The Uprising (The Mamluks Saga: Episode 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

to you, and to my people: I will protect our Ruler.”
    Father rose and looked into my eyes. Then he reached out and took Dalia’s hand. The crowd erupted into singing and dancing as they headed down the steps. Mother and I stood tall as we watched them leave, and finally, we turned and faced the sea.

Chapter 15: Emily
    A fter the inauguration, Lukas found me and we flew back to the building I was staying in. It was time for my preliminary briefing. He led me to a room at the center of the building. It had a sandstone chair built into the floor and a control board along the far wall. I took a seat and waited.
    Lukas pressed a button on his sija and a massive, holographic screen popped out of the control board. “Great Emily, as Ruler of all Mamluks, you are responsible for these five planets.”
    I grinned as he gradually pressed through each one.
    “Marsden—NorVal—Rumza—Eztu—and Earth.” Next, he clicked through some unfamiliar faces. “These are Dalia’s advocates. They will remain intact until you replace them. An advocate’s duty is to uphold the Ruler’s law when she is not present on a particular planet. Naturally, you will need to select five.”
    I nodded.
    Lukas pressed another button. “Lastly, My Ruler, you must make a vow to the founding mother of our society. Her name is Marija, and she created the traditions that have allowed us to prosper for generations.” The lights dimmed, and a collection of bright, holographic stars emerged from the control board and floated around the room. Moments later, a vivid hologram of a beautiful Mamluk came into view. She had long, wavy blond hair, light green eyes, and a peaceful glow across her face. “This of course is a recording of her.”
    I looked on with my mouth slightly open, staring in total amazement.
    “Rise,” the recording of Marija said.
    I stood up and walked closer.
    Marija put her hand out and looked down. “Kneel.”
    I lowered myself to one knee and carefully placed my hands over my other knee. 
    “As Ruler of all Mamluks, you must vow to carry on tradition.”
    “Yes, Great Marija, mother of our society. I will carry on tradition.”
    “If you fail, the caregivers will take over and remove you from power, and you will be imprisoned for the rest of your days.”
    I promptly bowed my head. “I will not fail you, Great Marija.”
    “Rise.”
    I rose and looked on with spirited eyes.
    “Rule well, and fly with the sea.” All at once, the hologram of Marija, along with the stars, faded away and the lights came back on.
    “That was incredible.”
    Lukas came over and stood beside me.  “At last, the briefing is complete, My Ruler.”
    I turned to him and kindly touched his side. “Thank you, Lukas.”
    He kneeled and bowed to me. “I am honored, Great Emily.” 

Chapter 16: Juozas
    I arrived at the security center and went to the central control board. A soldier stepped forward and kneeled before me, bowing his head. “Welcome, My Champion.”
    I watchfully moved toward the row of holographic screens. “Rise, Soldier.”  He rose and followed me. “So, this is it.”
    “Yes. The security system. You must now link your sija to the—”
    I lifted my arm, cutting him off. “I have no sija . The ozlon I carry has not stabilized.”
    The soldier gave me a confused look. “Forgive me, My Champion. May I ask how you defeated the former Champion? To my knowledge, no one has ever achieved the status of Champion without the strength of ozlon .”
    I smiled. “Not until now.”
    He returned a smile to me. “It will be an honor to serve at your side.”
    “Thank you, Soldier.” I anxiously stared at the screen. At that moment, I thought of something, and realized the opportunity at hand. “How far back do the security recordings go?”
    “I believe the recordings go back quite far.”
    I glanced at him. “Very good, Soldier. Now, for security purposes, I need you to leave as I look up some information.”
    “Certainly, My