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Gasp! “Look! Cows!!”
Meg stood, baffled, as Apollo ran over to the fenced in field just off the path and pet the cows within reach, cooing and fawning over them.
Leo, who had come with them on their hike – all of the group needing a small break from their normal lives – was just as confused but amused at the god’s actions.
“Uhh, Apollo?” Leo started, moving to stand by the sun god’s side, who didn’t even glance to him, “Are you good?”
“Yes, great- look at the babies! They’re so cute!!” Apollo answered, paying the demigod no mind as he reached over and smushed the nearest cow’s face between his hands. The cow didn’t seem bothered in the slightest, chewing away at its mouthful of grass and staring blankly at the glowing deity in front of it.
The fiery demigod looked back to the other, shrugging. Meg moved to stand on Apollo’s other side.
The daughter of Demeter leaned over slightly to get a look at Apollo’s face, and the expression that met her eyes was pure adoration.
Meg frowned slightly, “Is there a spell on these cows or something? Lester, they’re just some random cows, what’s so special about them??”
That caught Apollo’s attention, and he turned to look at her with actual hurt in his eyes.
“They’re COWS Meg! That’s what’s special! Look at their little faces and tell me these beautiful creatures aren’t amazing.”
The demigods stared at Apollo, starting to get slightly concerned. Apollo went back to fawning over the cows and the teens moved away to talk in private.
“What is going on??” Leo said, staring at Apollo’s back, “Should we like, call Artemis? Maybe Hermes? Apollo rants about them like they’re all close so either of them might be able to help.”
Meg shrugged, trying and failing to put on her normal mask of indifference, “They might not answer, but it’s worth a try. He doesn’t look like he’ll stop anytime soon.”
Leo nodded, “On three we yell Hermes name?”
Meg nodded and began the count, “1,”
“2,”
“3!”
“HERMES!”
…
“I don’t think it–” Meg was cut off when the telltale signs of a god teleporting began in front of them and they both shut their eyes on instinct, only opening them when they heard the sound of wingbeats.
They opened their eyes to find a young, brown-haired man. He looked like an exact copy of the Stolls and most of the Hermes cabin but older, maybe mid-to-late-thirties. Well, that and the small pairs of wings sprouting from his head and both ankles.
They kneeled, neither wanting to accidentally disrespect a god they needed help from and willing to put up with formality for Apollo’s sake. The god – Hermes – grinned at them, “Oh no need for all that darlings, my brother talks about you both almost as much as he does his own children, and if he knew I put you through the formalities he would smite me.” he giggled to himself, doing a small loop in the air, “So, what did you need me for so badly? I would think you would call Apollo of all gods if you needed help.”
The demigods stood, and Leo glanced at Meg, silently asking her to speak up.
As expected, she did not.
Leo sighed quietly, “That’s kind of the problem.”
Hermes’ grin dimmed the slightest bit, confused. “I don’t follow.”
Leo pointed silently at the sunny god still obsessing over the cows, who in the time it had taken them to summon Hermes and chat, had climbed over into the field and was stroking the cattle, feeding them summoned alfalfa and apples from his hand.
Hermes stared for a moment, processing the scene in front of him…
And laughed, loudly, to himself, wiping away an invisible tear and staring at his wayward brother, “Oh, I see you’ve come across some cattle. Yes, he does that darlings, it’s normal.”
The demigods blinked at him, “What’s that supposed to mean?” Meg demanded.
Hermes laughed breathily, calming down from his fit of giggles, “Sun gods have a thing for cows. They’re OBSESSED with them. Like, no matter the pantheon — Sol, Amaterasu, Ra, you name them — they always adore them! No one really knows why that is, but one time when Odysseus killed one of Helios’ divine cattle, the titan threatened to take away the sun if Zeus didn’t punish him for the slight.”
The god of travellers flew over to the fence and landed on his feet on the other side, “And when I stole some of Apollo’s cows when I was a baby he came this close to smiting me.” Despite the subject of his godly death, Hermes was grinning ear to ear in amusement as he moved towards his brother, the demigods close behind.
“Oh brother!” Hermes sing-songed.
Apollo barely spared the other a glance before going back to grooming the bovines.
Hermes snickered, “Apollo, it’s time to go, your friends are concerned about your wellbeing.”
Apollo’s head whirled around as he looked almost teary eyed at his supposedly younger brother, despite the fact that while Hermes appeared mid-thirties, Apollo’s physical appearance was that of an eighteen year old at most.
“Noooo!” Apollo whined, hugging the nearest cow for dear life, “I don’t wanna leave! There’s COWS Hermes!”
“Yes, ‘Pollo, wonderful cows, but weren’t you busy hanging out with your friends? They’re quite concerned about you and you're making them wait.”
The sun god’s eyes widened slightly and he finally focused on the demigods behind his brother, realizing that yes, he had been in the middle of spending time with his mortal friends, and yes, he had just spent the past ten minutes or so ignoring them and fawning over cattle.
Apollo’s face reddened as he finally realized what he had just done, and Hermes cackled with glee.
“Well then,” Hermes said, still giggling, “I’ll just get back to work, do try to keep him away from any more bovines will you?” he directed to the demigods, before flying up and away into the sky.
Apollo, still red faced, grinned sheepishly at his friends.
“How about we get back to that walk?”