The hunters broke camp just as quickly as they had set it up. Bianca was holding a silver bow, talking to little Nico. She had joined the hunters, clearly. Nico looked all gloomy. Alexander felt pity for him and so, he walked over. The boys eyes were starting to tear up, "hey Nico"
"Y-yes?" His voice cracked as he looked at him, as if pleading for him to change her mind about the oath she had just took.
"Have you ever wanted to fly, not in a plane but like a bird?"
"O- of course, who hasn't?" Nico nodded, not quite getting what he was playing at.
"How about I take you on a little cruise in the sky?"
"Really?", his sad expression was replaced with one of excitement.
"Really", he extended his hand, which the young boy grabbed and he spoke, "anemo!"
White wings sprouted from his back and they soared into the sky, wind rushing over their faces, "Yahoooo!" Nico spread his arms like a bird as Alexander grabbed him by the waist. His anxiety over his sister's decision was forgotten. Up there, they were facing away from the sunrise. When he felt Apollo's presence, he took it in for a few moments, warm and inviting, much unlike his sister's cold and mysterious aura, before he turned around. There stood a Maserati Spyder all in red, glowing from the heat it radiated. Even up there, Alexander could feel the subtle increase in temperature around that car. The boy driving it wasn't much older than them, maybe 17, with sandy blonde hair and a bright smile, above his head was [Apollo].
As Alexander flew back down, he could hear something which made him freeze up. Thalia, his girlfriend spoke, rather loudly, "wow, Apollo is hot"
"He is the sun god", Percy clearly didn't get the true meaning of her words, the dense idiot.
Apollo smiled at Thalia with a predatory look on his face, as if he was already imagining her draped over his sofa with nothing on. Before the god could open his mouth, Alexander's anger flared up in a dangerous wave of coldness. It was winter, his power was at his strongest. The red car hissed as it rapidly cooled down. Nico shivered as Alexander sat him down.
"Don't even think about it" he glared at the sun god, his wings beating, producing could gusts of wind, "she is mine"
Apollo's face fell, "can't we share? From one god to another?"
That comment threw him a loop, "a god? I- what?"
Had Apollo just confused him for a deity?
"Yeah, aren't you? Your aura is way beyond something a mortal hero should have, it reminds me of Herakles back in the day before he ascended. Are you telling me you are just a hero? I thought you were some minor winter god", Apollo looked just as confused as he felt.
Alexander looked to the others, most of which were nodding, even Thalia, "you do radiate that kind of pressure. Not at first, you always had a powerful aura but after you went to the sea of monsters, it was as if you had been somehow… more"
Alexander's mind was racing. After the sea of monsters? His mind was trying to connect the dots. Killing the cyclops? No that didn't make any sense. Getting rescued by Hades? That couldn't be it either so what else-?
"Circe", he whispered. He had drunken her ichor back when he rescued her staff from the pirates. He knew the ichor made him stronger but was it actually changing him in more ways than one? He had drunken Ares' ichor too… Alexander looked at Percy, "Percy, did my aura also change after your battle with the war god?"
"Now that you say it- yeah… it is subtle but you radiated more… authority, I guess? Why? Do you know why it happened?"
"I- no… yes? I'm not sure, some things are making sense now but others still seem nonsensical. I'll need more time to think about this" was he growing closer to divinity by consuming the ichor of the gods? It didn't make sense. If achieving godhood was that easy(easy being a relative word considering injuring a god or goddess was no small feat), someone in history would surely have done it before, right? Was this something unique to him?
"Anyway, little sister, what's up? you call ever so rarely. I was getting worried"
"I'm fine Apollo and I'm not your little sister. We are twins! How many millennia do we have to argue-"
"So, what's up? Got the girls with you, I see. You all need some tips on archery?"
"I need a favor. I have some hunting to do, alone. I need you to take my companions to camp half blood"
"Sure thing sis! I think I have a haiku coming!"
The hunters groaned.
"Green grass breaks through Snow
Artemis pleads for my help
I am so cool"
"That… isn't the last sentence only four syllables?" Asked Alex.
"Is it? Haikus are hard…"
"Zoe turned to the demigods and satyr present, " Lord Apollo has been going through this haiku phase ever since he visited Japan. 'Tis not as bad as the last time he visited limerick. If I'd have to listen to one more poem starting with there once was a goddess from Sparta…"
"I've got it! I am so awesome! That's five syllables!", Apollo looked way too proud of himself for that one, "and sis, transportation for the hunters? Can do-"
"These half bloods will also need a ride, Chiron's campers"
"No Problem! Thalia Right? I've heard so much about you"
"Fingers of my Girl", Alexander glared.
Apollo threw his hands into the air, "no worry, I can respect that"
Alexander was still suspicious. Looking at the Greek myths he knew, he found that really unlikely.
"You are so hot when you fight for me", Thalia purred into his ear, her voice low so that only he could hear her. It sent a shiver down his spine.