The hivemind is conquering for me?

”What was what? I don’t understand what happened?” Argyra asked.

I closed my eyes for a moment. The mental image was fleeting, but I swore I saw myself with the surroundings completely blurred. Like a lingering memory recently resurfaced.

”Are you ok?” Argyra asked and I nodded.

”Yeah, that’s why I use the tendrils. No backlash. From what I gather my imagination dance caused a strong memory of yours to surface, overloading the quite fragile connection.”

”Did you see what it was?” Argyra asked, her voice serious for a moment.

I opened my eyes and looked at her. ”I did... But only for a moment. It wasn’t my memory and the image has basically faded from my mind. I think I saw something specific, but I think your memory mixed up with my thought projection, creating a mixed telepathic event. Whatever I saw, it was not reliable enough to confirm.”

”I see... So, would you like to continue the game?” Argyra asked and I wagged my finger.

”No, no, no. Hold on a second. I just answered a lot of questions for you for free, you owe me one or two as a recompense.”

”Do I? Hmm, strange. I don’t remember adding that to the rules? What a conundrum.... Hmm~ Ok, tell you what. Since I think you are a cutie and you did show me some Telepathy. I will give you one question before I kick your butt again.”

”How generous of you...” I said, sarcastically, prompting the Nymph to laugh. I then became serious for a second and asked,

”So, what is the real reason you wanted to see me?”

The room suddenly became tense. Argyra looked to the entrance of the room, I assume to make sure the barrier was still up before replying.

”Because I wanted to look at you in person, really look. Get a sense of your character. Your mannerisms. I wanted to see if the possibility was true.”

”Possibility of what?” I asked, frowning.

”Thats two questions, I am afraid. If you want more, you need to win.”

My frown resumed, but I did not press the matter. I just took a step back and got into a ready position.

”Ooh~ Your eyes look so serious right now” Argyra spoke, making me remember I took my helmet off. It didn’t matter.

I raised my hand upwards and she raised hers. I slowly approached before striking out and grabbing her arm hard. The Nymph moved in ways that defied the norm, scurrying across my body with superhuman agility.

I once more found her on my back, I could tell from her positioning she was about to do the same manoeuvre as the first takedown. In response, I didn’t reach for her upper body, but her legs that had wrapped tightly around me.

I held them, tightening her grip on me even more. She began to chokehold me, but I was fine. I had her pinned.

I then leaped up into the air swiftly and as we came down, I felt her trying to wriggle free to escape what was about to happen, but I didn’t let it. She landed heavily on the ground with me falling atop her.

Without a second delay, I pivoted my body to face her, grabbed her arms, wrapping them atop her head, pinning them down with my bodyweight. I just looked into her pink eye slits and asked.

”Possibility of what?” I asked, sternly while, unknowingly, my Origin activated the aura it used during the glade event.

...

Argyra felt her body go numb, figuratively. The presence she was feeling... She gulped realising it had been a moment and she was just staring. ”T-The possibility that you might be... A reincarnation of one of the founders...”

She was stunned as the red ringed purple eyes before her continued to glare at her silently while the overwhelming aura crushed her to the floor.

Time ceased meaning, she could have been there for an hour or for a minute, it felt the same, but it was finally broken as Apollo spoke, ”You will tell the rest of your order that I am not what you think I am, do you understand?”

Argyra just nodded her head. The moment she did so, the aura disappeared and Apollo smiled at her before looking concerned.

”Oh crap. I was fully leaning on you. You can breathe alright? Right?”

”I’m... I am fine.”

”Good. Now, can you remove the barrier from the doorway?” He asked.

Argyra just nodded her head and clicked the gem at the centre of her forehead for a couple of seconds.

”Well, this was fun. It was nice meeting you, Argyra. I’ll see you around.” Apollo said before leaving towards the exit.

Argyra, who was still lying on her back, suddenly shot to her knees as Apollo made his way to the door.

”Apollo, wait!” She exclaimed, prompting him to stop and turn to her.

”You said tell the others you aren’t... But are you? A g-”

She stopped as Apollo raised his hand in the air to silence her. It worked. He looked at her for a moment. Their eyes meeting, she felt him piercing through her helmet’s eye slits.

”Sorry, but the game has ended. Better luck next time.”

Argyra found herself kneeling for a while after Apollo left. Her thoughts were sporadic. Her mind raced. She didn’t expect to get any answers today, but she thought perhaps she could just release from her mind a few questions she had about the mystery human.

Now though, after witnessing... That. She had hundreds more. She even thought about just following him around for as long as she could to get answers, but then she realised that is what Nerissa and Rhapso were doing...

And now the two of them were risking their lives, following the Sentinel to Coalition space.

Did they actually know something? Was her teasing of the two sillies actually true? Was Apollo actually-

”Argyra? What are you doing on the floor? Are you alright?” A voice called out to her.

It was Phaon

”Hmm? Oh, yes I am fine. I was just meditating.”

Phaon repeated back what she just said. ”You were meditating?”

”Yes? Why?”

”You said a few thousand years ago that you stopped meditating because it was too close to praying and that it hurt you emotionally. When did you pick it back up?”

Argyra looked at the exit of the room and spoke more to herself than to Phaon. ”Actually, pretty recently... ”

...

Arriving at my room, I entered and what greeted me was a series of uniquely beautiful individuals, who all greeted me as I arrived.

”You smell of female.”

”You smell of water Nymph.”

”You smell of water Nymph.”

”Moo.”

I looked everyone over for a moment before walking to the centre of the room and lying down.

”Sapphire. Blanket. I am sleeping for twenty hours straight. I have a feeling I am going to need my strength for whatever is happening at the royal palace. I remember what happened last time I was there and the torture that was.”

Sapphire did as she was told, like a good chonk, and proceeded to bear all her weight atop me, saving room for just my head. It had been a while since I had a full chonk blanket and it sent me out instantly.

...

Unbeknownst to me and my hatred of having my pictures taken during Queen Elaine’s party, I just made Nerissa and Rhapso feel incredibly guilty with my words.

”He isn’t afraid he is going to get attacked again? Is he?” Nerissa asked, looking at Apollo’s head.

”That was just a mistake. He doesn’t think the order is out for him? Does he?” Rhapso asked, mortified that she might have made her gods mood worse by acting jealous when he walked through the door.

”I’m not sure... We did tell him we had a meeting with our kin about him... He might be suspicious of their intentions?” Nerissa put forward.

”GRRRR~~~” Rhapso growled and began pacing back and forth. ”They are seriously starting to piss me off. Especially that slut Argyra. Why is her scent all over my- Apollo? Do you think she ambushed him somewhere? Tried to get information out of him... I swear if she laid a hand on him I’m going to-”

”Rhapso. Enough.” Nerissa chastised Rhapso for her anger. ”The others are just as curious as we are about our close friends’ situation. His mysterious strength. His unique position. We aren’t helping any either. We know the truth, we know what he is, but we need to remain calm and composed in order to respect his wishes.”

”Mooooo!” Sapphire said, raising her head, exasperated by the two before putting it back down and closing her eyes.

Sithrik then spoke up as the two Nymphs looked at each other, confused.

”Sapphire said, ’If you wake Apollo up with your incessant chattering, she is going to rend you to pieces.’ I advise you to listen to her. Apollo likes the two of you as his concubines after all.”

”Moo.”

”She says ’Well put snake.’... Cheeky feline.”