Ares stood near as his master studied the two battered forms lying on a pile of furs in the stables. Neither of them moved as the Town Healer was examining them. His master stood near, looking over the captives. Ares snorted and tossed his head again. The stench of blood and burnt flesh made him long for the hunt again. "Easy big man," his master soothed him.

"They will live."  The wrinkled man stood and gathered his robes around him.  

"And this one, the young boy, he will as well?"  

The healer nodded and smiled, keeping his secret to him self. He didn't like the warrior and couldn't wait to see the expression on that face when the warrior found out the truth, this young boy was indeed a girl child. "Yes, but this one, this strange looking man, he needs to be stitched. Have you mendings?"

The warrior looked around the stables, "No, I have only twine and that will not do."

The healer walked to Ares and stroked the stallion before plucking out one of his tail hairs. Ares snorted and glared at the man. "This will do fine." As the healer walked away Ares kicked out and lightly grazed his knee. The healer gasped at the sudden, slight, pain. "Demon seed."

The warrior's head fell back as laughter roared through the barn. "It will serve you well not to forget that." 

Riddick followed the horse's massive strides in the sand, he could smell the village not far ahead of him. Fires burned and food flirted with his senses. He began to realize just how long he had gone without a meal. His stomach growled, demanding to be fed. As he moved away from the coast and up a nearby grassy hill he was able to see the town. It was lit by firelight alone. The roads that led in and out were all dirt paths, most of them too narrow for mechanical travel. He paused at the top of the hill for a good look. The buildings were made of mud and rocks, some made of trees and twigs. Every roof was made of heavy layers of sticks. Nothing could be seen of machinery. Just horses and mules, cows and chickens. In the distance lambs roamed a cleared pasture. Riddick felt himself bristle, again, something appeared very wrong. Slowly, stealthily, he made his way down the gently sloping hill and towards the rock walls that surrounded the city.

Imam stirred and opened his eyes. He stared up at a huge black horse that was staring down at him. He took in a deep breath and tried to raise his aching head. His stomach flip-flopped with the effort and Imam groaned. He rested his head against the furs again and turned to look at Jack. She had been cleaned up and he noticed the thick, black, thread that bound her skin together on her chest. On the wound was a milkish yellow salve that smelt horrid. Imam reached a hand to his head and felt the thick threads and sticky salve on him as well. 

Ares snorted and neighed loudly, alerting his master to come. Seconds later a heavily armored warrior entered. Imam looked up at the warrior. "What are you called?" A husky voice asked from beneath the headgear that blocked the face from view.

Imam just stared up. He tried to raise up again and was unable. The warrior moved closer to him, placing fur skinned feet near his chest. "Can you speak? What are you called?" 

"My name?" He licked his dry lips in effort to speak above a whisper.

"Yes, yes, what are you called?"

"Imam."  

The warrior lifted the headgear off and long black hair cascaded over the woman's shoulders. She kneeled down to get closer to him. "Why do you look like this?"

Imam, puzzled, stared at her again.

She appeared disgusted. "Yes, I am a woman, and I am a warrior. Now, answer me. Why do you look like this?" 

He swallowed hard to dampen his throat, "Like what?"

"You dare to mock me!" Her anger glared in her eyes. "Guards!" she called as she stood. Two female figures come in and she motioned to them. "Take him. He is of no use to me. Put him on the pole for all to see. I shall make an example of him soon."

As Riddick scaled the high walls he heard a familiar voice. Imam cried out as he was stripped and tied to a pole in the center of the village. Riddick inched his way carefully into the village. Finally, he was able to see the naked Imam who was bound by leather ties to a large, blood stained, tree trunk. Imam's eyes glanced around fearfully. Riddick watched as a tall woman with long black hair neared him. She was clad in leather with a sword slung over her back. He was too far to make out the words, but he saw Imam's fear grow. The woman went to him and trailed her fingers over his face. She moved fluidly over his bare chest and let her fingers drag down to his manhood. Imam panicked again and cried out as she gripped him painfully.

Riddick stalked closer. He had to know what was going on. As he found a darkened path to hide on he settled against a wall to listen.

The woman stared at Imam with icy cold blue eyes. "I will ask you again. Who sent you here? What is that thing that fell from the sky?" Her hands rested on his chest as she pressed her body against him

"No one sent me here. It is a skiff, a ship that flies in space." 

Her voice thundered. "Do you take me for a fool? Only birds can fly. What manner of bird was that?"

"It was not a bird, it is a skiff."

She slapped his face hard, drawing blood from his mouth. "Fine, refuse to answer me then. The boy child will suffer!"

Jack was barely beginning to realize where she was when two large women came in and hefted her over their shoulders. She kicked and yelled at the women that ignored her struggles. Moments later she was shoved to the cold, wet, ground. Jack tried to free herself from the grips of the warrior women. One woman controlled her feet and the other, her hands. "Let go of me you bitch," Jack struggled again.

Soon, she was being tied to posts that stuck out of the earth, her hands above her head and her feet spread eagle. Jack tried to see what was going on around her, she could see Imam's bare body on the post close to her. She could hear towns' folk cheering nearby. She heard Imam beg for them to leave her alone, swearing that he had told the truth.

Two warrior women stood near her head staring at their longhaired leader.

Imam stared into the cold eyes of the woman, he could see bloodlust behind her smiling face. She moved closer to him again, her lips within inches of his. She glared at him and pressed her firm round breasts against him. "Answer me with truth, and maybe I will let you pleasure me before I kill you." She ground her hips against his. "What are you and the boy doing here, and where is the other that was with you?" 

"I cannot pleasure you. I am sworn to celibacy. We crashed here in the skiff."

"Silence!" She shoved off of his body powerfully. "This man cant fuck!" She turned to her flock. "Did you hear that? Do you hear his lies?"

The crowd roared with laughter and with cheers begging for him to be punished. The warrior, wanting to please her flock, smiled and called to slave. "Mayleena, come, see if this thing is indeed a man. Show us!"

The slave came forward, she was smaller then the warriors. Her dirty blond hair hung about her face. She was not dressed as richly as the others, her dress was tattered, and her feet were bare. Her look said she had been robbed of her pride and forced to live a hard life. She was a very pretty girl with a generous amount of curves nonetheless. She knelt on the ground before Imam and reached out and took his manhood in her hand. Imam begged her to stop, but she looked up at him smiled. Her hand began to massage him and he felt his body stirring.

She smiled at him again as he started to thicken in her hand. She licked her lips before diving in to take him in her mouth. "NO! Stop!" But her tongue ignored him as it began to devour his growing length. Soon, he was unable to contain a moan as she sucked at his throbbing member. The warrior came to them and pulled the slave roughly off of him. She pointed to his rock hard erection. "He said he couldn't pleasure me! Do you see this?"

The crowd roared again and Jack looked over to see why. She spotted Imam, in all his glory and slammed her eyes tightly shut. Fear struck her at the shock of the scene. What kind of people are these?

Riddick watched from the darkness. His mouth hung open with surprise. He had seen a lot of things in his life, but he wasn't prepared for this sight. A tribe of warrior women that enjoyed torturing, as if it were a sport. He couldn't help the curiosity that began to build with in him. He settled back against the wall to watch and see their next move. 

The warrior glared at Imam. "So, I now see that words hold no truth. After all, you would be able to pleasure me."

Imam shook his head. "No, I meant that it is against my beliefs."

"You lie!" She pointed at him. "Time to teach you a lesson." She pointed to Jack, "Strip the boy!" Imam watched as the two guards approached her. "No! Not Jack!"

The guards tore the clothing off of her with ease. Gasps came from the crowd and the warriors as she was exposed. Two small firm breasts and thick thatch of hair was exposed to the early dawn's chilled air. The warrior walked over to stare down at the naked girl. "See! They lie! They both deceive us! The boy is a girl child."

The crowd roared with shock. They demanded action against the strangers. The warrior raised her hand and pointed to Imam. "Kill him!" Mayleena returned to him and smiled. She slid her mouth over his manhood again and slowly slid a dagger out from the folds of her dress. She brought the sharp edge to his groin and drove the dagger deep into his flesh. As Imam screamed, her mouth left him and she brought the knife upward until it met his breastbone.

Jack heard his blood chilling screams and turned away. She heard the flesh being sliced apart and the liquid thud as his insides fell to the ground. Then she heard herself scream.

Somewhere in the distance a deep, feral growl pierced the dawn and the crowd became silent.