The Phantom Riser

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE - MY CHOICE

A few light-years from earth, probably what you would call the center of the universe, sat a very small mass. A little too small to be called a planet and too large to be called a meteor too. Within it was what you would call a temple. Every inch of it was covered in one precious substance. Substances found on earth to some even beyond comprehension. And at the center of this grand temple, sat the most powerful people in the universe; the Eight. Well, six out of eight of them were present. The room was silent. It was either they were waiting for the others to come before they began or they just had nothing to say to one another. And breaking that silence was a woman of smallish stature. She had long red hair and donned a white flowing gown… what is this, Olympus? Of course not. Well, actually she wore a tacky blue gown with brown tight pants and a brown boot to match. The embroidery on it was a mixture of gold and silver and a pendant hanging from her neck. Her eyes were red as well as were her eyes brows. Her face was white like snow and she looked no older than twenty-five! A pretty figure she was. A well-shaped body and an elegant walking step she had. But she was incredibly feisty. She didn’t take a seat. Rather, she slammed her hand on the table as if trying to get the other’s attention even though it was already on her.

“Which one of you was it!” she demanded but was met with silence. “I said, which one of you gave the order to kill the Riser!” Her rage was anything but obscure. She was in the presence of the most powerful individuals in the universe and her light didn’t waver. For she herself was a member of this ridiculously overpowered group.

“Calm down, Remi. You will have to be very specific. Besides, why would any of us bother with a Riser? Of what concern are they to us but amusement?” one of the members spoke. He wore a purple hooded robe. His fingers were long and he had a tall slim build. His large eyes were his most distinct features. And his teeth screamed of raw flesh.

“Alatraz, if you don’t have an answer for me, then shut up!” she snapped. The look she gave Alatraz would otherwise have made him shiver, but he grinned ominously instead. He enjoyed teasing her. Riling her up was something he could never let go of.

“Oh, so feisty. Even the Beast is not so scary,” he teased. The other members almost seemed completely uninterested in her rantings. It wasn’t the first time she had been unruly in a meeting before. In fact, it would be more of a surprise if she was orderly. But she was delaying the reason they had all been summoned in the first place.

“Do you have a problem with it, Remi?” another member asked. He was at the other end of the table. The energy he gave up only revealed a silhouette of himself, but it was the silhouette of a well-built man. The atmosphere in the room changed when he spoke, enough for Alcatraz to gulp.

Remi walked straight up to him and slammed her hand on the table once more. “What a bunch of cowards you lot are. Even after all this time, you still plot behind her back. Hurting those who haven’t even had a chance to grow!” Did he think that he could intimidate her with his aura?

“Cowards?” he asked. But this time, in an even more intimidating manner. A few of the members tried to reach out to restrain her but soon dropped their hands.

“Yes, Ari. Or what else would you call sending a Ranger after a Riser?” she stood her ground, not moving even a step back.

“Then why don’t you do something about it? If there is anyone scheming, I’d say it was Elena. Why bring up a Riser after centuries without saying a word to us? What else would you call that?” He looked her dead in the eye.

“Still afraid of her, I see. Typical. I’m going down to 207. Come down to meet me if you ever want a drink or two. But don’t even think of touching the boy,” she said. Her hair went up for a moment. She contained her rage for that moment but it was clearly a move to intimidate the member of the Eight that sat before her.

He chuckled at her attempt. “We were assembled for a reason. Before you bulldoze your way out of here, at least listen to what Blaze has to say,” he said.

Beside him sat a member who had said nothing all through. He hadn’t even spared them a sight. He was even less visible than Ari who sat beside him. His energy was a lot denser too. He was the one known as Blaze.

“There’s nothing he had to say that interests me. You have turned your backs on Elena once more. But I won’t. So, to hell with you lot. And if you have any objections to what I plan on doing, you better keep it to yourselves. I have no interest in your opinions,” she said.

Remi stared at him for a while hoping for some kind of response but got nothing from him. Until finally he said, “You remind me of her a lot. It would seem she had quite the influence on you.”

Remi scoffed without saying a word and stormed out of the room. The others watched as she left. One of the members who could easily pass for a child finally broke the silence. “Are we going to let her do as she pleases?” he asked.

“Leave her be for now. There will be plenty of chances to kill the Riser and that traitor Aaron. It’s only a matter of time. Let them have some respite. They’ve earned it,” Blaze said.