I'm definitely in the urban fantasy mood this week, so this was a good prompt. It kind of reminded me of the minions of Gozer in Ghostbusters.
What’s in a Name?
“It’s very weird. What do you call it?”
Jason thought for a moment. “I never thought about what to call it…a chimera, I guess.”
Maggie shook her head. “That’s what it is, but what do we name it?”
“Ah, call him Joe.”
Maggie just shook her head. “Names are powerful things. If you know something’s creation name, you can control it.”
While Jason thought about it, Danielle, Jason’s ex, peeked out from behind the tapestry hanging against the far wall.
“Well, no one would suspect his real name is Joe. Right?”
Maggie sighed, but nodded. “Okay. It’s your horned-eagle-lion thing.”
“Named Joe.”
“Right.”
Together, Jason and Maggie dragged the waist-high sculpture to the center of the circle inscribed in the floor and lit the seven candles surrounding it. He then turned off the overhead light and bowed his head. Maggie raised her arms, tilted her head back, and closed her eyes.
“Oh, great Nomenpater! Lend us your ear and divine attention. Bring life to this…horned-eagle-lion chimera that it may serve us in your name. Bestow upon it the name…”
Maggie looked sideways at Jason, who opened one eye and grinned. She shrugged again, but before she could speak the name “Joe,” the girl behind the tapestry whispered, “Burlyfarkle.”
“…Joe.”
A deep rumbling shook the floor, and the statue started to vibrate until glowing cracks appeared on its surface. With a blinding burst of light, the living chimera shook itself like a wet dog. Maggie and Jason stared in awe.
Jason was the first to regain his voice. “Joe, fly around the room.”
The monster scratched the floor with its talons, but remained firmly on the ground.
Jason turned to Maggie. “I thought you said—”
Danielle stepped into the light, pointed at the other two, and said, “Burlyfarkle, Eat!”
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