TABULA RASA
by Migraine 69
“Hello? Who is this? Do you have any idea what time it is?” I said, grumpily.
“Craig? This is Tara. Tara Farren. You know, from Sigma Epsilon Xi? We have the same Metamagic class?”
“Yeah? What do you want?”
“You have a Doctorate in arcane magic, right?”
“Three: Warlockry, Eideticism, and Sorcery. I’m going for Metamagician next year.”
“Well, several of our sisters just got back from a freshman Witchcraft class in a parallel universe, and over there, they bought an arcane scroll that even our specialist can’t make heads or tails of. Can you come down here and check it out for us, see what it is? I promise we’ll make it worth your while.” I could just guess what the sisters of S-E-X would want to pay me with, but I wanted something else.
“Alright, but it’s gonna cost you a look at the scrolls of Slave Mentality and Tabula Rasa you have. Up front. And that’s at the very least.”
“Done.” I sat bolt upright. This scroll must be seriously powerful if Tara was willing to give me access to two tenth-order spells just to find out what was on it. But I didn’t want to seem too eager.
“Okay, I’ll see you in the morning, say 7 or 8 o’clock?”
“Thanks, Craig. I owe you one.”
“You owe me two.” I said. The line went dead as Tara hung up.
“Well?” Tara leaned over the table as I studied the scroll, probably unaware that her bosom was distracting me from the scroll. Probably.
“It’s a fourth-order summoning spell.”
“You’re kidding.”
“It summons a single specific third-circle being from an upper layer of one of the Underverses.”
“Why make a spell to summon a single specific demon?”
“Actually, according to this, I’m not sure it is a demon. The name is in angelic script.”
“Well, what are you waiting for? Do it. Use the House circle.” Tara said, pointing to the black arcane circle scorched into the wood of the floor. I walked over to the Focal tip of the pentacle. Tara and three of her sisters took up positions at the other four tips, divesting themselves of all clothing, to better channel their mana. I’m a man, so getting naked wouldn’t help me, even if I weren’t a 10th-order caster, or a Gifted Practitioner.
“Anevar Sulivek-Sannem. Parriveus, Kolirek Defrevar. Kumma Raex Aeternium.” An electric-blue mist slowly collects in the center of the circle, taking on the form of a small child. “Get back! Don’t look directly at it!” I warn the girls, but I’m too late. They’re hypnotized, and now, whatever the thing inside the circle wants them to do, they will. It sits up, looks around at the girls staring at it with vacant, empty eyes. Instead, it focuses on me.
“Thanks. You have no idea how boring it was being grounded like that. I’m Raex Aeternium. I’m a Avaryx.”
“That’s kinda what I figured once I saw the form you’re currently in.” I said evenly, trying to keep control of my emotions. If I kept my head, maybe there was a chance I would come out alive. Maybe.
“Well, what is it you summoned me for? Money? Power? Sex? All of the above?”
“Actually, I didn’t know why anyone would create a unique spell to summon a single, specific being. Especially one that was only in the third circle. But I understand now. Avaryxi are considered to be third circle, but each is unique, so a general summoning spell won’t work.”
“Look, I have a job to do in the Underverse, and it’s kinda time-sensitive. Can you make a wish so I can get back?”
“I wish you would go home.”
“Sorry buddy. It’s not that easy. It has to be a selfish wish, and it can’t have anything directly or indirectly to do with the terms of my servitude. And no wishing for more wishes. I got stuck in that loop a while back. It wasn’t pretty.”
“I wish to be the most powerful user of magic on this plane of existence.”
“Wow, that was fast. Done. And accept the blonde with the huge knockers as a gift from me, as a personal way of saying thanks. If you’re ever in the 4th plane of Farenyv, look me up!” The Avaryx, released from servitude by my wish, disappeared with a pop.
“What happened?” Tara asked, now that the Avaryx was gone, she could think again. I explained basically what happened (with a couple of strategic omissions). The girls gathered up their clothes, and started putting them back on.
“You know, I can’t believe that he actually seemed to have refrained from twisting my wish. He put thousands of spells in my head. I could use any of them that I want, using my mana or as a Warlock’s bloodline powers.” I said, incredulously.
“That certainly sounds like your wish, Craig. But be careful. Go over every new spell BEFORE you use it.”
“Oh. Yeah. Hmmm.”
“Well, you would’ve figured it out eventually. I’ll see you in class Monday, right?”
“Yeah. You need help on your exam power? If I remember right, we got assigned the same effect: negating Metamagic strain.”
“Yeah, I’d love some help. I can’t get the hang of reducing the cost for extending the duration of my spells. Increasing their potency or range is no problem though.”
“Okay, meet me in the lab in a couple of hours, and I’ll show you some good examples.”
“Why didn’t he even talk to us?” One of the other girls asked as she headed upstairs.
“It’s that huge rack Tara was swinging in front of his face. It’s more effective than a hypnotist’s watch. I doubt he even noticed we were there.” One of the others responded.
“I heard that girls!” Tara screamed at them.
“So did I!” I shouted along with her.
All three of Tara’s sorority sisters dashed up the stairs at breakneck speed.
“It must be hard for you, being a Gifted Practitioner. Having all that mana to keep contained.”
“Not just mana. Watch.” I released a single point my other energy source to rest in my palm for a moment, then reabsorbed it.
“Was that...?” Tara couldn’t even finish the sentence.
“Arcana. Yeah. I’m definitely one of a kind. When I was a young kid, my parents tried to siphon off some of my mana, since I had so much of it as a Gifted Practitioner. But they couldn’t manage to contain it. It fried them to cinders, and left the residual as an extra reservoir of Arcana. And now, even when I use it, the Arcana recharges completely within a couple of hours.”
“Wow!” Tara was really impressed. “No wonder you’re so good at magic. You probably don’t even have to study, you just will something to happen and it does.”
“I study as hard as anybody else.” I said, gazing up at the stars. I like stargazing from the rooftop of my house like this. It helps me keep a sense of perspective. “Just not on the same things. While everyone else was trying to turn mana into a spark to ignite a fire, I was learning to keep the spark I created from turning into a raging inferno. When everyone else was summoning their first imp, I was trying to keep from summoning an entire horde from an Underverse. In many ways, I became an expert at magic because I had to be, not because I wanted it.”
“Right, so the Gift is actually a curse. Is that it?“Tara reached over and hugged me, kissed me on the cheek.
“Sometimes I think so,” I sigh.
“Please don’t think I’m trying to push you into this.”
“You are pushing me into it, Tara! I wanted to see these spells before the Avaryx put them into my head anyway. I never intended to use them on anyone, just to get some insight into how they work. The prospect of being the victim of Slave Mentality should be enough to terrify you, let alone Tabula Rasa!”
“If I’m ever going to use them, I need to know what they’re like from the inside. Otherwise, I won’t have enough perspective to use them properly.”
“Tara! There IS no proper use for magic like this! And casting both at the same time could make them both permanent, irreversible, both, or worse!” Tara shudders at that thought. Maybe I’m finally getting through to her.
“What are the odds of that happening?”
“Maybe ten percent.”
“That’s an acceptable risk. How long before you can bring me out of it?” Okay, apparently not.
“Twelve hours. Twenty-four would be safer.”
“I guess you get a sexy little fuckslave until tomorrow, then. Do it, Craig!”
“How are you feeling?”
“Fine, I think. What happened?”
“You had me try out a couple of really powerful spells on you, to see what the magic did to the mind. Can you tell me your name?”
“Yeah, sure. My name is... um... my name is... I don’t know. Who am I?” She didn’t look worried, just curious.
“Your name is Tara Farren. You’re a postgraduate student specializing in mindbending magic.”
“That doesn’t sound right.” She said, looking worried.
“That’s part of one of the spells you had me cast on you. Your mind will naturally shy away from your own identity. That particular spell is supposedly able to completely reconstruct a person’s mind however the caster wants. They wake up as a new person with a clean slate. Hence the name of the spell, Tabula Rasa.”
“Okay, well, then why is my mind blank? Why not put together a new mind for me?”
“If I did that, it would make it extremely difficult to remove the spell tomorrow.”
“Oh, so it’s just gonna be like having amnesia for a while?”
I laughed. “Uh, well... I guess you could say that.”
“What was the other spell? You said there were two.”
“It’s called Slave Mentality. Basically, the victim of the spell believes that they’re the slave of the person that cast the spell. They could be a criminal or a King, a clown or a Crown Prince. When dealing with the caster, they think they’re a slave. It also gives the victim certain stereotypically slavelike traits, especially a submissive streak.”
“Wouldn’t Tabula Rasa cancel out Slave Mentality?” Tara wondered. I winced.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t think of that. That way, I could go the whole day without invoking Slave Mentality, and there wouldn’t be any chance of complications.”
“Well, get on with it! Enslave me!” Tara’s actually angry, which is funny, in a way.
I sigh. ”Kaneviche Lelevaiyai, Anek-Sur, Alaesh Restudo. Yusuksuk D’Kok!”
Tara sways for a minute, and her eyelids droop. Then she blinks and returns to normal. She looks at me and smiles. “Thank You, Master. i knew i could count on You. Is there anything i can do for You?”
“No, not really.” A lump is forming in my throat already, and my eyes are moist.
“Please don’t cry, Master! This is what i wanted! And it feels so natural. Like everything is right with the world now.”
“Did it feel wrong before?” That was interesting.
“Oh, yes. i felt lost, like a part of me wasn’t there. Of course, i guess part of me was missing. Tabula Rasa, after all.” Tara laughs. She gets up and stretches, then starts disrobing.
“You don’t need to do that.”
“Oh, but i want to, Master. If a wife should be barefoot and pregnant, then i should at least be naked.” Stunned by the bizarre logic, I can’t respond. Besides, Tara’s body is gorgeous, and I don’t really feel guilty about just looking, as long as it’s look-but-don’t-touch.
“Uh, Tara—”
“Please call me by a different name, Master. If You call me by my real name, i might not get a full understanding of Tabula Rasa.” I thought about that. I had to admit, she had a point.
“Alright, what do you want me to call you?”
“Hmmm...” She thought hard for a long time. “Please call me bj, Master.”
I nodded. “Okay, BJ it is. What would you like to do about lunch?”
“You can sleep in whichever bed you want.”
“i want to sleep in yours, Master.” BJ said happily.
“Oh. Alright, then I’ll sleep in the guest room.” BJ pouts.
“i meant i wanted to sleep with You, Master.” I chuckled at that.
“I don’t trust myself not to take advantage of you in this state, BJ.”
“i don’t mind, and i doubt Tara would, either. She obviously knew what she was getting into when she picked such a cute guy to be her master.” BJ smiles at me. Now I’m not ugly, but I’m not really very handsome, either. That must be part of Slave Mentality, I realize.
“Alright, but if I manage to control myself the whole night, I don’t want to hear any complaints from either of you.” BJ smiles and nods happily.
I look across to the clock. 11:57 AM. Just over twenty-four hours have passed. BJ is snuggled up next to me in bed, fast asleep, one arm draped across my chest. I reach out with my magical abilities and unravel the spells I placed on her. I shake her awake.
“Huh? What? Craig?”
“Good afternoon, Tara. How do you feel?” I ask guardedly.
“That was incredible. Wait. Why didn’t you take advantage of me?”
“Ethical qualms.”
“Well, you shouldn’t have any ethical qualms now. So can I get a kiss and a nice, hard fuck?” I plant a lip lock on her until we’re almost finished with the first round. During the second round, Tara surprises me. “You know, I think I’m gonna change my name. What do you think of ‘BJ Cummings?’”
I whisper into her ear. “I think that’s a great name.”