. In the center of the floor of Crematoria, they sat on the grey black rocks that were formed from lava flows, making them smooth and rounded. The yellow fumes from the mines wafted up, but didn't seem to bother them. From his view, the wooden and metal ramps and rails created a sort of picture frame, including the fallen hellhound, whose scales were still turning from a fiery red to grey.
Thanks to these reviewers:
---I'm sorry I couldn't fit it in earlier, it's just that I had already posted the chapters in my account. But here they are:
gbmarie – thanks for reviewing, hope she's still going strong.
NightmareWeaver – I'd go into hiding if I were you, too. Thanks for reviewing.