|
Post by Percheron Razorwing on Nov 9, 2011 4:24:57 GMT -5
Hoofington, a small town on the frontier of the Everfree forest. Oh Percheron has been here before, as a guardian, a Star. Now he was here for a completely different role altogether. Watermark insisted that it was his duty as a protector of Equestria, as a Baron or a Star, to train the militia captain of Hoofington in the ways of the Pegasi. The fact that Watermark called flying lessons "ways of the Pegasi" only caused Percheron's skepticism to peak, but the unicorn insisted.
Kuruka, he said the name was, even pointed out the exact location of her house. He did not mention however, the massive statue of Frostbite he erected in the middle of the town. A display of talent, the witless would suspect. But Percheron knew better, cunning and brilliant, this hidden golem could easily be used to decipher whether or not Hoofington was massing for an attack on the Bog. An attack from two fronts would be devastating without notice. The main route would of course be from Ponyville, but they might as well strike from Hoofington as well and box them in. This gave them a definite advantage in such a case. Clever.
Of course he was not donning his Red Baron armor, or any armor at all, no, this one was half Zebra, they don't fight in armor. He studied Zebra fighting, only from books and second hand from explorers. He'd have to improvise for this one. Maybe that's part of what convinced him to do it in the first place. He lowered his head, looking at the snow piled on and about, a half Zebra Pegasus, should be an interesting acquaintance.
He stretched his neck and shoulders, a hostile approach like he used with the barons won't work here. He would need to be careful and supportive, but still retain enough harshness as to not pamper her or cause her not to take him seriously. He knew how to start, he just hoped that in this early morning hour, he would not be disturbing. Knock, knock, knock.
|
|
|
Post by kuruka on Nov 9, 2011 16:18:15 GMT -5
Just because Kuruka had a habit of waking up early to "stay sharp" didn't mean she did it gracefully. Stumbling about the house, trying not to fall asleep while stirring her oatmeal, she stared long and hard at her spear and shield on the wall. This was only half because she was trying to convince herself to go through her normal exercise routine, the other half was simply because she was still too groggy to think about more than one thing at at time. Speaking of which... was something burning? "KURUKA, WEWE KIJINGA! WEWE KUTEKETEZWA CHAKULA!!" She pulled the oatmeal off the stove and began to stir furiously. Knock, knock, knock Kuruka sighed and bowed her head, not really noticing that part of her mane was now dipped in oatmeal. That was just what she needed right now. A social call. Although who in Equestria would come to her house at such an early hour was beyond her. Kuruka just hoped some foal hadn't gone missing or a monster hadn't breached Hoofington. Setting the pot aside, her mane still dripping oatmeal, Kuruka walked to the door and opened it. A rather rugged-looking stallion stood in front of her... a complete stranger. His coloring might suggest he was a relative of Quillson's, what with the white coat and brown mane, but his entire being screamed "soldier." Oh wonderful. She was being inspected. Trying desperately to rid her mane of oatmeal, Kuruka cleared her throat. "Can- c-can I help you?"
|
|
|
Post by Percheron Razorwing on Nov 9, 2011 18:11:43 GMT -5
"Madam," The Pegasus bowed his head slightly before continuing, "I am here to assist you with your flight skills, as you discussed with Watermark. Percheron Razorwing, pleased to make your acquaintance." He was not usually one to speak so formally, but he decided it would be best for now, after all, she was a militia captain. And while he had assumed she never heard his name, he did not want to give off the wrong impression.
He was always pleased to meet ponies of military backgrounds, they were much less likely to comment on his good looks, or get flustered around him. His striking appearance has been the bane of his existence since birth, and it at points make it very difficult for him to have even the most basic of conversations with members of the opposite gender due to it. As Watermark so obnoxiously says - "Every stallion wants to be him, every mare wants to be with him." A compliment, some would think. But Percheron knew Watermark long enough to know it was just a way to try and get on his nerves.
He wondered if Zebras found ponies like him unattractive? Would he be considered ugly in the Zebra lands? The thought amused him, but then, being ugly is just as detrimental as being beautiful, he mused. He nearly snickered when he thought he'd have to ask Watermark what it was like. Even though he was not one to count appearances for much.
|
|
|
Post by kuruka on Nov 9, 2011 21:37:01 GMT -5
Flight lessons? That was fast... Kuruka opened her door wider. "Of course. I apologize for the mess, I was making breakfast when you knocked. Oh, I am Captain Kuruka, but you probably already knew that." She reluctantly stared at the burnt gloop in front of her. "Ugh. On second thought, we could just get started. Unless you'd like to warm up first." Whoops. No fire. Kuruka sighed. "Mornings are just not my friend." She gathered a new log from the pile next to the door and set it down in the fireplace. She then picked up her stone and flint and struck a spark. It took a moment, what with the minimal kindling and such, but the fire soon blazed to life for their return. Kuruka looked out the window and her stomach performed a loop-de-loop. Now was not the time to get nervous. She shouldn't forget that she agreed to this. "Do I need my weapons?" What a silly question. They would probably just be flying for a while until she could add aerial attack. An image of her old combat instructor popped into mind as he picked up a spear. "This, foals, is a spear." And he'd go into describing every little obvious detail before showing different ways to throw, and then dodge it. Kuruka could just imagine this Percheron saying, "These, Kuruka, are wings."
|
|
|
Post by Percheron Razorwing on Nov 10, 2011 3:47:02 GMT -5
"Yes, bring the same gear you would for combat." Percheron stated, "We'll put them aside until I can see where you stand, but I expect to start using them pretty soon." He began to explain how he was going to teach her.
"I believe you are new to this region, if I understood correctly? Do you have knowledge of the outlying geography?" He asked, "If not, then I will add these to our list, as well as a list of Flora and Fauna, the more you know, the better you can defend. And if you want even better knowledge than mine, I'd suggest you visit your colleague Ranger in Ponyville. He's known to be somewhat of an expert on Everfree." He walked out to a relatively open area and waited for her there.
Flying conditions were good, except for the cold, but training in harsh weather was always an effective way to train mentally as well as physically. A militia captain would certainly be able to appreciate the effectiveness of such training. He had recommended Ranger, but he did not know the pony personally. Lately word has been running rampant of his exploits, defeating the monster attacking Hoofington in its lair inside the Everfree Forest (and the entire group of cultists sent to retrieve it) as well as eliminating the Frozen Feral threat once and for all by destroying their den mother. Not to mention setting traps on the entire Ponyville border with Everfree and replacing them daily, meaning venturing in the forest were a day to day thing for him.
If only they could make a cultist out of him, their intelligence department would be perfect. However, if this captain showed the same amount of aptitude, there would be no reason not to recruit her, would it? But the stallion figured he'll cross that bridge if and when he gets to it. Lost in his musings, he waited for Kuruka to get ready.
|
|
|
Post by kuruka on Nov 10, 2011 16:37:02 GMT -5
Kuruka collected her shield and spear and headed outside. She immediately started shivering. Yuck. Hopefully it'd warm up soon. Until then, however, she knew better than to complain. The worse the conditions for training, the easier it would be to defend any day. Trying not to let her teeth chatter, Kuruka went through a quick body stretch, trying to add her wings for the first time in years. The joints popped in a few places multiple times. Oh wow, did that ever feel good! Kuruka finished and turned to Percheron. "I am ready. I know the general geography of Hoofton and where the Everfree lies, but I confess I am not familiar with the flora and fauna around here. Nor have I attempted an excursion into the Everfree as of yet." Kuruka silently agreed with Percheron's advice to seek out Ranger. She had already considered requesting his mentorship when she first heard the story of the spiders in Everfree. Get as much training as you can to become the best that you can was her motto. Even though this was the first time she'd ever applied it to flight. Flexing her wings once again, she tried not to look up and wished she didn't feel so nervous. Flying should be natural to a pegasus, shouldn't it?
|
|
|
Post by Percheron Razorwing on Nov 13, 2011 3:17:02 GMT -5
"Well, let's start with basic stuff, take off and landing. Just to warm up a bit, so just take off from a standing position fly up a bit and then land, after that do the same in motion, take off while running and land in a 'runway' style." Percheron instructed patiently. Kuruka was no foal, but according to Watermark she had no practice for years, so he thought he'd start with the basics.
The chill weather wouldn't make it easy on Kuruka, "Don't forget to stretch a bit before, trot in place a bit, get the blood flowing." He tilted his head, not something he should have mentioned, her being a militia captain, but he felt like he needed to say something, so he went with that. He wasn't used to instructing beginners after all. "Sorry, that was obvious, I don't mean to treat you like a foal. I don't usually teach beginners."
|
|
|
Post by kuruka on Nov 14, 2011 19:00:22 GMT -5
Kuruka grinned, masking her nervousness with mock arrogance. "Do not worry. What kind of student would I be if I thought I didn't have to start from the beginning like everypony else?" Even though she didn't know what her legs had to do with her wings, Kuruka ran through a set of suicides to get the blood flowing. What was the first step? Oh yes, standing take-off. Very well. Should be easy enough. Kuruka stood stalk-still, trying to make herself a little lighter, and then started to flap. It felt strange, taking off in such a stationary position. She remembered always being in motion as a filly. She supposed there was use for this, however. No matter how slow-going and clumsy it felt. Kuruka touched down and immediately started an easy canter, circling back to give herself room for a "runway" take-off. Getting just a bit carried away, Kuruka broke out into an all-out gallop, holding her wings still until just before take-off. Now this felt more natural. Despite the cold air, even chillier than on the ground, Kuruka started laughing as her hooves left the dirt and touched air. Like coming home She thought. With a bit of a free fall barrel-roll, Kuruka turned and landed, having a little trouble slowing down to a trot to approach the Lieutenant. Whew! It has been much too long! You know, I was thinking, it would be good to mix the two landings in a kind of attack. If one could make oneself drop from a certain height and land on their hooves properly, one could easily pin one's opponent underneath. Seems like a good way to catch suspects or reluctant informants. Is there anything kind of like that? Kuruka paused. "Sorry, I must remember that you are the teacher. I suppose all that will come with time. I lost control in the barrel roll and had a difficult time slowing my landing. Do you have any suggestions? Or perhaps you saw something in my take-offs?" Kuruka tried not to dance in place. This felt GOOD!
|
|
|
Post by Percheron Razorwing on Nov 15, 2011 2:20:19 GMT -5
Percheron observed Kuruka very carefully as she took off in both methods, taking care to watch every muscle, every tiniest movement on the surface of her coat, the way her muscles rippled, the smoothness of her movement would indicate both mental and physical limitations if they existed. And though she was wary at first, Percheron noticed her muscles relaxing as she moved on. Her wing motions were still quite clumsy, the rotation of the wings was stiff and slightly off. He didn't suppose she had anyone to teach her proper flight before, but that's exactly why he was there.
"Not bad at all for a beginner," He said, approaching her, "If you'll allow me," He did not wait for an answer before putting his hoofs on her wing, "Pay close attention to the movement of your wings, unlike birds, our bones are not hollow, and we rely on proper movement and muscle work to fly." He began moving her wing about in a flapping motion, maximizing the thrust power by moving it in a correct fashion. "See? This is the movement I want you to replicate with your wing. Try practicing this movement now on the ground a bit, and when you get the hang of it, you can take off." He said, stepping back.
"Now when you land this time, try to aim for a point below your destination, and pull up right before you land, that should help you lower your speed a bit, make your landings better. Of course, don't expect to master it in one lesson, it takes practice. But you're doing great so far, so let's give it a go!" The stallion smiled at her again, she seemed eager and this was good. Just watching her made him want to start flying himself, once they move on from landing and take off to actual flight, he'll be able to. At this rate, it wouldn't be long.
|
|
|
Post by kuruka on Nov 15, 2011 23:03:36 GMT -5
Kuruka flinched only a bit when Percheron touched her wings. She was a little wary of strangers touching her, but she paid strict attention and, as soon as her instructor backed away, started moving her wings the way he'd told her. She could already feel her feathers pushing against the wind. Kuruka tried to keep the movement slow and steady, knowing that speed would come later. Right now it was all about technique. Kuruka practiced for a good five or ten minutes before she felt ready to take off again. Wait, which kind of take off did he want? He hadn't specified, so Kuruka decided to work on the take-off that had been least comfortable. She started to lift off and grinned. Yes, much better than before. Kuruka flew in a small circle and attempted the landing Percheron had taught her a moment ago. A point below destination... ground was coming, pull up. Whoops. A muscle in one of Kuruka's wings pulled and she toppled over in a cloud of dust. Coughing, she stood and flexed that wing, wincing a bit. "My mistake. I have not learned how to stretch my wings properly before flight." She bit her lip, hoping this wouldn't end the lesson. "It's only a pull. Is it safe to keep going?"
|
|
|
Post by Percheron Razorwing on Nov 16, 2011 3:50:16 GMT -5
"Fortunately, I came prepared," Percheron said, reaching into a small pouch strapped to his hind thigh, "Watermark brewed these up, muscle relaxation ointment." the stallion stated, pulling out a phial of the salve. "I can apply it, with your permission, unless you can reach...?" The pegasus was never able to reach his own wing properly, unless he used his hind hoof, but then again it's possible that Kuruka was more flexible than he. It was fortunate that he came prepared, but then again was he never caught unprepared?
"We can stretch a bit while the ointment sets in, I'll show you how to stretch your wings, and then we can try taking off again and working on landing. Then we can work on gliding, depending on how well we do." Percheron detailed, setting the balm on his hoof, holding it up and waiting for Kuruka's reply. He hoped she wasn't ticklish, or the situation will get awfully awkward, his stony poker face hid his thoughts well, however.
|
|
|
Post by kuruka on Nov 19, 2011 22:29:58 GMT -5
Kuruka accepted the phial, poured a bit of the ointment onto her hoof, and reared on her hind legs after she'd placed the container carefully on the ground. Pulling her head to the side with the other hoof, Kuruka reached her sore wing and rubbed the ointment in. It was a bit chilly, since the wind was blowing on it, but Kuruka recognized many of the scents in the ointment's perfume and knew it would take affect fairly soon. Making sure the last of the ointment was rubbed in, Kuruka landed back on all fours and returned the phial to Percheron. "Thank you. It is good to have something familiar to work with. Shall we begin with some of the stretches, then? I am curious. I admit, I never really listened to my father when he tried to tell me the importance of stretching my wings."
|
|
|
Post by Percheron Razorwing on Nov 20, 2011 3:17:49 GMT -5
Percheron gave Kuruka a reassuring smile, "Don't feel bad, I've worked with many Pegasi before who did not know how to properly stretch their wings, and they were soldiers going through advanced training!" He then loosened up his hooves a bit, before rearing up on his hind legs "Alright, let's loosen up a bit by flapping our wings," He said, flapping his in short rapid movements, as to not launch off the ground, and then, making sure Kuruka did the same, he continued.
"Next part, stretch your wing up so it 'points' upwards," He said, still on hind legs, he demonstrated, this, along with his statue-like, handsome features giving him the look of a vividly colored work of craftsmanship. "Now, slowly spread your wings to the sides, making sure they go as high and as far as they can on your back, much like a descending owl before it catches its prey." He demonstrated, stretching his wings far up on his back, and holding them there. Again, pausing to make sure Kuruka is performing the stretch correctly before moving on, and then finally stretching his wings completely to his side, so that they reached their maximum span.
Finally he landed on his front hooves with a satisfied grunt, "Yeah, that was good." He grinned, watching Kuruka again to make sure she was following, he wanted to make sure he was teaching everything properly, lest it causes a hold up later on in the training.
|
|
|
Post by kuruka on Nov 22, 2011 0:08:00 GMT -5
Kuruka followed the Lieutenant's instructions carefully, feeling not only her wings joints pop, but part of her back, too. She had a feeling they would pop a few more times during this session. As she finished, Kuruka bowed forward, stretching her back even further, before standing again. "Yes, much better. The cream has started to take effect as well. My wing feels much better now." Kuruka grinned. The cold was starting to wear off now that the sun was higher. It was still a little chillier than Kuruka preferred, but at least it wasn't freezing anymore.
|
|
|
Post by Percheron Razorwing on Nov 22, 2011 23:50:08 GMT -5
"Alright then, let's try practicing the lifting and landing a couple more times, as soon as you feel ready, we can move on." Percheron instructed. Kuruka would notice that Percheron was loathe to sit around while she was practicing, or in general. His body seemed tense, anxious to get into the air, but the patience and calmness in which he progressed through the lesson was admirable. He didn't rush things for her, yet it was obvious he wasn't about to let her hang back too long, and even so, there was nothing truly forceful about his instructions.
The winged stallion observed Kuruka carefully, trying to spot corrections in every movement she made. Kuruka was in exceptional shape, that he could see by the fine layer of muscles beneath her fur, and the ripples that went through with every motion. It was sad that her flying ability was neglected for so long, but it is always better to start late then never.
|
|