The Mamluks (The Mamluks Saga: Episode 1) (15 page)

Chapter 68

We were drifting through traffic, looking around at all the
progress they had made. It was stunning to see the Mamluk city from this view,
in an area that was once a city I called home.

We concentrated on the landscape, looking for something
familiar.

“Over there,” Madison said, pointing.

I took a quick look and nodded when I saw the building she
was pointing at. “Yeah, that’s it.”

All I needed to see was the massive garden on the far right
of the building. The balcony overseeing it made me think of the last time I saw
Emily.

I exhaled deeply and looked at Madison. “All right—this is
it.”

She looked at me and smiled. “Let’s give ‘em hell.”

I paused and stared at her for a moment. “
Madison
…
I
—
’’

She quickly reached over and put two fingers on my lips.
“Don’t say it.” Staring back at me, she carefully leaned over.

My heart throbbed as she inched closer. Then, I leaned
forward and we closed our eyes at the same time. Finally, our lips touched, and
we kissed for a while—then gradually pulled away.

Madison smiled and put her hand on my cheek, rubbing along
my beard. I gently placed my hand on her head and brushed her hair back. She
gave me a solemn look, telling me she was ready.

I turned back to the window. “Okay.”

Madison turned to the window and took a deep breath.

And right after, suddenly, a message came over the speakers
on the control board.
“Ship #7428. Identify yourself.”

We ignored it and carried on.

Within seconds, another message buzzed from the speakers.
“I repeat. Ship #7428. Identify yourself.”

I huffed and glanced at Madison. She gave me a quick nod and
wiped some sweat off her forehead. I nodded back and activated the force field.

We were right over the building now. “
OK
—you want us
to identity ourselves? How about
this
?”

I readied the laser on the ship and shot at the building
with rapid-fire. Within seconds, a group of ships in the sky changed course and
flew at us from all angles, blasting us with rapid-fire.

I kept shooting, adjusting the laser to a faster speed. Out
the window, I could see soldiers, servants and slaves running from the
building.

After a few minutes, I landed on the roof. We quickly stood
up and activated the force fields on our sijas.

“Do you remember where the security room is?”

Madison did a speedy nod. “
Yes
—when we get out there,
follow me.”

Chapter 69

I opened the ramp and followed Madison outside. We ran to an
entrance at the end of the roof that led to a stairway. We hurried down the
stairs as lasers bounced off our shields from above.

We made it to the top-floor hallway and ran to the next
stairway. Madison led me downstairs to the third floor and into a room with a
bunch of holographic monitors. We looked around for a second, then backed into
the hallway.

I aimed my sija. “All right, ready?”

Madison nodded and aimed her sija. We fired together and
destroyed the control board. To finish, went inside and blasted everything.
After a few seconds there was nothing there but scraps of metal on the floor.

I quickly backed into the hallway. “That’s enough. Let’s get
back to the ship.”

We went back to the top floor and ran to the stairway that
led to the roof.

I stopped Madison before she could run up the stairs.
“Wait!”
I listened for a moment, trying to pick up any activity from above.
But surprisingly, the area sounded clear. “All right, come on.”

I jogged up the stairway. When we got to the entryway, I
leaned against the wall. Madison got in position on the other side and held her
sija up. I held mine up and gave her a nod. She nodded back, and together, we
ran onto the roof and fired a shot.

There was a soldier in the distance, firing a laser back at
us. Our shots collided in midair and disappeared.

I lowered my sija and narrowed my eyes as I looked through
the force field. Finally, I checked the roof and realized our ship was gone.

I heard a group of soldiers marching up the stairs behind
us. We turned around and backed away. But then, we spun back around as the
soldier on the roof walked forward.

The soldiers rushed out of the entryway and gathered along
the perimeter, surrounding us. I looked up and saw a group of ships flying over
us like a swarm of bees. Madison and I gave each other a sorrowful look. Still,
I knew we had accomplished what we wanted. We turned back to back as the
soldiers aimed their sijas.

The first soldier we saw walked closer. “Stand down, my
soldiers.” He stopped in front of us with his hands held behind his back.

I looked up at him and realized who he was. “Adomas.”

He smiled. “So, you remember me, Human. Good, because I
remember you.” Adomas walked away. “Are you responsible for the deaths of Ilona
and Henrikas?”

I looked around at some of the soldiers and saw fury in
their eyes. “Yes, I am.”

The soldiers rambled heatedly.

I squeezed my sija and prepared to shoot.

“Calm yourselves, my soldiers.” Adomas walked back to me.
“Before we came to Earth—I studied you humans for some time. I believed it was
impossible for one of
you
to kill one of
us
.”

I glared at him, breathing hard through my nose.

“What is your name, Human?”

I stood tall and said, “Andrew.”

Adomas nodded. “Release your shields. I will give you a
chance to be free.”

I turned off my force field and stepped up to him.

Madison reached out to me. “
Andrew
—
no
!”

“This is what we wanted, Madison.”

The soldiers laughed.

Madison looked around for a second. And finally, she
apprehensively turned off her force field and got beside me.

Adomas smiled and turned his back on us. “
Now
—if you
can kill me, Andrew—my soldiers will allow you and your ally to leave.”

Some of the soldiers taunted us and crossed their arms.

I glanced at Madison and saw her nodding.

Proudly, I nodded with her and looked back at Adomas. “All
right.”

He turned around and put his arms out. “Attack.”

Chapter 70

I jumped in front of Madison and sparked my laser. Adomas
ignited his laser and got in a fighting stance. He fired a laser beam at me,
but I quickly fired one back and blocked the shot. Then, Adomas rolled
backwards and shot at us with rapid-fire.

We ran toward the crowd of soldiers. Adomas pulled his fire
back as we got close. Without pause, the soldiers pushed us away. I stumbled
forward and shot at Adomas with rapid-fire. Madison ran to the other side of
the roof and sent him rapid-fire.

He stood still and created a laser orb around his fist. All
of our shots bounced off the orb and faded away. We stopped and glanced at each
other. Then together, we held our sijas out and created laser orbs of our own.

Adomas screamed and leaped through the air. He landed a few
feet away and swung at me. I staggered backwards and put my sija up, blocking
the shot. Adomas swatted at me again. I held my sija up high and blocked the
shot, but the force knocked me to the floor.

Madison came out of nowhere and blocked another strike with
her sija. Adomas slapped her away with his other arm. She flew across the roof
and landed hard, dropping her sija.

I quickly rolled through Adomas’s legs and tried to swipe
him with my orb. But he put his hand down and blocked me. The lasers sparked
against each other, creating a flash of light that blinded me. Adomas tried to
kick me, but I ran out of the way just in time.

I glanced to my left and saw Madison dazed on the floor. In
a hurry, I looked back at Adomas and saw him aiming at her.

“No!”
I ignited my laser with no time to spare and
sent him rapid-fire.

Adomas put his hand up and blocked my shots with his laser
orb. Then he held his arm out and created a massive laser beam. I ran to the
corner of the roof—toward a group of soldiers. They spread out, giving Adomas a
clear shot. I turned around and created a massive orb. Adomas aimed at me. The
laser beam grazed the sandstone floor and sent tiny rocks flying through the
air like popcorn. And right then, it connected with my orb.

The light from both lasers blinded me as I staggered toward
the edge of the roof. I screamed as I felt the power of the beam weighing me
down. Finally, it faded away—and I was still standing.

I heard a collective gasp from the soldiers. I looked at
Adomas and saw intense confusion in his eyes. Quickly, he became irate, and he
ran at me. I held my sija high and slid through his legs. Adomas spun around. In
the corner of my eye, I saw Madison staggering to her feet, picking up her
sija.

Adomas aimed at me and fired rapid shots. Thereafter, he
rolled to the side and lunged at me, still shooting. He landed right next to
me, and I quickly slid through his legs. But this time, I lost my balance and
flew down. I glanced at the floor, realizing there was a split in the roof. I
spun my head back and saw that the split went past Adomas’s feet.

I hurried and aimed my sija. “Madison, the floor!”

An eerie silence came over us.

She caught on and quickly aimed her sija.

“My Champion!”
a soldier called out.

“Now!”
I yelled.

We fired together and sent a massive laser beam to the split
in the floor. Adomas tried to jump out of the way, but it was too late. The
floor caved in, and he went tumbling down. He slammed into the edge of the
crumbling roof and made a bigger opening.

Madison lost her balance and fell into the hole.

“No!”
I cried out, trying to get up. The roof kept
breaking up, and I stumbled into the wreckage.

Adomas crashed through the top floor and landed on a heap of
boulders. I fell through the hole and landed on my side, letting out a sharp scream.
I desperately grabbed my shoulder and rolled over.

There was a cloud of dust hovering over me, and I couldn’t
see Madison anywhere.

“Madison? Are you all right?”

I wobbled to my knees and crawled forward, swiping the dust
away. Then, I bumped into something and put my hand down. I felt around for a
second and realized it was her leg.

“
Oh
, thank God.” I looked up and checked the hole.
“Come on, let’s go.”

She didn’t respond.

“Madison?”

Chapter 71

The dust cleared, and I saw her face. Her eyes and mouth
were closed, and there was blood seeping from the back of her head. I
frantically lowered to the floor and looked closer.

“Oh
no
—please God
no
—
Madison
!”

My eyes filled with tears as I shook her limp body. “Come
on, wake up.”

Finally, it hit me. She was gone.

I buried my face next to her head and cried my eyes out. Moments
later, I gradually looked up and brushed some dust off her face. I smiled
tensely and stared at her for moment. “I love you.” And finally, I closed my
eyes and kissed her cheek.

In the background, I could hear the soldiers marching down
the steps. I opened my eyes and gently rubbed her hair. “We’re gunna win,
Madison.
I promise
.” I struck a kiss on her lips as the marching got
louder. “
Okay
—I gotta go.”

I hobbled to my feet and staggered past Adomas’s lifeless
body. I wanted to check if he was dead, but there was no time. I looked around
and found my sija buried in a pile of rocks. I quickly reached down and grabbed
it, then limped to a stairway at the end of the corridor.

As I went along, the adrenaline surging through my body
numbed the pain. I made it to the first floor and found the main entrance. But
as I headed outside, I saw a few ships landing in the front yard. I turned
around in a hurry and ran down the hall.

There was a wide entryway at the far end. I went through it
and walked into an enormous room that looked like a fancy ballroom. I leaned
against the wall and snuck to the exit on the other side of the room. Again,
before I could go outside, I saw a group of soldiers marching around the
building.

“
Shit
.” I turned around and jogged back to the
entryway. Then, before I could leave, a woman walked into the room.

I backed away and studied her from the ground up. She was
wearing all black, and she had a sija on her arm. And sadly, when I got to her
face, I realized who she was.

“
Emily
.”

Chapter 72

I could hardly recognize Andrew. But that didn’t matter. He
was the enemy. And he needed to be dealt with.

“Why have you come back?”

He slowly shook his head, eying me hard. “It hurts my heart
to see what you’ve become.”

I gave him a stern look. “I’ve become wise, Andrew. The
world is a better place now. And I’m going to make sure it stays that way.”

We started circling each other.

“No, Emily. Behind all the grandeur—you’re just a coward.”

I chuckled. “I could never expect someone of lesser
importance to understand.”

Andrew’s face became heated. “No. I get it. You betrayed
your own kind to become a part of their society.”

I shook my head. “No. I didn’t betray my own kind. I
accepted reality and made the best of things. And in doing so, I discovered a
wonderful world.”

Andrew stood still and glared at me. “So, what now? You
going to call the soldiers and have me killed?”

I paused and grinned. “No. It would be fitting for me to
finish you.” Then, with style, I got in a fighting stance. “And besides, I need
some practice.”

Andrew nodded and got in a fighting stance. “If this is how
it ends—you better believe I’m taking you with me.”

We shared a brief stare down.

And right after, I ignited my laser and rushed forward,
shooting at him with rapid-fire. He responded with rapid-fire of his own,
blocking my shots. I ran at him and created a laser orb around my fist. Andrew
quickly created an orb of his own and blocked my strike. We went back and forth
for a moment. I threw punches with my orb, and Andrew used his sija like a
sword, swinging it around as I attacked.

I put my hands together and made a bigger orb. I swung it
like a baseball bat, jumping from side to side. Andrew copied me and we attacked
each other relentlessly.

I kept coming at Andrew, making him back up. The flashing
lights from the lasers were blinding. I rolled to the side and quickly shot a
steady laser beam at Andrew. He jumped out of the way, and the laser hit the
wall. Rocks fell to the floor as he circled away.

I created a constant beam and aimed at Andrew’s feet. He
ran. I followed him with the beam. The floor began to break apart. I lifted the
beam and aimed over his head. Boulders came down, nearly hitting Andrew as he
sprinted across the floor.

A lucky escape.

He shot at me with rapid-fire. I ducked and created an orb,
blocking the shots. Andrew ran at me screaming and tackled me to the floor. He
got on top and punched my face. I kicked my legs out and grabbed his arm. Then,
gradually, I rolled him over and got on top.

I put my hands around his neck and choked him. I tried to
spark my laser, but Andrew quickly reached for a rock and grabbed it. He swung
at me hard and hit my head. I fell to the floor and winced, gripping my head.

Andrew got to his feet and shot at me. I quickly leaned back
and shot at him from the floor. Then, I staggered to my feet, still shooting.
But Andrew came right at me and elbowed my face. I stumbled backward, and I
tried to shoot, but he kicked my arm away.

Desperately, I ducked and avoided some rapid-fire. Then, I
created an orb and leaped up with a punch. The laser sparked against the
continuous rapid-fire Andrew was sending me. He stopped shooting and staggered
backward.

I ran at him and kneed his chest. Andrew fell to the floor
and shielded himself with an orb. I put my hands together and made a massive
orb. And with it, I chopped at him like an axe. Andrew quickly created a
constant beam, making me run away.

But as he rose, I made a constant beam of my own. I aimed at
him, and our beams collided. We held it there for a moment, and the lasers got
bigger and bigger. Andrew rolled away. I lowered my arm, trying to follow him.
The laser beam hit the floor, and the floor gradually caved in.

We both ran away from the crumbling floor, going toward each
other. And right then, a large piece of the floor came down and we slid onto
it, falling into a dark pit. Boulders followed us down. I slid off the piece we
came down on and landed on a pile of rocks. And before the falling boulders
could crush me, I hurried to my feet and ran away.