CHAPTER 8, LOST

Haru tries again and again but it looks like he really doesn't have the energy to hold the spoon so I put my lunch aside for a bit and place his tray on my lap. "Haru, say ah." I say and hold the spoon.

"Eh~h, you don't have to Aria." He says. "I can do it."

"Stop being stubborn, come on say ah." I say, I can't believe I'm actually going to feed him. My heart is beating too fast. "Sorry, I won't force you."

"Wait." He says grabbing my hand. "Ah."

"Here." I say and feed him.

He's blushing and I must be too because my face feels hot. I can barely hide my grin, the feeling of feeding the person you love most is really unbelievable. I offer him some water and then he's done eating. "How do you feel?" I ask as I begin eating.

"I'll be fine." He answers. "Aria, thanks for feeding me."

"It's fine." I say, he grabs a book and reads. He looks like he is shing so btight now, the window and hus side shines a bright light. "Hey Haru, are you a noble?"

"No why do you ask?" He answers.

"You look like a noble when I see you like this." I say. "I had mistaken you for a noble countless times."

"I get that a lot, for some reason people often say the same thing." He answers. "Hey Aria, do you have any siblings?"

"I don't. I had a rather fun childhood though." I answered him. The truth is, my family is a family of nobles, with my father's permission I was able to leave the family and live in Goshenite Town.

"Do you have any relatives?" He asks me.

"I have a cousin in the guild Silver Fang, she's nice." I tell him. "My parents are from the Capital so I don't have any relatives in the guild."

"Do you ever feel lonely?" He asks.

"Sometimes, why do you ask?" I ask him and just then I realize something. "Is it possible that you miss your late grandparents and parents?"

"I do miss them, but it's not that." He says looking outside. "I was just wondering. Because I feel like everyone in the guild is somewhat like family now."

"Thanks, that is often what we feel like to each other. Family." I smiled at him.

HARU'S POV

I watched the clouds in the sky pas by, I decided to go outside and when I go above deck, I find Dia, Storm and Rose talking. "What's up Haru?" Neph asks suddenly appearing behind me.

"I got bored in my room." I say. "I want to look around."

"Hahaha, same here." A boy says, he has black hair, light brown eyes and brown skin. "The names Bort, Dia's twin."

"Please Master." A boy follows Master begging for something.

"Very well, but not for too long." Master says. "And only during mornings and before dusk, got it? For some reason I can't figure out where are in the map so it's best fo stay safe."

"Yes." He says, he has blue hair, light blue eyes and white skin. "Guys, listen up, Master have her okay. We can swim in the water as long as it's in the morning and before dark."

"Yes! Nice work Aqua." Storm says. "Let's go!"

Everyone then gets ready, they all change into swimwear so they can swim in the water freely. Chris looks so attractive in her swimsuit that some of the members are drooling. "What to do, I don't think I brought any swim wear." I mutter.

"Hurry up Haru!" Storm says waving me from the water.

"Just a sec." I say just then my necklace glows, Fomalhaut then comes to mind. "Come, my Southern Fish Familiar; Fomalhaut."

"Haru-sama, I'm here to serve. Please chose which one you like." She says holding swimming trunks. "Which would you like?"

"The black one with blue trimmings." I answered her.

"Here I come!" I say to the others so they can clear up a bit so that I can go down without anyone getting hit after changing. "Thanks Foma."

"No thanks needed." She says and disappears.

I jump down and the water feels nice, I haven't touched water for a while now. It feels nice so I dive down for a bit.

"The water feels nice." I say and notice some of them looking at me. "Something wrong?"

"No." Neph says.

"It's just, you can't tell when you're wearing clothes but Haru, you're pretty fit." Alexi says.

"Ah, I see. It comes with my line of work." I say giving a smile.

"Don't you work as an herbalist?" Dia asks.

"I do, but some herbs may grow on mountain cliffs, under large boulders and I also tend to a small garden so I became like this before I knew it." I say with a small laugh. "Hahaha, I suppose most people would see me as weak, but many have paid the price for it."

We all enjoy the water for a while, after that we all head up to the deck and back to our rooms to change. The swimming trunks are soaked so I decide to hand it by the window to let it dry. I change clothes, a black long sleeved shirt, light green sweater vest and black jeans.

While we were talking I noticed a certain someone turning green. I smiled a bit and let out a giggle. "Would anyone likensome sea sickness medicine?" I asked.

"But none of us are sea sick." Neph answered.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." I told him and walk towards Rogue and shaked him up a bit.

"S-stop, other wise I'll throw up." He says looking even greener.

"Say ah." I say reaching into my pocket.

"Ahh." He says and I pour a mix of lemon and medicinal herb extracts into his mouth. "So bitter, don't you have anything sweeter?"

"Anymore sweets and you'll puke it back up, but here chew on this." I say and hand him a candy made from sweet herbs mixed with lemon. "Anyone else feeling seasick?"

"Nope." They all says looking at Rogue who's suffering from the bitterness.

"Okay then, but if any of you don't feel well come and see me. I am an herbalist, I also want to help my family." I say with a smile, just then Wolf grabs my shirt. "What's wrong?"

"Thanks a whole bunch, I feel way better now." He says with a smile. "Having a doctor in our family is nice."

I soon returned to my room after the guys took over dish washing and I sat down by the window and watched the outside of my room. As I looked around the room I start to feel a little homesick. My pillow and blanket was made from wool and my grandparents told me to treat them with care since they were homenmade. The cold season has gotten worse each year now, I hope I don't catch a cold this year.

The next morning, I noticed taht the hallways and the deck was getting messy so I cleaned it up a bit. After cleaning I cooked breakfast, and as I was resting I heard Aria cry out so I rush to the hall way and find all the other members standing stiff. "Good morning, is something wrong?" I ask all of them who are frozen stuff.

"Haru, the hall way is unbelievably clean." Aria says.

"So is the deck ~." Neph says yawning.

"Ah, that's because I cleaned it, it was getting too filthy." I answered her. "I made some soup for breakfast so go ahead and sit down.

"Thanks." Jade said still sleepy.

"Everyone, listen up." Master said as we finished eating. "There are some issues we are facing at the moment. Firstly, we don't know where we are at all. Second, there isn't any sign of land at all. Third, we can't get communications beyond the ship at all."

"Isn't that bad?" I asked. "But how far are we off course?"

"That's what I don't know. We've been following the map precisely." Storm said. "Which is why, please keep your eyes peeled for signs of land."

After that, we all took turns looking for land, Around noon, when it was my turn to look out I went up to the deck. Above deck the only members are me and Rogue who's sitting on a barrel half asleep. I notice that there's a pelican on the railing and I immediately look around and soon I see it, a small island in the clear distance. The shores wrapped in mist and the surrounding lands having a few rocks peeking out from the water. I immediately go below deck and ring the bell. "I just saw an island a little to the south, the shores were covered in mist!" I say via the communicator.

The first sign of land, but this place isn't on any map Master has seen.