Chapter Ten:

Voice of the Ancestors

Everything was in place. The Doctor managed to set up a wireless audio device between a certain area on the beach, and the Tardis, for the Aulani tribe to be heard by the Vragmen. Keonu was back on the beach with the rest of the tribesmen. Puani and Nani stood with the women. Piper stood on the beach, knowing the Tardis was in the water next to the Vragmen with the Doctor inside. The two both had means of communications, however Piper remained nervous. She worried about her uncle residing so close to the heat of danger. She eagerly anticipated the chant of the Aulani, so they could finally figure out what’s been going on, and why the Vragmen’s been so anxious.

“There is a chant,” Keonu had explained to her, “A chant that was written by Hiÿiaka, the sister of the goddess Pele. Legends say that Hiÿiaka was sent to Kauaÿi to fetch Pele’s lover, Lohiau. When she reached the area of Wailua, she discovered the bridge used for crossing the great river had been uprooted and tossed aside by the great moÿo, the lizard Nounou. Hiÿiaka realized her trials and tribulations were not at an end, nor would they be for a very long time. Hiÿiaka then composed a chant as a means to ask her family for help with the battle against Nounou. This chant is now used to ask the kumu hula for permission to enter the hälau. Perhaps the Vragmen will listen, and answer our plea.”

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Finally, in crisp, clear voices, they heard them sing:

“The mountain stands steeply in the calm,

    Waiÿaleÿale in Wailua,

    Tossed in to the heavens, 

    Blocked by Nounou,

    Ipuhua’a Hill has disappeared,

    Into the upper expansive of Kapa’a,

    Don’t withhold the voice, there is no call.”

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There was a moment of silence.

“That was a welcome chant, wasn’t it?” Piper commented.

“Yes, I think it was…”

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Then, the vragmen began to stir. The Tardis shook violently. The Doctor remained at the entrance, his expression unmoved by the quake. The computer panel on the control board beeped and began recording the waves of the vragmen’s rumble. When the vragmen stopped, the Doctor sprinted over to the computer to read the translation.

“Incredible” The Doctor exhaled, “He is speaking! It’s just so distorted to the humanoid ear, we can’t understand it.”

“But the Tardis can figure it out, right?” 

The Tardis began translating it into English.

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“I am Vragmen. I am called me Eneki Me Ke Aloha.

    I call for my love, Leilani E Kali Ana.”

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The message also appeared on Piper’s phone from the Tardis.

“‘His love’?” Piper echoed.

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The message continued, typing slowly across the screen: 

“I grow weary dwelling in the sea of the world, weary of being alone.

I have heard the call of Leilani E Kali, which dwells above on the land,

She calls for me, I have waited so long…,”

“Who could Leilani be?” Piper wondered.

“…When my roots grow, the land quakes, which forced me to remain below,

But no longer, let the land above burn,

 your lives are small, my life prolongs.

too long have I sacrificed my happiness for yours, but no more.”

.

“Ahh, everything makes sense now!” The Doctor hissed.

“What?” Piper asked eagerly.

“A Vragmen grows very slowly, over hundreds of years, just like the growth of the land. But I’ve never heard of a Vragmen growing faster than that!”

“Well, he’s doing it now, and it doesn’t look like he’s gonna stop.”

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The Doctor straightened.

“We’ve got to persuade him to stop. If he doesn’t, Aulani, and maybe the rest of Molokai will be swallowed by the sea!”

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Piper thought for a moment.

“Perhaps the only solution is to find ‘Leilani’ and talk some sense into him,” she suggested, “Any ideas on who she may be?”

“It’s got to be another Vragmen. But there’s no telling where she might be.”

“Well obviously she has to be close, right? Otherwise, how could she and Eneku have been aware of each other’s presence in the first place?”

There was no answer. Piper looked behind her, and up towards the monumental mountains covered in lavish green, dimming as the sun was setting over the horizon.

“The mountains…” she breathed, then added louder, “Is the Tardis able to scan the island for volcanoes? Just volcanoes!”

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The Doctor scanned Molokai. He knew that in modern day, there were currently two volcanoes, the Western Volcano and the Eastern Volcano. But this was 700 AD. Finally, the Doctor found the results: One.

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Just then, there was another rumble. It was softer, less threatening than the previous tremors. The Aulani looked around. Some were puzzled, some were fearful. Piper held the phone up to her ear.

“What was that?”

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The Doctor scanned the island once more. It was coming from a volcano, but it wasn’t Eneki. The Doctor examined the sound waves, searching for a translation of the rumbling, but there was nothing there.

“It was definitely from the volcano, but I’m not getting a translation…”

Eneki had once again grown silent. It was clear that he understood what the groaning meant. So why was it leaving the Doctor scratching his head

“So what do we do? We were able to understand Eneki, but I don’t think we reached a resolution” Piper asked, “he’s gonna keep making noise until someone persuades him to slow his growth.” 

“I guess there’s only one who can resolve this…” the Doctor decided.