8. The Departure and Tales of Bandages and Betrayal

Kimera was traveling with a strange, attractive and now poison free convict resting in the med bay on the same ship as her, what had she gotten herself into?

"I should have stayed and let myself rot in that pit." She was being plagued with the memories of the mercs she had allowed Kaz to kill. Blood tells you everything about a person. Whores, Death, and Creds. That was the brunt of what she saw. Then she saw the innocent people those men had harmed or killed and she felt a little less guilty about what she had done.

'Couldn't let you do that now could we? What? Is the poor little Priestess' Daughter, all sad and guilty over a group of bad men? Boo-Frickity-Hoo young one. Like we haven't done worse?' Kazira was leaning against the door frame in the cockpit picking her nails while Kimera sat hunched over in the pilots chair.

Kimera shot up like lighting getting in her face. "You've done worse, not me. Whenever things get out of hand you take over, oh yeah you sure as hell take over. Fucking overkill is what you do." She was jabbing her hand into her and she was making contact even thou Kazira was in astral form. "New Rome; 7yrs ago, you decided that I needed some extra field time and went straight to ground zero while I was sleeping. Even killed a few guards to get out. 400 KAZIRA DEMONA! 400! Fuck most of them weren't even soldiers either, but innocents Kaz; poor, scared, defenseless innocents and you cut them down like wheat." She was crying by the end of her rant. Kazira took hold of her shoulders and thrust her back into the pilots chair and getting right in her face.

'You were weak, Goddess help me you still are." She was snarling at her and her eyes were glowing red. 'If you remember clearly, it was you that wanted them all dead, and I did not hear you make any exemptions like you did with the mortal on this ship with us. You wanted them dead for what they did to your little friend. What was his name again? Ah yes Navis. Such a sweet little boy wasn't he? Except that he couldn't speak because as a slave in New Rome, he had his tongue cut out when he was still a baby.' Kimera tried to avert her gaze.

'Don't you turn away from me! You'll listen to me and you'll listen well. You remember the huge welts that were on his back? The ones he received for befriending you? Because you were different, a Helcastian; the accursed creatures that we are? You do, because if you didn't you wouldn't have saved Riddick. You would have killed him yourself, just like you intended to kill those mercs.'

'Remember our creed: The Darkness is the only thing that brings comfort. Being one with the Darkness brings peace and chases away the fear, replacing it with power. It embraces those who have no light to take them in and possesses their very soul. That is what we are, The Darkness. The Devourers. We are born cursed to drink blood, to know secrets that lie in the mind and heart, to see what is in the dark. You can't deny what you are. If you try to, I'll be right there to show you the truth, just like I did at New Rome.' She kissed her on the forehead but Kimera was staring into nothingness with tears streaming down her face. She was right she thought. Everything she had said was true and there was no use trying to say or do differently.

"I understand" she wiped at her face furiously trying to erase any evidence of her weakness.

'Good. In due time we shall get what is ours and exact revenge on him and all those that aided him in our unwanted vacation. I can only imagine what has happened at home since our absence. Mother must be beside herself with worry. And sweet Navis must think us dead.' Kazira was pacing in front of her when she noticed Riddick standing in the doorway. She stopped her ritual and made a low 'ahem' to get Kimera's attention.

Her head shot up. "Oh you're awake. That means the anti-toxin is working well. How do you feel?" Her face had lit up the moment she saw him.

"I fell like shit, but my skin isn't burning anymore." He flexed the muscles in his upper body and bent his fingers and cracked his knuckles. "Got most of my motor skills back too. Thanks."

"No prob." She was blushing, something that didn't happen often. His voice was so deep like gravel but it wasn't annoying, it was anything but. It was alluring.

'Aye, I'm getting out of here. I can't stand the sexual tension in the room.' Kazira rounded on Riddick locking eyes with him. 'You keep your dick in your pants around her, or I will cut it off. She's too much for you to handle.' She shimmered away before his fist could connect with her face.

"Annoying bitch" He let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and looked up at Kimera. "So where to Captain?" he plopped down in the seat next to her spinning it to keep eye contact with her.

"Jopah 5, Merchant port 12. I have a long over due delivery to pick up." She turned to the control panel and began punching in coordinates so fast, Riddick couldn't follow. While still entering in her information she turned her head to him. "Ya know, she wasn't kidding with you. She will cut it off if you mess with either of us."

"I thought astral projections couldn't touch solid matter?"

"She's found ways around that before. Don't forget, she still has me."

"Right. What are you picking up, if you don't mind me asking?"

She turned her entire body around and was about to answer him when she noticed that he had taken his goggles off. "I'm, ah, it's just a custom job a friend of mine did for me before I left home." She was the one staring now. "I'm going to have to check those bandages around your ribs in a few. I want to see how much the swelling has gone down."

He made a look like he was gonna argue. "Please, just let me?"

"Whatever"

"Great." Turning back around she didn't hear him come up behind her until it was too late.

"We're gonna have a little talk when you get back there. I want to know exactly who and what I'm dealing with." His breath was tickling her ear, and her eyes had closed at the unusual sensation it caused in her.

She answered with a breathy ok and he took his leave of her. 'For now' she thought.

How was she gonna deal with a man who had such a strong sexual aura? And how was she gonna keep the little innocence she had left intact around someone like him?

"Enough daydreaming, I need to get cleaned up." She rose from the seat and headed to the back of the ship to hopefully find some clothes that would fit her. Riddick would come later.