A Helping Hand

The first time Carnis found one of the monks, he was excited. It seemed so incredible to find someone that took the same oath as he did in such a nondescript place. It reminded him of how widespread they were, how so many people were making a difference in so many places. 

After the first ten times, though, it was less remarkable. Even though Carnis had found Ja’luxe in such a backwater planet, it wasn’t a surprise anymore. They were so scattered that if he looked, he could find one of the cyber monks almost anywhere. It still made him excited, though, even if it wasn’t a surprise.

He was even happier when the monk asked to join him and have some lunch.

Carnis sat with this monk now in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. The lights were dim, there were hardly any people, and the food was divine. A perfect place to catch up, Carnis thought. 

“And how have your missions been?” Ja’luxe asked softly. His long, pointed ears perked up, and his slight smile betrayed his boundless curiosity and joy. “Have you been helping others as you wished?”

“I have!” Carnis said louder than he meant to. After a quick glance around, he cleared his throat and repeated, “I have.”

“Tell me of your mission,” Ja’luxe said. His eyes glinted with excitement. “It’s been so long since I’ve heard of one of us doing good.”

Carnis’ heart ached for a moment. How lonely had it been for Ja’luxe? Had it really been that long since he had seen another one of the monks? They were everywhere. Maybe he had been dedicated to isolation for cleansing or something? He wanted to ask so badly, but Ja’luxe wouldn’t answer. He knew that. 

So, he just took a deep breath and began his tale. 

“I was visiting a planet that was as dry as a desert,” he began. “Actually, it was a desert. The entire planet was a desert. And it seemed completely abandoned. I was about to head back to transport when I saw something in the sand.

“It looked like a human woman, and she wasn’t moving at all. I got nervous, so I went to check on her. She had passed out in the heat.”

“She had no water?” Ja’luxe asked. 

“I saw an empty water bottle next to her. It must have been all she had.” Carnis pursed his lips. “I don’t even know how she got there.” 

“There were no ships nearby?”

“Nope.” 

“Confusing.” Ja’luxe pondered this for a moment, and then gestured for Carnis to continue. So he did. 

“I cut myself to bleed on her,” Carnis said. “The arm.”

“As good of a place as any,” Ja’luxe responded with a nod.

“It made her look less flushed, and that’s about when she woke up.” Carnis grimaced, which made Ja’luxe raise an eyebrow. A brief twinge of shame pricked his heart. “I’m sorry, Ja’luxe. That was just, uh. Challenging.”

“How so?”

“She spoke very, very fast. So fast that I could barely keep up.” Carnis chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. “Which was, uh. It showed that she was feeling much better.”

“And you helped her get to safety?”

“That’s the weirdest part.” Carnis glanced at the waitress as she dropped off the food. He thanked her, but turned back to Ja’luxe instead of eating. “She said it was some ruins, but I didn’t see anyone there. But she thanked me and said she’d pay me back sometime.”

“A very generous person.” Ja’luxe cut his sandwich into smaller pieces, then looked up at Carnis. His gaze was gentle, but firm. “You did well, Carnis. I’m very proud of you.”

Pride washed over Carnis’ entire being. He couldn’t help but beam brightly, ears twitching in absolute delight. An elder said he did a good job! He had done this right! He knew that already, but even so, it was nice to hear it from someone so respected by the monks. He bowed his head and put his hand over his heart, as was custom.

“Thanks so much!” he replied just as brightly as his eyes shone. “It felt good to help someone out like that. I just hope she got home okay.”

The duo ate in silence, Ja’luxe looking almost serene as he ate his chicken salad. There was a soft smile on his face and an indescribable look in his eyes. Carnis glanced over at him now and again as he chowed down on his steak. 

“Everything okay?” Carnis asked. 

“Oh, yes. I just remember when I was able to run around like you, helping others as I pleased, not needing to worry about my blood ...” Ja’luxe sighed softly. “I must say, those were the days.”

“I’ll do more!” Carnis hadn’t realized that he blurted it out until Ja’luxe looked up at him, shocked. But that didn’t deter him. “I’ll do what you used to, then! I’ll run around and save all sorts of people!” 

“Don’t overexert yourself, Carnis.” Ja’luxe fixed him with a stern look. “I did that too. It’s partly why I am the way I am now.”

“Don’t worry! I’ll be super careful!” Carnis would find his limits when they cropped up, right? It wasn’t like it was easy to overexert himself, whatever that meant. So he’d do great! A part of him wanted to rush out and continue his work now, but the steak was only half eaten. Plus, it would be rude to ditch Ja’luxe. 

Ja’luxe was the one who handled the bill and counted Carnis’ half -- all the coins that he handed over were apparently just barely enough. Ja’luxe nodded in approval. “Yes, this will suffice.”

“Cool!”

“Thank you for joining me for lunch.” Ja’luxe smiled and rose to his feet, gesturing for Carnis to do the same. He did so. “It was nice to meet another on the same mission as I. I hope to see you again soon.”

“You got it, man!” 

Carnis accompanied Ja’luxe to the door, and only left once he was sure the old monk was in a safe place. His heart burned bright with passion and excitement -- now he just had to find someone else to help.