...Nera or Nightmare?

“Well now that the introductions are out of the way-” Mindreader was saying when I cut him off.
“Wait! I don’t know your name...” I looked up, at him, but he wasn’t looking at me.
“My name isn’t important.” He said then facing Paws and was about to say something when I cut in again.
“Yes it is, other wise I won’t know what to call you.” I wasn’t leaving this spot until I knew his name, and that was that!
“Oh, alright, if it’ll get you moving, we do have to be somewhere, now.” He seemed to look for something long lost in his mind.
“If I remember correctly, my name is Nera...” He looked saddened after saying his name.
“Nera, it suits you.” I mused, “It sounds almost as mysterious as you act.”
He smiled solemnly looking at his feet for a second as though trying to keep down something bad he’d just eaten.
Looking up at Paws he commanded “Take us to Hertly, and no taking us on a round about route!”
Turning to me he whispered, “Last time I wanted to go to the information section i.e. the library he got me there just as the clock chimed for midnight.”
I laughed stifling it with my hand over my mouth.
Mindr-I mean Nera seemed pleased by my laughing; he smiled at me and then pulled off a really goofy grin which had me laughing uncontrollably.
He started telling jokes and pulling funny faces while I tried to guess some of the jokes answers and pulled funny faces as well.
By the time we arrived at our destination, a large; old Victorian; mahogany door, we were both in hissing balls of laughter and the funny thing was; I didn’t know what I was actually laughing about!
“We are here.” Paws announced, “Now may I take my dinner break, Nightmare?” He asked turning to face Nera, with a tired and hungry look about him.
‘Wait! What? Why did he just call Nera nightmare?’ I was confused and definitely wasn’t going to laugh anymore, not with what Paws had just said, ‘maybe he’d just called him that because Paws didn’t like him... Yeah that’s gotta be why. It has to; they must have some sort of grudge between them... Though with the way they act towards each other you could’ve sworn they were best friends! I need time to contemplate things.’ But where am I going to get time? I’m in a strange house with weird ceilings and lots of doors; that lead to...I have no clue where, not to mention that I’m with this guy ‘Nera’ whom I know little to nothing about, ‘No, I must be on my guard from now on!’ I ordered myself ‘No more fun and games, my mom is gone somewhere or forgot to pick me up, and I’m with a stranger in a very weird and creepy house, with a, I would guess, a ten year old cat boy.’ This is turning out to be one unusual day.
“Very well, then! Go ahead take your break... you lazy fur ball.” Nera teased pushing Paws softly as he went by, Paws was fully morphed into a cat, which was snow white and that had these big ears, by the time he rounded a corner down the hallway.
“Paws always was a sucker for milk and naps.” Nera stated to no one in particular, even though I was the only other person there.
Turning towards the door, he rapped lightly on it three times.
“Come in.” Somebody invited, with a burly yet some how comforting voice, from within the room beyond the door.
With a simple and light flick of Nera’s wrist towards the door, it swung open, sending out a gentle but warm gust of air.
“Who is it?” The voice asked of us.
This time I saw him, he was sitting behind a strangely large table, that I would have had to stand at for my eyes to even be able to see over it, he was wearing a red cardigan sweater, his hands looked like they could belong to a grizzly bear and his grey beard looked as though birds had tried but fail in making a nest there.
“It’s rude to stare!” Nera hissed at me, quietly, continuing with his answer to the question, “I am Nightmare of the Lunima clan.” He then bowed very low to this giant of a man, “And this is Ara Nickle, Daughter to the matriarch of the Anahita clan. Ara this is Hertly.” Nera, or is it really Nightmare, stated happily, introducing me.
I had been ready to curtsy or bow but now I was just shocked, staring straight ahead, my mind in a buzz, unsure of what I should do next...