The Mamluks (The Mamluks Saga: Episode 1) (14 page)

Chapter 64

I woke up lying in the snow. Someone helped me to my feet,
and when my vision cleared, I realized it was Elos.

“What happened to me?”

“The ozlon you carry has stabilized.”

He let go and handed me the marble. I held it out and
stared. There was a tingling sensation flowing through my body, and I felt
stronger than ever.

Robert walked up from behind, holding Madison. Watchfully,
he let her go and gave her the ozlon she was carrying. It had stabilized, too.

She held it out, still shaken from before. “How do we use
it, Elos?”

He reached down and picked up the two sijas we had taken
from the Mamluks. He gave one to Madison and the other to me. Elos pointed at a
hole near the back of the device.

“Insert the ozlon
here
.”

We followed the instructions. Something shifted on the
devices, and the holes closed up. Then the sijas made some noises, and the
lights came on.

I held mine up in daze. “This is—
amazing
.”

A hologram of a rocky planet popped out of both sijas,
slowly spinning around.
“Identify yourself.”

Madison and I looked at Elos, confused.

“What should we do?” I asked.

Elos stepped forward. “You cannot mimic the voices of the
dead soldiers. However, this device I wear
can
mimic the voice of
Adomas. After being his prisoner for so long—I know it well.”

He made some adjustments to his mask. “Bring the sijas
close.”

We held the sijas close together.

Elos bent down. “Bypass the authentication.” The voice
sounded just like Adomas’s, deep and intimidating.

The lights on the sijas blinked.
“Confirm authorization
to bypass the authentication.”

“This is Adomas. Champion of all Mamluks.”

The sijas made some quick noises.
“Authorization
complete. Authentication bypassed.”
The holograms went away.

I smiled. “You’re the man, Elos. I mean…the
Ecknor
.”

He looked on with an empty stare. “I do not understand.”

Madison chucked. “It means you’re awesome.”

Elos gave her a subtle nod. Then he stepped back and pointed
at the sky. “Test your sijas.”

Robert stepped back, too. Madison and I spread out and held
the sijas like shotguns.

I glanced at the device. “Now what?”

“Expand the energy.”

“How?” Madison asked.

“Remember, when stable, the ozlon can be controlled by the
host. You feel it in your bodies, yes?”

We nodded.

“Focus, and expand the energy.”

Together, we looked into the sky and aimed high. I
concentrated hard and felt the energy building up. Within seconds, a bright
light sparked from the edge of the sija. The light grew into an orb and hovered
over the edge. I glanced at Madison and saw the same thing.

Finally, massive laser beams shot out of our sijas and
blasted through the air. I felt the power taking over my body as my beam grew.
I quickly lowered the sija and the laser went away. The weight of the device
carried me to the snow. I landed on my side and dropped it.

Madison pulled back, making her laser go away. The sija
slipped out of her hands and splashed in the snow. She went to the ground and
kneeled by it. “That was incredible.”

I smiled at her. “Hell yeah it was.”

Elos walked up to us. “When you return to the land of the
Champion—go to his building and destroy the security room. That will
temporarily disrupt their communications—and prevent them from calling more
soldiers.”

I sat up and nodded.

Elos turned and waved us on. “Come, I will teach you the
controls of the device.”

Chapter 65

I arrived at the Soldiers’ Academy and found Ignas in the
training room. He was listening to music while stretching. I looked around and
realized the music was coming from his sija. It sounded like opera, and whoever
was singing it had an amazing voice.

In shock, I put my hands on my hips and gasped. “Now why
hasn’t anyone told me about this?”

Ignas turned toward me. “I thought I heard someone
approaching.”

“Sorry to disturb you.”

Ignas walked up to me and kneeled, bowing his head. “No,
Emily. You are
always
welcome.”

I was stunned by the gesture, feeling it was inappropriate.
“Thank you, Ignas. But I’m not the Ruler yet.”

He rose and flashed a loving smile. “
Soon
—you will
be.”

I blushed and looked away, crossing my arms.

Ignas walked to a ray of light coming from the window. “To
what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

“Well, first, tell me about this singer you’re playing.”

“Her name is
Kamile
. She is considered the greatest
singer of our kind.”

I nodded. “I can see why. Where does she live?”

“Here on Earth. She travels from region to region and sings
for the locals. These are her private recordings.”

I took a moment and listened. “When is she coming here?”

Ignas turned and gave me a smug look. “I’m sure a request
from someone of your stature would receive a quick response.” Then he went into
a stretch. “In the meantime, I shall send the recordings to your sija.”

I smiled. “Why, thank you.”

I walked forward and stretched with him. “I’d like to learn
some fighting techniques.”

“Certainly.” Ignas stood up, backed away and got in a
fighting stance. “Attack.”

I faced him and put my tiny hands up. I inched forward and
watched carefully.

Ignas circled around me, stalking me with his experienced
eyes. “Attack, Emily.”

I bounced on my feet for a second. And after building up the
courage I needed, I ran at him and tried to kick his leg. He easily side
stepped me and I fell to the floor. I laughed as I got up and shook off the
slight pain in my arm. “This is impossible.”

“Why would you attack from my vantage point?”

Bashfully, I looked around and threw my hands in the air.
“Because I can’t fight. I don’t know.”

“Everyone can fight, Emily. However, you must use your
advantages.”

I chuckled. “What possible advantage do I have against you?”

Ignas gave me a look like I already knew the answer. He
waited, but I couldn’t think of anything.

“Come now, Emily. It is obvious.”

I sighed and put my hands on my hips. And right then, he
tried to kick me. I quickly jumped out of the way and rolled to my feet. I
froze and looked up at him.

He smiled. “You see?”

I grinned and gave him a pondering stare. “I’m…
faster
?”

Ignas nodded. “Precisely. Use your speed to move around me.
And
never
attack from my vantage point. If I can’t see you—I can’t
strike you.”

I nodded and got in a fighting stance. Ignas watched me
closely. I slowly stepped forward. He swung at me, and I leaped out of the way.
I ran behind him and kicked his leg. He turned. I quickly slid through his
legs. I lifted and kicked him again. He tripped me as I tried to run. I
stumbled forward and fell down—landing on my butt.

Ignas chuckled as he walked to me. “Very good, Emily.”

I smiled and looked up at him. “How was that good? I lost.”

He reached down and helped me up. “No. I told you to attack
me, and you did.”

I brushed some dust off my shirt. “Thanks.” But not wanting
to stop, I eagerly got into a fighting stance. “So, what’s my next lesson?”

“I want you to practice your movements. Go to the forest and
use the trees as targets. Find a good rhythm. Strike the trees and quickly move
away.”

I relaxed my body and nodded. “I’ll do that.”

“In time, you will become an excellent combatant.”

It was an honor to be praised by a former Champion of the
Mamluks. I imagined all the great soldiers and Champions he had trained,
wondering if I could
really
be as good as them.

As I looked up at Ignas, I paused and studied his face. My
eyes got wide when I realized something for the first time. He looked like
Adomas.

I stepped closer. “Wait a minute—you’re not just
a
former Champion. You’re
the
former Champion.”

Ignas nodded.

“Adomas defeated you.” I grew a big smile. “You’re his
father.”

“Yes. I am.”

“But—why such secrecy?”

“When the spawn defeats the Champion—the former Champion
must fade into obscurity. The spawn has proven their maturity—and should be
free from further guidance.”

I nodded, giving him a nosy look. “So…what about Dalia?” I
paused and waved my hand around before continuing. “I mean…do you two still…?”

Ignas grinned. “Yes. We will always have our nights. She
is…magnificent.”

I smiled and crossed my arms—thinking about Dalia sneaking
out at night to get her groove on.

It was thrilling to hear these new details. It made me
appreciate how blessed I was to be part of a royal family with such rich
tradition.

Chapter 66

A few days passed, and we were ready to leave. But as the
realization sunk in, I broke down and let my emotions take over. Saying goodbye
to Robert and Elos was the hardest thing I ever had to do.

First, I hugged Robert. “Stay strong, my friend. My
brother
.”

“I will. And God bless.”

Madison hugged Elos and kissed his cheek. “Take care, Elos.”

“Farewell, Madison.”

We switched. I hugged Elos and Madison hugged Robert.

“You’re my hero, Elos.” I stepped back and looked into his
eyes. “Search the world for others who have managed to escape—and share with
them the knowledge you gave us.”

Elos nodded. “You are extraordinary, Andrew—a leader among
your kind. Farewell…my
friend
.”

Hearing Elos call me a
friend
for the first time gave
me some peace of mind. I smiled and gave him another hug.
“Thank you.”

Robert’s eyes watered as he held Madison. “I love you, Kid.

She released some tears and kissed his cheek. “Take care,
Rob.”

Before we headed to the ship, Robert gathered everyone for a
prayer.

“Dear Lord, give Andrew and Madison the strength to send
an inspiring message to the rest of the world. Let their actions speak to those
who suffer. May it help the people of Earth rise once again, and show the
Mamluks that the human spirit can never be broken. In Christ’s name we pray,
Amen.”

Madison and I slowly backed away—never taking our eyes off
Robert and Elos as we headed to the ship. I opened the ramp and we waved
goodbye. Robert and Elos waved back.

We went inside and got in the cockpit. I closed the ramp.
Out the window, we could still see Robert and Elos. We paused and gave them a
warm stare.

Then, I looked down at the control board and pressed a
button that brought up a holographic map of Earth. I reached out to the map and
touched North America. It got bigger, and the other continents got smaller. I
pressed Southern California and held my finger down for a second. The ship made
a noise, telling me our destination was set. Finally, I pressed another button
on the control board to confirm it.

We leaned back in our chairs, and the metal straps came out
and locked us in. I grabbed the handle and pulled back. We went up, and the
ship slowly turned. Letting out a long sigh, I caught one last glimpse of
Robert and Elos.

And at last, I pressed the button for acceleration. Madison
reached down and took my hand as the ship sped up. We closed our eyes, and
within seconds, the ship blasted away.

Part Six – Return to Los Angeles

Chapter 67

I was on the roof of our building with Dalia. She was headed
overseas to check on a few production sites. Unfortunately for me, I wouldn’t
be accompanying her on this trip. Instead, she wanted me to stay behind and
keep an eye on the breeding of slaves.

“When will you return?”

“Soon, Emily.”

Waving goodbye, I watched her board the ship. Dalia smiled
and waved back.

Afterward, I went downstairs to the security room. Adomas
was there with a few soldiers, going over the security updates sent from
Marsden. After the tragic deaths of Ilona and Henrikas, he vowed to keep
everyone safe.

Now, every ship was built with a tracking device that was
linked to the authentication system—and the older ships had them manually
installed. Also, the ramps were reprogrammed so that only a code could open
them.

But the most important revision was made to the prisoner
collars. Now, if the device was somehow broken, every sija in the area would be
alerted, rather than just the Champion’s sija.

It had taken some time to develop the security updates and
have them sent from Marsden. I could see the relief on Adomas’s face as he read
the report on his sija. “At last, we are more secure than ever before.”

Thereafter, an alert came up on one of the holographic
monitors. We all turned and stared at the screen. The alert was making a loud
beeping noise, and there was a blinking red spot on the screen.

Adomas got closer and narrowed his eyes. He pressed a button
on his sija that made the blinking spot bigger. “There is an unidentified ship
approaching.”

I shook my head. “But how is that possible? All the ships
have tracking devices now,
right
?”

Adomas nodded and looked away.

“Perhaps the installation on this ship was missed, My
Champion,” one of the soldiers said.

Adomas looked back at the screen. “No, consider the model.
It is an older ship, one I have not seen since—’’He paused and his face became
enraged. Then, slowly, he calmed and crossed his arms. “My prisoners have
returned.”