The.... Well, the lady who was my Mother now, I'll have to give it to her. She recovered from surprise pretty well.

It might have taken her a few moments for the shock to wear off, but once it did? She simply melted back with a that adoring smile, moving off the seat. Well, bedside, it looked like. Not too high off the ground, but it was very long at least. Not important. That she slipped back down to the floor, more to a kneeling position by the ruins of my egg, that was more to the point.

"Of course I'm your Mah~" See? Recovered well enough. "And you, little one, must be famished!" She laughed, and.... It was hard to describe. Like the rustling of leaves, it wasn't smooth, but it felt.... comfortable. Familiar even. "Here, let your Mah take care of you, mhmm?"

And as I lay there on in her hand, she reached over to my egg. Fingers snapped and cracked what she reached, small, butter tab sized chunks of egg left as she reached on and-

-popped one in my mouth?!

What the?! Listen, I know Reptiles are weird and I figured that would be part of it! But this is a bit too....

.... Soft?

No. No no no. Eggshells defining characteristic is that they are stiff. They are stiff and hold the unborn and go great with salsa. That's.... That's it. Why on earth was it soft? And creamy? Not bad more like.... An over filled pastry?

My confusion must have been apparent, another dry laugh sounding from her, another few pieces offered back. "Go on, eat up. Your Dad will be back in a few hours. Want to surprise him, so eat up and be good honey~"

I.... Well, you could say I was confused. But, it tasted good? And if this was to be the beginning of a new life, best start it off on the right foot? Er.... meal? Goodness I hope that's what this is at least.

Besides, she had a point that was hard to deny. I was pretty hungry. A growl from below more than confirmed that.

So, a few shards at a time, she let me devour that meaty egg. My entry into the world now marked with nothing more than a little damp spot on the mat, and a goodly smearing of dark fluid on her smock.

Oh, yes. I should have said, the towel? Wasn't a towel. Twas the hem of her smock. A thin soft cottony bit of fabric, wrapped over her shoulders and around the back. Something you might expect to wear while away and at home. Loose and easy on her, it lent a gentle look to her.

Or, maybe that was just the warmth?

Cozy...

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

I'm pretty sure it was the smock.... Yeah. The edge of which had a particularly... weird taste to them? Clothing, sure, but I was curious! And.... Tired.

I think chewing that was the last thing I did as I drifted off.

It was the feeling of something touching my neck that made me wake up.

Well, that's not quite true. Something touching my neck that made me bite down. It was the little squeak of pain that prompted that woke me up.

Blearily blinking away sleep in my eyes, I stretched for a moment, arms reaching up as my tail curled. Strange feeling, stretching something you previously didn't have.... I can say that much. Still, a long yawn and a lick of my lips and....

Woah. There's more of them now.

The Lady was still there. Yes, she might be my Mom here but that's.... it's still weird to say that okay? You go up to someone you never seen before and call them your Mom. See how that feels! She, well, she was still there. A hand brushing down my back as I lay on her chest. I think she was sitting somewhere different? I honestly couldn't tell you. My focus were on the other reptiles.

Oh. Sorry. Nyarel, rather. That was the name that the character creator had said they were. And.... what I had decided to be. Scales, a bit more of a sharper vibe than the other lizard like folks available, and with a cute snout? I mean, I could have said no.... But I wasn't about to.

I like the lizard look alright? Add onto that a nice little tail, that they had some good coloring, and a lengthy almost elastic like tongue? it was a done deal.

Now... Where was I?

Oh right! The other Nyarel. There were three of them to be exact. Each crowding on around and looking at me with a mix of expressions. The smallest one just on to my left.... He had on this wild grin. His brow ridge was more craggy than the rest, his eyes an almost murky greenish brown.I think his coloration was the same as the la.... er.... my mother's. Was a little hard to tell. Some simple tan childrens clothes covered him from the shoulder down.

To my far right.... a far more slender Nyrael stood. A good head or so higher than the kid, but still a goodly bit shorter than.... mother.... She looked back to me with a more reserved smile, her hand reached out. Tapping at my tail as it swayed.

And between them?

"Woah..." Mumbling on around as I looked up to him, and, jeeze. I could almost feel him smile at that. If my.... mother was tall? He was some sort of giant.

Scales caked with a thin film of dirt, a smile like a mountains peaks, and with horns that nearly dipped to his shoulders, he... Well, he looked like he could bench press my dad from the old world without breaking a sweat.

"Surprise~" That milky soft voice called out again, her eyes no longer on me for the first time since... I was, really. No, her eyes were back up to the giant of a Nyrael. "She hatched just a few hours ago."

Jeeze, only a few hours, and already a viewing crowd huh? Well, I guess even if I wasn't a reincarnation, a new kid is some sort of event. No wonder they all looked so... happy?

Just happy that I was there?

That's...

I.... gave a small smile back to them, a hand lightly raised.

I'd meant to wave, but, the big fellow seemed to take that differently. With a care that belied his size, he reached over to me. A single finger tapped against my hand as he spoke, a voice like rolling river stones.

"Heya... Hi there little one. It's me, your Father...." His smile softened again, a face creased with years of work relaxing as he looked back. "I'm your Dad, kiddo. You.... you're beautiful, just like your mother, you know that?"

"Akra~" Her voice sparkled with mirth, a faint grin heard in her word. I didn't need to look.... but I did. Watched the lady sing back to him with but words. "She still needs a name. Food and talking can come later. Have you finally decided?"

Akra.... Was that his name? And.... wait. I already decided a name I'd go by? What's with this that they get to pick? It's not like they had to decide and get me here!

Still, Akra moved on regardless as I turned to look back to him. "Cinder. Soft, sweet Cinder. What do you think sweet? Easy enough for Mahun tongue, and still our little one."

"Cinder..." She rolled it around in her mouth, the first syllable snapping out, her tongue briefly brushing by my scalp as she did so. The little boy chuckled at that, while the girl just grinned.

"Yes.... Cinder.. I like it~" She looked back down to me. To Me. Not just a kid. Not some lizard on her chest. But.... to see me. Looking at her.

"Welcome Home Cinder~"