Mictha watched passively as Egris and Glenn discussed the possibility of introducing a new player into the game, one with powers that could be useful to their plight. His eyes flicked to the crystal ball in the center of the table, its crystalline depths stirring gently as he silently called to it.
"You might wish to avert your gaze, Miss Gloria."
A swirl of rosy color bloomed in the orb's center, perhaps unnoticed by the pacing Lady Warden and the passionate Burnie. It turned slowly, folding in on itself and twirling in place as it sought out the object of his query. Then, a face appeared in the whorl of reddish hues, that of a young woman, her sullen expression marred by scar tissue. Unusual hair and even stranger markings decorating her slender neck and arms had the half-elf cocking his head ever so slightly, resting his chin on the back of a dainty hand as he watched the girl's brow furrow, glancing up as if she could feel his eyes on her. He allowed himself a tiny smile; she did indeed have powers if she could sense the scrying energies.
The light framing her face abruptly faded to a dull purple, the color of a bruise, and the girl vanished as the smoke collapsed on itself, like two waves colliding, one word making itself known in the wake of her departure
Elliot
A man's blank, staring eyes, helpless to resist the woman who was doing away with his very essence, wiping any and all shreds of who he was from his mind, destroying him from the inside out before filling the husk of his body with a fabrication of her own design. Behind her, barely visible through the violet smoke, stood Glenn, his glazed eyes turned on the woman, lusting after the caress of her magic while a vague sense of rational terror tugged at his hand, self-preservation attempting to wrench him away from her madness, her poison.
The images came faster now, a barrage that he catalogued in the back of his mind as they appeared. There was Gloria, demanding proof and answers, at a loss without either. There was Egris, flinty determination conflicting with the doubt in her eyes as she stretched a hand towards Glenn, straining to reach him. He frowned as something particularly vile sprung into being within the ball, a serpentine mass of scales, talons, and fangs that slithered and coiled itself tightly around Niall, effectively trapping her while at the same time shielding her from shadowy forms. He smelled chocolate, faint and wafting throughout the room before it was torn away by the vision, leaving him at somewhat of a loss.
A mansion. A paved pathway through the courtyard flanked on either side by knights in brilliantly shining armor. On the steps, a woman with long hair like fire and elven features, an infant clutched tightly to her breast. Her white dress flowed as she raced to meet the handsome man climbing the steps towards her, catching her in his arms and kissing her deeply, tears slipping down her cheeks as he whispered something in her ear.
The same woman, older, her hair cropped short and her face drawn into a scowl, a scar descending from her left eye to her cheek. A dagger, one of her own, held to the small of her back by a man with dark hair that he immediately recognized as the Bloodletter Kess. They moved quickly, staying out of sight, slipping past guards.
And all at once, the feeling of velvety smooth fingertips caressing the neck of whoever happened to be staring into the orb. The sensation of warm breath ghosting across their skin, a soft sight against their ears.
No cheating, pets.
Michta whipped a white linen napkin from where it rested an inch from Egris's place setting, tossing it over the orb so that it covered it entirely. The sensations stopped, the noises faded, and all was quiet.
Michta was silent for several moments before gingerly lifting the cloth from the quartz. The orb was as still and transparent as it had been only a minute before. The half-elf looked paler than usual in the dim lighting of the room, but he behaved as though nothing had happened. He spoke to Egris first:
"Do as you see fit." He plucked the ball from its stand, tucking it into a billowy sleeve, not sure if Glenn or Gloria would seek to smash it first. "Just be quick. I fear that the final act of our play draws near. If you will excuse me, I must speak with Captain Montelle."
So saying, he swept quietly towards the door of the room, disappearing down the hallway as he headed for the stairs.