The Legend of Hera

Hera is Dragopurr from the book, Therapy Quest written by Dr. Janina Scarlet. Based off of this adorable character, Dr. Scarlet created what she refers to as an “emotional support plushie.” This plushie has been utilized to provide emotional support for children, teens, and adults who have survived trauma, abuse, anxiety, as well as for individuals with autism. Hera plushies provide physical support by having pliable wings, which can open to give her human companion a hug. She makes a wonderful holiday gift or a donation gift to a local hospital or mental health organization.

Although the Legend of Hera was initially designed to reveal itself word by word, we wanted to share her story with you today. Hera’s origin story is one of love, grief, and family. You can order your very own emotional support plushie on either AMAZON or ETSY.

Give it a read and thank you for believing in magic.

The Legend of Hera

Hera, the tiny kitten-shaped fire-breathing Dragopurr, opens her eyes. She squints from the morning sun and shivers. This is the first time her eyes have opened. She attempts to sit up and rolls over.

Her twin brother, Hektor, growls, a teeny kitten-like growl, a puff of silver smoke coming out of his mouth.

Hera extends one teensy paw in front of the other and pulls herself close to her brother. Hera licks his face, bathing him the way that their mother bathed them.

Mother.

Hera looks up in surprise.

Shadow, their enormous Dragopurr mother, is lying next to them. Her wooly black fur looks like a field of snuggly blankets.

Only… something is different about her now. Her milky motherly smell feels strangely foreign.

“Mom?” Hera meows, the tiniest sound in Here.

No response.

Hera gently paws at her mother, shaking her. Nothing.

Hektor opens his eyes and stares at his sister. He sneezes. Once. Twice. Three times.

He shivers.

“We need to wake mom,” Hera says.

She crawls toward the giant feline whose dragon wings look like they would flop in the autumn wind. Now, however, the wings lay frozen on the unkindly cold ground.

“Mommy? Mom!” Hera shakes her but the cat mother does not wake.

Hera’s eyes widen, her ears rise as her body drops to the ground. She meows. Her first heartbreak, but it will not be the last.

Hektor crawls toward his sister. His tiny feet fail him four times but he is determined. He plops down next to her, nudging her face.

“C’mon,” he says, head-butting her gently. “We need to find something to eat.”

Hektor crawls first. Hera’s size does not allow her to crawl as fast as her brother. His paws are bigger than hers. Only a few weeks of age but he is already able to protrude his claws.

Hera watches her brother pull himself up an old oak tree. He puts his right paw above him, digging into the bark. He then pulls himself up with his left claw, while pushing against the tree roots with his back paws. A few minutes later, he is up on the branch.

“Come up,” he calls to his sister.

Hera slowly steps toward the giant tree, a graceful step, now feeling more confident. She places her right paw above her and grips with her claws. She pushes and pulls for a moment before sliding back down, her paw now scratched by the tree bark.

Hektor jumps down.

“You okay, sis?” He licks her paw, gently soothing her pain.

“I can not climb up.” Hera meows in tears.

“Sure, you can. You can do anything. You just need to practice. Watch.” He demonstrates. “One paw in front of the other. Just keep climbing.”

“One paw in front of the other.” Hera repeats as she tries.

She is able to pull herself up a few times before sliding down again.

“I can’t do it.” She lowers her head.

Hektor jumps down again. “Yes, you can. I believe in you. Look. First, step on this groove, and then push off as high as you can. Then, reach for the next one.”

He shows her once more, pointing out where to step and the way to push off the tree.

Eight minutes later, Hera makes it up to the branch.

“I did it!” She purrs and washes her paws.

She sees movement from the corner of her eye. Slowly, she turns, seeing a big juicy bug crawling on the right side of her. It’s black with grey droplet shaped wings and long black antennas. Holding her breath, Hera drops herself to the branch, lowering her ears and tightening her paws, while elevating her hips, shaking them from side to side.

She pounces covering the bug with her paws.

She waits, leaning her head close. After a few moments, she gently lifts up her paws. The bug is still there. It moves a few steps forward. Hera watches it, holding her breath. Her eyes are narrowed and focused.

A few moments later, she lowers herself to the branch and pounces again. But before she is able to land, she is knocked to the ground.

Landing on her feet, hissing, she looks up to see her brother standing on the spot she was in a moment ago.

Growling, she extends her claws and crawls up the tree with a newfound grit. Hektor is standing over the bug, studying it. As Hera crawls behind him, he puffs up his fur and hisses for her to stay away.

Hera pounces on her brother, as the two meow and hiss, competing over their breakfast. Hera kicks with her hind legs, pushing Hektor down to the ground. She turns toward the bug.

She is surprised to find it at eye-level, its wings extended and buzzing. The bug makes eye contact with her and flies off.

Hera hisses extends her own wings and pushes off without thinking. An eye blink later, she is up in the air.

On the ground, Hektor looks up at his sister with wide eyes and a feeling of pride and amazement. He stretches out his own wings, examining them for the first time. He stares at them, flaps them up and then down, studying their mechanics. A few moments later, he’s got it. He pushes off from the ground and he flies up.

By the time he has caught up to his sister, she has devoured the bug in midair. Hektor sneezes, which knocks him off of his balance and he falls. Hera brings her wings to her side and falls after him. Once she is caught up to him, she grips the scruff of his back with her teeth, stretching out her wings once more, slowing down their fall.

The two land gently onto the ground. Hera sneezes.

The twins wake up from their deep sleep, cuddled up next to each other, their wings covering them like soft blankets.

There is a rustling in the bushes. The two jump up on their paws, arching their backs, their wings open wide, their fur puffed out and fluffy to make them look as big as a bear, nearly four times their actual size.

The rustling gets louder as the bushes part and an enormous beast comes out of them. He looks like a giant wolf; only he is walking on his hind legs. His fir is long, thick, and black. His teeth glint in the full moon.

The dragopurrs hiss, trying to make themselves seem bigger to the monster in front of them.

He stops, studying them.

He then groans as he bends to the ground. There is a cloud of magical smoke around him and a few moments later, a tall thin man is standing in front of them. The man wears a bright pink suit and glasses.

The dragopurrs hiss once again as the man steps toward them. He crouches down so as to make himself seem smaller.

“Dragopurrs.” The man smiles. I thought you only existed in legends.

The dragopurrs stare at him.

“My name is Blake,” he continues. “I am sorry I startled you. You never know what you might find in these woods.”

Hera lowers her wings and reduces her puffiness. She eyes the man in suspicion as Hektor keeps his defensive stance.

Hera sneezes.

The man reaches out his right hand to her. “Are you okay, kitty?”

Slowly, Hera approaches the man’s hand as Hektor growls at her to keep away from him. When she reaches the man’s hand, Hera looks uncertain as she cautiously sniffs his fingers. She then head-butts his hand against her silky soft fur.

Blake smiles petting her head and scratching behind her ears. A few moments later, Hera is purring, arching her back, and rubbing herself against the man’s legs. Hektor lowers his wings and approaches the man, head-butting his left hand.

“Such sweet kitties,” Blake smiles, petting them both. “You must be hungry. I have some food. Follow me.”

He stands up to his full height, causing Hektor to lower himself to the ground again. Hektor is looking up at the man with his big round feline eyes. But the man turns and begins walking away.

After he takes a few steps, he turns around again, waving at them to follow. “C’mon. It’s safe. Follow me.”

Hera takes the first reluctant step after him. Hektor follows his sister.

They walk in silence for a few minutes until they see a camp. Fire burns at its center with a turning smoked grill.

“Fire.” Hektor meows. “Do you think mom is here?”

Hera bows her head. “No. I do not think she is, brother.”

Hektor sighs, and follows his sister and the tall man, Blake.

Blake removes the meat from the grill and divides it in two. He gives half to each of them.

“Here. You must be starving.” He says.

As they devour their meal, a thought comes to Hera. The man did not eat.

There is a small sound of a chime behind them and when the dragopurrs turn, they see a humanoid looking creature with dark purple wings. She looks to be about their height. She wears a black dress, and has long black hair, and tattoos of lilies and lotus flowers.

“Eribelle!” Blake greets her.

“Blake! Good to see you, my friend.” She flies up to give him a soft, gentle hug.

The fairy then lowers herself to the ground and inspects the felines.

“Dragopurrs.” She smiles. “Haven’t seen these in years.”

Hera sneezes.

Blake looks concerned. “They seem to be ill.”

“Quick, let’s get them warmed up.” The fairy walks toward Hera and places her hand on the dragopurr’s chest. Hera backs away slowly.

“It’s okay, kitty.” Eribelle smiles. “I am not here to hurt you. I am an Empath, a healer.”

She takes one more step toward Hera and places her right hand on the dragopurr’s head, petting her slowly. As Hera starts purring, Eribelle places her left on the feline’s soft chest.

Warmth spreads over Hera, heating her chest, lungs, and heart. She feels herself healing. For the first time since she has opened her eyes that morning, Hera feels safe enough to process her pain.

“Mom is not coming back,” she says to her brother. “But we are okay. We are Here. We are safe now.”

Hektor bows his head low and meows in deep sorrow.

Eribelle slowly walks toward him, healing him as she healed his sister. Hera approaches her brother, placing her paws around him, washing his face, before falling asleep, cuddled up next to the only family she has left in the world.

“What will we do with them?” Blake asks.

“Katrina.” Eribelle answers. “She is a veterinarian. She will know how to care for them.”

The next morning, Hera and Hektor awake to find a large, beautiful woman with long brown hair, wearing a velvet black dress standing with Eribelle. The woman studies them with eyes full of tears and adoration.

“They are…beautiful.” She says to the fairy.

“They will need to be cared for and trained, Katrina.” The fairy responds. “Their mother…”

“I know.” Katrina replies. “I will care for them, I give you my word.”

Eribelle smiles. “I know that you will.”

And that is the story of the Dragopurr twins. The two learned how to hunt and to follow commands but that is a whole other story, the one in which YOU showed up to save all of us.

Because YOU are the Chosen One.