The hivemind is conquering for me?

I stared at Argyra for a moment, her stance unchanging as she waited for my answer. I felt no malicious intent from her little wager.

”Very well. I accept.”

Argyra pulled back and clapped to herself ”Wonderful! Ok, don your armour.”

”What? Why? Are we going to fight?” I asked, she shook her head.

”No, we are going to Pale. In our armour. The winning condition is to put me on my back and vice versa via takedowns. No Psionics or anything either, as I know about your Gyrokinesis.”

”Hmm...” I hummed in contemplation as I put my armour on. I was good at Pankration with Valerica. But that was no-holds-barred. Basically a full on fight. Pale, or wrestling, was a bit different. Technique was more required.

I did have over a foot of height advantage against the Nymph, but she was also a Nymph, I couldn’t be lax. They have been training for thousands of years.

Getting into a crouched ready position, Argyra did the same thing and spoke. ”I will allow you to take the first move... Game host curtesy.” She said in a teasing tone, but it didn’t bother me.

Raising my arm out I was going to try and use my body weight to leverage her downwards. Argyra raised her own arm to respond to me. I took one step forward, making contact with her forearm, grasping it tight.

The next moment, I had a fully armoured Nymph practically crawl up my arm, and wrap around my body. With her on my back, I attempted to grab her, but she yanked my head violently while jumping off me. Losing my footing I landed hard on the floor.

Dazed, I then felt an impact land on my chest, Argyra was kneeling on top of me, her arms pinning my own to the side.

”Well... Shit.” I spoke and Argyra giggled.

”I see you have the foundations down, but only the foundations. This is going to be fun. Ok, the first reward goes to me. I have a question.”

”A question?” I parroted.

”Yes, I can ask you a question, can’t I?”

”Yes, you can. And now you have. Good job.” I said, smirking behind my helmet.

The Nymph atop me proceeded to make a noise that I was a myriad of the feelings she just experienced.

”Grrr” She attempted to sound mad, but I had to admit it sounded kind of adorable. ”Fine, smart thinking. Get up, we are going again.”

I shrugged my shoulders and got up after she removed herself from my midsection. I had learnt something. The Nymph was fast and could climb around my body like a spider monkey.

Using that knowledge, I had to come up with a strategy to pin her down. I looked her up and down as I got into a ready position in front of her. Before I could begin, the Nymph fully sent a charge at me, tackling my midriff with her shoulder. She then grabbed my leg and continued to drive me backwards until I lost my equilibrium and fell.

Once more the Argyra pinned me to the floor, this time pinning my arms either side of me with her legs.

”Alright, smarty-pants. I won again. Now... What to ask you?” She patted her helmet with her finger over her lips and I had to ask.

”What happened to host courtesy?”

”Heh, only for the first round. Be prepared next time and you might not fall over like a little girl. Now then... Hmm~ Oh, I know. Apollo, are you really Nineteen? I mean, you are so strong for a human so young after all.”

I raised my eyebrows slightly. I was about to just say yes, I was, but before I could, Argyra pressed her finger against my helmet this time and informed me, ”Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention. I might have used a little bit of Nymph stuff to make it so I know if you are lying to me. So do not lie or I will get upset.

I frowned and was about to say I was nineteen, but my mouth stopped working. In the back of my mind, something was telling me to add the years before this one. Compelling more like. I frowned and asked.

”What have you done to me?”

”Ah ah ah~ It’s not your turn to ask the questions, it’s mine. So answer Apollo...”

I became slightly concerned. Not only because I knew I was older than my body, but also because I don’t actually know how much older. At least twenty years, but I don’t know the true date twenty two? Twenty eight?

’But that doesn’t count anymore right? I mean, I have been alive in this body for nineteen years, that’s all that... Oh, loophole.’

”I have been alive in this body of mine for nineteen years. Nineteen and a few months to be a bit more precise.”

”...”

Argyra just looked at me for a few moments before getting off me. ”Come on, let’s go again.”

I stood up after her, I just realised this may have been a bad idea. But I think I have fallen into a trap and the Nymph wasn’t going to let me leave just yet.

I got into another ready stance. This time I was ready and I was going to win.

...

”So, what to ask this time?” Argyra gloated, sitting on me sideways, looking towards the far wall.

”Oh! I know. Apollo, what was your first awakened power? As from the looks of it, you have quite a few. Another rarity.

”Telepathy.” I spoke upon compulsion. Argyra turned to me, her surprise evident with her body language. ”Really? Now I did not expect that. Telepaths are incredibly rare amongst humans. I am surprised I didn’t pick up on that.”

I shrugged my shoulders. ”I rarely use it. I find it rude to peer into people’s minds without consent.”

”Have you ever peered into Rhapso or Nerissa’s mind, Apollo?”

”Is that another question, Argyra?”

*Ping*

Argyra flicked my helmet. ”You are a very cheeky human. Let’s go again.”

...

”So, have you ever peered into their minds?” She asked.

”Yes and no. Always consensually. Never without permission and never breaching the Mindspace. The common practice is to reach out with Tendrils of Psionic energy. I can then use my Telepathy to relay or receive information through that.”

”Really? How interesting. And is that safe?”

I gave her that question for free and replied.

”Again yes and no. Technically, I can use that connection to attempt a breach into their Mindspace. A direct channel so to speak. It takes a lot of trust on the opposing person’s part to allow me to do so... But at the same time, you Nymphs can defend yourselves most likely faster than I could attack, not that I would ever do such a thing. You are my allies after all.”

”Hmmm~” Argyra hummed. ”Can I try?”

”After what I just said? Are you sure you want to trust me?”

”Apollo, you are still under the truth effect I have placed.”

”Oh... I forgot.” I said, turning my head to the side slightly embarrassed.

”So, can I? I’ve never felt a telepathic connection before. I am curious to try it.

I sighed. ”So many free questions, Argyra. I think you owe me a few freebies after this for my magnanimity, but alright. The safest way is for you to release a tendril from your Mindspace into the surroundings. It can be clear basic Psionics. I will be able to sense it.”

Argyra did so instantly. Her Psionics were very powerful, very easily traceable. ”Woah, pink, very cute.”

”Can you see the colour of my Psionics?” She asked, as the room was still clear.

I removed my helmet and pointed to my eyes. ”I’m using Psionics to empower my vision. Dangerous, yes I know, but I have been doing it for years.”

I then activated my own Telepathic tendril and Argyra shifted on reflex, feeling the Psionics with her being. ”It’s alright, it’s alright.” I reassured her

” When we touch tips, it is going to feel like you are being poked by a phantom finger on your noggin. Just ignore it and I will enter your tendril and send a mental image. Nice and simple.”

”Hehe, noggin. Good word.” Argyra giggled, her guard dropping just a little bit. However it soon went back up as she felt that phantom touch, she looked at my bare face and I just gave her a nod of reassurance.

I knew the true dangers of telepathy. I knew what I was capable of when I had time to focus my attention on a Mindspace. The Nymphs probably knew as well, Psionic agitations weren’t called brain bursters by these people for nothing after all.

I cleared my mind of all emotions and thoughts and massaged my way into the tendril. Argyra’s Psionics were very well controlled, just like Nerissa’s and Rhapso’s, but because of the unfamiliarity between us, I could sense some trepidation leaking through her mental defences and into the Tendril.

I immediately began to relay a picture of myself and began to animate myself. I began waving and I could see Argyra’s face curl into a smile, proof she could see what I was relaying. I then began to make ’thought me’ do a dance in a circle, silly and goofy, just like the Nymphs like, but as I was doing so, a sudden flash of information, an image, a memory, brushed into the tendril from her side, overwhelming my senses.

I pulled back for both our safety and once confirming both of us were ok, I had to ask Argyra about what I just saw.

”What exactly was that just now?”