ROTU: Chapter Forty-One

Later the next evening, Jalena and Shamira sat together on the edge of a large grassy hill beneath a tree and watched the multiple colors of the sky swirl and shift. Glittering flecks of light fell around them amplifying the magic effect within the atmosphere. The soothing sound of running water from nearby waterfalls made their surroundings even more serene.

"There is so much of Asteria that reminds me of home," Shamira said.

"I know, except that it is missing our people," Jalena replied.

Shamira sighed, "Yes, which is why this could not be the same as home." She eyed Jalena cautiously. "Is he awake yet?"

Jalena shook her head.

"I know what he said freaked you out, but I think this is good because I have been waiting to talk to you about something."

"What do you mean?"

"It's about Gyan's death."

Jalena's brow furrowed.

"Just hear me out."

Jalena took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay."

"So, we have been taught that when someone returns to their core, they disappear into the light. This is what Sir Kesól saw Gyan do. However, how do we know what happens after or if someone really returns to the source of their core? I mean, has anyone ever asked the High Priestesses about the specifics? We just assume that your life ends because of what we see from our vantage point, but does it, or do you have other options that your Reserve reveals to you at that time? I mean, how flexible is it?"

Jalena smiled. "I can tell you've been holding that back."

"Since before we left." She put both hands behind her head. "Look, ever since he disappeared, I have wondered what he was thinking. It's just that, Jalena," Shamira paused as her breath caught and several tears leaked from the corner of her eye, "we are talking about Gyan—the other half of you. He never did anything that wasn't either driven by love or a deep sense of knowing." She wiped her eyes. "Even in his Shanlo state, he exercised more control than others, according to Sir Kesόl. I know something is missing that we just cannot see yet. I'm not trying to bring up more pain for you, and I know you haven't wanted to talk about it, but something doesn't sit right about the entire thing."

Jalena wiped her own tears away. "It's okay. I know, and to tell you the truth, I've wondered about it, too. The last words he said to me were, I'll be waiting for you…don't take too long. I thought it meant that he would see me upon my death, but now I am not sure. My drive to end Drasúl has also been selfishly oriented in that I wanted the experience to be my end, too, so I could see Gyan again. However, Gyan did not appear to me when I was in between dimensions—only Malik did. Of course, had he shown, I may not have wanted to return…"

"Well, you didn't completely die either, but I'm going to share something else."

"You think Kaelon is Gyan," Jalena stated for her.

"Yes."

"It's too much of a leap."

"Is it? How do we know?"

"He has lived his entire life as a human. I mean, why incarnate in this realm when you could have just come through the portal like we did to stop Drasúl?"

"I don't know…yet. I just think he saw a path in his Reserve that was the most probable way for everything to come together. Knowing Gyan, it may have been our best chance to defeat Drasúl. Think about it…Had he come with us, we wouldn't have lost memories and preserved light over the years to become greater in power than ever before. We probably wouldn't have stayed this long for the humans—your signal wouldn't have become so loud that they could no longer ignore the call from within them—you wouldn't have yielded enough of your soul to blend with the Earth's power, and then things wouldn't have aligned the way they've needed too for everyone in this dimension."

She took a breath. "Besides that, how do you explain the repeated déjà vu he's been having? When he thought that I said, 'Sorry I had to hurt you' before, he was right. I did say that after I had to stab Gyan in the arm during his Shanlo episode to wake him up."

"There is something else that may add support to your theory," said Jalena. "While I saw Malik, he said to me that the act of yielding your life force to authentic love surpasses all bounds of what we believe to be true. So, maybe what we believed to be true about returning to our core through an act of compassion for others as Gyan did, can lead to something beyond what we originally thought."

"Yes! We may not know for sure, but there is something amazing going on…I can feel it."

Jalena raised her eyebrows. "Or it could all be coincidence."

The two burst out laughing.

"I'm not entirely sold on your theory," Jalena said, "but I do agree there is missing information about Kaelon. I would say that we should contact Malik directly with our questions, but I'm sure Ralian has wiped the headquarters clean of all our stuff when the Avehkal infiltrated the facility—including the Stone of Echoes."

"You mean this one?" a voice called from above them.

Jalena and Shamira jumped up to see Elindrel lounging comfortably on a large branch of a nearby tree, tossing the Stone of Echoes back and forth between both hands.

"Elindrel," Jalena said as she shook her head in disbelief. "You rescued the stone."

"Put a shielding spell on it is more like it. Then, I returned for it later. Your cloaks and uniforms are already in your chambers."

"How long have you been eavesdropping?" Shamira asked as she scrutinized Elindrel.

"Long enough," he replied with a smile. He stood and stepped into the air around the branch, then floated down slowly to the two.

"You can fly?" Shamira said in surprise.

"I have many powers, Master Shamira. Being King of the Glisayas, I would hope that I have learned a little more than just the basics. It's the perks of being alive as long as I have." He turned to Jalena. "I came to return this to you," he handed her the stone, "but also to tell you that you have the alliance of the Glisayas in your war against Drasúl. You were right in warning me of his potential."

He bowed deeply. "I apologize for my earlier harshness. I am not entirely convinced that the human race will change, but I realize they are not all on the same level, and with the evolvement I have witnessed within your Conduits, I believe the surface dwellers have a chance at the evolution that they have been resisting for centuries now. If not, I suppose we will deal with them as needed. However, I believe you have helped them significantly just by taking the time to guide the human leaders that you have discovered."

Jalena and Shamira returned Elindrel's bow.

"Thank you, Elindrel," said Jalena.

"The Glisayan Conduit is advancing rapidly, and she is well doted upon. When the time to come together is right, you will see me again." He smiled and then disappeared in a burst of glittering light.

Shamira and Jalena moved to the top of the hill.

Jalena stared at Shamira for several seconds, suddenly nervous.

"Do it," Shamira said.

The light in Jalena's eyes shone brightly as she held out the stone before her. "Enye gan sun fae."

The stone spun above Jalena's hand and projected rays of blue and white light from all angles.

Malik appeared before the two. He raised an eyebrow. "Back so soon?"

"We have questions about Gyan—I mean, Kaelon!" blurted Shamira, unable to contain her excitement.

Malik smiled. "And what are they, Master Shamira?"

Shamira enthusiastically relayed her theory to Malik.

"Your theory is correct, Master Shamira," Malik answered with an amused look after she finished.

Shamira jumped up and down and clapped her hands. "Yes!"

"What?" Jalena exclaimed, her voice shrill as her heart rate suddenly spiked. Part of her believed that Shamira's theory was too good to be true, but now that the opposite of what she expected was confirmed by Malik, shock formed within her. She swallowed hard, finding it difficult to form words as she stared, teary-eyed, at Malik. She paced for several moments in silence before she found her voice again. "But, when I said that my gift of protection was returned to Kaelon, rather than Gyan, you said—"

"—it matters not," Malik finished. "And it doesn't matter who a gift from your soul is given to. It's just in this case it happened to be the same soul receiving the gift that also granted it."

Jalena put a hand over her chest to suppress the sharp pain that shot through her heart. Her scar began to pulse. She rubbed her eyes with her hand and shook her head. "I don't—I don’t know what to think…"

"Easy, Jalena," Malik said calmly. "Sit and I will tell you what has transpired."

Jalena sat down slowly along with Shamira at her side and took a deep breath.

Shamira put a hand on Jalena's knee, her eyes wide with excitement and eagerness as she waited for Malik to continue the story.

"You and Gyan are interdimensional twin travelers. Travelers are so powerful that they concentrate parts of their souls into different realms in order to assist societies in evolution. Travelers are also renegades that serve to initiate new thoughts among the people or act as viruses that infiltrate corrupt systems. Often their missions are fulfilled just by existing because the energy they carry within is a light that naturally beckons all truth to surface. Their light and the power of heart must be stronger than most warriors for it is what helps to sustain their resilience in dark realms. It is no easy task to infiltrate diseased systems that reject your very essence.

"You stand in your full being now because your own mission in carrying the Light Key for Galinia requires the full power of who you are. However, Gyan had another part of his soul already incarnated on Galinia, which his Reserve revealed to him. He decided to incarnate an aspect of himself here because he knew that both of you would likely have to come to Earth at some point. In a sense, it was a safety net to keep you with him no matter what dimension he was in. Clever as they come, that one," Malik finished with a wink.

Shamira moved behind Jalena and put her arms around her as Jalena buried her head in her arms and let her tears silently flow. Years of confusion that lay at the root of her heartache dismantled as Malik spoke.

Malik continued softly. "As events transpired on Elsaria, Gyan made a vow a long time ago to free Aderes from Drasúl when he learned that Aderes was trapped within him. Based on the choices and paths Gyan's Reserve showed him, the one with the most probable outcome for making his dream come true was the one he chose—the one that led him to fulfill the strongest desires within his heart, which were to free his friend and to keep you in his life.

"He chose to give up his life on Elsaria and merged the rest of his core energy with Kaelon, his incarnated soul on Galinia, knowing that he could accomplish more than one agenda if he did so. He knew you would strive to fulfill the mission I set out to do and travel to Earth. In fact, the gift of his charisma to you before he departed Elsaria was not only to ensure your protection but also served selfish reasons. As his own power pulses through you, it serves as a beacon of light to call him back to you. More of Gyan's energy is surfacing while Kaelon is in Asteria because the suppressive influence of the Illuse that saturates Galinia's surface does not exist here. This, along with spending more time with you, is why he is rapidly gaining back more of his memories. Does this resonate and make sense to you?"

Jalena nodded without looking up.

"Kaelon has had dreams of you since he was a young child, Jalena, although he does not remember them at this time. Being that your soul is bound to each other is why he so adamantly pursues you in this dimension as Gyan did on Elsaria."

Jalena took a deep breath and sniffed as she nodded. "Will he wake to who he truly is?"

"Yes, but that time is not yet determined, so you cannot rely on him to help as a warrior in this mission. In fact, he took the gamble knowing that he may not wake in time. Yet, time spent together serves to trigger the rise of his memories along with his true form. The signal that at times forms an electric spark when you touch has also helped to release deep memories within him. Remember, however, that the process of self-evolution is to be respected and must occur when the person is ready. If he wakes too soon or if the transformation is forced before components are ready, he could become confused, reject that part of him, and even become lost within himself."

Jalena nodded. "I understand. It was the same when Shamira and I were lost to who we are."

"Yes." He smiled. "Now do you understand my departing words?"

She smiled. "The road you travel ends with everything you desire."

Malik chuckled. "My promise to you still holds true. How I love it when my students remember." His form began to fade. "Jalena do not doubt that he will remember, and you will pull who he is to surface completely as you do for all warriors who come into your presence. He wants to remember, so believe in him and it will be so."

Malik disappeared as the glow of the stone dimmed. It stopped spinning and dropped into Jalena's hand.

"I am so happy," Shamira proclaimed. "And to think, all along you wanted to call him Gyan, not because of surface similarities, but because it is who he is." She sighed. "What are you going to say to him now?"

"I have no fucking clue."

She chuckled as Shamira laughed loudly. "Well since you don't know what to say, you'll have to trigger his awakening without words if you get me." She nudged Jalena. "The star wizard said to shock him through touch."

Jalena shook her head and smiled. "Don't start."

"Tell him you're recruiting him for an entrepreneurial empowerment program with additional benefits."

Jalena's and Shamira's laughter filled the air as the two fell back into the grass to watch to glow of the inner moon reflect off the crystals in the surrounding trees.