Chapter 30: The Twelve Olympian Gods (4)
Apollo’s talents included prophecy, exceptional archery, and mastery of the arts, but his most striking resemblance to Zeus was his insatiable fondness for women.
“Sigh… Let’s start looking. It’s probably just someone’s prank,” Apollo said.
Despite searching high and low, the siblings found no trace of the thief. In the end, they turned to Apollo’s prophetic abilities.
His vision revealed that a young child from a cave had stolen the cattle.
“That cheeky little brat!”
When they arrived at the cave, Apollo and Artemis were stunned to find Hera’s magic sealing its entrance.
“Hmm…”
“Could this kid be our brother?” Artemis wondered.
“This is driving me crazy,” Apollo groaned.
As the siblings hesitated outside, Hermes, awakened by the commotion, poked his head out.
The first thing he saw was Apollo’s golden hair, followed by Artemis’ silvery-black locks.
“Hey, what are my big brother and sister doing in a place like this?”
Hermes greeted them casually, as if meeting long-lost family.
“You little punk, you’ve put me in a real mess!” Apollo snapped.
“Huh? I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you can’t treat me like this! I’m a devotee of Lord Poseidon and Lady Hera!”
“What?”
Apollo was dumbfounded by Hermes’ claim.
How could this obvious son of Zeus claim to follow those two?
“You brazen kid. Lies roll off your tongue so easily.”
“I’m not lying! I’m just a kid—let me go!”
Apollo let out a hollow laugh at Hermes’ audacity, while Artemis found herself somewhat charmed.
As a hunter, she believed a good hunter should also excel at deception.
***
Apollo and Artemis eventually gave up.
No matter how much they scolded or cajoled, Hermes played innocent with infuriating cunning.
Left with no choice, the siblings dragged him to Olympus.
“Hey, where are you taking a kid like me? Do you think Lady Hera will forgive this? Ugh, adults bullying a child!”
Hermes chattered nonstop on the way to Olympus.
“He’s ridiculously loud,” Apollo muttered.
“Come on, he’s kind of cute,” Artemis said.
“Yeah, right.”
When they reached Olympus, Zeus, seated on his throne, recognized Hermes instantly.
Though he couldn’t acknowledge him openly…
“Why have you brought this child here?” Zeus asked.
Apollo recounted the incident and requested judgment.
“Hmm… This is the child who offered me a sacrifice,” Hera remarked, studying Hermes.
Everyone was stunned.
“He’s really a devotee of Lady Hera?” Apollo asked.
“No, not quite. This impudent child declared himself a god,” Hera clarified.
For context, Maia was a nymph, not a goddess.
Ahem.
Unfazed by Hera’s cold tone, Hermes approached and kissed the back of her hand.
“My respects to the beautiful goddess.”
Hahaha!
Despite her usual stern demeanor, Hera couldn’t suppress a laugh at Hermes’ brazen charm.
He had won over the turtle she’d set to watch him, crafted a new instrument to sing her praises, and…
“You offered sacrifices to Poseidon and me with Poseidon’s cattle, and even dedicated one to yourself, yet you claim to respect me?”
Hermes was a wild, reckless child, but his consistent reverence for her was undeniable.
As a result, Hera found herself not entirely displeased.
Of course, he was Zeus’ illegitimate child, and her decree made accepting him tricky. But he was also the son of a mere nymph with little power, and his first act upon birth had been to honor her.
Zeus, meanwhile, felt immense relief at Hera’s demeanor.
Already treading carefully after the Leto affair, he was grateful she didn’t seem to view Hermes harshly.
“Zeus, this child stole Poseidon’s cattle. He must face punishment,” Hera said.
“Well… that’s true,”
Zeus admitted reluctantly, acknowledging Hermes’ reckless act.
“If Poseidon disciplines him, I’ll forgive both the child and that nymph.”
“Really?”
“I don’t speak idly.”
Zeus was astonished by Hera’s sudden decision.
‘What prompted this?’
Hera had her own calculations.
Having observed Hermes since he dedicated that beautiful song to her, she recognized his cunning could be useful by her side.
Maia, though a daughter of Atlas, was merely a nymph with no significant divine power and hadn’t insulted Hera.
Leaving Olympus, Hermes and the siblings let out sighs of relief.
“Lady Hera is terrifying,” Hermes said.
“She really is,” Apollo agreed.
“Yeah, when she’s angry, you can barely breathe. But you’re something else, kissing her hand like that,” Artemis added.
“It’s only natural to honor a beautiful goddess,” Hermes replied cheekily.
“You brazen kid,” Apollo muttered.
Apollo was genuinely astonished by Hermes’ boldness before Hera.
Most who faced her for the first time could hardly lift their heads.
“So, what’s Lord Poseidon like?” Hermes asked.
“Well…” Apollo hesitated.
“He’s boisterous and fun,” Artemis said.
“But also scary,” Apollo added.
Their opinions of Poseidon diverged sharply.
Apollo still remembered the punishment from his childhood, while Artemis, who had received several gifts from Poseidon, viewed him more favorably.
The trio arrived at a beach with emerald waters and a sandy shore.
Apollo stood at the center, and Artemis fitted Hermes with wax earplugs.
Apollo then drew a golden conch shell, took a deep breath, and blew into it.
Woooooo!
The sand on the beach scattered, and the sea churned with tremors.
Moments later, enormous seahorses surged from the waves.
“Wow!”
Hermes, witnessing the spectacle for the first time, couldn’t contain his awe.
Artemis smiled warmly at his sparkling eyes.
“This is the fastest way to reach Lord Poseidon. Other routes are a hassle—other sea gods might block the way.”
***
Riding the seahorse “bus,” they marveled at the stunning underwater scenery until they reached Poseidon’s palace.
“Alright, let’s get off,” Apollo said.
Unlike Olympus, Poseidon’s palace had no gods or creatures guarding its entrance.
“No one’s here?” Hermes asked.
“Yeah. Those arriving on seahorses are considered guests, so they’re not stopped. You should try sneaking in sometime—it’d be fun to see everything,” Apollo teased.
As they entered the palace, Hermes first spotted Cybele and Athena, who seemed to be goddesses around Artemis’ age.
“Are those Lord Poseidon’s daughters?” Hermes asked.
“No, they’re more like our sisters,” Artemis clarified.
Cybele and Athena, engrossed in conversation, noticed the newcomers and greeted them warmly.
“Oh, it’s been a while!” Cybele said.
“Isn’t this the first time since you got in trouble and Lady Leto came to apologize?” Athena added.
“Ugh, don’t bring that up,” Apollo groaned.
The sisters welcomed the siblings and turned to Hermes with curiosity.
“Hmm… So you’re the kid who stole Father Poseidon’s cattle and offered them as sacrifices,” Cybele said.
“Well, you’ve got to have that kind of spunk when you’re young,” Athena added.
“Like when you sat on his throne?” Cybele teased.
“Sis!” Athena protested.
Hermes was bewildered as the sisters began bickering, but Apollo and Artemis, used to their antics, moved on.
They reached a massive throne, unadorned compared to Olympus’ grandeur, where Poseidon sat.
“We greet the Lord of the Sea,” Apollo and Artemis said in unison.
“No need for formalities. Your mother, Leto, and Amphitrite are close, so we’re practically family,”
Poseidon replied casually, then turned his gaze to Hermes.
“So, this little rascal is the one who stole my cattle and offered them as sacrifices?”
Unlike the confidence he’d felt in Olympus, Hermes’ palms grew sweaty with nerves.
Olympus felt like home, a place where he’d soon claim a seat.
But here, surrounded by unfamiliar surroundings, he felt like a lone intruder in hostile territory.
He could sense the unsubtle stares of nymphs and sea spirits watching him from every corner of the palace.
“Y-Yes, Lord Poseidon. I’m sorry!”
Hermes bowed his head deeply, offering no excuses.
His mature response earned slight nods of approval from Apollo and Artemis.
Though cunning and skilled in trickery and deception, Hermes could be serious when needed, proving himself a god-in-the-making.
Poseidon, observing him, said nothing further.
“Fine. If you repent, that’s enough. Apollo, take responsibility for turning this kid into a shepherd. Hermes, if you serve Apollo well in this task, I’ll forgive your crime.”
“Yes, sir!”
With that, Poseidon waved them off, indicating he had no further business.
Rumble.
The group sighed in relief as they left without punishment.
“That went well. He didn’t say much, so it ended quickly,” Apollo said.
“Maybe he took a liking to Hermes?” Artemis wondered.
Unlike the nonchalant siblings, Hermes struggled to calm his racing heart.
In Olympus, Zeus’ presence had shielded him from feeling overwhelmed, but in Poseidon’s palace, he felt the raw power of one of the three chief gods for the first time.
Apollo nudged him.
“Hey, you did well acting mature for a kid. If you’d cried, he probably wouldn’t have cared.”
“Like you did?” Artemis teased.
“Hey!” Apollo snapped.
After this incident, Hermes became a shepherd for Poseidon’s cattle, growing closer to him and forging a lasting bond.
Hermes quickly learned that Poseidon was lenient with those he liked, a trait he cleverly exploited.
Notably, at Apollo’s request, he helped secure permission for their mother, Leto, and his own mother, Maia, to enter Olympus.
“Look, Lord Poseidon, I composed a song praising you with a new instrument!”
♪ ♩♬
Hermes performed alongside Apollo, playing the lyre he’d crafted and a reed flute made during his shepherd duties.
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
Poseidon, aware of Hermes’ scheming, chuckled at the audacious child.
“So, what’s the favor? You even dragged Apollo into this performance.”
“I want my mother, Maia, and Lady Leto to be allowed into Olympus.”
Poseidon smiled, as if he’d expected this.
“That’s a steep price for a song praising me.”
“But it’s my second performance as a young god, so it’s worth more than most. Plus, would Apollo, the god of the arts, perform for just anyone?”
Poseidon feigned contemplation before responding.
“Alright. If you share a clever prank to rile up Hera, I’ll talk to her and Zeus.”
The prank Hermes suggested later turned Olympus upside down, but it worked.
With Hera’s approval and Zeus’ favor, Hermes became the messenger god of Olympus, bridging the sea, earth, and sky as the god of thieves, travelers, tricksters, and messengers.
Moreover, by successfully fulfilling Apollo’s request, Leto gained access to Olympus.
In gratitude, Apollo and Artemis introduced Hermes to the prophetic nymphs, the Thriae sisters, who had been their nursemaids.
They also gifted him a golden staff entwined with snakes and wings, granting him limited powers of prophecy and healing.
***
Back to the present.
“So, why are you here, Hermes?” Poseidon asked.
“Hehe, maybe I just came to hang out?”
“As if. You’re too busy pulling pranks across the world.”
“Haha, fair enough. Actually, Zeus sent me here for you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, it sounded serious.”
Poseidon pondered what Zeus could want.
With Zeus keeping his philandering in check lately, the world was calm, so there was no obvious reason for the summons.
“Alright. Tell Zeus I’ll head up soon.”
“Got it. I’ll pass it along. See ya!”
As Hermes ascended to the heavens, Poseidon prepared to visit Olympus for the first time in a while.