Lost

Chapter 8 : The Rushing Rapids

The morning sun shines brightly on the wooden boat that's bobbing peacefully, sometimes swaying right and left because of the current. As a stray maple leaf fell on Cyane's nose, the siren began to stir and wiped her eyes once or twice. She take some time to admire the glistening water that reflected her fair complexion and her sleepy eyes. After playing with the water for a while and washing her face, she turn around to her other travelling companion. Lycia, a sorceress she's been acquaintances with since childhood. And Louise, a human who discovered a secret temple used to travel between realms. She began to giggle and gush at the sight of the two. 

Ever since they first met, Cyane can already feel some kind of weird connection between them. When they first met , Louise had accidentally rolled off the gorge and fell on top of a shocked Lycia. There's a possibility that Lycia injured her waist from supporting Louise's weight but she seems to have covered it up. It's only been two days yet their connection are already getting stronger. Even now when they're sleeping they're facing each other. Though each are separated in their own dream worlds, Cyane can clearly see their hands slowly creeping up towards each to her and slowly entwines themselves around each other. It truly is an adorable sight. Which is why Cyane secretly ships the two of them.

"Oi, wake up you love birds." Cyane teased as she splashed the crystal clear waters at their faces.

"Cyane...stop...." Lycia mumbled as she shielded her face from the water.

"Yeah...quit it you sly siren you." Louise mumbled too.

The two got up at the same time. Sleep clearly still haunting them. The two wipes their eyes into consciousness and yawned. Their unclear gaze tore away from the giggling siren and towards their hands. They probably feel a sort of weird tingling feelings on them and are curious to see what happened. As their gaze locked at their tightly entwined hands the two immediately snatch both their gaze and hands away from each other and began to blush rapidly.

"H-how long have we been like this?" Lycia hissed at Cyane.

"No idea. I saw it already happening when I woke up. In fact, you twos are tightening the bond." Cyane replied nonchalantly, fueling the fire of embarrassment between them. The two can only repeatedly look and not look at each other as if uncertain whether to apologize or not. "Anyways, breakfast?"

"Y-yeah, why not. I'm starving." Lycia smiled awkwardly, desperate to change the subject.

"Well that makes two of us." Louise licked his lips and rubbed the both of his hands together.

"Festum Piscium!" Cyane shouts aloud the mantra while pointing to the boat's wooden floorboards. In a blink of an eye, a heart feast of multiple types of fishes are laid out in front of them. "I hope you like fish."

"Wow, Cyane. It's been a while since I had some omega-3s." Louise immediately grabbed a plate and has some serving of salmon.

"Well, you're welcome." Cyane smiled. Just as she's about to had her first serving up her mouth, she noticed something weird with Lycia. "Lycia, why are you wearing Louise's jacket?"

Lycia's hair stands on end as she just noticed that she hasn't taken off Louise's jacket from last night! Her mouth quivering, she quickly took it off and handed it to Louise. "There. Thank you for the jacket. It really warms me up."

Louise blushed as he take the jacket, put it on himself and tries his best to not comments on Lycia's unique smell that attaches itself to the jacket. "Y-you're welcome." After sniffing the jacket's new scent for a while, he suddenly noticed that Lycia's not even touching any of the food and beverages but the mineral water. "Why aren't you eating?"

"Oh, uhm, you fully acknowledge that I have seasickness, right?"

"Yeah...what about it?"

"Well, I just thought if I were to get sick, I won't make a mess since it's just mineral water you know."

"But breakfast's the most important meal of the day. You'll faint if you don't-"

"I'm alright. It's fine. I have done this countless times before when I did sea voyage. Though I didn't do much of them I'm kinda used to skipping breakfast now and then."

Although unsure about Lycia's health, Louise decided to let it slide and get her off the hook. Besides, she did say she has done it countless times before. But it is still somewhat wrong to skip breakfast. Ah, never mind. Let's just leave the girl to do what she wants. She'll still get sick either way. After the breakfast's finished, the silver platters disappeared by itself and Cyane returned to her duty of propelling the boat forwards. As the boat continually turned left and right and bobbed up and down, Lycia's seasickness began to kick in. Unable to keep a straight face - let alone a sturdy body - she curled up at the edge of the boat, trying her best to suppress the unwanted, horrible feelings.

"Hey, why don't we play a little game to distract you from the seasickness?" Louise suggested.

"Uhm, alright." Lycia managed to say as she suppressed a gag. 

"I'll ask you 5 questions and you have to answer them truthfully. And then we'll switch places! Sounds good?"

"I guess." Lycia muttered.

"Alright, question 1. What's your favorite color?"

Lycia's mind goes blank and her pupils shrinks to the smallest size possible at the seemingly stupid, childish and idiotic question. "Not very smart are you? You could've asked my deepest darkest secrets yet you asks for my favorite color?"

"Uh, I mean, why would I ask for your deepest darkest secrets. Doing so will make you distrust me even more."

"I suppose so. My favorite color's black by the way."

"Ooh, I like black too! Though I preferred blue more than black-"

"Yas, baby! Haha!" Cyane suddenly emerges from under the water and raised her hand up for a high five. "We're the blue fan team and Lycia will be the odd one out. As always."

Just before Lycia can respond to Cyane's teasing, the boat has suddenly reached a shallow and rocky terrain. And the currents are speeding up too. It's like a person late for work at the early mornings. Louise and Lycia frantically peep over the bow and just as they did, their faces turn pale like a ghost and their pupils are barely seen.

"Cyane! Hop onto the boat!" Louise ordered.

"What?! Why?!" Cyane asks though she tried her best to climb on.

"Move now, talk later." Lycia instructed as she helped her up. "Brace for impact!" 

"Brace for wha-" 

Cyane's words are cut short at the sight of  a massive cascade ahead. Whimpering, she immediately reached out to hug Lycia at the waist. Pushed back by the speed once again, Louise bumped into Lycia. The two locked gaze in each other's eyes as if speaking telepathically before nodding. Louise grabbed on of Lycia's hand and his other one to the boat's wall while Lycia used her spare hand to hug Cyane tightly. Then the fall came. It gave them all a sharp jolt every time the boat plummets down to the uneven rocks below. They're also repeatedly sliding back and forth because of the rapid current. Finally the cascade has finished, leaving them all pale and shocked as the boat bobbed aimlessly on the water.

"Let's never...ever do that again...." Cyane muttered.

"Yeah. That's definitely nerve racking." Lycia trembled.

"True that." Louise replied. Though he secretly wouldn't mind going on another rapid cascade if it means he's going to hold hands with Lycia like this again. Her touch is just so warm and comforting and no matter how unbelievable it is...he likes it. He really likes it.