Amy Rose was a strange-looking companion to be sure, and certainly not someone Clarus may have chosen for himself right off the bat, but she was eager and polite enough so far that he would remind himself not to dismiss her out of hand. Whatever she was wasn’t anything he’d encountered in Eos, but she was likely a perfectly normal person on her world. This wasn’t his world, Clarus was regularly reminded.

He caught the bridle of the wayward bird and held it steady a moment, petting its beak and shushing it softly. “It’s alright, that’s a good bird.” The hedgehog was afforded a small understanding my smile as he released the bridle. “Try to put yourself at ease, Miss Rose. The chocobo will remain as tense as you are. Small rugs on the reins, a squeeze of your thighs when you want him to move. They’re gentle beasts, you just need relax a bit.”

His own chocobo was raring to go, and he patted the side of its neck before stepping into the stirrup to mount up. “I’ll be by your side, so don’t be afraid to call out should you require assistance. Are you ready?”