An Audience

“The life life line of this mortal has been curated since before his birth,” Destiny was sitting in the chair that had been occupied by the human, Tim. The scent of his future still surrounded it, “if you could have only tasted the misery that I had imbued into his fate, you would have stopped this childish game.”

“You should listen to yourself sometime, Destiny,” her sister, Justice said, “you really come off as a real bitch.”

It was bait. She knew it was. Of course she was not without power. If she desired, she could bring her wrath to bear on Justice. It was a fight she was not sure she would win, but it was better than living under her sister’s thumb.

But her wrath was withheld. An institution of learning is a source of delight for one such as her. Mortals, come to marinate it hope and despair, rich, succulent meals that made her mouth water. A battle with her sister in this place would ruin so many feasts, the taste of each fate spoiled.

Still, she smiled. The mortal was looking at her, not with fear, or with the deference that he should hold. He had been saved thrice by her sister, and now thought himself safe. Fool.

His taste was already spoiled. To return him to the delightful flavour she had been enjoying before Justice’s intervention would be far too costly a task. No, the only thing left for him was to cull. So few of his futures remained where she had lain them. Scholastic failure, economic ruin, were among those that remained, but it was the loneliness that was the centrepiece of the banquet. With that gone, he was but a snack.

The three sisters, Destiny, Luck, and Justice, had for so long created together. Much of the world was forged by their cooperation. Justice, though, had did not see the mortals the way her sisters did. She had a disgusting, perverse idea that mortals had meaning, that they should be protected. It was, of course, a repugnant concept. Luck and Destiny mocked her without mercy, causing Justice to leave the trio, to explore creation alone.

And then she began to interfere.

It had never been someone like Tim Thompson before. Always small things. A change to a commuter’s fortune to allow her to find a better parking spot. An adjustment to an old man’s fate giving him a few more months before he expired, allowing him to reconnect with family.

But this mortal, Tim Thompson, was special. Luck and Destiny had worked to create a delicacy in him, a perfect mixture of misfortune and ill fate.

And she had stolen him.

Worse than that. She had ruined him.

“I care not for your assessment of my tone,” Destiny said, dismissing the harsh words of her estranged sibling, “only that your interference has ruined this mortal’s fate, which is mine and mine alone to lay.”

“If you want to lay him, Destiny, you should have said so,” Justice said, guffawing, “but I don’t think you’re his type.”

“How dare you?! You disgusting ingrate! You will…” Destiny paused and composed herself, “You wish to continue destroying our hard work, and so I have requested an audience.”

“What?” Justice seemed taken aback. Good.

“Father is expecting us,” Destiny said, feeling smug, “come along.”

She snapped her fingers and the world went black.