Three days.

Three days after the nightmare fall of New Mecca, Minister Imam Abu al-Walid waited in a silent cell.

Don't let them set the terms of the fight, the Elemental had said. Fight with the weapons you have. Fight on grounds you can win.

They tried. They failed. And now billions of innocents must be dead or dying.

He had helped find the weapon. He had helped pick the grounds. He had helped the servants of the light send a monster to fight the monsters. He had gambled the life of an innocent girl on that mission. Betrayed a trust with his eyes open.

No, not gambled. Spent.

Spent. The military reported he had taken the bait. Taken the girl. They had given him a ship so he could take her ever further into the dark. And the monsters had come anyway.

Abu al-Walid had ample time to reflect on his poor judgment sitting in this cell. Necromonger soldiers had seized him and his family before the fighting had stopped. They'd been separated, and he had sat in silence since. Nothing to crowd out the sound of his little Ziza crying as she was carried away in the arms of a soldier, still spattered in blood.

The cell door opened silently. "Come," a soldier ordered, oddly polite. After the briefest of hesitations, Minister, and Iman, Abu al-Walid stood, and walked out of his cell. Four soldiers lead him through an astonishing city in the sky, full of twisted sculptures and beautiful, uncanny people.

They led him through what was obviously a throne room, to a small, dark antechamber. Two pushed him to his knees, gently enough. He did not resist.

A small tinkle of bells caught his attention. He risked a glance. The Elemental emissary, Aereon, was there. His eyes focused on her. She seemed unharmed. A good sign? She gave him a small, sad smile.

"Thanks, men. I'll take it from here." A deep, rough, familiar voice ordered from the shadows. The soldiers bowed, spun on their heels, filed out. Only Aereon did not move. One of the shadows moved, coalesced, became a man.

"Riddick," Abu whispered, something like hope wildly flaring within him. "You're alive."

"Yeah." Riddick barked a laugh. He's wearing Necromonger clothing. They did what he told them. Abu's suddenly vaulting hope began to dive low. "Long time, no see old man."

"Riddick," Abu repeated, dumbly. "My friend. You're alive."

The slight warmth in Riddick's voice chilled to frost. "Surprised I made it, old man? Let's talk about the kid."

He has Ziza. He took her. Merciful god. "Please. She's an innocent. Don't punish her for my sins against you."

Riddick stared down at him, expressionless. "Innocent. She was innocent." Riddick stood heavily, walked to a window shielded with tinted glass. "And now she's dead."

Oh merciful god. "Ziza's dead?" he whispered, brokenly.

Riddick shrugged, irritated. "Ziza. Cute kid. Not her."

"Jack." Abu breathed, horribly relieved. Riddick turned slowly, his face dark.

"Yeah, Jack. You told me you'd take care of her." Riddick's voice was heavy with disgust. "You said you'd keep her safe."

"The need was great," Aereon broke in. Riddick gave her an annoyed glance.

"One good thing I did in my life, and you fucked it up."

"It was complicated. We needed you."

"You used her as bait."

Abu rose to his feet. "Riddick, I know Jack. She would have volunteered."

Riddick stared at him. "Did she?"

Abu looked down.

"Tell me." Riddick's voice was flat.

Ziza . . . "We thought -- I thought -- you would be kinder to an innocent vict- girl."

"Huh." Riddick walked over to a large view screen, hit a control. A view screen showed Abu the rest of his family, safe and together. Abu was drawn helplessly to the screen.

"Is this now?"

"Yup."

"Thank the lord," Abu murmured. Riddick gave him another dark look.

"You do that."

Abu had a sudden absurd burst of compassion for the man. Jack was Riddick's family. All he had. "What happened to Jack, Riddick?" He asked, softly.

Riddick rocked back, as if repulsed by his soft tone. "Stupid kid. She did exactly what you wanted. Got me to kill the Lord Marshal. Then died savin' my life."

"Am I here so you can get your revenge on me?"

"No. Not on you. I promised Jack--" Riddick's voice actually cracked. He took a deep breath, started again. "I promised Jack I wouldn't hurt . . . you." Riddick backed further away, hit another button. The view screen changed, to show Riddick playing with Ziza, spinning her around as she laughed delightedly. Abu gave Riddick a sidelong look. He thinks I took his family from him. He's taken mine.

He wants something from me.

Riddick's voice was abrupt. "Jack converted. Died a Necro."

Abu rocked back. He hadn't expected that. Aereon's eyes were sharp on them both. Riddick continued. "All these fuckin' Necros think they go to the Underverse when they die."

Ziza was safe. She even seemed happy. With a monumental act of will, Abu looked away from the screen, met Riddick's eyes. "What do you want, Riddick?"

Riddick smiled, grimly. "Been readin' their sacred books. Not my thing. But you're good with books. You're gonna figure something out for me. Make me happy, you and yours can go play Happy Families anywhere in the universe you wanna go. Fail . . . maybe not so much."

Aereon took a deep, hopeful, breath.

"Kid died saving my life. Stabbed the old Lord Marshal in the back. He killed her. I killed him. Why I'm the Lord Marshal. If they're right, she's in the Underverse now. With him. With the man we killed. Because of you."

Riddick moved very close to the holy man. Smiled down on him.

"You're gonna figure out how I get her back."

o0o0o0o0o0o

thanks, Kista! You nailed what's going on, yes you did. I wanted them out of the tunnels before I ended.

Hey, Furyan Goddess – your encouragement and insight was one of reasons I finished posting this here. Glad it appealed.

Whitelite, thanks! Yes, I was disturbed too. I tried hard to make it authentic; not just my notion of fantasy sex. I needed to give Jack her own moment of heroism too; just manifested a little differently than Riddick's.

Notafraidtolive, glad you liked it!

So, for anyone still reading – Thanks! I've learned a lot. It's been an interesting, and worthwhile, exercise. I got into science fiction 25 years ago from Star Trek fan fiction; I'm glad to have had a little taste of it. That said, I'm not sure I'm going to write any more; I seem to have lost my enthusiasm for it. For anyone interested, I did complete one other story, Zero Gravity, which is up at art of vin diesel in their message boards. I used to write there as Ratatosk. I started another, called Riddick Rides the Pale Horse, which was my attempt to get Kyra/Jack out of the Underverse. I might finish it some day, though it doesn't seem to be to very many people's tastes.

Thanks again --

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