His chanting continued as the pearl began to swirl with a light milky fog. However, the mist did not stay contained, as it seeped from the pearl and floated upward. The soft, gray mist began to form a mini tornado as it swirled above the table. Jacob had to use every ounce of self-control not to do or say anything as this mystic scene unfolded before his very eyes. He gave careful consideration to Eric’s words and kept his mouth shut. Eric, on the other hand, continued to watch with emotionless calm. It surprised even him how unruffled he was by the freak show.
Suddenly, their bodies seemed to fall into the illusion, as if they were floating into the projection while getting a skyward view at the scenery below, even though they were still physically seated within the safety of the palace. As they floated within the projection, a dense, green forest came into view far below them. The view zoomed in closer and closer as their vision, unencumbered with physical bodies, seemed to penetrate the thick vegetation. Deeper and deeper it went, until the magical view fell upon a small village in the middle of the forest.
Small huts assembled from some sort of black rock were scattered about the immediate area. They seemed rather primitive due to their small square shapes along with green and brown-colored roofs that seemed to be made of some sort of bamboo. In a flash, the image propelled them forward once again, deeper into the heart of the village.
Everyone in the room gasped as the view became clearer. Large humanoids walked the dirt pathways between the black huts. The humanoids wore very little clothing, exposing many large dark spots all over their bodies. Most had no hair whatsoever, although a few had long, white, thin hair flowing down from nearly completely exposed heads. Humanoids...no, crytons! They lived!
A bright blue flash radiated from the floating image, consuming everyone in the room for a split second. Everyone let out a sharp blast of air as the feeling of being dunked in ice water flowed through them. They all began panting in short bursts, trying desperately to catch their breath. The jolt of energy that cascaded from the image was a magical sense of understanding. Their very thoughts had just been implanted with a knowledge that was not there before. Each one attained a full understanding of the images they had just witnessed.
The magical images floating above the table began to change once more as they were sucked back into it against their will. Everyone, still trying desperately to catch his or her breath, was forced to fly across the desert sky. Skulls and rocks blurred past them down below as they flew at an unbelievable speed. A small speck off in the distance came up on them in a heartbeat as they jolted to a sudden stop.
Up close, the small speck had turned out to be a dark crystal tower, somehow existing in the middle of a beautiful oasis. Colorful birds flew around and through a raging waterfall. Then, in a flash, the image changed once again, as they were now viewing the crystal tower from within. They appeared to be floating above a room filled with filthy naked men and women, all rocking back and forth with a strange, constant sway.
Their eyes were completely white. Nearly invisible golden threads seemed to float off their bodies, giving them the appearance of animated puppets. Standing right beside them was a terrifying sight: a towering demon with a nose like a pig and the eyes of a cat. He was commanding the humans and preparing them for war.
As the image faded from their artificial view, the bright flash consumed them once again. The feeling of falling into a frozen lake flowed through each one as they all gasped at once; each one breathing heavily, unable to pull enough precious air into their lungs. Jacob actually fell out of his chair. It was hard to tell if it was from the intense feeling of cold or the surge of knowledge related to the magical image: the sickening understanding of what had happened to those poor souls, the knowledge of what the puppeteers were capable of!
Ilirra and Jade both began to weep softly at the pure sickness of what they had just witnessed. Jacob finally got to his knees, but didn’t stand right away. Although he made no sound, his eyes were no drier than either of the girls’. Eric remained seated still as a statue, wearing an unreadable expression, but not his eyes—they burned with pure hate. Eric had always kept his emotions in check, never overreacting to anything, but what he had just witnessed was truly unforgivable. He stared straight ahead, but said nothing.