Miraria sighed and pushed a piece of her long brown hair out of her eyes. It had been a long day, and it was only noon. The hot sun was beating down on her small framed, covered as it was by the sky blue robes of a cleric of Mishakal. She'd been working in the garden for the last few hours, and although she knew she shouldn't feel threatened by her sisters and brothers, Miraria was glad to be away from the crowds. The mass they'd held in the main temple that morning had drawn the largest crowd yet. Miraria knew it was only because the Temple to Paladine wasn't finished yet, but it made her heart sing to see so many people coming to praise the goddess. It made her heart sing, but it also made her head swim. She'd passed out halfway through the great prayer and that was why she was stuck gardening for the rest of the day.
She sighed again as the bells summoned her to noontime meal. Severally tempted to skip it, but knowing that her friends would miss her and come looking for her, the young girl brushed off her clothes and joined the long line of sky-blue robes waiting to enter the dining hall.
She sighed again hearing the older people talking about how nice it was to see such young blood in the temple again. "Sure," She muttered under her breath. "Lure us in with promises of interesting new lives that are blessed by the goddess and then leave us gardening."
"You seek more from us sister?" Miraria hadn't realized that she'd been overheard.
"Not exactly sister." Knowing that she was the bottom rung of the ladder around here, Miraria bowed slightly to show her apology. The woman who questioned her was smiling, she didn't look like she was planning on telling the Master Healer on her.
"You seek adventure."
Miraria couldn't help smiling. "I'm twenty years old sister. I left my father's house to join you here. Of course I expected adventure."
The older woman smiled. "You will find your adventure soon enough child. Patience is what you need before we can send you out into the world to cure plagues."
Miraria smiled politely. "Patience...yes. I believe you are right sister. Thank you for being patient with me." With a polite bow, Miraria decided she could skip lunch and headed back to the small room she shared with three other young girls. If any of them came looking for her, she could claim to be fasting to better hear Mishakal's voice. It would be partially true. Sure the fast did start with her skipping breakfast because she slept in, but she didn't think the goddess would mind.
Kneeling on the floor, Miraria's hands clasped the blue infinity sign that was her goddess' symbol. "Mishakal, Holy Healer. I know I don't have the wisdom to do what is right in every situation. I know I don't have the confidence to speak up for you to the unfaithful. I know I don't have the peace to minister to others. I know I don't have the experience to travel the world alone. I know I don't have the faith to leave the safety of these walls. I know I don't have the strength to bear this burden alone. I know I don't have the serenity to calmly analyse my mission. I ask for none of these things beloved Goddess. Mishakal, Holy Healer. Grant me patience...and let the rest come with time."
"Beautiful." Kiarni smirked as she entered the room. She'd obviously been one of the first to finish lunch, had noted Miraria's absence and gone searching for the girl. "I think we've found your calling my friend."
Miraria blushed and quickly stood up. "You're not supposed to interrupt on someone's private prayers."
"You were talking aloud. Besides, I thought it was pretty." Kiarni began to brush out her long blond hair. "You should be a worship leader."
Miraria sighed. "But I don't want to be a worship leader! The entire reason I came here was so that I could get out from under my father's wings. Now I'm stuck here, where I'll probably die of old age before healing a single person!"
The other cleric smiled. "Patience sister. Remember?"
"Stow it." Miraria moodily threw herself onto her own bed, pushing another strand of her hair out of her face.
Kiarni sighed. "Here, let me fix your hair for you. You've been out in the sun all morning and your braid has practically fallen out."
Miraria sat up and turned so her friend could reach her hair. "The problem is that I have so darn much hair it won't stay in it's braid even if I spend all morning sitting in prayer."
Kiarni laughed as she ran a brush through her friend's long, dark brown hair. As she brushed it out, she was amazed once again by it's length. Unbound, the beautiful dark locks hung to the floor. As this was extremely impractical, Miraria normally bound her hair in a braid or bun. "I'd get you thrown out of the temple if you ever cut it Mir. It would be a sin against the gods."
Miraria snorted. "Yeah, it's great for you. You don't have to lug it around your whole life."
The two girls laughed as Kiarni's quick fingers confined the hair to a braid again. "Are you stuck in the garden all afternoon as well for your startling performance this morning?" Kiarni smiled.
Miraria blushed. "That's evidence that I'm not supposed to be a worship leader. I can't even stand the sight of a full temple."
"Don't worry. As soon as they finish the temple to Paladine, us daughters of Mishakal will return to the quiet life we're used to." Kiarni sighed. "It's a shame too. I'm just starting to like being surrounded by people all the time. Don't you just find everything so friendly?"
"Sure. It's great for you Ki. You come from a rich family where you got to spend all your time alone in your room, gazing at your perfect reflection. I'm the fourth daughter, seventh child of a middle class merchant! I barely got to bathe alone!" Miraria smiled. Of all the people she'd met after coming to the temple, Kiarni was her favourite. The two were as different as night and day, but they worked marvellously together.
"So are you gardening this afternoon? Or could I interest you in a hospital shift?" Kiarni grinned.
Miraria narrowed her eyes, knowing that this could not be good. "So who are you sneaking out to meet now?"
"I'm not sneaking out to meet anyone!" Kiarni looked insulted. "Just because I did that once doesn't mean you have to keep bringing it up. People change! I realized the error of my ways! I -"
"Who?" Miraria wasn't convinced.
Kiarni smiled. "Denirta. She's going shopping for her wedding dress and I just have to go. Please?"
"This isn't really behaviour befitting a cleric of Mishakel..." Miraria was never one to rock the boat. Kiarni delighting in trying to overturn the boat.
"Oh come on Mir!! After all, our beloved Blue Lady is goddess of fertility as well as healing...." Kiarni pleaded with her friend.
Miraria cracked, as all knew she would. The poor girl was plagued by lack of self-confidence and a less-than-iron resolve. "Fine. How long is your shift?"
"Four hours. You're a life saver Mir!" Kiarni giggled and quickly exchanged her robes for a green dress. She didn't want to be seen wedding shopping her robes. "By the way, it starts in ten minutes." The girl disappeared out the window.
Miraria sighed as she pulled herself to a standing position and picked up Kiarni's discarded infinity medallion. "Mishakal...I don't understand how my friend can throw you away so easily. Definitely explains how the gods were 'lost' for three hundred years." Miraria placed the blue medallion on her friend's dresser and headed for the door. She stopped in the doorway, feeling the need to express something to her goddess. "I will never abandon you, Holy Healer. I may not be strong, or brave or smart or confident or much of anything really. But I will never abandon you Blue Lady."
Feeling the peace of the gods within her, Miraria was inclined to whistle as she headed off to the hospital. She knew that she would occasionally have her doubts about her place in the temple, but she would never doubt her faith.
"Sister?" An older cleric approached Miraria and waited politely for the younger girl to finish her prayer. She nodded once when she saw the patient's breathing soften and fists unclench. The man was sleeping peacefully, when only moments before he'd been screaming in agony.
Miraria shook her head softly to clear from it the remnants of the holy peace so she could function in the real world again. Sometimes she longed so much to just remain in that calm peacefulness forever. Kiarni told her they had another word for that, death. Miraria knew that her friend didn't understand. "Yes sister?"
"I have a difficult case of poisoning and I require the aid of some herbs. If you would kindly go down to the herbalists and get the following items." She handed Miraria a list and dismissed her from her former duties with the wave of her hand.
The younger cleric thanked the Blue Lady that she could finally go out and get some fresh air. Nodding once to show she understood, even though the elder cleric had already turned her back, Miraria stood and stretched. It felt good to move after kneeling for so long.
As she stepped from the cool marble halls to the bright afternoon sunlight, Miraria gave thanks to all the gods that made Krynn such a beautiful place to live. She was moved to music as she walked down the crowded streets, returning the nods of the populace and accepted the respect that came with the robes and medallion she wore. She had to admit that there was a little part of her that enjoyed watching noblemen bow their heads to her and merchants tip their hats. There was also a part of her that knew they were not showing respect to her, but to the goddess she represented. Miraria pushed all prideful thoughts out of her mind, and did her best to be a shining example of Mishakal.
"Help!" The cry pierced the normal noise of the street like a dragon's roar. "Please!! Help!"
Miraria was moved to instant action. She quickly scanned for the source of the shout and found a man, leg trapped beneath an upturned cart. He was screaming in pain, the bone obviously shattered by the heavy wagon. Without a thought for her own safety, Miraria ran to the man. The crowd that had gathered, parted to let the cleric through. Seeing a man in serious pain, a man who seriously needed her help, Miraria found reserves of strength and courage she never knew she had. In her best imitation of the Master Healer, she pointed to a few big men. "You men! Lift the cart!" To her surprise, they all obeyed, bobbing their heads to her authority.
Miraria felt the blood drain from her face as she saw the extent of the damage to the leg. The man's face was ashen. He was a fairly big man with short blond hair and bright blue eyes. It was the eyes that caught Miraria's attention. He was the most handsome man she'd ever met and here were these two big blue eyes pleading for her help. She grit her teeth and put both of her hands on the shattered bone. "Mishakal, Holy Healer. See your servant, wounded severely, in desperate need of your help. Let his bone be healed. Mishakal, Holy Healer. Show your power, grant your servant relief." She felt the same rush she always felt when healing, the same peace that consumed her body and mind, the relief that she had someone greater than herself to lean on, the belief that everything was going to be okay. But everything wasn't okay. The man was still writhing in agony. The prayer had not worked. Miraria went pale. "What?"
The man grabbed her arm desperately. "What's wrong? Please...the pain..."
Miraria felt like she had that morning. The beautiful afternoon suddenly seemed too hot. Her vision began to swim and the world seemed oddly far away. "I don't understand..."
The man clutched at her arm desperately. "Please! What's wrong?"
Miraria forced her eyes shut, feeling the broken bone beneath her hands again. Mishakal...please...help me to heal this man. Help me to relieve his pain. An unfortunate accident should not cut short such a life. Conventional methods could never heal him. Beloved Blue Lady. Mend his bone.
Precious Daughter...you know not what you ask... The voice was small, but sweet. The entire world faded away as Miraria listened to the voice of her goddess. He is not a good man Daughter. If you heal him, he will hurt you.
How? I don't understand!! I will leave him here as soon as I mend his leg. Healer, help me! Make him whole!
Are you sure Daughter? Even if his health means your pain?
Mishakal, how could I leave him in pain?
Although the voice was sad, Miraria could tell her goddess was pleased with the response. It will be as you wish Daughter. Remember.
The next thing Miraria heard was the gasps from the crowd. Her eyes were still closed and focused on her goddess, but the crowd was obviously seeing something more amazing. The cleric was glowing with a pure blue light. The man gasped as his leg was fully healed, the pain gone completely. The crowd gasped as the wave of peace flowed over them, leaving them feeling better than they had been feeling before. Miraria simply offered thanks to her goddess and tried to ignore the human pride that was welling up in her breast. Obviously this pride thing got harder as you became stronger. "Are you okay?"
"Amazingly!" The man stood with Miraria's help and tenderly put his weight on the newly healed leg. "Completely healed! You are amazing!"
Miraria smiled. "Mishakel is amazing. I am her servant."
The man was very excited. "You must help my sister!" He grabbed her arm and began to pull her down the street. "She's been very sick the last few days...I was going to get a cleric any ways when the wagon toppled. Please! I'm afraid she'll die."
I will leave him here as soon as I mend his leg... The words of her prayer came back to her, causing her to stop in her tracks. "I'm sorry. I must retrieve some herbs for a patient at the hospital. The temple is only a few blocks from here, there will be many clerics there to help you..." Miraria tried to get her arm out of the man's grasp.
He turned to face her and caught her in his blue eyes again. "Please! I don't know how long she has left. My house is near here. Please! You took the time to heal me! How can you not take the time to heal her! How could your faith support you as you let a little girl die! Please!" He pulled on her arm gently. "I'm sorry if I spoke harshly. Please!"
Miraria felt her resolve slipping. She knew that she'd promised to leave immediately, but certainly Mishakel could not want her to leave a little girl to die. She would leave the moment she helped the little girl. "I will come."
"Thank you." The relief on the man's face was evident. "You are a very good cleric. I promise to donate as much as I can to your temple if you can help her. Thank you so much."
Miraria smiled. "It is not me you should be thanking."
The man was confused for a moment as he began to lead her along again. Suddenly her meaning came to him. "Oh! Thank Mishakel! Believe me, I will." He weaved through the crowd that had stopped to see his miracle healing and were now returning to their previous tasks. "By the way, my name is Kodan."
"I'm Miraria." The crowd was beginning to make her feel a little woozy again. She hoped this Kodan lived close.
"Can I call you that?"
"What?"
"May I call you Miraria, or must I call you Sister, or Daughter or something." Kodan's smile captured Miraria's heart.
"Oh." The cleric was unsure how to answer. She'd never been asked that question before. "I suppose you can call me Miraria."
"Good." He squeezed her hand, causing her to blush. "It's such a beautiful name. It suits such a beautiful person."
Between the heat of the day, the crowd and Kodan's compliments, Miraria was feeling extremely light headed. "Thanks." She began to breath heavier, trying not to panic as she began to see star bursts in front of her eyes. She needed to sit down. "Kodan..."
"Yes?" The man could tell by the tone of her voice that something was wrong. The look of concern on his face was truly touching. She clutched at his strong arm as she felt herself loosing consciousness. At the back of her mind somewhere she knew she was being lifted and carried. She could hear Kodan's voice nervously explaining that she had fainted and that he would care for her. The cleric happily let the bigger, stronger man take care of her. She wondered momentarily what he'd done to cause Mishakel to hold back her healing, but as his gentle touch laid her in a soft cool bed, Miraria no longer cared.
"Are you feeling better?" Kodan's concerned face hovered above her.
Miraria felt herself blush as she quickly sat up. She felt light headed again, but as she closed her eyes she knew she wasn't going to faint again. She also realized that she'd been taken out of the sun and was sitting in a fairly nice upper room of a fairly nice house with the curtains drawn. "I'm fine."
Kodan smiled, causing Miraria to blush all over again. "You really had me worried."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. It's my fault. You could have told me we were moving too fast."
Miraria smiled, holding Kodan's gaze. "It must have looked pretty silly. Me, a cleric, coming to help a sick girl and ending up unconscious myself."
"Speaking of girls, are you well enough to see my sister?" The worry returned to Kodan's face.
Miraria nodded and got out of the bed. She followed Kodan down the hall, all the way thinking what a wonderful older brother he must make. The door he opened was to another bedroom, this one even darker than the one Miraria had been kept in. She looked quizingly to Kodan.
He shook his head sadly. "Even the weakest light hurts her eyes."
"Poor thing..." As Miraria got closer to the bed, she could see the outline of a woman. The woman was small and too thin and pale as the silver moon. "Do you know what it is that eats away at her? Has any other cleric come?" Miraria lowered her voice, fearful of disturbing the sick woman.
"I have no idea. No one else has come. You are the first." There was a different tone in Kodan's voice, an unexplained excitement. Miraria expected that he wanted her to glow again.
"What is her name?" Miraria slowly pulled back the covers to see more of the girl's body. It was unmarred, and white as marble. She was clothed in a black night gown that made her hair and eyes seem dark as the Abyss.
"Hyakuhei." Kodan was definitely changed. "All evils..."
Miraria turned to face him, unsure as to what was going on. To her surprise the girl grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into the bed. The girl was surprisingly strong for her size and easily restrained the struggling cleric with Kodan's help. "Oh..." She sighed in pleasure. "Kodan...she glows..."
The world was distorted as the three were pulled out of Krynn by Hottan Matsu's dark call.
So where are they now?
Background from Morion Designs.