Chapter Two.
*Imam's POV*
NECROMONGER INVASION.
Tension restricted the beaded necklace to entwine any tighter around my interlocked fingers as from the steps of my home I watched Riddick abandon the square with his long coat trailing along behind him hiding his sharp metal weapons with his Grim Reaper hood protecting his identity as he stormed off into the unknown streets of Helion Prime. It was in these small moments I wished Jocelyn was here for Riddick would not be able to leave her, not after five years of being apart and she certainly would not allow him to leave without a fight or promising to take her with him but this brand-new women that has been brought to the surface of Riddick's life was intriguing, was she Furyan? How long has he been hiding her away? Questions such as these snaked around my throat and squeezed tightly for I feared I shall never know the answers I seek. It is very clear Riddick does not understand the importance of his or this young women's survival if they are Furyan; he greatly underestimates himself being capable of doing something for the great-of-good but one thing I feared most of all is that he will not go after her until it was too late.
"Furyans; their defiant until the end." Aereon muttered from behind me proudly in the safety of my doorway.
I sighed heavily and shook my head, "Unfortunately, this is just Riddick." I say as I untwined the necklace from my fingers allowing the blood to recirculate before pulling the necklace over my head allowing the cross to hang freely at my chest.
The loud spitting of gunfire erupted from the many Helion Prime protection military buildings spread out across the planet sending glitches of light into the sky shattering the darkness. I rushed through the thin crowd to reunite with my family. I scooped my young daughter Ziza into my arms and hugged her to my chest tightly, her heart rapidly palpitated inside her chest echoing against mine; I tapped my wife Lajjun on the arm gently, she snapped her head from being arched upwards at the sky watching the one-sided battle unfold to lock eyes with me and our daughter. Her face was sunken with shock and her eyes were wide and frowning in understandable fear.
"We must go to the shelter," I whispered to her sternly, "We take only ourselves."
Lajjun drew in a deep breath before nodding and slipping her hand into mine and squeezing it tightly. I guided them through the panicked crowd that viciously pushed and shoved us around as the surrounding voices hissed and shouted at each other. The battle taking place in the sky grew worse as the number of Helion fighter ships and lives met their end raised as the Necromonger warrior ships deployed their fighter crafts. The battle thickened and we thought for a moment we were winning, especially when a large ship plummeted nose first into the ground as the bright flood lights scanned over the ship it quickly became clear that is wasn't a rough ship the Helion military had shot down, it was their statue, their Conquest Icon. The silver metal statue stood two-hundred-feet tall, from the ground you are unable to see the top because of the dark clusters of clouds. As the nose impaled the planets crust, the ground shook violently as the world's light around us flickered then turned to pitch black.
We scurried through the narrow alleyways like helpless rats dodging the crumbling stone that was once our home and sheets of dust that continued to rain down as the sound of engines rumbled and roared originating from the large statue as it released more Fighter ships into the air. Half of the Necromonger warrior ship fleet that were hovering in the sky landed on the flattened rubble around the bottom of the statue that was once Helion Prime and their soldiers were set free like a plague into the streets either capturing or destroying anything they crossed that was human.
Ziza, Lajjun and myself stumbled into an empty area of destroyed houses, pieces of fallen buildings lay scattered but the thundering sound of echoing gunshots made it difficult to determine which way was safest or decide whether they were truly alone or not.
I released Ziza from my clutch and put her down onto the floor, "Watch her." I ordered Lajjun, "I shall check if its clear."
Lajjun nodded and took Ziza forcefully by the hand and dragged her reluctantly over to the doorway of a home that was surrounded by rubble. I snapped my head repeatedly from side-to-side watching the empty street like a hawk as I jogged across the gap to the other side, when I reached the other side a Necromonger carrier hovered above slowly, I pressed my back up against the cold stone wall, the carrier continued on up the street for several meters before stopping and releasing Necromonger soldiers into the street. Unable to determine where the soldiers were heading, I beckoned Lajjun and Ziza across the small gap unaware of the rally of Helion soldiers marching through the streets from the opposite direction of where the Necromonger's landed. Shots were fired randomly from the Helion rally group causing Lajjun and Ziza to retreat back into their hiding spot and I to be repressed up against the wall exposed.
I gripped my hands into fists digging my nails into my palms, my pulse was ringing loudly in my ears as the stomping steps crept closer and closer to meet where I stood; keeping my back pressed up against the wall I fidgety edged up and down the wall desperately looking for a place to go when unexpectedly a large hand appeared from nowhere, grabbed the robe at my chest; twisted and dragged my forcefully from the war-zone and into a small porch masked by shredded curtains. At first I was certain it was a Necromonger solider but when the figure didn't attack me, I pried open my eyes and was more then relieved to see a part of silvery-purple luminous eyes standing in front of me.
"Oh, thank the Lord, Riddick." I sighed happily.
"Who else?" Riddick asked sarcastically.
I ignored the rhetorical question and moved leant forward to look around Riddick's muscular chest to peer through the silts in the curtains. The gunshots settled down as the Helion soldiers brought down the Necromonger's – who were not fighting back – one by one slowly, but before the last Necromonger died, he stabbed a silver sceptre he was wielding with a mould of a males face placed on the top, the sceptre released a blue light from the top. The blue light was a beacon.
"I must get my family." I said fighting his grip.
"When it's over." Riddick replied firmly.
A returning blue light plummeted from the sky and collided with the earth sending the Helion soldiers flying backwards to their deaths as bodies slammed against the still standing buildings and pieces of rubble whisked up from the ground crashing into the bodies. Riddick held tightly onto my robe keeping me back until after the dust settled, he released me but at the intimidating sound of footsteps echoed through the eerie streets I stayed hidden behind Riddick despite me being taller, Riddick was much more muscularly than I.
"I'm borrowing a ship; your welcome to ride along, if you don't mind riding with a convict." Riddick said quietly.
I pursed my lips, "Thank you but I must get my family across the river. God willing there is a shelter–"
"Look, I'm sure God has his tricks but getting out of places no one else can, that's one of mine." Riddick mutters matter-of-factly, "Let's go get your family."
The Necromonger soldiers passed oblivious to either me and Riddick or Lajjun and Ziza on either side of the narrow street. We removed ourselves shyly from our hiding places with fear still lingering the Necromonger's would hear or see us and return but Riddick was certain they had passed for good. He asked which direction the river was, it took me several seconds to think about where on Helion we were before directing us west, up the narrow streets and through a series of narrow back-alleys until we came to a dense crossroad.
Riddick stopped at the edge of an archway holding out his hand, his flat palm facing us to holt us. He removed his goggles from his eyes and rested them on his forehead before edging slowly into the middle of the crossroad slowly then jolted quickly across the gap raising a firm hand up ordering us not to move. I held Lajjun by the waist pulling her in closer to me with Ziza situated safely in the middle of our bodies as the sound of footsteps and gurgling crept closer and closer to the middle of the crossroad.
I peered around the archway to see a very strange looking creature not to be rude but it looked like a burns victim, what was visible of its face was scarred, its ears, nose and mouth looked like they'd been painfully and surgically removed. The creatures eye remained in there sockets but a large lens that radiated blue-orange light was placed on its face. As the creature walked forwards it was revealed that a small remote was wired into the back of its head and holding the remote sheepishly watching the screen was a thin Necromonger soldier carefully protected by three other Necromonger's; at the back of the search group was the largest man I had ever seen, he stood taller than six-foot with well toned muscles wrapped around his frame, in fact, he made Riddick look like a toothpick in comparison. In between the man's shoulder-blades was a handle of a nicely carved blade.
The group pass unknowing of our presence, I foolishly released a loud sigh of relief, the creature turned sharply to glance back at the archway were we hid. I usher my family to move to the other side of the alleyway to avoid its gave but the creature spotted me and alerted the Necromonger's. Lajjun whispered my name in a panic.
"Don't follow me," I whispered to them gently, "I love you." I slipped my father's silver ring off my finger and placed it into Ziza's hands before side stepping out into the middle of the crossroad, waved my robe like a superhero and yelled deliberately before spiriting off in the opposite direction, the four Necromonger's turned and perused me.
I could hear the echoes of footsteps coming after me as I ran aimlessly through the streets before entering a courtyard and met a dead-end, I pulled both desperately and aggressively on the steal gate hoping to open it but the gate remained locked. I looked around frantically for a way out but the only thing I could see a fire exit ladder leading up to the second floor a crumpled building. My fingers bled as they tightly wrapped around the rusty ladder as I pulled my body weight up a meter before climbing onto the second floor of the building.
I hid behind a large piece of fallen stone, pressing my back hard against it and forcing myself to breath quietly as the harsh sound of grunting and shuffling filled the silent air, heavy steps erupted from behind me as the Necromonger swings onto the second floor probably with his large axe firmly held in his hands as he scanned the area for me. The heavy steps got fazed out as I held my religious necklace that was still around my neck in my hands. Guardian Angel, watch over those whose names you can read in my heart. Guard over them with every care and make their way easy and their labours fruitful. Amen.
The footsteps increasingly got loud as the Necromonger edged closer to me, I turned out from my hiding place with a fire blazing in my chest, the Necromonger stared at me with a stern face, his eyes a light shade of gray matching his horrid pale skin with black rings circled his eyes.
"There will be an afterlife for me. Will there be for you?" I ask bracing myself for a hit.
The Necromonger narrowed his eyes at me before quickly swinging his axe forward facing the sharp end, I didn't have time to more or even to react. I placed my hand over the place unaware of what happened, there was no pain at all, I removed my hand and glanced down to see my hand covered in hot, red blood, a dull throbbing began inside the wound; the throbbing grows until the pain begins to overtake and I could feel myself beginning to panic. The Necromonger grinned wickedly, I was loosing blood quickly and as my vision blurred.
I hazily looked up at the Necromonger who – still smiling wickedly – kicked my stomach with all his might knocking me across the small gap, over the balcony allowing my body to be weightless. I landed on the floor with a thud, my limbs laying a mess on the floor as my body lost all motion. Despite the flames licking the sky, the stars shone brightly. I hope Riddick can save them. I find it humorous that the last thing to flood my mind was Riddick, although he may not have faith, I do.
The yells and gunfire, the sound of peoples pain started sounding further and further away as my vision started closing in, relief flooded my body, I gave in to my body's needs, the darkness overtook peacefully.