We sat down in one of the surrounding bleacher seats in the spectator stands.

  “Full dive. Is that the thing where they connect your mind to the game so all of your senses make you feel like you're really in the game?”

  “That's right. The game here is specifically dragons nest, you can only play it here and it's the first full dive VR Game not yet on the market it's super fun and very competitive, it's essentially a tech demo gathering people to test the game and the full dive Tech with a larger sample size and thanks to that we can get paid to play, resources and beating other players, there's all sorts of ways to make cash off of it, of course that's provided you win. The game modes where you can make the most progress are called uploads; that's where you get to fight and explore the world of Dragon’s Nest. It's the best time to level up your partner and grab materials for yourself.

  “Partner?”

  “Every player has a partner of sorts usually, it's the monster that aids you in battle and will be the focus of pretty much all of your developments in the dragon's nest. So you really have to hope for a good one. Here take a look”

  He showed me The screen of his D-Vice and on it there was a small girl dressed in pink flowers dancing. On his screen small flower petals swirling behind her like wings as she hopped up and down.

  “It's a pleasure to meet you Ren, I've heard so much about you, Shiro has been so excited to have a friend to play with on the battlefield, my name is Titania. I look forward to seeing you by Shiro's Side as we battle.”

  “They can talk?”

  “Yea super cool right, they've got like super advanced AI Systems and you get to install them on your D-Vice to make up battle strategies or even just get to know them better they each have their own unique Personality as well”

  “If the game is randomly generating an AI at this level for each of the players, that would have to be some serious tech”

  “Oh please I'm not an Ai I'm a fairy”

  “So you said she was called Titania as in the famous Titania queen of fairies?”

  “Hey!”

  “Nope, that's just what he named me, but I could live up to that title maybe, I don't know? What's she like?”

  I looked down at his D-Vice screen surprised that it was chiming in on the conversation, is it always listening?

  “So I'm going to get an Ai companion Like this?”

  “Well not all of them are as talkative as Titania, they say the partner you get is a reflection of some aspect of yourself”

  “So then why did you get a tiny fairy? Because you're always being tricky?”

  “Hmm I wouldn't know about that, but maybe it's because I'm fond of plants and animals, like a tender of the forest”

  He said with a sly smile, but our exchange was interrupted by Titania having an outburst at my continued dismissal of her.

  “Stop ignoring me! Titania jumps up and down on the screen of Shiro's D-Vice clearly annoyed. Listen, personality is only a part of it but never mind you shouldn't think of us as just some familiar, I am Shiro's partner so you should treat me the same as him, with respect and dignity, so stop ignoring me when I'm talking!”

  “Hmm” I continued to ignore the tiny fairy and looked to the screen seeing a huge kraken And hydra Wrestling In an open body of water.

  “So there are things like that, and you've got to fight with an Itty bitty fairy girl?”

  “Hey don't look down on me because I'm small I can totally take those guys.” Titania interjected still trying to get my attention

  “Huh, well if you say So, So when do I get mine?”

  “We have to wait for the current upload to be complete, your first upload causes your companion to be generated, and after that you can access a lot of the side areas, some things will be locked unless you get certain items or quests. But for now just watch the big screen and get a feel for things, I'm gonna go get us some food and drinks, here I'll leave my D-Vice with you and you can talk to Titania and ask her any questions you have.”

  Shiro gets up and walks off back towards where We came. I glanced down at the Colorful fairy with some curiosity but I found entertainment in her desperate attempts at recognition so I focused on the massive battle on the screen.

  The kraken had dragged the Hydra under the water, but the hydra was Rapidly splitting its own heads and multiplying at a rapid rate, as it tore into the krakens massive tentacles.

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  “So am I going to get some massive beast like that, or a tiny little thing Like you?

  I asked the fairy on the screen, giving a slight taunt to see how she would react.

  “I don't know, people get paired up with all sorts of creatures, but for the most part no matter what, when you start out your partners probably going to be pretty small unless Size is the key trait to your partner. When I first met Shiro I was an Itty bitty thing, so small he could only see the light I produce, but as I leveled up I got bigger and now I'm this big”

  she gestured exemplifying Her height by stretching her arms out above her head

  “Hmm well the game does look really cool, I hope I get a strong partner.”

  I say as I look over the screens of the incredible creatures and battles that took place.

  “No matter what sort of partner you get, you need to give your partner a fair chance, don't be picky or rude, your partner fights for you so your bond is important.”

  Hmm, I'll keep that in mind

  Soon enough the hydra had torn the kraken's tentacles to bits and resurfaced. From the deep water.

  “So If these creatures are people's companions Where are they right now in that ocean battle?”

  “Well, an often used strategy with massive types like that is for the masters to hide inside their beasts, the hydra can manipulate Its biomass so it would just have a false head or something. And the kraken would keep its master in one of its massive eyes. They don't have to be in one of those spots, But they can develop skills to do things like that.”

  “Huh interesting”

  “I do something similar with Shiro”

  she says putting her hands on Her hips and puffing out her chest proudly

  “What you hide inside him?”

  “No not at all, eww, uh well, Shiro told me not to tell you, he wants my skills to be a surprise. So you'll just have to wait and see”

  A few moments later Shiro came back with popcorn and hot dogs and the coffee I had asked for seeing me focused on the battle on the screen he sat next to me eating some of the popcorn.

  The hydra had returned to land and seemed to be pursuing a large Crystal like pillar that was glowing but as soon as It reached it, an enormous bird flew By and snatched The hydra off the ground pulling it into the air in that swift moment the Hydra was doomed as it was pulled high into the sky above the clouds and dropped

  “that one is one of the more famous Size based creatures. A thunderbird”

  Shiro said as he munched on the popcorn

  “wow that really is impressive”

  “Hmm so your really a size matters type of guy huh?”

  Titania said putting her hands on her hips

  I look down at the tiny fairy on the D-Vice screen “ah well, I suppose” I scratch my cheek as the tiny fairy pouts.

  “Well I'm glad my master is Shiro and not you, Shiro picked me up. I don't want to be in this guy's hands anymore”.

  I handed the D-Vice back to its proper owner as the little fairy was throwing a fit talking about how I didn't appreciate her size and needed to be less picky about height.

  “Ah well, sorry about that Ren she's really particularly about her height and hates being called small”

  “ah well it's my bad anyways, I'm just not in the best mood for meeting new people I suppose. I Didn't mean it Titania”

  I say in a half hearted apology over the silly fairy

  Looking at the screen the huge thunderbird flying above the clouds was quite the scene.

  “Say can you fly high up like that too?”

  I asked looking at the flower like wings on the fairy's back

  She paused her fussing looking over at the thunder bird with wide eyes. “Maybe.. If I really tried, it's pretty high up though, and besides I don't need to fly high I would just pluck its wings out of the sk–”

  “Titania remember, keep it a surprise”

  “Ah fine I won't say more”

  “So what's that crystal there for?” I pointed to the pillar the Giant thunderbird landed next to. I could see what looked like a person coming out of a bundle of feathers on the neck as they reached out towards the crystal.

  “There's all sorts of special materials and resources that can be found while in the upload. Gathering them and competing over them is one of the ways to upgrade your companion.”

  We then saw as the Thunderbird grabbed the pillar of crystal in its massive talons and began flying off.

  “Geez he's taking the whole thing, what a greedy bird brain.”

  “your just jealous we're not the one grabbing it”

  Shiro commented looking down at his fairy companion.

  I couldn't really imagine how a tiny fairy or Shiro would manage to take such a large crystal the size of a skyscraper

  Soon enough the screen shifts its perspective to another scene. And another fight.

  I watch the different scenes while eating a bit and drinking the hot, much needed coffee, waiting eagerly for my turn wondering what kind of creature my companion might be.

  Eventually it comes time. They called for all with tickets to come up first and get into a pod.

  I was nervous about being watched by such a large group of people, but with Shiro urging me on from behind I managed to make it up to one of the pods.

  “The new arrivals will be given a head start of ten minutes to get familiarized with their surroundings and make first contact with their companion, we understand that you will likely want to spend more time with your companion so if you do die right away you still will be able to practice and communicate with them in the dormitory at the side stations at the left of the facility now then sit back, put on the helmets and the upload will begin shortly.”