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The Books of Oyja I: The Tenju
Chapter 3 The Naming

I didn’t feel good and my stomach felt like it was going to burst. Reality had seemed to leave me and I didn’t want to let it go. How can you let something go that you based your whole life on? The talking walls were silent now. There was no door that would allow me to get out. There seemed to be no air to breath nor anything to hear.

Part of the wall seemed to split itself open, creating a hole. A creature with two tentacles on its head, green skin, and seemed to be a female came in. It was carrying a tray that held a large white crystal. Though the crystal, at first, seemed to be nothing it radiated with power. The creature walked to me and put the crystal on my forehead.

I screamed as the crystal melded with my forehead. Skin peeled away to allow way for the crystal. The creature cut off the extra pieces of skin. "I am a Twi’lek female.” She said. “I am to have no name because if I do have one it’ll interfere with the process.”

“What process?” I asked.

“It does not matter. It is a process that Master Tenju commands to be done.” She said.

“The process of renaming you.” The walls said. I stared at them. “I’m Herm Tenju. I have completed my training and have chosen this occupation.”

“Being walls is an occupation?” I said in amazement. This was a strange place.

“No,” Herm said. “I guard your soul until you’re renamed. It’s no use having a slave if you can’t control them properly.”

I tried to stand up but the Twi’lek kept me done. I was no one’s slave! “I’m no one’s slave!” I yelled.

“You signed on when you asked for Kuhn Tenju’s help. Do you not know how we work?” Herm asked. “I know how hard it is. But it’ll be over and you may become a Tenju.”

“Damn the Tenju!” I yelled. “I would rather be dead!” Herm was quiet and I waited for something. I felt some of my spirit leave me. I felt myself changing. The Twi’lek left us. “I fear death nor life. I would rather be dead or alive than in between.”

On one of the walls appeared a planet. As the image went into the planet I saw giant buildings destroyed and covered with vegetation. It seemed abandoned but alive. “This is Yuuzhan’tar which was once named Coruscant. It is neither dead nor alive.” Herm said.

“I’m not a planet.” I argued.

“But you are in the middle. You share the same connection as Yuuzhan’tar/Coruscant. Both of you are neither alive nor dead. You are coming into a new day.” He paused and the image became just another wall. “What is your name?”

I thought about it. I saw images of the dead bodies, and I saw all of the people alive and well. I saw them laughing. “I am destruction. I kill the good that exists and replace it with ruin.” I felt something reach into my mind.

“Yes,” Herm said. “You are destruction. I see much sadness in you. What is another of your names?”

I saw a pet I had owned. Its name had been Naz. Naz had always comforted me in times of trouble and I had helped him. Naz had been a Torw, a creature that was a reptile and had mossy skin. Naz had been wise, for a Torw, and had helped me with projects. Naz had died because of old age. “I am keeper of pets. I had a pet that decided to stay by me.”

The same sense of someone going through my mind and looking through it like a computer file came to me. “You inspire loyalty and goodness. Strange contradiction.” Herm mused. “I’ll look to see if the name I have chosen is already taken.”

“What do you mean already taken?” I asked.

“No two names of Tenju, Padawan, or Slave are alike.” Herm replied. A few moments later he said, “No. Not taken.” I felt a strange sensation of my body becoming what it once was. A hole in the wall opened. “Go through and follow the black line in front of you.”

As soon as I went through the hole a black line appeared right in front of my face. It was made of darkness, that I could tell, but how it came to be I did not know. I walked through a hallway of gold that spooked me with its beauty. I reached a staircase of metal and went down it. It was steep and when I came out I was in what appeared to be a waiting room.

Sitting in the counter was a creature with green scales and long black hair tied in a topknot. It looked at me. “Come on.” It growled. Cautiously, I went over fearing for my soul. The counter was home to not much else but a black pad and a computer. The creature looked at me. “Put your hand on the pad.” I did this and I felt a shiver. “You’re name is Slave Oyja.”

“What?!” I yelped. “There has to be a mistake my name is-”

“I don’t really care what your name is, okay, Oyja. I wouldn’t care if you were a direct messenger of the Force. The point is, your name is Slave Oyja.” It motioned me out of the room. As I walked out I realized I was in a place that was beyond reality.

Author’s Note: I have read, in some books, about the importance of names. In the Earthsea novels (Ursula K. LeGuin) some of the people don’t give away their names because of other people having control over them. In this chapter, you can see that names are one of the most important things in Tenju society. Tenju will change the name of their captives just so the Tenju can have power over them.

Description
The Books of Oyja I: The Tenju
Chapter 3 The Naming

I didn’t feel good and my stomach felt like it was going to burst. Reality had seemed to leave me and I didn’t want to let it go. How can you let something go that you based your whole life on? The talking walls were silent now. There was no door that would allow me to get out. There seemed to be no air to breath nor anything to hear.

Part of the wall seemed to split itself open, creating a hole. A creature with two tentacles on its head, green skin, and seemed to be a female came in. It was carrying a tray that held a large white crystal. Though the crystal, at first, seemed to be nothing it radiated with power. The creature walked to me and put the crystal on my forehead.

I screamed as the crystal melded with my forehead. Skin peeled away to allow way for the crystal. The creature cut off the extra pieces of skin. "I am a Twi’lek female.” She said. “I am to have no name because if I do have one it’ll interfere with the process.”

“What process?” I asked.

“It does not matter. It is a process that Master Tenju commands to be done.” She said.

“The process of renaming you.” The walls said. I stared at them. “I’m Herm Tenju. I have completed my training and have chosen this occupation.”

“Being walls is an occupation?” I said in amazement. This was a strange place.

“No,” Herm said. “I guard your soul until you’re renamed. It’s no use having a slave if you can’t control them properly.”

I tried to stand up but the Twi’lek kept me done. I was no one’s slave! “I’m no one’s slave!” I yelled.

“You signed on when you asked for Kuhn Tenju’s help. Do you not know how we work?” Herm asked. “I know how hard it is. But it’ll be over and you may become a Tenju.”

“Damn the Tenju!” I yelled. “I would rather be dead!” Herm was quiet and I waited for something. I felt some of my spirit leave me. I felt myself changing. The Twi’lek left us. “I fear death nor life. I would rather be dead or alive than in between.”

On one of the walls appeared a planet. As the image went into the planet I saw giant buildings destroyed and covered with vegetation. It seemed abandoned but alive. “This is Yuuzhan’tar which was once named Coruscant. It is neither dead nor alive.” Herm said.

“I’m not a planet.” I argued.

“But you are in the middle. You share the same connection as Yuuzhan’tar/Coruscant. Both of you are neither alive nor dead. You are coming into a new day.” He paused and the image became just another wall. “What is your name?”

I thought about it. I saw images of the dead bodies, and I saw all of the people alive and well. I saw them laughing. “I am destruction. I kill the good that exists and replace it with ruin.” I felt something reach into my mind.

“Yes,” Herm said. “You are destruction. I see much sadness in you. What is another of your names?”

I saw a pet I had owned. Its name had been Naz. Naz had always comforted me in times of trouble and I had helped him. Naz had been a Torw, a creature that was a reptile and had mossy skin. Naz had been wise, for a Torw, and had helped me with projects. Naz had died because of old age. “I am keeper of pets. I had a pet that decided to stay by me.”

The same sense of someone going through my mind and looking through it like a computer file came to me. “You inspire loyalty and goodness. Strange contradiction.” Herm mused. “I’ll look to see if the name I have chosen is already taken.”

“What do you mean already taken?” I asked.

“No two names of Tenju, Padawan, or Slave are alike.” Herm replied. A few moments later he said, “No. Not taken.” I felt a strange sensation of my body becoming what it once was. A hole in the wall opened. “Go through and follow the black line in front of you.”

As soon as I went through the hole a black line appeared right in front of my face. It was made of darkness, that I could tell, but how it came to be I did not know. I walked through a hallway of gold that spooked me with its beauty. I reached a staircase of metal and went down it. It was steep and when I came out I was in what appeared to be a waiting room.

Sitting in the counter was a creature with green scales and long black hair tied in a topknot. It looked at me. “Come on.” It growled. Cautiously, I went over fearing for my soul. The counter was home to not much else but a black pad and a computer. The creature looked at me. “Put your hand on the pad.” I did this and I felt a shiver. “You’re name is Slave Oyja.”

“What?!” I yelped. “There has to be a mistake my name is-”

“I don’t really care what your name is, okay, Oyja. I wouldn’t care if you were a direct messenger of the Force. The point is, your name is Slave Oyja.” It motioned me out of the room. As I walked out I realized I was in a place that was beyond reality.

Author’s Note: I have read, in some books, about the importance of names. In the Earthsea novels (Ursula K. LeGuin) some of the people don’t give away their names because of other people having control over them. In this chapter, you can see that names are one of the most important things in Tenju society. Tenju will change the name of their captives just so the Tenju can have power over them.