The Darkness Calls

The Darkness Calls

Title: Catfish, the dark, and rabbits

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the craziness that spews out of my head. All characters belong to their respective owners. That means I own nothing and have zero money. . .
Author notes & Warnings: M/M fanfic. No Beta. Be afraid. My mood affects my writing

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“How did you know Oren’s different?” Xander asked softly. He had been trying to talk to Riddick for hours but the man made it hard for Xander to get him relatively alone. So Xander had to sneak up on the goggle wearer using all the skill a cat could have just so he could stand at Riddick’s side before they all went into the black.

Riddick shrugged and didn’t seem all that surprised to have Xander standing next to him. But Xander felt Riddick’s slight surprise like a jolt of electricity over his skin. It felt good to get one over Riddick.

“Smell.”

Xander frowned. “How does my Oren smell?”

Riddick smirked. “Like a Catfish.” With that said Riddick headed to the front of the group to stand by Fry and Johns. It was time to head into the dark and face the monsters. The smell and feel of everyone’s fear hit Xander and stuck in the back of his throat like a ball of glass shards covered in bitter acid. Xander wanted to gag the only thing that stopped him from doing just that was Riddick’s calm but smug presence and Oren’s carefree contentment void of fear.

Fry looked everyone over then sighed. “What now Owens?”

Greg tightened his jaws. “Everyone prepare to leave in fifteen minutes. Gather anything you think is useful for the journey, it may not be far but this may well be the longest hour of your lives.”

Fry bit at her lip. “And the cells?”

Greg frowned and was about to say something when Johns butted in and started preaching. “I don’t know about all of you but I would like a backup plan! I’ll not go out there in the dark to a ship I hadn’t seen! I say we take the cells as a plan B! As a back up for when things get fucked up the ass!”

Everyone started murmuring agreements and panic started to blossom wildly. Greg glared at Johns then stepped forward and cleared his throat. “We’ll leave it to a vote. A plan to fall back on is good but don’t forget that the more weight we carry the slower we are.”

Xander wrinkled his nose at the mental scents he was getting, it was like being in a herb shop with no circulating air, suffocating and giving him a major headache. Fingering his hidden crown Xander rubbed a finger over the biggest jewel sliver, calming his power a bit.

“All those who wish to take the cells raise your hand?” Greg said calmly like a good leader would.

Slowly hands started to rise.

**

Xander could hear people still running about, still gathering last minute supplies. Xander needed a moment for himself to strengthen his mental blocks and heighten his senses. He needed a moment to become a hunter instead of one of the prey like the others. He also needed this semi-quiet time to bond with the child in his care.

Sitting in the light of his lamp Xander held little Oren up to his face and looked the little boy in the eyes. Wide blue eyes stared back at him and wet drool covered fingers reached out for Xander’s face. The spots were darker, the grey and misty blue mixed together like paint. The spots disappeared into the child’s thin hairline and when Xander brushed the dark tufts aside he could see faint spots down the baby’s neck to his spine. Xander had typed catfish into his vid and got back two hits, the fish and a race of people from a little planet called Aquaneedah. Xander loved the vid, it was a universal library shrunk down to the size and weight of a woman’s powder compact. “So you’re half Iquacadian? You’re a cat too, a water cat? So your daddy is part cat part merman?” Xander laughed and shook his head. “Your race sound like they came from a kid’s comic book!”

Resting the baby on his shoulder Xander patted the baby lightly on the back helping the twerp burp. Oren gurgled then spit up on Xander’s shoulder. Xander sighed and brushed the lumpy milk bits off his shoulder, he wrinkled his nose at the sour smell. “You just had to do that didn’t you? Ya know I now smell like old milk and diapers because of you, right?”

Oren gave a gummy grin and Xander could just make out little eyeteeth growing in. Xander groaned in sympathy for his nipples. Pulling the vid pad off Oren’s blanket Xander typed in Iquacadian, the mere people also known as Catfish, and watched the list of info pop up.

~Iquacadi are a subspecies of humans that developed when humans traveled to and decided to settle on the planet 117deltaC1 (also known as planet Aquaneedah). Aquaneedah is a water planet, with only twelve small islands, 98.99% of the planet is covered in salt water. As numbers grew and time went by the planet’s people adapted for survival, Iquacadian people can breath under water with the gills behind their ears, live under water in grand dome-like homes, hunt under water using spears made of a long water plant and nets made of kelp, but can still live on land like any other human. Iquacadi are a close cousin to the Milithre although some historians are unsure how the cat healers and mere people came in contact since the Iquacadi are an old species, which means their blending happened long ago. It is a mystery since space travel has only been around for the past two thousand years. Remains and space travel history date both Milithre and Iquacadi back to want is called ‘The Great Move’. How the early humans adapted is something that plagues all with questions!? Iquacadi are known as the catfish people or merecats since they do have some of their cousin’s characteristics such as: cat markings (spots), claws, teeth, slit eyes. Some iquacadi even grow cat-like tails, but unlike their cousins who grow fur Iquacadi have colorful scaled tails with a fin-like spike similar to poisonous fish species. Iquacadi are a primitive race and have only started traveling through space about fifty years ago, they are mostly only found on Aquaneedah. Since they’re hard to breed it is rare to see a iquacadian slave-~

Skipping over a lot of info about the royal iquacadi and rituals, Xander found a page on mating and children. Xander clicked on the one about care of catfish babies.

~Iquacadi live on a harsh planet with many predators. Only 10% of their young live to adulthood, kits develop faster then human babies due to their aquatic blood. Kits will became the size of a two year old human child in less then three months and will not stop there fast growth until they appear to look seven or eight years old. When a kit is born it must eat constantly from its mother, and must gain two stone worth of weight every few days for their bodies to keep up with the energy sapping changes. If a kit is underfed it will weaken and die within a day or two. Kits are hard to care for during their growth time that is one of the reasons slave trade did not take for that particular race. Kits need to bond with their mothers and must be with them during their time of growth. Kits need the safety and reassurance of the mother more then food or they die-~

Xander looked over Oren with worry in his eyes, was he feeding his kit enough? Did little Oren think of Xander as his mother? Brushing his fingers through the babe’s hair Xander sighed and started to unbutton his shirt. “Better to overfeed you then under.” Xander gritted his teeth when Oren happily latched onto Xander’s nipple and started suckling greedily. “At least I know why you practice gluttony so naturally and with ease.”

Xander shook his head as he watched Oren happily eat, it was hard to believe that the tiny baby in his arms would be ready for headstart in less then six months and elementary school in a year. Looking through the vid Xander started skimming through some of the other stuff about iquacadi. He started with how they were discovered.

~It was the Elementals that first came in contact with the catfish people and it was the elementals that found out their relation to the milithre. The planet being so small and covered with water it was considered useless to the U.G.I.(Universal Government Intelligence) so was left in peace. But the elementals with their thirst for knowledge took a craft and explored the islands they discovered decrepit rusted over U.G.I. ships all eighteen ships at least one thousand years old. They studied its people who seemed to happily thrive in the misty green waters. It was discovered that the merecat people were very primitive but pacifistic type of people. Like the native tribes of Earth long ago they lived in balance with the planet and within their tribes. The way they acted fascinated the elemental. One elemental named Rooka took a few of the merecats from their planet for study only to have them escape and disappear within society. One thing learned by the elementals that stuck was the fact that Iquacadi could adapt and learn quickly. Those catfish that escaped the elementals testing mated with humans and created a half-breed race that lives on the planet Helion prime. These iquacadi are different from the ones on planet Aquaneedah, like the same species of lemur they mutated slightly. Helion’s merecats only have spots on portions of the body like arms and hairline, but the Iqaucadi are covered from head to two in faint spots. Iqaucadi can breath and live entirely underwater, Helion’s can hold their breath for an impressive six hours. The catfish on Hellion are also impressive jumpers, a skill developed for scaling buildings a cliffs. Little things have changed the two groups so now a day's the Helion catfish people are called Iqaulion.~

Xander smoothed his hand over the spotless parts of Oren’s skin. Iqaulion. “Your daddy could be waiting for you on Helion, huh?”

Xander bit at his lip. If the time came and he found Oren’s father could Xander hand him the baby? Could he do that?

***

“Are we really going to do this?”

Xander wanted to ask that question too! Even with the light the thought of going out into the open dark with monsters flying around them waiting for them to make a mistake was unnerving, fuck it was shitting your pants chills down the back scary! Xander looked around at everyone and knew without a doubt that many would die. Tightening his hold around Oren, Xander glared into the darkness at the shadows grinning with hunger.

Xander would make it to the ship.

**

The trek started out slow but without problem and for a minute Xander thought they would all make it. They were half way to the ship! Positive thinking like that should have tipped him off to the trouble that was coming. Everyone ran as a group around the light each person stuck close to the cell Xander had lit up and everyone had the glow tubing wrapped around them. They felt as safe as they could, the light kept the monsters at bay but the hunger Xander could sense is like a title wave being held back by a paper wall. It was only a matter of time . . . Someone would trip up and bolt like a scared rabbit, Xander could feel it in there emotions.

Xander looked behind him at Fry, Imam, and John. ‘The cells are slowing us down.’

And they were, Imam, Johns, and Fry were starting to lag behind. All Xander’s instincts were telling him to walk faster, to leave the weak behind and to get all his people to safety. But he wouldn’t do it. The few shards left of Xander Harris wouldn’t let him, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t snarl and bitch at the people holding them up. “Would you keep up Fry! You’re wasting light!”

Fry growled as she wiped sweat of her brow. “Come back here and help us out then we’ll go faster!”

Xander smirked as he rocked little Oren. “No thanks. There is a . . . fragrant odor back there and my nose is very sensitive.”

Turning back to the front Xander gasped when he felt the ravenous emotions coming straight at them. At lest four big lizards . . . Xander didn’t hesitate he dove for the ground.

“Everyone get down!”

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Review!

Moonkat: My muse is wilting! Where is the Xander-loving?! My muse needs to be watered every so often with a good old helping of hot , sweaty, moan worthy Xander-ness!? Where is the Xander?!!! @_@