The tiny, mottled blue egg had hatched first, several days before the larger green egg in fact. He had been watching the green egg while idlying running a hand over the tiny blue egg when he had noticed the cracks in the blue egg's shell. Felt them, really.

Daem had been stunned for a moment, having never had to deal with something like this in his realm of nightmares. Something, though, prompted him from within his memory and, when the thin, bright red head had broken the shell from around it, he had held some food up to it carefully. The creature... Eki, the Eki had devoured the food in no time at all and cried for more. Daem fed him slowly, stroking the little Eki's slim body while doing so.

The little thing was full in no time and quickly turned to games, racing around and pouncing on everything like twelve kittens rolled into one. Daem looked on with amusement, this free-for-all play that this Eki was doing was funny to watch, but he watched with only half of his mind, the rest bent on trying to come up with a name for this being.

Tiran, that was a good name. He felt that it meant something.. fiery.. in the language that he first had before he became Daem.

"Come here, Tiran," he spoke softly, his voice rough and almost dark sounding. He watched with interest as Tiran wacked a bit of paper towards him, then races forward and leapt onto his chest, snuggling up under his chin and falling swiftly asleep.


This routine of play, sleep, and eat went on for several days, and each time, Tiran wandered over to the large green egg for at least a few moments.

The hatching happened early that morning, and if it hadn't been for Tiran's playful nature, Daem would never have gotten through the first day. The dragon was just a baby, but it needed quite a bit more attention than he had thought.

It hadn't taken long for Daem to come up with a name, Daiheln, for the dragon. It didn't seem to mean anything, but the dragon appeared to like it.


Tiran, of course, grew faster than the larger Daiheln, growing into a teen within only a few weeks. In that time, he and Daiheln had become close, usually playing together most of the time that they were awake. Daem joined in when the two wanted him to, and tried not to hurt either of them.


Daiheln was a quick study, learning to speak soon after he reached teenhood, he was curious about almost everything it seemed, asking numerous questions about Daem and his realm of nightmares. He seemed to enjoy the idea of a realm made just for nightmares with other nightmares formed into, in his words, games. Violent games, true, but games nonetheless.


Tiran grew with amazing speed, reaching the age of adult soon after Daiheln had become a teen. By this time he was so closely attached to Daiheln that it was like they'd never be apart.


Daem glanced at the fully grown Daiheln with amazement, he was so perfectly formed, so fierce looking.

"Well, now that you're an adult, do you want to join any of the clans around here?"

Daiheln's head moved from side to side, considering this, "I think I'll join that one... Kuromeru," he finally rumbles.

He laughed, "I figured you'd pick that one, dealing as it does with black magic."

Daiheln just rumbled, "The name is nice to say, too."

Tiran glanced up and growled, causing Daem and Daiheln to look up too. Much to their amazement, a strange, golden colored Eki with black and gold wings glides high above their heads.

"I wonder who this little beauty belongs to," Daem remarked softly as he held out an arm, upon which the gold and black Eki hesitantly lands on.

Daiheln brought his muzzle close to the Eki, sniffing her over entirely, then rumbled softly, "I don't think she belongs to anyone, Daem. Maybe if she can stay with us?"

Tiran scrambled up Daem's side to get a closer look at this new Eki, who brings her golden snout down to return his sniffs.

"Well, do you approve of keeping her, Tiran?"

Tiran glanced over at Daem then let out a strange purr/rumble that sounds like approval.

"Well, little one, do you want to stay with us?" Daem asked the gold and black Eki as he brought his other hand up slowly to stroke her, which she apparently loved, since she settled down on his arm and closed her eyes in what looks like joy. "Well I guess that answers that. What should I call you though?"

"Niateranias," Daiheln says softly.

Daem thought about it for a second, then nodded, "A long name, but we can always call her Nite, and it is a beautiful name suitible for one like her."

Daiheln smiled.


"Here.. above you!" Daem snapped out sharply to Daiheln, causing the dragon to shift his bulk with amazing speed, the orb at his side pulsating faintly as Daiheln drew upon the power within to send a vortex of darkness ripping through the nightmare beast that had attempted to claw his back to shreads.

Carefully, he crept closer to the destroyed beast, prodding it with his dagger, then rumbled for Daem to come and see, "I've never seen something like this before..."

"Hmm?" Sliding up, Daem looked down at the thing at his bond's feet, Nite and Tiran peaking at it as well from their perches on his shoulder, "Odd... This place should be too stable for new creatures to pop into existance."