Read Quest for the Moon Orb: Orbs of Rathira for Free Online

Ti-Ank,” King Rhobar said gesturing toward the far end of the room.”  He sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair.  “The Ti-Ank has not been seen for many hundreds of years, though.  Without it, nothing else matters anyway.”
    Karma rose and walked down the length of the wall until she came to the tapestry that King Rhobar spoke of.  She gasped softly as she gazed up at a woman who stood holding a staff with a dark blue, winged ankh headpiece.  The headpiece was familiar, exactly as she had suspected.  Behind the woman was a gigantic bird, so big that it filled the tapestry.  It was bright red with blue markings on its face, neck, chest and wings.  Its golden beak was short and sharply curved, and there seemed to be a light of intelligence in its pale blue eyes. 
    What really shocked her was how much the woman in the tapestry looked like her own mother with the same golden brown skin, large green eyes and long, rippling dark hair.  The biggest difference was that her mother had been delicate and gentle, whereas the woman in the tapestry looked strong and bold, like a warrior. 
    Karma studied the tapestry wistfully.  What would it be like to have that much self-confidence, that much inner strength, she wondered.  She knew she gave the appearance of boldness, but in reality it was a shield erected to keep people at a distance.  Several months earlier, for the first time since leaving her home world and settling on Earth as a teen, she had lowered her shield and allowed herself to make a few friends. 
    A wave of cold inevitability moved slowly through her as she gazed at the tapestry, and she knew that she must stay here, on Rathira, and leave those friends behind.  Just as Riata had foretold.
    “You know what to do,” a soft, tinkling voice said.  Karma nodded slightly as she glanced at the familiar, ghostly figure of Riata hovering beside her.  She took a deep breath, then returned to King Rhobar and took her seat.  She reached into her jacket pockets and withdrew two items.  The first was a short, black rod, which slipped easily from the pocket; the other object was larger and oddly shaped, so it took a moment for her to work it free. 
    She held her hands out toward King Rhobar, the winged ankh in one hand, the rod in the other.  The ankh, a large cross with a loop at the top and wings behind the cross bar, was carved from what appeared to be one solid piece of dark blue stone.  It was set into a pale yellow metal that was too light to be gold, too yellow to be silver.  It was larger than Karma’s hand by only a small measure, but quite sturdy and heavy.  At the bottom of the ankh was a short tube.
    King Rhobar stared at the object for a long moment, his eyes wide.  “Yes, that is it,” he said.  “I do not know what the rod is, but that is the headpiece of the Ti-Ank depicted in the tapestries.  How did you come to have this?”
    “It was given to me by a friend,” Karma said.  “She has many objects that she safeguards until the time they are meant to be given to their true owners.”
    King Rhobar didn’t really understand, but quickly decided that it didn’t matter.  There were stories that the Ti-Ank had been destroyed, stolen, or hidden away.  No one knew what the truth was other than the fact that it was gone.  Now, it was back on Rathira where it belonged and in the possession of the only woman in living memory who could speak with the Sphin.  Further proof that his suspicions about her were correct.
    He watched as Karma squeezed the rod in the center, causing it to expand into a five foot long staff, startling him.  She then slipped the tube at the bottom of the ankh over the end of the staff.  There was a metallic click as the tube fastened firmly to the staff.
    “You are Techu,” he whispered in awe.  He had suspected, of course.  That’s why she was here in his private sitting room.  But up until this moment he had been afraid to really