Blood Quest [Riddick]

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction. The story I tell about Riddick is my own invention, and it is not purported, or believed, to be part of the Chronicles of Riddick story canon. It is for entertainment only and is not part of the official story line. 

A/N: This is an AU that will be Riddick/OC. This story begins at the end of Chronicles of Riddick. There is a POV switch near the end because I wanted to challenge myself by getting into his head. I think the chapters will usually be a little longer than this one. Hope you enjoy!  

.... 

"It's an animal thing."  

- Richard B. Riddick  

Chapter One

"You keep what you kill..." Riddick whispered tasting blood on his lips.  

They knelt for him. They were kneeling for the outlaw. This won't last long, he thought.  

Riddick watched Vaako carefully as did the other Necromonger. After a substantial silence descended over the room, Vaako finally risked a glance up at Riddick. When he saw the angry Furyan looking back at him, he cowered down further.  

"Get out of here." Riddick said in barely a whisper but his command was carried around the room. The Necromonger rose and slowly turned to leave. Quickly, all were gone but Vaako.  

"Command me, Lord Marshal. I am your faithful servant!"  

Riddick smiled. "You know, I think I like the sound of that. " Vaako smiled back and Riddick stopped, "Bring me the elemental."  

He watched the expression of curiosity quickly cross and leave Vaako's face. "Certainly, my Lord," he stated and turned with a nod to a guard stationed at the door.  

"Can I offer you a reprise in the Lord Marshall's...your...rooms, my Lord?" 

Riddick looked at him and said nothing, then stood. Vaako shrank back a step or two, unsure what to expect from the extremely unpredictable Furyan. 

Riddick knelt and lifted the dead girl in his arms, and walked down the steps one at a time, slowly, ignoring Vaako's presence entirely. Test one, Riddick thought, as he walked, defenseless (at least in appearance) by Vaako, exposing his back to the Necromonger.  

A sound like chains clanging against marble echoed down the hall into the throne room. The elemental, robes white, her body solid for the time being, was lead into the room by two Necromonger guards, her wrists and ankles restrained by chains held in the guards grasp.  

"Let her go." Riddick said, addressing the guards.  

Vaako materialized beside him. "This woman is a spy against our empire. The secrets she could reveal would destroy us. Surely you don't plan to release her." 

"You've got 5 seconds to get the chains off." Riddick addressed the guards as he crossed the room towards them, Kyra's limp body cradled in his pulsating arms. The guards removed the chains post-haste and backed away, one step at a time, as if expecting the woman to explode at any moment.  

Instead, she hovered, her body fading in and out, "I am sorry for your loss, Riddick." She said, her tone reflecting the words.  

Riddick began to pace slowly around the elemental, his jaws grinding. "I've heard stories," he said, sweat dripping off his forehead, "about a way to reverse..." 

"Ah yes," the elemental interrupted, smiling "you wish to cheat death." 

Riddick paced, "then it's possible?" He asked, still looking down at Kyra.  

The elemental shimmered, disappearing for a fraction of a second before reappearing across the room, kneeling by the throne Riddick had just recently occupied. He stopped and turned to watch her examine the floor. "Her blood is the key, Riddick. The blood of three species must be taken from three of the most remote, dangerous planets in all of the cosmos. If you get that far, you must take all four blood samples to a placeholder, of which there are only two left in the known universe. One is in the UnderVerse, and the other occupies a realm I fear not even you could reach, my friend."  

Riddick's forehead creased, and he looked down at Kyra, motionless in his arms. So brave. She had saved his life, when he was the one that was supposed to save her.  

"The Lord Marshall is expected to make a common pilgrimage to the Underverse Gates," Vaako interrupted. "You could travel there with my help, once you have retrieved the samples."  

"The Commander speaks truthfully, if you intend to take your rightful place as heir to the Lord Marshall's throne, you can enter the Underverse by right, and these men must follow you loyally. But I caution you against attempting to bring her back. According to our histories the Blood Quest has only been successfully completed once, by a woman, actually, with certain... special abilities. All others that have tried to retrieve the samples perished before succeeding in recovering even the first one. Your future was only clear to me up to this point, Riddick. I have no way of knowing whether or not you will survive..." her voice broke off.  

He knew this already. It was always this way. Nothing was ever easy.  

"And Riddick" 

"What?" Riddick answered, meeting her eyes.  

"One of the planets is located in a star system I believe you are familiar with. The planet has three suns - but every twenty two years the neighboring planets block out the light, and the planet endures a prolonged eclipse."  

Flashback images of a crash landing on a desert world, blond hair, blue eyes, expectations, monsters, and death came to Riddick, and his shoulders tensed.  

.... 

Two weeks to bury her, to say goodbye the right way.  

I had a feeling I was going to hate being a Necromonger, and I was right. Was offered a wife, two wives. Don't want them. Distractions everywhere. Ordered the lights out. The converting has stopped. Those fucking lenses were destroyed. They'll rebuild Prime while I'm gone. Restore it the way the people want. It's the least I could do. Gave the holy-man's wife control over the Necro's, and the people, while I'm gone. They're on their own now.  

No one left for me. Her and the holy-man were it, and they're gone. But I have a plan. Not going to give up on her that easily. I made a promise that I failed to keep, and that is unacceptable.  

I sleep with daggers in both hands, and dream of her, vibrant and alive and calling to me.  

It's time to go. Got the charts from the elemental. Going it alone, don't trust any of these motherfuckers to have my back when the shit goes down. First chance they get, they'll ghost my ass. Taking the best ship they have for outskirts travel. High-tech, but poorly made, and would get me past the outer border. I'd pick up a better ship in the black, at some isolated settlement. I'll reach Carbon Zeta-9 in about six months. Last place this wonder woman who finished the quest was seen. Not a hope in the stars she'll still be there, but got to check. Can't ignore the advantage of interrogating her.  

For now, time to sleep. Cryo-sleep. Supposed to be dreamless. Yeah right.  

.... 

A/N: And the adventure begins...comments let me know you like it, and keep me motivated to write so please feel free to tell me what you think! I'll try to update this once every few days since the chapters are relatively short. Thanks for reading! :)