This one was inspired by one of my favorite subjects: Russian Folklore! I've been working hard on a Russian Folklore program for work and the idea of Russian Winter just fit this theme to a T! And i finally get to write about my favorite folklore character of all time: Baba Yaga! The Russian witch who lives in a house that dances on chicken's feet, rides in a motor and drives with a pestle (those are old tools resembling a bowl and a grinder use for grinding herbs into liquids) and is notorious for being absolutely terrifying and very helpful depending on the tale and the telling. she is awesome! if you get the chance i strongly suggest looking her up!
Yu-Gi-Oh June Prompts Challenge
Week Two: Winter/Day 15: Winter:
The Walking House
Yugi entered the dark forest with no intention of ever coming back. This deep in the woods the trees were tall as giants and there was no path to follow. In the dead of winter, snow blanketed the ground and crunched beneath his feet and the black trees, naked of leaves, so that the wind blew harsh and unobstructed, yet it was still nowhere near as cold here as it had been back in that house and it had nothing to do with the absent of light and lack of wood in the hearth. It had been cold and empty for years.
His father had thought to fill the void with a new wife and new daughters, all but forgetting the son he still had but it had done nothing for Yugi, for though the wife tried to be nice to him, he saw the fear behind her eyes: the image of his mother's face. The ghost that haunted her and her husband both. It has not surprised him when eventually that fear had turned to dislike and disgust. And now the coldness that swept through the house and chilled the bones like the winds of winter was worse than before and it had nothing to do with his mother's absence.
He no longer had a home there. Not since Grandpa had died. The memory of the man brought tears to Yugi's eyes, but also a newfound resolve to continue his trek deeper through the dark forest. Mother's death has devastated them all but while Grandpa has been strong, Father was weak. Father had thrown himself into despair and hid himself away in his office and finances building up his empire at the cost of his wife's memory and his son's isolation. But Grandfather had been there: Grandpa had kept his beloved daughter's memory alive and nursed her traits in Yugi, and made sure he always knew he was safe and loved and cared for and that the house was kept. Mother had always said domestication required its own independence and its own magic and it was why many took pride in it even those without a husband or a wife.
Never shy away from your independence, my Yugi, she has always told him. Never let anyone tell you what men's work is and what is women's work, and never let yourself become dependent on anyone else and that way when you've found the person you want to marry it is because you cannot imagine your life without them not because you need them.
It was one of the many lessons her and Grandpa had taught him, but was no less important. That stories are useful. That magic is fickle. That nothing, no matter how dirty, is too difficult to clean. That wits are stronger than might. That courage and kindness shall yield far better results than anger or insults. Those very lessons would help him again now.
He continued off the path and deeper into the woods until he came upon a snow covered glade and waited for Baba Yaga's House.
It came faster than Yugi expected barreling through the woods and knocking over trees and though they were blades of grass and kicking, yes, kicking up snow as it dances the loveliest jig Yugi had ever seen. The stories had not lied, and yet Yugi was still amazed.
Baba Yaga's House danced and moved on the long, gangly legs of a chicken!
It spotted him in the glade and stopped, stood, arched up as if it were looking down at him, scrutinizing him. Then it turned on its chicken feet and booted across the clearing, stopped again, then lowered itself as though it were a charging bull and even scrapped the ground for good measure. It charged forward but Yugi was quicker and he remembered his Mother's words:
"Little house, Little House, turn your back to the trees and your face to me, please!" Yugi yelled at the top of his lungs and closed his eyes praying the stories were not wrong. When nothing happen, he peaked an eye open and to his immense relief the house had stopped. It looked down at him, playfully with its enormous eye-like stain glass window above the door before plopping on the ground. It was then Yugi saw the house included not just the house as the stories proclaimed but an entire structure. It was surrounded by a fence crafted from dead man's bones. The gate posts were glowing-eyed skulls, their teeth still chattering. The front porch was a courtyard that sported the famous birch tree and window boxes overflowing with herbs decorated the rest of the windows. Though styled like a Russian cottage, it sported multiple floors and a grand tower. The roof tops of the first floor acted as stone patios to the second floor rooms and the tower spiraled to a cone at the top where a spiral staircase connected one single window-like door to the second lower deck. The house itself was the same gray wash as the stone used to create it but the windows were all stained glass and the decorations were colorful and bright with traditional Russian style ornamentation.
Yugi didn't know how long he stared in amazement but when he heard an almost sad sounding groan from the house and saw it made its way to move, he quickly apologied. "Forgive me, House. I'm sorry I was staring. I've just never seen anything as amazing as you in all my days. Everything about you is...incredible." He said honest and excited, forgetting all about the snow and the cold and almost why he was here.
The window-eye blinked delighted and the house did a lively jig to celebrate, even spinning around before it once again lowered itself to the ground and beckoned him to come inside.
Yugi approaches the house, casually until the gate of skulls and bones snapped and nearly bit off his fingers when he tried to open the gate. The house gave an angry groan in disapproval. The skulls all clicked and chattered their teeth in indignation. Yugi had prepared for this as well, and carefully removed his pack. Careful of everything inside, he slowly pulled out a wrapped pie baked fresh that morning, a soup bone still heavy with marrow, a lovely headscarf he wrapped around his wrist and lastly, the jar of lamp oil he'd been hoarding from his Stepmother's frugal fingers. Carefully, he poured the oil on the gate's locks and hinges, let it sit and waited until the skulls ceased their chattering and instead purred.
"May I enter, Kind Sirs? I have business with your mistress?"
The gate swung itself open but Yugi could've sworn he heard the skulls teeth chattering with laughter this time.
The courtyard garden was just as lovely as he'd always imagined it in the stories. At the heart of the courtyard just before the door, stood the famous birch tree, though nowhere near as wild and overgrown as it had been depicted in Vasilissa the Brave. It was bent over a small pool, pruning its leaves as though they were hair and if Yugi looked closely he could make out the vague outline of a face in its bark, like looking at pictures in clouds. Yugi approached it carefully waiting for it to swat at him with one of its well-pruned branches. He set the wrapped pie and bone on the ground and unwound the headscarf from his wrist. When as expected, the tree straightened her back and gave him a mighty swat with her branch, Yugi caught it with the scarf and tied it right around the branches. When the tree pulled back her arms and admired her new dressing in the pool, she looked delighted.
Confident, Yugi greeted sweetly, "May I enter, Kind Tree, I have business with your mistress."
He'd expected the tree to be too busy admiring herself to answer and he could slip by once he retrieved the bone and pie, but instead she straightened, shot him a look and then with a conspiratorial giggle, ushered him off with her newly bedazzled branch.
Yugi chose not to think about it as he approached the door and found a huge, big brown hound slumbering peacefully on the front step. It was easily the largest animal of the species Yugi had ever seen but then again, such was the case in stories. He took a skating breath and took a slow step forward. The hulking beast came alive in that moment and lunged as if to bite him, but Yugi was quicker and tossed the juicy bone in front of him. The dog redirected its momentum and dived on the tasty missal, its chops already drooling as it licked up the still clinging scraps of meat with its thick tongue with a satisfying slurp.
Yugi exhaled a loud breath of relief he hadn't even realized he was holding. Before addressing the hound he squared his shoulders, straightened and asked with the slightest bit of stern "May I enter, Kind Hound? I have business with your mistress?"
The great dog licked its chops and if Yugi hadn't known better, he would've sworn it was snickering as it went back to its bone.
Taking that as permission, Yugi fiddled with the old fashioned handle and carefully pushed the door open. He'd barely set one foot into the house when an enormous white cat easily the size of a lynx leapt for him, nails sharp and flexed, meaning to claw Yugi's eyes out. Yugi shrieked and wasted no time in tossing the fish pie. To his shock, the cat dropped to the ground and started devouring the morsel as gentle as a common house cat. Yugi dropped to the ground himself, relief making his legs unbearably weak and it was several heavy breaths before he was able to speak.
"May I enter, Kind Cat?" He asked unable to shake the nervousness from his voice. "I have business with your mistress?"
As though taking pity on the boy, the cat gazed back with what Yugi could only guess was a smile.
Then the cat did something, Yugi did not expect.
It spoke.
"Go on then," came the gruff, arrogant voice. "But I'm afraid you'll have to wait, the mistress," it paused to snort and, having finished its meal, leapt onto one of the nearby shelves. "Is out right now."
Yugi felt as though he were the brunt of some private joke, but was still too stunned by the cat to speak. None of the stories mentioned Baba Yaga's cat being able to speak? Was it something forgotten? Or perhaps a curse from another story? That seemed the most likely since whenever the creature moved, its shadow wasn't always a cat. "You can wait there if you like."
The cat gestures his large white head and flicked his busy tail towards a large green and blue plaid armchair and ottoman in the corner between the windows and a huge stone fireplace. A fire was burning cheerfully in the fireplace where a couch, area rug and several chairs were set up in a charming sitting area. Yugi decided to take the cat up on the offer and sat down. Without touching it, a soft quilt draped over his lap.
He had just started to relax when the whole house shook. Yugi jumped up and the cat laughed.
"The mistress is back," it sang teasingly. "Best go greet him."
"But the dog?" Yugi insisted but the cat merely flicked its tail.
"You gave him a bone. Trust me, he won't hurt you."
Yugi wasn't sure if he trusted the cat or not, but decided to chance it. He opened the door and followed the hound into the courtyard just as Baba Yaga's famous method of transportation all but crashed into the courtyard: a giant mortar, driven along with a pestle and a broom behind for sweeping away tracks.
Yugi watched as Baba Yaga descended the mortar, draped in a thick coat made of multiple animal skins with a hood that resembled a plethora of feathers. He watched the Baba Yaga pulled down the hood and pull off the heavy cloak revealing the true form beneath.
Yugi gasped in surprise, only then recalling the cat's words.
He was neither a Baba nor a Yaga, at least not in the sense that was he was neither old not a woman. The man was young, perhaps only a few years older than Yugi, handsome of face and with a physique that showed he was no stranger to hard work and physical labor. His crown of red and black hair spiked like flames and a forelock of gold framed a handsomely angled face that reminded Yugi of a hawk, but his eyes were hypnotic: deep and penetrating and red as fire like sun-kissed garnets glowing with a sort of primal magic.
"You...you're Baba Yaga?" Yugi squeaked out spotlighting himself.
A rush of heat overcome him when those magnificent ruby eyes spun to him, focused.
"How did you pass my gate, my birch, my hound and my cat?" He asked not angry but curious and the smooth, deep baritone of his voice left Yugi unable to think let alone form words.
"He gave me oil!" Answered the gate.
"He gave me a headscarf for my branches," bragged the birch throwing back her pruned branches.
"He gave me a bone," the hound said before returning to his treat.
"And he gave me a fish pie," the cat boasted, weaving itself between Yugi's legs.
To Yugi's surprised the man grinned. "You are familiar with my grandmother's stories, then?"
"You're Baba Yaga's grandson?" Yugi gasped, shocked. "I have never heard of that?"
The man laughed. "It's not mentioned in the old tales. I'm afraid, but surely even for a powerful witch you did not expect Baba Yaga to live forever? Let alone remain chaste. There must always be one to replace her. I am the last of her original line. And, you, little one," he approached Yugi with a pure in his best words and a grin that made Yugi's insides melt. "May call me Yamis or Yami is you prefer."
"Yami," Yugi breathed out the name, loving how it tasted, how easily it rolled off his tongue.
"Now than," Yami swaggered around him, so effortlessly he glided. "I trust you are familiar with my grandmother's stories to know how best to please my pets?"
Yugi nodded. "My mother and grandfather taught me stories are useful and manners are important."
Yami's grinned widened. "Good advice. Granted I feed my cat, reward my dog, prune my birch, and oil my gate far better than my grandmother, I assure you, they will never forget the kindness." He presses a hand to the small of Yugi's back. "Now then, shall we have some tea? My cat says you wish to discuss business with me?"
Memory and resolve returned to Yugi and he squared his shoulders with determination. "Yes, my stepmother sent me for a light."
"Ah," came an unexpected but not disappointed response. "So you've come for a light? You'll have to work for it..."
"No." Yugi's response was quick and tart.
That took the witch by surprise. "No?"
"No," Yugi explained, his eyes sad. "My mother and grandfather are dead. My father has his new family, and there is no place for me there. My stepmother told me to ask you for a light intending for me to never return. I decided to oblige her and start my own life."
Yami arched an impressed brow. "You did not have to find me for that. And yet you came here specifically. You prepared gifts for my guardians. You want something specific from me, do you not?"
"I do," Yugi confessed and clenched his fists. Then gathering his courage he screamed out. "I want to become your apprentice!"
Yami took a step back, staring.
Yugi blushed. "Or...I mean...an assistant...or servant or..."
"You wish to stay with me and become my apprentice?"
"Or assistant..." Yugi added, nervous.
The witch's smile curled, showing teeth and in those blazing eyes Yugi could see the witch that struck fear and awe in all who knew them, terrorized children in the night and guided the worthy in their quests. "And you think you can haul and clean and cook for a witch? These woods are haunted and filled with terrifying beasts that go bump in the night." His voice took on a threatening edge. "And I am a witch. You are a little boy. In this house we play by my dukes and deceit is the rule and not the exception. Others before you have come seeking nybaid and wisdom and maybe more will come. Very few were lucky enough to escape with their heads and fewer still were worthy of my help...Knowing that do you still wish to stay? Do you still wish to be my assistant?"
No doubt or hesitation clouded Yugi's voice. "Yes."
"Why?" Yami demanded.
"Because," Yugi didn't know what to say so he decided to tell the truth "I don't have anyone else and I'm tired of being overlooked. I need to do something, to be useful to someone. My grandpa had his adventure with you...and I don't know if I have any magic or not but I want to try. Even if all you do is eat me, it's still better than any life I would've had if I stayed."
He waited.
Waited longer.
"Very well. Let's go."
Yugi blinked. "Wait, you're letting me...then...what was?"
Yami laughed. "I had to test you, after all? I can't just let anyone into my home no matter how nicely they treat my pets. Besides, my house likes you. If it didn't you'd have never made it past the gate."
"You...you mean it...?" Yugi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Really?"
Yami Aline's again, deciding he likes his boy and his naive sweetness. "Of course, it's a phenomenal judge of character after all."
The house purred in agreement.
"And just for the record," Yami bragged redoning his cloak and climbing into the giant mortar. "I do not eat children, and neither did my Grandmother, but you have to admit it was a phenomenal way to scare cantankerous little brats in behaving, don't you think?" He laughed and Yugi could not help himself and joined in.
Yami held out his hand to Yugi, grinning "Shall we?"
Stunned mystification budged Yugi's eyes. "In there?" He pointed skeptically.
"Of course," Yami bragged. "Fastest way to get around these woods, now are you coming or shall you be returning to your stepmother?"
Yugi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. So he did both and took Yami's hand and allowed himself to be settled in front of him. "Well then, my new apprentice, may I have your name?"
"Yugi. Yugi Mouto." He said ecstatic and grinning.
"Mouto?" Yami repeated then burst out laughing. "I might have known, the stories Baba told me about that boy..."
"You have stories about my grandpa?" Yugi spun to him, excited.
Yami nodded, grinning. "Yes, and I will tell you all about them later." He grabbed the pestle and smacked the pot. Yugi half gasped, half shrieked as the mortar lifted into the air and clung tight to Yami, so scared he forgot to blush.
Yami smirked. "Well, Yugi, if you're going to be my apprentice, then I think it's time you saw the woods." Driving the pestle like a steering wheel, he guided them the air leaving a trail of sparkling magic behind.
Yugi watched with utter amazement as the winter woods he'd only earlier that evening had been hiking through suddenly opened up revealing all their secrets: some magical and some natural but all were extraordinary.
Yup! Yami is Baba Yaga's grandson and a powerful witch in his own right! This ides was actually loosely inspired by a Fanfiction idea that i decided to turn into an original novel (which I AM doing but I MAY also write the rough draft as a fanfiction just for fun) as part of my Flying Castle Series: Yugi (genderbent) is the apothecary's daughter and runs a shop with her parents and grandfather and though she loves this life she dreams of adventure and excitement. When her grandfather is injured she's sent to summon the local witch doctor who lives in a cottage outside of town (Atem) who takes an immediate fondness to her (may have it where someone predicted they were soul mates) and when the family insists that he ask for a reward, since he never does, he asks, not expecting a yes, if he can marry Yugi and his family is ecstatic and agrees to Yugi's dismay. Despite a few hurdles, mostly Yugi's own displeasure about the whole thing and feeling like she's been sold off, her parent's kind words and assurance that they would never have agreed if they did not think Atem was a good person who could take care of her, Yugi decided to go into this with an open mind and when returning home, and wonders where Atem is, the house, which likes Yugi a lot, comes to live and brings her to him, revealed to move on Chicken feet and Yugi is stunned to realize her new husband is both a descendant of and the new Baba Yaga, and promises to make her marriage much more exciting than she ever expected...So yeah totally can't wait to play around with that one!
Also, I can't make promises but I may totally revisit this concept, I can imagine Yugi and Yami having a ton of adventures in this magical, moving house with all these pets and crazy magical objects...so just in case, i will list it as part of a series ;)
God I missed writing Puzzle shipping!