"They're calling me, back to the stars
Deep out of space, they're calling me
Back to the stars
They found peace in the ocean (peace with the pain)
Now they guide my way, guide my way…"
Meshell N'Degeocello—"Virgo"
The Royal Talon Fighter approached the opening of Warrior Falls.
Okoye and Ayo scanned a twenty mile radius before flying over the valley of gushing water walls to the other side.
"Kumkani, I've found the hover bike…"
Ayo glanced over at the king who sat in a pensive position behind her. Okoye flew the aircraft lower to the base of the Falls as N'Jadka stood next to Ayo and looked at the viewscreen that projected the image of a broken hover bike floating in an undertow where it was caught between two boulders.
"No signs of Queen Yani," Ayo said with a soft tone.
N'Jadaka's jaguar suit swarmed around him and he tapped the opening of the circular floor exit. He dropped eighty feet and splashed into a deep plunge pool of cold black water. Below the surface he scanned for signs of life around the bike before dragging it onto land. A flash of pink caught his eye and he lunged for it in the water.
Yani's walking shoe. It was drenched and unmarked, unlike the damaged hover bike. She had to have fallen trying to fly over the giant falls. He quelled the rise in panic in his demeanor. She was alive somewhere. He willed it.
Okoye's voice broke through his reverie, loud and clear inside his face mask.
"There are no other traces of anything. That is a good sign," Okoye said.
N'Jadaka dove below and searched underwater. Yani had a strong body. If she were injured somewhere he would find her. He scanned for her kimoyo beads thinking they may have been snapped away from her wrist, but there was nothing.
Breeching the surface he leaped onto the land and surveyed the surroundings. Okoye and Ayo dropped down from the gravity tracking beam. Aneka stood watch over the Talon Fighter. High above, stinger aircrafts circled the sky.
"Kumkani…here…" Ayo said.
Footprints in the moist earth. He recognized the pattern of her sandals. The king gave a grateful sigh of relief. His wife was alive and somewhere out there searching for God knew what. It wasn't like her to disappear like that without telling him where she was. He stared at the height from which she fell and all the dangers that could've swallowed her up. Was she under the influence of something? Did someone…or something lure her away? He remembered the panther cubs he couldn't see back in Ekuqaleni. Did they trick her into coming here?
Worry knotted his brow.
Wakanda was still a wondrous and mysterious place to them both. Anything could've happened to her.
"Come on," he said.
They followed Yani's tracks until they came upon two more that were bigger compared to hers. They made deeper impressions in the mud and directly faced Yani's footprints. Men. She followed them willingly because there was no sign of struggle in the area.
They scanned and tracked until the ground changed into grasslands and decomposing leaves. The grass was so thick like shag carpet that it didn't even bend to give an indication of what direction they went.
"They're gone…can't find anymore markings," Ayo said, crestfallen.
"She's gotta be around here somewhere. Let's spread out for a mile and check in," He tapped his kimoyo bead, "Aneka, contact Dr. Chidubem discreetly and have him flown here in case the Queen has major injuries."
"Yes kumkani, right away," Aneka said in his earbuds.
N'Jadaka shook out his arms and charged into the mountain forest on high alert.
He had to find his wife and return her to his side.
###
Warm balmy water cascaded all over Yani's body as she stepped through the birth waters. The entrance of the oracle's cave hummed and vibrated and the sounds made her jumpy. Passing through to the other side led her to the tranquil natural pool of glowing turquoise waters with steam rising from it.
"You made it Queen Yani."
Yani recognized the voice of Jabulile.
The woman was dressed in a long green robe like the men that brought Yani there. She was alone and holding a folded royal blue robe.
"Please bathe in these waters, from head to toe. I will help you put on this robe when you are finished," Jabulile said.
"Where are the other two women that were with you?" Yani asked.
"With Nolwandle…the oracle. They are waiting for you in the interior of the womb. Please kumkanikazi…bathe."
Jabulile turned her back to give Yani privacy as she willingly stripped down. She dipped a toe in the water first, and it wasn't too hot. Submerging herself, she gave into the heat and liquid comfort. The water smelled like sweet perfumes and tingled all over her skin. Dunking her head below, she quickly rubbed herself down. The water reflected against the ceiling and walls of the cave. She noticed inscriptions written in a language other than Wakandan, with pictographs depicting waves and sea creatures painted with neon blue paint. Some images were carved into the walls and looked older and eroded in some places. The bandage on her wrist fell away, and so did the dull ache of pain she carried since the Falls.
Stepping out of the pool, Yani looked for a towel.
Jabulile turned around and unfurled the robe she carried.
"No need to dry yourself, put this on quickly…here, I'll take those bandages for you. Follow me this way please…"
Yani trailed behind Jabulile. The light source used to illuminate their way couldn't be pinpointed by Yani. The cave floor was soft black sand that didn't seem to belong to that particular ecosystem. Her robe swished at her feet and stuck to the wet parts of her body, contouring itself like a designer dress. They walked through a purple mist that swiped across her skin like spiderwebs breaking across her face and body. She waved her hands around only to find that it was a sensation only…nothing was on her skin.
Her eardrums throbbed with the pounding of the drums…no…they couldn't be drums. The two young women who had drums were too far away to emit the sound she heard right then. Yani tuned in closer and realized the sound was a heartbeat, as if the cave was a living thing pumping its heart in a soothing rhythm.
Strange.
Yani walked a normal rate of speed, but her body felt like it was slowing down.
"We are almost there Queen Yani," Jabulile said.
Jabulile's voice sounded far away, the way it would if Yani were deep underwater listening to speech high above her head. Her heart thumped faster and she inhaled air through her mouth to calm down her fear.
They reached a narrow opening where the two women Yani asked about, Khanyisile and Nolwazi, stood watch holding torches. Both women smiled, relief evident on their faces.
"Go through there and you will find her," Jabulile said.
The passageway was dark and had only enough room for one person to pass through at a time.
"By myself?" Yani asked.
All three women nodded.
"Do not be afraid Queen Yani. Mama Wati protects you," Nolwazi said.
Yani shook her fingers and stepped past the women into the foreboding passage. Darkness swallowed her and she heard her own breathing speed up. Claustrophobia threatened to paralyze her from moving on, but she swallowed thickly and mustered the courage to keep walking, even as her shoulders hit the sides of the unseen walls. Step by step. Inch by inch. Yani staggered through thirty yards of pitch black until her cone and rod cells worked again to detect light and movement ahead.
Her eyes adjusted.
A woman with skin the color of freshly made Jamaican black castor oil sat crosscrossed on a bright green rug with painted sea turtles and stingrays. Her hair was wrapped in a large seagreen headwrap and her neck was heavy with seashell necklaces and sun-yellow glass beads. She could've been thirty, or she could've been seventy, it was anyone's guess with Wakandan people. They aged gracefully and seemingly slow. Bright eyes the color of glowing jade in the center and dark amber at the edges peered at her with a welcome kindness.
"Queen Yani Udaku of the Black Panther Tribe…and the unofficial adopted daughter of the River Tribe…I welcome you home. Sit…right there…in front of me," the Oracle Nolwandle said.
Yani crossed her legs on the long green rug facing the oracle. Nolwandle sat and stared at Yani's face until the young queen squirmed her hips.
"You look the way my emissaries said you did…youthful and full of energy. Very beautiful. The king loves beauty I hear," Nolwandle said.
The oracle's unnatural jade-powered gaze pierced through Yani's defenses of trying to appear stoic and queenly. Sitting in front of her made Yani feel like a young child chatting with her grandmother.
"King N'Jadaka's energy can be felt all throughout the kingdom. He carries his ancestors well. They are strong on the other side. The king is on his way now to retrieve you. I can feel his worry over you."
"I don't want him to worry," Yani said.
"There is apprehension in your voice my queen. Mama Wati wants you to be at ease here."
"It's hard…I don't know what to expect…I don't know what to do…"
"Ease…my queen…breathe in deep…"
Yani inhaled and Nolwandle urged her to do more. Behind the oracle, a small fire burned inside a stone fireplace. To the oracle's left side was a wide opening in the cave that led to a river of water not found on any Wakandan map. A pile of stones held another fire that lit up the roof of the cave leading out into the open water where other large mountains touched one another leaving gaps for water to flow past. Part of the walls shined like the sparkling emerald water reflecting shimmery images dancing on the walls. The interior felt dark, warm and mysterious and the waterway hinted at sunshine and an upperworld.
"Breathe…yes…deeply…slowly…"
Nolwandle reached behind her and lifted a bundle of herbs tied with bright white string. She tossed them into the fire and it sparkled and puffed out dark blue smoke.
"Breathe daughter…yes…deeper still…allow the smoke to enter your lungs."
"Are you drugging me…it feels thick in my chest…" Yani gasped, clutching her throat.
"I am opening the path for us to travel. Mama Wati will partially lift the veil for you to receive the message meant for you…"
"I can't breathe…I'm having a hard time…oracle! Help me…I can't!" Yani choked out.
"The message is coming, daughter. Mama Wati has opened the veil…"
The unseen presence of an entity larger than the cave itself came first.
It its wake was a pressure, like an ocean's weight of water pressing down on Yani's body, threatening to flatten her. The pressure in her ears changed too. She clutched at her throat and yet Nolwandle remained calm, her lips moving but no sound coming out.
The presence wrapped itself all over the cave and a roar thundered in Yani's ears. She looked toward the placid water outside and a mammoth ocean wave rolled toward her in slow motion. Yani couldn't move, her lower body locked to the ground helpless and unprotected. She could still mover her head though.
"Nolwandle!" Yani shouted.
Yani glanced at the oracle again and the woman's head fell back. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her mouth stayed wide open. Yani whipped her head to brace herself for when the wave would hit them, but it was gone. The opening was covered in a tranquil water barrier that made the outside scenery look blurry, fluid, and dreamy.
"Yani…"
A voice behind the water barrier came out of the oracle's mouth. Confused, Yani looked at Nolwandle again. Her mouth stayed agape and frozen in that position.
"Yani…JaJa's wife…"
Yani heard the voice come from the oracle, but it sounded like it was behind the water barrier too, as if it bounced out to use the oracle as its frequency to the human world. The queen rose from her seated position and walked toward the barrier. The shadowy outside world was there, rippling behind the veil.
Two figures walked forward.
Yani held her breath and waited until they stood before her. One was older and the other younger. Her breath hitched in her chest and she stumbled back, unable to believe her eyes.
The younger woman had fiery brown eyes and big ginger hair that crowned her head like a giant sunburst. Yani recognized the same freckles her son had. The older woman was shorter with an exquisite face etched with wisdom that matched the younger woman. Her hair was looser in texture and had faded streaks of light brown mixed in with white that was cornrowed in four thick braids going straight back. Yani knew right away the two women were related. Long pearl-white tunics shrouded their bodies.
"You know who I am. Don't you?" the younger woman said.
Yani nodded.
"Califia Stevens Udaku…N'Jadaka's mother."
"Yes…this is JaJa's great-grandmother, Nana Jean."
"Hello, ma'am," Yani said, instantly genuflecting to them both.
Nana Jean laughed and Califia joined her. The older woman held up a hand.
"We are family baby, you don't bow to us," Nana Jean said.
The presence pushed down on the cave and the water barrier vibrated, blurring the women from Yani's view.
"Califia!" Yani shouted.
Their images shimmered back into view seconds later. Yani wiped frantic tears away from her eyes, so terrified her mother-in-law and great-grandmother-in-law had vanished. Califia held her hand against the barrier. Yani raised hers to try and touch it. The cool blue kinetic liquid would not allow them to connect.
"I wish I could comfort you, Yani. Mama Wati has warned us. Bast is awake inside of my son. I'll have to speak quickly before we lose contact," Califia said.
Yani was spellbound by Califia, the woman's beauty staggered the imagination. She carried a vibrant charisma that was like N'Jadaka's times ten. No wonder Prince N'Jobu stayed away from his home and defied a nation. Califia was priceless.
"You're going to conceive a baby who is so important that they'll have the power to split the world into pieces in the future. I apologize having to sound so cryptic but I'm breaking so many rules to be here with you. I took what I could decipher from the realm of time in the spirit world with my limited understanding. Although I'm an ancestor now, Bast still shrouds us from telling humans too much."
"When?" Yani asked.
"Soon...two or three years at most from what little I could decipher from the time threads. A man is also coming there who will challenge my son for the world. I need for you to survive the war they may wage—"
"More war? In Wakanda?"
"War all over the world. You're the key to preventing their battle from consuming JaJa. If anything happens to that baby or you…my son will burn the world down and the future will become bleak for everyone on the planet even more than it is. Your baby must survive at all costs in order to claim their birthright and keep Wakanda secure years from now. That child will turn the nation into an empire. No matter the cost, it must happen!"
Califia stepped closer to the veil, unable to penetrate it. Her voice came from behind Yani through the oracle's mouth, but Yani focused on Califia's face.
"My son has lost too much in this world. I don't want him suffering again if I can warn you. I couldn't come to him because Bast would block me directly, so I had to come for you through Mama Wati," Califia said.
"I understand. I'll do all I can to protect our baby."
"Not just the one to come, but Riki and Joba too."
"Riki and Joba? What's going to happen to them?" Yani yelped.
The cave vibrated with the force of an earthquake. Califia and Nana Jean glanced behind them. Worry clouded their faces.
"Nothing will happen if you can prevent it," Califia said.
Nana Jean became agitated and looked over her shoulder again.
"We should leave now, Cali…Dayclean is coming," Nana Jean said, grabbing Califia's arm, pulling her back from the veil.
Califia gently patted her grandmother's hand, stood her ground, and locked eyes with Yani.
"Joba and Riki will be the ones to help the baby become what she needs to be in order to rule the future. But that future will face turmoil if none of them live once a foretold prophecy begins at your pregnancy. When Namor returns, be ready Yani. This is all I have to give you," Califia said.
"Namor," Yani repeated, searing the name into her mind.
"You must stay away from him…you and the children—"
"Califia!"
The booming voice of a distraught man flew out of the oracle's mouth making Yani jump. He appeared next to them in a long white tunic.
N'Jobu.
N'Jadaka's father.
Seeing N'Jadaka's parents together knocked Yani's knees. Never would she have dreamed of seeing them alive and looking so well from the other side. N'Jobu turned his kind eyes toward Yani.
"My daughter…Yani…you shouldn't be here with my wife or Nana Jean. Certain knowings belong to Bast, and only her. What you have heard is forbidden knowledge to that existence there. Your life must be lived with my son and grandchildren in ignorance," N'Jobu gently urged.
Califia shook her head and challenged her husband.
"No! I won't let that happen this time. Our son deserves happiness. Too much was stolen from him and I refuse to let anything be taken from him again. I don't care if I have to go against Bast or any other god to protect them."
N'Jobu put his arms around Califia. Her voiced raged from the oracle's open throat. N'Jobu's somber tone brought levity to Yani's predicament. Califia had gone above and beyond from the ancestral plane to reach her family. Her love bled through the water barrier and cloaked Yani with its comfort and legendary warrior spirit. Her willingness to defy gods was a trait Yani hoped she could live up to for her own babies.
N'Jobu gently scolded his wife.
"You have stolen free-will and burdened our daughter with fear and more confusion. That isn't fair to Yani. Now she will worry about our family needlessly," N'Jobu said.
The cave vibrated with the presence yet again. Mama Wati's collusion was weakening. N'Jobu held his wife lovingly as Nana Jean watched over them both.
"We must go back my love…please. JaJa will live a glorious life…"
"His children—"
"—will live out their destinies, whatever they will be, without interference from now on. Let them be…let them have their own lives. We are always here for them as a comfort and a reminder that life doesn't end at death."
"Yani," Califia said, still reaching for her daughter-in-law.
"You see death for us? Me and the children?" Yani asked.
Califia clutched at her temples and her mouth twisted into a horrid grimace. She appeared to be full of pain.
"Bast is jumbling up my mind…she's stealing the future threads from me…" Califia wailed.
"Califia!" N'Jobu cried out, grabbing her by the waist to keep her from falling.
A dark foreboding shadow loomed over them behind the veil in the shape of an enormous panther stalking tiny prey.
Bast.
"Forgive her Bast! Please!" N'Jobu shouted.
Bast's dark shadow scattered and floated away. Califia closed her eyes. Yani did the same as something slithery, warm, and invasive cleaved to her temporal lobe. The words of warning Califia gave her were plucked from her gray matter one by one until nothing was left. Yani struggled to grab onto anything, her brain synapses crackling with electrical impulses to store and hide any morsel. She was able to hold onto two words, and only because she sensed a benevolent shield from Mama Wati to allow her to grasp onto anything her mother Bast had culled from her mortal skull.
"It's gone, all of it. I can no longer see it," Califia said in a defeated tone.
Yani blanked out mentally as Bast swiped her mind clean too.
Nana Jean cradled Califia's face and N'Jobu nuzzled his nose against her cheek, comforting her. Soft footfalls from behind Yani captured her attention.
"Mom, Baba…"
N'Jadaka strode into the cavern with a shocked expression. Califia perked up and clung to N'Jobu's arm as she gazed at her beloved son.
"JaJa…your wife is fine. I needed to see her to tell her…." Califia glanced around trying to remember her thoughts.
N'Jadaka reached for Yani and pulled her into his chest.
"Thank the gods you're safe," he huffed into her hair. He kissed the top of her head and rocked her in his arms.
"I'm sorry I tricked you…I had to come. Your mother needed me."
N'Jadaka faced his parents. Their eyes shined bright with love for their only child. N'Jobu held Califia's hand.
"Nana?" N'Jadaka said, stepping closer to the water barrier to see his great-grandmother.
Nana Jean grinned. She swelled with pride at seeing her great-grandson as a grown man.
"Look at you… so big and handsome like your father. You did everything to hold onto our bond…my sweet great-grandson," Nana Jean said.
Pressure popped in Yani's ear. N'Jadaka experienced it too and winced like her.
"Leave here quickly son. You two aren't meant to be here like this. Your mother has been forceful as usual," N'Jobu said.
The water barrier rippled and the images behind the veil began to cloud and fade.
"Watch over each other, JaJa…love one another at all times," N'Jobu said.
N'Jadaka rushed the barrier and called to his mother. Califia gazed at him with a mixture of adoration and longing.
"Mom, why did you come to Yani?"
Califia's gaze fell upon Yani. The presence in the cave began to lift. N'Jobu tugged on Califia and Nana Jean to follow him back from where they came.
"Bast stole the memory from me, JaJa. I had it and she took it away. Yani, whatever I told you, hold onto it. I may never get to reach out like this again, but I want you both to know I tried my best to make life there good for you," Califia said. She gave N'Jadaka a winsome smile. "Take care of each other JaJa. We love you," Califia said.
Her voice sounded weary.
"Mom…Baba…wait…"
"We must go back, son. Feel us in your heart as always," N'Jobu said.
Nana Jean pressed her forehead against the barrier. N'Jadaka lined his forehead with hers and pressed against it.
"You have done well, JaJa. We are here with you at all times," Nana Jean said.
Califia blew Yani and N'Jadaka kisses and the water barrier snapped into a blurry whirlpool of foamy water. Yani turned to look at the oracle. The woman stayed in the same odd position with her eyes closed and mouth open.
"I soon come, Mama…Baba…"
A soft childlike voice came out of the oracle's mouth. It sounded like a toddler just learning to speak. It gave Yani chills, but not as much as seeing her body still sitting crossed legged in front of Nolwandle…with N'Jadaka sitting right next to her in the same position. Yani glanced back as a loud rumbling whooshing sound reverberated around them. The water barrier transformed itself into another mighty wave. It moved backward in slow motion beyond the mountain barrier. A strong force knocked Yani in her solar plexus and she gasped, finding herself punched back into her corporeal body still sitting cross-legged and staring at Nolwandle. The oracle's head fell forward and she closed her mouth, exhausted from the ordeal. Perspiration dotted her forehead and soaked her clothes. Her once glowing jade eyes had become a delicate dark brown since Mama Wati released her as a vessel.
N'Jadaka shook himself back into their side of the veil. Tears rested on his lids and Yani moved onto her knees and hugged him.
"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" Yani said repeatedly.
"It's okay. I found you and you're safe. You left for a good reason if my parents and great-grandmother sent for you."
Nolwandle shifted to her knees and bowed her head low to the ground, holding her folded hands toward N'Jadaka.
"I beg your forgiveness, kumkani. I was directed by Mama Wati that your mother and great-grandmother wished to see the queen. I am a mere servant of the divine. My intention was not to maliciously trick you or your wife but to service the needs of your ancestors," Nolwandle said with fear laced in her tone.
N'Jadaka looked Yani over.
"Did you hurt yourself? You fell didn't you?"
"Yes," Yani said. "I may have fractured my wrist, but it feels better."
"I sent for Dr. Chidubem. He's on his way here to look you over."
Yani turned to the oracle.
"Thank you, Nolwandle. I appreciate everything you had to go through to help me."
"Blessings to you, Queen Yani. I pray that the message you received is one that will please you and prepare you for what is to come."
Yani shook her head in disappointment.
"I'm afraid I made this journey for nothing and your body suffered needlessly. Bast took away my memory of the message. Mortals can't know the future."
"Baby, it's okay," N'Jadaka said trying to soothe her depressed mood.
"I have been instructed to prepare the queen's body by Mama Wati."
"What are you going to do?" N'Jadaka asked.
Nolwandle stood and shuffled over to the fire where she lifted two wooden bowls. She brought them to Yani and placed them on the rug. She pulled a small stool out and planted herself in front of the queen.
"May I?" Nolwandle asked, pointing to Yani's damp robe.
Yani nodded and Nolwandle opened it wide revealing the queen's nakedness. Lifting a brush from the first bowl, the oracle painted a ring of blue waves around Yani's belly button that soaked into her skin like a tattoo marking. She then switched bowls and painted a different ring of twisty swirls in light green around the first ring.
"There. When you return to your honeymoon time, rub oil over them every night. The color will soak into the pigment of your skin deeper. This is your talisman, Queen Yani. Mama Wati has marked you as one of her own. When the time comes these markings will reveal their true intent. Walk out of this womb of the world with your purpose intact."
Yani clutched the oracle's hands.
"I heard a voice come out of you…a young voice…a child."
"I can only transmit, not translate what is for your ears only, kumkanikazi," Nolwandle said.
Yani's lips turned down in disappointment.
"It was our baby," N'Jadaka said.
He stroked Yani's hand. She stared at him.
"My parents came to me after their funeral ceremony…that time I was late coming to the repast at your lake front home…when we were apart. My mom said I had a child coming that I had to show a lot of grace to because she would need it. I felt the energy in that voice when I heard it, Yani. That was our child…speaking to us."
Yani trembled and lowered her head, the knowledge unnerving her. To hear her baby's voice before she was even planted in her womb or even born yet astounded her. The child called to her.
I soon come.
Yani slumped into N'Jadaka's arms and cried. All her fear and worry about the journey to Warrior Falls jolted her emotions. His parents loved her. Watched over her and their grandbabies. His great-grandmother knew who she was and came to bear witness in defiance of a deity. She wept and her husband held her in his warmth and understanding.
N'Jadaka tied the robe back around her and guided Yani away from the oracle. Her wrist felt a little tender, but the pool water helped her endure the slight discomfort longer.
"You go through first," N'Jadaka said when they reached the dark passageway again.
Yani walked through with assured steps. She was proud that she completed her task. Even prouder that N'Jadaka's amazing mother reached out for her, trusting that Yani would heed her words one hundred per cent without hesitation. She waited for the king to join her out of the passageway and they met Okoye and Ayo waiting for them with the three women emissaries.
"Thank you, Jabulile, Khanyisile and Nolwazi," Yani said.
The three woman bowed low to her and N'Jadaka. They passed through to the outside and the two Uyakhusela's greeted them.
"Peaceful journeys to you both," the men said in unison.
The Doras walked ahead of them and N'Jadaka clasped Yani's hand tight and kept them in one spot out of earshot of their security. He exhales softly.
"I'm blessed and happy you got to see them…speak to them."
"Is Bast furious?" Yani said, ready to shrink back into the forest if the goddess set a bush on fire or struck her down with a plague.
N'Jadaka touched his chest and closed his eyes.
"Displeased. But not with you. Mama Wati is her daughter and they have to deal with their family squabbles on that side of the spiritual plane," he joked.
He touched her wrist and looked it over.
"Does it hurt when I touch it?"
"Not as much as before."
"Crazy girl," he teased
He tapped his kimoyo beads.
"Aneka, come get us. You have my coordinates," he said.
"Dr. Chidubem will be arriving soon," Aneka said.
"We'll meet him halfway," he said.
N'Jadaka brought Yani to an open clearing and the Royal Talon Fighter lifted them up high into air. They flew for an hour and stopped halfway to their destination when a quad stinger arrived ferrying Dr. Chidubem to them. He took Yani to the back of the Talon Fighter and injected her wrist with nano bots that stitched her fractured wrist back together. She swallowed painkillers to dull down a fading ache. Dr. Chidubem's short graying locs reminded Yani of Baba Z.
"You'll be good as new in no time Queen Yani."
"It wasn't as bad as I thought," she said.
"Hairline fracture."
They thanked the doctor and bid him farewell after he pumped Yani full of vitamins and electrolytes for good measure. It didn't take long to get back to Umbono Lake and their peaceful houseboat.
Alone once more, N'Jadaka pampered Yani, feeding her a hearty lunch and insisting that she rest after a long warm shower. He rubbed almond oil on her scalp and slathered fresh cocoa and coffee butter all over her naked form, paying special attention to the new markings on her belly. She slipped on a bikini afterward.
"That paint is like ink," Yani said, rubbing her shiny belly.
N'Jadaka made them tea and snuggled with her in their loft bed. The boat gently rocked with the small wind currents. Intense relief rested her husband's body as he held her against him tight. He had been frightened without her being with him. That man could face any evil killer or terrorist without blinking an eye, but not having her near was his only true weakness.
She caressed his face.
"We heard our baby," she said.
His eyes glinted with unshed tears.
"We did," he said.
"We'll have to prepare—"
N'Jadaka took his index finger and held it over Yani's lips.
"I don't want you thinking about anything but getting well and resting. We have a honeymoon to enjoy and I want to live it up without prepping for another baby."
"What? This coming from the man who gets aroused simply thinking about putting a baby in me every time we make love?"
N'Jadaka gave a sly cheesy grin.
"Yeah…I want to make another baby…but…actually hearing the voice of my future daughter reminds me that we'll have four kids to raise. Thinking of it as a hypothetical was cool, but shit switches up when you hear your child's voice. Damn…like my daughter spoke to me. Half of her is still in my nutsack and the other half is still in your ovary…that shit is crazy. Yo, Ma…the fuck? We livin' in wild times girl."
N'Jadaka laughed and his eyes became shiny with the wonderment of it all.
Yani's gaze darted away from N'Jadaka's well-meaning focus. She saw things through the oracle that regular people would never experience. Gods, ancestors, and spiritual realms could come and go in her new world. She heard the voice of her baby, and the unborn child sounded confident and sure. A little girl, too. A girl who would grow up loved beyond measure by her parents and siblings. Something had to be very special about her if Mama Wati permitted her to speak to them from the other side. And just maybe, it was the reason Califia felt it so urgent to seek out Yani without Bast's permission.
Was this how Mary felt when the archangel came to her and said she would birth Jesus?
Yani shook her head at the sacrilege she skirted with her heavy Christian upbringing. Who was she to compare her unborn baby to Jesus. Thee Jesus from the bible.
And yet…
A goddess came for her and opened up a holy realm for Yani to speak to the dead and to also hear an unborn baby. This was the stuff that prophets wrote in holy scripture. Was she not a child of Mama Wati? Wasn't that what the oracle said?
God put her on the path to have that baby with N'Jadaka.
Yani stared out of the window at the water. A slight pressure on the back of her head toggled something loose in the deepest recesses of her mind.
She remembered two things from Califia. Two things Mama Wati hid from Bast in Yani's mind to keep it from totally slipping away.
Prophecy.
And a name.
Namor.
Yani put everything together quickly. Their unborn daughter had to be fulfilling a prophecy Califia had come to tell her about. But the name? Namor. It felt familiar in Yani's gut, and it most definitely gave her a shudder throughout her body thinking about it. A residual reminder of its importance maybe…or a warning. Something hidden and sticky in her mind would not let her forget that name. It sat on her tongue inside a tightly closed mouth. If she just mentioned the name to N'Jadaka, maybe he could help her figure out the meaning of it. N'Jadaka stroked her cheek.
"I can see you fretting about something from the cave," he said.
She nodded, knowing she could never hide anything from him. Not even her private thoughts. Her emotions welled up deep inside. She witnessed a profound gift and it still lingered over her.
"Baby…don't cry. That shit messes me up when you do."
Her lips trembled and she shut her eyes tight.
"Your mother was so beautiful. And your Dad…he was so sweet and kind, so royal…and your Nana…she loves you all over," Yani said.
N'Jadaka broke out into a delighted smile, even as happy tears leaked from his eyes.
"I'm happy for you, Yani. I wished they could be here to meet you, and Mama Wati made it happen. A part of me even thinks Bast let it happen because, trust me baby, Bast does not play."
"She seemed so angry to me."
"Or maybe she needed you to feel that anger out of love to leave well enough alone. This world we live in now, nothing is ever what it seems on first glance. All of this was your journey Yani. Do with it what you want."
"I remember only two things your mother told me. I want to say them to you. If you don't want to hear them because Bast may act out, I'll respect your choice."
N'Jadaka gathered his own thoughts by gazing out at the water.
"My mother told me I was going to live a long and glorious life. That means that you and our children are with me because that is my blessing. Nothing can change that if she said it," he said.
Yani rose from lying on his chest and held his hands in hers.
"Do you want to know the words and what I think they mean?" she asked.
"Tell me."
"Prophecy. I think our daughter is going to fulfill the prophecy of the River Tribe. It only makes sense as to why Califia would do what she did to speak to me. She wanted us to get ready for her. That baby has to be special, destined for some greater purpose in the future."
"I'm down with that. Mom did ask me to be ready for her before."
"Okay…the next thing. Namor."
Yani studied her husband's face carefully. His eyes seemed to bulge in their sockets when she said it, and his entire frame went rigid.
"You know that name," Yani said.
"My mother said, Namor?"
"Yes."
N'Jadaka stared through Yani as if he was watching something of great importance play out.
"Who is that person?"
"A mutant I met some time ago. A dangerous person who rules an empire under the sea," he said.
The word "empire" tipped something in Yani's mind, but it shambled away before she could hold it for closer introspection.
"I think those two things are connected somehow. I wish Bast hadn't wiped everything away in my head."
N'Jadaka stood and cracked his knuckles. His concentration lingered outside. The sky was a beautiful azure with not a cloud in sight. He glanced back at Yani.
"Namor's name can't be spoken outside of us, Yani. I'm upholding an agreement that King T'Chaka made with him thirty years ago."
"You've met him?"
"I have. He looks human, but he has wings on his feet and flies. His strength is ten times of any human and he can breathe underwater and on land. He and his people have killed thousands to keep their existence hidden. They also have vibranium."
Yani jumped off the bed.
"How?" Yani asked.
N'Jadaka sat back down on the bed and Yani planted herself next to him.
"Well, it fell from the sky. Apparently a chunk of it broke off hitting our atmosphere and some of it landed in the ocean near where he is from. They call themselves the Talokanil. Namor's true name is K'uk'ulkan. It means Feather Serpent God in their language. He and his people have powers that…well, just imagine every person in Wakanda having the powers of the Black Panther. That's how powerful they are. We don't even know how many of his people live down there. I've got enough problems dealing with motherfuckers on land, I don't need no shit starting with an unknown entity like that. Hell, there might be more mutants down there with him."
"That's it then. That's what your mother wanted me to know. Namor and our baby are tied together somehow."
"I hope to Bast they aren't. We don't need that smoke coming our way. Humans I can deal with. I've whooped alien ass and plenty of warlords…but Namor. I will continue to act like he doesn't exist."
He wiped the creases in her forehead away.
"Don't worry your pretty head about nothing Yani. We make the future we want, especially with that new little one waiting on us," he said.
He sounded confident. Yani believed him. He rested the side of his face against hers.
"If my mom is aware of Namor then I will be vigilant in keeping him far from Wakanda. Nothing can harm us if my mother and great-grandmother are looking out for us."
Yani touched her stomach. She and N'Jadaka traced their fingers on the colorful blue and green designs.
"How about we call the three munchkins we already have?" he suggested.
Yani tapped her beads quickly, yearning to see her royal brood. She leaned into her husband before the children's images popped above her wrist.
"I'm truly so sorry I scared you," she said.
"It's over and done with. I have you back. We're good, Yani."
"Hi Mama! Hi Baba! Look how Auntie Twyla did my hair today," Sydette said, twirling around showing off her artfully braided hair.
"She did mine too!" Joba chimed in, touching the braided tips of her long tresses.
"Looks nice, girls," N'Jadaka said.
Riki stared at them with a grumpy look on his face. His hair was braided in the same style as Joba's and Sydette's.
"You don't like your cornrows, Dumpling?" Yani asked.
"Auntie always does our hair all the same. A prince should have a different style," Riki grumbled.
Sydette ran her fingers over his hair that touched down to his shoulder blades.
"It's getting so long and he's mad because his friends said he looks like a princess," Sydette teased.
Riki rolled his eyes.
"I like your hair long, Dumpling," Yani insisted.
"Baba's hair is long too," Joba said, trying to encourage her brother to like his braids.
"Mama, what's that on your stomach?" Sydette asked.
Yani looked past her bikini top, forgetting she was resting in a swimsuit.
"I'm trying out some body art," Yani said.
Sydette looked at Yani's stomach and then waved her hand at Joba and Riki.
"Go get your sketch pads…you both left them on the desk," Sydette said.
Joba and Riki scampered off and returned holding up their separate sketch pads.
"Mama, look," Joba said, "your body art looks like this," Joba said.
"And this," Riki said with surprise in his voice.
Yani and N'Jadaka looked at the pictures closely, then stared at one another.
"When did you make those?" N'Jadaka asked.
"Yesterday," Joba said.
"Before we went to Umama's suite," Riki added.
Joba's picture, drawn with the careful flourishes she was known for doodling when designing her fairy garden looks, was an exact match of Yani's blue body waves. Riki's drawing was close to a perfect match of the green swirls of the outer ring.
"Have you drawn anything like that before?" N'Jadaka asked them.
"Is something wrong?" Joba asked, sensing the odd tone of her father's voice.
"No, I'm just amazed that you both created something like this so similar to Mama's marking."
"The green lady showed us how to do it," Riki said, looking over his own design on his mother's belly.
"The green lady?" Yani asked.
"Yes, Umama took us to the museum yesterday," Joba said, "We had our sketch books with us. Riki and I saw her sitting on the floor in front of a painting we were trying to copy with our new art pens, and she showed us how to make this instead," Joba said.
"Why do you call her the green lady?" N'Jadaka asked.
Joba shrugged. "She had on all green…and her eyes were kinda green too. She said that the waves and swirls are symbols used to represent the ocean in Birnin S'Yan…that was the painting we were trying to copy. It had a big ocean wave. Umama wanted us to see it since it's a very famous painting in Birnin Zana. It's called "The Mother of Waters" and was made in 1546. See?"
Joba swiped the image of the oil painting for her parents to see.
"Holy Bast," N'Jadaka said.
Yani covered her mouth. She recognized the wave. It looked exactly like the one that rolled into Warrior Falls. The one that brought the water barrier and allowed Califia to see them.
"Well, that is some amazing work you two. Sydette did you sketch anything?" Yani said, trying to move the conversation elsewhere. Riki and Joba began to look concerned about their sketches and the way their parents looked at them.
"No, I was trying my hand at photography. Umama let me wander and practice lighting and shadow techniques. She was my subject for most of my pictures. I have some very nice ones she wants to frame."
"That's super cool, Sweet Pea," N'Jadaka said.
"Can't wait to see you all," Yani said.
"Will we get to wear body art too?" Sydette asked.
"Maybe," Yani said.
"We'll call you guys back in a couple of days, okay?" N'Jadaka said.
All three children nodded and blew their parents kisses before winking out. Yani stood in front of N'Jadaka.
"It had to be an avatar. There's no way the oracle could've been in Birnin Zana yesterday. Sydette didn't say that she saw anyone and no Dora would let a stranger approach our children like that," Yani said.
"I wouldn't put it past my mother to try and reach our children. They were meant to know these symbols too."
"They didn't seem scared at all."
"Not until they read our body language and the tone of our voices," he said.
N'Jadaka pulled back the covers and helped her get into bed once more.
"More rest for you," he said.
"Everything will be okay, won't it?"
"It will, baby...it will. No god would bring us this far and let us lose what we have now."
Yani accepted his doting on her for the rest of the night. She closed her eyes and knew she could face anything with Califia Stevens Udaku in their corner from the ancestral plane. Tucking Namor into a faraway nook in her memory bank, the Queen of Wakanda slumbered well.
And so did her husband.