The Sword in the Bone (A Chronicle of Damelot)

Merlin was the first inhabitant of the kingdom "Damelot". Wise and
green, he was a young fellow when he first moved in. At only 6 inches
long, it was quite easy for him to find a home, and soon he was
residing in a lovely glass terrarium overlooking "The Great Living
Room" with a nice view of "Mt. T.V.".

Merlin was quite happy living alone for some time. He ate, he hang
upside down from his little wooden branch, he laid in the warm waters
of his very own lagoon, and he contemplated the mysteries of the
universe. Soon, however, it occurred that the lovely little land of
Damelot needed something. A quality was missing from the place, and
Merlin, even with his wisdom, could not quite lay his claw on it. He
cast runes, he chanted, he bobbed his spiky head in deep concentration,
but still he had no solution, and the empty feeling grew and
grew.

Eventually it became unbearable. The was a resonance of unrest in the
air that Merlin could actually hear. It reverberated through his head,
deafening at times, and shimmered in the stillness in a visible hum.
Merlin decided to cast the runes one last time. As the ancient stones
fell into place, he began to have a strange feeling. The room spun, and
the humming in his head increased tenfold. Then, sounding far away and
close at the same time, a voice rang through.

"Damelot is a land destined for greatness, but its' goal will never be
reached without a guide. Damelot must have a ruler, and one has been
preordained. Damelot shall have a ruler most wise, brave, and strong.
He will rule fairly, and will have a beautiful queen by his side. From
them will be born the princes and princesses of great nations. You,
Merlin, O chosen scribe and wizard of the house of Liza, shall bring
forth this King, and his Queen, and advise them of their duty.
Now."

Merlin awoke on the floor of his terrarium. Disoriented at first, he
soon recalled the voice in his head, and himself chanting a strange
song in a language he did not comprehend over and over, for what seemed
like hours, before blacking out. He wondered if it all hadn't been a
dream.

Just as this thought left his head, he heard a sharp "Yip". Cocking his
head to the side, he used one beady eye to peer through the
glass.
"Oh no," he breathed, drawing back in surprise. The king and queen had
arrived, and it was bad. They were just children! Even more surprising,
they were&;#8230;&;#8230;dogs!

"What did you expect?" came the voice. "Another iguana? Look well upon
your King and Queen, who shall, from this day forth, be known as King
Arthur and Queen Guinevere. It is up to you, Merlin the Wise, to see to
their education, and prepare them for the days to come."

The puppies were rolling across the floor in undignified abandoned. "Oh
no," Merlin said once more, and hung his head in despair.