The Kikimora

"I learnt it, and I'm being honest when I haven't played chess in a long time. I seem to remember have a skilled opponent when I was young though." (So I say, but who the heck was it? I feel like Chekhov's gun is going off in my head.) I rubbed my temple as invisible pain stabbed he head.

"Unfortunately for you, I played chess against the man who used a move similar to this before, your grandfather. Though I was young like you, I still remember each game I had a challenge with."

Hoping it was just a bluff, I took the queen. Several turns later, I realized I had made a mistake somewhere. Payne's pieces have been putting me in check nearly every turn and I only had a few pawns, my queen, a rook, and a knight left.

In the end, I was going to lose. I put up a valiant defense, but Payne's experience in the game utterly crushed me in the end.

I remembered the terms for his bet: The loser has to die... I was going to die.

"Now that you lost, I have your life in my hands. Ah, don't kill him yet, Max. I understand you suffered at the hands of Dean's capable servant, but that's your fault... No, your failure." Payne's strange lighthearted tone struck his subordinate like a javelin.

I was scared, more so than I ever had been in my life. This man could kill me any time he wished, I got that feeling from him. Yet he kept me alive for some strange reason.

"I assume, since you're young, you wish to live a little while longer?"

I nodded and gulped down empty air.

"Then lead me to the artifacts I paid your grandfather for. You know where they are, so don't fuck with me here." Payne leaned back and took a pose similar to some James Bond villain. If he was petting a white Persian cat and was bald, he would fit the bill.

I had no plans on resisting, so I was perfectly willing to tell them whatever they needed. "Ah, just to be c-clear... These, um, artifacts you want, what do they look like?"

"It doesn't matter what they look like, just tell me where the weird old looking things Teagans owned are at? Max says that they are in the attic... THE ATTIC of all places."

It was probably because of his loud voice, but I caved in. "They are definitely in the attic of the mansion! If they aren't there, I don't know where else!"

"Thanks to you, I will finally be able to acquire the merchandise that was stolen from me by Teagans that I had paid for those years ago."

"Good for you." JJ quipped with a lazed expression. "You'll finally stop bitching about it, at last."

I was very nervous. The more time I spent with the Boneyard's enigmatic leader, the more volatile he seemed to get.

"I think it's time to go there myself and see the merchandise myself. Besides, I doubt this maid of yours, if she is as skilled as Max claims, will try to stop me. Maybe I should use you as a hostage?" Payne nodded his head towards Max who roughly grabbed me and wrenched my arms around my back. "I heard how this maid got exceptionally angry when Max here used you as a hostage. Emotional folks like those always lose the gamble in the end."

(Shiiiit, Marian, stay safe!) All I could do was hope for Marian's safety as I was once again led off as a prisoner.

-

The lone maid was performing her work as usual. Despite her master's order to stay away from him, she stuck around and performed her job as a maid with perfection. She made him meals for when he needed to eat. She cleaned and fixed the area which was damaged during her fight with the intruders.

Marian's eyes changed from black to a dark blue.

"I have greatly troubled Master... I am a failure to him and what I stand for." Marian was sweeping one of the hard floors in a room that was sparsely used. All work left over from the renovations the house had been finished, so most of her time was spent cleaning and preparing her master's meals. "Perhaps it would be best to simply be erased. I serve no other purpose than to serve his interests, if he does not wish me to do such... Then I have no purpose to exist."

The heavy feelings weighed in on Marian's emotional state. She was confused; she had no idea how to approach her master. She wanted to beg for forgiveness, but that would conflict with the order for her to stay away. She truly had no idea on what to do.

Today her master had gone to his college by himself for his finals. Marian wanted more than anything than to go with him and watch over him, even from afar. But the only way to do so was to travel with him in his car, which wouldn't be possible considering his order. And Marian, despite her nature, could only freely move about the territory over which her master governed.

She didn't normally feel this way, but Marian had an abnormally uneasy feeling. That matters were going to be even worse than a few days ago. She hated that feeling, because she always felt that way when her master was going to be in danger. Her intuition had yet to fail her.

Marian placed the broom in the tool closet. She then appeared in the mansion's attic in less than a second. The attic, though it could light up, was dark because Marian had no need for light. Her eyes had always been in the dark and thus were accustomed to it after years... No, decades of darkness. And the place where she experienced that darkness was her vessel, an aged mirror.

The mirror that stood before her was as tall as she was, if not larger. As she had lived in it for many years, the mirror was obviously as old as her. Even then, Marian did not know about the majority of her life, which could even stretch back many decades or even centuries of years. All she knew about her life was her constant companion, her mirror.

She had longed to find a companion, a husband, a person to serve with her life and love. And for the past twenty years, she had been waiting for one person... Dean Teagans. Because she had somehow forgotten the majority of her past life, she felt much darkness purveying her mind. The only light she had found was with him.

He was the one who was promised to her in those mysterious events twenty years ago that she remembered little about. He was the one who found her in the dark attic of his grandfather's home. He was the one who invited her out of her vessel in order to play. She changed her appearance to fit a similar age as him and played with him every time he came. He had promised to see her again, but he disappeared for fourteen years... Until now.

When she first felt his presence inside the mansion's grounds, Marian wanted more than anything to break out of her glass prison and introduce herself and swear fealty. However the curse of the vessel forced her stay within.

By pure luck, he came to the mansion's attic and slumped next to her mirror vessel. She watched him read a letter left to him by his late grandfather whom seemed very close to him. She already knew the circumstances, the moment the grandfather died the mansion was officially left to his grandson via his will and thus her domain to take care of. She saw the sadness in his heart, the wilting sorrow that took root like a weed. At that moment when he was reading the last words he could personally see from his grandfather, he had no one. He had no one to turn to and cry with, no one was around for him to rely on, no one but her. And so she willed herself to break free of the prison to take care the one she loved, the one who showed her light after centuries of dark, blank memories.

"Perhaps I should find him... I cannot break this uneasy feeling." Marian, pressured by the premonition she concocted, appeared on the mansion's roof.

And her premonition was right, she found the concealed enemy.

Marian didn't hesitate when she saw a rift in the light move around. Despite the time and the rise of the moon, there was still light in the area. The two men she saw were using some sort of ability to bend the light around them to make them nearly invisible... Nearly.

Marian appeared behind the two men and pulled one off the rooftop. She tossed him with unusual strength against a large oak tree twenty meters away, probably putting him out of commission. The other man, alerted to her presence, whipped a silenced pistol at Marian.

Marian simply grabbed the gun barrel lengthened by the attached silencer and forced it out of the man's hand. She flipped the gun around in her hand and aimed it straight for his head and fired before he could react.

"Two down... I feel many more, not just three or four. And they are all skilled to some extent. Please, Master, stay safe."

Marian's eyes changed from black to a reddish-grey.

She strained her senses to the very max. She would not be beaten by thugs who came to these grounds for such climatic means, no matter how skilled. She would not even forgive if a hundred of her own kind came here for hostile reasons.

She wouldn't be malicious, not like before. That was when the large man had taken her master as hostage. Unquenchable fury invaded her mind and she had a thirst to kill those in the wrong. However, if the current intruders had done anything to her master... She would make them feel hell.

-

"As I expected, two of our men have been already picked off. This maid of yours must be very capable to take out two of our men, five counting the three a couple days back." Payne casually tossed this out as he walked with me and several of his subordinates.

I wasn't sure of the details, but apparently there was some sort of omnidirectional illusion covering the lot of us which was supposed to shield us from outside influence. Basically, we were supposed to be invisible to a certain extent depending on the person's capability. At least that was what I was told.

I didn't really understand anything about this strange new environment, and I honestly didn't care. All I wanted was to get out of this situation alive. Once I heard that Marian had taken out two of the bad guys, I was worried.

The best and easiest way to stay alive would be for Marian to not attack anyone and simply leave the criminals alone so I can give them what they want. Unfortunately for me I had no way to contact her and tell her that. All I knew was that this was not going to end in peace.

"Hm, I bet this maid will take out all of the surrounding men and women before coming to the main group, us." Payne assessed his situation and articulated what he thought like he was some sort of general.

"You mean you're fine if she kills each of your guys?" I couldn't believe the casual nature behind Payne's words.

"Oh don't worry about that, it's a gamble, just a gamble."

I rolled my eyes and sneered in derision. "I get it now. You're one of those types: The "evil criminal boss with a god-complex" trope."

Payne scrunched his eyes towards me and flicked his head towards one of his men. The man he gestured towards walked up to me and kneed me in the stomach.

"Gwah!" Air rushed out of my lungs and I clutched my stomach in pain and fell to the ground, coughing.

"In my Boneyard, if you can't win against a shitty maid, no matter how skilled she is, then you don't deserve to work for me."

(This bastard...)

"Ah, looks like another one bites the dust... See over there? One of my men got taken out beyond the orchard line. Ah, for a second I thought I saw your maid."

As I reeled from the pain, I was forced to continue walking with the group towards the mansion. While we could have driven all the way there, Payne's caution dictated that we abandon vehicles the moment we entered the mansion's property. Eventually, after several minutes we arrived at the mansion's front door.

Along the way I had heard faint cries and screams of pain as if the land was haunted. It had to be Marian playing the part of a guerilla. I thought about yelling out to her, but I was threatened not to by Payne.

"Remove the illusion." Payne ordered, and his subordinates obeyed without hesitation.

Three men concentrating on the illusion dropped their hands and breathed a sigh of relief, as if a heavy weight was lifted off their shoulders. The second the illusion was lifted, an object flew in and struck a random member of the three. The object that hit him resembled a hammer meant for nails. It struck the man square on his forehead, shattering the skull upon impact. Though some of the men, including me, freaked out when the man died, Payne, Max and a couple others remained stolid.

"She is quite impressive. Though I can't let it be that easy." Payne spoke with an amused face.

Another object arced in from above, aimed for Payne. Max stepped in front and took a boxer's stance. The object this time, a small combat knife, probably from another of the Boneyard, was deflected by an upwards punch from Max.

I was dumbstruck by the spectacle. Catching a knife I could understand, it doesn't even matter if you only see it in action flicks... But literally punching the knife away? Holy pop rocks...

Several more knives and bladed objects came flying in from random directions, all aimed at separate members of our group except for me. Each of the Boneyard's members had some way of deflecting the weapons, although one still died.

I was given a first-hand demonstration on the concept of this new magical world I was thrust in. One man clapped his hands together and stretched them out, creating some sort of invisible shield. Another kicked the ground in front of him, creating a cloud of dirt, stone, and wood particles, the result was the knife in front of him acting as a sort of chaff for the missile. A third used some sort of telekinesis to bring a thick slab of bark block the blade.

Though probably the scariest demonstration belonged to Payne by far. For him there was a special welcoming, three blades were coming at him from three separate directions somehow. However, before any of them could even get ten centimeters to him, they disintegrated into dust and were carried away by the wind.

"Hey, ya damn maid out there!" Payne shouted out as he didn't budge under the pressure like a statue. "Why don't you come on out and say hello!" Payne flicked his arm and pointed at me. "We won't harm him... Yet. So come on out!" It seemed as if the man was taunting the air instead of any one person.

Yet she still didn't show up.

"How annoying... Dean, get her to come here. I want to see this skilled woman face to face. If I like her, I may let her live, maybe even let her join my Boneyard."

(Where is Marian?! What the heck is she doing right now...) I was really worried for Marian. I didn't know if she was somehow taken out, possibly dead. My mind went into a frenzy of various thoughts and emotions. Eventually, I found my answer. (That's right... I told her to stay away from me. Knowing her, she would follow that order to a key and try to help me via the shadows like a ninja. I don't want her to get hurt, so she better keep on following that order!)

I shrugged away the rough arm holding on to my shoulder. "HEY MARIAN!" I yelled out.

Payne, off to the side, made a face that seemed to say, 'Oh, so that's her name?'

"MARIAN! WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T COME AND HELP ME! GET OUT OF HERE AND SVE YOURSELF- ugh..." I groaned in pain as one of the men punched me across the cheek. I coughed up some blood and reeled on the ground.

"You just had to go and say something cool like that." Payne lamented and walked over to me. Lazily bringing his foot back, he slammed it into my torso. He kicked me several more times, each harder than the last until I was sure my chest was covered with bruised and torn skin. "Now call her over here. You're her 'master' or whatever it is, employer I guess. Now call her over here, or you will feel even worse pain soon, I guarantee it."

It hurt to talk, I'm sure one of those kicks hit me somewhere on or close to my vocal cords. However, screw pain right now. Adrenaline is all I need. "Hah... Fuck off. As long as if Marian is safe, I don't give a damn what happens to me." And just to add icing to the cake, I spat a mixture of blood and saliva at Payne's face since he was crouching down close to my head.

Payne wiped off the spit with a handkerchief he got from Max beside him. "You little sack of shit... I'm going to kill you, you know that? And since you found it within your heart courage enough to speak back to me so defiantly, I'll break your will with excruciating pain." Payne then went off into a dramatic monologue. "The Boneyard has been led by my family for quite a few generations. Almost like a dynasty. While it's not like anyone can't be the leader of the Boneyard, nobody has challenged us for a good century. Those that have were disposed of fairly quickly. In order to become the leader of the Boneyard, you must kill the previous head by yourself in a fight. While there have been those who've killed in unscrupulous ways, I or my father did not. The both of us became the leader of the Boneyard in a straight up duel. Basically, that means my father killed his dad while I killed my father. Though that's unimportant, my point is that each new head is forced to come up with new power or magic, each stronger than the previous head. And I came up with a little something I call disintegration. Just like in a sci-fi movie, I can disintegrate anything."

"That's a terribly interesting story." I don't know why I had to be sarcastic right there, but I really couldn't stand his words. It was as if he was gloating to me, who knew or cared nothing about this supernatural world, about his accomplishments.

"Tch, an impudent tone like usual. Well, allow me to demonstrate what I mean." Payne placed a hand on my left arm, which disintegrated into dust.

At first, I had no idea what was going on. A single second later and I found myself screaming over my sudden loss. "AAAAAHHHHH! THE HELL? GAHHHH! WHAT THE HELLLLL!" My pain was mostly psychological at first, but then it got physical. Since my arm disintegrated instead of getting lopped off, there was no ripping pain through the skin. The pain I soon felt was more akin to my arm being frayed off by wrapping a dirty cord of rope and continuously rubbing along my skin until there was nothing left.

(It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.) Thinking about the pain was all I could do.

"NOW! If you do not want to feel any more pain and want a quick death, CALL THAT DAMN WOMAN OVER HERE!" Screamed Payne into my ears.

I wouldn't do what he said even if I wanted to. I was paralyzed by the intense pain that raced through every single one of my nerves. Somehow calming down just enough to register my own thoughts, I breathed a sigh of relief in my mind. (I hurt Marian's feelings and I can't bring myself to hurt her anymore.) I continued to endure the pain for a while longer as I pondered my life and its meaning like a normal close to death person would. While I did so, time seemed to slow down. (I'm so going to die young. Marian, just how close to me were you? I wish I knew what you were talking about with all your riddles.)

"No dice huh? Going to gamble your death on your dear Marian's freedom, huh? Well that might work, but in the end we'll be getting the artifacts that we want. I might even take your mansion as a new home." Payne sighed and rubbed his forehead in frustration. "I even went to the trouble of keeping you safe until now. I might as well tell you now, but did you know that your maid, or Marian, is actually a creature who has killed many people? Not just recently, but in the past as well. She was the spirit who assisted your grandfather in defeated my father and his flunkies in a battle back in Germany. She is a creature that had taken over homes decades past and slew anyone who entered them. I'm honestly surprised at the fact that she became your maid. Kikimoras like her are generally not so benevolent like that. Once I got my hands on the artifacts, I was actually going to bend the spirit to my will and make her my slave... That's all Kikimoras are good for anyways, performing meaningless tasks and giving you power. Especially her, she's got an exceptional amount of power that I want."