Chapter Twenty Nine: The Iqosha soldier

Aaron runs as fast as he could around the arena. Easily out beating other soldiers as they tried their hardest to compete against him.

Mali sits on a high fence watching him while drinking sake.

Aaron then leaps high into the air climbing up the palace wall. The soldiers training in the arena stops to admire Aaron as he leaps off the wall. Pushing himself into a backward flip and landing perfectly onto his feet.

"He is very impressive!"

Mali turns to his right and sees the Emperor.

"He is your majesty. Aaron was a slave in the orange draconium Empire. An Iqosha soldier no less..." Mali says with pride.

"You bought his freedom?" The Emperor asks.

"I did! Slavery is illegal here. So I don't have to worry about other enslavers or slave collectors. He is a good lad." Mali takes another long drink of sake.

"How has he been after the accident?" The Emperor asks sternly.

"Lei told you? He is Shaken up... Although he has been hiding it. That is why he is training so vigorously. He did say in a passing comment that he felt he failed Iolene." Mali looks down as Aaron then pulls a heavy dragon carriage.

"AARON!" Mali shouts.

Aaron immediately stops pulling the carriage and looks straight up at Mali.

"DON'T STRAIN YOURSELF!" Mali shouts with concern.

Aaron nods as he leaves the carriage and starts running around the arena again.

"He doesn't look remotely tired... I have heard stories about Iqosha soldiers. Never thought I would see one..." The Emperor says as he looks at Aaron then practicing with a sword and shield.

"He has many interesting stories to tell. He's had quite a childhood."

"I can imagine..." The Emperor looks down at Aaron as he easily beats his soldiers with strength and speed.

They both look to the right as Fred walks into the arena. He carries his large hammer and swings it around. He is trying to intimidate Aaron and failing.

"Thank you for what you did..." Mali says softly as he looked at Fred.

"We don't want another family to fall because of the Black Empire. We regret what happened to our old friends... Hated Emperor Arman Kaiser. But his son is a good man. They have been moved out of the city to move into other smaller cities north from here." The Emperor keeps looking at Fred as he pushes Aaron on the shoulder.

"Frederick reminds me of his father..." As the Emperor sighs. "Brutish with no class, while wanting everyone to work for him..."

"The more he is around I realised why his family voted him out to stay with us..." Mali laughs as he takes another drink.

Aaron pushes Fred back easily overpowering him. Mali chuckles as he watches the men wrestling like children. Even though Fred is much taller than Aaron he is easily overpowered. Aaron pins him onto the floor.

Mali and the Emperor can hear Fred shout obscenities at Aaron.

"I think I better break them up..." Mali says as he leaps of the fence and walks over to the men.

"Aaron! That's enough!" Mali says clapping his hands.

Aaron looks at Mali for a moment until Fred punches him in the face. His large fist easily knocks the air out of Aaron. As he falls over slamming his body on the ground.

Aaron groans as he slowly stands up and stumblIng backward.

"Sorry Mali..." Aaron says trying to regain his balance massaging his cheek.

"Oh don't be... I give you permission." Mali says with his large cheeky grin and winks.

Fred stands up in anger as Aaron punches him in the face. He crashes down to the floor.

Aaron looks down at his tiny master. "What do you need Master?" Aaron says absent-mindedly.

Mali sighs as Aaron still shows his enslaved conditioning. "Nothing dear boy! I have the Emperor with me."

The Emperor walks with such grace as all of his soldiers bow to him. Aaron bows lowest to the floor.

"Up you get Aaron. He wants to speak to you..." Mali says as he lowers himself to Aaron's level and patting his back.

"I have never met an Iqosha soldier... I see that you do have strong abilities, unlike any other person. How did you get these abilities?" The Emperor signals with his hands for everyone to return their duties.

"I'M STRONGER THAN HE IS!" Fred shouts as he stands up. Mali looks up at Fred and punches him on the knee making Fred yell out in pain. He falls over massaging his knee.

The Emperor looks down at Fred. "I doubt that..." As he chuckles. He then returns his attention to Aaron who is trying to ignore Fred. The Emperor repeats the question to Aaron.

"I..." Aaron says as he moves his gaze away from the Emperor. His mind becomes clouded with his memories.

"Speak young man. How did you get your abilities?" The Emperor questions again.

"I was experimented on your majesty," Aaron says with shaky confidence.

The Emperor's expression changed from a soft smile to a serious stern. "How did they experiment on you?" The Emperor immediately asks.

"I don't remember your majesty..." Aaron says as his heart started to beat faster. A whole year out of the seven he lived in Dominus Sahara much of it is like reading random blank pages of a journal. Much of it felt like a blur... And Aaron tries his hardest to keep it that way...

"You don't remember?" The Emperor raises his right eyebrow and leans closer to Aaron. "You are a bad liar... I can tell how your eyes shift and you stopped looking at me."

"Your majesty, I don't know what they did... Only the path to get the privilege of such power..." Aaron tries his hardest to keep his mind from his time in Dominus Sahara.

Mali stares at Aaron and easily notices his discomfort. Mali asks the Emperor quietly to stop asking questions. To everyone's relief that the Emperor is a nice a man. He stops.

To everyone's surprise, Prince Murray enters the arena. Looking much healthier and groomed. His blue beard and long hair shaved and cut. Wearing his thin light blue robes and seashell jewelry.

"Prince Murray, Wonderful to see you again," Mali says as he offers Murray a drink. Which he happily takes.

"Iolene where is she?" Murray asks. He recounts how he had to lay low after the explosion incident of the city. Sazan Jona was questioning why he was here. Murray remained at the palace managing to shake the Black Empire off from suspicion.

"She is attending the bride's engagement tea ceremony. Ladies only... Quite the affair..." Mali then takes another drink as Aaron takes the bottle off him.

Murray sighs and looks up to the clear skies. "The wedding is in a few days... I'm afraid to say that Grand Princess Nerida and King Marlowe cannot make it... So I shall be here for them."

"Yes, I understand. Life is complicated." The Emperor nods and then strokes his beard. "The wedding ceremony is prepared and the setting looks beautiful. All the guests have arrived, ready for a week-long celebration."