"What do you think about Shanees Tanyu's offer?"
Moto opened his mouth to answer and then closed it. His first response an adamant, resounding NO! But he knew it wouldn't be accepted or put the Queen in good humor. He glanced at the floor, gathered his thoughts and emotions. The Queen was patient if nothing else. "While I am flattered by her offer," he stopped himself from adding 'made in public', to avoid disrespect towards his Queen. "I do not believe it would be a good match."
The Queen nodded once. She studied him for so long he began to wither under her scrutiny. "Moto, you are five years past the time when you should have taken a mate. What about Shanees Sari?"
That question caught him off guard. Sari? No! They were close, but he just couldn't see himself with her for life. He rejected the thought taking hold in his mind that perhaps it had something to do with a certain dark auburn hair, sea-green eyed girl. "Shanees Sari and I are close, but she is more like a sister to me than a potential mate."
"I see." Queen Shakti sighed.
Moto remained silent. Unlike a certain Shanees, he knew when to refrain from comment or even give the appearance that a comment resided on the tip of his tongue.
"I will allow you more time, but I suggest you reflect and decide soon whom you wish for a bonded mate. Strongly suggest." She gave him a piercing look which told him her patience with him dwindled. She expected him to step in line, be an example to other Kahoali males.
"As you wish, my Queen," Moto gave a small bow of his head. He looked up and waited to be dismissed. He hoped he would be dismissed.
The Queen smiled and shook her head at him. "Go, enjoy your freedom while you have it, child."
Moto favored her with a genuine smile.
"Go," she said without rancor.
He stood and turned to leave.
"Moto," she called after him.
He turned back towards her.
"I prefer your choice be Shanees."
He bowed his head in acknowledgement, and then left while he could manage an escape. He glanced at the sky to the fading light and cursed. The day almost gone, and he had yet to find that cursed girl. He tried to hold on to Shimani's words that she was probably fine. No reason he should feel so, panicked, but he did. Not a full-on panic, but close enough. He never liked when things didn't go his way or make sense. He hurried to his hut, relieved to find Shimani there.
"Piss the Queen off?" Shimani asked with a great deal more amusement than Moto thought appropriate. While Moto enjoyed Shimani's sense of humor, today not so much, and not at his expense.
Moto swept the chair out from under Shimani that he leaned back in.
Shimani landed with a thump and jumped up with a curse.
"You should learn to control your amusement."
"I'll give you that one, for now." Shimani stood by Moto who already stared into his looking bowl. "But only because you're so out of sorts today."
Moto refrained from comment. He didn't have time for banter with Shimani. He emptied his mind of wayward thoughts and focused his attention on the girl. Finding someone in the looking bowl could be a bit complicated. First, he needed to know who he sought, and second where to search or at least close enough vicinity his mind would be drawn to them with the water of the looking bowl. Only Crystal Lake water could act as a conduit.
"Anything?"
Moto shook his head. He took a deep breath and again focused his thoughts on the cursed girl while he emptied his mind of everything else.
Shimani remained silent.
Moto continued to take deep breaths as he focused his thoughts. He focused on both locations he saw her in the past. He tried every way he knew to pull her image forward in the looking bowl. Times like this he cursed his inability to make his 'other' abilities work. The normal abilities developed along four paths: fire, wind, Ki, and air. Certain abilities developed based on those elements and those elements alone. Moto first developed abilities associated with fire, but over time he developed others such as opening portals, a little of the other elements, and finding a certain girl in a certain looking bowl, until now. Moto smacked the side of the bowl and sent it flying across the room where it stopped, crashed into the wall and splintered into several pieces, too many pieces to fix.
"Well, that helped," Shimani backed up and out of Moto's reach.
Moto glared at him. "Door. You. GO!" He pointed first to the door, then Shimani, and then the door again.
Shimani was not easily intimidated. "What about going back to the last place you saw her?"
"I just tried that!" Moto yelled. He pointed at the splintered bowl and cursed. He would have to make another one which would take way too long. Making a looking bowl was not as easy as it sounded and not as easy as making a regular wooden bowl.
"I meant physically," Shimani said, "or are you going to tell me you haven't been going to her world?"
"Fine," Moto said. He wouldn't give Shimani the satisfaction of answering him. "Will you cover for me?"
Shimani shook his head, "No."
"What do you mean NO?" Moto cringed for not taking more care with his volume and tone. While the village huts maintained a respectable distance from each other so as not to be stacked on top of one another, it was not much space. He didn't need to draw undue attention. No telling what the Queen would do if she ever learned that he not only left the safety of Ki but left to see a girl he obsessed about because he couldn't resist the pull which drew him to her.
"No," Shimani said, "I'm going with you."
"What?" Moto shook his head.
