Apollo’s temple was welcome to all. All travelers who wished to rest. All students who needed to study. All conflicted persons who needed guidance.

The god of the sun. The god of education and medicine. The god of music & poetry.

Apollo didn’t often host his temples so late. But tonight, he was drinking with some of his enthusiastic worshipers. What started as a study of alcohol, had become more hands-on.

Cheers and applause filled the halls. Apollo easily downed another drink. His student, meanwhile, was struggling to walk.

“Easy, my dear,” Apollo joked. He aided the young man to a chair. “You have such a beautiful face. It’d be a shame if you damaged it.”

The man turned red in the face. After all, a god flirting would do that to anyone. Anyone except for Athena.

The only person in the room not swooned by Apollo’s elegant gestures and flattering words. One reason could be, as the goddess of wisdom, she had her nose in a book about grapes. Another reason being, Apollo was her half-brother.

Athena’s little brother kissing a mortal woman’s neck to show how alcohol increased libido didn’t impress her. Seeing him feed a grape to a flustered man under the guise of educating him about grapes made her eyes roll. By the time he had created more wine for them to drink by snapping his fingers and not showing the steps, Athena was done.

She closed her book. She got right up. And she had one question for Apollo.

“Why did you invite me if you were just going to play idol?”

“You heard Father,” Apollo said. Drink in one hand. A curvy brunette in the other. “We need to find common ground so there’s less bickering.”

The twink resting his drunken head on Apollo’s lap was all the argument Athena needed.

“I’m not wasting my time watching you take advantage of a bunch of drunken mortals.”

“They are not drunk!” Apollo complained.

A girl tripped and fell over a table two seconds after he said that. Her feet dangled in the air. She looked like she was still trying to walk with half her body on the floor.

“I can still teach them stuff.”

Athena tapped the cheek of the young man on Apollo’s lap, “Wake up, mortal.” She held up her hand, “How many fingers am I holding up?”

The answer was 4. His answer was to keep staring. Then go back to sleep. Snuggling against his teacher’s thigh.

Athena spun around, “I'm leaving. See you on Olympus. If you come up again.”

Apollo didn’t care much. Yes, he’d hear about this later. But that was later. Right now, he was sharing a glass of…whatever it was.

It was delicious. And so was the girl.

Just outside the room came a young boy. Far too young to drink. Far too young to see what the adults were doing while drunk.

“Woah there!” Athena managed to cover the child’s eyes in time. “Lets, uh, not go in there.”

The boy was a redhead. A little younger than Hermes at 10.

“Why is there a branch in your hair?” Athena asked while plucking it out.

“My family,” he breathed heavily. Still exhausted from his run. “Our cattle are sick. We’re Farmers. They’re too weak to pull wagons.” He showed the bag containing milk bottles. Desperation rising in his voice, “I have offerings!”

Athena still had his eyes covered. She led the boy to the hall. Back facing the room.

“Wait here. And don’t turn around.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said.

“It’s goddess,” Athena corrected. Rustling his hair before leaving.

The boy wasn’t able to see Athena’s platinum silver hair draped on her shoulders. Her matching goddess platinum eyes. Or her athletic build. He just felt a large hand and knew whoever she was, she was a tall woman.

He stood still. He could hear the party start to cool down. Fewer voices talked as the two stood out. One was Athena’s matured confidence. The other was a more carefree pitch being dulled by a lack of motivation.

Not long after some party people groaned, the man of the hour entered the hall. Apollo’s curly sun-orange hair and eyes lit up the hall better than the torches could. His long steps echoed into the night. He wasn’t as strong as Athena. Not by a long shot. But his physique was that of a trained warrior.

The wine glass in hand evaporated in a flash of fire when he finished. The book under his arm looked to be about medicine. The two things the boy paid no attention to.

“You came for a cow?” Apollo asked.

The boy nodded. Starstruck, he didn’t move. Or say anything. What was he supposed to say? This was the first time he’d seen a god. Not just a god, but an Olympian.

Quickly, he remembered his offerings. Dropping to his dirty knees, bowing his head, and presenting the bag.

“Sun God Apollo; Master of Medicine. I offer these fresh milk glasses as, woah!”

Apollo plucked him off the ground. The god carried the child with one hand outstretched. Like a cat owner moving their kitten off the furniture.

“I don’t want milk from some sick animals,” Apollo said.

“This milk is actually from our goats.”

Slightly annoyed, “Your goats are in the early stages. I’m a god. Don’t ever try to correct me again.”

“Yes, Lord Apollo.”

As Athena turned the party back into a study session, Apollo continued to carry the child down the temple stairs. They went around the east side past the fountain. Down past the garden area. Then, they approached the ranch.

Of all the temple grounds, the ranch was the largest. Naturally, the cows needed enough space to be at their best. And they were the best.

“Lord Apollo?” The boy asked, “I heard your cattle are twice as big as normal cattle. And that they were red.”

“You heard correct.” Apollo bragged, “I taught these ranchers the best formulas and techniques. Just one of these cows can do the work of 10. They breed enough of your inferior cattle and you’ll have offspring immune to any disease.”

“That’s amazing!” He said. “Where are they?”

Apollo scoffed, “You mortals sure are dumb when you’re young. They’re right here.”

In front of Apollo was a sleeping guard. Behind the sleeping guard was the large enclosed pasture where the cattle rested. In the grassy area, we’re no cows.

Stunned, Apollo dropped the boy. No care if the child was hurt in the fall. No crying over the spilled milk.

His confusion quickly turned to rage as he rounded the area.

At the opposite end was a broken fence. Hoof prints leading toward the Arcadia plains. And a trail of apple cores.

“It’s been a while since I’ve cursed anyone.”

End