6 – The Conversion

Xen sluggishly ascended to consciousness as if it were a deep pool she was struggling to rise from. Endlessly deep and mercilessly cold, it kept pulling her back down every time she managed to gain a little ground. Her chest was going to burst. Unseen fire licked at her skin like a lover and she writhed at the sensation, feeling it burn and soothe impossibly. It was pain and pleasure at once, a feeling that had no name.

Her eyes reluctantly opened and for a moment she saw only darkness. A few moments passed, bringing a little more clarity; light was trickling in from somewhere overhead but it was dim and cold. Confusion mixed with the swimming sensation in her head. Where am I…?

There was a tightness in her shoulders that made her groan and she realized she was suspended dozens of feet in the air above a shadowy pit, contained in some kind of metallic chamber built for one. Black walls surrounded her on all sides, smooth like a lake on a still night. She could see her distorted reflection and glowing yellow eyes in the panel before her. Metal clamps were secured just above her elbows, pulling her arms up uncomfortably while her legs were free to dangle helplessly below. Some kind of vice was holding her head in place but she could angle her head down enough to see that she was wearing different clothing. Dark gray slacks with a matching long-sleeved shirt replaced her shorts and tank top from earlier. The idea of being undressed by strangers made her skin prickle but the way her body was feeling quickly made her forget her new outfit.

The transformation brought on by starvation was beginning to take hold in earnest. Each breath was ragged in her chest and burned as if filled with smoke. Her skin was a hot, smothering suit that was much too tight and she could feel cords of muscle bulging under the flesh, threatening to tear it. An unbearable heat was growing in her core despite the frigid atmosphere of the chamber, making sweat bead on her temples. Needle-like pain threaded through her gums as twin fangs descended to prick her bottom lip, readying for the transfusion. The throb was sweet and made her imagine plunging into someone's neck to draw their energy like blood. The very thought made her whimper with want and she flexed her newly borne claws.

She had never gone this long without feeding before. How long had it been? A week? More? Thinking about it made her head hurt, but not as much as thinking about Riddick did.

A knot constricted in her stomach; where was he? Wahls had told her that he had been taken, too drunk to notice he was giving away valuable information. She only hoped that there was a chance Riddick could be on the same ship as her, if she was even on a ship, and that he wasn't hurt. Her vengeance was only overshadowed by her concern for him that ached like a twisting knife in her side. Her surroundings gave her no indication either way. Rage boiled under her constricting skin and she wouldn't have been surprised if it started bubbling; once she got out of here she was going to hunt down their captors one by one and make them wish they had never heard the word 'reaper.'

Before she could think of anything else a whirring sounded on either side of her. Panic rose like bile and she struggled to see what was happening. A metallic glint was suddenly in view, reflected in the wall. Soon it was seen in her peripherals as well and she choked down a scream as she understood what they were. Two foot long spikes were closing in on her neck, moving slowly and steadily toward the soft skin just below her ears. This was a conversion chamber. She was about to receive the mark of the Necromonger.

XXX

"Everyone always looks so nervous before being marked," Dame Vaako murmured softly, one hand on Riddick's shoulder. "Soon she'll understand how one pain can lessen another."

Her petal-soft words echoed in the small room they occupied. It was a simple black box built seemingly for the only purpose of watching converts receive the faith scars. They were mere feet from where Xen was suspended, hanging like an animal left to bleed out. A one-way mirror allowed them viewing access into the conversion chamber as though her suffering was a delightful show. To the reaper she was alone in the world, her expression twisted with fear and hunger, struggling uselessly against her bonds with only her distorted reflection for company.

Riddick's skin was crawling as he knelt on the black marble floor, chained tightly with a metal bit between his teeth. He wanted to jerk out of the Dame's unpleasant touch but he couldn't take his eyes off of Xen's face. This was the first time he had seen her since being captured and the emotions he felt swelled in his chest, choking him and threatening to burst. The first thing he felt when the panel had slid back to reveal Xen was blind fury that stung his eyes and made his throat constrict. The Necromonger whore was making him watch as they tortured her, making her receive the mark against her will. It was beyond fucked up. The willing converts were bad enough, even if they only agreed because refusal meant death. To wake up to such a thing would be terrifying.

The second was alarm at how feral she looked. The pained grimace she wore revealed sharp fangs that looked lethal. Her eyes were glowing yellow slits in her head and he was shocked to see once-dainty fingers twisted into deadly claws. They were obvious signs that she needed to feed, and soon. He didn't know exactly how long it had been since she had a transfusion, but he guessed it had to be at least several days. Life on The Longshot made discreet feeding difficult for her and the inconsistency of solid meals meant a weak reaper. Worry burrowed in his head like a parasite; what would happen if they denied her too long? A shudder rippled down his skin at the thought. He would personally see to it that she drained as many Necromongers as he could lay before her, starting with the witch in the golden dress.

"The act of conversion is in itself perfect, is it not so, dear husband?"

With an air of complacency Dame Vaako inclined her head to the looming man beside her.

Commander Vaako stood stiffly, one fist gripped in the other behind his back as he faced the conversion chamber, although Xen wasn't his subject of focus. Narrow eyes were trained on his wife's hand as it reposed on Riddick's shoulder but he lowered them at her statement. A muscle twitched in his jaw.

"Indeed it is, Dame Vaako," he replied darkly, his voice clipped.

Before he had even finished the short words she had dipped down to Riddick's level and leaned in close to whisper in his ear. Riddick could smell Vaako's own fury at that.

"The numbing spikes are inserted an inch into the skin just below the ear, into the great auricular nerve," she breathed. "It's a fascinating thing. Pain is eliminated. All for a mere eight hours of discomfort, even though the last few are merely to remind them of the pain they're leaving behind. The process does drain the color of the skin and eyes but the benefits far outweigh our pallor, don't you think, breeder?"

With a smug glance behind her she brushed her lips against Riddick's throat. The question was directed at him this time even though the bit prevented him from answering. His skin prickled at her cold touch. Were he not in his present situation he would have smirked at the sound of Vaako's carefully controlled breathing; the man was losing it over his wife nuzzling into another mans' neck, and rightly so. Riddick sensed a play of dominance and knew the Dame was just using him as a ploy to get what she wanted, which was Vaako's undivided attention.

"You'll see for yourself after the conversion is complete," she murmured, "although she might not be…entirely herself. Be glad for her though; this chamber was built for high-ranking members so she won't have to dangle with the commoners. We have special plans for her, you know. I'll see you again in eight hours, Riddick."

Riddick's look promised vengeance. If stares could murder, she would be dead on the floor.

She whispered her lips against his ear with the lightest of laughs before standing gracefully. Her cinnamon scent followed, of which Riddick was grateful. The swift movement was broken by Vaako who immediately grabbed her by the arm. Riddick could hear his biting retorts as he pulled her towards the door and couldn't care less about their pathetic relationship. Soon enough, he would be ending it.

A whirring sound distracted Riddick from the pair as they exited. Snarling around the bit, his chest heaved as he saw the two metal spikes emerge from the walls and move slowly towards Xen's neck. Despite being shackled fast with his wrists bound behind him he tried to lunge in her direction but to no avail. The bit in his mouth dug into the soft flesh of his tongue but he hardly noticed its bite. All his senses were centered on her.

Xen had seen the spikes and was beginning to panic. Her legs were free of restraints but in her weakened condition she could barely kick her feet. The clamp around her head prevented her from avoiding the spikes and she could only whimper in fear and struggle uselessly. From her elevated position her eye level was a few feet above Riddick's head but as it became harder to hold her head up she tilted her face down to where she was almost matching his gaze.

The need to hold her tightly, to whisper comforting words that would banish the look that was lurking in her eyes, was great. It was fear, desperation, and a hunger that no longer looked human.

When the sharp metal points penetrated her skin, she cried out in a voice that didn't sound like her own. It was animalistic, primal, predatory. And it made Riddick's blood boil as he growled loudly in response.

Guilt and helplessness pressed against the insides of his skull, reminding him of his own inability to protect her, coiling like a sickness in his stomach. They're going to pay for this. For every second she suffers in that chamber, they will suffer it ten times over.

As he stared at the blood that dripped down her neck to match the tears that were falling from her eyes, he knew he was going to kneel for the full eight hours and build up as much fury as he could muster against the ones that were doing this to her. Her pain would be his ammunition and he wouldn't stop until she was satisfied that enough Necromongers had paid the price for their cruelty.

Just another seven hours and fifty minutes to go.