"Mmm," Zveran agrees, slumping against his pack, using it as a pillow. 

"Watch out for them, Aten," he says, and his head tips to the side.

Always.

An huge burst of deep affection comes through the bond.

And Masque settles in to keep watch.

The next day, Zveran is positively bouncing with an idea. 

"The sea. It's not too far, and I have not been swimming since the Moonflow."

"Sure," Masque shrugs. "Why not?"

Zveran swings his pack on, grinning brightly. He leans over and presses a kiss to their mask.

"I think I know the way. We just follow the river down." He sets off, reaching his hand out to tempt Aten over.

Masque freezes when Zveran kisses the mask, but follows after him swiftly enough.

Aten moves closer, although not quite into touching distance, but close enough.

It's probably the easiest journey they've had so far, with very little monsters and even fewer sinspawn. After a few nights camping, they finally reach the sprawl of the sea. 

Masque seems perhaps a little on edge with the sea in front of them, but perhaps they're just anxious from the lack of monster attacks.

Zveran notices the anxiousness, but doesn't comment on it. Instead he strips down, and flings himself into the sea.

Masque settles down on the sand, keeping watch.

Zveran is happy to swim on his own, occasionally looking back to grin toothily at Masque.

There's a ripple across the water, and a sick, strange feeling.

Masque jerks to their feet. "Get out of the water!"

"Masque! What's wrong!?" Zveran starts to wade back to the shore.

The sick, dark feeling intensifies, and projectiles start hurtling towards the beach, shining like oil slick.

"Sin," Masque snarls.

The beast itself rises from the ocean, debris spiralling around its horns. 

Masque can feel a tug in their core, summoning them back.

They can feel it, but they refuse to let their body betray them, preparing, instead, to fight.

The small sinspawn hit the beach, their wings unfurling, glittering in the sunlight.

Zveran finally reaches the shore, racing for his clothes to retrieve his knives, while desperately summoning as he goes.

Ixion bursts forth, and immediately gores the nearest sinspawn.

Aten surges out as well.