Free Orbelon's World (Book 3) by Martin Ash Page B

still gaping at Leth. Then he turned to cry back over his shoulder, 'He has come! See! At last! At last! It was as I said!'
       The others seemed struck dumb. They clung to one another’s hands, their eyes round and fearful. The man with the sword came towards Leth, p roffering the weapon. 'Take it, Lord. We have not forgotten our covenant. We have held it for you all this time.'
       Leth frowned in puzzlement, surveyed the sword, then the man, then the others. 'I don’t understand. What is this? Where is this place?'
      'Please, my Lord. The Sword of the Orb. It is yours. From before.'
       He almost pressed the weapon to Leth's chest.
       'The Sword of the Orb?' Leth's frown deepened. Releasing his children’s hands he grasped the sword by hilt and scabbard. There came a hushed murmur from the assembled. The man in the robe smiled, then bent from the waist in an attitude of obeisance. 'Now, now we will be saved! You have returned. Go forth, oh Great Lord. Strike down our tormentress! Let her bestride this land no more!'
       He backed away, his head bowed, then edged to one side and picked up a cloth bundle from the ground. This he laid upon the earth before Leth. 'This, too, is for you. We know how great your ordeal has been, Lord. This will give you strength.'
       He retreated again. Leth glanced at the bundle on the ground, then passed his eyes over the sword-hilt and scabbard. Both were of exceedingly fine workmanship, set with glittering gems and figured with precious metals, their value incalculable. He grasped the hilt-grip firmly in his right hand and drew forth the blade. There came another gasp; all those before him drew back further. Then, almost as one, they turned and scattered. Only the robed man remained.
       Leth stared after them but briefly as they fled, for his attention was on the sword's blade. It was metallic, though the metal he could not identify, for it was of a fiery roseate hue and it gave forth a bright halo of rose light.
       The robed man blinked and heaved a great sigh. He clasped his hands before him, moist-eyed and smiling. 'It is as it should be. The Sword is at last returned to its rightful master.'
       'The Sword of the Orb?' queried Leth.
       'No other has seen the blade, for no other could draw it free. Lord, I have devoted my life to this, and at last I am rewarded.' He gazed adoringly at the roseate blade, then at Leth. 'At last! At last!'
       The robed man backed away.
       Leth shook his head in perplexity. 'I don’t understand what is happening here. I fear this is a mistake.'
       The robed man backed further away, bowing his head. Then, quickly, he turned and walked off.
       'Wait!' Leth called. 'Stop! I command you! Stop!'
       But his words were not heeded, and quite suddenly there was no one to be seen. Muttering to himself he sheathed the blade and strapped it around his waist. 'Curious. Still, I’m no longer naked, but I would give much to know where we are and  exactly who or what these people believe me to be.'
       He crouched and undid the outer wrapping of the cloth bundle the robed man had left. Inside he found hard yellow cheese, a haunch of cured meat, some dried fruit, bread, a leather flask and a knife.
       'Aah, we can staunch our hunger at last.' He reached back for his childrens' hands. 'Come, my brave little ones. Let's eat now, then we will be better set to seek out these strange nervous folk and learn more about them and their land.'
       Neither Galry nor Jace took his hand. He swivelled, suddenly conscious of their silence these past few moments. The children were nowhere in sight. Leth sprang to his feet, a cold hammer of fear almost paralyzing him. 'Jace! Galry!'
       They were nowhere to be seen. Leth looked back to the portal through which they had stepped. To his shock there was nothing before him but a sheer cliff face. A symbol or rune, consisting of two spheres divided by a single, angled shaft, had been chiselled