Slave Planet: WAR OF THE BLOOD FIENDS!

As usual, Riddick and Christina were bringing up the rear of the little convoy now led by Mr G Stratton Bone. Christina put her soft little hand on Riddick's arm. "I know we're practically in sight of the school but damn, I got to pee, and pee bad."

"Can't it wait a few more minutes, I think we're almost there?" Riddick asked.

"Fuck no dude! I got to piss now! Just let me dart over there behind that brush for a second while you go on. I'll catch up, just let me tinkle for goodness sakes...my eyeballs are drowning!"

Riddick shrugged. "If you gotta go, you gotta go. Just make it quick and be careful, I'll walk slow so you can catch up."

Christina gave the outlaw one of her brilliant smiles. "It's so sweet of you to be concerned but I'll have my baby with me." She patted the butt of her big hunting rifle before giving her friend a sweet wet kiss on the cheek. Riddick watched her scurry into the brush before turning back towards the trail and walking slowly away. His thoughts drifted to other things. He wanted to know how the Canners had gotten past the Tronasian space defensive systems. Most likely it had been an inside job. Corruption was pretty widespread on Tronas....still, it was hard to believe anyone would sell out their entire planet. Riddick had a lot of questions for G...and he was curious about those mysterious Joe dudes. They seemed ok, but the bald outlaw had been betrayed before by supposed good friends....he didn't intend to trust guys he had just met. At least not just yet. Riddick walked on a good distance deep in thought before he remembered his pretty girlfriend. He turned to glance back down the trail. A good long stretch of the little path was visible but there was no sign of the girl. The man felt a bit of anxiety creeping down his spine, he instinctively tightened his grip on the shotgun.

Riddick retraced his steps for several yards but there was still no sign of the girl. "Christina, where the fuck are you?" He didn't raise his voice that much, but his next call was a shout....CHRISTINA! Whats up girl?" Still, there was absolutely no reply. The outlaw felt his asscheeks tighten into a knot, he broke into a run. When he found the place where the girl had left the trail, the bald man proceeded more slowly, and with caution. He held the shotgun at the ready and his breath grew shallow.

Riddick performed a thorough search of the area around the brush before taking pause. A slight smile crossed his face when the thought occurred to him that the girl might be playing another of her little practical jokes on him. There was nothing to be found here. He scratched his chin and considered his idea. It would be just like her......Just then he noticed something on the ground. Bending down a bit for a better look, Riddick suddenly felt his knees go weak and his stomach started cramping badly as a surge of pure adrenalin hit the outlaw's bloodstream. The object on the ground was small and white, and partially covered with leaves. Riddick leaned down on one knee, he carefully pushed away the leaves and began to shudder ever so slightly.......it was a hand...the small white hand of a woman. It was Christina's soft little hand.

Riddick's face convulsed into a mask of seared realization. A thousand different conflicting emotions ravaged his strong frame. There must be a mistake, this couldn't be happening. He froze for an instant and looked around, his ears searched for any hint of sound. Then he pulled out a hankerchief and lifted the small object into his large mitt. Carefully he wrapped the hand up, acting with great gentleness. Still in a state of disbelief and near madness, Riddick breathed deeply to check his raging pulse. Carefully, he looked around again before spotting the big hunting rifle leaning on the backside of a tree. Dammit, why had she put it down??? He almost got mad at the poor girl before turning his anger on himself...why in fuck had he not stayed by her side? He should have been right here, fuck her modesty...all that didn't mean shit now. Once again Riddick tried to check his raging emotions. Suddenly, he picked up the rifle and trotted back to the trail. O'Kain was waiting there.

"What's wrong Riddick, you look sorely vexed. Where is the lass?"

Riddick didn't trust himself to speak just yet. His eyes were misting, he was thankful for his goggles. Slowly, he opened the hankerchief to reveal its contents to the startled puritan. "This is all that's left of her, they must have been following us...now they know where we're going no doubt. She stepped into the brush to piss and they grabbed her. I was a damned fool for not going with her, this is my fault. I was a gallant idiot for respecting her modesty....damn it all to hell!!!!"

"Don't blame yourself Riddick," O'Kain said. "This is the work of those hairy demons and none other. But I swear, we will avenge her death a hundred times over! But for now we need time to plot our blood vengeance. Let us begone from these accursed woods before they attack in mass. We have much to prepare for and consider."

Riddick didn't speak, there was nothing else to say. He and O'Kain struck out in the direction of their companions with heavy hearts and fresh hatred of their foe.

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After finally arriving at the school, there was much excitement when the news was relayed to the students about the terrible catastrophe on Tronas. The high walls of the old citadel offered a relatively high degree of protection but there were few to defend it. Despite his pain, Riddick gave Christina's rifle to one of the male students. He gave another his .45 and all the ammunition that was left. He kept the shotgun and crossbow for himself. The students gladly accepted the arms, including the ones taken from the dead werewolves. They appeared to have a little more backbone than the average teenagers. Everyone knew about Christina but wisely didn't say anything. Riddick went off to himself for awhile as hasty preparations were being made for the impending attack.

After loading his shotgun and hunting rifle G found Riddick. The schoolmaster had a small wooden box and a shovel. "There is a small graveyard behind the school. My own wife is buried there, as well as our son who died as a baby. I would be proud if Christina's remains were buried there as well. I knew her but little but she seemed a fine courageous girl. Take some time now to bury your dead."

"Yeah," Riddick mumbled. "She does deserve a grave. I'll go do it right away." He placed the hand inside the little box and left to bury the remains of his friend. O'Kain asked to go along and Riddick nodded. After all, the puritan had known her as long as anybody else in these parts.

They found the little country graveyard, O'Kain took the shovel. "Please allow me, ye should place the box in the grave."

O'Kain made quick work of it. His powerful strokes soon produced a sizable hole about two and a half feet deep and plenty wide for the little box. Riddick gently opened the box and looked one last time at the pitiful object therein, recalling with sadness those gentle touches he'd received. Then he sealed it forever with a little lock G had provided. On his knees, he stretched over the freshly dug grave and put the tiny casket in its final resting place. Riddick stayed in that position with his hands on his knees. A single tear made its way down his face. It was hard to believe that such a short association had made this powerful impression on the lonely outlaw. Christina had been no ordinary girl. It didn't help that Riddick already carried more than his share of tragedy, all crammed tightly inside his strong heart.

O'Kain spoke a few words about faith and life's uncertainties that Riddick barely heard. Then the big swordsman filled the little hole in with the dark soil. From the corner of his eye, the always alert gravedigger saw another figure walking quickly into view. It was the strange man called Snake-eyes. He carried something, a cross. Apparently the Joe had fashioned the object himself. The name Christina had been carved expertly into the wood. The name was followed by the simple phrase...."a fine girl." The bottom of the cross was shaped into a point. Snake-eyes placed the symbol at the head of the grave and O'Kain drove it into the ground with a few heavy blows from the shovel. "Thanks," Riddick said. With that O'Kain and Snake-eyes walked away and left the outlaw there to grieve alone.

"That was a fine thing ye did back there Mr. Snake-eyes," O'Kain declared. Snake-eyes shrugged and opened his palms as if to say..."it was the least I could do." O'Kain felt good about this new found ally...odd though he was. Still, the puritan reasoned to himself..."I'd not be the one to go callin' anyone strange." He glanced back at Riddick with real concern on his gaunt features. "I almost feel sorry for those hairy hell spawn wolf-demons, Riddick well be mightily aroused, and he is capable of bloody deeds," the puritan remarked to Snake-eyes. The masked one did no reply but his simple nod spoke volumes. There was no doubt the fur was about to fly...and quite literally. The puritan's knuckles were almost white from the way he tightly squeezed the hilt of his long rapier. Vengeance could not taste sweeter, at least that's how O'Kain saw things...and he imagined rightfully that Mr. Snake-Eyes agreed entirely.


The horrendous old hag Harrimlatt bowed deeply before her master Vlad. "I am here just as you desired Master, what would you have of me?"

Vlad smiled, obviously well amused and pleased to see the old witch. "Perhaps I simply felt the need for some intelligent conversation you miserable old wench."

Harrimlatt was not offended in the least. Nay, instead she smiled with delight. "Ha, you seem in good spirits...still, I sense something is bothering you..Master. Where is the younger Master...Mr. Ivan?"

Vlad studied the blank wall behind the old hag. "Well, it seems he is strangely troubled. He wants to leave Tronas at once. And just when the roundup of fresh human meat is going so well. He rants about strange dreams....quite unlike himself."

"Ahhh," the old hag replied. "The younger Master is afraid."

"Really," Vlad raised an eyebrow. "What on earth could he possibly be afraid off?"

Harrimlatt cackled, giving cause to the deep furrows in her wretched face to twist horribly. "He is afraid of dying Master! And lest you forget..we are not on earth."

Vlad looked annoyed. "Dying? He is already dead you old fool."

"Of course," the hag nodded and bowed. "I misspoke...Sir, Ivan is afraid of being destroyed...forever!"

"Impossible," Vlad responded as if bored. "Not on this pathetic planet...not by these simple sheep. There is nothing here but a blood feast for the taking."

"Perhaps, perhaps not all are sheep. I can feel the presence of powerful ones....ones possessing strange magic and strong will...unafraid and well accustomed to the glutting of red vengeance!"

Vlad rolled his eyes...."more powerful than I, than we...myself, my son, you....and of course the utterly vicious Canners....I think not. Don't talk like a child. Do you seek to lose my confidence..ancient one?"

"I grow weary of this form..give pause to our exchange...give pause for a moment Master..if you please?"

"Very well, besides a change would be nice," Vlad replied. "Sometimes I almost think you really are Harrimlatt...you play the role so well."

The old witch jingled her little bell and waved her staff back and forth in front of her wretched face. She seemed to go into a trance as she chanted some unnameable plea to some unspeakably dark Gods. Within the space of a few moments her form appeared to take on the appearance of a swirling patch of thick black fog. This effect lasted for some two or three minutes until it too began to dissipate. Soon another form was revealed. The hideous aspects of the old hag were gone to be replaced by the features of an immensely lovely woman. This female had long black hair and huge dark eyes. Her skin tone was a stunning hue of golden brown. Her shoulders and arms were finely sculpted. Wide, well formed hips framed the lower half of her body while large excellently shaped and firm breasts dominated the top of her torso. Overall, the change was most pleasing in all regards. Harrimlatt the hag was gone. A near goddess remained.

Vlad struggled to conceal some small portion of his delight at this development. "Ah, my lovely queen....it is so good to see my Nessandra, the high priestess of all that is evil!"

"And I share your delight... my precious Vlad..Blackest of all!"

The pair embraced with an obvious familiarity and fondness. Vlad spoke low, in a soothing voice..."please forgive me for not thanking you. Seducing that Tronasian general was certainly the key to invading this pathetic planet. Still...." Vlad touched her smooth cheek lightly, "I don't suppose it must have been very difficult...you are so very enchanting my dear."

Nessandra smiled, "he was a fool...as all humans are. It was child's play to force him into lowering the defensive system so our canner mothership could land. Afterwards, I killed him and his family...it was all quite enjoyable...if not challenging."

The lovely but evil sorceress touched the strange amulet that lay against Vlad's breast. "Getting this was much more difficult....but the power we have in our grasp now is breathtaking. It has all worked out beautifully for us...thanks to your planning and genius my handsome stud."

Vlad nodded, "I agree....becoming lord of our wolf-like friends has been very rewarding. As they say, the sky is the limit...but we have gone far beyond even that."

The couple chuckled fiendishly at the little joke before kissing deeply. Vlad slipped his hands underneath Nissandra's flimsy gown and massaged her wide, soft hips. Then his probing fingers moved slowly upwards to his lover's superb, pendulous breasts. There he lingered for a very long time, kneading the supple flesh...fondling each enticing globe vigorously. "Damn, these tits are fine," the vampyre groaned passionately.

"Of course," Nissandra the dark queen cooed as she gnawed on Vlad's powerful neck. "But you are making me so fucking wet....." Her hips thrust forward impulsively with an impatient yearning. "OK, Mr badass vampyre....play with my pussy....its so hot for some big cock....baby."

"Hmmmm....," Vlad moaned as his thick fingers dipped deep into the wetness between the convulsing female's muscular thighs. "Shit, you are one steaming hot bitch," he said.

"Never doubt it for second," Nissandra panted while working her starving tongue against Vlad's hairy chest and erect nipples.