Fire in the Ocean: A New Testament

By Curly Raphino

FIRE IN THE OCEAN is a unique integration of Christianity and Greco-Roman Mythology figures paired seamlessly together to form an original concept called Christi-ology. Set in a fictional realm (Heaven) during the 16th century Renaissance Era, a magical story unfolds in this world that is meticulously tailored to suit the every need of the Higher Powers who reigns supreme. The mystical location is a parallel dimension that coincides with the world on earth and also quarters the exemplifying Kingdom of Elements, three designated empires that balances and governs three major components in man’s world (earth, sky & sea).

The life on earth becomes in conflict and compromised when a highly observed ordinance in Heaven is violated by two significant civilians. The price to pay for such defiance is high and the punishment is almost unbearable. Now revenge is being sought out on earth and everything affiliated with it. The entire human race becomes in danger and the only person with phenomenal powers that can stop it all is a 12- year old boy who is revered as a savior by a civilization in distress.

Once a very long time ago, a legend was conceived from a detrimental mistake and now he alone has the power to restore the balance between two very distinctive worlds and all their inhabitants. FIRE IN THE OCEAN is a Spiritual thriller like no other before it, taking the battle between good and evil to unimaginable extent, while luring its readers into a world with endless possibilities. Discover a world where revenge is bittersweet, friendship is everlasting and the ocean keeps secrets so profound that the water it contains burns like fire.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Dec 15, 2009
• ISBN: 9781449030780

Curly Raphino

Curly Raphino was born in Manhattan, New York on New Years Day of 1974, and was raised equally between Upstate, New York and South Florida. Now he lives in Atlanta, Georgia. He started working on Fire in the Ocean in the fall of 2001 (one month before 9/11), when, he says, the idea started playing in his head like a motion picture. Writing is a passion, however, he discovered fairly late in his life after completing a college level composition course and abandoning hopes of getting into medicine and music. Fire in the Ocean is his personal journal documenting his growth and maturation from being religious to living spiritual. It is also his first book published in the United States. For more information on the book visit the official website at www.FireInTheOcean.com or browse through the blog site www.FireInTheOcean.com/wordpress

Book preview

© 2009 Curly Raphino. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 11/21/2022

ISBN: 978-1-4490-3076-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4490-3077-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4490-3078-0 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Table of Contents

PART I: THE SKY

Lost Before Time

Chapter 1Strike On an Empire

Chapter 2Final Judgments

PART II: THE SEA

Chapter 3New Beginnings

Chapter 4Startling Encounter, New Revelation

Chapter 5To Serve and Protect

Chapter 6Promise of a New Day

Chapter 7Living with Savages

Chapter 8The Prince’s Bride

Chapter 9Rude Awakening

Chapter 10Burning In the Sea

Chapter 11Parallel Worlds

Chapter 12Dispirited Joy

PART III: THE EARTH

Chapter 13Exodus

Chapter 14Earth under Fire

Chapter 15Kingdom Come

Chapter 16Unacquainted Acquaintances

Chapter 17An Eye for an Eye

Chapter 18Road to Redemption

Chapter 19Dawn of a New Light

Acknowledgements/Preface

Sometimes one’s calling isn’t always apparent or obvious to them. At times it takes nurturing from a keen discerning eye to assist in bringing out the hidden talents one possesses. In my case, the conduit that initially steered and led me to the literary well was no other than my 7th grade English teacher Ms. Nancy Neujhar; a frumpy middle-aged woman I’ll always remember as the person who introduced me to the term "mashugana"… hehehe… She is probably unaware of the significant role she played in grooming me to become the writer that I am today. She was patient, understanding and truly remarkable in her field of expertise. Her impact in my life affected my being, my motivation, as well as my craft. So a million and one thank you’s to you Ms. Neujhar. I hope you’re still influencing the lives of upcoming adult’s like you did mine. God knows, they need it more now than ever before.

Everyone knows the old saying You can lead a horse to the well, but you can’t make him drink. Though Neujhar led me to the literary well, it was my Composition 101 college professor Mr. John Tillema that actually persuaded me to taste of the well. And that’s when it all began. During the course of his classes I realized that my options with words and word usage were endless. Unlike mathematics, my worst subject, there were no right or wrong answers, there were no structured configurations to break down or solve. The blank sheet of paper was my canvas, the keyboard was my medium and the words became my design. I was the artist and the readers were my muse. By the end of the course, Tillema pulled me aside and asked me have I ever considered being a writer? I scrunched my face, flex my neck back and looked at him like he fell and bumped his head twice on the same exact spot. He saw something in me, just like Neujhar did and it left me completely in a daze, entirely lost in my head. That wasn’t totally bad thing, because here we are now. If someone would have told me then I’d be a writer to this capacity, I would have cracked a rib laughing, but someone did, two of them at two very distinguished stages in my life, so I guess the laughs on me. I want to thank you a million and two times Mr. Tillema.

It’s funny how life takes you places you never expected. You find yourself doing things you never imagined you would. It almost makes you wonder if ones purpose isn’t already predestined and the distracting detours that eventually lead us back on course are just trials of conviction that helps in realizing the destiny. I even began questioning if the people we randomly encounter in life, even if just temporarily (negative or positive) are mere instruments to aid us in getting where we’re supposed to be. I can’t truthfully say that everyone has been supportive and believed in me in the course of writing F.I.T.O. (Fire In The Ocean), but the one’s who did show interest, pushed my self-confidence over the brim. People like Katherine Phelps president of Beautiful Media, an Atlanta-based corporation publishing company. She’s an angel that set me on the right path to achieving my accomplishments by inspiring me with the business side of writing. There are not enough thank you’s in the world to begin expressing my humble gratitude and appreciation, so I’ll leave it in God’s hands to bestow upon you blessings like you’ve never seen before. You just watch.

Then there are people like my editors: Kevin Mcneir, Robert Lenthart and Gretchen Hollingsworth. You guys all helped mold this project into the precious gem it turned out to be. Thank you, thank you, and thank you.

I would be a disingenuous ingrate if I didn’t acknowledge other significant sources that I constantly relied on when overcoming mild to severe cases of that wretched and impeding thing they call writer’s block that intermittently arose during the course of writing F.I.T.O. From each source I drew different levels of inspiration and enlightenment that would usually get me back on course. First, was the music of Enya, Libera and Secret Garden. Then there was the fantasy art depictions of Jim Warren (a true living legend of art that can be found at www.jimwarren.com. He embodied on canvas with paint the imagery I envisioned when transcribing my thoughts to words. It was only fitting that I used one of his pieces for the cover.

Chardon Nicholas (www.BTIcreations.com), Andrew de Ruiter (www.flash3d.org) and Mike Seesholtz (www.seesholtz.com) my graphic designing gurus were that intervention that came in the knick of time. Chardon designed the original art collage of all the characters, Andrew designed the book cover art and Mike brought to life the book’s official website www.FireInTheOcean.com. Thank you, sirs and ma’am.

Finally, to the readers, my true muse and inspiration, I am a believer that all things happen for a reason. A lot of things don’t always occur at the time we would like for them to come about, they may not even take place in the sequence in which we would like for them to eventually come to pass or follow suit, but whatever ultimately manifests usually serves a significant purpose; a lesson to be learned that is how I fathom any event that transpires in life. Some may agree, others may not, that doesn’t make me, my logic or philosophy wrong. It is in this very context that I offer F.I.T.O. to all my readers, a combination of Christianity, Greco-Roman Mythology and Jewish mysticism that I call Christi-ology. The perspectives, though unique and contradicting to what is mainstream, they are mine and just because many people disagree and oppose do not make me, my logic or philosophy wrong. I realized fairly early in life that not everything we learn need be taught or explained, some lessons are more effective when they are lived and experienced or even inspired through deep introspection and meditation. You’ll be surprised what you can decipher if you only take the time to reflect, because the conscience and subconscious are all telling. Only through those types of perseverance will the impact of any resolutions and solutions make sense.

Besides, there are many questions today that are still far above any explanations that any man or woman can justify, questions in particular about Life, Death and God (the real Tri-forces), everything else is man-made: politics, government and religion. Somewhere along the line man began to personify God instead of being God-like and that can and will lead into confusion and disorder. I am not a minister nor do I intend to be, but I am the son of an ordained minister and have a deep rooted Haitian background, so I have taken part and witnessed several different doctrines and practices, which have led me to believe that the dark forces are very much prevalent and for every yang there’s a ying, if there’s a dark there’s a light, if evil is manifested through a Dark Lord/Satan, then there must be a protector and sustainer of the light/God.

I’m not claiming to have all the answers or any answers at all for that matter. Like I said before, there are some questions that are above any earthly explanations, but we were given minds to be free thinkers and no man has the right to convict or persecute another man on his persevered perception or belief. No matter how far-fetched or how many people disagree or oppose your beliefs or views that does not make you, your logic or philosophy wrong. This is for all the radical free thinkers always in search of a fresh alternative perspective as I am. Enjoy.

In loving memory of my nephew Jonathan Harper

There’s something to be said about a group of diverse people trying to find a common ground, as oppose to like-minded conformists preserving old traditions.

Curly Raphino

Prologue

In the beginning there was a remote civilization where every element was steered and dominated by gods, where everything that transpired was precisely monitored and calculated to suit a higher power. But somehow an important link got broken deep within that almost caused the entire chain of life to crumble. The causing factor became very harmful toward all existence and put life, as we knew it, at total risk.

The event became monumental and landmarked an entire disastrous era, but like all things, in time the memories faded; soon thereafter it simply disappeared, as if it had never happened at all.

It’s unbelievable how these groundbreaking, historical events can quickly and unintentionally turn into a myth and legend right before one’s eyes. With time, the Truth of actualities gets bent, twisted and molded to suit or please a particular crowd or situation.

The Truth then vaguely takes on its real form, coming across as if it were merely a fairy tale, unspoken events that got lost in the shuffle of elapsing time. However, beneath all the deceiving misconceptions and blinding accumulation of disbelief, the Truth remains. It lies dormant in its rawest and purest form, hidden in the midst of concealing layers of doubt — unrestricted, uncensored and untold. Be that as it may, the truth will always find a way to come to light. It always does.

Those who seek it will find it, for it is around you. It lives among you and for those who continue to doubt, it will find you and make you believe. So it unravels.

Part I

The Sky

Lost Before Time

Time.gif

A b eautiful, sunny day on sacred soil turned hazy and somber within minutes, when two prominent beings grew intolerably insubordinate and developed strong, defiant characteristics that impaired their sense of good judgment. What started off as a blissful escapade for them rapidly escalated and took on the form of the most horrifying nightmare, a tribulation so profound that it shattered dreams, ruined lives and almost destroyed an entire empire — even Earth.

It was a brilliant sun-filled summer time day. The atmosphere was tranquil and serene. Our royal habitat was generously embroidered and laced with rarely found treasures that would make the common man rich beyond his dreams; platinum and gold paved the open streets along with many other precious metals and stones that radiated far beyond the enchanted spell binding green garden that lay within our midst.

The garden was spectacular and bled life out of every natural orifice from within its endless dimensions. The rivers ran with water sweet as milk and honey and time moved as fast or as slow as it desired. As a matter of fact, time wasn’t, for the simple fact that it was incalculable and obsolete.

The Tri-Elements, or what we call the natural forces (Earth, Sky and Sea), were in unison, as were the Tri-gods designated to watch and rule over them: Lord Terreod, Lord Celesteius and Lord Aquanemus: three vital constituent forces, which made for three very essential kingdoms, each led by three extremely powerful and distinguished gods, all of them equally bestowed power and importance. It was of great significance as to who heads the Tri-forces. The three chosen gods were supreme and conspicuous supernatural delegates, who were designed exclusively for the sole purpose of serving and protecting their assigned element.

Each of the gods was strong and powerful in their own rights. They each ruled their kingdoms hard, but in harmony; tough, but with an abundance of love.

The gods each possessed complete authority and the ability to impersonate all that inhabited their element and jurisdiction. I firmly believe this sneaky and underhanded capability to transfigure at will to be the catalyst that triggered the downfall of an empire, uproar of treason and terminated my joyous beautiful sun-filled, summer day.

How you ask? Well, allow me to elaborate and formally introduce myself. I am Prince Markab, the successor and heir to element Earth Kingdom. I was the incorrigible head strong Prince whose defiance always seemed to lurk in incriminating shadows waiting for the right moment to expose its venomous head, despite knowing the threat it could impose on the future when I would one day serve as King. When that rebellious poison eventually succeeded in becoming the full-fledged threat it promised to be, the events that followed marked a time in my life when I wish death had made like a stripped whore on post, ready and willing to relieve her zealous pursuit of all his burdensome loads.

Being young, strong-willed, self-centered and naïve, all distracted me from my true purpose and responsibilities as Prince. However, it was a scandal like no other that eventually cost me the throne. Honestly, the thought of being in alliance to a disgraceful misconduct or ill-natured act never settled in my mind. Indeed, it almost seemed as if my existence had taken on a whole lot more purpose and meaning. Suddenly, everything shifted in a whole new direction with clearer and more concise intentions. It was almost worth it.

I recall the garden in which we laid never smelled any better, and the sounds of the flying creatures higher above were never more beautiful. The minutes melting into hours seemed endless; yet each second that passed was more and more meaningful with each tantalizing thrust and stroke. I was finally making acquaintance with my manhood, and the entire experience just opened up and broadened my horizons to a wider and steeper domain.

This eye-opening clarity started to take control of me from the inside out and sat me on a platform beyond my years and comprehension. Everything was compressed and had intensified to the thousandth power. I felt as if… I was losing the very essence of my being, while ingesting the life-bearing soul of another.

In retrospect, I believe that literally was happening. Magical and mesmerizing, an event I frequently dreamed of, but never did I think would eventually come to pass was before me.

I panted and squealed as I indulged, drowning deeper in selfish desires. The sweat would not stop pouring. I even felt the moisture in between my toes. I was in tune, yet unfocused, present, but yet suspended in another space looking down.

Eventually, I felt a tiny rumble. It was slight at first, but then worked its way into the most intense, magnanimous explosion of emotions: relief, joy, sadness, confusion and fear all coalesced.

I, Prince Markab, son of the earth god Terreod, was in love and had just experienced the most unifying feat with the most beautiful being in the Tri-Kingdoms, Princess Melusina of element Sea Kingdom. She was like nothing I or anyone else had ever seen. The princess goddess of the sea had a rare distinguishable beauty that exceeded and set her apart from all the other female beings from all three kingdoms collectively. She had features that were polished and refined to perfection. Her clear skin was as creamy and supple as a newly formed pearl obtained from the concealing midst of its nurturing clam shell. She had soft pouty lips that were perfectly full and shaped. Her radiant brown corn silk mane cascaded extensively down just past her waist, and her electrifying blue eyes were more captivating than lightning and thunder combined. Her bosom was full and complemented her tall, lean, statuesque figure. There was no denying that she was the envy of all the female beings in all three kingdoms and the secret desire of all the male beings in every kingdom.

Most important, Melusina was blessed with the spellbinding gift to heal, summon and allure with her singing voice. Whenever she opened her mouth to sing, no one or no thing was exempt from the threat of her melodious notes. She sang as if she were deliberately trying to draw her listener into a spell-binding trance that would captivate them within a deep, time-defying delusion. The reactions, no matter how stupendous, were always consistent. Words could not begin to explain the wonders of this mesmerizing, healing and uplifting voice. This was the voice that lured me and captured my attention one beautiful evening by the river bank, as my identical twin brother and I extensively trained on enhancing and developing our morphing powers.

Melusina and a small band of transparent, water-like beings swam the waters as if they were the waves themselves riding in the river. At certain angles their image made for one to be left in deception watching her as she and the water intertwined as one, gushing freely along her destined path. As she swam toward and climbed onto one of the large protruding boulders on the banks, I was left completely mesmerized. I hypnotically observed every square inch of her perfect appearance, from the ends of her flowing hair to the tips of her toes.

Surrounded by her attentive gathering, she serenely released the voice into the atmosphere in a most celestial manner. Everything seemed to stop and listen as I stopped and listened. Every rock, every blade of grass and every billowing cloud stood on end. The breeze blew calmer and the air smelled and felt lighter. There was a magical and mystifying sensation in the atmosphere, and its mist penetrated deep into the soul of each being present. Sitting invincibly high upon the boulder, she gracefully shivered, flipped her wet mane and then it happened — our eyes met and locked.

She gazed intensely into my soul with her piercing crystal-blue eyes that clearly and fluently communicated to me in a language I had never spoken before or even knew existed. That very moment marked the beginning of the beginning for me — Melusina made sense of my purpose and being. All of my unanswered questions were resolved, and numerous options and possibilities were outlined before me.

Now here we were, at the height of a beautiful sunny day, lying in the garden after having just discovered and shared the most fascinating and sacred thing a couple could share. Alas, the only problem with this beautiful and enlightening event is it was at the wrong place, at the wrong time, and it made everything that was picturesque about that day turn stone cold and ugly.

In fact, it was so dreadful that that our entire world, including Earth, felt the impact and devastation that would forever set this day apart, deviating the earth from its originally designated purpose for ceaseless sun-filled days.

That day was recorded in the lost book of historians as the "Fall of Light" in reverence to the sun growing dim, the sky turning gray, and all that was green with life grieving in bright flamboyant colors to generate a new season called fall — the day the earth lost its prince and the sea lost its heirs.

While we lay surrounded by exquisite greenery, exhausted and drenched from our binding act of love, I watched the face of my Love, Princess Melusina, convert from a hypnotic serenity to a forensic hysteria. She began to pant and gaze intensely at the rich dirt ground. In an involuntary reflex, I turned to see what she was seeing and there, to my amazement, I saw the soil underneath us brawl, and spin. As it spun, thick billowing clouds of dust, small rocks and patches of foliage were thrust into the air like heated kernels of corn. The spinning then escalated to the destructive speed and wrath of an angry tornado’s twist. As we watched in awe, the spinning slowly settled into a gloomy haze of dust and dirt which slowly dissipated into an intently observing male figure. Once the dusty mist had completely cleared, we quickly recognized the figure as the earth god, Lord Terreod — my father.

He stood there inexpressively morbid, looking down on us both. My heart sank into my waist, as our naked bodies began to tremble in vulnerability and fear. How do you begin to form the right words to justify a forbidden act? I felt like a highly-suspected thief caught red-handed pilfering from the assessing eyes of a merciless merchant.

I can remember several aggravated confrontations with my father about the standard principles of The Divinity Ordinance and Inherent Integration Restrictions — strict rules that prohibited hybrid relations and interactions among the inhabitants of each of the three kingdoms. We spoke clearly and openly of the pros and cons of doing so, and I clearly recall one important factor he could not stress enough — that was the consequences each of the three kingdom leaders would have to bear if they or any of their subjects were to cross certain boundaries; their actions, whether good or bad, would cause a greater reaction over the element upon which they rule and control; consequently, such actions would trigger a negative or positive response on Earth.

They are three distinguished forces whose survival and existence are reliant on a distinct, unanimous coexistence, my father would say.

"Their lasting survival is based on a delicate balance that is guided and manipulated by its primary guardians: I, your father Lord Terreod, keeper and god of the earth, keep balance on the polarity that sustains life on earth; As do I keep close watch over the living and nonliving elements on the earth’s surface.

Your mother, Lady Phoebus, goddess of the sun, presides over the sun and keeps its rays beneficial and non-destructive to the lives that I account for on earth.

Lord Celesteius, keeper and god of the heavens and open sky, controls all aspects of the night and day sky and keeps the heavens from crashing down onto the earth.

His partner, Lady Galaxia, keeps the planets, the sun, the moon and the stars adrift and on a non-collision course.

Lastly, there is Lord Aquanemus, the sea god, whose duties are to keep the seas and ocean’s shorelines from engulfing the entire land and also keep its entire body intact despite the sun’s scorching and vaporizing rays.

His mate, Lady Marina, keeps and watches over the lives residing in the seas.

It’s a force and balance that no one can reckon with and a concept too intricate for even our comprehension. Certain limits and boundaries should never be tampered with or breached, for the consequences can and will be more severe than one can bear."

Those words had been moralized to me a million times by the mighty, fear-driving Terreod and now I had lived to see them come to pass. The result is his discontentment in this infuriating revelation of an integrating affair between the Earth Prince and Sea Princess. Such an affair was the climax of treason. That was definitely not how I intended to disclose a closely guarded liaison that we had kept securely concealed in darkness — certainly not that way nor on that day.

I never doubted that Melusina and I were destined to be together, and we were. I had no qualms about our union. So why then was I suddenly stricken with this unexplainable fear? I wasn’t afraid of the act that we had just committed, or even the fact that we were now revealed and caught by my father. What concerned me was what fate awaited the love of my Life. Far more was the shame on her, for she was a being of the female gender; she was now a female being who has engaged in pre-marital, eye-opening, flesh-indulging lust with a counterpart outside of her jurisdiction.

What had we done? What had I done, to my love? Gathering up our scattered garments, we swiftly stood to our feet in front of this magnificent being. We stood there incriminated, awaiting a signal of dismissal, like unlawful bandits waiting to be excused after a routine head count, but it would not be that simple.

Lord Terreod was a fearless, powerful being. He stood proud and monumental with skin of worn bronze and hair of wool. His flawless face still reflected those prominent handsome features even though it was apparent he had lived for many years.

He stood perfectly still, not uttering a word. His face clearly showcased the anger and dismay he failed to harbor inside, as his intense gaze exuded scorching hot flames across our cold, sweat-covered outer surface.

The atmosphere grew thick, the silence almost unbearable, and we watched as red traces began to form along the whites of his eyes. Then the silent, erect figure once again disbursed into a cloud of dust and dirt and vanished — this time leaving Melusina and myself covered from head-to-toe in rich brown soil.

We knew that was it. We said our farewells and acknowledged the thought that we might never see each other intimately, or otherwise, again.

I rinsed myself off in the crystal-clear river by the garden while I watched Melusina, in fascination, self-cleanse by means of a remarkable self-induced waterfall-like cascade that unsoiled her from head to toe. We robed ourselves and departed from each other with the most intense, seductive, farewell kiss one could ever experience. I knew then that what we shared was more profound than we ever fathomed.

We knew what awaited us back home, but spoke not of it. The magical moment we experienced and shared earlier still needed to be commemorated. For this was a day I would never forget, for more reasons than I would have liked to admit. That day would be marked in history as the day that I became a man in more ways than even I could have imagined.

Before she started her journey home she planted a soft kiss on my forehead — then slowly motioned to walk away, but I grabbed her by the arm, looked deeply into her eyes and asked her a question I thought to be important at that very moment.

Do you believe in fate? I asked.

What? she responded.

Do you believe that our existence is controlled and predetermined by a force that is greater than all of us? I said. I’ve always believed that fate guides everything in its path towards an inevitable destiny, or in our case, brings two beings from two extreme dimensional ends together.

I don’t know, she responded lightheartedly. I’ve never really given it much thought, however I must say that I find your outlook slightly inflexible. I personally believe we’re all given free will. We both had the choice to either follow through with this or walk away from it. We allowed it to happen, so now we’ll have to deal with the consequences.

But that’s just it, I said. What if all of this was beyond our control to resist in the first place and our destined fate was intended to endure the consequences yet to come?

Then I would think that you are as absurd as your outlook is uncompromising, she teased and then proceeded to walk away.

Do you have any regrets about us? I inquired one last time. But she simply disregarded the question.

Go home, Markab, she said. You’ll drive yourself delirious over these immoderate thoughts and questions. Besides, we have greater worries ahead with which to be concerned. We must be on our way now, before we cause any more trouble.

I stood there and watched her in all her splendor swiftly walk away into a silhouette of nothingness, making sure she was well on her way and that no one else was watching the developing events.

After there was nothing more of her to see and the smell of her lingering aroma was gone, I set forth on my journey back home to face whatever fate awaited me. Honestly, I don’t think anything could bring me down from the high I was on. I was walking on air, floating on billowing puffs of clouds. Even after acknowledging that I might be in a stack of mountain-high trouble, I felt unconquerable — I was in love.

Chapter 1

Strike On an Empire

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I t was inevitable for the word not to eventually get out, but not as fast as that evening deemed possible. Melusina was extremely shaken up by the whole matter and didn’t know how to begin justifying to her family what had happened.

All through the setting of the sun, she stepped over the high splashing currents of the cool river and playfully dodged the high leaps and vaults of several flying fish, as she absorbed and replayed the delightful evening in her head. She reflected on Markab’s bizarre theory on fate and wondered what validated one good reason behind them being set up to endure the consequences of their fate yet to come? All of which came to an abrupt end after visualizing and re-living the discontentment on Lord Terreod’s face after he invaded the secret engagement they had only intended for two.

How did he know? How long was he there? And how much did he actually witness? But then she was also torn as to how she would face up to incriminating and antagonizing questions that she would inevitably be forced to answer from her loved ones.

She tried to envision a wide range of scenarios and head-on questions that she believed would come charging at her from her family and, most important of all, from her father. He was sure to be the most outraged by this astonishing revelation of misjudgment on her behalf. She had to find a way to deflect the negativity of the events that had transpired.

She arrived at the front entrance of the majestic Sea Palace, which inexplicably hovered a few feet over the Tri-Empire’s river base, composed and prepared to confront almost any situation. Only she was unaware that she would never be ready for what eagerly awaited her on the other side.

She closed her eyes for a few seconds in one final desperate attempt to regain composure. She then slowly proceeded to clear her mind of all thoughts and activity, freeing herself of all existing negativity in order to allow her body to gradually shift and mimic the large body of water that surrounded her. After taking on the shape and resemblance of a shooting geyser, she disbursed into the fiery evening sky in the form of several flying liquid seagulls and made her way inside the palace walls through the nearest window opening, then regained her original form in a magnificent foyer near the front entrance.

The Sea Empire’s palace was fit for a king and all his majesty. The majestic foyer was just that, intensively inviting with grandness beyond compare. It was adorned with shimmering, eye-pleasing, animated spectacles and hydrous ornaments which were glamorously displayed on wall-mounted racks; a line of racks which led straight into an even grander living area overlooking an endless ballroom style hall.

She wiped off her garment of excess water and tried to quietly make her way to her bedroom unheard and unnoticed. But after taking one step she slipped and fell in a puddle of her own untidiness and vulnerably landed flat on her rear, bringing down along with her racks of the embellished ornaments displayed on the walls. Instantly the echoes of several chattering voices immediately drew to a sudden halt once they acknowledged her anticipated presence.

There was an awkward piercing silence that resonated loudly in the air immediately afterwards and it begged to be overpowered by anything remotely audible. Her family looked up at her with a glazed expression branded upon their faces. Her father, Lord Aquanemus, mother, Lady Marina and brother, Prince Poseidon were all huddled in one section of the room in what appeared to be a very exclusive conference. One that clearly indicated to have everything to do with her, especially after the abrupt and suspicious way they adjourned and quietly took to themselves once they acknowledged her.

Her Father’s intimidating baritone call immediately filled the air, sending her back to preadolescence when she was half her size and he was bigger than life.

Daughter, come now and join us! he said. We’ve been waiting for your arrival; there is an important matter that needs to be addressed at once.

Melli, her brother said anxiously, addressing her by the pet name the family often used. Tell us it isn’t so and that he falsified every last bit of it.

Silence Poseidon! Lord Aquanemus commanded and once again there was silence.

Her mind was spinning fast; the words were coming at her quicker than her mind could translate. All the extensive preparations along the way home, and the endless scenarios and possibilities she had replayed in her mind were now officially of no use.

Is there something wrong? Melusina inquired with a clueless gaze. You all look like you’ve just encountered the Grisly Grim himself.

Not yet! Poseidon plainly blurted out. Lord Terreod, of the Earth Empire was here not too long ago to pay us an unexpected visit to inform us of your death sentence.

MY WHAT? she gasped incredibly, praying that she didn’t really hear what she thought she just heard.

Yes, Her father unhappily confirmed. He declared that you’re to be put to death immediately for treason.

He insisted that you have seduced and fallen into lust with his first born son Markab! Poseidon’s voice came back once again. Tell us this is not so, Melli. Tell us now; we’ll believe whatever you tell us.

My daughter the most beautiful of all the Tri-Force Empires, fallen for a prince on a whimsical lustful crave? Preposterous! Lord Aquanemus laughed.

She looked into her mother’s eyes and felt her dismay, although she didn’t utter a spoken word. Her mother had already established for her a well-respected and fit suitor; an arrangement made with one of the finest and most noble families from the Sea Empire. What were they to think? she thought.

She tried to compose