Meeting Aggie

3.

"Any exciting plans for spring break?" I asked Apollo as we walked through the courtyard.

In the late days of March, an unusual stillness permeated the campus. The emptiness of the surroundings was an unfamiliar sight, but not entirely unexpected.

It was the last day before the start of spring break. Many students wanted to get a head start, since it was a Thursday afternoon.

"I'll probably just mess around with a few goddesses and catch up with some things."

He shrugged and sat in the grass under a blossoming tree.

"You'll catch a couple things alright." I joked.

Apollo glared at me then laughed it off. His face grew serious as he looked into my eyes. "What do you plan to do about your brother?"

In the last two months, Apollo had diligently undertaken the task of preparing me for the inevitable encounter with my own brother. It was a daunting reality I had to confront, whether I wished to face him or not.

Apollo was trained by his older brother Ares, the war god. Learning from the best undoubtedly elevated one's own abilities to greatness.

Apollo confided in me, revealing that Ares himself would have been willing to train me if given the opportunity. However, it was a risk I couldn't afford to take.

Revealing my presence to multiple individuals only heightened the vulnerability I faced. Apollo managed to earn my trust through his unwavering presence and a distinct difference in demeanor, but it was a trust I couldn't easily extend.

"I don't know, Apollo. Sven is descended from the seraphim through his dad. His whole line consists of first-rank angels."

In the angel hierarchy, there were nine types, with seraphim at the highest and regular angels at the lowest. Seraphim were celestial warriors directly serving God, while rank-and-file angels acted as intermediaries between him and human beings.

Due to their direct service to God, the seraphim were nearly on par with the gods.

"Do you know where your mom's line descended from?"

"My dad didn't give me much of a history lesson when it came to my mother."

As much as my father and I held a strong hatred for my mother, I couldn't help but wish we had discussed her lineage more thoroughly.

In our conversations, there was always an unspoken assumption that her powers were inferior to mine, and that I would be the one with the advantage. But now, facing the reality of my brother's potential strength, doubts began to creep into my mind.

I yearned to believe that I could confidently stand against Sven, that I would be on an equal footing with him. However, deep down, I couldn't shake the nagging uncertainty. Did my mother possess hidden powers that surpassed my own? Was there something she had kept hidden from us that could tip the scales in my favor?

"I'll reach out to Athena and see what I can uncover about her lineage. It shouldn't be too challenging, I believe." Apollo said with a smile, offering his assistance.

I returned the smile, feeling a surge of gratitude for all that Apollo had done for me. His unwavering support and willingness to help meant the world to me.

However, as I glanced down at the ground, a mix of emotions washed over me. I couldn't help but feel a tinge of apprehension about delving into the secrets of her lineage, uncertain of what we might uncover.

"Thank you, Apollo." I murmured, my voice filled with appreciation and a touch of vulnerability.

"Would you like to accompany me to Olympus?" Apollo asked faster than his thoughts allowed him.

I gasped, slapping his arm in disbelief. Instantly, I regretted the compliment I gave him. He was a complete buffoon, and I couldn't believe I took him seriously.

"How could I possibly justify my magic aura to the gods? Changing my appearance is one thing, but concealing my aura is entirely different. Let's not forget, it barely worked with you."

He smirked at me as I raised my eyebrows at him. I crossed my arms, waiting to see what he had in mind. He took a small bottle out of his front jean pocket. It was a potion bottle with a glowing yellow liquid inside.

I looked at him, the bottle, and then back at him again. I gave him a puzzled look. As I leaned over to sniff the bottle, he pulled it away.

"It's a nulling potion. Once you drink it, it hides your aura for twelve hours. Time moves slower on Olympus, so it should be more than enough."

Well, look at that! I knew I wasn't wrong about him! Of course, he had a plan. He was the most intelligent man I had ever encountered, and I was fortunate to call him my friend.

Apollo's eyes slit at me as he shoved the potion back into his pocket and stood. "You're so fake, Aggie! You know I can read minds, right?"

He sped across the courtyard before I could respond. I jogged to catch up with him and grabbed his shoulder.

"Apollo. Come on! I'm sorry. Give me another chance?" I gave him puppy eyes.

His expression instantly switched from angry to playful. The sun god had conned me.

"You couldn't hurt my feelings if you tried, doll face. I'll pick you up at eight tonight. All you need to do is enchant yourself as a nymph. No one ever questions a nymph."

Ah, yes. The nymphs. Apollo made their existence known to me when he gave me a true history lesson about the supernaturals.

Nymphs were light species and nature's deities. They were also "provocative as hell" as Apollo charmingly put it. Zeus was known for hanging around them quite often.

Nymphs were the cousin breed of fairies. The main difference was that nymphs were human-sized while fairies had wings and could shrink themselves.

Was I aware I could shrink myself, or whether I was able to? Absolutely not. Another thing I wished my father would have mentioned to me. That ability could prove useful.

There were five types of nymphs: Olympian nymphs, land nymphs, water nymphs, fire nymphs, and Underworld nymphs. All I had to do was disguise myself as one of them.

I raised my hands and shot a blast of water at Apollo. "I think I'll shapeshift and be a water nymph. Doesn't seem too hard to show off a little water magic."

Apollo wiped the water off his face and looked at me disapprovingly. I waved my hand, and he was all dried up.

"Anyways," he said glancing at his watch, "you have three hours. I think that's more than enough time, no?"

"Works for me."

Apollo nodded at me then teleported away. I was prepared to learn more about myself, and I was willing to do whatever it took.

"Home." I chanted in Greek.

A purple portal appeared before me. I looked around then walked through.