“Now wait a minute…” Reif started to object.
“Yer right, Shaman…Papa Nessie…canna done better meself.”
“The first egg is hatching,” Dr. Luna announced, standing next to the incubator nearest to the group.
“Oh…oh…oh! Look at the tiny fang!” Kieran exclaimed as the first piece of shell fell onto the padded cushion beneath it. Then, within minutes, the shell cracked in half, and out slithered a tiny sea serpent with wings. Looking up at Kieran, he stuck out his forked tongue and hissed a greeting. Reaching down, Kieran gently touched the baby sea serpent’s head before letting it wind itself up his arm. Holding it up to Brian and Reif, Kieran murmured, “Lukas…say hello to your daddy and papa.”
Flicking his tongue several times, Lukas flapped his wings and then suddenly flew to Brian, landing on his chest.
Quickly raising his arm, Brian cradled his son in its crook, smiling down at Lukas. “Ye a mighty strong laddie, Lukas.”
Running a finger down Lukas’ different shades of green scales, Reif murmured, “Look at his color…so beautiful.”
“Here comes the next one,” Dr. Luna announced.
Leaving Lukas in the care of his fathers, Kieran moved to the next incubator, watching as the egg shook several times before another tiny fang broke through. Then nothing happened for several moments. “C’mon little one,” Kieran crooned softly. “Your brother and daddiesare waiting for you.” Reaching down into the incubator, Kieran laid his hand on top of the shell, closing his eyes in concentration. Sending a message of love and acceptance to the tiny sea serpent, he then removed his hand, grinning at the egg. Within a second, a wing poked through, followed by another on the opposite side, then several flaps of them broke the shell apart. Inside was a sea serpent covered in rainbow-colored scales with bright blue eyes.
“You are adorable, Christos,” Kieran murmured, letting the tiny sea serpent slither into his hand where he promptly curled up. Walking slowly over to Reif, he held out his hand and said, “Go give Papa Nessie some love.”
Christos raised his head, flicked out his tongue, and then tightly coiled his body before springing through the air and landing perfectly in Reif’s outstretched hands.
Raising his hands until they were level with his face, Reif leaned forward and touched the tip of his nose to the top of Christos’ head. “You are as beautiful as your brother, my son.” After receiving a lick from his son’s tongue, Reif placed Christos in Brian’s arm. “Here’s your Daddy Nessie and Lukas.”
“Kieran,” Dr. Luna said, “the next one is ready.”
Joining the doctor at the third incubator, Kieran peered down at the egg inside, noticing that a large piece of shell had already fallen off. He glimpsed a purple wing, but before he could say anything, the egg broke open, and out emerged the third sea serpent.
“Julius! What a perfect entrance into a world just waiting for you!” exclaimed Kieran, softly petting the tiny sea serpent’s head. Then scooping him up, hewalked over to Brian and Reif. “Julius, here are your daddies and brothers.”
In a hurry to meet his family, Julius took off, circling before landing on Reif’s shoulder. Then lowering his pink head, he rubbed it along the side of Reif’s face before hopping over to Brian and doing the same.
“Purple wings and a pink body! What a stunner you’re going to grow up to be,” Reif murmured, touching Julius’ nearly translucent wings.
“Oh, I hear the next egg cracking!” Kieran exclaimed. Rushing over to the fourth incubator, he grinned at Dr. Luna before looking down at the baby sea serpent already squirming out of his shell. “Welcome to the world, Tobias…your daddies are so happy you are here. Shall we go and meet them?” After receiving several bobs of Tobias’ head, Kieran reached down and gathered up the biggest of the baby sea serpents and hugged him to his chest.
Before Kieran had taken more than a few steps, Tobias had launched himself at his daddies, flying around the room before landing on Brian’s shoulder. Giggling at the sea serpent’s antics, Kieran exclaimed, “Perfecto! Papa Nessie and Daddy Nessie meet your precocious son, Tobias.”
“Ouch!” Brian muttered, carefully extracting Tobias’ fangs from his ear. “I see ye like to bite things.”
Chuckling, Reif moved Tobias off Brian’s shoulder and placed him on his. “Bite away little one…ears are particularly tasty, as I discovered when I was your age.”
Raising an eyebrow, Brian said, “Ye canna encourage him…I’ll nae have any ears left.”
Sticking out his forked tongue, Tobias flicked it several times before chirping at his brothers. Then, he licked Reif’s ear before draping himself over Reif’s left shoulder.
“He licks ye, but bites me,” grumbled Brian.
Petting the midnight-colored scales, Reif murmured, “You’re special, little Tobias, and I can’t wait for us to fly together through the night sky.”
Before Kieran could reach the last incubator, a small piece of the shell went flying through the air, landing on his forehead. Laughing, he removed it and then said to the last hatched sea serpent, who was looking at him proudly, “Well, Georgios…that certainly was a dramatic entrance! Come, let’s go say hello to your daddies and brothers.” Picking up the sparkling sapphire-colored sea serpent, he carried him over to Brian and Reif. “Georgios is eager to meet you.”
Taking his son from Kieran’s hands, Reif placed Georgios onto his right shoulder. “The last born, but worth the wait…he’s the color of the sea around my homeland.”
Brian reached over and lightly ran a fingertip over Georgios’ scales. “Ay, I’ll bet Papa Nessie’s gonna spoil you.”
Chuckling, Reif said, “Allof our sons are going to be spoiled.”
“Ay, yer right abut that,” Brian replied, admiring the three adorable sea dragons nestled in his arms. Then looking over at Kieran, he added, “Thank ye, Shaman, the names are guid.”
