Waking up new

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chapter 4
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In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.

By: Robert Frost
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Xander stayed safe with Sandsha. Despite her being completely mental and thinking he was her cat god, the mousy girl was alright. She was smart and had over fifteen cats! She was also an orphan. Though luck was on her side, her parents had been responsible and rich. Sandsha lived off her parents death money, and Xander guesses the cats were for comfort and companionship since most if not all of them were named after her departed parents and siblings. Xander smiled as the girl came through the front door arms full of groceries. “ Sandy! Friend get chocolate?”

Sandsha smiled. Though Xander claimed not to be her cat god reincarnate, he was still a sight that awed her. He was wearing all black with his long messy hair braided with blue beads and surrounded by at least eight purring cats. He was a god whether he was Purrartha or not.

The day Sandsha had taken in Xander was the first day he was taught common tongue. It seamed common tongue was a blend of three demon languages, English, and Latin. After Xander realized the similarities, the language became easy to understand. But he still had problems with speaking it. Vowels escaped him, and some of the words were hard for his tongue to wrap around. He knew he didn’t sound right when he spoke, but if he didn’t try how was he to get better?

He had been hiding out in his new friends flat for about three days, but ever since he learned the language he had been hearing rumors. Even from his little hide out tales reached him. Things about a big bad called the Necromongers.

Looking at his friend today Xander could see fear in the short girls brown eyes. She was deeply afraid of something.

“Sandy? Bad thing? Come?” Xander let a frustrated look cross his face as he made gestures with his hands. Pointing outside and up into the sky, Xander smiled when understanding washed over her.

“Don’t worry Purrartha! If we stay indoor’s we’ll be safe. I don’t believe the Mother Goddess would send one of her children here only to have the planet blow up around him!” She said with a smile as she put away the cat food.

Xander sweat dropped. Now that made him feel all kinds of better. He was about to say something sarcastic about her unique way of reassuring someone when Sandsha shoved something into his mouth.

“Here you go Purrartha! A cat nip treat! It’s the gourmet kind! You’ll love it! I had the chef at the pet shop make it special, just for you!” Xander was about to spit it out and tell Sandy that he really wasn’t a cat or into doing catlike things when the taste hit him. It was like chocolate rolled in pure joy. Giving a purr of pleasure Xander plopped down onto the couch, rolling and rubbing himself against the fabric. Everything just felt so wonderful at the moment! Everything was great! Better then great . . .

Sandsha giggled as she put the tin of coco nips away and brought out some shrimp flavored ones for her cats that were looking at Xander jealously. As an after thought she threw a couple of catnip toys around the room and watched her beloved cats roll around with her god. Leaving her charges to hop around Sandsha went to go make dinner. Tonight they were going to have chicken and potatoes.

Four minutes later the effects wore off and Xander threw the fuzzy ball at the other still infected bouncy cats. Stepping over a young tabby as it rolled towards him, Xander made his way to the kitchen.
“Ok . . . Never do me that again!” Xander said as he rubbed his face, a light blush dusting his cheeks.

Sandy looked up from the gravy pot she was stirring. “Why? Didn’t you like it? The chef that makes them is the best on this planet! Weren’t they good?”

Xander blushed a deeper red. *They were good, too good! And made me horny as all hell!* He thought as he rubbed the back of his head with is hand. “ Silly feel.”

Sandsha smiled. “That’s just how catnip is. But if you don’t like them I have regular chocolate for you in the top cupboard. I hope you did like them though! You looked so cute hopping around with my kitty cats.”

Xander rolled his eyes heavenward.

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Going to the balcony Xander narrowed his eyes. People outside were panicking, some were looting, and others were trying to blockade their homes. Xander couldn’t understand it! There were no fires, or bomb threats today. He would have heard about them on the vid screen. No earthquakes either. But everyone around town was preparing for a disaster.

Hearing the neighbors talking on their own balcony Xander cocked his head to the side to listen. “The comet! It’s here! Were all going to die! I can’t handle this!” Screeched a young female voice.

“Shhhh. It will be ok. The Necromongers had passed the Hellion system without attacking another planet. Our planet is nothing special. They probably just need to make repairs on their ships or something!” Said an older female voice.

“I hope your right mother. I don’t want to be converted!”

“Me neither. We should prepare for the worst though, come let--” The sound of the two women walked away could be heard, steps faded inside their home, the walls muffled their voices.


Xander blinked then looked into the darkening sky. A two-tailed comet could be seen clearly. It was bright and seamed to be coming closer. Sitting in the living room with Sandy’s cats, Xander waited for his friend to get home. He needed to ask her some questions.

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Aboard the ship
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As Vaako stood next to Riddick, a new type of before battle excitement coursing though his veins. This would be the first battle, well possible battle, he ever had with Riddick. At least on the same side. Vaako smirked. It seamed Riddick couldn’t wait to get out of the ship. He was moving from foot to foot, his bulging muscles twitching with readiness. His eyes seamed to shine brighter with the need to do damage to something.

All the men were wearing the new uniforms Riddick had ordered to be made. They were a leather metal mix, weight less and aloud more movement. Vaako smoothed a hand over his. Each pair of armor looked the same as every other. But for some reason it just looked more deadly and effective on Riddick. The black plain lines of the chain-mail hugged the torso and outlined the muscle of each curve. The thick leather scaled pants glistened, and seamed to be painted on Riddick’s large thighs. Vaako had chosen to wear knee-high regulation Necromongers foot wear, while Riddick wore the same style type boot he had on when he had killed the former Lord Marshal. Riddick gave off that ‘don’t fuck with me and I’ll let you live’ vibe, Vaako felt almost sorry for whoever ran into Riddick first.

Riddick smirked at Vaako when he noticed his second watching him. As the ship began to shudder as it entered the planet’s atmosphere, Vaako felt energized and ready to do battle. Though he shifted under Riddick’s heavy lidded gaze, he was becoming quite aroused by the feral possessive look flashing in them. The landing on a planet was always a rough ride full of last-minute battle plans and violence, but Vaako never once found it arousing till now. Then again it might be the large hand squeezing and caressing his right thigh and crouch.

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Parting is all we know of heaven and all we need of hell.
By: Emily Dickinson
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Sandy ran into the house with a spooked look on her face. Her hair was sweat soaked and her glasses were lope-sided, she was trembling, was pale as a ghost and had a bit of blood crusting around her nose. Xander rushed to her side and took her backpack and the bag of food from her hands. “What wrong you?!!”

She seamed to calm some as she met his gold-ish stare. “Nothing Purrartha! Just a lot of people going to the store today! That’s all.” She smiled as she started to put the stuff away like it was a normal day.

Xander narrowed his eyes and made an unhappy kitty hiss. “Lie. Truth now! Right now!”

Sandy hugged herself as she gave Xander a pitiful look. “They’re coming . . .”

Xander was about to question her more when the whole bloody planet shook. Sandy let out a scream as she gathered her cats up then hid under the table. Not that her table would do much good for protection. It was sturdy and wooden but it made a poor shelter right now. Pulling her out of the apartment Xander lead her out of the building and onto the street. They needed to find a shelter or something since the whole planet seamed to be going nuts.
Keeping to the dark and back allies, Xander processed everything around him. People were running and stampeding about like cattle for the round up. Ships were above in the sky fire fighting, and troops of darkly dressed soldiers marched about in the streets. One thing Xander found really interesting was the lack of death. People were injured yes, but very few were getting killed by the Necromongers. Ducking into a half-destroyed building with Sandy, Xander watched the soldiers expertly herd the town’s people into the shelters. This was the weirdest war Xander had ever witnessed.

Xander smiled at Sandsha who was whispering quietly to her white kitten Winnie. She had at least five cats in her trench coat, two in her lap, and two more her thin arms. Her coat was just one big cat carrier. One of the cats slunk toward Xander and purred for attention. It was a big black female by the name of Ann. She was Xander’s favorite. She climbed into his lap, pawed at his leg then curled up for a nap. Rolling his eyes Xander scratched behind her ears as he watched the commotion outside the darkened building. He watched as Sandy’s building was raided, watched as some of the citizens tried to fight, and watched as many for them were subdued with little effort.

As squads went by two men caught Xander’s attention. All the other darkly dressed soldiers were good but these two moved with liquid ease unlike anyone Xander had ever seen. Even the most intensely trained and disciplined slayer of Xander’s world couldn’t move with the thoughtless confidence the two men on the battle field had. To his own confusion Xander found himself looking at more then their fighting style.

His eyes started following the patterns and curves of well made leather, the bulge of muscle in the fading light. He started noticing the way the smaller of the two men’s hair would fly as he kicked or punched someone with force. He started eyeing the muscle on the bald man’s thighs as he threw men about. Xander was freaking out just a bit, he wanted to meet these men.

As the battle slowed to almost nothing both men seamed to shift around, like they were aware of someone watching. Xander gasped as both men looked right toward him, locking eyes with him. Ducking away Xander gathered Sandsha and her cats and ran. He wasn’t so sure he could take on such powerful fighters. Or combat the connection he felt toward them.

“Where are we going? I thought we were safe in that building?” Panted Sandy as she clutched three cats to her chest.

“Seen! Seen by their eyes!” Said Xander as he hefted two large felines onto his shoulders. “Run! Need to run!"

In his head Xander was cursing his limited common tongue vocabulary. He would have liked to have explained what he saw to Sandy but he just couldn’t find the words. Xander thought they were in the clear when they turned another corner undetected til he heard shouting. A troop of twenty of so men were behind them, running after them and being lead by a broad-shouldered black man in bulky metal armor.
“Stop in the name of the Lord Marshal or I will fire!” Xander was about to stop since there was nowhere to hide but then the ground near him exploded! Sandsha screamed in pain as shrapnel flew about. Many of her cats scattered. Landing hard against a building, Xander hissed with pain. He looked around though blurred eyes, then wished he didn’t.

Sandsha lay on the ground, crumpled and bleeding. Her clothes were singed and there was a large piece of shrapnel sticking out of her belly. She was out cold and Xander was wondering if she was even alive. She had taken most of the blast, being right behind Xander and all, she probably saved his life. He felt cold inside as he looked at her, it just seamed wrong that Sandsha was unmoving and without her cats.

Xander stood on shaken legs and moved to her side. Fixing her glasses he smoothed her hair back, his hands came back bloody. She had a head wound. Xander was going to check her over for more injuries when the black man and his troop came trotting up. The man kicked Xander away from Sandsha like he was a rock in his path.

“Sir, Lord Riddick said not to kill any of the civilians unless necessary!! You disobeyed orders!”

The black man sneered. “Shut up Wayin! You’re a med. Check her over!”

The young soldier narrowed his eyes but nodded. “Yes sir! Commander Toal, sir!”

The young dark-skinned soldier was on his knees over Sandy checking her over for more injuries. Growling Xander tried to get back by her only to be kicked by the commanding officer again. “Restrain the creature! I want it brought back to the ship!”

Xander snarled as his hands and feet were bound. The young soldier stood up, Sandy cradled gently in his arms along with two of her cats. “Sir! We need to get this one to the billistica! If she doesn’t get cared for in the next few minutes she will die!”

Toal sneered. “Good. Leave her here. We don’t need her. I got what I was aiming after.” Pulled on the chains connected to Xander’s wrists.

“Everyone move out!”

Snarling Xander pulled at the chains, he may have to go with the soldiers but he wasn’t going to make it easy for them. He dug his heels into the dirt. The three soldiers pulling him along didn’t seam to mind too much. Bastards!! Turning his head Xander expected to see Sandy laying on the ground alone to die . . . but the young soldier was still with her.


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