Part 1

Riddick sat barred in silence aboard the Hunter Gratzner. He did not strain against his bonds. On the contraire, he waited because he had no need to rush. He had all the time in the world.

Sleep had long taken the others, but not him�never him. Even in rest he was alert�alert to the nature� He was spinning�dancing along the madness. It�s cold fingers embraced him�talons of steel kissing along his burning flesh. He danced the rhythm intricate beat to intricate beat. They waltzed and spun and dazzled in the light that was dark. Deep curls of red fell like confetti upon their heads and cascaded to the abyss that merely pretended to be the floor beneath their feet. Creatures lurked in the shadows�only known by the faint glowing of their eyes throughout the darkness. A faceless person with the body of a woman joined in the waltz and Riddick�s eyes were drawn to her curves and form. She was covered in black: black leather, black fabrics --even her face. She took Riddick�s hand and led him along tall pillars entombed within the darkness. It did not stop until the second he let her go. It was in that instance that the pillars began to crumble and she began to fade. Riddick reacted instinctively before she had chance to abort him� He pulled his shiv from its cozy home and along her throat before he had even turned a lash. Blood spiraled everywhere�spilling like a waterfall to its depths and he bathed within it. Riddick tipped his head in utter fulfillment as he was kissed by his dearest friend�his very best.

It turned then, the darkness, and he found himself kneeling on a forest floor embraced by the growth of towering, deeply colored pines. A bird flew past his right ear and all was peaceful�just not peaceful enough. There was a buzzing in his head that slowly became overpowering He found no control and so became lost within himself. --And then the blood was back. It was leaking from the trees much as sap would. It bubbled slowly from limb to root and pooled at his feet. The buzzing stopped and he pulled in the strength. The blood�it bowed to him, as all things should. He was the master�the king�the source of obsidian that dug its sharded heels into its victim�s flesh. Riddick�s hands rose as fire reigned down upon his brow kissing his body passionately and a mighty roar rumbled up and out his throat. The rumble became intensely loud and Riddick found himself being guided back thru the darkness and up thru the spiral. Darkness was relinquishing him to light, only for a little while, to wreak its havoc�to be the nature�s grim reaper�

TBC