Fractus was reclining on his lounging on his padded couch, his three friends surrounding him on their own couches. Around them, mortals rushed back and forth, feeding them grapes, fanning them, and setting up for the yearly audience with the peasant class.
Fractus hated the concept but knew not to doubt the brains of the group, Timaenus. Fractus, like his friends, was wearing a golden toga with intricate silver inlay, complete with sandals and a leafy crown around his head. Phitonus had suggested this Greek-like look, as it was sure to make them look the part of the gods that they were. After all, no one ever doubted Zeus's divinity.
They were in a large open hall made of a special golden stone found on this planet, with the left and right sides of the hall lacking walls, exposing the room to the elements. Outside of the left opening, one could see one of the sprawling cities they ruled, a marvelous town of marble and gold. To the right were fields filled with growing crops.
Spring was soon to be over. Behind the group was a large doorway, wide enough to allow five people to walk side by side, and half as tall. Their rooms were there. Ahead of them were large, ornate double doors of marble, inlaid with gold and silver in the patterns of gods fighting all manner of mythical beasts. In between the doors and the gaps in the walls were two rows of bronze pillars, one row to each side.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Aethernus squirming in his chair, and he knew the time had come to hold the audience. Aethernus always squirmed when there was a sacrifice, eager to claim it.
Timaenus allowed it, as it proved that they were not pushovers, but true deities to be taken seriously. Fractus didn't particularly care either way, as long as Aethernus contained himself.
Timaenus pushed himself off of his side and raised to his full seating height, which admittedly wasn't that much. He was pretty short. The man clapped his hands once, twice, three times, and the guards at the end of the room opened the double doors.
They shouted in deep, gravelly voices, "The annual audience with the Great Ones is officially started!" Then they banged the hafts of their spears against the floor twice, letting the mortals know to bring forth the first god seeker.
Into the room walked a young man in farming clothes. His pants were cheap but surprisingly clean and lacked holes, similar to his shirt.
'He must've bought new clothes for this. Good,' thought Fractus. He had striking blue eyes and black hair, along with a face that was a bit too handsome for a farmer. He quickly realized it ran in the family, however, as next to him was one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen.
She had brown hair that fell past her shoulders, with eyes to match; pale, supple skin; and was clothed in a flowing white dress that stopped just shy of the floor. The dress left her arms exposed, revealing lean yet muscular arms that marked her as a farmer as well. Her eyes were reluctant but defiant, which meant she was this year's sacrifice.
'Damn. A shame that it's Aethernus's turn for the sacrifice. She'd be perfect for my harem. Maybe he'd be willing to trade.'
The farmer and his sister prostrated themselves before the gods, as they should. Only when Timaenus gave the command did they stand once more, though they kept their gazes to the ground. "Speak your concerns, mortals, and make it quick."
Fractus glanced outside the double doors. He was delighted to find that there were no more mortals to deal with after this. Knowing this, he turned his full attention to the man and his sister. Watching mortals give up their loved ones was always entertaining. Fractus was surprised there were no tears yet.
The mortal man raised his gaze. Fractus immediately noticed the discrepancy. The fear and reverence were nowhere to be found in his gaze. The only visible emotion was sheer, utter *contempt*. Frowning, Fractus cast out his senses.
And realized they were Exemplars.
Aethernus exploded into motion, the other three rushing to their feet. The disguised Exemplars just stood there, watching Aethernus approach. Fractus reached out with his manifestation, intending to instill Fear in these charlatans.
He knew it worked when he felt his divine energy tether to them, and yet they continued to stand there, staring at Aethernus as he approached. When the charging toga-wearing god was but a few feet away, the woman stepped up and threw a punch.
For a second, Fractus just chuckled. Aethernus had the Wrath Manifestation, allowing him to grow stronger with his anger. And nothing made Aethernus angrier than being denied a sacrifice to kill. The woman's deceit would be her downfall.
He choked on his spit soon after, shocked at the sight. Aethernus was sent flying back, crashing into the wall behind the gods, and then slumped to the ground. Half of his face looked like some ghastly disease had eaten away at it, his exposed brain black and vaguely smoking.
"Impossible! Phitonus, were you not helping him?! How could you let this happen?"
"I was helping him, you fool!" Phitonus appeared as shaken as he was. This was a serious blow to his Pride, which meant he'd become all but useless now.
"Shut it, both of you." Timaenus looked at them with contempt. "Obviously Aethernus didn't take this seriously. Fractus, why are you not doing anything?"
Fractus's eyes darted to the two deceivers, who were currently strolling across the massive hall as if they didn't have a care in the world.
"I-I am. They just ignore it!"
"Ignore it? You've made the last Exemplar usurpers shit themselves and pass out from fear! How the hell are these two just fine?"
Suddenly, they heard a strange sound. The rag-clothed man was laughing.
It was a laugh that somehow conveyed every bit of the man's contempt and amusement. "You think this little trickle is what true fear is?" The man grinned at them. "I went through worse in kindergarten." Then the man disappeared.
The gods frowned, it felt like they had forgotten something important. But when the muscley woman started sprinting toward them, they had no choice but to ignore the strange feeling. The woman bounded up the steps, her dress fluttering like rustled leaves. She threw a punch toward Phitonus, but Timaenus reached out with his hand and exerted his Prodigy Power.
The woman's punch veered slightly to the right of Phitonus's face. The woman didn't seem to care, throwing her entire weight into the punch and ramming into him. The two fell to the ground. She straddled Phitonus, raising both her fists above her head for a finishing blow.
Timaenus gestured, and she flew through the air and stuck to the back wall. She pulled and struggled, trying to break free, but Fractus knew from experience that Timaenus's Electromagnetism was impossible to escape.
And then for what felt like the fifth time in an hour, Fractus's expectations were shattered. The woman dropped to the floor, landing in a crouch before springing into a run, rushing toward Phitonus. Fractus turned to Timaenus, to ask why the man had let go, but he was shocked once more.
Timaenus had a knife in his eye. As Fractus watched in horror, the man collapsed to the floor, a look of utter bewilderment on his dead face. Standing over Timaenus was the farm-clothed man.
Fractus heard a thud and looked to see Phitonus falling to the ground, the place where his heart should be now a gaping hole, black as night. The woman walked over to stand next to the man, the two sizing Fractus up like a cow to be slaughtered.
"What should we do with this one?" asked the woman.
"Throw him to mortals, let them do as they wish," said the man.
The woman smiled. "That sounds like fun to watch."
Fractus's chest started to hurt.
Fate watched as the Fear user's knees buckled underneath him, his eyes rolling back into his head. Fate and Autumn shared a look, and Fate bent down to check the man's pulse. "Dead," he said.
"How, though? I didn't even touch him."
"I think he had a heart attack."
"Exemplars can get those?"
"Apparently."
"So… I guess we're done?"
"Yeah."
Autumn looked back at the door they came in through. The guards that were there were nowhere to be seen. "Guess they didn't like these guys either."
"Guess so. Alright, let's get out of here. Nikolas is probably done rallying the villagers. With his instigation, they should be more than ready to handle things from here."
As the two walked out of the palace, Autumn gave Fate a weird look.
"What?"
"We never went to kindergarten."
Fate grimaced. "It was the spur of the moment, alright?"