Book 2 Chapter 13: Isolde And More

Isolde

March 31, 1787, Realm Time, south of Sankt Petersburg

When she woke up, it was dark and cold. Shivering, Isolde looked around, hoping to awaken from the nightmare. Some of it was gone; she had a normal human body again. Some remained: the cabin. They had moved to another location, probably deeper in the forest. She was on the porch. The only place that looked warm was the wooden lodge. Its door was open, and a fire lit in the stove. She walked inside, wrapping her arms around herself.

System rebooting is complete. Displaying Character Panel.

Name: Isolde... TBD

What the fuck do you mean by TBD?

Currently, the System is unable to determine your identity.

She collapsed to her knees, crying. "Am I possessed?"

Yes and no, the same voice from before said in her head.

"Who are you?"

I'm the hut, and a being of Old Magic. In the past, people called me Koshchei the Immortal.

"The Im-imortal?" Isolde stuttered.

I'm very old. For centuries, I had to fight or run from hundreds of wannabe heroes. Some I managed to beat, some got the upper hand, forcing me to respawn. Finally, I devised a clever way to stay alive. I changed shape and became a log cabin, with a protector I endowed with powers: Baba Yaga. The truth is, there's no Baba Yaga with a hut; there is a hut with a Baba Yaga. Whoever kills her takes her place.

"Please, let me go," she begged, kneading her hands. "I'd rather die than be a slave."

Why don't you inspect your Character Panel before deciding? This is a most beneficial symbiotic relationship. I have downloaded all relevant information into your System.

"You what?"

Instead of an answer, her stats appeared again.

Name: Isolde Samson and Some Unnamed Parts

Age: 27

Species: Cryptid Chimera, made of two parts Human, one part Griffin, and one part Old Magic.

Don't panic. Do you want me to explain?

The voice had interjected at the precise moment Isolde was about to scream.

"Do I have any choice?" she whispered.

Yes. Scream, panic, faint, and postpone the explanation for later. That was what most of your predecessors did.

Being patronized angered Isolde, and her anger, in turn, energized her. She needed all the information she could get.

"I'm not them. I'm a member of the Chaos Company, and I eat Tatars for breakfast."

Noted. If we go South, Tatar meat will absolutely be on the menu.

"Oh, no..." Isolde retched, remembering the sinister pantry.

Let's return to what happened to you, starting with the beginning. Four years ago, a member of your kind, an Outworlder named Elena, found the hut and killed the former Baba Yaga with one of your modern guns. To my former Baba's credit, she was old, half-blind, and senile. Thus, The title and the bond transferred to Elena. Once she realized she had become a Yaga, Elena decided to use her powers to help her mission.

"What mission?"

Revolution. Her mind was restless, always plotting about the proletarian fight. Koshchei allows his Babas to lead private lives, so I indulged her, letting myself be moved around as she wanted.

"Why are you talking in the third person?"

More elegant. Thus, the great Caesar spoke about himself in his De Bello Gallicam. Koshchei can absorb data from his Babas' minds. Once upon a time, the Baba was a historian and a male—Koshchei is not sexist.

"Ain't I lucky... That's why she murdered us? She wanted to bring the Russian Revolution before its time?"

Yes. Sweden is interested in weakening Russia, and a weak Russia is susceptible to a proletarian revolution. Their interests coincide.

Suddenly, Isolde remembered Jan's dismembered body, and started crying.

I could calm your mind if you wish. Or even erase your lover's memory.

"No!" Isolde sobbed. "I want to remember."

Koshchei suggests you sit on the rocking chair. Often, the rookie Babas find solace in the swinging motion.

Sobbing and sneering at the same time, Isolde wobbled to the chair, wrapping itself in a blanket, as the cold air from outside was entering the cabin in bursts. The door closed as if Koshchei read her mind, which was indeed the case.

As I was saying, I gave Elena the liberty to pursue her endeavors. We traveled here and there; she spoke to people, killed many of them, and hunted magical beasts to become more powerful. I don't know the full extent of her actions because I was hibernating half the time. Russia's weather is rather unpleasant. If Isolde Baba wishes to move south, Koshchei is happy.

"Don't call me Baba, please."

As you wish, Isolde. Elena needed a weapon that was also a mount. She hunted a Griffin, killing it while it was weakened from another fight. Its heart lies in you now. To complete the plan, she grafted you to your mare's body.

"Why?"

To make a centaur Pegasus, of course. A mindless thral that could fly.

"Oh, fuck..."

You still have that ability, even in human form. Yet, a centaur Baba was not meant for this poor hut. Imagine the dung, the smell, the noise. Thus, Koshchei decided to graft your torso onto Elene's legs. Alas, yours were no longer viable.

"Shit!" Isolde gasped. Her legs felt numb, and patting them, she discovered her toned rider muscles were gone, replaced by puffy flesh. "Shiiiiit!" she repeated.

This story originates from NovelPhoenix. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Koshchei is sorry, but this was the lesser of two evils. Now, Isolde, do you want to hear my offer?

"Offer? About what?"

Killing a Baba Yaga isn't the only way to become one. Some people would volunteer because of the magical perks. Take Koshchei to the South, to meet Sam the Samurai, and protect him on the way; he will release you when a replacement is found.

"You want to meet Sam? Why?"

While rebuilding your body, Koshchei absorbed some nanites. They offer me a path to evolution. I want a dose of the awakening potion.

"You want the System?"

The proper term is the interface. Yes, it would help me tremendously.

The voice paused, and the stats reappeared, signaling the discussion was over for now.

Class: Baba Yaga the XIII

Level: 67 (Third Tier)*

*As a Magical Species and Old Magic Class, your stats are no longer compared to a normal human being. Each point in your Physical and Magical stats is four times that of an average person. Mental stats remain at the same value they had at their Second Tier (average human x2). Applies retroactively. Physical stats will be updated only after you remove all their debuffs.

You have 81 free points to invest.

Stats:

Physical

Strength: 40, debuffed from 50. Train your legs to catch up.

Dexterity: 60, debuffed from 70. Train your legs to catch up.

Constitution: 5, debuffed from 50 by your Class's curse. Cannot be raised until you reach Humanity> 0.

Agility: 60, debuffed from 70. Train your legs to catch up.

Endurance: 70, debuffed from 80. Train your legs to catch up.

Speed: 50, debuffed from 60. Train your legs to catch up.

Mental

Intelligence: 40

Wisdom: 40

Perception: 60

Knowledge: 30

Focus: 50

Willpower: 30

Magic

Arcane Power: 100 instead of 30, buffed due to your Class.

Flesh Affinity: 100 instead of Sixth Sense Orientation 60, buffed due to your Class.

Mana Affinity: 100 instead of 30, buffed due to your Class.

Mana Capacity: 100 instead of 30, buffed due to your Class.

Soul Resonance: 100. Increased from 30 due to your deep traumatic experiences.

Humanity: - 100, debuffed from Charisma 30 by your Class's Curse.

Skills: Sure Shot, Fast Shot, Far Shot, Warped Road, Sleepless Trip, Mount Bond (canceled)

New Skills:

Flight: Produce a pair of Griffin Wings from your back. *

Natural Close Combat Weapons: Produce Griffin Talons from your hands. *

*These are real appendages that are stored in a spatial storage. Training them is highly recommended.

Magical Shield: You can project a Magical Shield around your body.

"Why didn't that woman use the shield when I attacked her?"

She wasn't very perceptive. You took her by surprise.

Teeth of Baba Yaga: You are an Old Magic predator, and your teeth can be sharpened. Your bites will induce paralysis.

Mind Control: You can impose your orders on those of a lower will, whether human, animal, or chimeric. The stronger your Will is, the greater the control.

Flesh Savant: You can build Chimeras by joining parts of living or recently slain beings. Until you incorporate the knowledge through practice, you must be within 30 feet of Koschei the Immortal, and he will either take control of your actions or provide guidance. Increased by Intelligence and Knowledge.

Curses caused by your Class:

Pledge: You will not hurt Koshchei or hide things from him. You will not disclose his existence to any third party without his consent. Koshchei reciprocates the same conditions.

Remote Control: If threatened, Koshchei can take control of your body.

Leash: You and Koshchei cannot be farther apart than a mile.

Corruption: Your Class is prone to do evil and carries the wrongdoings of your predecessors, negatively affecting your Constitution. Do good deeds to reduce your Corruption. If you reach 0 Corruption, this Curse will be lifted. For every two positive Humanity Points, you will gain a +1 in Constitution.

Cannibal: You cannot digest anything but humans or magical beasts. Consuming human flesh increases your Corruption by 1 point per meal.

"Oh, no! I'm fucked…"

Not necessarily. For the moment, a palliative is available; therefore, hunting is ensured. The prey will come to search for you by itself.

"Explain."

While I controlled your body, I stored your mare's body in the pantry, then smoked it. The meat will last you at least a couple of months. Soon, however, Elena's chimeras will start to appear.

"Say again?"

She had made countless flesh constructs, which she sent on missions. They spy or kill on her behalf. Now that she's gone, they will return to the hut instinctively. You could hunt these chimeras for meat, or, alternatively, you could increase your Will and take them under your control.

"I'll put twenty points in Will, just in case."

Koshchei suggests you keep the rest in reserve for when you return to your previous class.

"May I ask you a couple of favors?"

Ask, and if it's not detrimental to me, I will grant them.

"I want to go back and bury my fiancé and the rest of the bodies. It's… the right thing to do."

Koshchei cannot return to that place. We left in a hurry because Russian and Swedish troops were about to engage in battle. I forgot to tell you, but a week had passed since your demise, during which time your body was healing inside the hut. We're south of Sankt Petersburg. Koshchei is sure that whoever finds the bodies will follow the proper procedures.

Squeezing her eyes shut for a second, Isolde shook her head. Jan's body came again to haunt her. She wasn't even allowed to offer him a burial.

"And what about the human parts in the pantry? Do you need them?"

Koshchei could sustain itself without meat. Your request to bury them has been granted, and they will be buried at the first opportunity in the morning.

Humanity: -99

Is that all that Isolde requires?

"No. I want revenge. That bastard, the Swedish King, was involved. I've heard him talk with Elena. You're powerful, right? Help me, and I'll intercede with Sam to give you the shot."

I'm not as powerful as Isolde thinks I am. However, if Isolde helps Koshchei get the Interface, Koshchei will help. Do we have an agreement?

"It's a deal," Isolde said.

Silence descended in the hut, and the fire in the stove began to diminish. Wolves were howling outside, very close. She had heard them before, but hadn't paid attention. Tightening the blanket around her—an item that undoubtedly had belonged to the previous Baba—Isolde tried to sleep, curling into the rocking chair, which had somehow grown to the size of a bed.

She cried over her fate and Jan's for a good while. At some point, there was a sniffing sound at the door, and the floorboard, shared with the porch, creaked. Isolde could feel the animal's mind. There was curiosity there, rather than hostility.

A Dire Wolf mutated into a Warg, one of Elena's pets, Koshchei said. I will scare him off.

The hut jerked violently, and the wolf ran away, yelping.

"Let him be," Isolde whispered. "We're both monsters."

Koshchei is not a good person, but would you believe me if I told you I'm less of a monster now than I was in human form?

"Yes, Koshchei, I would definitely believe you…"

She yawned, her eyelids becoming heavy. The hut was doing something to her mind, but Isolde didn't fight it. She needed to rest for her revenge.