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

Chapter 32

I stared at Emily and waited for her to say something.
Seeing Adomas there made me think she was being cautious. The rocky jewel she
was wearing glowed in the murky light, making it easier to see her face.

Adomas reached through the door and handed something to
Emily. “Secure these collars around their necks.”

I didn’t know what to think at first. In my heart, I felt
that Emily could never bring herself to kill me, thinking that’s what the
collars would do. But as she walked to me, I looked deep into her eyes and
realized the woman I loved was gone.

“My God, Emily. What have they done to you?”

She ignored me and kneeled. I kept looking into her eyes,
trying to find some compassion.

“Don’t move.” Emily forcefully put the collar around my neck
and closed it. She quickly shifted to Robert and put the other collar on him.

“Why, Emily?” he groaned. As she rose, he closed his eyes
and lowered his head. “God bless, my friend.”

Emily turned away and left the room, never looking back. A
slow, angry tear moved down my face as I watched her shadow fade away. I looked
at Adomas and saw him lifting his arm. He pressed a button on his device, and
our collars made a beeping sound. Suddenly, I felt a little more pressure
around my neck. Adomas pressed another button that closed the door.

I lowered my head and covered my face. “Not this,
Emily
.
It can’t be this.”

Part Three – New World Order

Chapter 33

I was at the beach with Juozas, playing in the water. He was
older now. But since the Mamluks didn’t record time, I wasn’t sure of his exact
age.

Juozas was a little taller than me, and he looked to be well
over two hundred pounds. Like all the Mamluks, his body was incredibly
muscular. And, like all the male Mamluks, he had to keep his head shaved. In
their culture, it was believed that only females should have hair.

We were engaged in a feisty game of cat and mouse. I covered
my eyes as Juozas chased me, splashing water at me. Finally, he caught me and
pulled me down. I screamed cheerfully as I went under water. When he pulled me
up, I coughed while laughing, and heard Juozas say, “I have you now, Mother.”

I spit out a few gulps of water. “All right—I give up.”

Afterward, we relaxed in the sand and dried off. In the
distance, I could see a group of hovercrafts collecting water from the ocean.
Each one had a metal hose that sucked the water into a vat. The water was then
transferred to the city and used as needed.

Some of the water was brought to the sandstone buildings and
spilled into a hole in the corner of each roof. Since the invasion, I had
learned that every building had a filtration system that ran through the walls.
It was yet another neat discovery about the Mamluk way of life.

When we were finished, I had a patrolling soldier call our
ship. It arrived within a few minutes and landed nearby, blowing some sand our
way.

“Why can’t we stay longer, Mother?”

I brushed some sand off Juozas’s shoulders. “Because you
have to eat and get ready for training in the morning.”

We got on board and took off. The pilot went to our building
and landed by the main entrance. The ramp opened, and we headed up the entry
steps.

“Go get ready, Sweetheart. Then meet us in the dining hall.”

After showering and getting dressed, I went downstairs and
found Adomas in the dining hall. Our newest servant was setting the table.
Since her arrival, I had learned that her name was Madison.

I walked ahead and took a seat by Adomas. Moments later,
Juozas came into the dining hall and sat across from me. Madison finished
setting the table and wheeled her cart into the catering hall. She came back
shortly after with our food.

Madison went to Juozas first and filled his plate with grilled
meat and steamed vegetables.

“Thank you,” he said, flashing a kind smile.

I quickly glared at him. “Son, we don’t say 'Thank you' to
servants.”

Juozas looked down and frowned. “Sorry, Mother.”

Madison finished her duties and went on her way.

“Did you enjoy the shore, Juozas?” Adomas said.

“Yes, Father. I won against Mother in the game we were
playing.”

Adomas chuckled. “What is this…
game
, you speak of?”

“It’s called cat and mouse. I was the cat, and Mother was
the mouse.”

Adomas glanced at me, smiling. “This surprises me, Emily.
The
cat
, or feline breed of this planet, is superior to the mouse. Is it
not?”

I nodded. “It is.”

“Juozas has not matured. Therefore,
you
should have
been the cat.”

I laughed. “Are you kidding me? Have you seen our son
lately? I’m no match for him.”

Adomas narrowed his eyes, chewing. “Why are you no match?”

I leaned my head, giving him a sarcastic look. “That’s
obvious.”

Adomas shook his head. “You confuse size with strength,
Emily.”

I grinned and put my elbows on the table. “So, what are you
saying? That I could beat even
you
?

Adomas nodded. “Certainly.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “That’s impossible.”

Juozas cut in. “I think you could beat Father.”

We all glanced at each other for a second, then busted into
laughter. It was such a delight to have this silly debate at the dinner table.
Being part of a family again made me feel complete. And unlike my previous
life, I was determined to never take it for granted.

Chapter 34

I was standing in a cave, waiting for the soldiers to give
me orders. They were blasting the walls with their lasers, knocking large
chunks of rock to the ground. After gathering a nice sized pile, a soldier
pressed a button on her device and a thin laser popped out. She turned a knob
on the device, adjusting the width of the laser. And gradually, she moved the
laser over the rocks.

Shockingly, tiny pieces of metal extracted from the rocks
and fell to the ground. Seeing that kind of advanced technology sent chills
down my spine. She went on for a while, moving the laser over the rocks until
there were heaps of metal on the ground. Finally, she waved over another
soldier. He walked up to me and dropped a stack of bins.

“Now, Human. Put the particles in these bins,” she said.

I got down on my knees and picked the tiny pieces up off the
ground, placing them in the bins. We stayed in the cave until sundown. By then,
I had filled ten bins. The soldiers carried them out of the cave and loaded
them in a hovercraft. And at last, they ordered
me
to a ship. Feeling
exhausted and starved, I wobbled to my feet and dragged myself to the ship.

The soldiers flew to Adomas’s building and put me in the
dungeon I had been living in for so long. There was a bowl of food on the floor
and two cups of water next to it. I sat down and ate half the food, leaving the
rest for Robert.

A few minutes later, the door opened, and a soldier pushed
Robert inside. He looked just as spent as I was. Robert took a seat against the
wall and massaged his legs.

“How was the day?” I asked.

“Numbing.”

I handed him his cup and the bowl. Robert drank the water in
a hurry and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Then he quickly ate.

“What did you do today?” he asked, chomping.

I put my hands up and spread my fingers, showing him the
cuts and blisters. “They had me working in a cave—picking up metal as they
extracted it from the rocks.”

Robert sadly shook his head. “I was working in the
forest—gathering crops.”

I exhaled. “I would've much rather been doing that.”

At this point, sharing our misery was the only thing that
made sense anymore. And, every night before sleep, I joined Robert in prayer.
It was
always
pleasing to end the day with some encouragement.

“Dear Lord, even during these dark times, I know that you
have not abandoned us. That is why we can never abandon You. Give us the
strength to carry on, all mighty God. Watch over us as we fight to survive.
Watch over our beloved friend Madison, and all who suffer. In Christ's name we
pray, Amen.”

Chapter 35

After being with Adomas for so long, I now knew more details
about his responsibilities. As Champion of the Mamluks, he was in charge of
security. However, his title could be taken away at any time.

Every soldier had the opportunity to challenge Adomas in
hand-to-hand combat. If he were to lose, the soldier who defeated him would
then become Champion.

Remarkably, I was told that Adomas had been Champion for a
very long time. But he was slowing down. And in their society, the spawn of the
Champion was
usually
the one who defeated the Champion.

A sandstone stadium that resembled the ancient Roman Colosseum
was built to showcase the competition. It was located in the heart of the
forest, a few miles from our building. A soldier from another region had come
to challenge Adomas.

Juozas and I were headed to the stadium to watch. Our ship
landed a few minutes before the fight began, and a soldier escorted us to our
seats in the front row. Dalia, the Ruler of all Mamluks, was sitting next to
us. I was surprised to see her in public. Since the celebration of Juozas’s
birth, she had been somewhat of a recluse.

“Hello, Dalia. I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“
Emily
, it is wonderful to see you again.” She bent
down a little. “And you as well, Juozas.”

“Hello,” he mumbled shyly.

A horn sounded, and the challenger walked out of a tunnel on
the other side of the stadium. The soldier stopped near the center of the
stadium floor and scanned the arena with fury in his eyes. The crowd cheered as
he looked on.

Shortly after, a second horn sounded, and Adomas walked out
of the tunnel on our side of the stadium. They were both wearing the
traditional soldier’s outfit. Black cargo-looking pants, black boots, with no
shirt on.

To win the fight, a combatant had to make their opponent
submit either verbally or physically—or knock them unconscious. Adomas put his
arms out and screamed, glaring at the challenger. And right then, a third horn
went off, and the battle began.

Adomas ran at the challenger and tried to tackle him to the
ground. But the soldier was able to push him away. The challenger came forward
and caught Adomas with a quick jab. Adomas responded with a swift kick to the
soldier’s leg, buckling him a bit.

The challenger came right back with a fast combination,
peppering Adomas with punches and kicks. I was getting worried. The challenger
was much faster and more fluid. Adomas tried to tackle him again, but it didn’t
work. Then, the soldier jumped high and kneed Adomas in the face. The shot sent
him stumbling backwards.

The entire arena gasped and rose to their feet. I got up and
put my hand over my heart, trying to calm my nerves. But Adomas quickly
regained his awareness and delivered a stinging blow to the challenger’s
stomach. The strike wobbled the soldier, and Adomas followed up with a
take-down.

He pinned the challenger to the ground and battered him with
punches and elbows. Within seconds, the soldier’s face was a bloody mess. He
desperately tried to get up, but Adomas stayed on top and continued to hammer
away. Finally, the challenger waved his hand, signaling a submission.

The crowd roared as Adomas rose. I cheered loud and threw my
hands in the air. Juozas was jumping up and down, imitating his father’s moves.
The challenger got up and walked to Adomas. He gave him a quick nod, then got
on the ground and bowed at Adomas’s feet, declaring him the winner.

I smiled. “
Whew
, still the Champ.”

Chapter 36

Giedre came to our building to patch up Adomas’s wounds. I
was lying on the bed in a silk robe, watching.

“That was a close call today.”

“Yes, the soldier was very good.”

Giedre was using her laser device to stitch up a cut on his
cheek.

“Wow, that thing can do it all.”

“The
sija
is a superb tool.”

“
Ah
—so they’re called
sijas
.” I nodded slowly,
pondering. “How are they made?”

“The programming is sent from Marsden. It is then installed
in the gears. The physical exterior is crafted by one of my prisoners.”

“That’s interesting. Who’s the prisoner?”

“An
Ecknor
named
Elos
.”

I blinked my eyes. “What’s an
Ecknor
?”

“They
were
the dominant species of the planet
Eztu
—before
we arrived.”

My eyes got wide. “
Whoa
, wait a minute. You’ve
conquered other planets?”

Adomas nodded. “Four to be exact—including Earth. Eztu was
to be the last. Then the tragedy of our females occurred.”

Giedre finished patching up Adomas and left. I took off my
robe and got on my back. Adomas came to the bed and undressed. I smiled as he
looked down at me.

“So, you’re just a big bad bully.”

“A
bully
?”

“Yeah, an intimidator.”

Adomas smiled and nodded, climbing on top. He gently brushed
his fingers along my body, eying me all over. “Yes, a magnificent
bully
.”
Adomas lowered his head and kissed my breast.

I closed my eyes and moaned, feeling his soft, wet lips
against my skin. “Yes,
you
are.”