The Ophir

by Irene Patino

  His journal writings, although they remained incomplete, would become sacred to the Kuaians. When discovered centuries into the future, it would be treated with the same reverence as had been the Bible. Some would believe it the ramblings of a madman. Others would know it to be true.

  At Longitude 150 degrees West, Latitude 33 degrees North, the Ophir would lay anchor and wait.

  * * * *

  The Ophir and its crew waited and waited for many earth years, never aging, desiring little, needing less, surrounded but untouched by confused seas and air charged with electrical currents. The charged air particles moved in waves that opened and closed like the curtain in a Shakespearian play.

  On occasion, the curtain would stay open long enough for Captain and crew to be seen by another ship or boat as it passed through The Ring of Fire. At those rare moments, the passengers and crew of the passing ship would hail the Ophir but get no response.

  Occasional rifts would be accompanied by glowing lights and magnetic anomalies that would affect all instruments leaving those passing through bewildered and unsure of their experience.

  The face of the earth and the pace at which it moved, would change as the Captain and his crew watched, but time seemed frozen to them. The earth would shift and heave as volcanoes erupted and oceanic landslides opened and closed the vents that opened onto Lemuria. Earth was changing in preparation for a clash of Titans.

  When the time came, it would put into play a chain of events that would go down in history as one of the greatest cataclysmic changes the world would ever experience. Lemuria would rise again.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Far beyond the deserts of Egypt, in a seedy section of England known as White Chapel, a revolution of fear was given life. A frenzied death walked the streets, stalking innocent and guilty alike. He wore a top hat and carried a cane with a silver-headed wolf as a handle. The wolf head symbolized the creature that hunted for victims in the darkness of night. It described Joseph Ben Abin.

  Joseph, The One, had become little more than a sophisticated animal in the years that had passed since Nazim had placed the curse upon him. The One struggled with his path but briefly. The rage within him fed fires that would not be extinguished by wishful thinking.

  My master could not enter consecrated ground. He would not turn to God, for he believed that it must have been God who, through The Last Prophet, was dictator of his plight. He would never say it aloud, but he knew God as the greatest leader and would not question His authority.

  His years as a soldier had prepared him for the deaths he and his tribe would indulge in. It was the ease and willingness of his victims to play prey that had surprised him so long ago on Brighton Beach. Beginning with that night, his strength and hunting prowess had grown, as did the number of tribesmen.

  The term tribesmen was used in memory of those fallen at Brighton. In truth, these Lamia followers were of a different ilk, but in time, the landlocked vampires forgot their true selves and became the cold-blooded killers they were now. All but the leader.

  The One had not forgotten what brought them to this strange land. The hate he felt for Nazim festered deep in his heart and mind. He waited for Nazim to complete his curse. He waited for the man to face him in battle to make him pay for his atrocities. It gave him the will to continue killing, hoping that the massive number of victims would draw him out. He would find many races of man that would serve themselves up for his pleasure, and he took advantage of them all.

  The day of the warrior was gone. It seemed that the more civilization advanced, the meeker they became. This generation was mere livestock created for his sustenance. He even tried to keep one or two as pets, but they lost their will to live and died, not from loss of blood but from loss of hope.

  He watched them go about their lives, and then he would take it from them. But he had to admit, Europeans were a more interesting lot than his own clansmen. He loved the lights and different forms of entertainment. Even so, he missed his homeland. There was a niggling desire to return to see what changes there might be.

  Victims of The One varied from whores to royalty, and through them he learned of the stories being told at sea. It would seem that Captain Antonio made quite a reputation for himself.

  He respected the fact that the Captain kept his word; Antonio never attempted nor entertained the notion of living on land again. He knew that many of the stories being passed about were based in truth.

  He sometimes thought of trying to make contact again. He knew, of course, that this was impossible. The parting was permanent.

  The one he wished to face again was Nazim. The day of reckoning drew near. He could feel the pull of his homeland getting stronger; retribution was at hand.

  Revenge would be his. The obstacle to overcome was the sea.

  * * * *

  “Juan Antonio Patino de Cueva Del Drach, you must journey from here for one final voyage. The balance of the world hangs in the hands of two combatants. They will travel from the far reaches of earth and meet on the edge of the Ring of Fire.

  You are at its epicenter now. You are to sail south so that you and the Covenant might have a safe path to Lemuria when the time comes.”

  The voice in Antonio’s head was clear and commanding. He knew the voice and obeyed. As the veils sequestering his ship began to part, Antonio asked, “But Lord, if I am at that place now, why must I journey?”

  And the Lord replied, “In this area deep, within its waters, are those doors which will open unto Lemuria. It awakens. The time is near when it will rise. Its magnitude and magnificence are greater than anything the world has ever seen, or will ever see again, for it rises one last time for many generations to come.

  As it rises, the oceans will be in greater confusion than you have witnessed thus far. The waters will become a wall of liquid with a density greater than any material discovered by man. It will build to a height of one thousand cubits and then fold upon itself. Its weight will carry it forth, and it will cover the many lands that surround you now.

  The wall will move North, East and West but not South. When Lemuria touches the sky once more, the battle between The One and Nazim will be anchored unto the surface of that great land, but not before changing the face of the Earth. It is their will that will trigger the changes. It is my will that will hold them.”

  “But Lord, how can that be? You are most powerful; you are most high. How can it be that they can do this? Can you not stop them?”

  “Child, I created the world and all that is within. I set it in motion and then left it to man. It is naught but a machine with wheels and pulleys. Change takes place as a matter of consequence, not my will.

  It was man’s misuse of knowledge that created this situation, and it is man that will end it. It was a curse that started this, and it is a curse that will bring it to final resolution. Now set sail; go South to open water away from land. You will see the mountainous wall as it spreads North, East and West but not South.

  When the center of the ring splits, you will return to the triangle that holds Lemuria, a beacon shining the way to the real world, within the world.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  The time was near. The One, still fearing the seas of the world, moved out of England working his way East across the Straits of Dover by barge, to the Northern tip of France.

  He skirted the Russian Continent on the Northern edge of the Aral Sea, and kept to the borders of Mongolia, as he headed ever further North toward the Eastern coast of Russia. He would cross narrow bodies of water with greater ease to exit near the Sea of Okhotsk.

  Nazim followed a parallel trail. Where The One crossed on the Northern side of the Aral Sea, Nazim travelled on the Southern side of the same water. He moved in closer and closer to the Pacific Ocean and the place where the final confrontation with The One would begin.

  The Ring of Fire, which cradled Lemuria, stretched from New Zealand along the Eastern coast of Asia and North across the Aleutian Islands. The so
uthern border skirted the Western edge of the Americas. Lemuria was nestled at the center of the ring, beneath the sea where several sections of the earth’s crust met.

  As the combatants got closer, the heat increased as the submerged doors to Lemuria began to vibrate, and the oceans hummed in harmony as it heralded an ending.

  Captain Antonio sailed south, past the Hawaiian Islands, observing the change in the air surrounding him above and the water below. The energy being released in the Pacific Ocean melted rock into magma and created steam as the lava was released. The solid surface protecting Lemuria from discovery by man was melting away.

  Captain Antonio laid anchor south of the equator, level with the southern most tip of South America. There he waited in stormy waters as he felt the air charge with electricity and watched the sky darken. He wondered what would become of Ahkmed and Obana.

  * * * *

  Once among men, Nazim, now residing in the physical body of Khadhulu, forgot that he was on a mission decreed by God and acted in his own stead. His ego erased the knowledge that he was a creation, and only God could exact revenge.

  Joseph Ben Abin, The One, felt the nearness of his maker, Nazim. He could feel the trembling of the Earth in preparation for their final confrontation. The anticipated revenge made his heart swell with satisfaction. He forged ahead, leaving a bloody path of fear and sorrow in his wake.

  The Earth’s vibrations continued to increase in strength, disrupting volcanoes near the surface of Hawaii. The resonance of the Earth began to travel the perimeter of the Ring of Fire, and from there it spread to other areas.

  The earthquakes started a chain reaction, and ocean floors dropped beneath the top edge of subducting plates, causing ripples that would continue to grow as Lemuria began to ascend.

  Ground surface deformations could be seen in the bulges surfacing like aneurisms, a foretelling of the unfolding wrath about to be delivered by God’s hand. Little warning would be given to those that had sinned against God of the cataclysmic change about to take place.

  Even though few had a ‘knowing’ of the events, throngs were drawn to the area of the Ring. Those led to survive, they and their progeny, would create a path that would rebuild the world. The intuitive and God’s faithful were led to higher ground. The chosen stood facing the sea and waited. And the Lord spoke to them and said,

  “All of you have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart and humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called. My eyes and ears are open to your prayers and they will be answered.” Those that were blessed continued to climb the mountainside to its highest point. There they took shelter from the storm among the boulders and ledges to make camp as best they could.

  * * * *

  As Lemuria rose, the resulting vertical fault created by the walls of the island, caused suction to develop at its base. A hole would be left where the roots of Lemuria once were. It rushed to fill with water, and swept the shores clean, leaving the ocean floor exposed for many miles.

  First, the island rose then settled back into the ocean, creating backwash much like dropping a large rock into a small puddle. The waves crashed into the receding ocean floor and tumbled forward.

  A mountain of water rose and rolled North, East and West but not South. The most devastating effect of the tsunami was the waves beneath the surface. It carried the waves above with greater power to destroy. It pushed the surface waves forward, and when the storm crashed into the shallower shelves at shore, it climbed to its highest peak, held in place by the draining waters from land. It stood like a grizzly bear with its claws and teeth bared and ready to devour anything in its path.

  The wave would scour the ground, leaving nothing but clean Earth in its place. All buildings would be ground into pulp. Bodies would disintegrate from the weight of the water and nothing would be left of them. The oceans would race across land looking for victims, and it would find them.

  Sri Lanka would be reduced to one-third its size by the tsunami. The waves would roll over the island, submerging its richest land, giving rise to more myths about the lost continent of Atlantis and Lemuria.

  The waters slammed into Hawaii, but then parted to the sides leaving the northern cliffs of Kauai untouched. The beaches and lower coastlines would be wiped out. The destruction disrupted the food chain, weather patterns and life styles all over the world. Its domino effect caused volcanic eruptions as far as Krakatau. The year was 1883.

  * * * *

  As the Ring of Fire came to life and consumed all witnesses, Nazim and The One at last faced each other. The One’s tribe, and the faithful that followed Nazim, stood with eyes averted as their leaders stared into each other’s eyes. All knew that this was in the coming, and swayed in emotion.

  Joseph’s strength matched that of Nazim. But no one knew the outcome except God.

  Nazim stepped aside as The One lunged forward. Nazim swung his staff just a second too late for it to make contact with Joseph’s skull. Joseph spun around but lost his stance when the heel of his sandal landed on a rock, throwing him off balance.

  “Father in heaven, is this the only way?”

  “This was your choice. I say unto you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

  Nazim stepped in and landed a blow to Joseph’s cheek, slicing the alabaster skin open. Joseph, knowing that there would be no wound, paid it no mind as he threw his cape over Nazim’s head and buried his stiletto in Nazim’s ribs. Joseph pulled his blade from Nazim’s side, and neither did he shed blood.

  When Nazim smashed Joseph into a tree, it stunned Joseph; he couldn’t get his bearings. He reached out blindly and took the prophet in a headlock.

  When Joseph was able to focus, he grabbed Nazim by the belt and threw him into the branches of the ancient olive tree, blocking his path should he wish to retreat, and stepped away from its trunk.

  “Nazim, last prophet of God, I spit on you. You have become an old woman. Come down from that tree, and fight me like the God you think you are!”

  “Take care, bastard, or I will make you into an old woman. I have God on my side.”

  “Ah! I forget myself. Perhaps your God should send you another 17-year-old woman with child then? Is that not how he rewards his faithful?”

  “Cur! How dare you speak of God with such a common tongue. Death is too good for you!”

  “And life is too good for you! If God is indeed on your side, then you should give him leave to come to my side. He would be safer,” Joseph taunted him.

  * * * *

  From below the Equator, Antonio saw the waves begin to grow. He saw the Island rise and marveled at its size. It dwarfed the Island of Hawaii and carried it on its side like a dog does a flea. It was more brilliant than the setting sun. Ash and soot from erupting volcanoes darkened the sky. Had it not been for the brilliance of Lemuria there would have been no light at all. It was a wonder that it remained hidden so well.

  Many volcanoes came to life at the same time; the sun changed color as the fine ash and aerosol circled the equator. Temperatures would drop as the cover filtered out the sun’s warm rays. Shooting stars streaked across the heavens announcing an end to a way of life as many knew it.

  Scalar waves softened the Earth’s crust opening new mud pots, increasing destructive vibrations. Bulges in the ground’s surface deformed the Earth and foretold of the impending eruptions that were forming a web around the globe.

  On the west coast of the North American Continent, a fault would grow in length. The grinding of land on land would change its geography. But, the warnings would go unheard.

  Volcanoes such as Laki and Tambora, would precede the super volcanic explosion that was now inevitable. On Krakatau, people would stay unaware of the impending doom they were about to face. They would get no warning; thousands would die.

  In Africa, the course of the River Nile change
d. A ship, tossed by the growing waves was deposited at the entrance to the port, and created a divergent path, which moved westward. Two new islands formed from silt, Elephant Island and Gezira Island.

  Many of these changes would be the subject of conversation for many years to come. And still, the appearance and disappearance of Lemuria would be once again relegated to myth. The real facts of that day were too much for the human mind to grasp. Only the subterfuge employed by the Creator would be remembered as fact.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The silent shaking of the Earth increased but remained unfelt by man. Lemuria began its descent.

  As the turbulence reversed itself, giant waves continued to wash ashore, cutting a wide path of destruction. The waves travelled at a velocity of 600 miles per hour, with crests at a distance of 20 miles.

  In total, there would be 27 waves that would swamp and bury surrounding land. The waves would push inland for more than 300 miles. Entire communities would disappear. Majestic forests would be uprooted and smashed into slivers, leaving the ground devoid of all man-made trace.

  The waves would leave no land untouched as far as the Continent of Europe. In the country of Italy, the foundation of the city of Venice would be breached, and waters would begin to cover the ancient history of a magnificent past.

  The vast populations of the world would someday witness another sinking of “Atlantis”. The deserts would vibrate and present antiquities and information beyond belief. Volcanic eruptions would take place far beneath the surface of the ocean. The Earth’s plates would continue to move either away from or toward other plates. New faults would be created while old ones were plugged, forcing pressure to build beneath the crust. Magma would rise to the Earth’s surface and erupt, forming chains of volcanoes even more violent than those already known.