The Name Game

Through the doors was a miniature study. At the center of it was an intricately carved table and chairs, too small for a creature Wolf’s size to fit into. Toward the back of the room was a fireplace, the subject of R’s interest when we walked in. The Manikin turned toward us slowly, a thin smile on his face. “What can I do for you?” He was obviously better schooled than our greeter. He didn’t have the same strange lilt to his speech as Melchoir. He stared at us with bright and calculating eyes. “We’re being pursued by the Queen below these clouds,” Wolf began. “Like I care,” R interrupted. Wolf faltered for a minute. “Well, you should! She’s trying to kill us. She’ll kill you too if she gets the chance. Your whole city is in danger.” R walked across the room, staring at me oddly. Despite Wolf’s protests, he leaned over to pick my bubble from the floor. “I know you.” His eyes flashed angrily. “What kind of game are you trying to pull?” He set me down again and walked back toward the fireplace. “I told you before. The only way to get help from me is by finding the answer to my riddle.” Wolf gave me a confused look. I shrugged. I didn’t know what he was talking about. Then a thought popped into my head. “I think you’re confusing me with someone else. There’s a fairy that looks just like me. We have reason to believe she’s been this way, as we’ve been following her trail for days.” R barked a laugh before spinning back around to look at us. “How convenient.” He walked around in a circle and then stopped to address Wolf. “The price of my cooperation is a test. A puzzle you get three days to complete. If you answer it correctly, I will convince the Ogre King to help you. If you don’t, I’m going to hand you both over to the Queen myself. Melchoir here will be my eyes. He’ll make sure you don’t try to escape the city.” He dismissed us with a cursory wave of his hand. “But-” Wolf cried out. R spun back around, gnashed his teeth. “I already gave HER three days, and she disappeared! Don’t question me or I’ll revoke this second chance.” “What’s the puzzle?” Wolf cried as Melchoir ushered us to the door. R’s voice boomed across the room, “You have three days to guess my name.” And then the door slammed shut in our faces. “Ridiculous!” Wolf howled as we left R’s castle. “There’s no way we’re going to be able to guess the correct name in three days. The possibilities are endless.” I rolled away from his stomping paws. “Not necessarily. We already know his name begins with an ‘R’.” Wolf rolled his eyes. “Too bad it isn’t ‘Z’.” Melchoir chuckled behind a hand. “You think this is funny, little man?!” Wolf turned on the Manikin with bared teeth. “You are going to help us, or else-” “William!” I shouted. Wolf stopped and turned in surprise at the sound of his birth name. “Why don’t you try being friendly with our guide? It just might get you a little further than force.” I turned to Melchoir, faking the sweetest grin. “Melchoir, can you help us?” The Manikin shook his head slowly. “Do you know who might be able to?” He thought to himself for a while. I began to lose patience. Finally, a look of joy spread across his face. “Rapunzel sees and hears everything in these parts!” “Good. Now we’re getting somewhere. Can you take us to her?” “Of course.” I didn’t have the heart to remind this simpleton that his master R had said to “watch” us, not “help” us. Perhaps R wasn’t as clever as he thought. On the border of Casino City was a series of rolling hills, far too beautiful to be butted up against something so garish. Before Wolf thought to carry me, I got lost in sea of wild flowers. “Can you explain to me how there are flowers on a cloud?” “Can you explain to me how a cloud can support a whole city?” He replied before lifting my bubble. “I will be so glad when I’m freed from this stupid glass trap!” I kicked the side of my bubble in annoyance. “I’m hungry. How much further?” I called out to Melchoir. “There it is.” The Manikin stood atop the hill, pointing down at something in the valley below. The object he pointed at was a very large and slender tower. This first thing I noticed was that it didn’t have a door. The only flaw on the perfect stone cylinder was a window at the top. “How do we get in?” Wolf mumbled, accidentally losing grip of my bubble in the process. I landed on the ground with a thud. Before I could chastise him, I experienced a strange sense of deja vu. I was moving down and away. I had time to think, “At least I’m just rolling this time and not falling to my death” before my bubble hit a rock and went sailing into the air. “Not again!” I wailed as the tower got closer. Fortunately, I had nothing to worry about. A few feet from the tower grew a large patch of thorny bushes. The bubble saved me from getting harmed and the bush stopped me from intersecting the stones. Wolf was not so lucky. “I’m coming Fae!” He called as he rolled down the hill after me. Melchoir calmly followed. “Ow, ow, ow!” Wolf cried as he plowed into the thorns. I waited for him to emerge. “Who disturbs my nap?” Came a sleepy voice from high above. “I brought some guests,” Melchoir called back. Wolf clawed his way out from the bushes, slightly bloodied and wincing in pain. “We’ve come for information.” He said before plucking me from the thorns. “That’ll cost you,” came the voice again. We all looked up. Framed in the tower window was a lovely female face. “Care to come up?” She called down to us. “But, how?” I asked, eyeing the nearly flawless surface of the tower. Wolf ignored us to scratch the thorns from his face. “Well first you have to say the magic words!” She giggled. “I’m not very good with those sorts of things,” I replied. “Hence the magically sealed bubble.” “I know them,” Melchoir said happily. He threw his head back, hands cupped around his mouth, and cried out. “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.” I groaned at the theatrics. Suddenly, a long golden rope tumbled down from the window. “After you.” Melchoir grinned. Wolf clung to the edge of the window, trying not to pant and lose my bubble again. The room inside the tower was a lovely sight. It was filled with fluffy chairs and colorful tapestries, a stark contrast to the gray brick the tower was made of. Rapunzel sat at the back of the room, filling tea cups and wincing as Melchoir climbed up behind us on her braid. Once we were all in the room, she pulled her hair back through the window and began to layer it in a neat pile on the floor. “Milk or honey?” She asked politely, as if she were used to entertaining guests all the time. “That looks delicious!” My belly rumbled loudly. Wolf looked down at me apologetically. “I’m sorry Fae. We’ll get you out of there soon.” “Hopefully before I starve.” Rapunzel leaned over quickly, sweeping me off the floor in one quick motion. “How do you breathe in there?” I pointed toward one of the tiny air holes. “Couldn’t we pour something in through one of those, as long as it wasn’t too hot?” She picked up one of the cups to demonstrate. As embarrassed as I was at the situation, I was too thirsty to argue. As the warm liquid seeped through, I lapped at it hungrily. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, thanking the princess for her consideration. Then I noticed Wolf. He was staring at Rapunzel, a look of adoration on his face. “Not again!” I moaned.