To make it clear the Harry Potter and Riddick character/world is not mine, they belong to J.K Rowling and whoever owns Riddick. This is a fanfic, which means I'm not the original creator only the writer of this particular story.
Chapter 19: who´s the mouse and who´s the cat?
The survivors that had chosen to stay behind were all finding things to occupy their time, which at the same time made the severity of the situation easier to handle.
Paris, who didn´t want to do any hard labor, had taken over as look-out atop the ship. After a couple of hours he had created quite the fort of comfort for himself. His solution to deal with the heat was the erecting of a "misting" umbrella whilst having a reservoir filled with liquor and when the air got to hot he just took a hit from his breather.
Paris luxuriates in it and has found his place in all the chaos. Zeke who is a man that believe in hard labor is irritated by what he sees as he passes the man whilst carrying a sled built out of scrap-metal filled by one of the dead crew members.
"Comfy up there?" he shouts sarcastically as he readjusts the cable attached to the sled as it is once again cutting in around the shoulder; which makes it hard to hold the pick-ax.
"Quit. It´s amazing how much you can do without the essentials of life - so long as you have the luxuries." Paris replies as he holds one of the bottles up in salute. Zeke, who is feeling cooked by the boiling sun, just shades his face with his hands and shout for the man to keep a sharp out for Riddick before he continues on his way toward the spired hills that lays at the outskirt of the ships right side.
Giving a confirmation Paris leans back in his chair and takes a drink. Suddenly he feels a sharp blade touch his throat. Terrified he almost pisses himself before he discovers that it is Jack who is playing a sadistic game.
"You know he'd probably get you right here, right under the jaw. And you'd never hear him coming. That's how good Riddick is." The admiration in the kid's voice is disgusting and Paris wonders if the kid was drooped on the head as a baby, for whom in their right mind would take a killer as a role-model? Paris slowly eases the hunting boomerang away before turning in his chair, giving Jack his best 'I´m pissed off' look.
"One question Jack. Now did you run away from your parents or was it them who run away from you?"
Jack being highly offended just stuck out her tongue before she decided to go help Shazza, at least the settler was more interesting than four-eyes.
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Harry was so happy he could kiss the idiot Johns, for they had finally reached the rise and the trees loomed above them. He just dropped to his knees and spread himself out on the ground hoping that they would never move again.
"Oh no you don´t kid. We aren't´ resting until we climb this sucker and gotten a better look at those trees. Up you go."
Harry just gave a tired huff and rolled over unto his back and tried to make out the blond man standing to his left right in front of the sun.
"Come on Johns, I´m tired can´t we rest for a couple of minutes."
Johns who to Harry looked like a black dot just took a step closer and kicked the kid in the left leg as a responds before he started up the rise with the pilgrims ahead of him.
"Get up Harry, we can rest in the shadow the trees will provide soon, it´s not that long and you are young."
"What does age got to do with it captain? I´m bloody tired."
Fry, not liking the smart assed comment, just reached down and grabbed his chain giving it a hard pull. Harry who may be tired but in no mood to cause more trouble just gave a tired sigh before giving in and getting up. After another expiring trip in an up-hill for 10-15 minutes they were finally close to the top. The pilgrim boys were overjoyed and decided to rush the last few meter, anticipating seeing an oasis beyond the hill-top.
"Allahu Akbar...Allahu Akbar..."
But Fry hangs back and walks even slower for she starting to realize that the trees ahead of them can't be trees. They don't move in the wind.
The pilgrims scramble up the rise, looks with big smiles down with anticipation high in their troths and go motionless. Fry, Harry Johns and Imam hurries to catch to see what has made the kids so silent. They understand right away when they to look down and behold the view meeting them...
The "trees" are actually the dorsal bones of a titanic skeleton that reaches high into the air, tinted green by lichen giving the survivors the mirage of trees. But the skeleton isn´t what has frozen them, it is the sea beyond it made out of bleached animal bones. It´s seems impossible, there must be thousands of them and all of them in gigantic sizes. As the wind sweeps through the hollow space the bones seem to MOAN IN PAIN which give the illusion of Hell's River had overflowed right through here killing everything in its wake a long time ago.
"Is this whole planet dead?" Fry ask out loud to no one in particular, in a tired to the bone voice and you can feel the hope dying a little bit more in the survivors. One of the children ask a question which Imam translates to the captain.
"He asks what could have killed so many great things..."
"Say that it was a sickness or anything that sounds natural." Harry says quietly to Imam and Fry which gains him the interest of the adults.
"Why?"
"So that they don´t fear what we don´t know. They have a hard time already with everything else… and smile as you say it."
Imam nods and after speaking with the little once in their native language the children seems to accept whatever it is the man said for the are soon off raising down the hill, eager to explore. It brings warmth to Harry heart that at least the young gets the chance to play even if their situation is grave.
His magic may be locked away but he could feel the pain coming from the bones echoing within his head and he knew that whatever had happen here it had not gone peacefully nor kindly by. It felt more like a battlefield or a shelter, these great beasts had thought this valley below had been a safe-haven, it seems that they had been wrong.
The adults started, in a much slower pace, the track down the hill and moving into the bone yard. Johns was not happy about it for if Riddick was around, the bones offered him a perfect hiding place. His senses was going on high alert, his body ready for quick action and his pistol was firmly gripped by his hands—just waiting for Riddick to come out and play.
Imam still interested in the bone yard studies every skeleton he passed, trying to find out the cause for so many existing at the same place.
"Perhaps some sort of a communal graveyard ...like the elephants that once walk on the ancient planet called Earth..."
"Earth?" Harry quickly asked before Imam could change subject. Finally it seemed that he would be getting more information on what was going on.
"Yes. You have never heard of the planet?" after giving the man a casual shrug Harry walked closer hoping that Imam would get the picture. Imam did, and as he was a teacher he always was ready to give information to starving students.
"Ancient earth was in the beginning an unknown civilization to the systems until a great war broke out about 2000 years ago. It seems that there had been living creatures of extra ordinary powers right alongside the other mortals, and as they was discovered fear and hate broke loose. In a desperate attempt to save themselves; this powerful people sent out a beacon that later was found by the System Lords of the Ming-dynasty."
Harry tried his best, but some of the thing Imam was talking about was so strange, what system? And what System Lords?
"… When they finally reached the planet the mortals had, in their fear, released something so forbidden that the survivors of the planet was hunted down and destroyed. What this forbidden power was we do not know, but it has just been these last few years that some scientists have been granted allowance to travel down upon the earth and explore this dead civilization."
Powerful weapons? He couldn´t mean atomic ones, right? Because no one was that stupid or desperate to launch those. As Imam left the strange man to think about the story he just told he had to wonder what about the story had made the man so pale. It was a dead planet with a dark past, nothing that concerned a prisoner. But before he could think about it further Johns suddenly rushed past him, and his boys were hovering together looking frightened. Imam hurries over to give them some comfort.
It seems that some rocks had fallen down one of the steep hills surrounding them and Johns believed it to be Riddick, Imam hoped that the man was wrong for he did not want a life on his conscious even if it was not him that fired the gun.
When several minutes ticked by and Johns not giving any heads up the boys started to relax again and after a few words with Imam and the captain, they were off again exploring. Their favorite game at the moment was hide-and-seek.
The youngest pilgrim named Ali had in his hurry to hide reached a huge skull laced with baleen-like combing, hoping that it would contain a good hiding spot. But he was soon distracted when the wind hitting the comb made a low harmonic moaning inspiring him to try ´playing´ the 'instrument'. Wanting to show off the trick he rushes back to collect his brothers by passing a returning Johns whose nerves is shot to hell by the drama before. He just knows Riddick is close; he just doesn't have a clue as to how close.
Not wanting two prisoners wandering about un-supervised Johns had after the failed scouting at the hill decided that he wanted Harry really close from now on. So he really didn´t care that the tired man was taking shelter in the shadows seemingly in deep thought from Imam's information. The brat just had to shake it off; Johns had more important things to focus on then a depressed emo.
"Come on. You are staying close from now on."
"Why?"
"I want your company, that's why… but if you rather be left here in the sun and chained to your new buddy here I can arrange that." Johns threatens as he pets the skeleton-head that Harry was leaning up against. Harry, not even going to ask what made the man so pissed just got up and accepted the grabbing of his chained hands. The man didn´t seem to be joking Harry realizes when Johns ties a new key-chain from his hand-cuff to his belt.
He is starting to get really tired of this man´s mood swings, Harry knew that he have had a few of his own but come on; they were justified, the man just seemed to be PMS'ing nonstop.
Meanwhile Ali had found his brothers and had dragged them to his musical instrument and as he turns to them to show how it works he can't spot Hassan. Worried he and his oldest brother Suleiman starts looking for him. They run over to Johns who had started scouting the inside of a big three horned skeleton, and when just as they were about to call, out a face is staring through the combing of the animal behind the cop. But it's only Hassan inside the skull and when Johns discovers him he has Harry chase him out.
As Harry looks as the kids disappears behind another skeleton happily laughing together Johns is about to clear out; until he notices bone-chippings piled on the ground just besides his right boot. It could be nothing, but still knowing Riddick's creativity he decides to double-check shadows, probing with the muzzle of his shotgun.
When Harry is about to voice his boredom Johns is satisfied enough to exit. Just as Harry is about to step out after the cop a weak sound makes him look back and up. It's Riddick with goggles covering his eyes and with a smirk on his face. He is hidden in a sinus cavity.
Harry just gives a small salute and then gives the man a shooing motion before stepping out into the sunrays once again. He had a hard time maintain a neutral face and not laugh the so called cop right in the face. Is prey is right on top of him and he still misses it, how stupid can you be?
Trailing after the others but in a slow and straight pace Fry pauses to change out the O2 on her breather. She has stopped just in front a series of skeleton ribs thicker than three of her fingers since the wind passing though it gave a cooling breeze. Unknown to her Riddick is just above her and as the captain stops he drops to the grounds on the inside of the ribs with a bone-shiv in his hands.
Johns seeing Fry battling with her breather doubles back to Fry dragging Harry along. As he draws closer he takes a hit of scotch before he offers her some. She shakes her head at the same time as she grips the bottle.
"Probably makes it worse. Dehydrates you even more."
"Probably right."
"Then if you're not drinking it can I have some? I´m dying here."
"… Do you ever shut up Harry, or is your off button broken." Johns has to ask, for the prisoners dry humor was starting to get to him.
"Nothing of the sort, I just want something to drink and you have the provision… officer."
Not caring about him they keep on drink anyway and not sharing.
"Ok. Got it, but at least can we move out from the sun."
Doing as Harry suggested Fry starts moving out of the sun and leans up against the combing. It brings her within arm's length of Riddick who get the idea for a game. He pulls a long bone-shiv, freshly chiseled and moves closer as silently as he can.
"You know cap, you could've stayed back and be safer. Pro'bly should've - because, you know, if we don't find water soon we won´t make it back..."
Fry just looks at Johns as he takes position on her right side. She knows what his asking and she can´t bring herself to lie, she needs someone to confide in but Harry is right there and she doesn't trust him. Johns who sees the reason for the women´s silence weight his options. Get juicey information or risk losing track of a prisoner who hadn´t try to run yet.
And since no trace of Riddick had been found Johns quickly decided to go with option one.
"Harry, we're out of the worst cluster so you get to stroll again. Get over to Imam until we catch up."
Really wanting to hear the captains words Harry first thought to protest but then he suddenly saw a movement inside the combing and realized that he didn´t want to be blamed for any accident that could occur here. After a quick decision Harry was off towards the holy man and his kids happy that he gets to skip whatever crazy stunt Riddick was trying to pull.
When Harry was far enough away Caroline decided to answer Johns earlier question.
"No, no, I wanted to get away from the ship."
"Yeah, so I noticed. Never seen a "captain" quite so ready to leave her ship."
Johns who was starting to suspect foal-play got even more sure when Fry gave him a guilty look.
Riddick in the meantime was getting bored and annoyed. He had wanted his little angel around longer so someone could appreciate the ingenious play he just invented. But as the two blonds in front of him didn´t seem to be saying anything worthwhile Riddick decides to ease his blade toward Fry's neck but is stopped as she steps away.
"We better keep moving."
Johns realize that he needs to pressure her, she is ready to talk but she needs a push.
"What'd Owens mean? 'Bout not touching the switch? He kept on saying it like it was important."
Fry makes eye contact with him and searches his eyes, wondering if she can trust him before her poster loosens and she again leans onto the combing. Johns follows her and they both slide down the ribs into a sitting position unknowing that if they just turn around they would see Riddick crouching right behind them. If they would just TURN THE HELL AROUND!
"Swear to me you won't tell them, or anyone-"
"You see anybody else here? It´s just between you and me here."
So Fry tells him how Owens had saved them all, how she had panicked and how the pilot wanted to dump the passenger cabin so that she would have survived. At first the only thing Johns can do is blink and stare at the women in disbelief, if it had been up to her he would have been killed.
"Are you shittin' me? Fuck. Guess I'm more glad to be here than I thought."
Johns says whilst trying to smile. To hide his disgust from the naïve little wannabe-murderer he drinks a couple of big clunks of the booze before he buries it in the ground.
While Fry and Johns was talking, Riddick was listening on with half an ear as he once again reaches out with his shiv and deftly slices off some of Fry's back hair. It's a locket, a souvenir form how close he had been to slice her throat. That's all he wanted and now he could lord it over Johns if the merc pissed him off again.
Soon Johns can´t sit still as Riddick knew he wouldn´t, not after being told that your life had been in the hands of a ego-tripped girl about 20-25 years old (more or less). Riddick watches them move off, after Johns has placed his cap on Fry´s head in a friendly symbolic act, before he looks at the scotch bottle that was left behind. It's still got one good swallow but it's a trap, but a trap easily disabled by some help of the desert-sand. Johns should REALLY start paying attention to his surroundings.
Taking the first swallow after many hours without water Riddick is torn, he wants to play with his angel but the survivors left at the ship may have found some more sustainable material and Riddick was in need of food and water. In the end the decision wasn´t hard, his angel just had to wait. Before leaving he pours some desert-sand into the empty bottle before he re-places it where Johns left it.
As Riddick made his way back Johns and the party had finally reached the cleft in the hills and ahead of them is a big canyon. But before they leave to explore the new landscape Johns holds up his hands for silence.
"Hold up everyone, just want to check something."
Harry and the boys who are starting to feel the dehydration are happy to take a break while Johns jumps onto a big rock and puts his scope to one eye scanning the graveyard behind them.
"He didn't bite."
"Who didn´t bite?" Harry asks already knowing who Johns must be referring to as all the others were here. He just wanted to rub it in that the cop still hadn´t managed to re-capture his lost prisoner.
Johns unwilling to answer kept silent until Fry repeated Harry's question.
"Thought Riddick might be coolin' it in the boneyard; as I see it, he could either double-back to the ship or slip in behind us. So I left the bottle out as bait to get a baring as to what he decides. Didn´t pan out though."
In his scope Johns sees the bottle gleaming in the sun and it´s still got a swallow left. Riddick must have missed the yard, for even if he had gotten the trap he would have risked it to get something to drink.
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