The Man with the Gray Eyes

based on a dream we had.

The dream begins in a dark forest, the man with gray eyes appeared at the end of a worn, rickety, moss-covered walkway that led thru the marshes, where lost souls drifted between the ferns and poisonous plants. The mad had the sense that something had been taken from him. (You see those that practice the black arts they must possess something of yours to curse and bewitch.) The man with gray eyes was not keen on being cursed. The dark misty woods beyond the wooden walkway led to a decrepit cabin, a place of evil and witchery. Beyond the dark forest, red glowing eyes glared from the shadows all manner of horrid creatures leered out as he strode un-challenged up the cottage's door. The man knew that this was the house of Baba Yaga, itself an entity of darkness, yet it did not stir upon his touch, he entered unimpeded.

The man with gray eyes casually looked around the place looked uninviting, nothing to suggest untold evil, but there was a smell. Evil had an all too familiar scent. The man in short order found what he was searching for, it was the recovery of a theft, retrieving what was already his. Looking around he came upon the general living quarters where a small but wide fire was burning and in front of this fireplace, Baba Jaga herself. Just a harmless elderly ol'lady she looked almost like his very own grandmother, so much so he stepped closer and only when he was within arm's length did, she stir.

She woke with a start, glaring up at the man with gray eyes. "How did you get in here!? You're not supposed be here!" she rose transforming from a frail old lady into a monstrous witch, her clawed hands seeking his throat. The man not unfamiliar with combat deflected and evaded her erratic attacks, she for a moment had the upper hand grabbing him by the throat and throwing him up against a wall. Just then the man drew a katar, an Indian punching dagger, in his right hand and with a brutal stab he shoved the blade in between the witches' ribcage then swiftly twisted the broad blade snapping the ribs apart. He threw down the blade and with one brutal motion rammed his hand deep into her chest, grasping her heart yanking it out. Baba Jaga fell away her mouth opened in a silent scream blood gurgled from her mouth, she withered on the floor, cursing crawling away pitifully.

The man with the gray eyes, the witches' heart still grasped in his hand, simply turned away and strode away from the witches' hut out into the darkness of the night. Where a host of creatures, their eyes glowing red as they watched him emerge from afar. The man halted upon the threshold and raised Baba Jaga's still beating heart above his head so they could see and squeezed. The blackened heart burst; its ichor spilling out in a horrid spray of red mist. Upon witnessing this the creatures, and demons turned and fled into the deeper darkness, they fled in utter terror from the man with the gray eyes.