The Mamluks (The Mamluks Saga: Episode 1) Page 8

  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.

  Chapter 42

  Elos woke me and Robert. Still exhausted, we staggered to seated positions. And like always, the soldiers had set out a bowl of food for us and some cups of water.

  After eating, I got up and went to the tables. But before I could start putting the gears together, Elos came over and stopped me. Surprised, I turned and looked him in the eye.

  “We must talk.”

  Robert came to the tables and did a double take between me and Elos. “What’s going on?”

  Elos looked at Robert, then back at me. “Having you here has affected me.” He stepped back a little, looking around. “For so long, I have lived with the knowledge that escaping Adomas was impossible.”

  “Nothing is impossible,” I said. “Together, we can find a way.”

  Robert nodded.

  I lifted my arm and held my hand out. “Let this be a new beginning, Elos.”

  Robert reached out and firmly grabbed my hand. Elos stood there for a moment, staring at our united hands. Finally, he raised his hand and joined us. I smiled proudly. Robert closed his eyes and bowed his head, whispering thanks to God.

  “For freedom.” I nodded sternly. “For freedom.”

  Part Four – The Great Escape

  Chapter 43

  Lately, I was spending more time with Dalia, learning about the countless responsibilities of being the Ruler. Now, I understood why she hardly socialized with others. She was literally busy from sunup to sundown almost every day. Going over security measures with Adomas, flying to other parts of the world to monitor development, you name it.

  One of her major tasks was hearing cases of those who disobeyed her law—and deciding on appropriate punishments. It was mind-numbing to think I would have that responsibility one day. But I was certainly thrilled to be her shadow for the time being.

  I met Dalia on the roof of our building when the sky was just turning blue. There was a ship waiting for us. We got in and sat side by side. I grabbed one of the human sized handles and braced for liftoff.

  “You will need more support than that,” Dalia said, gently pushing me against the wall. She carefully adjusted my body. “Remain still.”

  Two metal straps whooshed from behind and covered my shoulders, locking me into the wall. Dalia let go and sat back. Two Mamluk sized straps popped out and locked her to the wall.

  She grabbed the straps and held on tight. “We will be going much faster today.”<
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  I copied her. Then, as we took off, I freaked out a little. Without warning, the ship blasted through the air, rattling my bones. We were moving so fast, I couldn’t see. I closed my eyes and tried to relax. After a few minutes of suffering, I got used to the speed and settled down.

  When we finally landed, it felt like only an hour or so had gone by. My ears were ringing, and I was very dizzy. The straps released, and Dalia stood up casually. I wobbled to my feet and grabbed my stomach.

  “I think I’m going to—” I launched forward and threw up. I lifted slowly and peeked at Dalia, embarrassed, as I wiped my mouth.

  She laughed. “You will adjust in time, Emily. Come, follow me.”

  The ramp opened, and we headed into a forest of evergreen trees. There were patches of snow on the ground, too. As we moved along, I looked up at Dalia and saw utter disgust on her face as she walked around the snow patches.

  We came up to two kneeling soldiers. Dalia marched past them and said, “Rise.”

  The soldiers stood and followed us into a sandstone building. We walked down the hallway and entered a circular room. There was another soldier kneeling at the center of the room with a collar around his neck—and a chair built into the floor about ten feet from him.

  Dalia went to the chair and took a seat, giving the soldier a disappointed stare. “What is your crime?”

  I looked at him and watched closely. It was shocking to see a Mamluk in this position.

  “I captured several servants from the local citizens and offered them to my allies. Great Dalia, I ask for mercy.”

  Dalia looked on with a blank stare. “You have disgraced your title as soldier. Why should you be allowed to live?”

  “I deserve to die. My request for mercy is only a wish to restore my allegiance.”

  I glanced back and forth between the soldier and Dalia, oozing with anticipation.

  Dalia took a moment, looking him up and down. “As punishment—you shall suffer an onslaught for every servant you captured. If you survive—you will become a slave to the locals until they deem your debt repaid.”

  The soldier got lower, bowing his head a few inches off the floor. “I cherish your grace, Dalia.”

  “Identify your allies to these soldiers. They will endure the same consequence.” Dalia waved the shamed soldier away.

  He stood up and walked out with the other soldiers. I was amazed to see him show so much appreciation after receiving such a harsh punishment. Dalia didn’t mess around.

  We left the building right away and headed to our next stop. I was exhausted by the time we got back to our building. I went straight to my room and found Audrey cleaning the floors. Just before saying hello, I paused and stopped myself.

  Audrey looked up at me, crouching over a wet spot. “Hello, Emily. How was your day?”

  I walked past her and started to undress. She stood up and slowly walked forward.

  “Is something wrong?”

  I turned around and gave her a stern look. “Finish your work.” Without seeing her reaction, I turned back around and took off my last piece of clothing.

  “Emily?” she wept.

  I went into the bathroom and got in the shower. When the water came on, I reached for my neck and felt the ozlon. Something was different. I looked down and checked the substance. The moving parts were slowing down. Finally, I was learning.

  Chapter 44

  I was sitting on the floor with Robert and Elos. We had just finished our work for the day, and it was time to go over some strategies.

  “Any new ideas?” I asked, looking at Elos.

  “No. Our only option is to destroy the sija that controls the collars.”

  Robert quickly stepped in. “Now, wait a minute. What if we just found a way out of here without them seeing us? I mean, is there an alarm or something that would go off?”

  “Yes. The sija alerts them if the collar moves from its designated area. The device was designed for prisoners, not slaves.”

  I exhaled and shook my head, placing my hand on my chin. I pondered for a second, then snapped my fingers. “Tell me this, Elos. Would Adomas ever take his sija off for any reason?”

  “Perhaps.”

  “Well, how loud is the alarm? Let’s say he takes the sija off during his sleep. Maybe we could get to it before anyone noticed.”

  “The alarm is loud. Adomas would wake. Or a patrolling soldier would hear it.”

  I looked down, desperately rubbing my hands together. And moments later, I thought of a dear friend.

  “Madison.”

  Robert nodded. “That’s a good idea. But how would we reach her from here?”

  “Madison?” Elos said.

  “She’s a friend.” I looked around in a fret. “If there was only a way we could write her a note or something.” Right then, I spotted an empty cup by the stairway. “The cups!”

  “The cups?” Robert said.

  “Yeah. We can scratch a note on the cups they bring us every day. I’m sure the servants handle all the dishes. If we’re lucky, she might see it.”

  “They would kill your friend if she was seen trying to take the sija from Adomas.”

  I frowned and put my head down. “You’re right. We can’t ask her to do that.”

  Robert stepped in. “Andrew. I know it may be hard for you to think about this. But what about Emily? I mean, she is close to Adomas.”

  I quickly shook my head. “She won’t help us.” I tapped my hand on the ground, looking up at the ceiling. After another night of debating, we were still stuck at square one.

  Chapter 45

  I leaned into Adomas as he looked over some information on a hologram. “Let’s go out tonight.”

  “Out?”

  “Yeah. Let’s go out and have some fun.”

  Adomas flashed a wicked smile. “Do you dance, Emily?”

  I nodded slowly, eying him flirtatiously. “Yes.”

  He grinned and turned off whatever he was looking at. “Come with me.” Adomas took me upstairs to the roof and led me to a parked ship. He opened it, and we got in the cockpit.

  On his sija, he pressed a button that started the ship. I watched closely as he worked the control board. He pulled back on the handle, and we went up. I stared out the window as we drifted away. The traffic in the sky was calm, and there were a few hovercrafts watering the forest.

  Minutes later, we arrived at the beach. There were hundreds of Mamluks and women dancing to drums, standing around a huge bonfire. Adomas landed by a row of parked ships, about fifty yards from the action. We got out and swaggered to the scene.

  When we got to the crowd, Adomas bobbed his head to the beat. I smiled and copied him. We went to the front of the crowd and got close to the fire. Slowly, the music stopped and everyone silenced. I looked around and saw a band of drummers spread out around the crowd.

  “The Champion has arrived!” one of them shouted. Then they started the drums up again.

  “Now, you wanted to dance, Emily?” Adomas said, over the drums, like I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.

  I smiled and nodded. The drums got louder and louder. Adomas stomped with the beat, bouncing his shoulders. And then swiftly, he leaned his head back and howled at the moon. Everyone went crazy. The drummers played wildly, and the crowd stomped with the beat. I staggered around like a pinball for a second before falling down.

  The beat slowed, and everyone backed off. I quickly got up. Adomas was smiling, dancing around me as I looked on. He jumped at me, daring me to do something.

  “Dance, Emily,” he laughed, like he had caught me in a trap.

  I smiled and rocked my head to the beat. Adomas paused and casually swayed, like he was giving me the floor. I stomped the sand, inching closer to the fire. The beat picked up little by little. I leaned my head back, closed my eyes and screamed as loud as I could.

  The drummers went crazy, and everyone bounced around. Adomas got close to me, gracefully popping his shoulders with
the drums. I like the way you move. I put my hands up and jumped all over, bumping into everybody. It was an extraordinary experience. The best night I ever had.

  Chapter 46

  All I could think about was the escape. I sat against the wall for a long while, staring at the lights on the machinery. Robert was sleeping on the other side of the room, snoring. Elos was sitting a few feet from me, putting his mask on. I turned my head a little and watched him.

  “Why do you wear that, Elos?”

  He took a moment, adjusting the speaker. “I cannot pronounce the language. This device was designed to assist me.”

  I nodded, trying to imagine his home planet. “What’s it like on Eztu?”

  “It is like Earth. Full of plants and water.”

  I smiled, thinking about how cool it would be to visit. “Did you have family there?”

  “Family?”

  “Like, someone you cared about.”

  “Yes. A mate named Ena. She was bearing my offspring when the Mamluks arrived.”

  “What happened when they arrived?”

  “She was killed by Adomas.”

  I gave him a sorrowing look, and bowed my head. “So, that means your children…I mean, offspring, where never born.”

  “Yes. All female and undeveloped Ecknors were deemed useless.”

  My heart ached, hearing about the slaughter of young souls. I wondered if the same thing happened on Earth.

  Thinking about it made me angry. “We’re going to get out of here and get the ozlon. Then we’ll give these bastards something to be sorry about.”

  “I have considered every option. There is no means of escape. Perhaps the courage you have shown has proven to be unwise.”

  I sternly shook my head. “No, there’s always a way. We’re just overlooking something.”

  Robert woke up, snorting. “What’s going on?”

  I looked over and checked on him. “It’s just us, Rob. Did we wake you?”