Chapter One.
*Riddick's POV*
HELION SYSTEM; PLANET HELION PRIME.
The stone ground beneath my feet was covered in a thin layer of orange sand, I ignored the soaring temperatures and kept my fur coat on and my hood up hiding my face as I walked quickly down the wide streets that were overcrowded with smooth skinned people of a range of soft colours. The people making up the crowds wore simple material clothing, the men wore long sleeved shirt and trousers made of cotton and dyed into friendly colours such as orange, blue and yellow with knitted waistcoats and religious headgear; for the women it was different, they wore dresses made from light, flexible and gentle materials such as silk and wool, pricey materials. Both genders despite age darted from stall to stall buying fabrics and foods or swapping friendly words with relatives and friends but among the calm vibes there was panic, men and women shared hushed words so quiet that even I found myself trying a little harder than usual to pick up on entire sentences.
"It is the end of everything!" one man cried to his friends as I passed, his voice remained no more than a whisper.
"Them? Who is them?" a young child asked her mother a little more loudly than the man before her.
I removed myself from the busy streets and headed north through the maze of narrow alleyways keeping my head hung low with my tangled hair draped over my eyes helping to conceal my identity from anybody I passed. The orange stone buildings towered high into the clear sky, each home identical to the next but that wasn't a problem, I'd spent hours layered upon hours on that pitch black planet with him; his scent was no stranger to me as it lingered uncomfortably in my flaring nostrils.
I trusted my instincts and wondered basing my direction purely on his smell; it lead me to a small square that was vacant except for an elderly women cleaning a carpet and a toddler playing with a long stick and a large wooden hoop, both too busy to notice me slip across the square to the front door. Locked. I've never been a fan of locked door. I growled with irritation whilst stepping back to study the large home, a large balcony was placed on the second floor of the home but I couldn't exactly climb up and run across the roof with the expectation of being unnoticed.
Shit, this nosey kid is now watching me. My hands tightened into fists as irritation flooded my body, I released a soothing breath as I walked slowly over to the alleyway that ran between the two homes, the quiet sound of singing filled the humid air, I arched my head upwards to see an open window with the loose curtain flapping in the open breeze. I wedged myself between the two homes and scaled up the building agilely. As I climbed higher, the singing got louder and the indulging smell of lavender and mint shampoo filled my nostrils.
I climbed in silently through the window entering the bedroom beside the wash room, steam leaked out from above and beneath the carved wooden screen seeping into the bedroom. I studied the room for a second, old oak made up the room's furniture, religious symbols stood on the shelves along with books and items of expensive jewellery; placed on the bedside table was a large photo, I picked up the framed object and examined it carefully. Five short years and he now has a family; a young daughter with frizzy brown hair matching her mothers, I placed down the photo back onto the wooden table and exited the bedroom onto the large landing, down the marble stairs and onto the ground floor.
The house was different from anything that I've witnessed before, but of course the inside of slam aren't exactly heavily decorated nowadays. Every wall was painted the warming colour of light brown or dark red, thick pillars randomly rose from the ground gripping onto the ceiling. Decoration such as carvings and paintings covered every inch giving the home more of a temple like feeling instead of a homey feeling. Despite not ever feeling like I've belonged to a home, I expected he would do anything to make his family feel welcome and safe.
Behind the stairs on a chest of draws beside a cabinet filled with different remedies, I dipped my blade into the bowl of water I'd collected from the kitchen at the back of the home before running the sharp metal over my scalp removing the tattered hair then flicking it onto the tiled ground; having hair was not a look that suited me nor was it something I enjoyed. As I removed the last section of hair from the back of my head, the heavy wooden door opened and entered a fatigued Imam. His body smelt like worn down leather, he sighed heavily unaware of my presences and processed over to the stairs gripping the banister either side of him.
"Did y'know all your doors were locked?" I asked breaking the silence.
Imam's body tensed at the sound of my voice, he released the banister from his grip and stepped around searching for the source of my voice. Eventually he figured out I was behind the stairs and tiptoed into the gap the small foyer to overlook the cabinet I was stood at.
"She's in the shower," I say when I feel his gaze remove from my body, "She's alive." I assure him.
I held the shiv in my hand as I turned to face the man I once called a friend, his skin was wrinkled with age, his thin wire glasses balanced evenly on the bridge of his nose as his body shook emitted an over powerful sense of fear and tension.
"I told one man where I might go," I said sternly, "I showed trust to one man. Did I make a mistake, Imam?"
Imam's body shook dangerously but I didn't care, it wasn't anger driving me anymore, it was shame, I should know better than to trust someone especially a holy-man. My body jerked as I raised the blade to Imam's throat as he went to answer.
"Whatever was said, was to give us a fighting chance," Imam said softly, "I never would have betrayed you if it wasn't for the threat of invasion."
The sound of shuffling small feet echoed from the landing above us, I removed the blade from Imam's throat and placed it into my knife holster as I studied the frizzy haired girl sat hiding behind the metal railings, her large brown eyes studied my face carefully before locking eyes with mine.
"I give you my word Riddick." Imam swore. My body tensed in reaction to Imam using my name.
The little girl rose sharply from her hidden place, "Riddick?" she echoed her father.
A women wondered across the landing and paused, "Oh, Riddick," the heavily accented women echoed her daughter.
I turned sharply as the little girl sprinted across the landing to the top of the stairs where her mother gripped her shoulders violently to prevent her from coming any closer. I curled my fingers around the metal carvings of the side of the stairs leaning my head over the banister and looking up at the intriguing child at the top of the stairs fighting her mother's grip.
"Your name would be?" I ask temptingly.
Imam defensively darted up behind me, "You need not know of their names." He warned.
"Ziza," the young girl said, "My name is Ziza."
Imam sighed heavily, a small smile crept across my face as the young girl – Ziza – so happily defied her father without thinking twice. I glided over to the bottom of the stairs gripping the pillar and the banister before leaning in again to study not Imam's daughter but his wife. Tall and slender without any muscle, not particularly pretty but she had her qualities, large brown eyes with sharp facial bone structure. Her name is Lajjun, I can't pronounce it but who give a shit, she stares at me with disgust like I am Satan in a skin suit.
"Go on Ziza," the women ordered the child whilst pushing her roughly away from the top of the stairs.
Imam lead me upstairs into his study; it was a dark room that contained bookshelves filled with endless astronomy and astrophysics books, ten-or-so candles were darted unevenly throughout the room keeping it light enough for Imam to see but not too bright that it was uncomfortable for my eyes. The middle section of the far wall was replaced with a large window allowing the night sky to pour inwards. I took a seat in the far right hand corner as Imam shut the oak door and wandered over to the window staring up at the sky holding a religious trinket tightly entwined between his bony fingers.
"It is said the comets precedes them," Imam muttered, "These world enders."
I'm silent.
"Eight million settlers missing," Imam continued wisely, "Entire systems destroyed. Helion Prime shares its sunlight with all planets nearby. It we fall, they fall."
I remained silent.
"Are you listening?" Imam snapped at me turning back harshly.
"You said it's trailing the universe, taking one planet at a time," I muttered, Imam nodded, "It all had to end sometime." I shrug.
Imam sighed heavily whilst turning back to look up at the sky from the window appalled by my answer but the end of the universe wasn't the main thing on the surface of my mind.
"How's Jack?" I ask quietly.
Imam turned to face me, "She goes by Jocelyn now; lives on earth; comes to visit every holiday."
At least she's safe, I worried that she would come after me, I'm glad she didn't. Jocelyn, nice name, pretty just like her. "Has Earth –"
"Been destroyed?" Imam finished my question, "No, she's safe. For now."
Three loud bangs echoed through the houses originating from the front door. Imam trailed from the window to the study door, opened it and stepped aside so three men, dressed head-to-toe in black, could enter. He shook their hands and greeted them kindly before they all stood in a line silently.
"The one you want is now here." Imam said proudly to the men after shutting the study door behind them.
Fucking traitor, a voice hissed inside my head as I whisked up from my seat to grip the silk material hung over the first males' mouth and ripping it from his face expecting to see Toombs or another Merc smiling smugly but instead, a dark tanned man stood dead-eyed in front of me, unfazed by my aggressive actions. Then, a gust of wind passed me, threatening to blow out the candles, I released my blade from my sleeve and held it up to the transparent figures throat, as I did, the figure became solid and revealed itself to be an elderly women. Wrinkled with snow white hair, the colour matching the saree she wore and the headscarf rapped around her neck and head.
"If you cut my throat, I'll not be able to resin the offer that brought you here," she said matter-of-factly, "Nor tell you why it was so vital that you did come."
"The blade came off when the bounty comes off." I snapped.
"This is Aereon, she's from the Elemental race," Imam stepped in grabbing my shoulder, "She means you no harm."
I glanced at Imam's hand rested upon my shoulder with no fear whatsoever giving Aereon time to vanish again like the wind and appear between two of the men she had brought along.
"There are very few who have met Necromonger and live to speak of it," Aereon said, "So when I speak of it, you better listen."
"Necromonger?" I said with a hint of humour as it sounded like a reject from a Saturday morning kids show.
"It is the name what will convert or kill every last human life, unless the universe can rebalance itself." Aereon snapped.
"Maybe you should realise you're not talking to someone educated in that system." I replied wittedly.
Aereon stared at me coldly, "Balance is everything to Elementals; water to fire; air to earth. We only have the time to speak about the value of opposites."
Imam moved to stand next to Aereon, "There is a story Riddick, about young male Furyans who were strangled at birth, strangled at birth by their own cords."
I turned on my heels putting my back to them as I thought back to five years ago, Imam asked if I wanted to pray on that planet, I refused, he told me something about although I don't believe in God, he believes in me. I replied; you think someone could spend half their life in a slam with a horse bit in their mouth and not believe? Think he could start out in come liquor store trash bin with an umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and not believe. The last sentence replayed over in my head, 'an umbilical cord wrapped around his neck'. Of course Imam would remember.
"When Aereon told this story to the Helion leaders," Imam continued, "I told her about you."
I rested my hands on the wood of the balcony to stead myself as footsteps shuffled uneasily towards me.
"What do you remember of your early years?" an unfamiliar voice asked me.
"What do you remember of your home planet? Where it was?" Imam asked.
"Are there any others?" the unfamiliar voice asked me again.
"Others like yourself?" Aereon asks.
Sweat gathered on the palm of my hands, across my forehead and my chest, I gripped the balcony tightly. "Sister, they don't know what to do with just one of me." I said deeply. I couldn't tell them that would jeopardise everything. All the years I spent protecting her would have been for nothing.
Aereon let out a small gasp after five quick seconds of silence, "There is another," she whispered.
My lips pursed with anger as I turned sharply, my eyes flaring with tension and disbelief, "How do you know?!" I growled sharply.
Aereon smiled slyly, "Your thoughts are full of her. Where is she?" she questioned, well more like demanded.
"Safe." I snapped and to prevent Aereon flicking through my thoughts, I began to think of everything that wasn't to do with her. Johns, Fry, Imam, the settlers everyone beside her. She was safe and that's all that matters.
"Riddick, you need to bring her to Elemental," Aereon insisted, "Or somewhere where she is safe because if Necromongers get a hold of her or you, they will try convert you both but if you refuse, they will kill you both."
Loud bangs shattered the conversation, I hung my head out the window to see half a dozen men yelling, all armed with either guns or knives, Imam's wife burst into the study and rushed over to Imam.
"There searching houses!" His wife said loudly, Imam hushed her silent, "They're looking for a man who came here today. They think he may be, a spy."
"A spy?" Imam questioned.
"Did someone see him come here today?!" She hissed. "Did they?" she demanded.
Imam turned back to me holding his hands together in a prayer manor, "I will send them away, but wait, one minute please. Just wait one minute to save worlds."
I held my shiv up in a threatening way, "This isn't our fight." I said.
"So, you will leave us to our fate, just like you did her." Imam growled.
"BREAK IT DOWN!" I heard the man outside yell to his men.
I sighed angrily and turned back to face Imam and nod. Imam returns my gesture and hurries the remaining people out of the room. Leaving Aereon alone with me, her cold glare makes my skin crawl as she paces up and down the room, you could hear the wheels in her head turning as she tries to anticipate my next movement but I remained stationary at the balcony overlooking the square as Imam's wife and daughter are forcefully removed from their home but they remained unharmed by the guards as people from hours surrounding come to help yelling profound things such as 'he can help us'. Imam's wife and child continue to try convince the guards I am not here.
"What does this all have to do with me and her?" I ask Aereon not turning around to meet her gaze.
"Thirty years ago, The Lord Marshall was delivered his fate by an Elemental, it was foretold that he would be killed by a young male Furyan. He led an attack on Furya in an attempt to void his fate. Up until now, it is believed that the remaining Furyans had been converted; that there were no survivors whatsoever. If it true that you are a Furyan; that she is to, you can stop the Necromongers." Aereon replied with hesitation.
I listened intently to the sound of eager footsteps and four gentle breathing patterns, I ordered Aereon to blow out the candles and surprisingly she did what I asked, turned into wind and removed the life from the flames before vanishing from the room. I waited for one man to kick the door open before the four of them entered. I stood in the corner as the wood shattered from the lock into large splinters as one man forcefully kicked the door by the lock forcing it open. I grabbed the nose of the first man's gun causing the material around his neck to tightened cutting off his air supply, the second man rapidly opened fire sending bullets into the dark, I sheltered myself behind the first man's body, once the second male thought he had put several bullets in me I pushed his co-worker onto him causing the second man to be temporally inactive. Man number three was certainly more of the fighting man as he gripped his arms around me, I stamped hand on his right foot whilst pulling my head forward then driving it backwards into the males' nose, the satisfying sound of bone breaking echoed throughout the room. Man number two went to swing at me, I ducked before grabbing the clothing he wore and threw him into the heavy bookshelf; a more solid body knocked into me causing my to stumble a little, I removed my shiv's as man number four came into play, he swung his knife holding hands at me, I dodged them rapidly, the best way to a man's heart is between the fourth and fifth rib and that is the way I went, my shiv slipped in neatly between the males' ribs piercing his heart, I twisted it firmly then removed it. Man number three revealed himself from the corner, his nose bleeding furiously he raised his hands in a surrender, I growled then used my head to gesture towards the doorway, he clutched his nose and vacated the room, sprinted down the stairs, passed Imam and out the front door swiftly followed by me.
The night sky was brightly lit with millions of stars and the comets continued to whirl aimlessly around. The square outside Imam's house was filled with his neighbours and rouge soldiers.
"Riddick?" the young Ziza asked, her mother hushed her and attempted to hide her away, "Are you going to kill the new monsters now?"
"You should all stay away from me," I sigh heavily, pulled my hood up over my head and left the square.