ROTU: Chapter Nine

Instead of traveling to Japan as she and Shamira had previously decided to do, Jalena spent time exploring more of the northern states. Haku, who happily journeyed with her, was often the center of attention wherever they went.

A woman with her young child walked up to Jalena while she was scouting Portland's busy streets one morning. "Your husky is so cute!" she exclaimed as she bent down. "May we pet her?"

"Thank you and yes," Jalena replied, knowing better than to correct the woman's mistake. She met the little girl's brown eyes for the first time.

Sitara.

Jalena's eyes widened. She fought the urge to use Relasu to scan the girl's energy as she felt her own energy heighten within her. A Conduit could not possibly be that young.

Haku sat still as the young girl touched her nose.

"Mama…wolf," the girl said.

"No, sweetheart," the mother replied. "It just looks like one." The woman stood after several minutes. "Okay, let's go, Shaelin." She took her daughter's hand. "Thank you," she told Jalena.

"Sure," Jalena replied. She watched the girl closely as the two walked away.

Shaelin kept looking back at Jalena and Haku until she disappeared around the corner.

Jalena was unsure of what to do. It felt inappropriate to follow the two and persuade the mother to allow her to talk to the girl without seeming like a creep.

The child was not what Jalena expected a Conduit would be. Still, it was the first lead she had in years. As Lunara had mentioned, a name would appear in her mind when she met a Conduit, and she was sure that was what happened. The timing was off though, so it was logical that the girl was not one of the warriors she needed for the mission.

Jalena sighed, wishing Shamira was around to validate her pondering thoughts.

The rest of her time spent searching the northern states was not as rewarding as that moment. Upon her return home, Jalena thought of how much she appreciated Haku's company. The wolf was the only thing that alleviated the emptiness that started to slowly overshadow her resilience since Shamira's departure.

Without Shamira's company, Jalena felt Gyan's absence even more profoundly. However, logic argued that it wasn't a good enough reason to try to bring Shamira back. The longing to see her father and the other warriors grew within her and created a ridge in her heart that solidified as time passed.

The last transmission from the Xita-8 was a recording left by Nyhra stating that timing had slowed their progress, but that all was well and within the synchronicity of unfolding events. She was still in the Inner Realms.

This satisfied Jalena for a short time but did little to relieve her feelings of abandonment. She knew that Sade and the crew were feeling the strain of the mission even more so after Shamira's departure because his updates decreased even more.

In the months that followed, trips to Australia and Switzerland also turned up empty-handed, so Jalena spent the upcoming weeks training even harder, not venturing too far from the facility in hopes that Shamira would soon return.

A need to escape the empty feeling she experienced at headquarters finally overtook her, however, when months passed without a word from Shamira. As a result, Jalena moved into a roomy studio home nestled at the base of the mountains in the nearest town. The house had an extended yard that led into the forest trees. She explained to a protesting Lyons that it was simply more convenient to live closer to the airport. He grudgingly helped her set up the needed equipment in her new place.

"Make sure you don't lose that watch, Warrior Princess!"

She smiled and reassured him she would follow all his cautionary rules.

Traveling outside of Colorado became less frequent as the inviting mountain air called her outside to explore trails within the trees. In between taking care of Haku and planning upcoming travel destinations, Jalena became interested in painting. It was one of the few things, other than spending time with her wolf, that soothed the despair within her heart.

As Haku became older, the wolf spent more time in the forest but returned often to check-in. Jalena continued to paint, creating portraits of the warriors and landscapes that reminded her of home—of Amedia, the Tran Ceiabré, and Lumania. When she painted her memories, she entered a world with no responsibility. She became void of all thought and she welcomed the peace.

Her young and nosey, but friendly neighbor, Nadia, insisted on corresponding with Jalena, often leaving food or a potted plant on her doorstep. Jalena couldn't deny that she enjoyed the connection with Nadia from time to time. It took her mind off circling thoughts that the mission had completely failed.

As her stay lengthened in town, she avoided interacting with humans in the neighborhood as much as possible, but always remained cordial and polite. They accepted her excuses of avoidance because of her frequent travels but were disappointed when she provided vague information about her trips.

"You must be working for the government," one neighbor had declared. "No one around here knows what you actually do."

"If she is some kind of agent, she can't disclose it," responded Nadia.

"Nadia is right," replied Jalena. "I am not at liberty to give you the details of my work."

As time lengthened, Jalena began to dread returning to headquarters. Her occasional visits to the facility were only done out of fear that if she did not train, she would forget why she came to Earth. Her identity as a warrior was the only thing that kept her moving forward, for, she had long given up on Shamira returning to the mission.

Her visits to the mountain facility became less frequent and Jalena continued her current routine as the years came and went. Her avoidance of the past helped to keep the betrayal she felt as a result of Shamira's departure buried within her. Despite her attempts, however, she was not as successful when it came to controlling memories of Gyan. Jalena suspected it would not cease as long as his power remained a part of her. The longing for him pulsed within her painfully as if his death had just occurred. Although it caused Jalena to fail at combating periods of despair, in a strange way it also served as a reminder to keep focused on completing the mission until she saw Drasúl's end.

Deciding to travel internationally with no motivation or expectation of what she would find, Jalena arrived at headquarters after her longest time away to train and then map out her next round of destinations.

She swallowed the tightness in her throat as she entered her old room and retrieved the case containing the Stone of Echoes from her closet. She ran her hand along the engraved Lumsigne on its lid as she debated the idea of contacting Malik. She desired his guidance. More than once, she stopped herself from using the stone to contact the wizard. Part of her was afraid of what she would learn—that it would only make her long for Elsaria and her people more. She was also afraid to learn that Shamira had returned home without her. The threat of negative news was too great to chance. Her certainty in events turning out in the warriors' favor was all but gone but she thought it would be worse if she didn't at least keep up a routine. Holding faith in her purpose on Earth without evidence of progression was even more of a challenge now that her mission was turning into a solo quest. In the end, she decided she would refrain from contacting Malik until she had exhausted all options.

Jalena hurriedly returned the case to the closet and grabbed her training gear. After changing in an adjacent room, she passed through the simulation room doors where light automatically flooded the white bunker walls.

"Welcome, Master," Kana's voice projected. "This is the longest you have refrained from training."

"Hi, Kana."

"What program are we working today?"

"Avehkal as the opponent—the most difficult setting. You can choose the landscape and temperature."

"Elsaria or Earth?"

"Earth," Jalena answered. "An Elsarian one will just make me want to return home."

"You are very knowledgeable of your being, Master," Kana replied. "When an Elsarian landscape is chosen, the hormones within your system shift—"

"Yes, Kana. I know," Jalena interrupted with a sigh. "Sorry. Let's just get started."

"Certainly, Master."

Red grid lines lit up the room, which then transformed into a snowy mountain region.

"Swiss Alps?" Jalena guessed as she pulled her cloak around her.

"Yes," Kana replied. "The challenge will push you both physically and mentally, which, based on my calculations, is what you enjoy most."

Jalena crouched low behind a snow-topped boulder as a blue ray from an Avehkal blaster sailed her way. A sense of exhilarated freedom filled her as she allowed her power to surface. Her eyes lit up with bright blue-white light as she stretched out her palm to her side. She grasped the hilt of her gladaé as it formed in her hand and got to work.

"Kana reports that the force behind the light you are releasing is testing the bounds of the shield in the facility, Warrior Princess," Lyons reported when he called the facility that afternoon. "Did you amp up your power somehow while you were gone?"

"No. In fact, I have been training less."

"Might be some kind of dormant power you've tapped into. Nevertheless, I will have to do some upgrades, so you don't blast a hole in our place."

"While you are at it, you may want to program more training simulations. You can just add more Earth scenarios."

"I have programmed over a thousand! You're telling me you went through them all?"

"Yes."

"You're a machine!"

Jalena smiled. "Just so you know, I'm going out of the country again."

"By the time you return, I will have upgraded the system and hopefully finished strengthening the facility's shield."

"Thank you."

Jalena halted her training as Lyons suggested and readied herself to return to town. She paused as she passed Shamira's room, which she had avoided. Her stomach twisted as she entered the room and opened the closet door to see Shamira's uniform hanging beside her formal cloak.

Anger overcame her. Slamming the closet door shut, Jalena let her tears fall as she stood in the echoing silence of the facility. The heavy pressure of loneliness crept through her like a storm cloud overshadowing the sun. Jalena pushed the feeling away with fury. I'll find a way to finish this myself.

The heavy pressure of loneliness crept through her like a storm cloud overshadowing the sun. Jalena pushed the feeling away with fury. I'll find a way to finish this myself.

She exited the facility and let out a high-pitched whistle. Haku bounded from the trees and leaped into her SUV. Her emotions lifted some as Haku gave her an affectionate lick before the two headed home. Jalena rested her hand on the back of Haku's neck, and the tightness in her chest eased.

Despite Haku's soothing presence, nagging thoughts of Shamira continually crept into her mind on the drive home. Annoyance finally overcame her. It was her choice! she argued with herself. She's the one that left…I shouldn't have to babysit every fucking warrior. Jalena quickly stopped her thoughts—surprised at the surge of harshness within her.

She realized how stupid the whole mission was—how naïve they had been in thinking they could come to a strange world and find something that Jalena was now convinced didn't want to be found.

Maybe they want to be ruled by darkness. Did we even ask the humans if they wanted help? Maybe living in despair is what they like—fucking stupid. I shouldn't even be here. Jalena paused in thought as she drove by a group of children playing in a park. An urge to protect them overcame her as she heard their laughter, and her heart swelled.

Lunara.

Jalena knew the goddess was reaching out to her at that moment.

I will only be able to assist you through internal guidance. You will feel me mostly through emotion.

Jalena sighed. The thought of Drasúl causing pain for the innocent, kind or any of the animals on the planet was unacceptable to Jalena. However, if something didn't change soon, Jalena knew it would take more than Lunara's emotional reminders to help her remain committed to a mission that now felt like an expired contract.