” Xhanti! Xhanti! Xhanti! ” yelled the queen.
Xhanti quickly dropped the boat and fishing rods by the door and ran to her mother. He knew that something was wrong because the queen only yelled when there’s trouble or angry at Xhanti. He found her mother sitting next to the mattress, where the king was lying.
” Mother! What’s wrong? ” he asked in shock.
” Your father cannot not see and speak.” She said that wiping the king’s sweat.
” What happened? He was fine yesterday. ” said Xhanti, kneeling next to her mother.
” I’ve sent the maidens to summon Khubalo, she should be here anytime soon.” She said.
” I think we should postpone the ceremony tonight.” He suggested.
” No! No! The ceremony must go on, you will take over. ” she sounded certain.
” Let me go meet Khubalo halfway, I will send the remaining maidens to come and assist you. ” he walked out in a rush.
Meanwhile, the villagers were fighting and running for their lives when they were attacked by bees, locusts, vultures and flies that appeared out of nowhere. The water kingdom tried helping them but they failed and they couldn’t make it rain because that would have put people’s lives in danger.
” Manzi I think you go and report this to the king…” said queen Lumina.
” These flies are everywhere mother…. can you atleast make it drizzle ? ” she begged.
” I don’t think that will work but we can try, go get my metal stuff. ” said the queen.
Luckily, the golden staff was held by the queen’s adviser , Mlambo, who was not far from them. The queen raised her staff up, closed her eyes and said.
” Godess of the sky make it drizzle! Wash away all these pests! ” she yelled in her husky voice.
It didn’t even take a minute for Sanju, the sky Godess to answer. The clouds quickly gathered together, small water drops fell from the sky and the pests vanished into thin air. The queen hit the water with the staff, opening a way for Manzi. Manzi’s purple shiny tail turned into 2 human brown hairy legs when she touched the earth’s surface. She dragged her heavy feet to the palace, leaving behind a lot of lifeless bodies. At the palace she found the royal family, council and Khubalo. And it looked like they were waiting for her.
” What brings you here? You have come to finish us all? ” yelled the angry king.
” What? No! Your majesty I came here to tell you that your people were attacked by pests and they died by the river. ” she said that in disbelief.
” Liar! The ancestors of this land have revealed to me that your mother used my people for sea ritual. You’ve been fooling us us by pretending to be our ally, I know that your mother has cast a spell on our king and now he is blind and voiceless. ” said manipulative Khubalo.
” That is not true…….” fell unstable Manzi.
” Just confess my love and they will let you go. ” said Xhanti, running to her rescue .
” Tie her up under that olive tree, she will die slow painful death there. ” Ordered the king.
” Pardon her my king, why don’t we confront queen Lumina first? ” Zulu and Ndaba pleaded.
” Please dad! Please! I am begging you…..” weeped Xhanti, pulling Manzi away from the guards.
Xhanti, Zulu and Ndaba’s plea fell on deaf ears. While Chibi and Khubalo were smiling all the way to the olive tree to finish off what they started.