Eke shuffled groaning.

"Quiet you two..." he yawned and lay back down.

As if to try and shut up the conversation keeping him awake he pulled ryker close to him.

"Quiet is good okay?"

With that he seemed to go back to sleep.

Eke was up early the next morning.

He was already cooking breakfast and had something of a determined look on his face.

Well determination mixed with being lost in his thoughts.

"Todays the day" he said to himself.

"No turning back now i guess..."

"Im usually up before you. I just lie around till you get up." he looked over.

"But yes...that...and i want to know whats going on between you two. Something about telling me something" he plated some food for ryker.

"Im not sure what to expect. Maybe my dad was an alpha but a criminal...? Man the whole thing stresses me out. And well...makes the icd have to work harder" he scratched his head sighing.

He nodded. "Ill lbe fine. just makes the icd had to correct my heart a little more than usual. no biggie."

He took a bite of breakfast. "Go ahead and let him out."

He looked out the cave. "Itll give me time to mentally prepare for the capital"

"Vaguely. No one really talks about it anymore..." he looked over.

"...Why?" he raised an eyebrow.

he finished breakfast and turned to look at him.

"So your the demon lord and...exactly what do you want then?" he just looked at him

He didnt seem to care that other ryker was a demon or the demon lord.

To Eke, other ryker was just a pain in the behind.

"And how...does that happen? you just...take your host to the underworld and take over forever?"

He seemed a little TOO unfazed by this.

Like he expected it.

He started to put out the fire and stood slowly.

"As long as it happens after my death, i dont really care what you do with ryker. Ill be dead, so not much sense in fretting about it while im alive." he dusted himself off.

"That doesnt mean i dont care what happens to Ryker. Because i do. Very much so. But theres nothing i can do after im dead, so im not going to worry about it."

"Well...like i said. Not much i can do once im dead"

He had already started walking.

"Do what you need to when im gone. Doubtful ill even have a kid" he looked back.

"But thats a conversation meant for ryker. Not you" he turned back to the road.

Eke didnt say much.

"We'll be at the capital in about two hours. id use the dust in about an hour" he kept his gaze forward.

He was silent for a while.

"Ryker i...i dont mean to sound..callous...i do care...and i kind of wish that it wasnt the way it is. But...i cant do a thing after im dead so...im just not going to...fret. That doesnt mean im not sad"

He looked back. "I feel like...we are...growing apart...maybe its because im getting older but...i just wanna say that no matter where we go in life...i still love you..."

He stopped and just hugged him tears in his eyes.

"I remember how we met. i thought if i shared my candies youd cheer up."

he held ryker tightly.

"I know im more independent now, but i still need you. and as i get older, and more sick, ill need you still. I just feel like...we arent as close anymore. Im afraid for what i might find...im afraid that im going to wake up and you arent there...or that i dreamt the last 3 years..." he sniffled and let go.

He started walking again falling silent. After an hour he stopped. "You should use the dust now. just think about being a dragon. nothing fancy is needed. horns and reptile eyes will gets you past the gate"