Phoenix arrived on floor fifteen, and had a look around. This floor was very pleasant. Nice and sunny, a gentle breeze, and cherry blossom trees and flowery meadows everywhere. It was in a word, beautiful. Seriously, the scene was really romantic. When the Honor Guard was still around, they should have relocated here. But technically Phoenix had been here before, he just didn't remember it. But that was beside the point. He was here to explore, enjoy his holiday, and hatch that Phoenix egg. Asking around Phoenix finally found the hatching centre. It was smaller than he expected. But that being said Amaras black smith shop looked tiny. And she had six floors underground. So he was prepared for anything.

Entering the shop Phoenix heard a bell ring, just over his head. Old timey, but effective. Looking around Phoenix saw hundreds of spawning eggs scattered all over the walls. He had no idea there were so many companions. Though he had to admit, some of them looked really weird. One looked like a hybrid between a small lizard, a fox, and had wings sprouting out of its back. And another looked like it was made out of mud. But honestly, most of them looked like Pokemon.

Phoenix then heard a door behind the counter open. And a very cheery voice followed it. "Hello, welcome to Holly's companion and hatching, how can I help you?" It said. From the pitch, they were definitely a girl, age was undecided, and they seemed to be quite happy. Turing around Phoenix had to admit he was surprised. Behind the counter stood a girl around five feet tall, at least fifteen, wearing a pink and white sleeved dress, and a bonnet. She had long blonde hair, and had a long pink staff slung over her back. Again not what he was expecting.

"Um, hello, Holly I assume." Phoenix said warmly, walking up to the counter. The girl perked up at this. "Yeah that's me, who's asking?" She said looking Phoenix up and down. "My name is Phoenix, and I have a rather special request." Phoenix said opening his inventory. Holly gave him a sideways glance. "Well Phoenix, if you're trying to ask me out, then sorry, but I'm taken." She chuckled playfully. "Damn, but in all seriousness, I do need your services." Phoenix smiled, placing the golden egg on the counter top.

Phoenix hear a sharp intake of breath. "A Phoenix egg?" Holly gasped taking a step back. Well at least he now knew it was genuine. "Yes, how much for you to hatch it for me?" Phoenix asked prepared for an absurd price. But it never came. "For the honour of hatching it in my shop, free." Holly breathed, looking like she was about to pass out, from excitement. "Um, are you sure, I mean, I'm sure there's something I can do." Phoenix said, not wanting to pay her nothing. "Phoenix, do you realise what it means that you chose me, me to hatch this companion?" "Not entirely, but apparently it's a huge deal." "Look, since you are insistent on paying, then buy yourself a second companion, but there is no need to pay for this one." Holly said gesturing to the surrounding walls.

Thanking Holly, Phoenix browsed the walls for a second companion. And looking for ten minutes, Phoenix found his second Companion. It was a small black Pegasus. It was only a metre tall as a baby. But it evolved into its adult stage, it loomed at almost three metres tall. Smiling Phoenix bought the spawn egg, and waited for holly at the front desk. When she came back she was still grinning from ear to ear. "Have you picked something else?" She asked. Holding out the black spawn egg, and a bag of gold, Phoenix nodded. And just like that he had a small Pegasus.

Leading Phoenix into a subterranean room, three stories below the ground. She called it the training room. It was ten metres high, and over one hundred metres wide on each side. Once they were there Holly instructed Phoenix on how to hatch it. Unlike the Phoenix egg which had to be incubated. The Pegasus egg could be hatched manually. Phoenix settled the egg on the ground, and once he'd done so. A small option popped up. And pressing hatch, the egg grew, and morphed into a small black pony, with one and a half metre long wings. Seeing that Phoenix was nervous, Holly gave him a small push forward. "Say hello, pat her, give her a name." She said playfully. So taking her advice, and confirming it was a girl, Phoenix slowly, and gently patted the horses mane, and neck. And yes introduce himself. "Um hey, Talia, how are you doing?" Phoenix said, smiling nervously.

After a few seconds Talia gently took a step closer, and nuzzled her head in Phoenixes chest. Laughing Phoenix pulled out an apple form his inventory, and gave it to the tiny Pegasus. And once she had finish Phoenix led her over to Holly, who looked very pleased. "Not bad, but are you a good trainer?" She said crossing her arms over her chest. Phoenix looked back from Talia to Holly. "Yeah, I might need a few pointers." He admitted.

Holly gave Phoenix the basics. The easiest way to level up a Pegasus companion, is to when it's a baby, run, and once it was an adolesants, fly. And the easiest way to do that was play tag. Literally Phoenix, Holly, and Talia played tag. Which was surprisingly effective. Since Phoenix had levelled up his avatar all the way with his speed and strength little Talia had to really run to keep up. But eventually she began to level up. And before long she was level twenty-five. But Phoenix was exhausted, there had to be an easier way of doing this. "Hey holly is there some kind of item I could give Talia to level her up?" Phoenix asked. Slowly walking over to her, and catching his breath.

Holy was just like Phoenix, out of breath, and looking like she was going to drop. "Well, we could use, an experience, apple for her." She suggested. "Don't happen to have any on you?" Phoenix asked. Shaking her head, Phoenix, Holly, and Talia, slowly, and painfully, walked up to the main lobby of Holly's store. And Purchasing ten extreme experience apples, and some twenty experience mice for the Phoenix when it hatched.

And feeding them to Talia, she grew to full adult age, and out of nowhere a saddle appeared on Talia's back. "Why didn't we just do that?" Phoenix panted, muscles still aching. "Well, it created a childlike bond." Holly said, as enthusiastically as she could. Which Phoenix admitted would be important. "Um holly can you message me when the Phoenix egg is about to hatch, I may need to practice flying with Talia here. Phoenix said heading for the door. "Ok but, it may take some getting used to." Holly warned. "Oh come on how hard could I t possibly be?"

"Wooooaaaaaaaaaah." Phoenix yelled, as he fell off Talia again, this time, from twenty metres in the air. Yeah, how hard could it be? Phoenix thought bitterly. Flying on Talia wasn't easy. Getting in the air was easy, but staying on once she started speeding up, and turning it became all but impossible. Downing a small health potion Phoenix got to his feet, and went back to the clearing. Talia was already waiting for him to get back on. "How about I take five." Phoenix offered, smiling weakly. But Talia was already standing next to him, nuzzling his shoulder. Letting out a small chuckle Phoenix jumped back in the saddle. "Ok fine, but this is the last time, we've been doing this for over two hours." Phoenix said patting Talia's mane. Talia neighed sounding almost sound sad. Phoenix stored that fact in the back of his mind.

Talia took off at speed and with a two powerful flaps of her wings, they were in the air. This was magical for Phoenix. Flying and soaring above trees, like a bird. Then Talia began moving around. Phoenix leaned forward, and stood up slightly. He knew what he had to do. Leaning slightly he turned with Talia. And this time didn't fall off. Ok he could do this. Leaning slightly to the left, Talia turned with him, and eventually Phoenix realised that Talia was trying to get him to turn. And it was so simple.

Phoenix then tried something a little trickier. Diving into the blossom trees below, Phoenix used a couple of sharp turns through the trees, and then shot up towards the clouds. Phoenix had never felt so free and happy. He had to wonder, is this what it felt like to be a bird. Phoenix then tried to go as high as they could. They could go at least five hundred metres in the air. They could see for miles, it was beautiful. Watching the light reflect of the water and blossoms. But while they soared up in the sky, Phoenix had some time to think.

Time to think about his relationships. Especially with Amara. What happened back at his house. He had a felt like part of himself was back. But he knew that he should just leave it. They had all lost a friend, and they all needed something to cope. But being someone rebound, or making her his rebound, it was wrong. But give it time. Still, he did have feelings for her. But that doesn't mean she did. All the same, he could dream. But in the end, he decided that the two of them should remain friends. That was unless there were some extra ordinary circumstances. But with Phoenixes luck, how was that going to happen.

Then he got a message from Holly. The Phoenix was only five minutes away from hatching. "Ok, Talia, let's move." Phoenix said, pulling Talia into a steep dive and pulling up, with only a few seconds to spare. And just barley skimming across the tops of the tress, Phoenix and Talia shot towards the town. Soon the town was in sight, and barely sticking the landing Phoenix went into Holly's store. He only arrived just in time. Holly had just removed the egg from the incubator, and set it down on a metal bench. "Is it ready?" Phoenix asked happily, making holly jump. Apparently she hadn't heard the bell. "Yeah all you have to do is hatch it." She said jumping up and clapping. Phoenix gently set the golden egg down. And seeing the familiar hatching option pop up.

Phoenix pressed hatch, and from the egg sprung a small ball of fire. Which then turned into a bright red, yellow, and orange bird of prey circled Holly and Phoenix. Phoenix somehow knew what he had to do. Holding out his arm Phoenix called to the bird. "Horus, come." He cried. Almost instantly, the Phoenix dived out of the air and perched itself on Phoenixes arm. Holly beamed at him. "Nice, you're a natural." She laughed. "Only because of all the pointers you've given me." Phoenix said modestly, tossing Horus a small experience mouse from his pocket.

"There is something you should know." Holly said as Phoenix turned to leave. "Horus there, has elemental and melee abilities, you will need some practice." Holly said, pointing to some dummies and targets lined up against the wall. Around ten minutes later they were ready. "Ok, so I'll feed him up then what?" phoenix asked, as Horus levelled up to level fifty. He was now thirty centimetres tall, looked like a brightly coloured eagle, had gold coloured eyes, and glowing red talons. He was magnificent.

Holly stood right next to Phoenix, a small falcon perched on her shoulder. "I'll show you." She said scratching her falcon under its chin. "Falco, take flight." The small bird took off into the air. "Aerial assault." Falco slashed one of the dummies across the face. "Collateral." Falco raked his claws across every single dummies face. "Return." Falco returned to his perch on Holly's shoulder. Phoenix was impressed, those attack would definitely hurt an enemy, blind someone, or at least stun them.

"Ok, but what about elemental?" Phoenix asked, interested in this new form off attack. "With Horus you can rain down fire balls, and embers down on your enemies." Holly explained. Phoenix gave it a try. "Horus take flight." He did as he was told. Holly had given Phoenix a move list, it contained word phrases for Horus, to perform specific attacks. And some of them sounded awesome. "Ember claw." Horus raked a fiery talon across a target, cutting it clean in half. "Collateral." All of the targets were singed and torn. "Fire ball." Two small fire balls leapt from Horus's talons, and exploded on contact. "Fire charge." Horus was engulfed in flames as he crashed through another dummy, and soared back into the sky.

The two remaining abilities were for healing. Horus's tears could heal players, and Healing touch, which would heal whoever Horus was perched on. Content he had finish he walked over to Holly getting ready to say goodbye. But as soon as he was within two feet of her, holly grabbed Phoenix in an absolutely chest crushing hug. "Thank you, thank you Phoenix." She cried, like a happy schoolgirl. "For what? You helped me, for basically nothing." Phoenix said confused. "You gave me the honour to hatch and help train a Phoenix, in my store." "You have no idea what that means to a Companion seller and hatcher." She said still hugging him tightly.

"Well, thank you, for helping me, it probably would have taken me a week without you." Phoenix said gently pushing away. "Hopefully I'll see you around." Phoenix called as he left, sending a friend request as he did so. And jumping on Talia and letting Horus lose into the sky, Phoenix raced out of the town, and took off into the air. It was time for some exploring.