Meanwhile:
*
After they saw Silvera go with the king to be never seen again, everyone prepares to return home. Arine turns to Harper on the road. "We should go back to our village." Harper looks to him then to Felix uncertainly. "I, I think I'm going to stay here with Felix for awhile, we still have some things to talk about..." Felix blushed and nodded.
Arine raised an eyebrow. "But the whole point of this Quest was to get you AWAY from your kidnapper!" She smirked. "No, the point of this quest was to prevent my boyfriend from killing me. We just admitted that we love each other! I don't want to just leave!" Arine looked at her stunned. "B-Boyfriend?" Harper walked over to Felix and took his hand. "Go ahead Arine, I promise I will visit the forest."
Cienar took Arine by the hair and dragged him down the trail. "Come. Let them be." Arine struggled. "Ah! That hurts!" Ikko followed behind them not saying a word. It was quiet until the three of them reached the mainland by the beach. Cienar looked out to the ocean. "I could be home in an hour if I swam there." He hesitated.
Arine was sitting on a rock still rubbing his head where Cienar had pulled. "Then what are you waiting for?" Cienar sighed. "...This is weird. Nothing's right without her." Arine stopped rubbing his head and looked down. "Yeah. I don't think I'll be able to return to my old happy self now that she's gone." Ikko crossed his arms and leaned against a tree. "I didn't like myself before I met her. I was a psychopath that killed because I wanted to. Hungry or not. I'm afraid of becoming that guy again."
Arine stood up quickly and closed his fists. "This is stupid! Our friend group is incomplete!" Cienar turned back to him. "You were the one to let her go. There's nothing we can do now." Arine glared at him. "I let her go because I thought that it was the right thing to do. Which it was, but screw the right thing! I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to see her!" He turned around and started to walk into the forest.
Cienar and Ikko looked at each other for a moment then quickly caught up to Arine. Cienar sped up beside him, holding his staff at his side. "You know she's in the underworld right?" Arine continued to look ahead as he answered. "I know. That isn't going to stop me." Ikko raised an eyebrow. "So... How exactly are we supposed to get there?" Arine turned his head to Ikko surprised. "We?" He smiled. "Yep."
Arine smiled back and looked ahead again. "The underworld is full of demons right? So it's only fitting that a demon would know where the entrance is. They mostly only hangout at black markets in the human world so I suggest we start searching there." Both Ikko and Cienar shared an uneasy look. Ikko turned his head away nervously.
"Yeah, easy for you to say. I'm a fallen angel. Once I'm seen in a black market I'll be rat bait." Cienar rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. "And sirens aren't treated the best by demons either. We're as beautiful as angels but our scent is good instead of bad to demons. I'll be raped the second I'm seen." Arine smiled. "So you can dish it out but can't take it?"
Cienar gave him an unamused look. "I've never raped anyone. Assaulted, maybe. But not rape." Arine laughed. "Whatever you say. Well, if that's the case, then maybe we need a disguise. As buyers perhaps." Ikko put his hands in his pockets. "That still doesn't change our scents." Arine hesitated. "Hmm... Then we'll have to disguise those too."
Arine stopped and turned around to face Cienar. "Cienar, you know a lot of stuff, is there anything strong enough to disguise a scent from a demon?" Cienar thought for a moment. "Well, there's the swamp of swallow. The smells there are too thick that it would cloud the senses of any creature." Arine smiled. "Great! Then let's head there right away!"
Ikko then tilted his head and took a step forward. "Uh, the swamp of swallow? That's pretty far away from where we are, it would be at least a few days walk from here. If I walk that long again my legs will break off." Arine nodded. "Right. I'll probably get pretty tired too. We're going to have to fly." Cienar blinked and raised his hand. "Um, I don't fly remember?"
Arine rolled his eyes. "Why not? By telling us to walk were wasting time and energy." Cienar looked away nervously. "Yeah, but-" Ikko interrupted. "Do this for Silvera, you want to see her again don't you?" Cienar hesitated then nodded. Arine smiled again then his wings moved quickly making him hover over the trail. "Great, it's settled then. I'm not too strong so Ikko will have to carry you." Cienar sighed looking down. "I hate this..."
Ikko then walked over to him, and wrapped his arms around his waist. "Huh. You're curvy for a boy. This outta be fun." Cienar immediately blushed and Arine started to chuckle. "Come'on guys! Don't get all lovey on me and let's go!" Arine flew above the trees and Cienar started protest. "I'm not getting-!" But was cut off by Ikko again. "Ha, you're cute when you blush! Don't fight it and let me touch you."
Cienar's blush deepened at Ikko's mischievous smile and he started to push away. "I've changed my mind! Let me go! Stop teasing me you bastard!" Ikko laughed again and spread his wings. "You're just as easy to embarrass as I remember. Just like old times huh?" Cienar glared at him. "And you're just as flirty as I remember." Ikko chuckled and flew up after Arine holding Cienar despite his protest.
Arine was waiting for them after they caught up. "So where's this swamp?" Ikko looked around and pointed behind Arine. "I'm sure it's east. Right Cienar?" Cienar didn't move. "Y-Yeah." Arine turned around and headed in the direction Ikko was pointing and he followed. "Alright! Let's go!"
Awhile after they flew away, Ikko realized that Cienar hadn't moved in a long time and his grip around Ikko's neck was tightening. Ikko smiled. "Are you afraid of heights?" Cienar stuttered answering him. "W-What? O-Of course n-not!!" Ikko looked down at him. "Alright, then why don't you prove it and look down? That is, if you can."
Cienar moved to face him. "O-Of course I-I can!" He then slowly turned his head to look below them but then immediately turned back, pushing his face to Ikko's chest and hugged Ikko tighter. "AH!! I can't! I can't! You bastard!! I hate this! Sirens are supposed to be ground level and under!!!"
Ikko laughed. "I knew it. The little fishy doesn't like the open sky does he?" He moved a hand to mess up Cienar's hair and laughed again. "Maybe if you looked you wouldn't have as harder time enjoying yourself!" Cienar kept his face in Ikko's chest. "Are you insane?!" Ikko tilted his head. "Yes. Just give it a try and you might be surprised. Why do you think us winged things love to fly so much huh?" He stiffened again. "I've seen it before! It's scary!"