Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2010 14:59:27 GMT -5
The Black Freighter slipped from hyperspace above the meteorite ring of Haruun Kal. The pilot had been her before, but few ships had ever left the hell below. The agile ship slipped through the slowly ghosting rocks and emerging on the other side. It entered the atmosphere and descended towards the largest mountain peak. Grandfather's shoulder.
The ship came to within thirty feet of the canopy below before Riddick set it to hover and opened the landing ramp. He was back in the Jungle, and he knew its ways all too well. From where he stood, Riddick extended his hand, sending lightning arcing down into the trees and setting them ablaze. After a few hours a clearing had been burned and the fire was extinguished by the daily rain.
As Riddick put the Black Freighter down, the sulfurous smell that perforated Haruun Kal filled his nostrils. He knew that he would have only a few days at best before the jungle began to reclaim his landing zone. He would need less time than that. In his time here he had become one with the jungle, and it certainly had not forgotten him.
Leaving his ship behind, Riddick entered the treeline. He held his lightsaber loosely in his hand and followed the paths that he had come to recognize. Even the most careful prey could be stalked here. Everything had to pick its way through the brush. Not Riddick though. The jungle had a way of parting for him, and after a few hours he had found what he had come for.
The Akk wolves had been driven lower and lower by the native people of Haruun Kal, and were difficult to find at such high altitudes, but they existed. Riddick knew that they would be here because of the direction that he had left behind. Prosper. Thrive. Become all that the horror of the jungle can make you. His bonded pair had done well, and he sensed them in their descendants. They sensed him too. Odd. They were sharper than anything that Riddick had encountered here.
The large man ran out into the space in front of the pack. Four Akks, all as red as the blood pumping through his veins. As red as the lightsaber that Riddick now drew. The wolves set upon him. A test and nothing more. Smiling, Riddick felt hot fear fill him for the first time since he had left this wretched planet. He stood his ground.
The first Akk, the largest, sprang forth with cat-like agility, encroaching upon Riddick enough that the man had to draw on the force to push it away, stinging its eye with his lightsaber. The rest circled and postured, and Riddick did the same, exerting his influence over them. Beginning to join the pack. The Akks drew in, growling and hacking. After a while they settled and began sniffing around Riddick. Then they recognized him as their master. It was written into them by their bonds with their parents. Pelekotan had dreamed of this moment before they were born.
"I see them in you..."
Deactivating his lightsaber, Riddick ran his hand over the muzzle of each of the Akks in turn, bonding with them. He began to head back towards his ship. With a wordless understanding, the Akks shot off into the green.
As he went, Riddick found a very particular tree. The Portaak was a useful plant for many reasons, and it would help Riddick greatly. Using his lightsaber, Riddick cut the tip of a rock into a sharp blade. He then formed a water-tight 'bucket' with leaves, just as the Korunnai had taught him. Then, letting the sap of the tree out with the make-shift knife, Riddick collected a large amount of it which he brought back to the landing-zone with him.
He then set to smearing a coat of the amber on all of the essential parts of the ship that had been exposed to the open air. In this way he protected them from any fungus that may have found them in the few ours that he had been gone. The careful process took Riddick three hours and four trips back to the Portaak tree, but he completed it to his satisfaction just before his Akks returned.
Each wolf was weighted down with its newest kill. He had given them instruction to eat and to return with enough food for a hyperspace journey. They had, perhaps, gotten overzealous. Riddick praised them for their work and created a meal from the flesh of the animals that he himself consumed. Then, with no further thoughts of the Jungle, Riddick loaded his pack and their spoils into the holding area of the Black Freighter, bidding them rest for what was to come.
The large man climbed into the cockpit of the ship and warmed the engines, letting his mind wander out into the jungle; submerging himself in the present, but mindful of what the future had in store for him and his new pack. The ship took off and soared up through the atmosphere. Of course, any Koruns who had seen him would probably report to their chiefs, and the tribe would send out a search party. The last time a ship had visited the planet it had taken a god with it.
The Black Freighter slipped out of the atmosphere, through the asteroid belt, and into hyperspace.
The ship came to within thirty feet of the canopy below before Riddick set it to hover and opened the landing ramp. He was back in the Jungle, and he knew its ways all too well. From where he stood, Riddick extended his hand, sending lightning arcing down into the trees and setting them ablaze. After a few hours a clearing had been burned and the fire was extinguished by the daily rain.
As Riddick put the Black Freighter down, the sulfurous smell that perforated Haruun Kal filled his nostrils. He knew that he would have only a few days at best before the jungle began to reclaim his landing zone. He would need less time than that. In his time here he had become one with the jungle, and it certainly had not forgotten him.
Leaving his ship behind, Riddick entered the treeline. He held his lightsaber loosely in his hand and followed the paths that he had come to recognize. Even the most careful prey could be stalked here. Everything had to pick its way through the brush. Not Riddick though. The jungle had a way of parting for him, and after a few hours he had found what he had come for.
The Akk wolves had been driven lower and lower by the native people of Haruun Kal, and were difficult to find at such high altitudes, but they existed. Riddick knew that they would be here because of the direction that he had left behind. Prosper. Thrive. Become all that the horror of the jungle can make you. His bonded pair had done well, and he sensed them in their descendants. They sensed him too. Odd. They were sharper than anything that Riddick had encountered here.
The large man ran out into the space in front of the pack. Four Akks, all as red as the blood pumping through his veins. As red as the lightsaber that Riddick now drew. The wolves set upon him. A test and nothing more. Smiling, Riddick felt hot fear fill him for the first time since he had left this wretched planet. He stood his ground.
The first Akk, the largest, sprang forth with cat-like agility, encroaching upon Riddick enough that the man had to draw on the force to push it away, stinging its eye with his lightsaber. The rest circled and postured, and Riddick did the same, exerting his influence over them. Beginning to join the pack. The Akks drew in, growling and hacking. After a while they settled and began sniffing around Riddick. Then they recognized him as their master. It was written into them by their bonds with their parents. Pelekotan had dreamed of this moment before they were born.
"I see them in you..."
Deactivating his lightsaber, Riddick ran his hand over the muzzle of each of the Akks in turn, bonding with them. He began to head back towards his ship. With a wordless understanding, the Akks shot off into the green.
As he went, Riddick found a very particular tree. The Portaak was a useful plant for many reasons, and it would help Riddick greatly. Using his lightsaber, Riddick cut the tip of a rock into a sharp blade. He then formed a water-tight 'bucket' with leaves, just as the Korunnai had taught him. Then, letting the sap of the tree out with the make-shift knife, Riddick collected a large amount of it which he brought back to the landing-zone with him.
He then set to smearing a coat of the amber on all of the essential parts of the ship that had been exposed to the open air. In this way he protected them from any fungus that may have found them in the few ours that he had been gone. The careful process took Riddick three hours and four trips back to the Portaak tree, but he completed it to his satisfaction just before his Akks returned.
Each wolf was weighted down with its newest kill. He had given them instruction to eat and to return with enough food for a hyperspace journey. They had, perhaps, gotten overzealous. Riddick praised them for their work and created a meal from the flesh of the animals that he himself consumed. Then, with no further thoughts of the Jungle, Riddick loaded his pack and their spoils into the holding area of the Black Freighter, bidding them rest for what was to come.
The large man climbed into the cockpit of the ship and warmed the engines, letting his mind wander out into the jungle; submerging himself in the present, but mindful of what the future had in store for him and his new pack. The ship took off and soared up through the atmosphere. Of course, any Koruns who had seen him would probably report to their chiefs, and the tribe would send out a search party. The last time a ship had visited the planet it had taken a god with it.
The Black Freighter slipped out of the atmosphere, through the asteroid belt, and into hyperspace.
