Chapter Two Hundred and Twelve
(In the Doctor's distant future)
"Ok, so Adamana isn't going to be able to fly, is he?" Alan asked while he sipped on the beer he had gotten from the refrigerator and Adam smiled, placing the fedora over his eyes.
"I didnae say that," Adam said.
"Well, I know what you were like way back when you were afraid of heights. I couldn't even get you to go on the London Eye."
"An' why would I want tae?"
"Because you get to see all of London when you get to the top," Alan said, wagging the beer bottle at him.
"Aye, but I finally did after I learned that there's na' tae be afraid of."
"So why is Adamana such a wimp?"
"I didnae say that he was," Adam said and Alan sighed then sipped on the beer.
"Can we get back to the story?" Donna asked and Adam smiled, closing his eyes then set up a privacy block
Auroralla flew through the air while Hamfish sat at the base of her neck and gently nudged with his heels. Frazerwick sat behind him while watching the water sailing below them and the whooshing sound of Auroralla's wings roared in their ears. Rose Coral looked back at Adamana while he sat with his eyes closed and she saw his muscles twitching under his skin. She knew that he was terrified but didn't know what to say as Auroralla slowly glided to the left and Adamana sucked in air, his skin turning pure white.
"He's going to pass out," she thought when Frazerwick saw a large landmass appearing over the horizon and he turned, tapping Doctor Merman's shoulder. Doctor Merman looked at the large island as Auroralla flew toward the island and Doctor Merman's eyes went wide. The Isle of Lob Dawf was roughly forty miles long and twenty miles wide and a golden beach surrounded the lush landscape and a large mountain sat at the center of the island. A thick mist encircled the top of the mountain while the flashes of light shimmered in the mist and a distant sound of thunder rumbled softly in the distance.
"Amazing," Doctor Merman said while Auroralla circled the island then landed on the beach and Doctor Merman slid off her back, landing with a soft thud. Alan of Seaweed followed him as they helped Princess Rain Shower and Rose Coral off of Auroralla's back while Frazerwick and Captain Jack jumped half way down onto the sand and Auroralla gently picked Hamfish off of her back and placed him on the ground. They looked at Adamana while he sat frozen on her back and was shaking. He screamed when Auroalla lifted him off her back then set him on the ground and he dropped to the sand. Doctor Merman ran to him when he knelt down next to him and placed his hand on Adamana's chest.
"Is he dead?" Princess Rain Shower asked as she knelt next to Doctor Merman and he looked at her.
"No, he just passed out," Doctor Merman said and Captain Jack smiled, nudging Alan of Seaweed in the ribs.
"Some great treasure hunter he turned out to be," Captain Jack said and Rose Coral growled, glaring at him.
"Shut your gob," she said as she stormed over to Captain Jack and slapped him in the face.
"Hey, I'm just stating the obvious," he said, rubbing his cheek.
"Just leave him alone!'
"Oi, what is wrong with you? You're my wife, not his!" Alan of Seaweed said and she sighed, looking at him.
"Yes, I am but I…" she said then sighed, looking at the sand. "I never thought I would have to tell you about…about…"
"I think it's time you told them," Princess Rain Shower said as she walked closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. Rose Coral reached over as she picked up the fedora and held it to her chest. She gently stroked Adamana's hair then looked at the others and sighed, smiling down at him.
"He's my brother-in-law," she said softly. "You see, I am the oldest of identical triplets. My middle sister, Sunshine, met him when he rescued her from a cave in. She wasn't sure that she could live with a merman who was always going off on one adventure or another, but she loved him and accepted him for who he was."
"Whoa, I have a brother-in-law and didn't know it?" Alan of Seaweed said then grinned, kneeling down next to him.
"So how do we get him tae wake up?" Frazerwick asked when Adamana started moaning then slowly opened his eyes. He blinked his eyes a few times as he looked at Rose Coral and she smiled sweetly at him.
"Are you going to wake up all the way?" she asked as Admana sighed then looked up at the others.
"Did I…Did I pass out?" he softly asked and she nodded her head. He closed his eyes then gasped when something soft gently nuzzled his chest and he opened his eyes, seeing Auroralla looking down at him. She made a soft purring noise as she nuzzled him again and he smiled, patting the soft hide. "I'm alright, Girl, just don't like heights."
Captain Jack and Alan of Seaweed helped him up as Adamana took the fedora from Rose Coral and placed the fedora on his head. Patting Auroralla, he looked at the others when Alan of Seaweed nudged him and Adamana smiled. Doctor Merman took out the scroll when he unrolled it and looked at the map. He studied the landscape when he looked toward the mountain and sighed, closing the scroll.
"Right, the Temple of the Golden Heart is that way," he said as he pointed toward the trees and they started walking along the beach. The sand crunched under their feet as they walked by the trees and the leaves slightly blocked the sun. The shadows moved around them as Rose Coral and Princess Rain Shower stayed close to Doctor Merman and Alan of Seaweed and...
"Papaw, I have to pee," Dougal said as Adam opened his eyes and looked at him.
"Go on then," Adam said as Dougal ran up the stairs and Hamish got up, walking to Adam. He picked Liam off the couch when he sat down then placed Liam on his lap and wrapped his arms around him.
"Why did you make Doctor Merman the leader instead of Hamfish?" Hamish asked.
"How can a blind man, even a merman, read a map?" Frazer asked.
"Well, it sounds tae me like he's been there before. Surely he would ken where he's going, aye?"
"That may be true, but he still couldnea see the map."
"He didnae need tae if he had been there before," Hamish said while his eyes flashed in a red light and the Doctor held his hands up, making them settle down.
"Adam is the one tell the story, so he can make the characters be any way he wants them to be," the Doctor said when Dougal came down the stairs and sat on the floor next to Alan.
"Did you wash your hands, Stinky Butt?" Alan asked as he tickled Dougal's armpits and Dougal giggled.
"Yeah!" he said as Alan hugged him and ruffled his hair.
"Now where was I?" Adam asked then set up the privacy block and half closed his eyes.
The shadows moved around them as Rose Coral and Princess Rain Shower stayed close to Doctor Merman and Alan of Seaweed and they held Rose Coral and Princess Rain Shower to their sides. The lush plant life and flowers surrounded them as they walked along when Hamfish walked by Doctor Merman and the coral stick crunched on the ground. Using the coral stick to guide him, Hamfish led the way until they came to a large lake and a thin mist floated over the surface of the lake. They looked at the lake when the surface of the water started bubbling and Doctor Merman and Alan of Seaweed placed Rose Coral and Princess Rain Shower behind them. The water exploded around them when a figure around twenty-five feet in height rose out of the water and Adamana's eyes went wide.
"It can't be," he said as he walked toward the lake. Made entirely out of water, the figure looked exactly like Adamana as Adamana stood at the edge of the lake and looked up at the figure. "Duerana, Brother, is that you?"
Duerana blinked when he looked down at Adamana and tilted his head to one side. Adamana looked at Frazerwick and Frazerwick held his hands a few inches while a ball of white light floated between his hands. The ball of white light hit Adamana while he changed back into his merman form as he dived into the water and Duerana looked down at the water. Adamana came to the surface as he looked up at Duerana and Duerana changed in size until he was the same height as Adamana. They looked at each other when Duerana reached out his hand and Adamana watched the water rippling around his brother's hand.
"Brother, please, we mean you know harm. We are looking for King Neptune's seahorse," Adamana softly said as Duerana looked at the others and Frazerwick waved his hands, causing a white light to appear. Duerana growled as he covered his eyes then blinked, seeing the others floating in the water next to Adamana and had been changed into their original forms. Duerana reached his hand out, palm up, as Adamana placed his hand against Duerana's hand and felt the water swirling around his palm.
"Tiri'me'su," Duerana whispered and his voice sounded garbled.
"What happened to you?" Adamana asked when Duerana looked at Princess Rain Shower and titled his head to one side.
"You have the scent of King Neptune," Duerana said, pointing his finger at her.
"Yes, he is my father," she said and Duerana's eyes went wide. The water churned around them as they bobbed up and down on the waves and Duerana's eyes went pitch black.
"He did this to me!" Duerana bellowed as the waves crashed around them and sent them under the water. The water swirled around them as they came up for air then were sent under water again and a loud howling sound filled the air.
"Brother, calm down and talk to me!" Adamana shouted over the howling as he bobbed on the waves when Duerana looked at him and grabbed hold of him. Lifting him out of the water, Duerana grew to full height while Adamana watched the lake growing smaller and his heart slammed hard and fast in his chest.
"Put him down!" Rose Coral shouted but her voice was lost over the sound of the waves crashing around them and Duerana glared at Adamana.
"Where is Neptune?" Duerana demanded but Adamana only looked down at the water and balled his hands into fists.
"Put me down," Adamana said softly as tears trickled down his cheeks and he closed his eyes. "Please, Brother, put me down."
"Answer me!" Duerana screamed then felt something moving through him and looked down, seeing Hamfish swimming up his body and Duerana slammed his right hand into his body while he tried to grab hold of Hamfish. Roaring, Duerana let go of Adamana as Adamana tumbled into the water and Duerana slammed into his body while Hamfish swam upward toward his head. Rising out of the top of Duerana's head, Hamfish held the coral stick over his head then slammed the coral stick down onto Duerana's head and Duerana exploded, sending water in all directions.
"NO!" Adamana shouted as Hamfish dived under the water then came to the surface and Rose Coral held onto Adamana.
"We must go before he resurfaces," Hamfish said as he headed for the shore and they looked at Frazerwick. Sighing, Frazerwick waved his hands as they changed forms then swam to the shore and Admana roared, ran at Hamfish and tackled him to the ground. Adamana pounded his fists against Hamfish's back while Hamfish tried to get away from him when Alan of Seaweed and Captain Jack dragged him off of Hamfish and Admana screamed.
"Let go of me!" Adamana demanded when Rose Coral ran to him then knelt down and wrapped her arms around him and gently rocked him.
"Hush now," she whispered as he buried his face into her neck and they all looked at Princess Rain Shower.
"What?" she asked as Doctor Merman walked to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Mind telling us what your father did to Duerana?" he asked and she sighed, looking down at the sand.