There was an outward pulse of... something... from Ryker, which caused several more shimmering human shapes to collapse around Eke.

Ryker then growled, and started to walk towards the door.

"There." he said.

"It's quiet." he told him.

"I suggest you get yourself together." he then added, before stepping out the door.

After a few seconds, Eke heard voices. Faint, muffled voices. And he recognized them both.

One was Ryker, the other was his other side.

And they seemed to be arguing with each other, meaning control of his body was switching back and forth on the fly... or so he assumed.

Regardless, the argument sounded pretty heated, and tensions were definitely rising.

The voices started to rise a bit, and when Eke saw Ryker come into view... he looked like he was arguing with his shadow. Except his shadow had red eyes.

And it seemed like the shadow was winning, as Ryker was starting to shy away from it.

"Stop being so pitiful!" the shadow barked.

"Maybe I was better off just dying when that gem shattered, instead of being bonded to a little fragile BABY like you!" he snarled further.

"The HELL is wrong with you!?"

"But you heard what Eke said!" Ryker responded.

"And you BELIEVED him!?" the shadow retorted. "After HOW many years of being together!? After how much shit you've gone through!?" it exclaimed.

"Do you honestly think he would just turn on you like that, unless something was seriously WRONG!?" he demanded.

"I... I, well..." Ryker stammered.

"DO YOU!?" the shadow yelled out.

"....no! No, I don't!" Ryker finally responded.

"Then I suggest you get your ass to wherever the dragonling is, and FIX THIS. NOW." the shadow ordered him, before Eke heard hurried footsteps coming towards him.

"Eke!" Ryker exclaimed when he saw him.

"Eke..." he said quietly when he got close.

"....Eke, I... I..." he stammered.

"Eke, please... don't... don't hate me." he said.

"Just... please don't... I'm sorry." he apologized.

"I'm sorry I acted the way I did."

"............." Ryker was silent for a moment, before he reached forward for Eke, pulling him close in a hug.

"Eke." he said.

"Please." he mumbled.

"None of this is your fault." he told him.

"Please... please don't blame yourself." he pleaded.

"I don't want to see you this way..."

Ryker... didn't know what to do here.

Eke had just poured his soul out and spoken a harsh truth to him... one that was unpleasant to hear, and it hurt him worse than what Eke had said earlier.

He tried to say something... anything... but no words came out when he opened his mouth. He reached a shaking hand out, before stopping and just plopping his ass down on the floor.

"....I..." he stammered.

"We all say things we don't mean..." he said. "It's my fault as well for not thinking before I let those words hurt me." he told him.

"And... I'm sorry." he then apologized.

"I don't know how to ease your pain." he said. "I have the power of a demon king at my disposal... I have a body that I toughened up to be durable and stronger than how it was before... I've known pain for a lot of my life... but it's nothing here." he went on.

"I'm... I'm sorry..." he repeated.

'...I really AM useless...' he then thought.

Ryker just held Eke in response.

"I..." he stammered.

"Yeah." he said.

"Let's... let's find someplace." he told him.

"Someplace where we can actually live." he agreed.

"...I'm sorry you've been in so much pain..." he then said quietly.

"I'll... I'll try to do whatever I can to help you try and stop feeling this pain."

Ryker just held Eke close, as a few tears started to stream down his face.

'Get out of this place.' he heard in his mind. 'Get away from this village, and find a place to set up for the night.' he was told.

He merely nodded and lifted Eke up in his arms, carrying him out of the building and away from the cursed village.

He walked for what seemed like forever, until the sun started to go down, and he managed to find a forest. He walked into it some, before setting Eke down and setting up the tent. He made sure the tent bedding was laid down, made sure Eke was comfortable, and made sure he was in a good position to sleep.

He was about to join him, when he heard the growling of a wolf nearby... and his eyes hardened, some red glowing behind them.

"....no." he growled.

"Not this time." he said, stepping out of the tent and closing it up.

He didn't know if this was a pack of wolves, or just one, but he knew that Eke was going to wake up tomorrow. He would fight to the last, to make sure of it.

Eke saw that he was alone in the tent.

However, he then saw, through the vaguely translucent fabric of the tent, Ryker.

He saw Ryker's form, sitting down by the entrance.

And he didn't look to be moving... though his slightly rising and falling shoulders proved he wasn't dead, at least.