A glimpse into Mota's day
Mota sat up snarling as she took another sip of the tea to detox her system. The poison’s effect was starting to subside and her anger blossoming as she gritted her teeth, one canine piercing the tender flesh of her lower lip. Licking the blood, Mota gets up, staggering as she braced one hand against the wall.She had accepted the work with the Syndicate in hopes of a mutually beneficial relationship. They had more manpower, connections she herself had not yet forged. While they had not left her high and dry, the last encounter had been a bit too close and not her style. Sighing, the smirk returns to her lips as she pushes the door outside and stands on the porch.
“You are awake.â€
Mota turned to glance to her mother. Sula sat primly, legs crossed as she eyed Mota a moment. Closing the book, the very one Ace had retrieved for Mota, Sula sets it aside and gets up, sauntering in similar fashion to Mota and stood beside. Brushing a strand of hair from Mota’s face, Sula smiles a moment, turning to gaze out over the small plot of land the tribe called home.
“The mender stated that even with an aether crystal we likely would not be able to…give one the ability to manipulate aether.â€
Mota glanced to Sula, her gaze intent, “The mender said this? But we tracked the shipment of crystals. You forced Relan to allow the transport of them. What do you mean?â€
Sula smiles again, the same similar smirk, “That is why the mender will be no more. We will need to find another soon. As for the long term problem….†Sula meets Mota’s gaze with cold glance. “Your sister was supposed to be the next mender. She has the ability. But she is weak; listens to her heart. I need someone who will use their power to protect the family and care for little else.â€
Sula motions for Mota to follow her as they take the steps down onto the sprawling front lawn. Several members of the tribe were busy sitting at a table piled high with various herbs drying in piles. They glanced up and quickly returned to work, Sula smiling as she passed them, “Busy bees keep working.†Taking Mota’s hand, Sula smiles and leads her out to stand at the edge of the river, stopping to gaze, “You will become matriarch some day. You will see, power is everything. As conflict ensues, we can gain more power. With power, comes wealth, opportunity.â€
Mota holds back a sigh. Always the pressure, the expectation. She hated to admit, deep inside, she could see why Poe had run.
“We will need a strong male, a mate for you. One with ability to manipulate aether. Have you been working on this?†Sula turns to stare at Mota, “Your sister was to be the next mender, to give us a strong child who would ensure the safety of the tribe. I have not given up hope that she will some day rejoin us and do just that. But I prefer to have two plans in action.â€
Mota was silent as Sula spoke, thinking of the two males of power she had recently met. It would not be love, one outright seemed to despise her, the other foolish enough to think she could somehow be saved…but they could serve the purpose Sula was requiring of her. Meeting Sula’s gaze, Mota nods once, “I have met two potentials. Black mages, though one seems to be avoiding his power now.â€
Sula studies her daughter, finally nodding, “You will have one of them. Whatever it takes.â€
Mota nods, “I am working on an elixir of submission. I had hoped to use other means, but at this moment, neither seem receptive to my advances.â€
Sula gave her a look of distaste and disappointment, “A matriarch commands those with whatever means necessary. Your beauty should have been enough, your skills of seduction are solid. You must not fail.â€
Mota opened her mouth to reply but closed it quickly to avoid the verbal lashing that would follow if she spoke.
Sula took a step closer, the anger in her eyes brewing as she places a hand on Mota’s shoulder, “Make it happen.†With that, Sula quickly pushed her thumb deep into the wound Mota had on her shoulder, the pain causing her to almost stagger. The blood started to seep into the clothing, the red spot growing.
Sula looks at her with disgust, “Clean yourself up.†Sula turns on her heel and walks back to the house, leaving Mota standing by the river.
