"Sorry i just got this image of you in a cheerleader outfit. Scary stuff" he wiped his eye and kept walking.

He came to the river. it was worse than before. Puddles of sludge. more dead bodies.

The sight of it gave him flashes of just a hour before, when he couldnt see, he was bleeding black sludge.

He backed up his hands shaking. He clutched his jacket to his body, fighting the urge to run.

"Back off okay? Im not like you. Cant face death and just be fine with the thing that almost killed me an hour later okay?" he rubbed his face and sighed.

"Im tyring okay" he took a step foward and one of the puddles had a large bubble pop, making his jump.

"Holy crap this is bad" he put on the gloves and grabbed a container.

He had to tell himself he could do it. He had to do this. He had to be a grown up about this.

He walked to the river and shakily, and slowly began to fill the container with the sludge. He was doing well, so he picke dup his pace.

He looked more mature, like he was just...working.He filled all 9 containers and sealed them. He put them in a padded bag he swiped earlier and stood, chunking the sludge covered gloves, careful not to touch the black stuff.

"Well...alright but im keeping the vials with me...i dont want...him...to get any ideas" he nodded holding the bag strap.

"Listen...i know that...i gave attitude." he rubbed the back of his thin neck.

"Im still figuring out this whole...being an adult thing. I...im not sure i know who i wanna be yet"

"Im fine. its wasnt so scary when i finally started collecting it. As long as i was careful and protected, no reason to be afraid" he started walking looking up at the sky.

"Kinda like...how the incident in the river...doesnt scare me anymore" he shrugged.

"I stopped having nightmares a while ago"

"Its been three years. i should hope so" he smiled.

True he hadnt had nightmares, but deep lakes and oceans still freaked him out.

"Well lead the way. its your other halfs friend so it wont do us much good if im in front

Eke frowned but it couldnt be helped.

Eke was getting the weirdest feeling, like..death from illness.

He had never known himself to be psychic but something about the air around the sludge seemed to scream "plague"

He shuddered and shrugged the thought off.

He followed ryker, staying silent

Eke looked at the figure. Ekes own body wasnt much bigger, weight-wise.

He took a breath and walked over holding up the bag.

He opened it and pulled out a vial.

"Theres a section of river and forest covered in this stuff. we want to know what it is, and how to stop it."

"Erm..." honestly he had enough of acting brave but he nodding.

The chill down his spine hadnt left.

"Is there a town near here? something...something just doesnt feel right and im not talking about your friend" he looked around.

"I suppose its nothing lets go in" he reasoned. maybe he was just paranoid.

It was that moment the young dragons stomach groowled, quite loudly in fact. He hadnt eaten in a while.

"No. not till you go back to normal. your rude like this" he stood there.

"If you insist to stay like this, im going the other way to hunt" he crossed him arms.

He turned away from ryker, really upset by his attitude but also quite hungry.

Ekes tail was swishing irritated.

He looked back, but he just couldnt take the glare our of his eyes just yet.

The sting of the words said to him lingered.

"Well you let him out" there was an uncharacteristic bite to his tone.