Read Taken: The Life of Uktesh Book 3 for Free Online Page A

perfect Palm Strike to the back of Omero’s head, which dropped him like a rock.  Uktesh was glad he’d been right about the Palm Strike not killing Omero.
    Uktesh retrieved one of his swords and couldn’t find the second one he picked out another one from the rack.  He assumed there’d be at least one other test.  This time the man at the furthest end of the line stepped forward. He too was armed with two swords.  The man stepped in front of Uktesh with his hand out and said, “I’m Emexida. You’re good, but you got lucky.” Uktesh took his hand and tried not to show that Emexida’s grip was close to breaking Uktesh’s hand.  The snake raised his whip hand again to the man who nodded, clearly happy with the display. Emexida and Uktesh shouted, “We salute you, Dominus!”
    Emexida went into a defensive stance and Uktesh Stepped forward and attacked with an imperfect Lighting Flashes that was blocked.  Uktesh blocked Emexida’s next move with a balanced Shield of Air, then attacked with a balanced Moth to the Flame, and followed it up with an imperfect Lighting Flashes, that was also blocked.  Uktesh allowed Emexida to control the flow of the battle and Uktesh couldn’t help but feel pressured a few times. He had to ramp up to a perfect defense, but when he attacked he made sure to not attack in perfect to lower Emexida’s expectation of Uktesh’s power.
    Uktesh began to include Stepping into his attack pattern and once he felt certain Emexida was used to his speed and strength he ramped it up by using a spirit enhanced perfect Serpent Strike stab that was neither blocked nor deflected.  He followed that up with the god form Thunder without Lightning, while Emexida was reeling from the perfect hit.
    Uktesh suddenly felt his sword pulled from his hand by the snake’s whip.  Uktesh, suddenly off balance, Stepped twice to the side and backed away from Emexida.  Uktesh rightly assumed that the snake would stop the fight as Uktesh would’ve won if the snake hadn’t interfered. 
    “Ssstop!  You know you have fairly lossst. 
    If you continue you know what it will cossst.”
    Uktesh felt a stirring in the air as the Dominus vaulted over the railing.  As he was about to touch down the sand around his feet was blown away and he slowed himself down.  Uktesh’s jaw dropped. He can use magic too!   The Dominus stretched out his hand to Uktesh who took it, too shocked to do anything else.  Before he realized what was happening he was flying through the air and only had enough time to raise his arms and begin to slow his flight before he slammed into a wall and felt both his arms break.  He rolled to his feet and half-dodged, half-tripped over the rubble that was all that was left of the section of wall he’d hit.  He hadn’t needed to though, as the Dominus didn’t continue his attack.  Uktesh painfully rolled onto his back and passed out.
    When he woke up both his arms were in casts and the snake was standing next to him. 
    “Ssso you remain with us among the living. 
    Do you know why the Dominusss wasss not forgiving?”
    Uktesh shook his head,
    “You beat hisss champion like you were on fire,
    and made Lord Assstiau the better asss hisss ssslave now ssstandsss higher.”
    Uktesh swallowed and said, “I can’t change the past, what do I do about it?”
    The snake said,
    “Do? You sssurvive. 
    Until the Ssstorm Lord’sss honor can revive.”
    The snake patted Uktesh’s shoulder in a surprisingly gently gesture,
    “All my carrotsss and all my sssticksss,
    you shall learn all my tricksss.”
    Uktesh passed out again.  When he woke up he was in a cell that was not only spacious, but he had a bed with a mattress that wasn’t straw or stone, but some kind of springy material.  He also had a pillow that seemed to be made out of clouds, it was so soft.  He felt a hand reach over his shoulder and begin to caress his chest!
    He didn’t know if he somehow Walked, something he hadn’t