The hivemind is conquering for me?

Sithrik removed herself from my neck and plopped onto the floor in front of the fireplace.

”My queen, I am tired. Might I sleep amidst your flames? Sithrik asked respectfully.

Sol crackled in amusement before manifesting a hand in a beckoning motion.

”You are a being of both Apollo and I’s Psionics. You are the closest thing we can ever get to having a child. I would like nothing more than you to slumber in my smouldering form. Come, rest while I reminisce.

Sithrik, hearing that, began to slither over to the fire, but paused, turning her little head to look up at me. ”Is this ok, Apollo?”

I was still smirking about the whole child thing, Sapphire was the same with the hive, I just hadn’t connected the dots myself till this point. I quickly composed myself and replied,

”Sithrik. You are still your own existence. If you want to do something. Do it. No need to ask my permission... Though yes, you do have it.”

Sithrik stuck out her tongue before turning back around and began to slither atop the logs. Upon contact with Sol’s flames, the fire reacted slightly, turning a slight blue colour before returning to their original red and orange.

Almost instantly, I heard Sithrik’s breathing change, she was out like a light.

I knelt down next to the fire and placed my hand within the flames reach, Sol reacted and began to flicker in my direction.

”Are you going to be alright here?” I asked.

”I will be fine. Although I adore my current state of existence, I think it will be fun to reminisce how I was before your arrival in this universe, my Kindled. And in this special location, even then you will be within my thoughts, encompassing my existence.”

”Sounds good. While you do that, try not to think about all the steamy nights I have tempered my rod in your forges. All those nights my adventurer explored your cave. All the-”

”-Apollo? I hear you speaking, who are you talking to?” I suddenly heard from the hallway. A few moments later, Serena appeared in the doorway holding a small barrel with both of her hands.

Looking back at the fire. Sol’s influence was unrecognisable to anyone but myself. ”Oh, this is where I awakened my fire Psionics. I was just feeling sentimental as it became one of my strongest assets so I was talking to the fireplace.”

Serena did a visible double take hearing that. ”Woah, you mean to tell me that your Pyrokinesis isn’t your first awakened power? That’s incredible.”

I thought she was about to ask me what my first one is, which would be kind of funny having to explain it twice in less than a day, but instead she gestured to the barrel in her hand.

”So, shall we get drunk?”

...

We swiftly made our way back to the lounge, at which point I had to address the elephant in the room.

”So, that barrel is pretty small, no? The ones Valerica gifted me were at least five times that size.”

Serena placed the barrel on the table before sitting down on the couch,

”Oh yes, I heard about that. I got a call from the Hyllus legal team to make sure that we hadn’t been scammed. When I learnt Val did that for you, it left a bad impression, but I already apologised for that... I digress. This stuff is vintage... Possibly illegal. A hundred times more potent than the stuff you have drunk before.”

My eyebrow raised curiously before joining her on the couch.. ”You don’t say? That sounds tempting as after a full barrel of the other stuff, I barely feel even a little bit tipsy.”

”Bullshit!” Serena spouted, not accusingly, but shocked.

”Resistance to poisons thanks to my science. My body handles stuff very well.”

”Does that include drugs?” She asked, inquisitively.

I nodded my head. ”Yeah, pretty much. I’ve only tried Takot with Kathrine back when we first met. It changed my brain chemistry for a bit, but that is all. I doubt I’d try anything stronger though. Substances aren’t really my thing. I drink primarily for the taste.”

”Wow, that’s really cool. The amount of times I’ve been poisoned, I could do with something like that... What’s wrong? Did I say something to upset you?” Serena asked, noticing me frown in annoyance.

”I am fine... I just don’t like hearing about all the assassination stuff about my family. It pisses me off.” I admitted, not wanting to ruin the mood with my own hangups.

”Tut Aww~ You are so precious! Right, quick before I sully the mood further, go fetch a couple of shot glasses so we can drink this liver killer.”

”Shots? Nah, let’s just swig out of the barrel, we are family and both strong enough to lift the barrel.”

”Oh? You want to indirectly kiss me? Apollo, how scandalous.” Serena giggled teasingly before reaching for the barrel. She pulled the cork from the side and held the barrel horizontally and raised it.

”Cheers.”

I watched as she pulled it up to her lips and smirked as her eyes went wide as it reached her lips. Still, she managed to take a swig before putting the barrel back down.

Her face scrunched up as she audibly gulped.

”Phaackin’ Poision. Fuck me Mom! How did you drink this stuff?”

”Selene right? Valerica has told me a little bit about her.”

Serena looked at me and looked like she wanted to reply, but her head was already wobbling.

I had the slightest hunch after that, Serena wasn’t going to be the best conversationalist. If the stuff I had in the past was Psionic beer, this would be more like Psionic whiskey.

Taking the barrel, I popped open the cork and the strong scent hit me instantly. ”Good morning!” I blurted as the scent hit me with an almost physical blow.

”Mornshin.” Serena slurred, just staring at me.

I smirked at her before lifting up the barrel to my lips and taking a sip... It was good.

Really good.

I took another sip.

And another.

And another.

...

’Howsh he doin’ dat?’ Serena could help think wide eyed as she watched the young, built strapping man down gulp after gulp. She watched as his chin kept getting slightly wet as some liquid escaped.

Serena felt herself get hot as she began to bite her nail and gulped audibly once more, this time attempting to gulp back something less tangible.

...

Hailey had left Gabrielle in Olympus temporarily. She had received news a while ago that Sigismund’s warship had entered orbit around the planet. Now at the royal palace she had been looking up at it for a while, patiently waiting as more and more shuttles entered the atmosphere from its hull.

Eventually a large shuttle with multiple escort shuttles appeared in the distance. That was Sigismund’s shuttle. Hailey’s icy façade broke for a minute as she reached into a small clutch in her hands to pull out a mirror.

Usually she hated dresses and all this extra makeup, but Apollo had just gone to war and she wanted to look her best for her man when he landed. She wasn’t sure if he even knew she was here, but she didn’t care. She wanted to surprise her man, the thought of seeing him left her chest pounding. The sun within her was blazing, melting away the ice by the minute.

By the time the Shuttle arrived and the royal guard began to pour out of every nook and cranny to greet the king, she felt her heart in the throat.

”My princess! You look stunning! Beautiful!” She suddenly heard a voice followed by running from her left and she instantly iced back up.

Before the flab sack could get closer to her, she released her aura and without looking at him, commanded. ”Don’t speak. Don’t touch. Go away.”

Hailey then got up and walked towards the ship with the others gathered, leaving the civil King hunched over where he stood, sulking.

As she joined the other nobles in the crowd, She remained standing as the others got to their knees to greet the shuttle doors opening.

Once the doors were fully open, a contingent of Praetorians began to leave the shuttle first. Once they left in orderly fashion a few techno mechanics followed suit.

Once everyone else was out, King Sigismund left the ship and looked around, at his side two Praetorians were accompanying him. She recognised one of them, Nerissa.

Hailey couldn’t contain her lips from smirking slightly. Nerissa equalled Apollo.

However as they began to walk from the ship, Hailey became confused as she peered towards the door and its engagement of its closing mechanism.

’Where was he?’ Her chest tightened. Without thinking, she walked towards Sigismund, interrupting the return ceremony.

”Uncle Sigismund.” She stated politely, but she felt her heart begin to fear and it translated into her tone.

”Hailey? Wow, you look stunning today. Wait, Is everything alright? You look like you are about to shake the flesh off your bones.”

”Where is Ap- I mean, I notice Sentinel Lambdason is not with you? Is he taking another shuttle?”

Sigismund shrugged his shoulders. ”The same question we have been asking. We’ve been looking for him for a while. These two Praetorians take their eyes of him for ten minutes and he vanishes like an apparition. There is no record of him leaving my ship and there is no sign of him aboard.”

Hailey suddenly felt sick, her mind racing about what might have happened to Apollo. However, Nerissa then spoke up.

”Hailey, perhaps we should go speak in private? And allow King Sigismund and King Dickon to discuss what they need to discuss? While we discuss this matter involving Sentinel Apollo?”