Our Chaotic Order

3: Üntergarten

^^ Baba Yaga's Trunk Form ^^
(((Üntergarten means 'under garden')))
--- Greta's POV, 01/07/127-5E ---

I slowly opened my eyes, and looked around blearily. 'This isn't my room...'

'I've changed the house again, little one. Get up and dressed, you've got business to handle!' The house creaked, reminding me of my responsibilities.

I huffed and stood slowly, toddling over to my closet, and pulled on leggings and a tunic, deciding to wear what Maria always wore.

'You are not Maria, my dearest little girl...' the house whispered gently.

"It worked for her, why not me?" I huffed. "She's gone, so someone has to act like she did. I have to. Strong, Brave, and Beautiful. I'll try my best, and make her proud, and you can't stop me." I huffed again and started angrily brushing my hair.

A hard hand stopped me, and sat me down. I looked up, and Baba was behind me in her human form, a very rare occurrence, holding my brush. She turned my face forward and began brushing my hair in a much more calm fashion.

"I wouldn't dream of stopping you from making your sister proud, my dear... but you must understand; there's a difference between honoring the dead and worshipping them. Your sister would want you to be you, to live your life. And your sister was a lot of things, but she wasn't brave." She spoke in a crystal voice that calmed me instantly.

"She wasn't? But she always fought without hesitation? And she saved all those people all the time-"

"She did what was necessary because she knew when she would die. She was never afraid. And without fear one cannot be Brave. Bravery is not the absence of fear, but rather the triumph over it." Baba said crisply, and then smiled at me. "But she was beautiful, and strong. I can help with these. Bravery you will discover on your own." She nodded.

Then she finished braiding my hair, heated it under her hands, and unbraided it. It was now gently wavy, down to the roots. I smiled. "Thank you, Baba."

Her grip on my shoulder tightened. "Please don't use my name, dear. Names have power."

I nodded. "Sorry. It's hard not to when you appear like this... I wish you'd let me call you something else."

She chuckled. "I have too many names to be taking on a new one..."

"Then can I just call you Aunty?" I shrugged.

She hummed slowly, tapping her chin with a long grey finger. "I suppose it's relatively accurate... your mother was my Great-Great-Great-Granddaughters Niece... hmph. Fine. Acceptable." She smiled.

I hugged her cold form, and smiled back. "Okay. Well, wish me luck!" I grinned.

She raised an eyebrow and conjured a silver manacle, covered in runes and glyphs, which she wrapped around my left wrist. "This will keep you safe from weaker malignant magic, though you can strengthen it when you get stronger..."

"Ooh! Pretty..."

Then another, identical bracelet on my right wrist, made of gold, but with different runes and glyphs. "And this will protect you from physical attacks of all kinds, up to a point. They turn into gloves that will absorb energy of their specified kind. Magic for Argent, and physical attacks for Arum." She explained.

I smiled and tested it out, then relaxed my mind, and they turned into rings this time. Then they were bracelets, and then they were belts. "They change?"

"Until you command them to stop." She laughed gently.

I hummed then nodded. "Arum, Argent, I command you to cease changing forms without my permission." They froze, as leather fingerless gloves with metal stitching and palms, and the runes and glyphs printed on the leather. I grinned, flexing my hands easily in the perfectly fit leather. "Perfect... thanks, Aunty, these are really cool!"