The Mamluks (The Mamluks Saga: Episode 1) by Edward Lake Page A

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