The Mamluks (The Mamluks Saga: Episode 1) (9 page)

Chapter 37

Two soldiers came to the dungeon and took me and Robert outside.
I was expecting them to split us up like always. But instead, they led us to
another tunnel on the other side of the building. We walked down and stopped at
a metal door. One of the soldiers pressed a button on her device that opened
the door, revealing a steep stairway.

We went down the steps and walked into a spacious dungeon.
There was someone on the far side, organizing an assortment of gears on a group
of tables. The few candles lighting the room made it difficult to see.

“
Humans
—you will be working with him now. Follow his
orders—or you will be killed.”

The soldiers left and closed the door. The mysterious figure
turned around and came forward. He had reptilian skin, a lumpy face and webbed
hands. Even stranger was the mask the creature was wearing. It covered mostly
the back of his head, with a speaker fastened to his mouth.

“I am Elos,” a computerized voice said, coming from the
speaker.

Robert and I glanced at each other.

“Right this way.” He quickly went back to where he’d been.

I studied the room as we followed him. There was a machine
near the far wall that looked like something you would find in a factory. It
had all sorts of outlandish controls and a conveyor belt coming out the end.

I turned and checked the tables, scanning the unusual gears.
“What is all this?”

Robert walked to a table and picked up a gear. He studied it
for a second, then handed it to me. I narrowed my eyes as I looked it over.

Thereafter, Elos walked by and took the gear. “I will
explain.” He set it down on the table.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“I am a prisoner of Adomas. My duties are to craft the
sija’s
exterior and bind it with these gears.”

“What’s a
sija
?” Robert said.

“The device used to combat your kind.”

My body grew numb. I looked at Robert like we had just won the
lottery. And right after, I looked back at Elos with wide eyes. “This is where
their weapons are made? But I don’t understand. Why would you help them?

Elos pointed at the collar around his neck. “I have no
choice.”

Robert gave him a somber look of understanding. “What is
your species, Elos? And where are you from?

“I am an
Ecknor,
a descendant of the planet
Eztu
.”

I stepped forward. “How did you end up here?”

“Dalia declared an end to her conquest after our
enslavement. Subsequently, the females of her society mysteriously lost the
ability to bear offspring. Dalia searched the universe for some time, looking
for a compatible species to carry on their bloodline. At last, she found
Earth.”

A huge weight was lifted after hearing the admission. I
stood there for a moment, shaking my head as I reflected. Then, I paused.
“Wait—who’s
Dalia
? I thought Adomas was their leader.”

“Adomas is the Champion. Dalia is the Ruler.”

“Is she here, on Earth?” Robert asked.

“Yes. She resides in this building.”

I walked to one of the tables and put my hands on the
surface, looking down at the gears. It seemed unfathomable that Elos would
remain a prisoner with all this information. “Why haven’t you tried to escape?”

“It is impossible to escape.”

“But you have access to their weapons. Can’t you make one
for yourself and use it against them?” Robert said.

“The sija is merely a binding of gears. It can only be
activated by a power source called
ozlon
.”

I spun around and stared at Elos. “What’s
ozlon
?”

“It is a substance found on the planet Marsden. Ozlon
collects energy from a biological host until it stabilizes. When stable, the
substance can be controlled by the host to create a profusion of energy.”

I smiled and gradually nodded “The lasers.”

“What does ozlon look like?” Robert asked.

“It is a beige marble.”

I immediately recalled the jewel Emily was wearing. “Who
handles the ozlon?”

“The Ruler is the only one with access to the power source.”

Robert chuckled and threw his hands up. “So all we have to
do is take it from her.”

“As I say, Human, it is impossible to evade Adomas. These
collars we wear are tracking devices, controlled by his sija. If you were to
run, he would apply pressure and strangle you.”

“Then let’s work together and find a way to break them off,”
I said.

Elos paused for a second. “You humans are persistent. I
admire such courage. However, I assure you: these collars are unbreakable.” He
turned toward the tables. “Now, if your questions have concluded, we can begin
our work.”

I let out an aggravated
huff
and turned back to the
tables. “What will you have us do, Elos?”

He picked up one of the larger gears. Then, he picked up a
smaller gear and locked them together. “Complete this task for each set, and
organize the combined gears.”

I nodded and got to work. Robert came over and joined me. We
glanced at each other, and I knew he was thinking the same thing. All we had to
do was convince Elos to help us, and we would have another chance at freedom.

Chapter 38

I was standing on the roof of our building, on my way to the
Soldiers’ Academy to drop Juozas off for training. Our ship came out of the sky
and landed a few yards away. Juozas went in first, and I followed. Minutes
later, we arrived and landed by the main entrance. We headed inside and met up
with Katie, Bridget and their children.

The instructor was a former Champion named Ignas. And even
though he didn’t look it, I was told that he was very old.

“Hello, Ignas.”

He gave me a kind nod. “Emily.”

“Juozas tells me he’s been excelling in training.”

“Excel is not the word. He has become my best student.”

I saw London staring at Juozas, smirking. “That’s rubbish,
Ignas. I am your best student,” he said in a British accent. He was a fiery
boy, and the friendly competition between him and Juozas was fun to watch.
“Isn’t that right, Lauren-Lynn?”

Lauren-Lynn crossed her arms and put her chin up. “No.
Because
I
am his best student.”

Ignas chucked. “You will
all
become great soldiers.
However, the blood of the Champion runs through Juozas’s veins. He is destined
to take the title. And his promise shows tremendously.”

London stepped away from Bridget and got in Juozas’s face.
“That’s funny. Because all I see is weakness.”

Juozas glared at London.

“All right. That’s enough out of you,” Bridget said, pulling
London back.

Ignas headed toward the training room. “Come, my students.”

I gave Juozas a hug and kissed his cheek. “I’ll see you
later, Love. Have a good day.”

“Goodbye, Mother.”

Afterward, I flew back to my building and found Adomas in
the security room on the third floor. He was sitting at the control board,
looking over a few holographic monitors.

Adomas glanced at me. “Emily.”

I walked up to him. “I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

“Certainly not. These are standard procedures I must attend
to.”

I took a quick look at the monitors. Some of them showed
slaves working in the forest. And others showed recreation sites for soldiers
and citizens.

I looked back to Adomas and put my hand on his arm. “I want
to see Dalia.”

He nodded. “I shall send her the request.”

Chapter 39

That night, I was brought to Dalia’s room on the top floor.
She was sitting on a wooden chair by the window, looking over a hologram from
her sija.

She peeked at me and smiled as I walked to her. “Emily.”

I stopped at the sofa next to the chair and took a seat.
“Hello, Dalia.” I checked the hologram and realized she was reading text. “What
are you reading?”

“Reports from Marsden.”

I nodded restlessly, wishing I could visit. “How are things
back home?”

“Excellent.” She pressed a button that made the hologram go
away. “You wished to see me, Emily?”

I touched the marble she gave me and glanced at it. “Yes.
It’s about this.”

Dalia leaned forward and checked it. “There is great
conflict in you.”

I nodded sadly and put my head down. After all this time, I
was still struggling to escape my emotions. “I don’t know what to do.”

“To stabilize the substance—the host must be free from
uncertainty.”

I looked up at her, blinking. “What kind of substance is
this?”

“It is
ozlon
. Our greatest source of power.”

“Why did you give it to me?”

Dalia waited a second before responding. “When Juozas
defeats Adomas—
you
will become my successor.”

I trembled and got a little lightheaded. “
What
?”

“That is the way of our society. The mother of the Champion
rules the land. And the Champion protects the mother.”

I looked off in a daze. “That means…Adomas is your son.”

Dalia nodded. “He is.”

“And that makes Juozas your grandson.
Wow
—this is
amazing.” Then, a troubling thought crossed my mind. “Wait—so if Lauren-Lynn
defeats Adomas? Would Katie become the Ruler?

Dalia nodded.

My eyes got wide. “Oh, I see. Well, that would be
interesting,” I chuckled. “But what if a Ruler is unwise and doesn’t do what’s
best for the people?”

“An unfit mother could never nurture a worthy soldier.
Therefore, an unworthy soldier could never become Champion.”

It was flattering to know that Dalia had so much faith in
me. “I’ll do my best to make sure Juozas is ready when the time comes.”

Dalia reached down and gently brushed her hand along my
hair. “Worry not, Emily. In time, you will mend the conflict of your soul. And
the ozlon you carry will stabilize. Giving you the strength to prepare Juozas.”

Chapter 40

I was sitting on the floor eating some food. Robert was
sleeping. And Elos was still working. I finished the food and grabbed a cup of
water. Slowly, I drank the water and closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation.

Afterward, I got up and walked over to Elos. “Hey, don’t
Ecknors sleep, too?”

“We do not require much sleep.”

I stood there and watched him take sets of the sija’s
exterior off the conveyer belt and put them in a bin. “
Why
, Elos?” I
paused and stared at him. “With all the knowledge you have—why do you still
serve them?”

For the first time, he ignored me. I studied his face and
saw some discomfort in his eyes, like he didn’t know how to respond. It was as
if no one had ever shown him kindness. I tapped Elos on his shoulder and walked
away.

“I’ll leave you alone, my friend.”

But before I could go back to my spot, Elos spun around and
stepped forward. I turned around and waited.

“Your behavior troubles me, Human.”

I chuckled. “Look, I don’t know how things are on Eztu. But
here on Earth, we don’t give up so easily.”

Elos got closer. “You must understand, Human: this is not
your planet anymore.”

I glared at him and got closer. “First off, my name isn’t
human
.
It’s Andrew. And I’m not afraid to fight back against these monsters.”

He looked at me like he couldn’t believe I would say such a
thing. “You would die—
Andrew
.”

“Freedom is worth dying for.”

Elos waited a moment, then looked away. “Hope has abandoned
me for so long. I fear your behavior is inspiring me to believe again.”

I nodded. “
So
—you have tried to escape.”

“Yes. In the beginning.”

I was thrilled to see a change in him. And it made me
realize a satisfying dynamic. The Mamluks had made their first mistake by
putting us with Elos. Now, the compassion they sorely lacked was becoming our
greatest weapon.

Chapter 41

I was meditating by a lake in the forest, trying to mend the
conflict of my soul. Dalia was right. There was a lot of uncertainty inside me.
But I couldn’t understand why. I focused hard, dissecting my thoughts as the
soft wind from the lake blew past my face.

I looked down to see if the ozlon stopped moving. Still,
nothing. Frustrated, I kicked my feet out and stood up. I exhaled and put my
hands on my hips, looking down at my refection in the water. There was a lot of
shame in my eyes, like a child who’d been caught stealing for the first time.

I looked up, finally realizing my problem. I was carrying a
guilty conscience. Repressing my feelings wasn’t enough. I had to find supreme
confidence in what I was doing—and completely alter my mind-set.

Later on, I went back to my building and took a long shower.
Then I got dressed and went to Juozas’s room. He was practicing some fighting
techniques, unaware of me watching him from the entryway. I stood there for a
moment and imagined us as Ruler and Champion, reigning for a long time.

I casually walked inside. “Nice moves.”

Juozas spun around with a boyish smile. “Mother.”

I bounced around playfully and rubbed my thumb against my
nose like a boxer. “Come on. Show me what you got.”

Juozas got low and stalked me like a wolf. I inched closer,
swiping at him with my little hands. Juozas attacked me with frightening speed,
grabbing me and lifting me over his head.

I busted into laughter. “Okay! I quit, already!”

But as he put me down, I quickly reached under his arm and
tickled him. He laughed outrageously, slowly ducking to the floor. I stayed on
him, tickling him all over.

“That’s cheating, Mother,” Juozas giggled.

He managed to get away and run to the bed. I chased him and
went in for another attack, this time going for the stomach. Juozas curled up
and tried to cover his stomach. I bent down and gently nibbled at his neck. He
reached up and tried to stop me, exposing his stomach. I reached down in a
flash, catching him with one last barrage.

We slowly calmed and found a spot at the center of the bed,
laughing as we lay face to face. Juozas poked me. I smiled and poked him back.

“I love you, Sweetheart.”

“I love you, Mother.”

I poked him again. “Remember—Mom always wins.”

Juozas gave me a curious stare, blinking his eyes. “Did you
play with your mother like this?”

I froze. He had never asked me a question like that before.
“Yes…I did.”

His face sparked with enthusiasm, like he was about to hear
a great story. “What was her name?”

My heart rate increased dramatically. I quickly got off the
bed. “
Oh
, I’m sorry, Dear. I forgot to get something for your father.”

Juozas sat up and looked at me like he knew something was
wrong. I bent down and kissed his cheek, then hurried out of the room.