Dreaming of the Sun

For as long as I can remember, I've dreamed of the sun. 

I never really thought much of it. No one I talked to seemed to think much of it either. It was just a coincidence. An oddity, the fact that every night, without failure, I would fall asleep and find myself standing amidst a colorless lake, with the sun hanging on the edge, far in the distance. 

Tonight, that changed. 

For the first time, I dreamt of the moon. 

Same scenery. I stood atop a colorless lake. Only, this time, far ahead, the moon hovered. I had no idea what to make of that. 

I figured it didn't mean much. It was just... weird. 

Anyway, now, sleepy from having just gotten up, I stood before my church's statue of the Eternal Queen, Yalia. 

She was so beautiful and radiant, like the stars themselves had been carved into her stone features. I couldn't help but reach out and touch her hand, feeling the smooth, cool surface under my fingertips.

A voice called out to me. 

"Grace?"

"EEK!" 

I flinched. 

"Heh, has our little Grace's heart been swept away by mere stone?" 

I yanked my hand back, my face turning red as I spun around to see Sister Caria, one of the older ladies in the church. She had a playful smile on her lips, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"N-no, of course not!" I stammered, feeling like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "I was just... admiring her."

Sister Caria chuckled, walking up to stand beside me.

"Oh, there's no shame in it. You know, legends say that when Yalia walked this world, HUNDREDS of people followed her every step, all hopelessly beguiled." 

"Hundreds?" 

"Could be more, could be less. You know how these things can be." She looked at the statue, then back at me, her expression softening. "What's on your mind, child? You seem distracted lately."

I sighed, my shoulders slumping a bit.

"I don't know, Sister Caria. I just..." I turned away, my eyes falling back on the Eternal Queen's kind visage. "I wonder if there's more I could be doing, you know? More..." 

More I could do away from here, I finished in my mind. 

Sister Caria put a hand on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Grace, you're already doing so much. You heal the sick and wounded, you offer comfort to those in need. To those people, you may as well be Yalia herself."

I knew she meant well, but her words didn't quite ease the restlessness in my heart.

"I guess, but..." 

Sister Caria shook her head, smiling at me like I was a silly little girl with big dreams.

"Grace, don't go chasing after some grand destiny when you're already making such a difference right here, right now. Focus on what's happening around you. That's all we can do, right?" 

I forced a smile, nodding my head.

"You're right, Sister Caria. Thank you."

But as she walked away, leaving me alone with the statue once more, I couldn't shake the feeling.

I looked up at Yalia's face, the sun flashing back into the forefront of my mind. 

Only for the door at the front of the church to burst open before Sister Caria could walk through it. 

"We have wounded!" A man announced, blood and dirt staining his armor. 

I sighed. 

Back to work. 

...

As the hurt people were brought into the church, I jumped right in to help.

I said the incantation I knew by heart, and felt the warm, glowing light come out of my hands and into their beat-up bodies.

It was... stifling, hearing the pained moans and cries, but I pushed them all aside, trying to focus on myself as I went from one person to the next, fixing up their cuts and making those wounds go away. 

In the process, I heard Sister Caria talking to one of the hurt men.

"What happened to you all?" she asked, sounding really worried.

The man, looking pale and tired, managed to say:

"We were coming from a far-away village, following a paladin named Kira."

Both Sister Caria and I did a double-take hearing that.

"A paladin?"

"Yes. She said she'd get us to safety, but we got jumped by Yargoth on the way."

Sister Caria looked equally as curious as I felt. 

"And, where is this woman now?" 

Right then, someone stumbled in through the church doors.

It was a woman, tall and tough-looking, with short blonde hair all messed up with blood and dirt, and dark skin the color of the coastal sands.

Her armor was all banged up and scratched, and she was holding her side with one hand, obviously hurting.

"Hey!" She called out to the man Sister Caria was speaking with, approaching him with an easy smile. "Everyone got here on time?" 

"Seems like it," the man gestured at me.

"Good... Glad I could make it myself," she laughed. "I wanted to see this little healer you all kept talking about." 

She didn't say who she was but her armor gave her away. 

Gold and silver entwined, she looked downright radiant, even with the signs of battle on her. It was Kira, the paladin. 

Her role didn't matter to me, though. All I could see were her wounds. 

Without even thinking, I ran over to her, my heart going crazy.

"Please, lie down," I begged, reaching out to help her. "You're really hurt."

Kira just blinked down at me.

Then she laughed, a lot harder than before.

"Me? Psh. I'm fine. Go help out the others, I'll be alright."

I couldn't really take her word for it, though, because I could see the blood coming out from her midsection.

The hurt in her eyes and the way she favored her side didn't sneak past my perception either.

"No, you're not," I said, trying to sound sure of myself. "You need healing, just like everyone else. Please, let me help you."

For a second, Kira looked like she wanted to argue, her smile slowly fading away. But then she sighed, her shoulders slumping like she gave up.

"Alright," she said, letting me help her to an empty bench. "You win." 

As I helped Kira sit down on the bench, I started saying the same healing words I'd used on the others. I could feel Kira's eyes on me the whole time, watching me closely.

Out of nowhere, she asked:

"What's your name?"

I looked up, surprised.

"Oh, um, I'm Grace." I smiled up a bit and she smiled back. 

"Grace..." I don't think anyone had ever said my name the way she had just now. It sounded like she was tasting it. Savoring it. "Pretty. I'm Kira, but something tells me you already knew that." 

I nodded, feeling my face get hot.

"Y-Yeah, I did. It's nice to meet you." 

"Pleasure's all mine, clearly," she nodded at her slowly vanishing wound. "So, Grace. Where are you from?" 

"I've lived here my whole life," I told her. "Sister Caria and the others have been teaching me how to heal since I was little."

Kira nodded, looking impressed.

"Hmm... This feels like a bit more than healing, if I'm being honest," she muttered. "A few people back home can do what you do, but... none quite this effectively." 

"Well, I have received a bunch of training, right?" I couldn't help the pride that snuck into my tone. I mean, if this was all I did all day, one would hope I'd be proud about it. 

"Right. That must be it. Still, you're amazing." 

I blushed even harder at the compliment.

"Thanks. I just want to help people."

When I finished healing Kira, I quickly turned away to go help the other patients.

But even as I walked away, I could still feel her intense gaze on my back, making my skin tingle.

It took a while, but eventually, I got everyone patched up and feeling better.

As the last patient walked out the door, I sighed, letting my shoulders drop.

"Well done, Grace," Sister Caria told me. "Handled it all mostly by yourself as well."

"Thank you," I bowed. "I'm going to go clean up."

"Please do."

With that, I headed to the restroom.

Walking over to the handwash, the lightbulb over my head flickered twice as I switched it on.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I took a deep breath, taking in my reflection.

My golden eyes looked a bit tired. It had been a while since I had a day off. I untied my hair from the ponytail I had it in while I worked, letting it fall over my shoulders. Finally, I splashed some water on my face and went back.

I noticed that Kira was still there, sitting on the bench and watching me.

Sister Caria came over and said:

"I'm going to get some cleaning supplies from the back. Will you be alright out here, Grace?"

I nodded, trying not to look too nervous about being alone with Kira.

As soon as Sister Caria was gone, Kira stood up and walked over to me.

I... hadn't noticed until now, but...

Kira was a full head taller than me. 

Granted, me being only just barely five feet tall on the tips of my toes, that wasn't really a high bar. But, well, it still made me feel even smaller than I was. 

"You're something else, Grace," she said, smiling. "That was incredible, what you did for those folk." 

I felt my cheeks get hot again.

"Oh, it's nothing special. I just do what I can."

Kira shook her head.

"Don't sell yourself short... No pun intended."

Ouch.

"That was some show you put on. You'd make a fortune back home."

She took a step closer, and I could smell the leather of her armor and the faint scent of sweat and blood. It was mind-numbing. 

"When the philosophers said, 'beauty can mend the soul', I think I know what they mean, now." 

My eyes widened, and I thought my face might actually catch on fire.

Is she... flirting with me!?!?!? 

Kira just grinned and took a step back.

"Well, I should probably get going. But I have a feeling I'll be seeing you around, Grace. Farewell." 

She winked at me, then turned and walked out of the church, leaving me standing there with my mouth hanging open.

I wasn't too sure what just happened.