It didn't take long before they were outside the main gates of the academy. They were both dry from the sun, and Mia wasn't even breathing hard. Herc slung off of Cemia's back and waited for her to change back.
"You gonna lead the way?" Mia said, still in centaur form.
Herc was like, "Yeah, sure. I just thought you wanted to change back."
Mia shook her head, "Cross-breed manners. It's only polite to be in my father's form when I meet Cheiron. If I was in my mortal form, it makes the suggestion that I think my centaur form is inferior to my human one. I don't, and I don't want to make that impression."
"Ahh." Herc said, and led her in the gates.
~~~~~
Cemia followed Hercules closely, not wanting to get lost. She heard the ring of steel on steel coming from a training room as they walked by it. Hercules described the academy to her as he led her into a big building, down a hall, right, sharp left, and it was the first room on the left. She heard a slight click of hooves from inside the room, and the sound of a tail swishing, before Hercules knocked on the doorframe.
"Come in." she heard a voice say, and then Hercules grabbed her hand and led her into the room. Once she was in, he let go of her hand and said, "Mia, This is Cheiron, our headmaster and owner of the Academy."
~~~~~
Cheiron looked up as Hercules entered his office, surprised to see him back from his swim so fast. And with a centauress. Cheiron shook his head. It seemed as if Hercules couldn't seem to stay out of things. He swept his gaze over her. Cheiron was sure that he would have heard about the birth of a pinto centauress...it was so rare. There hadn't been one since almost two decades ago...
Then Hercules said, " Cheiron, this is Cemia, daughter of Mertari and Tauron." Ahh yes. Cheiron remembered now. He had been comrades and friends with Tauron before and after Tauron fell in love with Mertari. He had met their little pinto colt, Mia, a long time ago. He had heard about the terrible incident eight years ago, when Ares found and killed them, and had heard that Cemia would be living with a clan of mermaids while she grew up. Cheiron had tried to find her once, but she had already left the clan and nobody knew where she had gone.
"I am sorry about what happened to your parents." Cheiron said, coming around his desk to face Cemia. "I knew them well." He noticed the way Cemia's gaze was blank, and recognized it from when Lilith had accidentally lost her sight a couple months ago. There had been rumors too that Ares had taken her sight after he killed her parents. Apparently this was true as well.
"The fates can be cruel." Mia replied, "But thank you."
The three stood in silence for a moment before Herc mentioned, "Cemia said she wanted to enroll here."
"Is this true?" Cheiron asked her.
Mia nodded. "Well, I've lived long enough with the mermaids, and now I feel that I must learn more about the world before I can hope to revenge my parents. Hercules suggested coming here, and I was thinking about accepting the invitation."
"I'm sure we can get you in." Cheiron said.
"You gonna lead the way?" Mia said, still in centaur form.
Herc was like, "Yeah, sure. I just thought you wanted to change back."
Mia shook her head, "Cross-breed manners. It's only polite to be in my father's form when I meet Cheiron. If I was in my mortal form, it makes the suggestion that I think my centaur form is inferior to my human one. I don't, and I don't want to make that impression."
"Ahh." Herc said, and led her in the gates.
~~~~~
Cemia followed Hercules closely, not wanting to get lost. She heard the ring of steel on steel coming from a training room as they walked by it. Hercules described the academy to her as he led her into a big building, down a hall, right, sharp left, and it was the first room on the left. She heard a slight click of hooves from inside the room, and the sound of a tail swishing, before Hercules knocked on the doorframe.
"Come in." she heard a voice say, and then Hercules grabbed her hand and led her into the room. Once she was in, he let go of her hand and said, "Mia, This is Cheiron, our headmaster and owner of the Academy."
~~~~~
Cheiron looked up as Hercules entered his office, surprised to see him back from his swim so fast. And with a centauress. Cheiron shook his head. It seemed as if Hercules couldn't seem to stay out of things. He swept his gaze over her. Cheiron was sure that he would have heard about the birth of a pinto centauress...it was so rare. There hadn't been one since almost two decades ago...
Then Hercules said, " Cheiron, this is Cemia, daughter of Mertari and Tauron." Ahh yes. Cheiron remembered now. He had been comrades and friends with Tauron before and after Tauron fell in love with Mertari. He had met their little pinto colt, Mia, a long time ago. He had heard about the terrible incident eight years ago, when Ares found and killed them, and had heard that Cemia would be living with a clan of mermaids while she grew up. Cheiron had tried to find her once, but she had already left the clan and nobody knew where she had gone.
"I am sorry about what happened to your parents." Cheiron said, coming around his desk to face Cemia. "I knew them well." He noticed the way Cemia's gaze was blank, and recognized it from when Lilith had accidentally lost her sight a couple months ago. There had been rumors too that Ares had taken her sight after he killed her parents. Apparently this was true as well.
"The fates can be cruel." Mia replied, "But thank you."
The three stood in silence for a moment before Herc mentioned, "Cemia said she wanted to enroll here."
"Is this true?" Cheiron asked her.
Mia nodded. "Well, I've lived long enough with the mermaids, and now I feel that I must learn more about the world before I can hope to revenge my parents. Hercules suggested coming here, and I was thinking about accepting the invitation."
"I'm sure we can get you in." Cheiron said.