Teekay expected to come back and find the mysterious yellow Skyavok gone, but as he opened the front door, he realised that Arkay was still there. He had changed his position in the corner and was desperately clinging to a stuffed animal like his life depended on it, but nonetheless he was still there, sleeping away.
Teekay didn’t know what else to do now. He had mostly hoped that the Thantophor would leave on his own. He had created noise and distractions in an attempt to wake Arkay up. He’d cooked extra food and left a bowl of water by his side. He had done all sorts. Teekay had even spent time fixing up the horrible stab wound on Arkay’s stomach. Somehow he’d slept through all of that, and once Teekay had removed the sharp, black object, the wound pretty much healed up on its own anyway. Teekay was sure that, after being fixed up, Arkay would leave, but he was still asleep.
Enough was enough. Teekay put his work stuff away neatly in the small cupboard by the door and marched over to where Arkay was sleeping.
“Are you fucking done yet?”
Arkay didn’t move.
Teekay hesitated, then nudged Arkay.
Still nothing.
Teekay grabbed a frying pan from the kitchen area and bashed it loudly in front of Arkay.
Still nothing.
With a tut, Teekay took several steps back. He then ran across the room and kicked Arkay across the head.
This time, Arkay moved.
“Ow.”
“What the fuck are you still doing here?”
Arkay sat up, rubbing his head. “I’m sorry. I only meant to stay for a few hours before finding a new place to hide.”
Teekay’s expression suddenly changed. “You’re… hiding?”
“He threatened the others. Said he’d hurt them if I didn’t go away.”
Teekay hesitated, then sat down next to Arkay. “I didn’t think a death god could be blackmailed.”
“I’m not really a god. I’m just a face. Something people can curse at when their loved ones die. It all… Decay happens no matter what, it’s the inevitable conclusion of forward-motion time. I thought, maybe if I just hide for a few hundred years, everyone else will calm down and things will go back to normal.”
“Who is this ‘he’ you’re referring to?” Teekay asked.
Arkay though didn’t answer. He instead looked away.
“Did he stab you?”
“Yeah…” Arkay felt his stomach and suddenly realised that the wound was gone. “Did you… pull that shard out of me?”
“I sterilized and incinerated everything I used, don’t fret…” Teekay tried to keep the death god calm. “You basically started healing up the second I pulled that nasty black thing out anyway.”
“You definitely made sure it was completely destroyed?” There was panic on Arkay’s face. “All traces gone?”
“Yes, incinerated as per standard medicinal standards. Why are you so worried?”
Arkay breathed a sigh of relief. “That was… Corruption. The same horrible stuff that causes Skyans to go mad and throw themselves off cliffs is just as deadly to deities like myself… I can’t believe…”
The death god trailed off and curled up into a ball again. Teekay though was having none of it and whacked Arkay across the head.
“I am none the wiser about your situation, I still have no idea what in the name of the Void you are doing here, but I am not going to let you be a lazy prick and sleep there!” Teekay growled, trying not to raise his voice too much as to not disturb his neighbours. “Either you start being clear, or… I don’t know what I’ll do!”
Arkay rubbed his head, then stood up. “I’m sorry, Teekay. I shouldn’t have come here and I shouldn’t have taken so much of your time. It was wrong of me.”
Teekay blinked, confused by the sudden change in tone. “So you are… leaving?”
“Yes. I don’t want you getting caught in the crossfire. When all this is over, I’ll make it up to you.”
“How? What? What are you going on about?”
Arkay sighed as he turned to leave. “I don’t know. It’s all such a mess. Thank you for putting up with me.”
Teekay just stood there, not knowing what to do, watching as the Thantophor left via the back door, pausing only to sweep up the grass and dirt he had left on the patio.
“Well, I hope things perk up for you…” Teekay muttered. “No one deserves to hide in fear…”