Mia had decided to change into her mortal form before Hercules showed her around the grounds. It didn't seem to draw as much attention as her centaur form had when she had walked in, but Cemia could still feel many sets of eyes watching her. She had been introduced to many people, though she doubted she would be able to keep the names and voices straight. Quickly evening came, and Cemia was relieved that Cheiron let her sleep in an empty bunk across from Hercules and Iolaus' cots.
"So, Cemia. If you're half centaur and half mermaid, then how come you can look like a mortal?" She heard Iolaus' voice ask her as she climbed into her cot. His voice was easily recognized, since he seemed to not have stopped talking since he ran into her and Hercules when they walked out of Cheiron's office.
"Iolaus..." Hercules said in a warning voice as she heard him get into his own cot.
"It's okay." she said to Hercules. She didn't really mind answering questions. It was a whole lot better than staying silent and being stared at like you were the snake-haired Medusa or a two-headed calf. "When I was born, Artemis blessed me with a third form, human, to make it easier for me to adjust to the other two."
"Were you born blind also?" Iolaus asked.
Mia shook her head sadly. "No. I lost my sight after Ares murdered my parents. He wanted that to be the last thing I saw."
Hercules' breath caught, at the same time Iolaus let out a low whistle.
"Candles out, cadets." she heard Cheiron call through the dorms.
"That must have been horrible." she heard Iolaus say after a minute. "I don't know what might be worse than that."
"How about Ares stealing your sight and then saying that he would let you live in blind suffering for a while, and then he'd hunt you down and kill you too?" Cemia said nonchalantly.
"He said that?" Hercules asked, shocked. Not at the fact that Ares had said that, but at how Mia could tell what happened to her like it was an every-day occurrence.
"Yeah." Mia shrugged. But I figure that one day he'll show up and I'll say 'Hello. My name is Cemia. You killed my parents. Prepare to die.'"
"You'd kill Ares?" Hercules asked.
"Of course I couldn't. He *is* a god. How about, 'Prepare to feel very little pain if any at all while I try in vain to hurt you in a hope to revenge my parent's deaths?' Better?" she said with an edge to her voice.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to insult you or your mission." Herc said quietly.
Cemia sighed. "It's not you. It's just the old memories. I can still hear my mother's screams, see my father collapse to the ground covered in a scarlet sheet of his own blood. I used to have nightmares all the time, but they've tapered off through the years." Even in the dim light Herc saw her literally shake herself, then smile. "But it's better talking about it than keeping it inside." she yawned. "What do you say we just get to sleep now?"
"Good idea." Iolaus said, ready to doze off. "Go to sleep and dream of Cheiron's oats for breakfast."
"Oats?" Mia was happily surprised. She hadn't had her favorite food since she she started living with the merclan. and it was another thing she sorily missed. "Do you have them alot here?"
"Oh yeah." Hercules and Iolaus said in unison. Herc explained, "Cheiron sets the meals. We think it's a centaur thing."
She grinned as she lay back down on her cot, "Yep. I'm definatly going to like it here."
Hercules and Iolaus shared a glance and Iolaus grinned, "Uh oh. Looks like more culinary changes to look out for, Herc." Mia burst out laughing, the guys joinging in moments later.
After all the other cadtes had fallen asleep, Cemia gave a small contented sigh before also drifting asleep, marveling at the new turns her life had taken.
"So, Cemia. If you're half centaur and half mermaid, then how come you can look like a mortal?" She heard Iolaus' voice ask her as she climbed into her cot. His voice was easily recognized, since he seemed to not have stopped talking since he ran into her and Hercules when they walked out of Cheiron's office.
"Iolaus..." Hercules said in a warning voice as she heard him get into his own cot.
"It's okay." she said to Hercules. She didn't really mind answering questions. It was a whole lot better than staying silent and being stared at like you were the snake-haired Medusa or a two-headed calf. "When I was born, Artemis blessed me with a third form, human, to make it easier for me to adjust to the other two."
"Were you born blind also?" Iolaus asked.
Mia shook her head sadly. "No. I lost my sight after Ares murdered my parents. He wanted that to be the last thing I saw."
Hercules' breath caught, at the same time Iolaus let out a low whistle.
"Candles out, cadets." she heard Cheiron call through the dorms.
"That must have been horrible." she heard Iolaus say after a minute. "I don't know what might be worse than that."
"How about Ares stealing your sight and then saying that he would let you live in blind suffering for a while, and then he'd hunt you down and kill you too?" Cemia said nonchalantly.
"He said that?" Hercules asked, shocked. Not at the fact that Ares had said that, but at how Mia could tell what happened to her like it was an every-day occurrence.
"Yeah." Mia shrugged. But I figure that one day he'll show up and I'll say 'Hello. My name is Cemia. You killed my parents. Prepare to die.'"
"You'd kill Ares?" Hercules asked.
"Of course I couldn't. He *is* a god. How about, 'Prepare to feel very little pain if any at all while I try in vain to hurt you in a hope to revenge my parent's deaths?' Better?" she said with an edge to her voice.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to insult you or your mission." Herc said quietly.
Cemia sighed. "It's not you. It's just the old memories. I can still hear my mother's screams, see my father collapse to the ground covered in a scarlet sheet of his own blood. I used to have nightmares all the time, but they've tapered off through the years." Even in the dim light Herc saw her literally shake herself, then smile. "But it's better talking about it than keeping it inside." she yawned. "What do you say we just get to sleep now?"
"Good idea." Iolaus said, ready to doze off. "Go to sleep and dream of Cheiron's oats for breakfast."
"Oats?" Mia was happily surprised. She hadn't had her favorite food since she she started living with the merclan. and it was another thing she sorily missed. "Do you have them alot here?"
"Oh yeah." Hercules and Iolaus said in unison. Herc explained, "Cheiron sets the meals. We think it's a centaur thing."
She grinned as she lay back down on her cot, "Yep. I'm definatly going to like it here."
Hercules and Iolaus shared a glance and Iolaus grinned, "Uh oh. Looks like more culinary changes to look out for, Herc." Mia burst out laughing, the guys joinging in moments later.
After all the other cadtes had fallen asleep, Cemia gave a small contented sigh before also drifting asleep, marveling at the new turns her life had taken.