In the center of the hall was a low platform on which sat a man in a lotus pose. His skin let in a dim but perceptible light. The glow radiated from his body in waves. Above his head hung a dome that was coated with glossy gold on the inside. The light gathered in this hemisphere and turned into a bright stream that shone directly on the top of the seated man.
The travelers came even closer and saw that the floor of the podium was made of something transparent, like glass. The light was falling from above, and the shadow that should have appeared from below did not appear dark, but bright as fire. It fell down through the glass and turned into the very column of fire that had almost killed the travelers hours before.