The Name Game

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 12834

Carradene then proceeded to recount the incredible but true story of Fred the ManFox and the Manimals, the death of Minestus, the coming of the Analogs and the destruction and rebirth of Earth-Prime. When he finished his story, he emptied his beer mug and burped. Everyone in the room gazed up at him, teary eyed and warm hearted. Boy that was a great story! "But that's not all," Carradene spoke up again, having refilled his beer. "Now let me tell you a story about the one-legged whore from Gelda." But before he could begin, Regent Malachi cut him off. "I think that's enough storytelling for tonight Carradene," the dragoness said, her eyes blazing slightly at the drunken old manwolf. He just shrugged and turned back to his beer.

"Now let us commence the ~Name Game~ ," Malachi then said, her voice clear and sharp. "Hell Yeah!" Fred5 suddenly shouted. Black Astra smacked him in the back of the head again. "I wanna be called Freddy!" one of the Freds shouted. "An I wanna be called ' Bunneykins!" one of the Astras shouted. "And I want to be sick," Dragon Synizn muttered as he slouched onto the floor and began doodling with his tail. "Stop playing with yourself!" Demifox Synizn hissed at him and slapped at his hands. Dragon Synizn returned to full human form, crossed his arms and began to pout. Satisfied that the grump would now keep quiet, Demifox Synizn went back to ignoring him and concentrated instead on what was about to happen. The ~Name Game~ !

Regent Malachi produced an ornately carved wooden chest and placed it on a marble pedestal sculpted with fine figures of winged serpents and tongues of flame. She whispered something in a solemn voice and opened the chest. Her face was lit up in a bluish glow and she pulled a radiating sapphire orb from the box.

While Demifox Synizn and the rest of the dragons and former dragons were well aware of how the Name Game worked, none of the humans/former humans/demi-humans/etc had ever even heard of it before. But then why should they have, it was after all a secret initiation ceremony used only by Dragons. It celebrated the moment in which every young dragon became a full member of a Dragon Circle. But in this brave new world where dragons and humans would live together in peace, working side by side, Regent Malachi had decided that only one of the oldest and most solemn of holy draconic rites could be used to usher in this new era and bind all those who had assembled together into a family, strong and true.

Demifox Synizn still found it hard to believe that Regent Malachi had chosen to invoke the Orb of Nominus. It was a rite of passage that all dragons aspired to and worked for. Those that had been so initiated were given respect and obedience regardless of age or kind or Circle. Such passage was not given lightly or earned easily. Could the humans that had gathered here appreciate the great honor that was being given to them? Demifox Synizn for one was sure that they would.

A hushed silence filled the room for a second time that evening. The Regent held the glowing orb reverently in her hands and explained that each of them would come to her and place their hands upon the orb. The orb would then search their hearts and minds and reveal to them that name which was truly theirs and could be given to no other. She then began to hum, a strange, unearthly dragon hum that seemed to open up in the minds of the listeners undreamt of worlds and unbroken vistas of possibility and promise.

And that's when the gun went off and inadvertently blew the Orb into a million tiny shards of sapphire bits and pieces.

"I told you to stop playing with that!" Para-Astra screeched at Fred2. All Fred2 could do was sheepishly return the pistol to his shoulder holster and attempt to pretend that he hadn't just made an ass of himself.

Dragon Synizn put his head in his hands and began to cry.

Regent Malachi just stared, speechless. After a long moment, the Regent seemed to pull herself together, looked out at everyone in the hall and said, "Well you guys can just make up any old stupid names you want! I'm going to my room!" And then she stomped out of the ballroom.

  1. Will our name impaired heroes ever get new monikers?

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WolfRun

9/3/2000 11:44:00 AM

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