She’s a Killer Queen

Gunpowder, gelatin

Dynamite with a laser beam

– “Kill Queen” by Queen

Brother Rogers burst into a small spartan room like a tornado striking the flatlands of Kansas. His hands hit the worn oak table with a boom that echoed around the room.

Sitting at the table under a mountain of books and notepads sat The Deacon. The man’s most distinguishing feature was his pecan shaped head. His mouth was a large oral cavity below two-flesh sealed nostrils.

When the Deacon inhaled, it made a monstrous vacuum-like sound. His hideous appearance was in stark contrast to his kindly hazel eyes. The Deacon pulled out a steel mask from his desk and used it to cover his face, only his eyes could be seen through the expressionless mask.

“Saints preserve us!” The Deacon said, “I said my door is always open, but could you please knock first, Brother Roger?”

“My apologies Brother Deacon, but I bring troubling news,” Brother Roger said.

“Yes, Brother Roger, what revelations do you bring to my doorstep this time?” asked The Deacon as he attempted ask patiently, but couldn’t help let hints of frustration slip out.

“Baba Yaga, the leader of the House of the One God, you know the person you wanted has finally made her move.” Brother Roger paused for a moment to catch his breath and continued, “She was just defeated in a public fight.”

“Brother Roger I don’t see how losing has any relevance to,” The Deacon said, sitting back in his chair rubbing his chin before Brother Roger interrupted him.

“It was a one-on-one fight in front of the Central Bank of Chicago, no rule restrictions for all 74 of her victories!” he shouted.

The Deacon sat up in his creaky pine wood chair.

“Please elaborate from the beginning, Brother Roger,” calmly replied The Deacon.

Brother Roger, with the aid of mockingbird, explained from the time about 24 hours prior to the events leading up to the battle. Baba Yaga and her guild began spreading rumors that the current reigning champion Mr. Bad Kitty and his 5v5 group called “The Fishermen”.

The rumors got so bold and outrageous that all of his victories were being called into question. The Judges from the Central Bank knew these allegations were false but were slowly starting to bow to public pressure for a formal investigation. If an investigation was ordered: The Fishermen would be temporary suspended from all formal duels. If they were found innocent of the charges they would be allowed to resume again. A conviction could result in excommunication and have his titles and awards permanently removed. Any investigation, regardless of the results, would spoil the reputation of the Fishermen.

Brother Roger continued to explain; The House of the One God were involved, masters of public relations and info manipulation. These rumors needed to be stopped quickly. Mr. Bad Kitty refused to wait for the Judges to put a halt to the false accusations and challenged Baba Yaga to formal combat in front of the Central Bank of Chicago. He offered up his 190 victories versus her 75 victories.

In addition to, she (including her guild) would never attempt to use character assignation against him and his friends ever again. Otherwise, her severed head would be a permanent decoration on the front of his house. If she refused, he would exposes of all her guild’s nasty little secrets.

Baba Yaga accepted Mr. Bad Kitty’s challenge, but with one modification. She was allowed to keep 1 on her victories, bringing her total wager down to 74. The match was scheduled.

Brother Roger tapped mockingbird on the head as the transcription of the fight began to play in The Deacon’s head.

***

Mr. Bad Kitty was the first to arrive in front of the mirror-tinted windows of the skyscraper known as the Central Bank of Chicago. The building’s shadow loomed over the hastily-built arena.

The arena was nothing more than chalk circle that was 100 meters in diameter. Judges were still putting the finishing touches by strengthening wards and adding additional protective barriers for the audience. A slowly growing crowd of people began to gather around the circle.

Mr. Bad Kitty and the rest of the Fishermen showed up before Baba Yaga and her personal guard she dubbed “The Four Horsemen”.

Baba Yaga’s craggy wrinkly skin loosely hung her face. The rat’s nest she called hair was filled with lice and dirt. She waved her hand and summoned her battle avatar, a plump carrion vulture with black and gray plumage. When it arrived, the bird did its best to sit regally on her bony shoulder. Her tattered clothes and animal bone necklace reeked of rot and decay. At her side, she held a small iron cauldron and knotted broom. Her bloodshot yellow eyes cautiously watched Mr. Bad Kitty work the audience, building up their sense of excitement for the upcoming fight.

One of the Four Horsemen and her head bodyguard, Taaoon, who always accompanied Baba Yaga, glanced over towards Mr. Bad Kitty.

Taaoon adjusted his black mirror shades and ran his hands through his short oil slicked black hair. His eyes then met a young girl standing next to Mr. Bad Kitty. She was in her early 20’s, and yet dressed like she was still in elementary school in a pink and white loli dress.

While doing some digging Brother Roger discovered that Anna Lee and was the only person to defeat Taaoon in a one-on-one arena match. She was playing with her long dishwater blonde hair when she caught sight of him. Her eyebrows narrowed as she gave him the middle finger. Taaoon wrinkled his nose in disgust at seeing her face again.

(Translated) “Ignore the little bitch, my sweet Taaoon.” Baba Yaga calmly told him. Her bony fingers ran across the line in his cheek “I’ll make sure I pay him back a thousand nightmares for what he did to me and our guild house.”

Brother Roger made a mental note to mockingbird to see if he could find out what previously transpired.

(Translated) “Even with our magic and help from our allies, we still haven’t been able to repair the damage he caused us, my Queen. You need to take him out quickly, no playing around.” He quietly said to her.

Mr. Bad Kitty was still stirring up the crowd when Baba Yaga neared the arena. His deep violet eyes and short cut brown hair was a mess. His characteristic black clothes and leather biker boots clicked against the ground every time he wanted to make emphasize a point. One of the Fishermen, a blonde-haired blue-eyed 20-something female, pointed to Baba Yaga as she eyed the arena.

“Thanks, Goldilocks,” he quietly said to her, “Now, that my opponent has finally slithered from her hole in the ground,” he shouted at the audience “It’s time for me to burn this bitch at the stake!”

Brother Rogers turned his attention back to Baba Yaga. Some of the people cheered, others booed. Many of the angry people were from the House of the One God or allied to their cause. Brother Roger got as close as he could to Baba. Mockingbird, now pale blue, continued recording the event.

The noise of the crowd made it difficult to hear what she was whispering to Taaoon. The Witch muttered something and he only managed to catch one of the syllables. What he did manage to hear made his ears bleed.

Once the Judges gave the thumbs up signal, Baba Yaga and Mr. Bad Kitty entered opposite ends of the arena at the same time. The boisterous crowd grew silent as an aged white-haired Judge appeared and restated the agreed upon rules and wager.

The Judge waved his hand to signal the beginning of the fight and disappeared. Unlike regular duels, this one would allow summoning.

The rancid stench of Baba Yaga’s cavernous flesh began to visibly change. The sickly yellow-green aroma shifted to a soft bubblegum-pink.

“Doesn’t she save that for end game?” asked mockingbird.

“The witch isn’t playing around and activating her pheromones early. He’s good as dead.” He said to his battle avatar.

Mr. Bad Kitty clasped his hands together and muttered the words “Naraka-gati Asura-gati!”

Brother Rogers told his battle avatar that is was something to do with what the Buddhists called the “Hell Realm and Titan Realm”.

His form changed into a female with flowing silver-white hair. Bones cracked and popped as she lost height. His features softened to those of a woman and his body lost its masculine physic. The feminine curves were accented up by the new clothes. He was now a she.

“Ha! Smart move, invoking a female past life,” cackled Baba Yaga, “So what name should I carve on your gravestone?”

“The name is Estelle, but you will address me as Baroness Estelle, ignorant peasant trash,” she said in a commanding authority-like tone.

Baba Yaga lowered her head and curtsied as if she couldn’t help herself. Baba Yaga shook her head and stood up glaring at Estelle.

“Was that supposed to happen?” asked Mockingbird.

Brother Roger shook his head no.

Estelle’s violet eyes glowed. Brother Roger scanned to see what emotions were emanating from her. She was burning with anger and rage.

She casually smoothed out the wrinkles of her gown length midnight-purple medieval style dress. As she slowly walked towards Baba Yaga, the air around her turned to frost. Baba Yaga backed up putting distance between her and the Estelle.

The Old Witch pulled out a curved slender dagger with a serrated edge. She carved a six-pointed star on her hand with the dagger. Blood dripped from her hand and disappeared into the air as a red 6-sided hexagram formed over the battle arena.

The glowing hexagram grew brighter and brighter as a skeletal apparition began to descend from the suspended summoning circle. Estelle unconcerned at the summoned monster raised her hand, draining the blood from Baba Yaga’s wounded hand.

“You’re too late to counter my summons, and I have already completed the contract. It’s here and will consume your soul, Baroness Estelle.” Baba Yaga laughed hysterically.

She jumped into the air and landed on the monster’s back. The skeletal dragon was covered in rotting and gangrenous flesh. Blood and gore fell off its putrid bones as it shouted and ear deafening roar. It turned its head back and forth looking for its next meal. The hollow sockets contain only deep empty pits that somehow swallowed the entire contents of Pandora’s unopened Box. Only hope was absent from the monstrosity’s eye sockets. Brother Roger and the rest of the onlookers backed away from the edge of the arena.

Estelle watched with the same blank expression on her face as one would be waiting for a bus to arrive.

Baba Yaga cackled as Brother Roger prayed to Jesus, all of the Heavenly Angels, and everyone else he could think of that the barriers of the arena would contain that beast. Even with the protective wards and barriers, he could still smell that thing from outside the arena. Brother Roger wondered if it must have smelled worse on the inside.

“So what do you feed that thing, Shit-tacs?” Estelle asked in an icy tone.

Baba Yaga smiled down at Estelle and tapped the beast with the heel of her boot. Protective wards and barriers glowed bright red around Baba Yaga, protecting her from her own monster’s destructive aura. The beast lunged toward Estelle, who was yawning.

“If your intent was to bore me to death with an amateur display of mediocre theatrics,” Estelle said. “Congratulations, you succeeded.”

Estelle made no effort to defend herself as the beast opened its mouth attempting to swallow her in one big gulp. A black circle formed in front of her. Four small six-pointed stars of blazed at the cardinal directions inside the circle.

The skeletal dragon crashed into shadow serpent that emerged from Estelle’s summoning circle. Both of the monsters meet, jaws locked onto each other. The shadow serpent had a glowing black steam that radiated off it. Its glowing red eyes narrowed as it slowly pushed the Baba Yaga’s beast back.

“Why do you insist on wasting my time with this summoning game, useless hag?” Estelle hissed.

The dragon nimbly jumped back breaking off the dance of death. The skeletal dragon roared at the 25-foot long shadow serpent. The serpent lunged towards the dragon as it sidestepped the attack and clamped down on the neck. The attack tore the shadow serpent in half; both parts hit the ground with a loud thud, shaking the area.

“Behold Baroness Estelle, the angel of the bottomless pit, Lord Apollyon!” shouted Baba Yaga.

Brother Roger made the sign of the cross as he muttered to his battle avatar “that’s the name of the beast ridden by the whore of Babylon!”

“Either you’re completely incompetent or are you trying to lose to me on purpose.” Estelle said. “Because any first-year task mage could tell you that denizens of the Abyssal Dimension can be dominated by creatures of the Preta-gati.”

Baba Yaga cackled loudly as she spurred her beast towards Estelle for the second time.

A slight smile twisted around the corners of Estelle’s lips. Before the dragon could close the distance, the headless portion of the shadow serpent sat up and grew a new head, good as new. Beneath the fallen head, a second summoning circle formed as shadows connected to the decapitated head. Now Apollyon had 2 shadow serpents to fight with. The skeletal beast tore a gash out of the closest serpent. Black shadows escaped from the wounded area. As quickly as it gored parts of the shadow serpents, another head emerged from the wound. Adding to the dragon’s dilemma the shadow serpents attacked and coiled around the dragon in a death grip.

Baba Yaga jumped off her skeletal dragon and onto the arena floor as the dragon was being crushed and devoured by the numerous serpents. Before she could start casting offensive magic Estelle swung her fist and busted the witch in the nose.

Blood spattered across the arena.

Dizzy from being hit, she wiped the tears from her eyes. She had only enough time to focus her sight on Estelle crossing her arms across her chest with her fore and index fingers extended. The concern on Baba Yaga’s face grew as she knew she had seconds to fortify all her wards and protective spells.

“Staglína uf Fenrir!” Estelle growled angrily as she stomped towards Baba Yaga.

The witch began to reach for the contents of her cauldron but instead found out she couldn’t move. Black chains with iron spikes shot from a summoning circle that appeared under her. The spikes impaled themselves into her arms and legs, leaving her unprotected. Arcs of deep violet electricity danced up the chains and into Baba Yaga’s body. She tried to scream out in pain, but couldn’t as her throat was swollen shut.

“Now, I would like to reclaim my time. Three seconds shall do it,” muttered the Baroness.

Estelle crossed her index and forefingers across her body.

“Fyrir fjǫlði!” she yelled as her two fingers blazed with a white light than she moved to finish her attack.

She was hitting her so fast with her two extended fingers Baba Yaga’s mind couldn’t register the pain.

“She stuck every pressure point on her body. I got a reading of 0.003 seconds,” Mockingbird told Roger.

It appeared as if Estelle simply walked past her. Baba Yaga’s body began to dance as if still being struck by the attacks. The exit wounds where she was hit had holes of flesh shot out. Blood ran from every orifice of her body. She hit the ground coughing and wheezing. She could only scream out in pain, as blood ran down her mouth.

Brother Rogers almost felt pity for her.

Estelle turned around and grabbed Baba Yaga by the hair. She gripped it by the roots. The only thing that kept the old witch from falling was Estelle’s grip.

“I underestimated the strength of your wards, I should have put more power into it,” grumbled Estelle.

Her hands continued to blaze with white light as she tightened her grip.

“You win, Baroness!” Baba Yaga blurted out.

Estelle slipped a slender under throwing dagger from under her sleeve and began to twist the weapon into the witch’s neck. The white light cocooned around a sharp-looking dagger.

“I hope you know the Heimlich because you will soon be choking on Satan’s thorny dick when I send to you to hell!” Estelle coldly stated as she began to push the weapon deeper into Baba Yaga’s neck.

“All the charges are false, we made them up! I swear to you that I and my guild will never slander your name or friends again. Please, you win!” She pleaded.

Estelle’s hands shook furiously and her knuckles turned white. She gripped the weapon tighter. Her lips twitched as if deciding to kill the old witch or show her mercy. Mercy won when Estelle casually let go of Baba Yaga, as if tossing a piece of trash to the ground. She took her throwing dagger and slid it under her sleeve cuff, concealing it.

After the Judge confirmed the victory for Mr. Bad Kitty/Estelle the Four Horsemen rushed into the arena. Taaoon was carrying a stretcher as they loaded their fallen guild leader on it. The Fishermen surrounded Estelle as if expecting an attack from the Horsemen.

Even after her victory, Estelle's eyes held on to her contempt as if the whole thing was like being annoyed by a pesky fly.

“Was this Baroness was breastfed by Medusa,” Roger thought.

Baba Yaga’s face changed, as a young 20ish female’s face appeared. Her eyes were bright and cheerful as if happy she was defeated.

“Transfer the victories to me, peasant,” Estelle said turning her attention to her fingernails.

Baba Yaga reached up to touch part of Estelle’s sleeve. “They now belong to you, Baroness.”

A soft white glow flowed from Baba Yaga to Estelle. After the transfer was complete Estelle kicked her hand away with the heel of her boot.

“Now, get this muzhik vedima (translated: Russian for peasant witch) away from me!” Estelle haughtily ordered.

The Four Horsemen quickly carried her away from the arena while their guild healer (Zum-Zum) began to attempt to mend her battle wounds. Brother Roger inched closer. He couldn’t understand what they were saying and suspected they were talking in code again. Mockingbirds carefully recorded their conservation and would translate it later. Brother Roger later determined they were speaking backward English.

Brother Roger’s translation with his side notes:

For a moment, I thought the bitch was going to kill you – Taaoon (Looking concerned)

For a moment, I thought she (glanced towards Estelle’s direction) was going to as well - Baba Yaga (still coughing up blood). Plan B is still in effect.

I would have curb stomped her into the ground – Sparkle (Horsemen called War)

She would have reached down your throat and ripped out your spine out of your mouth before your hand even touched your sword – Taaoon (irritated at War, perhaps a rift is in their group?)

Baba Yaga smiled sweetly and nodded in agreement with Taaoon (suggests a possible lover relationship between them, needs additional research)

It doesn’t matter anyway. We got what we needed. Kitty unknowingly helped us break the contract with that idiot Demon Prince (Which Demon Prince? further data is needed) – Taaoon

Phase one, successful. Now we move to phase two (How is losing your victories a success?)– Baba Yaga

***Group teleported away***