Wake up, Princess Lazy." Daniel said, pulling the curtains and letting in the bright, eye-shattering sunlight into my room and straight through my eyelids.

I pulled my bed cover over my head, shielding my fragile eyes from the sun's rays. "You know, for someone who is supposed to be a prophet, you're stylishly wicked." I mumbled under the covers but Daniel must have heard me because he replied.

"For someone so eager to get answers, you're very lazy." Daniel threw an apple at me, hitting me in the head.

I threw my blanket off my torso, still keeping my legs covered to glare at the prophet properly.

"Do we have to go this early?" I asked, watching Daniel inspect another apple from the breakfast tray.

"You were so eager to leave in the middle of the night yesterday. Plus, Themba woke up two hours earlier because of you. So, if I were you, I wouldn't waste another second." Daniel smirked with pleasure before taking a bite from the apple and leaving my room.

An hour later, I was dressed, fed, and ready to go in search of answers. Themba and Diurnal didn't look very pleased to see me though. They were waiting at the door of the airship and I could have sworn that Themba had gripped her spear a little more tightly than she normally did. Themba walked up to me with a smile on her face and she whispered in my ear.

"Ukuba ubunokumosha omnye umzuzwana, ngendikuhambisile ngendlela engeyiyo, Nkosazana - If you had wasted another second, I would have taken you on a journey you could never return from, Princess." Themba said, smiling at me before walking into the airship. I didn't move.

There was no doubt that Themba was going to wipe me from the surface of this earth if I got into that airship alone, with her.

"Just to clear any doubt, she meant she was going to kill you." Diurnal whispered in my other ear.

"I think I got the message, thank you Diurnal." I said with a thin-lipped smile and closed eyes. Diurnal got my message and gave me a nod, rushing into the airship.

We sat in silence in the airship, waiting for Daniel. Themba sat beside Diurnal with her spear, and I sat two rows away from Themba. Daniel was taking his sweet time to come out and Themba didn't grunt a single comment or threaten to kill him. Ten minutes later, Daniel walked out of the house in a mint green and cream garment.

"We would be back soon!" Daniel waved at Khanyiswa, taking his sweet time. Once Daniel was done saying his goodbyes, he climbed into the airship, took a seat beside me and we were off. The view was more beautiful early in the morning and the city was filled with so much life and color. We flew in silence for almost an hour before Diurnal landed in a massive field.

"Sifikile apho besisiya khona. Enkosi ngokubhabha neDiurnal. - We have reached our destination. Thank you for flying with Diurnal." Diurnal smiled, getting a light knock on the head from Daniel.

"Enkosi, Diurnal. - Thank you, Diurnal." Diurnal gave a small nod as Daniel disembarked the airship and Themba followed behind.

I needed to stretch my legs and also get away from Themba and her spear. I jumped out of the airship and headed in any direction that wasn't leading toward Themba or her spear before Daniel called out to me.

"Don't wander far, these are dangerous grounds!" Daniel said but I would learn that from experience. An arrow flew right beside my right ear, slightly grazing me and hitting the target on the tree in front of me.

"I told you not to go far," Daniel said, with the 'I told you' look. He held an arrow in his hands that he had broken in two. "These are dangerous hunting grounds."

"Ngubani onokuphazamisa ekuzingeleni kwam?! - Who dares disturb my hunting?" An elderly woman wearing hunting gear walked out from the trees.

"Molo, Mama Ubulumko - Hello, Mama Ubulumko." Daniel smiled, tossing the broken arrow in his hands to the ground. "

"Kuhle ukubona ubuso obuqhelekileyo! Uziswe yintoni kwindawo yam yokuzingela, Yabona? - Good to see a familiar face! What has brought you to my hunting grounds, Yabona?" The elderly woman hung her massive bow on her shoulders, pulling Daniel's cheeks and making kissy lips at him like a grandmother would.

"Ndiyavuya ukubona, mama. - It's good to see you too, Mother."
Daniel freed his cheeks from the elderly woman's hold, giving her a big smile and embracing her.

Nobody questioned the conversation that had transpired between Daniel and the elderly woman who I learned was called Mama Ubulumko. We simply followed her in silence through the copycat of a forest that was her backyard. Mama Ubulumko and Daniel lead the way, the two of them having some sort of reunion party because they were laughing the whole way.

Once we were out of the forest, we came to a massive house.

"Wamkelekile kwindawo yam yokuhlala ethobekileyo. Nceda, yenzela ekhaya. -Welcome to my humble abode. Please, make yourself at home." Mama Ubulumko gestured to the mansion in front of us. "Kufuneka ndigcine izixhobo zam. Bendizakuba ngumama onjani xa ndingalandeli imithetho yam? - I need to return my weapons. What kind of mother would I be if I didn't follow my rules?" Mama Ubulumko gave a hearty laugh, rubbing Daniel's back lovingly.

"Sizakulinda ngaphakathi, mama. - We will wait for you inside, Mother." Daniel said to Mama Ubulumko, who replied with a light 'Hmm'

The mansion had the same blue liquid running through its walls and furniture. There was faith running through it. We sat in the living room in silence, well, Daniel and Diurnal sat. Themba stood guard by the door we came in through, her spear held ready to strike.

"You can ask your questions Tamari; I would answer them." Daniel said, paying more attention to the wall opposite him than to me.

"You didn't tell us we were going to see your mother! You took me to have some mother-son time with your mum?!" I argued.

"I told you we were going to see the person who had all the answers to your questions and that person just also happens to be my mother." Daniel toyed with his staff like it was some amazing piece.

I let out a deep sigh. He was right, and there was no need to argue any further.

We sat in the living room, waiting for Daniel's mother for almost an hour before the elderly woman came in with a tray of hot, delicious Akara.

"Ndixolele ukulibazisa kwam. Kwafuneka ndifunele iindwendwe zam into, amandla omkhuba. - Forgive me for my tardiness. I had to get something for my visitors, force of habit." Mama Ubulumko smiled, setting down the tray and taking a seat beside Daniel.

The aroma of the Akara was so enticing and it made my body tingle.

"Ungazitya, ungakhathazeki. Azilumi. - You can have some, don't worry. They don't bite." Mama Ubulumko smiled at me and I said my thanks and took a piece of the hot delicacy. It tasted as amazing as it smelt.

"Kodwa watya singekafiki?! - But she ate before we arrived?!" I heard Diurnal whisper to Themba.

"Mayite iNkosazana ngoxolo, Diurnal. - Let the Princess eat in peace, Diurnal." Themba shoved Diurnal hard in his side, offering me a nod to continue my eating in peace.

"Ndicela, uhlale phantsi Themba. Umntu akazihluphi kanje endlini yegorha. - Please, sit down Themba. One does not bother like this in the house of a warrior." Mama Ubulumko laughed, offering Themba a seat.

"Enkosi, Jikelele. - Thank you, General." Themba grunted and Mama Ubulumko smiled.

Themba, Diurnal, and Daniel helped themselves to some Akara and Mama Ubulumko made small talk between the four of them.

"So Tamari, should we converse in Xhosa or is the general tongue more preferable to you?" Mama Ubulumko asked, pulling me from my thoughts on how delicious her Akara was.

"I would prefer the general tongue, Ma." I replied, not bothered how Mama Ubulumko knew my name.

"Ma. I can't remember the last time someone called me that." Mama Ubulumko laughed. "You are a good person Tamari."

"How do you know that? I could be a horrible person claiming good intentions." I dropped my Akara, more interested in the conversation that was going on.

"Well." Mama Ubulumko edged closer in her seat. "Good people smell like a healthy fruit bowl and you, my dear, smell like a very healthy fruit bowl. Ready for eating!" Mama Ubulumko chuckled.

I became more interested in who this woman was and what exactly she knew. I wiped my hands with a serviette from the tray and sat closer to the edge of my chair.

"I have questions Mama Ubulumko." I said.

"I know, why else would you be here? Yabona doesn't visit me unless he's in a fix or was ordered to. He thinks he's too old for his mother. He forgets I am the one who groomed him in the path of a prophet and pushed him to God." Mama Ubulumko smiled at Daniel who was blushing at the ground.

"I visit you mother; I just don't come as often as you wish but I do come to see you." Daniel grinned, locking his arm in his mother's. It was painfully clear that they loved each other and adored themselves. It reminded me of something I didn't have.

"Now, what questions shall Mama Ubulumko answer for you?" Mama Ubulumko announced in a chirpy tone, standing from her seat and pouring herself a glass of wine.

I looked around, let out a deep breath, and asked my question.

"Now, that my dear is a smart question." Mama Ubulumko exclaimed, dropping her cup on the table with the tray of untouched Akaras, and settling back down in her chair. "And I would answer that if you answer one of mine." Mama Ubulumko raised a brow at me, asking if we had a deal.

I was eager and needed answers and I blurted my answer without thinking.

"Who is Tamari of the Gates? You had everything and you gave it up for a vision, why? What was not in the Gates that you sought for?" Mama Ubulumko asked.

My shoulders slumped. The one thing I had hoped to never have to talk about, was the very thing that held the answers to my questions. I closed my eyes and prayed that I had misheard Mama Ubulumko. That there was something else that she wanted to know in exchange for her knowledge but the silence that followed was proof enough that I had heard and heard right.

"I would not repeat myself Tamari." Mama Ubulumko sipped her wine, fixing a death glare on me. She was dead serious and not ready to wait till I was comfortable. "You made a deal, I demand that you keep your end of the deal."

I didn't open my eyes, I held them tightly shut and the tears began to drop. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up. It was Themba.

"We learn a lot by being silent but you're not the silent type Tamari. Speak your purpose into reality." Themba grunted.

I placed my hand on hers, gently tapping it in appreciation and wiping the tears that lingered with my free hand. Themba was right. If I had come all this way for a purpose, only to keep silent when my voice was needed, then what was the point?

"You didn't make it all this way to keep silent Tamari, you didn't almost die to sit there in silence. You didn't trust a total stranger and jumped from the tallest building in the Sands to sit there in silence. You didn't do all that to sit there in silence Tamari or was I wrong about you from the beginning?" Daniel asked, standing from his chair and banging his staff on the ground.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to scream my purpose till my lungs begged for mercy and Themba's hand on my shoulder, Mama Ubulumko's, watching eyes were the simple push I needed to do it.

"Ndandikhangela uThixo! - I was looking for God!"!