Aquata Cove - Chapter 17
Aquata CoveChapter 17: Mermaid Chorus Equipped with his trident, shoulder shells with the shark
teeth cross-belts on his upper body, shell-kelp band around his head, Merrick
and Adam walk to the small cliff over at the beach, under the night sky. His shell
shard is vibrating and glowing on his chest as he walked. "Is there anyway I could be there without any of them seeing
me, Merrick? I'm very interested on what mermaid singing sound like." "No, you can't, Adam. I told you, humans are an absolute
danger for merfolk. If a merman even senses you, the pod must evacuate." He
explained, "You HAVE to stay here." Adam pouted as they came to the spot. "Aww, but I REALLY wanna check it out." "You can at least SEE us. I can sense my pod about a mile or
so directly in front of us. Lemme see that thing again?" Merrick said as he
pointed to the bulky binoculars hanging around Adam's neck. Adam took it off of
him, and handed it over. Merrick held the dual object up to his eyes, and
looked around, still fascinated on how this human device allowed him to see
great distances, "Yes, you'll be able to see us." He said as he gave the
binoculars back. "Alright..." He said as he put the strap back over his head,
"Are you gonna come back after the recital is finished?" "Maybe. We'll see. Chances are, my Sister will want to play
with me. She's been waiting so long for this night," He said as he turned
around, smiling at the clouds over the dark sky, "It's her first song. She's
been so nervous and excited when we migrated back here," He turned around and
embraced his human with a one-armed hug, "Lay down here, and keep low. I'll
probably be back tomorrow at the latest." Merrick pulled back, and kissed Adam
affectionately, before the human let go of the merman. "Alright. Have fun, sweetie." Merrick turned back around,
took a few steps and dove off of the cliff, and into the sea. Adam then
crouched down, and crawled on his hands and knees to just behind the edge of
the cliff, and placing himself down onto the sandy-grassy rock. He held the
binoculars up to his face, and peered through them, casually glancing around on
the surface here and there. ---3 Year And A Half Ago--- "Your turn, Adam," Merrick said, sitting across the human in
front of him in the cove. "Ok, umm... If you're a merman, does that mean you can talk to
sea animals? Like, can merpeople tell a shark where to swim? Or have a
conversation with dolphins? Or anything like that?" Adam asked. Merrick nodded, "Yes. Mermen can, anyway." "Wait, what does that mean?" "Only mermen can communicate with animals of the sea.
Mermaids do not have that ability." "Why not? What can mermaids do then?" "Mermaids possess the ability to sing." Adam scoffed at
that. "What? Come on, you're telling me mermen don't sing?" "Mermen CAN'T sing. Only mermaids can sing, while merman can
signal. Mermen swim with creatures of the sea, help us hunt and protect each
other. Mermaids are able to charm the winds and give rhythm to the waves." "Why not? How does that work?" Adam asked. Merrick put his
hand on his own neck. "It's they way are throats are - it's the difference in
gender. Females can sing, and males can't. Males can direct animals, and
females can't." "What, so you're saying males can't sing? HUMAN males can
sing." Said Adam. Merrick laughed cutely at the human. "Hahaha, no they can't. That's impossible." "Sure they can. LOTS of men can sing. Women too." Adam said,
a little defensively. "That CAN'T be true, Adam. No male has ever been able to
sing." "Maybe not mermen, but human men can sing." "Ok, prove it," Merrick said with a smirk as he crossed his
arms, "Sing for me." "Heh," Adam snorted, "Alright," Adam cleared his throated,
and opened his mouth. "~~Ho hoo ooOOoohhhhooohhhhh, caught in a bad romance~~~~Ho hoo ooOOoohhhhooohhhhh, caught in a bad romance~~~~Ra ra ra-ah-ah-ah, roma-romamaa~ Gaga oolalaa~ ~~One jump in romance~~~~Ra ra ra-ah-ah-ah, roma-romama~ Gaga oolalaa~~~~One jump in romaaance~~" After that short hymn, Adam saw that Merrick is starring at
him, his jaw dropped as he leaned forward, and crawled to him. "H-How in the moon did you do that??" Merrick said, his eyes
wide open, "D-Do it again! L-Longer this time!" Adam chuckled as he readied his
throat again. "~~Here I am, once again, feeling lost, but now and then~~~~I breathe it in, to let it go~~~~And you don't know where you are now, or what it would
come to if only somebody can hear~~~~When you figure out how, you're lost in the moment you
diiiiisappeeeeaaarr~~~~You don't have to be afraid to put your dreams in action~~~~You're never gonna fade, you'll be the main attraction~~~~Not a fantasy, just remember me, when I make it
shiiiiiiine!~~" Merrick crawled closer as he watched the human in
astonishment as he lowered, rose, and sounded his voice in a rhythmic fashion. "~~Reachin high, feeling low, I'm holding on, but letting
go~~~~I like to shine, I'll shine for you~~~~And it's time to show the world how~~~~It's a little bit closer, as long as I'm ready to go~~~~All we have is right now~~~~As long as you feel it inside you knoooowww~~ "~~You don't have to be afraid to put your dream in action~~~~Your never gonna fade you'll be the main attraction~~~~Cause you know that if you live in your imagination~~~~Tomorrow you'll be everybody's fascination~~~~In my victory, remember me~~~~When I make it shiiiiiine!"~~" Merrick came right up to Adam, and put his hand on his neck,
and felt him as he sang. He pressed his palms around Adam's neck, feeling under
his chin, and onto his chest, "Ho-How are you doing this?!" He asked,
absolutely stunned by this human's capable of song, "I don't understand how
this is possible!" Adam giggled as those fingers tickled his neck. "Hehehheheh, I told you, men can sing, women too." "Ca-Can you talk to animals too?!" Merrick asked hastily. "No, I can't. Some humans have to train with animals for a
long time before they do what they ask. I imagine it's a lot easier for mermen,
isn't it?" "Yeah..." Merrick said. He felt his own neck. Adam blinked and
tilted his head. "So... You REALLY can't sing? Have you ever even tried?" "I can't sing, Adam... I told you, our throats just aren't the
same." "Not even when you're in human form?" Adam asked. Merrick
shook his head. "I HAVE tried... Nothing comes out when I try to sing,"
Merrick looked back up, "But it's still nothing short of amazing that YOU can
sing. Can you sing some more for me? Please?" Adam blushed as he chuckled
sheepishly. "Ok..." ~~~ Savarna looked around, very nervously, she whimpers as her
eyes dart here and there, searching here and there for a familiar male. "Brother still is not here!" She said frantically, "Razirah
Denizyr, he is still not here!" "He is coming, Adra Savarna." The long, grey merman stated,
"I sense his arrival." "But... What if he does not come? I have been looking forward
to this, how can he not be here for me???" She said nervously, "This is the
first time I- WAAHH!" Savarna suddenly felt herself get tumbled forward. She
was moved upside down in a wheeling spin, before she felt her hands held as she
was whirled like a cycle. The mermaid then saw her brother's face, and then his
body as they wheeled slowly, "BROTHER!" Savarna broke free, and hugged the Adra
Triton. "Do you really think I would miss your first song, Sister?"
Merrick asked as he looped right side up. "You were running late, Son." Said Kaiken, looking sternly
down at his two Adras, "Where do you go when we come to these waters?" He asked
inquisitively. "Personal training, Father. Nothing more." Merrick stated. "You are here," Umiato said, "That is well enough, my Son."
She said with a gentle smile. Merrick nodded as he looked around. "Are the other mermaids ready? What of Brishen's mate?" "Penina will be joining us as well. She is apart of our Pod
now." Umiato said happily. Speaking of which, the translucent, jellyfish-like
mermaid came looming in, and swam towards the rest of the mermaids. "The full moon is now upon us! Places!" Triton Kaiken
announced, "May the selected mermen guards take formation!" He commanded. Ten
mermen of the pod swam into a circular formation, holding their weapons at the
ready in their webbed hands, and then started to send signals out into the
ocean - warding sounds to keep away any manner of predator, "Mermaids, gather!" Savarna looked nervously at her brother. Merrick smiled
before he hugged her tight, "You will be fantastic, Sister. Fear not." Savarna
hugged him back, kissed his cheek for good luck, and swam to the other mermaids
of the pod. "Noita Umiato shall cast the stage!" Kaiken said. The white,
beautifully veil-fin mermaid then moved her hands in a slow, hypnotic movement.
Her hands began glowing a mystical white aura, crystallizing the water
particles around her, before allowing the white energy to slow morph into a
vertical pillar from her palms. The light left her hands, yet her eyes
shimmered in white glimmers as the white mass gleamed around a sphere of
ice-crystal that elevated over the mermaids, rising up and growing in size and
over the cluster of females. The magic soon formed an iceberg with gaps and
grooves, with curved spikes on various spots of the mass. ~~~
Adam moved the binoculars around, until his spotted a large, white object from
afar, "Oh! That must be it!" He said eagerly as he saw points on the iceberg
rise and curl like a giant crown. He gasped and grinned as he saw a few
feminine, fish-like figures climb out of the ocean, and onto the iceberg. More
and more mermaids climbed onto the ice mass, gleaming with water and pulling
themselves into position. Soon, a lot of similar, and a few different mermaids were on
the iceberg. "Hm?" He looked up, and around the air. Everything just went...
Quiet. Everything - the wind, any far-off seagulls, birds, even the waves of
the water calmed to a complete stop, as if the appearance of the mermaids muted
everything in sight, even Adam felt compelled to keep completely silent, making
his breaths shallow and steady as he peered through his binoculars again. ~~~ Savarna gulped as she looked around, with her mother
positioned right next to her. As the Adra Noita, it is her task to start the
song. She looked up at the dark clouds, at the faint glimpses of the moon's
glow. Hesitantly, she took a deep breath, and began. "Ressssssaaaaaaawwwwwwwwnnnnnnnannnooooorrrrrrraaaanniiiiiiaaaaaaaa~
Kaaaaaaaalllllllleeeeeeeeennnnnnn~~ Waaaaaaahhaaaayyyyhaaaaaayyyyyooooooo~~~" Noita Umiato then joined in, singing second in with
Sarvarna, "Leeeeeeeee~eeeeehee~heeeeyyiiiiiiii~~ Sooooonnnaaaaa~
Soooooonnnnnnaaaaa~aaaa~aaaaaaa~ Keemorrrreeeeeeeenaaaaaatuuuuuuuuussss~~~" Three more mermaids sang in with the Noita and the Adra,
"Hoooooosssoraaaaaaaaaannnnntaaaaaaannnaaaaaaa~~
Noooohhooohhhhooooorrrrraaaatoooookeeennnaaaa~~~" After which, seven mermaids rose their wondrous voices into
the melody. As they sang, the clouds began to move. A single beam of white
light appeared from the mass of clouds, and lit unto the group of female
Pisciens. The beam got wider and wider, showing a bright white glow in the sky. "Sooooonnnnaaaaaaaaaa~ Morrrrrriiiiiiiiiiinnnnaaaaaataaaaaaa~~
Waaaaaaavvvaaaaaaaakaaaaaaaaaaayyyaaaaannnaaaaaa~~~" While the mermaids rang their beautiful voices, the mermen
had risen up, their heads poking up from the water, watching their mermaids and
hearing their songs play into the winds and sky, spiraling the notes and sound
through the atmosphere. ~~~ Adam slowly smiled, and looked in great astonishment at the
far-away chorus of mermaids. He can hear them. Adam can hear the mermaids! He can hear them in perfect
clarity! He has no idea how it's possible, but even though he is so far away,
he is hearing them as if he has a front-row seat! He laughed excitedly as he
hears them like he was up close, listening, right next to Merrick, as if he and
him are at a musical theatre! After a while of hearing the mermaids' singing, Adam looked
up at the sky, noticing that the moonlight is pouring though. He looked in awe
as the mermaids' songs seem to be very gradually clearing the sky! The human
witnessed as the clouds parted away in a slow, spiraling motion, circulating
around the full moon. ~~~ "Haaaassssssssaaaawwwwwwnnnnnn~
Ssssssaaaaassssshhiiiiiiiiinnnniiiiiiiiiiii~iiiiiiiiiiii~~
Sssssoooorrrroooossssrrrrroooooooo~~~" Belinda sang as she coils her long, serpentine tail around
the bouy, the water holding it afloat as she called her steady, hissing voice
into the night. Even as a Coshiton and a Latolcus, she cannot resist the light
of the full moon that yearns for a mermaid's song. ~~~
As Adam watched the sky and far-away iceberg of mermaids, he began to feel
somethine else. His head feels light, AND heavy, intervolving inside his mind.
He rolled onto his back, feeling a little dizzy. He took a moment to close his
eyes to ease the sudden sensation. His vision blocked out, Adam can see unfamiliar colors. With
the notes and sounds blowing in the winds, he can see spiraling light and
color. Hues and shimmers dance and fly like a melodic storm of collective
majesty. He can see the interplay of souls, voices, and spirit spiraling and tangling
in his mind's eye. Everything is distorting and grooving like a perpetual cloud
of flames, waving whirlpools calling out for more energy, light an life. So many voices and music is surging in his system, Adam can
barely compose himself! He feels so much happening right in the space inside of
his head! It's like he can hear every single mermaid on the dark, moonlit side
of the world, singing from everywhere where there is a pod of merfolk, lending
their voices to the silver lamp in the sky! The symphony of mermaids is exploding in his mind, singing
the lyrics of untold and unseen stories, emotions, lives, deaths! The fear and
happiness, transmuting into overwhelming excitement almost commanding him to
never open his eyes again! Adam feels if he opens his eyes, he'll fall off the
face of the earth! The terror of falling into the sky rivals that of his desire
to release from the intense tornado of mystical fantasia that rages in a dream
of whirlwind feelings. Adam finally gasped for air as his eyes flew open. The human
panted as flashes and remnants of his empowered imagination still gleamed and
lingered in his line of sight. He propped himself up, leaning back, and looking
up to the sky. The mermaids are still singing, and the sky is completely clear,
dark violet, twinkling with its infinity of stars and lights, with a large,
glowing white orb at the center of everything! Around the moon, there is a very subtle ring; a colossal,
near-invisible halo that outlined the moon. This will always be a once-in-a-lifetime moment for Adam the
Human, as he panted, feeling like he was personally in the maelstrom of singing
and thought. ~~~ "Adam? Adam. Wake up." Came a soft voice. Adam felt someone
gently pushing on him, stirring him awake. He opened his heavy eyelids, and
turning to see Merrick knelt down beside him, "I'm back, Adam. I'm sorry I took
so long, my Sister wanted to play with me for a little while before I come
back." Adam sighed and shivered; he feels so cold. "Mmm... What time is it?" He mumbled as he dug for his phone
to check. 5:48 am "Oh God..." He moaned as he rubbed his eyes, "Been out here
for almost 6 hours..." He smiled as he looked to his boyfriend, "That singing was
fantastic." Merrick raised his eyebrows at him. "You heard us? From all the way out here?" "Yeah, I don't know how, but I was able to hear the mermaids
all the way here." He yawned and gave a shudder before standing back up, and
escorting Merrick back to his house, "So Merrick, why do mermaids sing under a
full moon? You didn't explain it, you just said they do." "Mermaids sing all the time. However, during a full moon,
every mermaid who feels the light is compelled to sing to the Shining Sea
Mother Atargatis; for we believe she dwells in a world from within the moon
itself, and watches over us. "Tonight was my Sister's very first song..." Merrick smiled
happily, "She was spectacular..." "And what about the clouds disappearing? Did the mermaids do
that?" "Yes. Mermaids have a small influence over the winds and
tide, but the Noita is truly one with power." "Hm? How so?" Asked Adam. "While mermaids charm the waters and sing to the winds, it
is the Noita who can truly summon hurricanes, call upon lightning, make the sky
weep and infuriate the waves." Adam raised his brows. "Whoa... That's kinda scary... I'd hate to piss off YOUR mom."
He said, chuckling nervously. "Mm," Merrick shook his head, "No. My Mother is so kind and
gentle. She would never give in to wrath command a storm." Adam smiled as he
hugged around his lover. Soon, Merrick placed his trident on the corner of Adam's
room, and placed his shells, shark-teeth belts, and kelp bands into a box, and
slid under Adam's bed. He climbed nude into bed with his human. Adam smiled as
he scooted up, and wrapped his arms around the blond to hold Merrick close,
grinding his own naked body against the other. He dozed off soon after that,
but Merrick seemed a little... Troubled. He sighed as he moved his hand up to look at the neat little
chain around his wrist that Adam got for him at the pier. ~~~ "My Son..." Noita Umiato said as Merrick began to swim away.
The merman stopped, and turned around. "Mother?" "That silver on your hand..." She said as she pointed to the
shiny bracelet on his wrist, "That is of HUMAN make." "..." Merrick hesitated and looked at her, "I found it. We
always find human objects, do we not?" "... It carries a strange and foreign aura. The feeling
emanating from that silver identifies with affection." She said. Merrick
shrugged. "Maybe it belonged to a human lover. I found it on the sand
during my personal training. I have no idea where it came from." He lied,
talking as he normally would, heavily suppressing the very thought of Adam
picking it out, purchasing it, and linking it around his wrist; it is almost impossible
to directly fool a Noita - they can acutely sense emotions and changes in one's
aura and energy. "... You carry a very faint trace on you... When we come to
these waters, you feel different, if only a little," Umiato said, "I cannot
fathom what it could be, or why you prefer to train on your own..." "I can assure you, I have nothing to hide, Mother," Merrick
said, "I must find my own method of becoming a Triton. That is all." He then
turned around, and started to drift away. "Heed my word, my Son..." Umiato told him, "Whatever you are
learning and training on your own, I pray it does not involve the forbidden. As
an Adra, you are given but one chance. I worry for you, you know." Merrick glanced back to her, not daring to let in the
slightest sign of guilt, "I know what I am doing, Mother. I must leave now..."
With that, he swam forth. "... I believe you, Son..." Umiato looked after him, and soon
has disappeared in the deep, dark blue, "... I believe you, because I do not
desire to believe my fear..."