Hecate's Experiment

Hope's father sunk into his chair. He seemed dejected, like he didn't want have to do this.
"Hope," he started quietly. "Do you remember all the stories, Mr. Brunner told you. The ones about Greek mythology?"
Hope nodded, not entirely sure where this was going, but she could guess. "Who is my mom?" she asked.
Her father never spoke much of her mother. He would say she was beautiful, she was powerful, but that was it. Occasionally he added that he loved her, but he never said anything else. But Hope was a bright girl, she could sense her mother had much to do with what was happening to her.
"Hecate," said her father. "Your mother is the goddess of magic."
For a moment Hope didn't move. Then she sunk to her knees. Crouching down on the ground, in the fetal position. She wanted to say that her father was lying. That she was being pranked, but the truth was clear as day.
Except for one thing: She didn't recall demigods looking like demons. She stared at her hands. Her nails were permanently colored black and pointed. She could see the veins in her wrist, like always, but they weren't blue or red, like a normal person's veins. They were black.
"Why?" she asked finally. "Why do I look like this? Why am I a monster?"
"You are not a monster," said her Father kindly, kneeling down in front of her. Her gently pushed her chin up so she had to look at him. "You are just as human as I am."
Hope didn't smile. She glared at her father. "Liar," she bit. "I'm not that gullible, Papa."
He laughed. "I mean it," he told her. "You may have the blood of the gods running through your veins, but that does not make you any less human. You have a heart of gold, a human heart." He poked her chest, right were her heart was. "That's what makes you human."
Hope wouldn't take it though. "You are so full of it," she muttered. "I am not human! I don't even look human anymore!"
Mr. Brunner took over. "Child, if you would care to listen, I will tell you all that you need to know."
Hope wrinkled her nose. "Fine, but explain why you smell funny."
Mr. Brunner looked at her Father. A silent exchange going on between the two. Then her father nodded. Mr. Brunner sighed.
"Child, my name is not 'Mr. Brunner', it's Chiron," he said, rising from his wheel chair.
Hope didn't blink once, as a white centaur climbed out of the wheel chair. It seemed as though nothing would surprise her. Chiron stared down at her as she shrugged in differently.
"So you're half-horse, and you train heroes," she muttered. "I much rather prefer the explanation as to why I look like a monster."
Hope's father sighed. "When you were born, your mother didn't hand you over to me, right away as she should've done," he started. "She kept you for about a year. And she performed a few experiments on you, mixing your godly and human blood with that of monsters."
Hope stared at the floor, well, that explained a lot, but she was still confused. "But why now? Why wasn't I like this a kid?"
Chiron took over here. "I had managed to seal away much of the monster power or yours, into this dagger, effectively, making you as human as a demigod could be." He gave her the elegant dagger she'd seen on the desk.
It glinted gold in the light, and sparkled green when the light feel on the gemstones on the scabbard. The handle was a beautiful bronze, expertly sculpted in the shape of a dragon. She smiled. The dragon seemed to be smiling at you.
Chiron smiled with her. "The seal couldn't last forever, though, and it was destined to break on your 14th birthday."
Hope blinked. "But my birthday's not for another two months!"
Her father looked at the ground. "Hope, to be honest, I never knew when your birthday was. Your mother never told me, so I just sort of, celebrated on the day she brought you to me."
The dagger clattered to the floor. "Are you staying I didn't even know my own birthday?! That was kept from me too?"
"To be fair, no one else knew your birthday either," said her Father quickly.
Hope curled up into the fetal position again. "I take it, you sealed as much of my power as you could into the dagger again?" she asked, quietly.
Chiron nodded. "I could only get half of your power it there, I'm sorry," he said. "You still have some, rather, unique features."
Hope glared at him. "That's an understatement!"
Her stomach growled with hunger.
Her father sighed. "Go," he said. "Get some food from the kitchens, before you starve."
Hope blinked. "Wouldn't my appearance freak people out a little?"
Chiron smiled. "No, my child, you are not the only demigod here. Go eat, and meet your friends and cousins as they really are."
Hope smiled and walked out of the room. Chiron looked to Hope's Father. "She can't stay here anymore, Holland, she needs to go to camp."
Holland sighed. "I know, but I don't want to leave her."
"It's not safe for her here, she much leave!"
"When are you taking her? How will I know she'll be safe?"
"We'll leave tomorrow morning, I will make sure she is protected."
"She'll be an outcast. She may be a demi-god, but she isn't like the others."
"I know, but I'm certain she can deal with it."
"Alright, I leave her in your capable hands."

Notes

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