The hivemind is conquering for me?

We caught up with the other Praetorians pretty quickly. From then on for the next day whenever we encountered Drakoshi, the fighting was quick and brutal.

I had a chance to talk with some of the other Praetorians as well during the downtime between travel. Some didn’t really like speaking to me. They seemed awkward, unsure. I supposed it made sense. Their true identity was supposed to be a secret, yet some young random human knew. Against most of their consent.

Others were a bit more friendly. Like the one who was shooting rainbows. It was a male Nymph called Kostas. Sadly, it turned out not to be rainbows, but refracted light. Which were still of course rainbows, but the whimsy of the power was lost afterwards.

Still, all in all. I like the Praetorians. There wasn’t much to dislike. They were just people. Really old people.

As more time passed over the day and less and less ground was in Drakoshi control, other smaller squads of Praetorians began to join Thespius’ Their respective tasks complete. One such squad was one I knew quite well.

Phoebe’s kill team.

”Well, well well. If it isn’t the Warlord killer!” Marnes said.

”I’m glad to see you up, Apollo. I’m more surprised to see you in combat gear.” Aeteos followed.

The duo had flanked my sides, patting me on the back. I removed my helmet and looked at both of them on each side before replying. ”Come on, don’t give me all the credit. I’ve been told the crater has been visited and documented. It was more the boom than me.”

”So modest, Apollo. So modest. You forget something.” Marnes stated.

”We also fought that Warlord. And we have fought other Warlords before that. That one was a powerful one. Very powerful. Explosion or not. You killing that thing deserves our praise. Right?” Aeteos said, turning to the others of the squad.

Phoebe simply nodded her head while Polymede paused for a moment before speaking, ”I will admit. I thought you would be dead by now, human. It is commendable that you are not.”

”Thanks I guess?”

I then shrugged my shoulders, not every Praetorian had to like me, like not every human did. It was normal.

As we continued along, I was walking alongside Ness who was still slowly riding the bike. The slip about Kronus had me thinking about things. Those thoughts had me staring a bit ahead, directly at Phoebe.

What existed and what didn’t? I had begun to find out a lot more about Spartari lore. Most of the gods were what I considered ’Olympians.’ But then there was Phoebe. She said her god was Nyx.

From my memory she was a ’Primordial.’ Around before the ’Titans’ even. But then Thanatos was apparently one of the living gods back then and he was supposed to be spawn of her as well.

”You know, if you stare any longer, I might just have to blush.” A voice called out to me. During my thoughts, Phoebe had eased up her pace and was now walking alongside me.

”Oh, sorry.” I admitted, I had been staring after all.

”What is the matter? Were those two not enough for you and now you are hungry for me also?”

I let out a chuckle at her joke. ”No, we didn’t do anything. In fact, you mortified Nerissa when you said that.”

”Did I? I assumed that after the two of them fixed your little problem at the glade, you had continued those activities. Am I mistaken? The three of you had grown so close after all, I could only assume.”

”P-Phoebe. We are in hearing range.” Nerissa said from the bike while Rhapso remained silent on the back seat.

”I know. I am speaking in a normal tone. I’m not trying to hide anything from you, sister.” Phoebe replied.

”No, nothing like that. Just a few kisses here and there. Nothing more, I promise.” I admitted and that led to Phoebe walking in silence for a few moments.

”Ok then.” She said after a couple of minutes. ”So why were you staring at me? The back of my helmet isn’t that interesting.”

It was my turn to go silent for a moment. I was debating whether to fish for information or not. I just didn’t want to bait myself with risky questions and draw suspicion. In the end I decided to go for it, but stay in the shallows and not cast too deep.

”Actually, I was thinking about what you told me when we first met. About your Goddess, Nyx.”

Phoebe had been looking ahead the entire conversation so far until now. She swiftly turned to look up at me.

”Really? Why? Don’t get me wrong, I am glad you are thinking about the lady of night, but for what purpose?”

Nerissa also perked up hearing this. Perhaps Apollo was going to be asking questions that tied into his ’special past.’

”Oh, nothing too interesting. I was just thinking. I’ve met Artemis, I know about the better Apollo-”

’I’ve also met Ares’ soul fragment and Thanatos, but I will not be disclosing that in this conversation.’

”-So I was curious to know a bit more about Nyx since we are friends. It would like getting to know your mother.”

Phoebe turned her head away from me as I said that and muttered. ”I wouldn’t dare proclaim her such a coveted title.” She then swiftly turned back to me. ”Very well. What do you want to know?”

”Well, I was talking to Thespius earlier. I learned a bit about Zeus, the first king. From what I understand, Nyx is older than him, right? Like generations older than him?”

”My Goddess was one of the first gods, correct. But I wasn’t there for all of it, Apollo. I don’t know all that happened before my time. Stories of who was related to whom. Who was older and younger than whom got muddled up. Especially when it comes to the gods. Some were powerful enough to bend time and change events. So I cannot answer your question with certainty. Though might I ask a question? Why such a specific question? I thought you would ask about her divinity or what she looked like. What it felt like to be in her presence. Not her age.

”...”

I paused and pulled out my ultimate defence.

”I don’t know? Nerissa has often told me I am weird when it comes to things I do and don’t know. I suppose I wanted to ask such a weird question because I am a little weird?”

Phoebe took a glance at Nerissa then back at me. ”I can believe that. You certainly are a unique human, Apollo. I take no offence to your question if you thought I might have. I was just curious about your curiosity.”

After that silence took over for a few minutes before Rhapso spoke up. ”I don’t think you are weird Apollo. I like you for who you are.”

Nerissa then stepped on the brakes and turned her body slightly to view Rhapso. ”I never said I didn’t like him! I L- learnt that I very much enjoyed how he knows so much about certain topics, yet nothing about other common knowledge topics. Apollo, you know this? Right?”

I turned to Nerissa, my eyes narrowed and I grinned wickedly. ”Do I? I swore you said you wish you were following around a normal person. I remember you saying behind my back. ’This weirdo. Honestly, why am I bothering?’ I was so hurt, I’m pretty sure I cried myself to sleep that night.” I joked, but Judging by Nerissa’s body language and the fact she jumped off the bike and grabbed me by the shoulders, she didn’t get that.

”Apollo, I never said that. I promise you. Your friendship is more valuable to me than anything. I would never say such nasty things behind your back because it is impossible for me to think them! You know I wouldn’t say that, why would you not know why... Why... Oh.”

Nerissa finally caught onto my grin and realised she had been pranked. Not only that, but her outburst had caused a few of the nearby Nymphs to stop in their tracks as they observed the kerfuffle.

”Intriguing.”

”Riveting”

”Most curious.”

”Fascinating.”

”How delectable!”

”So tantalising.”

”Sorry...” I whispered to her, feeling her embarrassment.

Nerissa then cleared her throat. ”It is fine. I missed the joke. That is on me. Nothing to apologise for. I am going to get on the bike again now. Rhapso, can you get off for a second? I need to retrieve something from under your seat.”

Rhapso did as she was asked and got off the bike. Nerissa then got onto the bike again and instead of checking the backseat, she just drove off.

I had embarrassed her in front of her family and she couldn’t handle it. I felt like an ass. Rhapso then proceeded to walk up to me and pat me on the back, reading my emotions clear as day.

”Oh, don’t worry, she isn’t mad. You said it yourself, Apollo. Nessy-Bear is shy around us. What was the term? A Shrinking violet? Don’t fret, she will be fine by the time we catch up to her.”