Flashback

Pandora remembered how at the age of fourteen she had a memorable training session with her father, Merlin. He, oft' gave her instruction in the Dark Arts. If it was a spell, he always prefaced it with the following words.

"In this spell you won't be using your powers; you'll be drawing from mine... Yours being still untapped, lying dormant and all that...." Merlin halted, at a loss for words.

"I get it Father, I know, I know, I have to walk down the isle with some fool I've yet to meet and get rice thrown in my face."

"Not exactly."

"Then what's the big deal? It's only a ceremony, some mumbo-jumbo incantations and of course the idiot twirling the incense burner."

"For now let's leave it at marriage. I have no wish to burden your tender mind with all the sordid details."

She stamped her foot in frustration "....All the sordid details my petotti.... I know what you're referring to. You're referring to sex. Until I have sex my powers remain inactivated... That's it isn't it?"

"Closer, but still wide of the mark. I had no idea you were so wise in the ways of love. What do you know of sex?"

"Plenty!" she answered defiantly... " Everything there is to know."

"... And the source of this vast storehouse of Knowledge?" Merlin paused.

"You think I haven't seen the stallions mount the mares in the stables, the hounds atop a bitch in heat... what do you think I am, clueless?"

"Only ignorant of a few minor details. Among supernatural human beings, there's an added layer of complexity..."

"Forgive, me father, but I don't see it as all that complicated."

"Hmmm, I see, and where did you acquire your knowledge?"

"...Well to start with, I stumbled a while back on Marcie. She's a kitchen maid, doing it with her boyfriend Jordan. They were making hay in the stable. "

"Go on."

"Jordan had his man thing poked inside her you know what. He was hunching up and down and she was moaning and groaning." Pandora made some "Ohhh Ahhh" sounds. "What else is there to know?"

Merlin was a bit taken back by the antics. "Knowing is one thing, understanding the joy of intimacy is another... It was never meant to be a spectator sport."

"Hey, I just happened around the corner and there it was.... him on top and her underneath."

He raised his hand for her to stop, but she kept it up.

"They were having a good ole time" She gyrated her hips.

She embarrassed him."Who's teaching you all this?"

"Girl talk, Dad, girl talk... we got it all figured out."

He sighed, at the fleeting passage of her innocence. "What you understand is the first of it, not the last.... the long of it and not the short."

"Am I missing something?"

"Yes, my Dear... Something every dark witch needs to have explained by her mother...." Something told the king that he'd be wise to shut up...

"And what might that be?"

Exasperated, Merlin blurted it out. "Only this, the man who deflowers you won't be bragging about his conquest." As soon as the wizard said it he wished he hadn't.

Her eyes looked confused and had a quizzical look..."What are you saying...?"

Unable to stop himself, the King continued.

"I'm saying that when your curtain is rent, a swirl of light and darkness will rush in and awaken your supernatural powers.

"I don't understand. What's with this curtain rending metaphor? Speak plain, Father."

There was no turning back. The king drew a deep breath. "The erection that rends your hymen membrane will become a grounding rod for ancient and powerful forces. Like a crash of thunder and bolt of lightning these will rush into your soul, and energize the vast reservoirs your magic."

Pandora stammered, "Are you saying the first man who does it with me is going to die?"

Merlin smacked a fist into his palm. "WHAMO!"

Sweet Aura of the Gods! "Is this the way with all Witches."

"It is with the Dark Ones, my dear, a simple fact of life, like the sunrise and sunset, like the moon and the tides, like the cycle of your menses, so is it with a young witch and the poor man who introduces her to the physicality of love. BANG, ZAP, a bit of twitching and shaking and then DEAD! end of story."

"How do I live with this?"

"Not my problem."

"Am I doomed to die an old maid?"

"Every Dark Witch approaches this milestone in her own way....

"What's that supposed to mean?

"Many never consummate a physical union, others find ways to deal with it."

"What sort of ways?"

"Each Dark Lady has a different threshold for the possibilities." the wizard answered evasively.

"Who would have ever imagined this...?"

"The fewer the better my dear, the fewer the better. See if you can't keep this holiest of occult secrets, to yourself."

Pandora tripped on a tree root and almost fell on her face.

"Get hold of yourself, we didn't come down to the pond today to discuss sex. I should have left it to your mother, not that she's ever around when I need her.

They were walking down the hill towards the lily pond. An entourage of men at arms and nobles followed a discrete distance behind. "Are you ready for today's lesson?"

"Yes of course Father."

Upon reaching the pond the King motioned and two soldiers brought a man forward. His eyes were filled with dread and he slumped such that the guards had to hold him upright.

"This man is Thetus... a once loved and trusted member of the court.. He is accused of conspiring with a entity who will go unnamed, of espionage and has been brought here on charges of Treason."

"How do you plead Thetus?"

The prisoner slumped even further and began pleading, "Have mercy on me sire, "

"The plea Thetus. the plea!"

The accused fell to his knees groveling for mercy. "I'm sorry sire, if you could find it in your heart to forgive me I'd never do it again..."

Forgive you? THE PLEA THETAS!

"G-Guilty sire."

"What a sorry excuse for a human being you are.... If you don't stop sniveling, I'll let Milicent adjudicate the matter. "

Thetis wailed in hysteria, urinating in his pants, "no sire, Not that, anything but that, I submit to your judgement. I'll tell you anything but please, I beseech thee, kind Lord, deliver me not onto the queen."

It was the first time Pandora witnessed the full extent of the terror her mother struck in the hearts of their subjects. Sure, Mom could be intimidating, but this was rediculous.

"Then stand on your feet and receive your judgement."

With a sheer exercise of will Thetus stood his wobbly knees shaking.

"I sentence you to Frog Servitude, and three months in the pond!"

Thetis sighed in relief, this was more lienency than he expected, even though most didn't make it that far... you know, with the carp, muskies, and pike to contend with.

Merlin placed his hand around his daughter's shoulder... "Now Pandora, at this time I'll impart to you the incantation. When you have it clearly in mind, repeat it back enunciating each word exactly as I spake."

"Yes, Father"

"The first I want you to practice is changing someone into a frog like human. This enchantment is used for minor offenses, and to get a recalcitrant's attention. Incline your ear." He whispered, "Uba amagorlich statumobotus. Cover your mouth now and in a low tone, Repeat it back."

She took a deep breath and covering her mouth uttered, "Uba amagorlich statumobotus."

"Good! He addressed the soldiers "Now if you stalwart guardians of the realm will step back a few paces, we'll get on with administering the punishment."

The men at arms beat a hasty retreat.

"Now Pandora, say the words."

In a tone barely audible, she cast the spell. "Uba amagorlich statumobotus:"

Thetis grabbed his throat and fell to his knees, his body contorted and began turning a sick green hue. His eyes bulged, his shirt ripped, his stomach swelled, lopping over his belt. His shoes went flying revealing two webbed feet.

"Well done My Dear, well done.... as I said the first part is used to remediate bad behavior before it festers and grows worse. Now the more egregious manifestation of the spell is for criminals convicted of treason."

He gave Thetus a push.... "Hop to it now," the king gestured towards the water's edge.

Thetis flopped along as commanded, unused to his lower appendages. Splish Splash, splish splash, splish splash.

"With the power vested in me as King, I hereby administer the sentence."

He shielded his hand from the side of his mouth and whispered the incantation intended for Pandora's ears alone. "Say it and motion thusly." He gestured to demonstrate.

Pandora, head held dramatically, shielded her mouth and in low tone made the pronouncement. "Uba Amagorlich." With that she extended her arm at Thetus and flicked her fingers.

In a puff of smoke, the frog man vanished. There followed a plop into the water below. Something froggy started swimming and dove beneath a lily pad. Baleful eyes peered up from underneath. The onlookers gasped.

"Well there you have it," said Merlin brushing off his hands, "The things I do for the Realm."