The Journey

Weeks passed, they were making their way to Crematoria. Riddick had something he wanted to get there. Both Vaako and Kylie had duties during the day, and in the evening, they, along with Kyra, spent time training in the company of the female squad that had performed that night.


Kylie picked up everything quickly, and enjoyed the learning. She liked seeing all of the different styles of fighting they used, and as she mastered one, she would quickly start on the next.

Riddick stood off to one side, in the shadows, watching one of their training sessions one night.

Kylie was facing off against a senior member, a woman with the nickname of Goldy for the color of her hair, for a weaponless sparring match.

Blow for blow they met each other, neither getting a hit in, for ten minutes before Kylie pressed an attack. She struck quickly, high then low, hands striking flat palmed, to avoid real injury.

Goldy, by the end of it, had only managed to get one hit in on her, a strike to her back, but even that was at the cost of three hits she took to her legs.

“Good job Kylie.” Goldy smiled, bowing to her as they finished. “You’ve picked it up fast. Just remember to keep your opponent guessing, something it seems you’ve been good at so far.

Kylie nodded. “Thanks.”

She took the towel handed to her by someone, wiping her face. She knew he was there, had known the second he had stepped into the room. Not only could she smell him, but she could feel him. She’d been honing her more special abilities as well as her physical. She had been spending hours on end, during the nights when she wasn’t training, focusing on them, meditating, reaching out and feeling with them, as well as other techniques that she had been taught when she was younger but had never used before out of fear of what would have happened.

The others left for the cafeteria, wanting to get some food into them before settling in for the night, while she bowed out. She smiled as she watched Kyra and Vaako, it was obvious there was something growing between the two of them. He had been so much happier since she had come along, and she was glad for the man she now considered a friend.

“What do you want?” She called out, sitting in the center of one of the training mats, legs stretched out before her.

He stepped out, an eyebrow raised.

“Enjoy the show?” She stretched, working her muscles before pulling her legs in, crossing them over each other.

“Not bad.”

“So glad you think so.” She replied sarcastically, closing her eyes. She was tracking him around the room using her ears and nose, feeling the subtle shifts in the air. She was still unnerved around him, he still pulled at her in more way then one, but she’d be damned if she’d show it. She knew he could probably smell her physical attraction to him, but she wasn’t going to give him more then that which she had no control over.

He grunted, walking around her slowly. “Vaako’s got a thing for Kyra.”

She only nodded, wanting to see where this was going. She could smell his agitation.

”Think she has one for him?”

“Maybe. Why are you so concerned about it?”

“Don’t want her hurt.”

”He won’t. She’s a grown woman anyway, she doesn’t need your permission. You don’t go to her when you wanna fuck some chick do you?”

He grunted again. He was standing behind her.

“Relax, he knows what’d happen if he did hurt her. He doesn’t just want a night in the sack with her, he really does care for her. Not like you’d know a whole lot about that now though, would you?”

He said nothing, but she could feel him leave. Only after she was sure he was gone did she let her eyes open and her heart start pounding, the way it always wanted to when he was around.

They reached Crematoria not too long after, and Riddick chose to go down alone. He took a ship with room for cargo, and was only down there a day before returning.

Kylie, Kyra, and Vaako all waited in the bay for his ship, and were the only ones he would allow to be there.

He landed smoothly, and lowered the ramp, the baying of some sort of animal starting to grow as it descended further.

Kylie raised an eyebrow, curious as to exactly what he had brought back with him. Kyra recognized the sounds, and tensed, stepping partway behind Vaako. Vaako also recognized the sound, though he hadn’t heard it this close before. He also had never seen whatever it was, but he watched, ready to protect Kyra.

Riddick walked down the ramp, behind him a pack of about five animals. All of them looking like some odd cross between a dog, a cat and a lizard. Their noses swung back and forth, scenting the air around them in the new unfamiliar place. One of the animals was a little smaller then the rest, but it showed no fear, walking up to Vaako first, scales rattling as it sniffed him, and then Kyra.

Then its head swung towards Kylie. It stalked over to her, and she kneeled down. The animal’s eyes shone silver, and it sniffed her face. She could tell the animal was a female by its scent, and something else she couldn’t put a finger on. She stroked her head, and then stood, watching the beast lay at her feet.

The remaining four animals circled around Riddick after walking over and allowing Kylie to pet them as well. Riddick raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as he led them back to the throne room.

Gathered in the throne room, along with them, were Riddick’s highest ranking officers. Standing at the front of the small group were Scales and Taol.

“At ease.”

Kylie took a seat on the steps to the dais, to the right of Riddick. The hellhound female laid down beside her, resting her head on Kylie’s leg. Kylie smiled slightly, resting her hand on the beast’s neck.

“First off,” Riddick made sure that everyone in the room could hear him. “Any of these animals come to harm by a Necro hand, that life is forfeit.”

A rumble of yes’s and aye’s rose, then died down again as everyone responded.

“Now we need to decide where we will go next. Anyone got any suggestions?”

“The settlement.” Kylie turned and looked up at him. “If anyone wants to settle somewhere, they could live there. They don’t know about anything about the Necromongers or their wars, so that wouldn’t be an issue. There’s plenty of room, though there’d have to be more houses built, though I doubt any of you would be against work.”

“Actually my Lord, that isn’t a bad idea. There are some older socialites who remained behind who are weary of traveling so much. They want to have a place they can wait for their due time and their own trip to the Underverse. They are loyal people, but not warriors, so fighting is not a way of death for them.” As Scales spoke, several of the other commanders nodded their heads in agreement.

“Then so be it, we’ll decide where to next after we get there.”