Aly just smiled.

"It's my Mom and me." she said.

"Dad died when I was a child, so it's just been us for a while." she told him.

"She'd really like to meet you, too." she went on.

"I bet she'd fall in love with you, too." she then chuckled.

Aly was quiet, before reaching over and giving him a hug.

"That's so sad." she said.

"But I've heard your father was a great man." she told him.

"He'd be so proud of you." she went on.

"You're a wonderful person."

Ryker heard the outburst, and pulled a guilty face.

'Aaaaand the regret.' the demon inside him said.

"Shut. Up." Ryker growled under his breath.

"Oh, Eke..." Aly said quietly, before thinking.

'Wait..." she said.

"I... I think I remember something. Something that happened when I was barely 5 years old." she said further, seemingly racking her brain hard to find the memory that was poking at her.

Aly continued to think for a moment, and then nodded.

"I... remember he... visited the village once." she said.

"I... also remember that... those that were hungry... he fed." she told Eke.

"Those that were cold... he clothed." she went on.

"Those that fought... he calmed." she continued.

"I think... he was close to a savior for a lot of people here."

Aly was silent, before getting closer towards him... and hugging him.

She held him close, and almost buried her face in him.

"...Eke..." she said.

"Eke, I..." she stammered, before just shaking his head.

"....." she was then silent once more, and just continued to hold him.

Aly paused for a moment, and then withdrew her head.

"...yes." she replied.

"Yes, I did." she said.

"Why?" she asked, before pausing and thinking about it.

"Wait..." she mumbled, seeming to realise something.

"Was that you that was there!?" she asked him.

Aly nodded.

"He was that sort of man." she said.

"Everyone loved him." she told him.

"Even though he was an elder dragon, he never acted like one. He insisted on being treated like everyone else." she continued.

"...you look a bit like him, too." she added with a soft smile, before she hugged him in response to his kiss.

Aly returned the smile.

"You do, too." she said.

"I can see it in your eyes. You're so handsome, and I can almost see into the depths of your soul when I look into them." she told him.

"All right, all right, enough mush." Ryker then interrupted them.

"Food's done." he said.

"So come and get it while it's hot!"

"Yuh-huh." Ryker muttered.

"Not gonna happen." he said.

"Aw." Aly replied. "Why not?" she asked.

Ryker just paused for a moment.

"...reasons." was all he said, an underlying darkness to his tone.

"Anyway, come and get food." he told them.

Ryker just waved his hand flippantly.

"It's already forgotten." he said.

"Seriously. Forget about it." he told him, as Aly got food as well.

"I'm sorry, too." she apologized.

"Think nothing of it." Ryker said.

"If anything, because of circumstances, I need to wait for a bit before I even start considering it."' he then told her.