A magical journey that begins in Azkaban

Although Baba Yaga has an eccentric personality and acts crazy, he has an amazing memory. She counted the wheat grains over and over again, and after repeated confirmation, Roger did not lose any wheat grains.

Half of her face was smiling, and the other half was crying, and she praised with her iron teeth and bronze teeth: "Yes, a total of 10,086. Good Ivan, you did a very good job, and you are worthy of being my good boy." !”

Rogge looked at the rising waning moon in the forest and asked doubtfully: "Then where will we stay tonight?"

"Ah?" Baba Yaga was stunned for a moment, and then grabbed the remaining big chicken leg from the crucible. Rogge was secretly surprised, this old witch's power was really amazing.

Two chicken legs were dangling on the ground. Baba Yaga kicked them and ordered: "Go quickly and find a house!"

"Looking for?" Rogge was confused. He thought about many possibilities, including living in the oil-green crucible. But he never expected that the old witch actually used the word "find".

"Mother-in-law, why is there a ready-made house in the forest? Shouldn't we build a house?" Rogge asked softly, looking like a curious child.

"My good Ivan, building the house is all Chessin's business."

"Chess Chin?" Roger was very confused. He didn't know anything about this word.

When Baba Yaga heard Rogge's question, his eyes flashed with anger: "Those defecting traitors! How dare they tamper with the natural language!"

"Damn it, I know!" Before Rogge could answer, the old witch suddenly covered her face and cried: "It must be those linen robes from the south! They must have wiped out the tradition. Ivan, they are so cruel to you. .”

Looking at Baba Yaga who was suddenly sobbing, Rogge was confused. No wonder the book records that the old witch has a weird temper. Even though I have prepared myself mentally, I still feel confused when getting along with her.

A hammer in the east and a stick in the west have no logic at all. The whole person's emotions have obvious jumps and are difficult to understand. Her emotions come quickly and violently, and go away quickly and without leaving a trace.

He was sobbing just now, but now he suddenly stiffened his face and said, "Ivan, you just wanted to ask me why there is a house in the forest?"

"Yeah." Rogge nodded immediately.

"This is very common." Baba Yaga looked at him puzzled, "There are many wooden houses supported by sticks here. Oh, there are residents inside, those bones."

"I usually take out the longer bones and use them as fence materials." Baba Yaga's words made Roger feel a hair in his heart, and he realized what house the old witch was talking about.

"Coffin?" Rogge blurted out.

"Huh? Huh!" Baba Yaga shook his head calmly, "That's not a coffin, that's a house. Is it called a house if it's for the living, but not for the dead?"

Her rhetorical question made Rogge speechless for a moment. Although the old witch's words were strange, they were not unreasonable. And that small box is the final home for countless people.

"However, the house that burned itself has been growing for many years. It is very strong and smart, and can understand my mother-in-law's thoughts." She said, riding on the crucible, and motioned for Rogge to come up.

"Mother-in-law, no need." Rogge's head shook like a rattle.

He obviously didn't want to ride on that strange cauldron, let alone side by side with the old witch.

Baba Yaga frowned, grabbed his sleeves, and angrily rebuked: "If you don't listen to your mother-in-law, you are not a good boy!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she slammed the crucible with the stone pestle. The crucible suddenly jumped out like a ignited rocket.

"Ah..." Rogge was startled by the sudden change. His sleeve was grabbed by Baba Yaga, and his whole body was hung on the crucible.

He looked down and saw that the scene under his feet was changing rapidly. The forest is like a huge green carpet, glowing with a faint dark green under the moonlight.

The outlines of hills and mountains loomed in the night, rising and falling on the ground like giant figures trying to block their way.

Seeing that he was about to hit the cliff, Rogge remained indifferent. He was not afraid, but looked at everything leisurely and enjoyed the wind passing through him.

Baba Yaga thought Rogge was frightened and laughed: "Haaaah..." She happily knocked on the stone pestle and changed the flight path at the last moment.

"Ivan, disobedient children will be punished by their mother-in-law!" Her high-pitched voice sounded a bit sad and threatening. But no matter how loud she turned, the air didn't wait for the boy's scream in response.

Baba Yaga couldn't help the curiosity in her heart and looked down. Rogge yawned lazily and seemed to be enjoying himself, as if he didn't care about the sudden high-altitude journey.

"He doesn't really think that he can be saved by hanging on a tree, does he? No?" Baba Yaga secretly speculated in his heart, and at the same time, he banged the crucible and flew straight into the sky.

Rogge, who was being taken up together, rolled his eyes in boredom. Although he was held in an unsightly manner, he was completely indifferent to this kind of childish intimidation.

Even if his sleeves were really torn and he might fall down in the next second, he still had wings and was not worried at all.

"I wonder if the door key will activate if you step on it three times while floating in the air." Rogge thought to himself, he was always full of curiosity about such unexpected scenes.

Seeing that Rogge always maintained a calm expression, Baba Yaga kept repeating in his heart: This is his disguise, it must be!

However, her actual actions showed everything. Not only did she not slow down her flight speed, she actually flew higher.

She even swore secretly: "I must scare this little guy to tears today. I, Baba Yaga, said that even if the God of Light comes, I can't stop him!"

They flew higher and higher, the clouds above their heads were trampled under their feet, and thin mist passed over them. The moonlight in the troposphere became orange-red, and the stars became fainter.

The wind whistled in his ears, but Rogge felt nothing but a little cold. He looked up at Baba Yaga and couldn't help but wonder, wasn't she tired?

"Mother-in-law, do you want to take a rest?" Rogge asked in a pretended innocent tone, while pointing to Baba Ya's hand that was gripping the sleeve tightly: "Or let go for a while and let Ivan swim in the air for a while. How about it?"

"Can you swim in the air?" Baba Yaga's eyes widened and he shouted: "Idiot, this is in the sky, not in the water!"

"Mother-in-law, what you said is not completely correct." Rogge explained reluctantly, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone: "Air is made of air, and water is made of water. Since people can swim in water, theoretically they should also Can swim in the air.”

Seeing a trace of doubt flash across Baba Yaga's expression, he immediately explained: "You see, the birds flying in the air during the day are actually like swimming in the water. Their wings are like our arms. It’s the same as in the water.”

"The surrounding wind is like the current in the river." Rogge tried to make Baba Yaga accept his point of view.

"Stop talking nonsense, how is it possible to swim in the sky!" Baba Yaga interrupted him impatiently, but with a hint of uncertainty in her tone, she asked Rogge hesitantly: "right?"

Rogge was silent, why no one believes the truth these days. He looked at the vast night sky. The waning moon was still clearly visible because the air here was thinner than before, and the dim stars were shining with dazzling light.

Baba Yaga lowered his head and thought carefully about Rogge's words. She sat on the crucible and unknowingly flew higher, even passing through the mesosphere and flying towards the thermosphere.

She was really a "good witch". Even though her nose was frozen and stiff, with thick green snot hanging upside down like mung bean ice cream, she still didn't let go of Roger's sleeves.

"Ah... sneeze!" Baba Yaga couldn't help sneezing, and the mung bean ice cream in his nostrils broke. She trembled and looked at the frightening darkness above her head and the stars that were so dazzling that she doubted herself.

"How about forgetting it?" Baba Yaga said secretly, "The God of Light is shining. It seems that my oath has been fulfilled."

She lowered her head and glanced at Ivan. Except that the child's face was a little pale due to the cold, his expression remained extremely calm.

"Just think that he has been punished." The old witch concluded immediately and reached a self-reconciliation extremely wisely.

"Ivan, you are such a bad boy who makes my mother-in-law angry!" She didn't dare to fly up any more because she didn't know what horrors there were in the darkness.

So, she put the responsibility on Rogge: "Ivan, since you realize your mistake, let's go back!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she knocked on the crucible and turned around firmly. At the last moment of leaving the atmosphere, rush back into the familiar embrace of earth and forest. As for the vows he had made, Baba Yaga said they had come true.

As they descended, the air became denser, and Baba Yaga felt the water-like touch. She couldn't help but wonder: "Is it really possible to swim in the air?"

The crucible crashing into the forest startled a group of roosting birds. They were like a large black net, hovering over the forest.

Baba Yaga looked at them, and a crazy idea suddenly came to his mind: Maybe he could really try swimming in the air.

A black chicken's feet emerged from the bushes, and they brought the creaking wooden house into view. The wooden house was dilapidated and dilapidated, with the door half hanging, as if it would collapse at the slightest breeze.

"Mother-in-law, can this house really be habitable?" Rogge rubbed his hands to dispel the chill in his body.

"Ivan, it's up to my mother-in-law." Baba Yaga said, jumping into the wooden house, picking up the stone pestle and starting to beat it.

She picked up the rescued box and took out some parts from time to time to strengthen the fragile wall.

Rogge stood outside, not knowing what was happening, but the wooden house became visibly stronger.

That’s right, it’s strong! It's like a bean sprout suddenly turned into a tower of muscles.

"Ivan, come in quickly!" Baba Yaga greeted. She knocked on a large window and shouted: "The house is ready, and my mother-in-law's cauldron is on fire. Come on, we have mushroom soup to drink."

Rogge stared at the slightly ferocious shadow in the window, feeling a sense of fear in his heart. But he quickly dispelled this unpleasant mood and walked firmly to the door.

The black chicken feet still squatted down to welcome him, but this new wooden house was dull. There was a chill in the room, which made people tighten their clothes involuntarily.

"Come on, Ivan!" Baba Yaga held a long-handled wooden spoon and smiled. Her teeth are sharp, and the shadow cast on the wall is like a giant dragon ready to bite people at any time.

"Meow~" The black cat that guided Bathsheda during the day was back at this moment. It looked at every corner of the house with curious eyes, as if looking for something.

"Don't look at it. The old house has burned itself to ashes. Everything you hid is gone." Baba Yaga kicked the black cat. The cat screamed in pain and quickly ran away to hide on the rafters.

"You little beasts that make me uneasy! There will be no food for you tonight!" the old witch scolded the two animals loudly, and then handed a bowl of hot mushroom soup to Roger.

"Ivan, this is specially rewarded by your mother-in-law!" Baba Yaga looked pleased. She was very satisfied with the child's performance in housework.

"If you can do such a good job in housework tomorrow, your mother-in-law will also make mushroom soup for you." She said as she put the bowl on the table.

Just before Rogge had time to respond, Baba Yaga suddenly started tearing off his own scalp. The sharp fingers made a small opening, and then the whole hand dug deeply into the cracks in the scalp. With a blood-curdling tearing sound, her entire scalp was torn off.

Those hairs are as dry as weeds after autumn. When it fell off, it scattered insects and dander all over the ground. The scalp was torn off the top of the head, which was bloody and reflected a metallic luster under the firelight.

Baba Yaga seemed to feel no pain and was accustomed to scalp ripping. She held her scalp in one hand and scratched it casually with the other hand, as if she was enjoying some indescribable pleasure.

Her mouth split into an exaggerated smile, and her eyebrows jumped due to the comfort coming from her brain, which looked weird and absurd.

She casually picked out a flea from the messy hair, threw it into her mouth without hesitation, and chewed it with relish. This inadvertent action made Rogge feel sick to his stomach.

"Ivan, remember to clean your mother-in-law's hair tomorrow." She said as she hung her scalp casually on the wall.

The blood stains on his scalp looked strange under the green firelight. It flows quietly and is swallowed quietly, as if part of some evil ritual.

Baba Yaga kicked the wooden house and shouted angrily: "Stupid thing, that is my mother-in-law's blood, you dare to drink it?"

She began to teach the wooden house a lesson, and the stone pestle in her hand seemed to become a tool for her to inflict fear, making the wooden house feel the most primitive kind of obedience to her.

Rogge took advantage of her not paying attention and quickly glanced at the mushroom soup on the table. His eyes fell on the wooden bowl, and he couldn't help but think: "All the furniture in the house was burned together, where did the bowl come from?"

The bowl was shaped like a skull, and there were several dark lines on the outer surface, which made people think of the dirt stuffed into the cracks.

"Skull bowl?" Rogge thought secretly, then looked at the crucible on the green fire. He thought that this crucible had once been used to brew soft baby soup and that all kinds of messy seasonings had been added to it, and his stomach couldn't help but feel a strong sense of vomiting.

"Mother-in-law, drink it. Ivan doesn't like mushroom soup. If you drink it, you will feel dizzy. You will definitely not be able to wash your mother-in-law's hair tomorrow," Rogge said softly.

"Ah? That's not possible!" Baba Yagga refused sternly, turned around, picked up the wooden bowl and drank the mushroom soup in one gulp.

She smacked her lips, as if she still didn't want to finish it, and drank the remaining juice at the bottom of the pot. While complaining about picking too few mushrooms, she comforted Rogge: "Now you have nothing to worry about. Remember, you must wash your mother-in-law's hair."

"No problem!" Rogge nodded in agreement and answered confidently. He came up with a great idea that definitely pleased Baba Yaga.

Although the night was deep, Roger still couldn't sleep in the corner. He always felt that something was creaking in the house, and he secretly scanned the dark room, but found no trace of the mouse.

Baba Yaga sat with her back to Rogge. She was hunched over and her upper body was shaking constantly, as if she was engaged in some secret activity.

"Mother-in-law, did you hear anything?" Rogge asked softly.

Baba Yaga did not answer him, and the room slowly became quiet. But a few minutes later, the creaking sound came again. This time it sounded more like some kind of rodent grinding its teeth, and the clicking sound kept making people feel nervous.

Looking in the direction of the sound, I saw Baba Yaga's body shaking more and more violently, and the creaking sound also increased, as if something was struggling in her mouth.

"Grandma, are you eating?" Rogge couldn't help but ask.

"Mother-in-law is a little hungry, so she found some radishes to eat." Baba Yaga's answer temporarily stopped the voice. There was a strange contentment in her voice that made people shudder.

She replied again: "Go to sleep, Ivan... my mother-in-law is not hungry anymore after eating."

This strange broken sentence and low voice made Rogge feel a strange atmosphere sweeping over him. He did not respond to Baba Yaga, lowered his head and pretended to sleep against the corner.

His heart was beating hard, and the creaking sound seemed to penetrate his ears and pierce his heart.

Baba Yaga suddenly spoke again, her voice echoing in the darkness: "The big radish in the forest is white and crisp. Do you want Ivan to eat some?"

Relying on his dark vision talent, Rogge could see that Baba Yaga was still carrying him and moving his body constantly.

Her voice was like a tangible tentacle, trying to pull him into an unknown abyss. He could hear the sound of the carrot being broken, and the sound was particularly clear in the silent night.

However, he did not respond.

He closed his eyes tightly, trying to block out the weird sound. After a brief silence, the biting sound swept through again.

This time it was even worse, as if there were countless ants crawling up from the ankle, causing a creepy tingling sensation. The continuous sound waves are as light as poplar catkins. Once they entangle you, they will never let go, making you fall into an inescapable fear.

The temperature in the air gradually increased, and Roger could even smell an alluring aroma of meat. This aroma is unique, with a hint of spiciness that makes people salivate.

"Yes, it smells like braised food." Rogge was secretly shocked. This was definitely mental pollution. It seems to be able to reversely shape a specific flavor based on people's memories, making it irresistible.

"Ivan, mother-in-law is so hungry." Baba Yaga buried her head, with an indescribable pity in her voice. She continued: "My mother-in-law finished eating the white radish, but she was still very hungry, so she had to look for chicken feet to eat."

"It tastes really delicious. My mother-in-law has never eaten anything so delicious." She sucked her shiny fingers greedily, blood mixed with saliva dripping down the corners of her mouth.

"Ivan, do you want to try the taste?" Baba Yaga suddenly turned around, holding a broken palm in both hands, and bit it slowly.

Her eyes flashed hungrily in the darkness, and the flesh on the severed palm was torn between her teeth, making a blood-curdling sound.

There was a satisfied smile on her lips, as if she was enjoying a delicious meal.

Rogge closed his eyes and didn't dare to look. He was worried that if he opened his eyes, he would become the food for Baba Yaga.