"Look, I get that for whatever reason, you would prefer to find this girl on your own, but you can't deny you might need my expertise."
Moto glared as Shimani. "You learned everything you know from me."
Shimani shrugged, "then consider it another lesson to bestow upon my unworthy head. Besides, there are no official duties at this evening's repast, and we've missed evening repast in the past. It would look less suspicious if we both missed than if just you."
Moto crossed his arms over his chest. Shimani made sense, and he didn't like it. "Fine!" Moto gave in, "don't slow me down." He grabbed a dagger from his weapons wall, and put it in his boot, then headed out the door.
"Do I ever?" Shimani said as he followed Moto out the door.
Moto didn't reply.
They traveled to the Ancestral Gateway in silence. Once at the Ancestral Gateway Moto lifted his hand to open the Gateway to the girl's world. Shimani laid a hand on Moto's arm to stay his actions. Moto looked at him and frowned.
"When you scanned for the girl, did you happen to notice if the vicinity of our destination was void of the worlds Inhabitants?"
"No." Moto cursed himself for not checking due to his preoccupation of the girl.
"This should be fun." Shimani said as he removed his hand from Moto's arm. He waited for Moto to activate the Ancestral Gateway.
Moto stepped through the opened doorway first. He felt Shimani follow him. On the other side he hid behind the partial wall. Shimani followed his example. Moto glanced over the partial wall as did Shimani. The light of day faded on this world. Moto frowned. It was unusual to see so many in that place. The panic he kept at bay, started pushing to the surface. He could feel the worry for those there, and sadness.
He ducked down and looked at Shimani. He expected to find Shimani beside him. Instead, he found him standing in front of the Gateway. Moto crept to where he stood. "What are you doing?" Moto asked.
Shimani shrugged, "nothing useful." He said. He pointed, "Are there often this many people here?"
Moto shook his head.
Shimani frowned. "Wanna head back?"
"No," Moto kept his voice low and grateful Shimani did the same. "Neither do I want to be discovered." Moto frowned and glanced over his shoulder towards the wall. He couldn't see the others, but he could feel them. The emotions pouring off them bothered him more than he cared to admit. Something was wrong, and he feared their concerns centered on the girl he searched for himself. He turned his focus back to Shimani. "Open the Gateway, quietly."
"I am appalled at your lack of confidence in my abilities." Shimani opened the Gateway and stepped through before Moto could respond.
Moto followed. On the other side, he held his frustration in check as best he could. Now what? He thought. He paced. He refrained from speaking to avoid taking his frustration out on Shimani more than he already did.
"What if we head to Crystal Lake and try scanning for her again?"
Moto stopped pacing and turned towards Shimani who leaned against the Ancestral Gateway. "With what? If you didn't notice, my bowl is no longer working."
"With this," Shimani pulled a small wooden bowl from the inside of his vest pocket. The calmness in Shimani irritated Moto, but he kept it to himself. He knew deep down Shimani was trying to help. It was not his fault that Moto's emotions got the better of him where the girls concerned. "Guess you paid attention to that lesson." Moto opened a portal. He stepped aside to let Shimani enter first.
"I always pay attention," Shimani said, "for the most part," he added as he stepped into Moto's portal.
Moto shook his head. He followed Shimani into the portal which took them both to a path leading to Crystal Lake. Once he stepped through the portal, Shimani handed Moto his looking bowl. "Thank you." They both hurried down the path, into the valley and to the water's edge. Moto knelt and gathered water from Crystal Lake into the bowl. He cupped the bowl in his hands, and concentrated as he stared in it.
Shimani knelt opposite Moto so he could also peer in the bowl.
Nothing appeared on the surface of the water. Moto tried to ignore the frustration growing inside him. The day grew more and more frustrating.
"Concentrate, Moto."
Moto looked up at him and scowled. "What do you think I'm doing?"
Shimani shrugged, "letting the frustrations of the day cloud your mind and diminish your concentration."
Moto's scowl deepened. He might have growled at Shimani in response. Either way, Shimani possessed enough good sense to remain silent. He took a deep breath and focused his attention on finding Kaily. As he stared in the bowl, he thought the water shimmered a couple times, but he couldn't get her image to solidify. Truth be told, he found it difficult to get the scenes of the places he found her before to solidify in the bowl. Moto slammed the bowl down on the ground after yet another failed attempt to find the cursed girl.
Shimani picked up the bowl.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Giving it a try."
Moto shook his head. "What makes you think you can succeed where I didn't?" He grew angry and while Shimani didn't deserve to be the recipient of his anger, he was. How could Shimani find her when he couldn't?
"Look, Moto, there is no harm in me trying. You are not as calm as would be ideal and I paid attention to your lessons. What could it hurt for me to try?"
"Fine." Moto stood and walked away. He didn't have patience left
