ROTU: Chapter Twenty-Six

Almost two weeks passed in Costa Rica before Jalena had any success in her search. The Lumaña's protection was extremely effective in hiding Nyhra's energy. It was only when she gave up on following Nyhra's energy trail and resigned to using her intuition that she found the elder master. The day Jalena saw her, her heart quickened as relief filled her. She recognized her instantly in her human form. Nyhra wore a loose dress with her long dark hair pulled back in a low ponytail and was speaking to a tourist in front of a gift shop.

Jalena noted the amulet around Nyhra's neck and knew that it was the cause of her dark eyes and human features. As she watched her from afar, Jalena fought the urge to run up and assure the elder master that everything was back on track. Knowing their reunion would draw too much attention, Jalena remained distant and busied herself with researching online information about the area as she sipped a drink at a small restaurant nearby. She discovered that Nyhra had bought several bungalows in the area and had made a living as owner and caretaker over the years.

As Jalena patiently waited out the day, conflicting emotions arose within her as she pondered how strange it was to see light warriors living as humans, hiding their truth. Watching Nyhra sweeping and cleaning bungalows when Jalena had personally witnessed her fierceness in battle felt unnatural. Not as an invalidation for the type of work, but that the tasks did not match who Jalena knew Nyhra to be—the warrior and teacher within. An ache for her old life surfaced within Jalena as memories of her team and thoughts about what they were doing now preoccupied her mind.

Late the same night, Jalena quietly stepped through the forest trees up to the edge of the yard surrounding Nyhra's home. Nyhra was sitting in a lounge chair on her deck, watching the stars, and sipping tea.

The elder master stood quickly in alarm as her senses sharpened. "Show yourself," she demanded.

Jalena walked slowly so that Nyhra could see her fully in the light shining out from the house.

Nyhra gasped loudly. She placed a hand over her heart as her tears dropped.

Jalena bounded up the steps to the deck before her and grabbed Nyhra into a tight hug as Nyhra released a sob.

"I am sorry, Elder Master," Jalena whispered as her own tears fell.

"This is…" Nyhra took a deep breath "…my greatest day here, indeed." She laughed and wiped her face as Jalena released her. She put a gentle hand on Jalena's cheek and inhaled again. "I was beginning to think your return would never come."

Jalena grabbed her hand tightly and smiled. "You and I both. Are you ready to finish this mission?"

Nyhra nodded. "Of course. We shall start tomorrow. For now, come and tell me everything."

Jalena and Nyhra spent the remainder of the night catching each other up on events since the two had departed the Vorclán.

"Malik always finds a way to keep his promises," Nyhra said as Jalena told her about her relationship with Ryu and Shakou.

Jalena nodded, enjoying the elation she felt now that she could speak freely with another warrior who knew of her life in Elsaria. She took a deep breath as her excitement about fulfilling the mission increased. "Is Shamira nearby?"

"Yes, but I must warn you, Jalena. She has become someone who is not the warrior you remember. She battles depression at times, which drives her to drink too much. The drugs the Cinak give her have buried who she is, so I feel that her depression and behavioral issues reflect the unconscious battle between her life as a warrior and what she has now been reduced to.

"I befriend her as a friendly neighbor who checks in on her now and then. My hope is that your arrival will surpass the influence of the drug and awaken the power within her core enough to pull her truth back to surface."

"We need to get her back to the facility. What do you suggest?"

"Befriend her while I get the arrangements for this place together, which I will do tomorrow. I do not want to leave my workers without security." She looked around. "If I were human, this would have been a fulfilling life. At times, I have felt very much at peace here."

"But you are not human," Jalena said with a smile.

"I am not," Nyhra nodded, "and because of that, the light warrior within always begs to surface. My thoughts are often haunted by memories of home." Her expression turned serious. "You must be careful, Jalena. I am sure they are watching for your arrival but do not act overly cautious. I believe Drasúl is beside himself because he has not been able to find you, so your human disguise is working well. Just be subtle in the use of your power around Shamira until we figure out how to get her away from here."

Nyhra left the room and returned carrying a file. "I have detected the patterns of the Cinak through using Relasu during my visits to the restaurant where Shamira works. Their species move quickly, darting in and out of the area so fast that humans are not able to detect them. With my power suppressed, I cannot see them, so I have been watching the energy around Shamira. On specific days, a fleeting red energy invades her auric field. Those days mark when they have come to her already."

She opened the folder to show Jalena her records. "It is safest that you approach her after they have visited. One thing I have learned about these creatures is that they are arrogant and trust that no one would be able to detect them. As a result, they only come to check on Shamira every three days after they boost her suppression drug. They are still cunning, however. I would often switch Shamira's coffee in the morning after I knew they had drugged it if I was near her. Somehow they knew that the amount of drug within her system had reduced. As a result, they would increase the next dose. I did not want to be responsible for them overdosing her, so I stopped." She looked at the schedule. "They are meant to check up on her tomorrow, so you should go visit her then."

"Nyhra, you have been keeping track of her for years without full use of your power—with only hope to sustain you," Jalena said quietly.

"Belief—not hope, Jalena. They are two different things."

"Yes, I know, but if it had not been for you…"

"Things are meant to happen in a specific way. I do not question my role or the timing and neither should you. There is too much heartache to bear if we do. There is no blame to be had in any of this for many unknowns are hiding within the synchronicity."

Jalena nodded.

Nyhra's gaze turned fierce. "We will finally see this mission through. Your return assures me this."

Jalena made her way to an outside breakfast bar the next morning at the small restaurant on the beach where Shamira worked.

Shamira, busy scrubbing the spots off the glass she held in her hand, failed to notice Jalena at first. When Shamira turned to look at her fully, Jalena's breath caught as she connected with the familiarity of her friend's energy.

Shamira gave her a bored look. "Can I help you?"

For a moment, Jalena did not know what to say. It felt very strange—to know someone fully—to have shared a life, only for them to not remember—to have no clue who you or they really were.

She eyed Shamira's skimpy clothing and tattoos as she attempted to hide her smile. One of Shamira's tattoos—a cluster of stars across her neck— mirrored one of her own that lay just behind her ear.

"¿Puedo ayudarte?" Shamira rolled her eyes when Jalena didn't respond. "Man, I never know what language to use with you foreigners."

Jalena burst out laughing at the meaning of what Shamira unconsciously spoke.

Shamira's eyes widened. She looked at Jalena as if she were a threat. "What?" She raised her eyebrows. "Look, it's too early to drink. Besides that, we don't serve crazy…so if that's you—"

This made Jalena laugh harder, but she quietened quickly as she met Shamira's gaze again.

"Era sa vali nei usana," Jalena said softly.

Shamira returned Jalena's stare in silence. A single tear rolled from the corner of Shamira's eye. Her brow furrowed as more tears followed. She touched her cheek in confusion and looked at the tears on her fingers. "What did you just say?" she said quietly.

Jalena burst out laughing at the irony Shamira unconsciously spoke.

Shamira's eyes widened. She looked at Jalena as if she were a threat. "What?" She raised her eyebrows. "Look, it's too early to drink. Besides that, we don't serve crazy…so if that's you—"

This made Jalena laugh harder, but she quietened quickly as she met Shamira's gaze again.

"Era sa vali nei usana," Jalena said softly.

Shamira returned Jalena's stare in silence. A single tear rolled from the corner of Shamira's eye. Her brow furrowed as more tears followed. She touched her cheek and then looked at the tears on her fingers in confusion. "What did you just say?" she said quietly.

Jalena tried to keep her face passive even though she was happy to see Shamira's confusion. It meant that she had triggered something within her. She had taught Shamira phrases from the Mysteis language when the two were younger. "It is a language from my own country," Jalena said. "In a sense, it means you speak irony you know nothing of."

"Tamia!" a voice called from the back of the restaurant. "You better be nice to my customers, or I will send you home again!"

"I am!" Shamira called back as she rolled her eyes again. She took a deep breath and shrugged before wiping off the bar. "Now that I know you speak English, what can I get you?"

"A ticket to a land far far away," Jalena said, playing off Shamira's rebellious nature.

Shamira smiled. "Show me the way." She gazed at the ocean. "I love it here, but I have strong urges to leave at times. It makes me restless, but I guess everybody feels that way about their home at one time or another."

"Sure. I had a friend once that I used to travel with. You remind me of her. I mean—she was sarcastic and funny. Seeing you makes me miss her."

"Well, I don't make many friends and I prefer to keep it that way, but that's nice of you to say." She poured Jalena a glass of water as Jalena searched the menu.

After Jalena had ordered, Shamira struck up more conversation.

"What brought you to Costa Rica?"

"Just boring business that involves scouting talent for an entrepreneurial empowerment program I am designing. You interested?"

"Does it involve travel?"

Jalena suppressed a smile as she nodded. "And ten times the salary you make here. It is based out of the States, so you'd have to go north for training. If you want to verify it all I will go get the documents and return with the information."

"No need." Shamira raised an eyebrow. "I can tell you are trustworthy somehow." She smiled. "When do we leave?"