Hera
The "Before" years
Pegasus Knight[M:0]
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Hera
Oct 27, 2012 23:02:23 GMT -6
Post by Hera on Oct 27, 2012 23:02:23 GMT -6
Name: Hera
Class*: Pegasus Knight
Hair Color: Blond/ Light brown
Eye Color: Grey blue
Age: 18
Appearance: Hera is around 5'7", with a somewhat petite build. It's immediately clear that she's not built up the necessary muscle to last more than a few minutes in a stand up fight, but she tries to make up for that with clever flight tactics. She has a quality set of armor, though it is lighter construction in order to make it easier to keep from falling off the saddle while in flight. It is painted green, with silver trim. Under that, she wears a white shirt and miniskirt, augmenting it with cloak, scarf, or tights as the weather calls for. Thigh high leather boots dyed green to finish up her flight gear. When opportunities arise, she will take the chance to change into something prettier. In fact, she is rarely seen without some form of makeup or lipstick cosmetics. Her hair is neatly cared for, kept shoulder length with mid length bangs. Just long enough to dust her shoulders.A pair of red studs are set in her ears, and she wears a golden band, her wedding band, on a chain around her neck. She has a nice smile, though it's often accompanied by a bit of concern in these times. Her expressions carry the worry and concern of someone taking on a burden too large for them, but also has an element of confidence. It is as though she knows she is capable of living up to the expectations of others, and wants to, but doesn't know how.
Born in: Small town in Ilia
Story: Hera Feldsky. Veteran falcoknight, renowned knight, and proud mother. She and her husband, Roderick waited in Ilia for news of their daughter, Clair's, exploits. Nothing came in the first year, but news did begin filtering back soon after. Once it started, it was not difficult to track the young Clair's movements, even if the reports didn't mention her by name very often. The rest of the time, the pair spent their time in their respective duties, making sure the roads around Arphen were kept safe.
Hera Feldsky was on one such excursion when the sky darkened, and strange events started to take place. The storm was unlike anything she'd ever seen before, and she spent her time switching between worrying about the rest of her squadron, and recording a few thoughts in a small notebook she had started carrying long ago.
Dearest Daughter,
Tonight I'm writing from one of the road shelters near Arphen. Rod was one of the voices that made them happen, for which I am now thankful. It's little more than a shed with enough room for a few knights, and their pegasi, but it's at least well stocked. Good thing I found one of the ones close enough to the city. I doubt the ones further out would have salted meats, cheese, and apples.
Sovereign is well stabled. The walls are plenty sturdy in and there is ample bedding for a pegasus like him. He isn't anywhere near as picky as some of tbe spoiled ponies the brats coming out of the training these days are. Trust me. I would know.
I guess the strange storm tonight just had me thinking about you. The sky turns black, and lightning flares wildly in the sky. I don't know what to make of it. The rest of my squadron should be safely in Arphen by now. I just hope that you are alright wherever you are, and know that your father and I will always love you.
I hope you read these some day.
With love, Your Mother. Hera Feldsky
She tucked her notebook away in her saddlebags and set about the long slow process of weathering the storm as it blew through. Three days later, things changed drastically for Hera Feldsky. Like others across lands, the worlds merging caused time to "smudge around her, and she "blinked" as a result. She awoke in both body and mind as she had twenty two years before. It was before she'd had Clair, before she'd even met Rod, her husband, and before she'd claimed her fame and earned her name. She was simply Hera, mercenary pegasus knight of Ilia, and she was terrified. The last thing she remembered was that she was supposed to be fighting some ne're-do-wells in Etruria, fighting under the orders of a more experienced soldier than she was. She was only eighteen, and barely could be considered more experienced than most of the green horns who came out of the training academy these days.
Eventally, she got up enough courage to get herself under way, riding an unfamiliar, if well trained and responsive pegasus back to Arphen after a day of puzzling. The city was under martial law when she arrived, and when she asked for entrance, she was immediately taken to something she would term a quarrantine camp. There were alot of people there, and alot of wild rumors. It didn't help to comfort the already confused pegasus knight. Thankfully, they weren't ignored. Several officers came and spoke regularly with the people there. Among them, someone named Roderick, apparently a stand in for the man who would usually handle the situation let slip, that there were some complications with some of the senior staff being available to deal with the situation. He took a special interest in her though, and made certain she stayed safe.
Slowly, the situation came together for Hera. As wild as it sounded, it seemed that some people had blinked in time, completely losing their identity.... Se didn't want to accept it. She fought the realization for nearly a week. It did explain the circumstances of her awakening.... How much had she lost though?
They were set loose after a few weeks of holding, when it appeared that all would be fine, other than the loss of their past. Or future, as Hera thought of it. The months following were difficult. She took great comfort from the writings in the book she'd found in the Sovereign's saddle bags. And in knowing her pegasus' name. Sovereign was a link to something that should be hers It also offered some insight into why Roderick Feldsky was being so kind to her. He had offered her his daughter's room in his house, and she had accepted, having nowhere else to go. She rarely saw him because of how busy he was, but she sensed something from him. The realization of why he cared for her made her want to cry all over again.
The process of coming to terms with what had happened was hard on her. And on those who had been close to her. Four months after the event, she learned her own daughter had returned home to Arphen, and was helping to shore up its lack of officers. Clair was older than she was. It was hardest when they first met, but after seeing the Clair's eyes, Hera didn't want to give up.... Her daughter....? Husband? The terms seemed so foreign. She'd heard the voice of her own ghost reaching out to her through the pages of her own notes and journals though. Her family needed her back, but in order to accomplish anything, she would need to find someone who knew about the worlds merging, which meant she would be going on a journey once more.
- - - - -
I feel like putting in a short story of the first six months after this.
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Hera
The "Before" years
Pegasus Knight[M:0]
Posts: 0
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Hera
Oct 28, 2012 7:55:02 GMT -6
Post by Hera on Oct 28, 2012 7:55:02 GMT -6
Hera awoke in a strange place. It wasn't badly furnished. In fact, it was a fair step above the bedroll she'd spread out on the ground in Etruria, but she had no idea where she was. And it was cold. She pulled the covers on the bed up over most of her face, hiding under them and peeking around the room warily. She'd been with a group in Etruria.... No one knew exactly what the ramifications of taking the job was. It was a pair of feuding nobles trying to make each other look bad in front of their king, or something like that.... So where was she now, and how had she gotten here?
She pushed herself up out of the covers slowly, and inspected her surroundings. Tack was stacked neatly in the corner, but it wasn't hers. A fine looking lance and a blade stood ready nearby. She recognized none of it. Armor was laid out neatly on a trunk a short distance away, but it was clearly to large for her....
There wasn't an explanation for it that she could come up with. Unless Cassy was pulling pranks on her again, but this didn't seeem to fit her style.... The young pegasus knight took a few moments and focused on trying to remember, using the howling winds outside as her focus, but nothing came. Howling winds? Since when have winds like this been in Etruria? She climbed out of bed and went to the door, picking up the unfamiliar lance as she went. When she pushed the door open, only white greeted her eyes. She looked out and saw the alpines of Ilia, covered in ice. Sunlight shone off the crystal ground and reflected brilliantly into her squinting eyes. That was when she felt the bite of the cold. Even for her home back in Arphen, this was blizzard cold.
She hurriedly shut the door, and turned around, staring at the floor as she tried to reconcile herself to where she was. She had no idea where she was, and had no useful information to work with. This ended up with her feeling very uncertain. She wasn't a leader. She was just eighteen. She'd barely had enough experience to put herself over the green horn knights.... But, she seemed to be here alone. It would be up to her to figure out what to do, afraid or not.
She took another look at the lance she held in her hands. It was of excellent cratsmanship. As she looked just beneath the tip, she saw a large symbol engraved into the metal of the point. A black lightning bolt...?
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Hera
The "Before" years
Pegasus Knight[M:0]
Posts: 0
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Hera
Oct 30, 2012 22:21:13 GMT -6
Post by Hera on Oct 30, 2012 22:21:13 GMT -6
At this point, there came a loud neighing from next door, as well as what sounded like the beating of wings coming through the wooden walls. That was definitely a pegasus. There could be no mistaking it.
"Arc! Is that you?!" She looked around the room franticly for a moment. She wanted to get out there and check on her pegasus, but there was no way she would go out there in the cold dressed as she was. There wasn't alot to use, was what she discovered. There was a spare cloak, and an extra set of clothes. All of it, even what she was already wearing, seemed oversized, but the entire situation was beyond explaining, so that really wasn't a concern.
She took only a few moments to throw on the layers of what she had found before slopping out through the snow piling up outside. The wind bit through her anyways. There was no respite from this cold while outside. She did make it to the stables attached to the shelter she was in though, and shut the door behind her with relief. The inside wasn't large, by most standards she used, but it was big enough for a temporary shelter. She paid little mind to the construction of the building though. Her mind was only on her pegasus at that moment.
"Arc! Come on out. I'll get you some fresh hay! ...And grain, if we have it...." Within a few seconds, the head of an unusually large pegasus poked around the corner of a stall, and out into the room. It was not Arc, but it was all she saw. She huffed to herself in disappointment as she looked around the otherwise unoccupied room, before approaching the pegasus slowly.
"Well, who are you?" She was impressed with how the beast reacted to her approach. It handled people well, where alot of horses were known to shy away. Then again, pegasi were typically used by knights, in order to ride in and skewer things, so a degree of confidence was to be expected. She reached up, stretching on tip toes to play with the pegasus' mane for a moment before looking around and spotting the hay feeder. There was a pile of hay up in the rafters ready to be forked down as well.
"You're probably ready for something to eat. Aren'tcha?" She said happy to find at least something familiar in this maze of confusion.
"I am too..." She realized. She was going to be famished soon. Panic had caused her to lose track of the time, but she'd been up for a few hours at least.
She felt a nibbling on her hand, and looked back to see the winged horse flapping his lips on around her hand. Not biting though. That was good. She giggled lightly, playing with his lips for a moment before leaving him to climb the ladder to the top.
There was a bit of a draft where she came out, but it wasn't bad. Was this a new building? Where was she? The snow made Ilia a likely candidate, but she really couldn't remember.
Must have hit my head, or something....
After forking down a fair amount of the hay, she sat down on the ledge and dropped lightly back down to the stable floor before sitting down and leaning back against the stall side to think. None of this was making the picture any clearer, and the howling storm outside couldn't get much worse, as far as she could tell. There wasn't alot to do, except try to come up with a plan. At least out here she had the pegasus for company, whatever his name was.
She heard him happily munching away inside the stall as she played with the loose folds of her oversized clothing.
"Well, how about it?" She asked back over her shoulder. "You going to tell me what's going on?" She sighed for a moment before pulling her knees up to her chest and putting her face down.
"...Of course not.... That would be too easy." She stayed that way for a while, trying to calm herself from another wave of fear before speaking up again.
"Hey, if your owner doesn't come back by tomorrow to explain all of this, I'm going to have to borrow you to take a look around. You got a problem with that?"
The winged horse merely snorted, ignoring her and enjoying the hay.
"That's good."
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Hera
The "Before" years
Pegasus Knight[M:0]
Posts: 0
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Hera
Oct 30, 2012 23:52:38 GMT -6
Post by Hera on Oct 30, 2012 23:52:38 GMT -6
The young pegasus knight stayed where she was for about an hour more: At rest. She hadn't seen or heard from whoever brought her here. It was just her, and that was a very strange feeling. She'd been on her own before, but it had primarily been a scout job. Out and back. Or occasionally a messenger trip. It had a destination, and a time it needed done by....This wasn't a job though. She was just out here, wherever here was, for no discernible reason.
".... This isn't right." She spoke aloud, for her benefit rather than the pegasus'. "...I need to figure this out.... I'll be back later to check on you." She got up and rubbed her eyes, before dusting the hay and dust out of her hair and moving to and through the door.
She almost bolted to the shelter to avoid the cold, but spotted the stack of firewood kept to the side of house. Looked like it was still pretty full. That was good, because she didn't know if she could stand chopping for very long in this weather. Wishing she could just run right inside, she instead made for the stack of wood, and picked up an armload before heading back to the house. She popped the door open with a hand before slipping inside, and closing it deftly with a quick kick. Unmindful of the floor, she'd tracked snow all the way to the firepit before she dropped the wood next to it and looked around.... The snow melt was not among her list of priorities to look into. First thing she needed to do, was load up the fire with more firewood. It looked like it would die soon. She set to that, and then went out to get more firewood. When it seemed like she had enough to last her half a week, she was satisfied. And starving.
She started to go for the bags in the corner, before thinking better of it and checking the cupboard near the fire instead. There were some tasty enough morsels actually already cooked in there! Not fresh, but not more than a few days old, at least. Some kind of flat bread which tasted great by itself, but even better once she found the honey and slathered that all over her meal. She looked around guiltily as she ate the last piece of bread. Hopefully, whoever had fixed it would be inclined to fix more, assuming they showed up. Hera was really beginning to doubt that would happen though.
The rest of the evening was spent sorting through the things in the bags and in the room. There really wasn't alot. There was a crossbow, and a few signal bolts tucked away in one of the bags. The armor was laid out elsewhere. It had a nice blue shine. Fresh enough paint to hide it's exact age, but beaten and worn enough to reveal that it wasn't a new set. The lance made her curious. She liked the black lightning bolt on the spear head, and wished it was hers. Maybe it would be, if she set off to a safer destination tomorrow. She wasn't going to leave it! That was for sure. Resources were too scarce in Ilia, and it would bring in some money for her. Looked like she'd need some. Her own set of armor was nowhere to be found. Just like her weapon, her Commander, her combat unit, and pegasus.... Losing Arc was a hard blow to the blond girl.
She found a book as well, and flipped open the cover.
For my family
Hera held the book at arm's length for a moment, before deciding that she wasn't going to snoop. Not yet, anyway. Maybe if she got really bored while waiting.
Not alot needed doing, but she kept busy. Washing up the dishes she'd used in melted snow. Then washing various layers of extra clothes, and eventually just going to sleep. The next day would bring what it would for her.
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Hera
The "Before" years
Pegasus Knight[M:0]
Posts: 0
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Hera
Oct 31, 2012 15:40:04 GMT -6
Post by Hera on Oct 31, 2012 15:40:04 GMT -6
Sleeping was fitful that night for the pegasus knight. Sleep was fitful across the world, when it came. All of the world, and even time itself had been thrown into an uproar, but she remained unaware of that. Instead, she lay under the covers most of the night, trying to recover from the shock and exhaustion that had come for her that day. It wasn't a very successful attempt.
As she awoke the next day, or rather, decided that there was no further point in trying to roll over, she found herself hungry again. Whoever had brought her here seemed to have abandoned her.
She cleared her throat, wishing that someone else was around to explain what was going on to her.
"Did I miss a note someone left for me?" She spoke outloud just to fill the silence of the cabin. Wait.... Silence!
Hera ran to the door, flouncing clumsily as she rolled out from under the blankets and nearly tripped as it caught her foot. The door opened wide as she levered the latch up and pushed. Outside was white. Stark white. Icicles hung from the roof and dripped occasionally, down into the snow around the ground. The wind had blown large drifts up to the alpines in the hills nearby, and they stood as lone islands standing watch in the frozen land. There was a flat spot nearby which could be a road, but it was covered in white as well. It stretched off in a couple of directions. Basically heading east and west according to the sun's position. This was enough reason for her to think of it as a road.
"So... The storm is over." She shivered in the cold, before returning to the cabin and shutting the door. This time, she took care to shake most of the frozen melt off her feet by the door.
"It still feels like a wintery death out there though...." She took a moment to build up the fire again, and set up a rack over the fire. Then she went out and took a look at the pegasus. He was glad to see her. Rather than shying away, he came right up to her and started nibbling on her sleeve. She laughed again as she rubbed his face lightly, and set to work getting him cared for. It didn't take long, and she kind of wished it had taken longer. It was something else she could focus on during the morning.
Instead of the care and feeding of the pegasus, she decided to focus on her own. Once she made it back to shelter, she went out and began gathering up the snow outside. She had seen vegetables in one of the cabinets the day before, and soup was something she knew she could make. It took awhile to get enough water for a soup, but at least she knew there would be something good coming of it. Once the soup was started, she began sorting and packing the things that were around the room. The armor was first. She bundled that up straight away, and wrapped it up in a blanket. Various other supplies followed. Blankets, clothing, and food supplies followed. Almost everything else was already stowed in the saddle bags.The book was the one thing that remained. Everything else it made sense for her to take. There was only one pegasus, one set of armor, one weapon and, one set of tack. This book was something personal to whoever wrote it though. Absentmindedly, she tucked it into a saddle bag, deciding she'd think on it later.
The soup she fixed ended up tasting more like vegetables in hot water. She didn't give it the time it needed before trying to eat it. At least it was better than vegetables in cold water though. She could take the time to make something more passable later. She was eager to get up into the sky.
The door to the stable creaked open as she struggled inside, the tack for the pegasus in her grip. It was heavy stuff. Far more than what she was used to. She did manage to make it out, and set it on the stall wall though.
She tossed a saddle blanket up onto his back as she started working on figuring out how to get saddled up.
"Alright big fella... I know you don't know me, but I really need your help right now, alright? So let's just-" She hefted the saddle up past the pegasus' wings and was startled when she realized she couldn't lift it high enough to put it into place. Instead, she shoved it hard, and sent it sliding up to about where it belonged, before fiddling with the blanket again to get it into place.
"Get that up there.... Phew. You're probably the biggest pegasus I've seen in... Maybe ever." The horse snorted quietly in response.
"No. It's true! Can you still fly fine...?" She rubbed his wing feeling the soft downy fusion of feather and hair there. The pegasus' only response was to turn his head and lay his neck over her shoulder, pushing her around a little.
"Hey! Watch it!..." She cried, a mix between surprise and amusement entering her voice. "I guess we'll figure out what you're capable of, Hmm...?" She finished getting the winged horse ready, and pulled led him to the main doors. They yielded to her push, and she walked through, barring the doors closed again behind her. It took a bit of struggle to pull herself up into the saddle, but once she was there it felt like she was on top of the world. Then he shifted a bit. She felt herself swaying in the saddle as he moved, and realized that she was a good bit higher than she was when riding arc. She reached down and adjusted the stirrups as she wondered about her own pegasus. She was a bit worried for him..... She really didn't like him being gone. She was responsible for him, after all.
Maybe going up for a quick look will reveal something or someone. It was a hope, at least, and that flat spot she'd seen earlier looked even more like a road now than it had earlier.
"Alright. Let's go up." She clicked her tongue and made encouraging sounds as she made the right movement to get him to fly. She tucked the lance into the saddle rigging as she grabbed a loop on the front of the saddle and shifted some of her weight forward. She gave him a light kick on his sides to get the beast moving, and then held on as he picked up into a run. With a sudden whipping sound, she saw the horse's wings snap out into the air around them, before giving a sturdy downward thrust. The movement flattened her into the saddle, and she ended up eating horse hair as she recovered. The great wings flapped again and again, throwing them higher each time they came back down, but all Hera could do was hang on in amazement. She'd never ridden a creature like this before. Each beat of his wings was like riding the surges of wind which covered Sacae. It was amazing! ...And, if felt great to be flying again. At least that sensation would never change.
"Yaaaaaaaahoooo!" She yelled into the air. The sound probably carried for miles, but the blond haired Ilian was beyond caring. She looked around as they leveled off, and saw something in the distance.... Something she recognized!
"But that's Mt. Arphen! And the city! ...What am I doing up here?!" There was no answer for herself, and no one to provide one. Her next course of action became much simpler though. She flew around the area for awhile, looking for people and things which might catch her attention before landing and leaving the pegasus tied outside. This wouldn't be a long delay. She put out the fire, and straightened what she could of the furnishings, before carrying out the saddle bags and armor packed inside. It didn't take long to tie those off and get herself back up in the saddle.
"Alright. I guess I'm going home for the night. Hope you don't mind that you're my ticket." Hera didn't think the pegasus minded as he leapt back into the sky. He seemed rather happy about it, all things considered. Hera shared his feelings.
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Hera
The "Before" years
Pegasus Knight[M:0]
Posts: 0
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Hera
Nov 3, 2012 23:45:55 GMT -6
Post by Hera on Nov 3, 2012 23:45:55 GMT -6
The flight to Arphen wasn't the kindest she'd been in. It was far colder than what she remembered. Over the course of the flight there, she noticed other little details that didn't quite add up. For one thing, the sun was farther south than it should be in relation to the landscape. That wasn't something that she could explain away as a mistake, or a fluke of nature. This was her home, and she knew it well enough to realize there were differences. She also couldn't account for some other differences. One of the watch towers which had always been in bad shape was fully restored. She'd heard a few plans talking about putting it back into working order before she left, but nothing had been decided. What's more, that sort of work would take months to accomplish. Something here was wrong.
She swerved away from her straight path for the city for a few minutes before realizing that these troubles really only made her want to get inside and find someone who knew what was going on. She resumed her flight for the city, heading for the training academy. Someone there could help her. They had to help!
Unfortunately, what she saw of the city wasn't encouraging. It was deadly silent, streets empty, except for soldiers on the rooftops, walls, and occasionally streets. Also, at least a full squadron of pegasus knights was in the air over the city. It looked like it was under siege but she saw no enemies.
"...What's going on in there?" She said the words aloud, but there was no one to hear the, and they were ripped away by the wind passing over her the moment they were out of her mouth.
As she neared the Arphen Headquarters and swept in for a landing, all was quiet. She sat there atop the pegasus on the roof as she waited for someone to come out to greet her. Provide direction. At this point she'd take someone telling her to flee for her life if only to have some form of human contact. Still nothing.
"... H-hello?..." The forlorn whistling of the wind wind was her only answer as she waited for someone to respond. She thought about leaving. She could just fly out and land in the city somewhere. She'd seen people there. Or she could try to flag down one of the pegasus knights in the air? Surely they'd seen her approach. Inside though, she knew that she needed to just go inside and find someone. Hiding and running away never solved problems, and she didn't want to waste another knight's time because she was a little... nervous. So the city looked like it was under martial law. So everything about the situation seemed weird. She was still a knight of Ilia! She could handle whatever life threw at her, or so she told herself.
She slung a leg over the pegasus' side and dropped to the ground, grunting as she finished the longer than usual drop. She rubbed her booted legs as she tried to get feeling back and slowly moved forward, down to where the stalls would be. She took the pegasus' reins loosely in her grip as she entered the structure. Inside, she still didn't see anyone. It was strange to see the place so quiet and still. She remembered the stables here as filled and always active. Squires cared for their mounts alongside seasoned falcoknights.... She unsaddled the pegasus, and put her things in the trunk outside the stall she'd selected.
She bit her lip and looked around, debating what to do next. She really just wanted to stay here wait. She didn't want to wander the halls here when they were so ghostly quiet. She also realized that waiting on something to happen was not only not good for accomplishing things, but also a good way to get colder and hungrier.... Somewhere, there had to be a command structure still operating. They'd know what was going on.
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