A few years later, Omega found himself in front of the dartboard just after coming back from a weird water/jungle planet. It housed natives that loved new things so much that they captured him until he showed them new things such as conjuring flames and controlling water. Of course he could have escaped if he really wanted to but he stayed to learn old techniques from the natives and also learned their language. "*^F%E$#" ... it wasn't a written language.

As Omega was getting dizzy after the 80th spin, he threw the dart. After coming to his senses, he saw the dart landed near the top left corner on a planet named Magmar. It was known for its mountains and volcanoes and, once again, an unpleasant year was ahead of Omega by the description. However, the tallest mountain ever discovered was on Magmar and he decided he would add hiking the tallest mountain to his achievement list. Even though he stopped writing it once he got to about 50 achievements and just gave up.

He first mist traveled to Zaref to start closer to Magmar before spending a little less than a month traveling to the mountainous planet. Unsurprisingly, he landed on a mountain and looked out across the range. He definitely had to give the planet some credit for its beauty. Each tree blended well together with the varying color hues and types of trees. There wasn't any evidence of mudslides or earthquakes which would have left ugly scars on the otherwise pristine mountain. He could hear a gurgling creek down below with a splash or two from its inhabitants. Omega sighed at the peacefulness on the planet before starting his journey.

He went from town to town learning everything he could. He was actually quite surprised to find so many people on the edge of the universe but he soon found out why. The mountains were filled to the brim with wildlife and special herbs. They weren't exactly high on the market but in large quantities, they could rake in some cash. Additionally, people claiming they could hike the tallest mountain also came to try their luck ... many failed unsurprisingly.

For about nine months, he made his way across the world towards the tallest mountain to start his climb. He could have easily mist traveled to get there much faster but that would ruin his experience of the planet. So, he did it just like everyone else ... walking, well, maybe normal people didn't walk nine months straight without transportation. He explored many exotic and remote regions on the planet and saw extremely cool wildlife and vegetation. Sometimes he even found plants that ate wildlife the size of bears ... he stayed away from them.

As he grew nearer to the mountain, his excitement grew and he couldn't wait to say he conquered Mt. Giganturum. He wondered if they had a T-shirt that he could wear but decided that the name was a little, obvious, since it was the biggest mountain ever discovered.

He made his way through the town at the base of the mountain and knew instantly that this town was a hiker's paradise. All the shops had everything a hiker could possible want when taking a long trip up a mountain. There were the basic necessities such as ropes, pulleys, picks, etc. There was also more advanced items such as a tent that could collapse in on itself without damaging anything inside. Omega actually took an interest into that item and took a closer look.

It was a carrot orange color and had the same dimensions as his current tent, 5X7X4. The magic in the tent allowed it to shrink in on itself until it was left as a 1X1X1 inch block. The inside would stay the same no matter how much someone jostled around the block. He could also store items in there and basically make it a shrunken storage space that would definitely come in handy in future. After paying for the item that he probably paid too much for, he went to start his long journey up the mountain.

It was on Omega's fourth week that he came across something that disturbed the crisp air high up in the mountains. The first week was quite noisy with everybody trying to prove themselves and they made as much noise as possible, boasting about how they were going to conquer the mountain. He even saw a fat man being carried in a litter. He really felt sorry for the men carrying him. The second week had the more experienced hikers who made some noise but kept it down in general. These men looked like they were enjoying themselves in the peaceful mountains. By the third week, Omega rarely crossed anybody except for the hikers who devoted their lives to hiking.

On the fourth week, he was reminded of his first week. There were loud noises happening above him but he couldn't tell what was making the noise. He decided to cheat a little for the first time and mist traveled closer. When he reformed, he instantly recognized the sounds. It was the sounds of battle and bloodshed. He could hear the clanging of metal against metal and screams of men being killed. It had been many years since he had heard a battle like this and he definitely wanted to investigate.

As he neared, Omega could feel the heat start to rise when it should be falling because of the lack of air and increase of pressure. However, clearly, that wasn't the case on this mountain. When he was almost there, he could see flames licking the trees and spreading throughout the forest. He instantly wondered why anybody would start a fire on a mountain filled with trees. Omega lowered the flames so they wouldn't spread any farther and mist traveled up to the source of the noise.

He reformed on the tree line and was shocked by what he saw. In the middle of a clearing laid a metal and charred wood nest. It was at least 30 feet long and wide and housed one of the most beautiful birds Omega had ever seen ... a phoenix. It had a wingspan of at least 22 feet. It had fiery red feathers on the top half of its wings and the side of its body while brilliant orange covered its belly and lower tips of its wings. It had sharp, reddish/purplish claws that could probably slice through anything as easy as a knife would slice through butter. Its tail feathers were a mix between the red and orange and contained much larger feathers. Fire could be found all over the bird but it mainly concentrated on its back, wing tips, and tail feathers. At first, Omega was entranced at the beauty and power of the fire bird but was quickly pulled away from his thoughts by a shrill screech that shouldn't come from such a majestic bird. He then looked at the armored men bustling around and surrounding the bird.

There were at least fifty of them on the ground dead and fifty more still fighting. He wondered how the men could possible stand the heat and flames but his question was answer when the phoenix shot flames at one of the men. All he did was raise his shield and a dome covered him that repelled the flames and knocked them to the side leaving the man completely unharmed. The only attacks the phoenix could use were physical attacks. However, every man had sharp swords that cut the phoenix whenever it attacked.

After 5 more minutes of fighting, the phoenix finally collapsed leaving 60 men dead, 10 severely wounded, and 30 just plain exhausted. When the phoenix collapsed, Omega could tell why she was fighting so hard instead of flying away. An egg was just below the phoenix. A white egg shell with swirling designs of orange and red blending together gave the egg a unique look that basically screamed, 'Hey! I'm some powerful mythical creature.' It didn't take a genius to understand that the bandits were after the egg while the mother protected the egg.

Omega read a book during his travels that talked about different mythical creatures. Apparently, there were only around 20 phoenixes in the entire universe and they could only produce one egg every 10,000 years which made them extremely rare. Omega had no clue how much a phoenix egg would sell on the market but he knew it would be an exorbitant amount. Phoenixes were also extremely hard to find and pretty much impossible to capture. There were only a few ways to capture a phoenix: befriending them, somehow sneaking up on them and capturing them, or waiting until a mother was protecting her egg so she couldn't fly away.

The dying mother laid in her nest, bloodied and broken. She could do nothing to stop the vile men from taking her child and having their way with it. She couldn't understand how people would attack and kill mothers just to steal their child. They only cared about the profit they would receive should they succeed and it sickened her. She was heartbroken that her child would not survive after all the years in its egg but knew she couldn't do anything more. She could barely even move an inch because of exhaustion and the many injuries littering her body. She hoped beyond hope that something could help her but knew there wasn't anything coming to her aid. Her mate was out on a hunting trip for another few months and she knew he would be devastated when he returned.

In desperate hope, she stretched out her senses, blocking the cheering of the men, to find aid from something and sensed a presence at the edge of the forest. She strained her neck to look at the source and saw a figure hidden in the bushes. She didn't know who this person was or what he was but anybody was better to have her child than those monsters who would do no telling with her child. She could only hope that the man would help her. She telepathically call out to the figure. "Please help. I can't let these men have my child!"

Omega was sitting and debating what he should do when all of the sudden a voice pleaded in his head to save her child. He quickly looked towards the dying phoenix and locked eyes with her. The voice itself was filled with sadness and desperation but he could tell that it would usually be filled with confidence containing years of wisdom and knowledge. He felt sorry for her that he didn't help sooner but he could help her now by saving her child.

Omega nodded his head and he could feel a rush of relief flow through the temporary link between them. Omega slowly got out of the bushes and climbed into the nest to confront the men. He honestly didn't think much of them by appearance. However, they were the survivors of a battle with a phoenix which meant they were extremely skilled or fought like cowards and stayed at the edge. The men didn't notice over their cheers and celebration that another person joined them until Omega said, "Quite impressive to beat a phoenix." All the men instantly stopped cheering and looked at Omega. Omega watched as the exhausted men grew nervous as they looked at him. Omega would probably be a little nervous too if he was exhausted and an assassin looking character just walked out of the bushes. However, it was still 30 against one so they calmed back down.

One of the burliest men Omega had ever seen stepped forward. He was definitely a sight to see. He had broad shoulders and was at least 7½ feet tall with a reddish tint to his skin. He had small horns that would spiral from his helmet and sharp claws gripping a sword. His muscles were well defined and anybody could tell that he worked out every day. His armor basically covered his whole body and his helmet lay discarded off to the side.

The leader spoke, "Yes. My men and I had a great victory today. May I ask why you are here?" Omega was a little surprised by the leader's speech. He expected something ... not so refined and more brutish. After recovering from his small shock, Omega said, "Well, I set out hiking this mountain to say I climbed the highest mountain in the universe and on my way up, I ran into you."

The leader looked over Omega skeptically and he clearly assumed Omega didn't look like a hiking type with his cloak, mask, and weapon arsenal. "You're lying." The leader couldn't possibly believe that the young man was hiking the tallest mountain without even a backpack. Omega just sighed and replied, "No, I'm not lying. I really started tackling this mountain to say that I hiked the tallest mountain." The leader still didn't believe him but the way the kid worded his sentence bugged him.

"Started?" The leader questioned. It sounded like the boy now had a different agenda which probably meant he wanted something from them. However, he was going to get nothing. Omega spoke in a soft tone, "Yes, started. I have been so kindly asked to assist the losing side in this fight." His voice then grew hard and cold. "I agreed because I don't like people who kill a mother just to steal her child." All the men instantly drew their weapons and pointed them at Omega, waiting on their leader's order to attack.

The leader looked at Omega like he was crazy and said, "HA! You're just one man. If we could beat a phoenix, who in their right mind would think we couldn't beat one man? 30 against 1 usually wins their kiddo." The leader was finding the conversation quite amusing. He had to give it to the kid to stand up for what he believed in but he should know when to back out. However, if the kid wanted to die then by all means he would grant his wish.

Omega smirked and said, "You are right. Usually, 30 against 1 wins. However, I would say I'm at least worth 100 of you in battle." Omega was really enjoying the enraged faces on the men. He wondered if one of them would burst and attack without the leader's orders but it seemed the leader held them on a tight leash. "Draw your swords boy and let's finish this!" Omega was glad that the leader at least had honor in battle and Omega decided he would in turn fight fair. However, Omega could tell they wouldn't have given him any mercy if they could have somehow won.

Omega took out his swords on his belt and got into a ready stance. The men laughed at Omega's swords since theirs were at least two feet longer. Omega also laughed quietly thinking about how stupid the men were. Omega could already tell they weren't going to take him seriously until he gave them a reason to take the battle seriously which would mean a swift downfall for a few men.

Omega looked over to the dying phoenix and knew she had about 5 more minutes to live. 'I will have to make this quick,' Omega thought. Omega said in an impatient and bored tone, "I'm waiting." The leader tried to hold in his temper but Omega's bored tone pushed him over the edge. "Garkrech, Kidno! Go fetch the egg and start bringing it down the mountain. We'll catch up with you once were done slaughtering the kid." The two went to retrieve the egg that was behind the small army and Omega just shook his head.

Omega felt the worry from the phoenix that they would get her child but Omega mentally told her, "Trust me." The phoenix semi calmed down but she was still worried. When the two were about ten feet from the egg, Omega created an ice dome that would prevent anyone but Omega from touching the egg. Once the two saw the dome form, they were at first surprised but then took out their heavy axes and swords. They held them just like you would hold a sledgehammer and slammed them into the ice right as the leader yelled, "NOOOO!" and the phoenix let out a loud screech of horror.

As the leader saw the dome still there, he yelled at his companions who jumped away from the dome at their commander's booming voice. "You idiots! What would have happened if that dome broke! You would have crushed one of the rarest eggs in the universe!" The leader let out a breath, pinched his nose and said in a little bit calmer voice. "Take your weapons out of the dome and chisel your way through." The men went to retrieve their weapons but Omega froze the ice over them making it impossible to take them out.

Omega said in a serious voice, "Only the mother may decide who can touch her child." Then, Omega yawned and said, "Can we fight now?" The leader instantly turned his head to the still bored Omega and yelled, "Boy, you have no idea what you're asking for!" Omega just rolled his eyes exasperatingly. He perfectly understood what he was asking for but the men just seemed to want to postpone their fight. Before the leader could turn back around and address his soldiers, Omega said, "Well if you're not going to attack first, I will." With that, Omega charged forwards. The men were impressed with his speed but they thought the outcome would be the same.

Omega chose to save the leader for last and went to the left side focusing on one man in the front. The man saw he was being targeted and cockily stepped forward with his sword raised and said, "I got this one guys." Right when Omega reached him, the man swung a downward thrust but Omega simply dodged to the side and sliced upward cutting the man in two even through his armor with some help from the ice coating he put on his swords.

Omega didn't even pause and killed another two before the rest got out of their shock. Omega blocked, sliced, stabbed, dodged, jumped, ducked and was an overall killing machine until only a terrified leader was left. "Just you and me," Omega said in a calm voice covered in blood. The leader knew he was going to die if he fought this demon so he tried to run away. However, he didn't even get 10 feet before a sword was plunged into his back.

Omega looked around at the devastation he caused as he grabbed his sword and then went over to the dying phoenix. Her injuries were definitely noticeable with all her bloody feathers and clearly broken wings and legs. Her head rested on the ground in defeat but said in a grateful tone, "Thank you, young hero. You have prevented my child from falling into their greedy hands. I wish there was some way I could repay you but alas, my time is almost up."

Omega simply said, "Your gratitude is enough payment and the honor of fighting alongside a phoenix is quite impressive. I should be thanking you for this opportunity to help your child." Omega smiled at the phoenix but became confused when he saw liquid fire running out of her eyes. He saw that she started crying at the mention of her child so he tried to comfort her. "Hey, hey." Omega said soothingly. "I promise I will take good care of your child. I will make sure it is safe and no one will harm it until it is ready to leave on its own. I swear it." Omega said hoping that she could die in peace without worry for her child but his response only seemed to make her cry harder.

"Young one, I thank you for trying to take care of my child. However, without my flames the child will die." The phoenix said sadly. It seemed like a simple enough solution to him. "I could just build a fire and keep your child warm. No worries, I will make sure it stays warm." Omega really didn't understand what was wrong.

She sighed coming to terms with her and her child's death, "It's no use. Only my flames can keep the child warm. A mother's fire is a requirement for a phoenix to be born. Only the fire from their mother can allow them to grow and hatch. Without me, my child will die in a matter of days."

Omega tried to think of a solution. How was he supposed to keep this child alive without its mother's fire? That's when he thought of a solution. He got down on his knees right next to the phoenix and said, "Light yourself on fire." The phoenix was surprised by his words. "If I do then you would be burned to death. You don't have the same fire resistant armor that they did and if you control ice, my fire would hurt even worse." The last thing she wanted to do was kill her savior.

"You have to trust me. I think I know a way for your child to still be born without you but you have to trust me and light yourself on fire." The phoenix looked at the man thinking he must be crazy. But, she also wanted her child safe and she would try anything. Reluctantly, she lit herself on fire and watched the flames engulf her savior.

She was shocked to see him still kneeling there completely unharmed. He started to unravel the cloth on his left arm and she was surprised to see ice with a fire burning inside. She had never seen someone who had the ability to manipulate both fire and ice. She watched as the man melted the tips of his fingers off and let the fire escape to leave a hollow ice arm.

She could start to feel her fire being manipulated and didn't resist, allowing him to take her fire and wondered what he was going to do. She watched as her fire was sucked into his arm and the ice solidified over the fire trapping it inside. She extinguished her flames expecting to see the flame disappear but saw in amazement that the fire in his arm was still burning. She sensed the fire had the same energy signature as her fire and starting crying in relief knowing her child would be born.

"Young one, I don't know how to express my gratitude. I know you will take great care of my child and I hope she doesn't cause too much trouble." They both laughed at that knowing how much trouble children could be. Omega was also surprised that it was a girl and smiled. He always wanted a daughter whenever he had kids.

It was getting harder and harder for the phoenix to breath and she knew she was dying. "Farewell, young one. Take good care of my child." She wanted to give this man something as a token of her appreciation but there wasn't much she could do. However, a thought about one gift she could bestow on him came upon her and she looked him over one last time. "I do actually have a gift for you." She strained to lift her head and was barely able to keep it upright.

She blew fire on him and watched as the fire seeped into him leaving a confused Omega still kneeling in front of the phoenix. "I have given you the blessing of the phoenix. You are one of a few to have ever been given this honor. If you shall ever meet another phoenix, they will know they can trust you and will count you as their ally." The world started to get dark and she rested her head on the ground knowing death was approaching.

She heard one last thing from Omega's soft spoken voice before death overtook her. "I swear I will take care of your child to the best of my ability and she will always have a loving home to return to." She smiled for the last time and died in peace knowing her child was safe.

Omega petted the phoenix's head for a second before plucking one of her wing feathers without any blood on it. It was a blazing red feather mixed with a bright orange color near the tip of the feather. Those feathers spread across her entire body giving her such an outstanding beauty that could be compared to only a few. He put a coating of ice around it to not damage the feather on his travels and put it in his bag. He thought the child would like a feather from her mother so she could always have a physical piece of her while the fire in Omega's arm contained her mother's essence. A random thought also popped into his head and he wondered if he could create a phoenix core wand like Harry Potter but quickly pushed that out of his mind. Stupid ADHD! Even at the end of battle his ADHD still prevailed.

He went over to the egg and place a hand on it. He wasn't entirely surprised to feel it growing cold so he picked it up and put it on his lap. He placed his still unwrapped ice hand under it and melted his palm to free the fire. Instantly, he started to feel the egg grow warmer and he sighed in relief. He was a little worried that it wouldn't work since the mother died but he was relieved it did.

Omega would do everything he could to make sure the phoenix hatched and he would raise it for however long it needed protection. However, he didn't know anything about baby phoenixes so he would just have to wing it and hope for the best. After 30 minutes of warming the egg to where it was a good hot temperature, he decided he could hike the mountain another time. He had bigger priorities than achieving a petty goal like that. He was going to be a father to this child, something he had always wanted.

He hiked down the mountain much quicker than hiking up. He hid the egg in his tent while passing by people and wished he could mist travel but he didn't know how a fire bird would react to mist traveling. When he finally got down the mountain, he looked around before a thought struck him. Sometimes Omega cursed himself for how dense he was sometimes. He totally forgot he could flame travel even though he didn't prefer it. He quickly hid himself in an alley and flame traveled to his home on Vinesta.

~~~

Three months later a phoenix flew to the planet Magmar at night. He had been hunting and searching for a new home for when his daughter hatched so they could live in relative safety to protect and raise her. He looked forward to the days of spending years with his mate raising his daughter to be a strong and majestic phoenix. He smiled as he reached the mountain and flew up to his nest, glad to finally be able to rest with his mate and child.

However, when the nest finally came into view, horror struck him hard. He saw the many lifeless bodies of soldiers and the worst site of all, his dead mate. He quickly swooped down next to his mate with fiery tears streaming down his face that flowed freely without any restraint. He was away for five months and people were able to find the nest and kill its occupants. When he left, there weren't even any rumors floating around so he thought they were safe!

He rubbed his face against her neck wishing she would come back to life but knew it was impossible. After a minute of mourning, he remembered, or rather didn't remember seeing their egg. He looked around the nest halfheartedly already knowing the brutes took his daughter. He didn't know whether he should be relieved or saddened to not see broken eggshells because there was no telling what the brutes would do to his daughter, even if she wasn't alive inside the egg.

He looked back to his dead mate and lowered his head next to hers. He stayed there quiet for a little while in respected silence before raising his head to look at her one last time. He remembered her in all her glory with her unwavering eyes and knew she fought to the death to protect her child. He looked back at the dead enemies and he smiled a cruel smile at the damage his mate was able to inflict before finally succumbing to the onslaught.

He raised his brilliant orange and red feathered wing and touched the tip of it to her body. He lit the tip feather connecting them together with pure red fire and watched as the fire spread across her body giving her a proper phoenix death. The red fire was created by concentrating all a phoenix's flame on the tip of their feather. The fire had the ability to consume whatever it touched, even another phoenix. Phoenixes knew their bodies could be used for many different purposes and they didn't want to help the people who were willing to kill them.

He watched as the flames consumed his loved one until there was nothing left. The tears that streamed down his face were now gone, only leaving small damp trails on his feathers. He stared at where she used to be before coming back to himself. He knew she would never want him to trouble himself because of her death so he steeled himself and vowed to find the people who took their egg. He stretched out his senses and froze on the spot.

Someone with a phoenix blessing passed through around the same time the men attacked. If it was the same day, then that could mean the blessed one tried to save his mate and killed off the rest of the men. He may have even taken the egg knowing the mother would die. However, even if he took the egg his daughter would be dead. He at least drew comfort knowing that the vile men weren't the ones to take his child. Someone trusted by the phoenix race had his daughter and he knew he wouldn't defile it and use it for nefarious reasons.

He smiled for the first time since arriving upon the devastating scene. What were the odds that a phoenix blessed came and saved his daughter? Unless ... his mate blessed him for saving her and their child by killing off the men. What bugged him though was that just saving her without her getting to know him would not be a sufficient enough reason to give him a blessing. However, if he was somehow able to take care of their child, then that would be a perfect reason to give him the blessing.

Hope blossomed in him and he quickly took off in search of the blessed one. He followed the trail down the mountain with the stealth and skill that came with thousands of years of hiding. He followed the trail to some alleyway and stopped in his tracks. There was a higher concentration of heat permeating the area and a few scorch marks on the ground and wall. If he didn't know any better, those marks and heat residue reminded him of flame travel. He couldn't personally do it but his father had the ability.

He stared at the spot in silence contemplating how a being who wasn't a phoenix could flame travel. He thought long and hard and reviewed all his past learnings and history lessons but couldn't come up with any race that could flame travel. There were some races who could manipulate fire or lava but not to the extent of flame travel. Only beings who had a core of fire could flame travel and he was sure no being had a core of fire other than phoenixes. However, the more he looked at the scorched parts the more sure he was about it being flame travel.

He decided to just accept that it was flame travel even if he couldn't explain it and started looking for his daughter. He despaired for a moment thinking that if the being flame traveled, it would be impossible to just track his energy signature unless he randomly came upon him or another trail. He shook his head to push away the doubts and filled those empty spots with determination. He would find his daughter no matter what it took and nothing would get in his way.

~~~

Over the next two years, Omega kept the egg warm with its mother's fire. He could be found at least 5 times a day sitting on his couch in a crisscross-applesauce position with the egg on his lap, warming it up to keep it healthy. At night, he would even take it to bed with him with her mother's fire burning on some logs in the middle of his room. Of course, there was ice preventing the fire from catching the wood and burning his house to the ground.

After his training for the day, he would spend time with the egg and would even give it company by talking to it even though it couldn't hear him. Omega would tell it stories of his adventures and past life and he was pretty sure that if the phoenix could understand him, she would definitely understand Omega the most since he told her all his feelings about the events too. It felt good talking about his past life and letting it out even if the recipient couldn't hear him.

Even with Annabeth he never told her how he really felt. He had to be the strong figurehead of the camp even with her. He did tell her some things that were able to drop past his facade but never everything. Now, he was quite happy that he never shared himself wholly with her. He also felt more relaxed talking about his story with the baby phoenix inside the egg than Annabeth. He smirked to himself at his ability to talk about that ... he wasn't going to curse in front of the child even if she couldn't hear him ... without him feeling anything. He really appreciated his meditation training on Zaref and his two swords that helped him conquer his emotions and come to terms with what happened on Earth.

On the second year on Vinesta, Omega was using the phoenix's fire to warm up the egg just like every other day until the egg started to wobble. He paused wondering if he imagined it but the egg didn't move again. He shrugged and guessed he imagined it because it didn't budge again. He put the fire under it again and it budged once more. This time, he knew he didn't imagine it and kept the fire under it. The egg started to rock back and forth faster and faster until the egg was voraciously sucking in the phoenix flame so much that Omega had to increase the temperature and size of the fire.

Omega flinched a little when the egg cracked since he was so focused on the rocking egg. More and more cracks started to appear and Omega was beside himself with anticipation and joy that the egg was hatching. All of the sudden, the egg shell exploded outwards and a baby phoenix about two feet high with a wingspan around four feet landed in Omega's lap. Omega stared at the beautiful creature on his lap with awe and wonder. It looked just like her mother with its red and orange feathers just with more orange than red. Its legs were a bright golden color that she must have got from her father with sharp black claws meant for tearing flesh off its prey.

When the phoenix looked Omega in the eye, Omega was shocked that the phoenix's eyes were black and, like his, with orange specks in them. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds taking each other in. Omega had never seen such an amazing and magnificent creature before and he was left speechless. He couldn't even fathom that this phoenix was his daughter. He was just barely able to process that there was an extremely rare creature just sitting in his lap staring back at him.

"Hello Omega." The phoenix said in a soft, velvety, female voice to the surprised Omega who shook with shock at how the phoenix could already talk and even more so at how she knew his name.

Omega could tell the phoenix was laughing at his shocked expression since their minds were still connected and she said, "While phoenixes are in the egg, they can still hear everything that happens around them while growing. My mother taught me all about phoenix culture and other important topics for my first 20 years in the egg."

Omega thought that was really handy but then froze for a second. "Wait. So that means you heard all the stories I told you?" The phoenix just nodded her head and said, "Yes. I am proud to have a father like you." Omega froze, again. Father. He always wanted to be a father. He always wondered what his own children would be like and knew he would take care of his daughter even if she was a bird. Omega just smiled and said, "And I am proud to have a strong daughter like you." There mental connection revealed each other's emotions full of love and caring. Omega didn't really know why he felt that much love coming from the phoenix but it didn't matter to him how he got it. He had it and he would never let it go. Omega awkwardly hugged the phoenix but the phoenix just wrapped her wings around Omega making it much more comfortable.

They were finally together in the flesh and they were happy. Each reveled in each other's warmth while Omega also enjoyed the feeling of her soft feathers against his face, even when they tickled his nose a little. Omega pulled away and said, "I want to show you something." The phoenix was confused but flew onto Omega's outstretched arm while he carried her into a room next door.

In a transparent blue box made of thin ice, a blazing red and orange feather sat on a pedestal with a small fire along the bottom giving the room a nice soft glow. The phoenix looked at Omega with shock and said, "Is this? ...," not able to finish her thought with the emotions flowing through her. Omega chuckled and said, "This is a feather from your mother. I thought it would be nice for you to have a reminder of her other than her flames." Omega watched a little liquid fire run down the phoenix's full of gratitude face.

The phoenix climbed onto his shoulder and snuggled beside Omega's head. Omega relished in the warmth and softness of the phoenix's feathers and knew they would be happy together. Omega thought for a second wondering if the phoenix already had a name. "Hmm, since I don't know much about phoenix culture, did your mom already give you a name since you could hear her?"

The phoenix just shook her head and said, "No, phoenix hatchlings are given a name by their parent on the day that they hatch. So, it is up to you what my name shall be." Omega was shocked that he got to pick a name for one of the rarest creatures in the galaxy and took great pride in it. Even more than saying he defeated a primordial god because naming his daughter had a more personal touch to it.

He thought for a minute trying to think of a perfect name while she snuggled beside his head. "Sylvia," He spoke up in a smile. "It is a strong name but also has a kind touch to it. It flows off the tongue like silk just like your feathers feel against my skin. A name fit for a majestic bird like you." If phoenixes could blush, Omega had a strong suspicion Sylvia would have red cheeks the way she shied into Omega's side. This left a chuckling Omega already looking forward to his life with his daughter.

For the next ten years, Omega raised Sylvia and they became inseparable. They were what people would think a true father and daughter would be. A father who looked at his daughter with nothing but love and would give his life for her. A daughter who looked up to her father with love and respect wanting to prove herself so he could be proud of her.

They did everything together and they even learned how to fight as a team. At first, Omega was adamant about his daughter never needing to learn how to fight because there was no way his daughter was going to fight. However, after much persuasion and logical reasoning, she convinced him to at least teach her because the future was always unclear and you never know what would happen. Omega had to concede on that point because you didn't have to look far in Omega's life for there to be proof about that.

Omega cut down a good bit of the forest for them to practice fighting together because Omega didn't want to burn down the entire forest and knowing him, that would be his luck. He also took extra precaution by adding a thin layer of ice around the trees on the edges of the clearing which turned out to be needed on a couple of occasions.

Each one told their stories even though Omega already, unknowingly told Sylvia but it felt good to talk about it to someone who you knew would listen. Sylvia told Omega everything she learned from her mother about phoenix culture and secrets that no one but phoenixes had ever known. Omega felt proud to be trusted with this information and he swore to never reveal it without permission or unless completely necessary. He would not risk his daughter's life just to protect a secret.

Sylvia didn't know how to express her gratitude for Omega to spend ten years of his life raising her. She had never heard of such a selfless, kind person before because her mother always told stories of people trying to capture them. She vowed to always help Omega whenever he would call to at least slightly pay back her debt to him even though she would never be able to fully repay it.

Omega could tell after ten years that Sylvia was yearning to explore and get out of the forest. He would catch her sometimes looking at the stars Omega told her were different planets with a wistful expression. Of course, she would never say such a thing to him since she didn't want to leave Omega all by himself. Omega also had his fatherly side telling him the outside world was too dangerous for her and she could be captured, or worse, killed.

However, he knew he had to let go of the leash and trust her to make the right decisions like every other father in the galaxy. "Hey Sylvia! Can I talk to you for a second?!" Omega yelled up into the air watching his beautiful daughter fly down to see him. She had grown a good bit since she had hatched. She was now as tall as Omega with a 13 foot wingspan. Her feathers were just as vibrant as when she hatched while the red had started to surpass the orange. Her claws were 3 inches long and deadly to anyone she didn't like.

She swooped down and landed in front of Omega, "Yes, father?" The tone Omega used sounded a little nervous and also a little on the scarred side which Omega rarely, if ever, showed. She watched him contemplate on how he was going to tell her something and she said, "Father, whatever you're about to tell me, I can handle it. We are in this together whether you like it or not."

Omega chuckled at that. "Sylvia, I have been watching you grow into such a fine young phoenix and I know this place is not enough for you. You yearn to go outside and explore the unknown galaxy. Phoenixes are not meant to be held down. They are independent by instinct and I know that you are too. So, I want you to go and fulfill your dreams. Of course, don't talk to strangers or go down dark alleyways ..." He was interrupted with a feathery hug and a chuckling daughter.

Once Sylvia heard what Omega said, she couldn't believe she was finally going to see the outside world she had always dreamed of. Once he started rambling when his father aspect kicked in, she knew she had to interrupt him or he could go on forever. So, she decided a hug full of gratitude would suffice.

"Thank you, father. I promise I will stay safe and make you proud. I can never thank you enough for raising me and teaching me how to protect myself. I owe my life to you and if you ever need me, just call and I'll come to your aid." With that, she flame traveled out.

The flame travel ability was rare among phoenixes because of the difficulty to learn the move. There was usually one or two old phoenixes who had the skill but they spent so much time in isolation learning the skill that they never come out after accomplishing it. Sylvia was lucky to have a teacher who had mastered flame travel and taught her the ins and outs.

Even though Omega was sad that she had to leave, he knew he made the right choice. He couldn't be the one to make her life miserable even if her leaving made him lonely and empty inside again. The past ten years were the best he had ever had. Even back on Earth he never had such a good time.

He sighed and guessed he might as well start his routine of the dart board again. He went inside into his drawing room and grabbed an ice dart. He spun 100 times until he was so dizzy he could barely stand up and somehow managed to throw the dart in the direction of the spinning map. After his vision stopped spinning 5 minutes later, he walked up to the board and found it landed on the planet Hifin. He shrugged because he had never heard of it before and went to his room. He opened the small chest at the end of his bed and looked inside at the contents.

Neatly folded to the left was his black with orange and sea green trim cloak. He pulled it out and smoothed out the wrinkles that twelve years in the chest caused before putting it on. Next, he took out his mask and stared at it. It had been twelve years since he had last worn the mask and it brought back many memories. He smirked at some of them with the fear he caused to most people. After putting on his cloak and mask, he headed to the armory in the basement.

It was packed with all kind of weapons from his travels. However, in the center of the wall hung four swords with a strap of knives between them. His two normal swords hung vertically with a strap connecting them that would attach to his waist. After attaching them to his body, he grabbed his knives and slung them across one shoulder so they diagonally laid against his back and belly. After strapping them on, he looked up at two of the most powerful swords in the universe.

The Dark and Light Sword were still in the ice-encrusted scabbard hanging above where his other two sword used to be. He kept the ice on them so people wouldn't be able to somehow track their energy signatures if there was a way. If people could sense them when he got close then he suspected there would be a way to track their signatures. He picked them up off the hook and tied the scabbard to his back.

He left the room and made his way back to his bedroom where a 3X7 foot mirror was attached to the wall. He looked himself up and down and had to say he missed the look. He still looked as intimidating as ever and had the aura of 'don't mess with me unless you want to die' which made it quite funny when he saw the emperors piss their pants just by looking at him.

One thing he noticed a while back was that there seemed to be more orange specks in his eyes. His irises were still mostly sea green but now there were many more lanterns in the vast ocean. He tried to think what would have caused that but couldn't pin down one idea. He was leaning more towards the phoenix blessing strengthening his fire abilities but it could also have been being bonded to a phoenix. Or, it could be that he used a lot more of his fire abilities than water abilities in the past twelve years. He didn't know but he also didn't really care. He really did like the many floating lanterns in his eyes.

After he was done admiring his old appearance, he saw it was still early morning so he just decided he might as well leave now and mist travel to Hifin. He would always miss his daughter but he knew he would see her again someday and he already couldn't wait for that special day to arrive.

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Hey guys! Here's another update and a pretty long chapter. Sorry for the slower update but my family and I are hosting my graduation party at our house and we are cleaning it up. We are also painting half the house so it's taking a while and we're still not done. Because of this, my updates may be slower but I'll try to keep them up every four days.

Also, I always wanted to know how many words a story is but Wattpad doesn't provide that information. So, for anybody else who is like me, I'll post the word count at the end of my chapters to keep you informed.

The school year is finally over for me since I am exempt from my exams (Good attendance and grades have their perks)!! Also, my first official job is this summer as a youth counselor for a hunt camp and I am looking forward to it. Hope you guys are looking forward to your summer too!!

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