The next morning, in the Chantry courtyard…

Grass is slightly damp with morning dew. Sun is a little bright and warm on the skin. Birds are singing up in the trees. What a day. What a day…

Last night came and went so damn quickly. Hours in the blink of an eye, toying with my phone and practising Anna’s Sanctuary spell. I think my phone was at slightly above half of its battery life when I shut it off to save it for another day. An incentive for another time, maybe.

I barely got any sleep. Think I dozed off during morning prayers more times than I’d like to admit. I swear, I had my eyes open, and then they were closed… and then, I dreamt I was attending morning prayers. Somehow, Anna lasted through the whole damn thing. I know that because she was nudging me awake, over and over.

Oh well. We’re just relaxing together after breakfast, sitting under the shade of the great ancient tree, giving ourselves time to digest our food. Soon, we’ll be out and about, doing all those exercises. And maybe some spell practice before lunch, too!

We should get going. Daylight's burning, after all! I look over my shoulder, at Anna. She’s…

“Zzzzz…”

Oh, really now! To think she got all cross with me for catching some much-needed shut-eye during morning prayers! Sure, context matters… but then… heh! I should wake her up, but I think we can remain like this for just a little longer. Just a little longer…

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Thirty minutes later…

I open my eyes to the welcome sight of the trees and flowers all around us in the Chantry courtyard. Sun’s as nice and warm as ever, under the shade.

Anna’s still fast asleep. I gently shake her awake. As much I’d like to hang around like this forever… we have a schedule to keep! Besides, there’s always time to catch a nap after lunch!

“Arisa…?” Anna mumbles groggily, one eye open as she rubs at the other. “Did I…?”

“Yeah, you did,” I say with a smile. “That makes us even!”

“I’m pretty sure falling asleep during morning prayers is more serious…”

“Maybe it is, but my point still stands!” I exclaim playfully, crossing my arms and pouting my lips. “Anyway, are you feeling better?”

“Yes. I was feeling really tired all morning. I could barely stay awake even while you fell asleep right next to me, Arisa…”

“We did stay up pretty late.”

“I know. But I don’t mind it at all if it’s with you,” Anna adds gently with a warm smile. “We did get a lot done together during that time… so maybe it’s worth it.”

“It definitely is!” I exclaim happily. “And now, we gotta make sure all that staying up was worth it!”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

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“What else could I mean? It’s time for more spell training!” I exclaim enthusiastically, getting up on my feet and offering Anna my hand. “Or rather… a test to show me what you’ve learned! We’ll have you cast Sanctuary without any external assistance.”

“Oh my! A test!?” Anna exclaims worriedly. “Umm…”

“No, no, no! Don’t worry! You got this!”

“Okay…”

“Hey, that’s not the kind of attitude I wanna hear from my Paladin!” I chide, crossing my arms authoritatively. “Tell me, are you ready!?”

“Umm… yes ma’am!”

“That’s better. C’mon!”

With newfound courage, Anna takes my hand and I help her up. We get into battle positions, facing the great tree like it’s an ancient Treant looking for a fight. I watch on as she takes a deep breath, eyes forward. And as the familiar sight of that runic ring of silver light expands from beneath her feet to protect herself and me… I feel really, really proud!

Good grief. This must be how a teacher feels when their students get all the right answers without cheating! And I gotta say, I love this feeling! Knowing that I had a hand in this, making my Paladin the best she can be for me, her Healer.

“Nicely done!” I say to Anna as she turns to look at me, her face wreathed in smiles. “Damn, all those hours last night paid off, huh!?”

“It did!”

“Now, try ending the spell. Take another deep breath, and slowly let go of your concentration…”

“Ahh…”

Slowly, the silver light of Anna’s Sanctuary fades away. She does it nicely and gracefully as a Paladin oughta do, cupping her hand into a fist as she takes that deep breath, to will away her magic. She may or may not have taken inspiration from me! Not that I mind at all!

“I did it, Arisa!” Anna exclaims joyfully, running up to me and embracing me tightly. “I did it without your Divine Blessing, I did it all by myself!”

“Yup! That was fucking amazing!” I exclaim, hugging her just as warmly. “Now, we just need to get some experience casting it in combat!”

“What do you have in mind? An Adventurer’s Guild mission, maybe?”

“Yup! But first, we’ll need to work on that consistency outta combat,” I state authoritatively. “Ready yourself anew, Anna. We keep at it!”

“Yes ma’am!”

Like I said, casting a spell is like flexing a muscle! Eventually, I’m sure she’ll know this spell like the back of her hand. With it… she’ll keep us safe in the trials and battles to come. For that, I’m truly, truly grateful.

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Two hours later…

We got some good reps in. Now, Anna’s more than capable of activating and deactivating the protection of her Sanctuary with just a mere thought while swinging Ascalon!

But we’re far from done. She still needs to get some practical combat experience to really master this spell. That’s the next step, I suppose! For now, we’re just taking a break, relaxing under the shade of the great tree. It’s been quite a day, and…

“Umm… Arisa?” Anna says to me as I kick back and relax. “I’ve been meaning to tell you, to ask you…”

“Hmm?”

Carefully, with a sweet and demure smile on her lips, Anna hands me her diary, placing it in my hands. It’s soft and leathery, with a pencil attached to it using a little red ribbon, and…

“Would you write something in it for me? Anything you like!”

“Anna, I…”

Momentarily, I stare at her diary in disbelief. And then, I look up into her eyes. She’s still smiling at me, her expression gentle like a spring breeze as she presses a hand against her cheek.

“You’re so patient and kind with me, Arisa. With your guidance, I’ve become a better Paladin. From the bottom of my heart… thank you.”

“Anna…”

Good grief. Looks like it’s my turn to hesitate! The irony ain’t lost on me, and I feel a little silly thinking about it. But it’s all good. It’s all gravy.

“I’d be happy to write something in there for ya,” I answer with a warm smile and a playful swagger. “And I know just the thing!”

“I’m looking forward to it!”

Gosh. I’m reliving a memory, writing in this diary of hers again. Kinda. It’s a moment from my past that no longer exists except in my thoughts, time travel be damned. But that’s okay, Anna. I’m happy to do this again. With you. For you.

I’ll write… what I wrote before. I remember it clear as day now. It’s a really good one, I swear! Heh. And as I write the words down... it's a bittersweet feeling. It really is.

“Here you go!” I whisper sweetly as I return the diary back to its rightful owner. “Have a look, won’t ya? Hell, read it out loud if you dare!”

“Let’s see, umm…” Anna wonders out loud as she reads what I wrote. “If one glass of sunsweet milk ranks ten out of ten… then Anna’s as sweet as ten glasses! Oh, really now! Arisa...”

“It’s true!” I answer playfully, smiling brightly as I watch her press a hand on her left cheek, her face red like roses. “You’re the sweetest Paladin on Nisha!”