The hivemind is conquering for me?

”Well? What the fuck was that?” Polymede repeated after no one replied.

”What was what?” Rhapso asked, innocently. Not amusing Polymede.

”What was what? That blast of energy your human friend unleashed against that Warlord is the what In question? That was absurdly powerful, or is it just me?”

Phoebe then spoke in a calm tone, ”Poly, we have seen humans with this power on multiple occasions. What is the big deal?”

”The big deal? Pheebs... Yeah we have seen humans with that kind of power. But well after they turn eighty. Not a child! And I wasn’t just the attack. You all felt that aura? Right? That was a borderline d-”

”-Poly, thats enough.” Nerissa interjected. ”Speculation gets us nowhere. Here is what we know. Apollo was seriously injured, like the time Arges attacked Apollo at the palace. It is the same power. A survival reflex. Nothing more.”

Polymede looked at Nerissa with suspicion. ”Sister. Why does it feel like you are lying? Like you are not letting us know more than you do? Would you really keep something from us? Your family? For some child?”

”All right Polymede, take it down a level will you?” Marnes commented.

”Yeah, Apollo is a good guy. So what if he is strong? That is supposed to be a good thing.” Aeteos followed up.

”You have all lost it. What is so special about that man that you are not even taking my concern into consideration?” Polymede questioned prompting Phoebe to speak authoritatively.

”Not only has Apollo been deemed worthy enough by Nerissa to be given a blessing. The first since the gods were with us. But in return he has given Nerissa a bloom. Something else that hasn’t happened since the gods.”

”Two blooms.” Nerissa added on.

”So yes, we are throwing Apollo some leeway. Not just because his actions have strengthened our order, but because we simply want to. In fact. I will be making it official when we get back. I am declaring Apollo a Nymph friend.”

The vehicle went silent the moment Phoebe said that.

”Have you lost your sanity Phoebe?”

”Careful Polymede, I am your-”

”-No. This circumnavigates rank! No human has ever been a Nymph friend. Ever! Their hearts are too twisted. Too malicious. The ritual requires pure hearted beings.” Polymede then turned around to the others.

”Oh come on. You don’t agree with her? Do you?”

”Yeah, Phoebe. I think that might be a step too far.” Marnes stated.

”Mhm. Apollo is a great guy, don’t get me wrong and I would call him a friend at this point. But a Nymph friend? Phoebe, you won’t get permission to perform that ritual.”

”Thank you! Finally some sanity!” Polymede yelled, but her attention was then drawn away.

”I have lived for a long time. We all have.” Nerissa began. ”I have seen humans, how they act. How they are. Apollo is fundamentally different down to his core. It’s like his soul is different from other humans on more than just a philosophical level. I just feel it in his presence.

I trust Apollo with my life. More than my life actually. We have a connection of the soul. I mean I accidentally ’impregnated’ the man with a woad seed a few months ago. We are that close. ”

”I’m sorry, you did what now?” Polymede asked bewildered, but was ignored.

”Honestly, I had not considered making Apollo a Nymph friend, as truthfully, I liked being the only Nymph Apollo called friend, but if any human was ever deserving. It is him. I just know it. So I agree with Phoebe. Apollo should be recognised as more than an ally. He deserves and has earned the title of Nymph friend. Without question.”

Tension was clearly present amongst the Nymphs now. A philosophical divide was present.

It was at this point Rhapso stood up on the back of the transport and turned around.

”Rhapso? What are your thoughts on what has been said?” Phoebe asked, hoping for another supporter.

Rhapso then sighed and turned back to her kin. ”I don’t have any. I know Apollo and he has done nothing wrong. You shouldn’t be debating this stuff about him behind his back when he was seriously injured whilst in our formation. He saved many lives today with his ’special’ attack. That’s all that should be discussed. Not drama. Not suspicion. I don’t like the divide I am seeing among you all. So if you don’t mind. I am going to sit with Apollo until he wakes.”

Rhapso then jumped off the transport and a few moments later disappeared as she left the protective dome. Leaving some perplexed Praetorians behind.

”Thats the most serious I have ever Seen Rhapso.” Marnes commented.

”I have chills.” Aeteos. Followed up before shaking his shoulders.

”She was right though.” Phoebe said, turning to Polymede. ”Our thoughts on Apollo aside, we are family. We shouldn’t squabble like this. Especially in a warzone. I suggest we drop this topic until after the war.”

There were no further comments on the matter after that, but Nerissa didn’t even notice. Her mind was elsewhere.

’Why would Rhapso not have a thought about Apollo becoming a Nymph friend?’ Only She and Rhapso knew what Apollo really was. Having him get closer to the Nymphs across the board would only benefit him in the future.

Was it something Apollo said to Rhapso at some point? She had been acting a little bit quieter recently. Perhaps she knew something new about Apollo that she didn’t?

Nerissa began to feel a deep urge in the pits of her being. She wanted to know. Her intrigue was too much. But she stayed put. She didn’t want to bother Apollo further, he needed his rest.

And she couldn’t ask Rhapso out right, it would come across as jelly.

And she was not jelly...

...

Rhapso found Apollo and Sithrik in no time and joined them on the truck. She didn’t say a word, just a smile at Sithrik’s new form. She liked it. Apollo had created life from death. Now, to her, Sithrik was a beautiful being.

She was proof her god could do anything. He just needed time.

She thought back to the battle as she looked at Apollo’s injured body. She expected to feel fear. Trepidation. Panic when seeing Apollo in such dire straits, but she didn’t; she felt calm.

Not because she enjoyed seeing Apollo like this. She really did not, it angered her now after the fact, but during the battle... It was like she knew Apollo would be fine. That nothing could happen to him. Like the battle had been foreseen. That it was known he would not die, no matter how grievous his injury.

Looking at him now, she just wanted to stroke his hair like Sithrik was doing. She wanted to care for him. Pamper him. He deserved it. He deserved everything and more. But she couldn’t.

Because she had to show restraint.

So that is exactly what she did. Without fuss. In fact, she enjoyed just sitting here. Watching. Not because she found the action satisfying, though she did, but because she was following Apollo’s will. His wants. Even when he wasn’t aware she was doing them. And that filled her heart with an abundance of love.

She finally had the feelings the other Nymphs got to have all those thousands of years ago. The desire to serve. It felt so good. She was lucky. So lucky. She was going to be able to do this until the end of time!

...

Sithrik looked over at Rhapso curiously. Thanks to Apollo’s power remoulding her. She knew some things she didn’t previously. Unlike Sapphire, she wasn’t connected to his Mindspace, unfortunately as she still had her own soul, but she was without doubt loyal.

She didn’t know fully why Rhapso had become obsessively loyal to Apollo, but as Apollo’s head concubine, she could see the good thing that it was. Rhapso was powerful. Apollo needed all the power he needed so he could become the true king of this human empire.

She was proof of Apollo’s already unquestionable greatness. He brought her back to life. He defied the cycle of life. For her.

Sithrik suddenly felt her new body parts squirm in excitement. She needed to compose herself. Such thoughts and conversations could be had at a later point.

For now she focused her attention back on Apollo. And began to use her appendages once more, concentrating intensely. It still felt utterly bizarre. These wobbly things that jutted out of her body.

It was not second nature for her to use them, even with the know how. She still felt the desire to use her head to touch him, to feel him. The urge to hold him tight with her long body coiled around him.

And while she could still do that. She had to master her arms. Her hands. She was aware of their advantages after all. For example, She had a perfect vantage point to watch Apollo whilst touching him. She could see her hands moving through his hair and she loved the way it felt between her fingers.

She also had to increase her dexterity so she could please Apollo in other ways when the time came, but knowing Apollo doesn’t like those types of thoughts while he was asleep, she stopped those thoughts for now...

Only until he wakes back up.