ROTU: Chapter Fifty-Four

Jalena teleported and reappeared at the base of the pyramid.

She reached through the fallen stones and grabbed Drasúl, who still lied buried beneath the rubble.

His eyes opened wide as she yanked him up.

"Don't you love it when you hit rock bottom?" she asked with a hardened stare. "There's no place to go but up."

Drasúl held fast to her arms as Jalena jumped and soared high.

Her twin's shared eyes transformed as Jalena's irises turned red, and her pupils once more turned to slits. The rainbow-glowing halo within her gaze changed completely to gold. Blue and red flames ignited around her as the transformative energy of the phoenix once again filled her, representing the ancient power of the Earth's gift within her. The sigils on her skin glowed as the moonlight that Lunara had granted her surfaced and leaked from her sigils to form thin, unbreakable threads of light that wound tightly around Drasúl.

Jalena landed at the peak of Mount Sinai and released her hold on Drasúl, who stood trapped within the binds of moonlight. The united sword of the twin's energy formed in Jalena's grasp. Her phoenix fire blended with the moonlight and swirled around the length of their blade. She ran the sword through Drasúl without a moment's hesitation.

Drasúl screamed as the flames encompassed him.

Gyan's voice carried across the mountain. "Now give me back my brother."

The gladaé disappeared, and Drasúl's gaze deadened. His body fell forward onto the rocky terrain.

The flames around Jalena disappeared, and her eyes returned to normal. She closed her eyes as white light appeared at her core and expanded outward. When the light cleared, Jalena and Gyan stood side-by-side before Drasúl's body.

The two remained silent as a burst of silver flashed above Drasúl, and glittering black light poured from his body. An enormous black dragon reformed before the twin's eyes and stretched its wings wide.

There was no need for words as both Jalena and Gyan felt the gratitude from the dragon. Silver light expanded through his scales and the marking on his forehead as he brought his head to both warriors in turn. Their eyes flashed with silver light as Jalena and Gyan accepted the gift from the dragon just as Malik had years ago. The Mark of the Dragon formed on both Jalena's and Gyan's foreheads, and the two bowed to the dragon in unison.

Drasúl's body lit with a crimson glow and then disintegrated within the light as it spread across his body. Darkone's deep chuckle echoed off the sides of the mountain.

The dragon moved back and unfurled his front talons to reveal Aderes's limp, glowing form in his grasp.

"Aderes!" Gyan exclaimed as he rushed forward. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for protecting him," he said to the dragon.

He knelt beside Aderes and placed a hand on his forehead.

His spirit hangs by a thread, the dragon said as he gently laid Aderes on the mountainside. He gave all he had to stifle Drasúl's power from within. There is great honor within his deeds.

The dragon's form began to fade. The blessings of the dragon race reside with you. Your names will be known in every realm. He launched into the air and disappeared in a silver burst.

Jalena's and Gyan's attention shifted as bright gold light spread across the area.

The light dimmed to reveal the High Priestesses standing before them.

Jalena gasped as tears filled her gaze. She rushed up to Nyhra, who now stood beside her ancestors as the fourth priestess.

Nyhra smiled and put a golden glowing hand on her face. "Before you even say a word, know that I am happy in the position I now hold. What has meant to transpire has occurred as it should."

"Thank you for protecting me," Jalena whispered as her tears dropped, "and for all those years watching over Shamira while she was buried—for everything you have sacrificed."

"As your elder master, my pleasure has always resided with my duty," she smiled, "and I will continue to watch over you now as the fourth priestess." She looked at Aderes's form. "We are here for Master Aderes."

Gyan stood. "Why?"

"He must renew his spirit and then go before Council so they may determine the next steps of his path," Nysa explained. "You have fulfilled your promise in freeing his energy, Master Gyan. He will not experience the same fate as Sinial or Mordán. Your love and the will of the dragons ensure this. No matter the decision of the Legion, your friend's spirit will remain free."

Gyan frowned but nodded. "I understand."

Nyhra smiled. "Some team members are waiting for the arrival of the twins to celebrate." She showed them an image of the destination to hold in mind when they teleported.

The High Priestesses each lifted a hand in farewell as their eyes brightened with gold light. Nyhra's smile widened as she met Jalena's eye. "We are forever with you," she whispered as the four disappeared within the light along with Aderes's body.

Gyan grabbed Jalena's hand and whipped her around to face him. "It feels like a lifetime that I never wanted to experience without you has passed before us," he whispered as he brought his head to hers. "When we merged, I saw your life—I felt all the pain—all the emotional hell I put you through because of the decision I made." He swallowed hard. "It felt as if I was being ripped apart. I know it is different for you because, as Kaelon, I didn't have the memories of our time together."

"I understand why," Jalena replied. "I felt all of you too."

"I know, but I just need to say this because all choices within my Reserve were not revealed to you when we merged."

He lowered his gaze but tightened his grip on her as he tried to control his emotions. He took a deep breath. "In all the choices of my Reserve, it showed you sacrificing your life for me at some point even if we succeeded in killing Drasúl, and," he swallowed, "our current path was the only one that revealed the highest probability of your survival. I knew the Earth's power would unlock within you to keep you alive until I could return to you. It is part of the reason why I didn't pursue Ralian and Drasúl further in Alsar."

His tears dropped as he lifted his eyes to meet Jalena's again. "I told you once that I refused to live without you, and I mean that with all that I am. My sacrifice to protect others was also to protect my own heart." He drew her against him as his breath caught, "And yet, I am sorry for the pain my choices created."

Jalena smiled through her mirrored tears. "In protecting your own heart, mine is whole once more." Tenderness filled her gaze as she put her palm gently on his cheek and brushed her thumb across his skin. "If you knew how much I missed you…"

"Twins, remember? I can feel it." He kissed her deeply and wound his arms around her. "Now that I know your thoughts and feelings, you can never lie about how much you love me."

"Wouldn't dare to try," Jalena said as she pulled him closer.

The two basked in the silence around them as the orange, red, and yellow glow of the dawning sun broke over the horizon.

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