The otherwise silent night at the DeAngelo household was disturbed only by the frantic jittering of a very eager Zelda, sniffing circles in the snow.  She licked the cold white snowflakes off her nose and looked around the yard, her ears on high alert, waiting for any indication that the portal would soon open. She ran to the back doors of the house, put her snow covered paws on the glass and gave a loud “woof” before running again in circles.

“I think that means hurry up humans!” said Michael as he adjusted the laces on his snow boots. As he finished tying, Peanut rubbed her body along the side of his boot, then quickly rushed to her food bowl, releasing an insistent meow.

“It’s so much easier when they can talk. It’s becoming my favorite part of Christmas,” said Rhianna as she hurried about making final preparations for their journey.

“Uh, once a year we travel to a fictional land we thought was imaginary but thanks to Christmas magic is real, and hang out with Santa, battle evil and save Christmas, and your favorite part is the talking animals?” Michael said incredulously.

She gave him a half smile in return while fastening the final button on her jacket. “Yes that’s exactly correct. I mean you do the ‘pretend’ voiceover for both of them all year. It’s nice to hear what they have to say in their own words. I always wonder what they’re thinking—this is the only time they can tell me.”

In that moment, Peanut’s chorus of “meow, meow…” stopped, and a new voice entered the conversation.

“…cease your relentless chattering. My bowl is dangerously close to empty, please address this immediately, and while you’re at it…unhand me!”

Rhianna gleefully lifted the restless cat and held her tightly in her arms.

“It’s midnight!” said Michael as he held open the back door and closed it tightly behind them.  Together, they watched the flickering light of the portal begin to emerge.

The sound of the steadily quickening wind was joined by the excitable chanting of “It’s time, it’s time, it’s time, it’s time,” by a very anxious Zelda.

Rhianna whistled for Zelda, who had an awful case of the zoomies, to join them as they watched the portal form through the snow.

“How did we do this last Christmas again?” asked Rhianna.

“Oh you know, just jumped head first into a swirling vortex of doom—the usual,” Michael replied.

Zelda was the first to jump in, followed closely by the rest of the family.

***

The world distorted into a rush of color and lights as they could feel themselves entering the distant realm. Though the journey took an instant, the breathtaking beauty of the experience filled their minds and hearts with a sense of wonder.

They felt the cold, crisp air of Tellest touch their feet as they fell through the portal. While Rhianna’s eyes shut tightly, her face buried in Peanut’s fur. Michael was the first to look out at the landscape… Or rather, down at it.

“Uh oh,” he said, as he took in their surroundings.

The portal had opened about ten feet above a straw-covered roof. Their bodies dropped like stones in a river, creating two large holes through the ceiling as they crashed into the stable. Their fall was cushioned by a large pile of hay and what they presumed—unfortunately—was reindeer manure.

“Gross!” yelled Rhianna. She stood and released Peanut at once, who had climbed her way onto her captor’s head in the last instant to avoid sullying her pristine white fur.

Zelda greeted her humans with a look of delight, with a reindeer following close behind.

“You made it! You’ve been gone forever! I made a friend!” she said, playfully patting at the reindeer’s muzzle. “And you smell…interesting,” she said while tilting her head.

Michael plucked the hay out of his hair. “What do you mean we’ve been gone forever?  We were only a few seconds behind you.”

The stable door creaked opened as a slender figure emerged. “Actually, Zelda here arrived about an hour ago,” said the young elven maiden in green tights and a red tunic. “Time works differently here, if you’ll recall.  You may not have noticed in your previous visits since you all arrived together. Come, let’s get you inside for some cookies and warm milk…and a change of clothes,” she said, suppressing a giggle.

***

As they entered the building adjoining the stable, they were greeted by a warm hearth and the soft, golden glow of candlelight. The dark wooden walls were adorned with garlands of evergreen, and the smell of spices, meats, and pine permeated the air. The DeAngelo family stood in the center of the room, not wishing to dirty any of the red velvet chairs in the room with their soiled clothes.

“First, let’s get something warm in your bellies,” she said, as she presented a large tray with silver steins of warm milk and a platter of delicious looking round cookies. Michael was the first to take a bite of the cookie, only to immediately spit it out.

“Ah, so this is the evil we’re facing this year?” he said with a look of horror.

Peanut ate the fallen cookie after a quick discerning sniff.

“Why would you do this to me on Christmas?” said Michael as he gave the elf a sad look of betrayal. Rhianna placed a comforting hand on his back.

The elven maiden looked taken aback. “Silly me, I should have let you know. We’re trying to give Santa a traditional Christmas this year. This is an ancient Nordic dessert recipe: fiskeblugen. It means crusted fish balls. It’s made of…”

“Nope, nope, don’t want to know,” said Michael.

“Why are you trying to poison our guests, Rosewyn?” a deep, booming voice echoed through the hall.  “Santa!” Zelda shouted, and she pranced over and jumped up to greet him.  He patted her with a velvet gloved hand as Peanut curled around his leather boots, rubbing her face on the silver buckle.

The elf’s cheeks turned pink with embarrassment. “I will fetch something simpler, and check on the clothes for you both. I’ll be back in a moment.”

Rosewyn paused in her tracks as Peanut yelled “Stop! Leave the fiskeblugen!”

The elf gave her a kind smile as she lowered the tray to the ground and exited the room.

While Peanut occupied herself, Zelda, Rhianna, and Michael greeted Santa.

“It’s good to see you again. I wish we were more…well, more presentable” said Rhianna, gesturing to their clothes.

Santa chuckled, “No worries my dear, you would have had to change into something else more suited to your journey this year anyway.”

“Why would we need a change of clothes?” asked Michael.

“All will be revealed when I introduce you to the wizard that will be accompanying you on your journey. We have a rather important adventure this year, though a…shall we say smaller adventure. But sometimes the smallest adventures are the most important,” he said, a hint of wisdom in his tone.

The DeAngelos stared at him blankly, waiting for a proper explanation.

“Perhaps I may be of assistance” a tiny voice said. A shadow grew large on the wall opposite the fireplace, which projected the image of large pointed hat, robes billowing, staff in hand, and a long, thin tail.  They looked in the direction of the light to greet the guest but saw no one.

“Ahem. Down here,” said the voice. Peanut hissed at the tiny figure.

“I am Raskagar, the herbalist, at your service,” he said, bowing deeply.

“A…a mouse?” asked Zelda. “I have a you at home. Do you squeak too?”

The mouse let out an angry harrumph. “I am not a mouse, I’m a man! A curmudgeonly old man and powerful wizard! And I most certainly do not squeak!” he said, in a small squeaky voice.

“Um, excuse me” said Zelda. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I have the biggest ears in the room and I can’t hear you.”

Raskagar gave Santa a pleading look, and then switched his nose in a pointed sniff toward the elf entering the door.

***

Rosewyn returned with a small assortment of cheeses, two hot cocoas, two small water bowls, and what appeared to be a plate of proper chocolate chip cookies.  Michael grinned from ear to ear.

“Come, join me by the fireside. And let’s make conversing with your journey guide a bit easier, shall we?” said Santa, pulling a vial of swirling purple liquid from his pocket. He passed the vial to Rosewyn, who set the tray down and placed a single drop of liquid in each drink. She placed the water bowls in front of Zelda and Peanut, who eagerly bound over to quench their thirst.

“Wait! What exactly are you giving us?” asked Rhianna, halting the animals.

Santa chuckled with a glint of mischief in his eyes. “It’s more fun if I don’t tell you, but I expect you will guess easily enough when you see your new dressings. Rosewyn, are the garments prepared?”

“Indeed they are!” she replied, as she gleefully held out the palm of her hand, revealing an assortment of tiny costumes that appeared to be meant for toys.

“You…you’re shrinking us?” asked Michael.

“Is that even safe?” asked Rhianna, wary of the thought of unknown potion.

“Ahem,” Raskagar cleared his throat, shouting in his tiny voice so all could hear. “Shrinking magic is my personal specialty. How on earth do you think Santa fits all those toys in his sleigh? Hmm?”

Michael and Rhianna locked eyes, and gave one another a shrug of understanding before each taking a cup of cocoa from the tray. “To Christmas,” they said in unison as they gulped down the warm beverage. Zelda hastily lapped up her drink, but Peanut hesitated.

“Is this not to your liking?” asked Rosewyn.

“I prefer milk, warmed for exactly thirty six seconds” said the cat. “But I suppose this will do for now.”

“I don’t feel any different,” said Michael, as he bit into a cookie. The cookie suddenly became impossibly heavy, and the world suddenly rushed upward. Rhianna and Michael found themselves buried, naked under a sea of their clothes.

“You didn’t warn us about the clothes!” yelled Rhianna from under the folds of fabric.

“Oh I’m sorry, I should have mentioned that before” said Rosewyn. She passed the small costume through a hole in the sleeve so she could change, and did the same for Michael.

“I’ll prepare Zelda and Peanut while you dress yourselves” said the elf in a cheery voice.

They readied themselves, attempting to ignore the smell of their previous clothes.

***

“I don’t understand my costume” said Zelda, eyeing the small gold winder key attached to her back, spinning in circles as she attempted to investigate the curious object.

Peanut seemed mildly happy with her patchwork design, with makeshift stitches attached to the outer corners of her calico markings. “A simple disguise, though it appears as if I were crafted by peasants.”

Rhianna adjusted the green gown of her doll costume while Michael, dressed as a toy soldier, fiddled with the gold buttons on his top.

“Ok, where are we going and who are we fighting?” Asked Michael, brandishing the slim metal sword attached to his belt.

“We are fighting the greatest enemy of all…disloyalty!” said Raskagar in a much deeper tone now that they were all similar statures. His determined expression wavered as he looked at the four confused faces before him.

“We are running out of time, Raskagar” said a booming voice from above that caused the group of adventurers to jump.  Santa, as tall as a building, loomed over impatiently.

The mouse looked un-phased, and began his tale.

“As I was saying, about a week ago, my apprentice and I had a disagreement. I dabble in various experiments from time to time, in all areas of alchemy and herbology, and I enjoy making new potions and elixirs…all manner of cures and conjuring. My creations are intended to push the boundaries of our understanding of what’s ‘possible.’ I had intended only to create a potion of inspiration, a simple cure for when one feels unmotivated for creative pursuits. However, my fool apprentice added the mugwort before the powered dragon’s liver! You can imagine what happened next!” Raskagar shook his head as he recalled the incident and scratched the fur behind his ears in frustration.

“So that’s what turned you into a mouse…” said Rhianna with an understanding nod.

“Don’t be ridiculous” said the wizard, twitching his whiskers. “That’s when the spoon began to talk!”

Zelda’s head tilted as far sideways as it would bend.

“The potion of inspiration became a potion of animation! That spoon was Barnabus’s favorite implement in the arcanium. He would often talk to it, rather than talking to himself, whenever he was tasked with keeping a concoction stirred. You can imagine after stir number six-thousand-seven-hundred-and-four of any standard healing elixir on any given night, he would want a companion to speak with.”

“What did the spoon say?” asked Zelda excitedly.

“It mostly complained about work,” said Raskagar nonchalantly.

“I discovered the next morning that something was dreadfully amiss. Barnabus was nowhere to be found, and most of my potions ingredients were gone. He had bottled the whole cauldron and snuck away in the night. I knew he intended to recreate the potion and needed to be stopped. I would have never known had that disgruntled spoon not informed me of his treachery.”

“Can you get to the point?” asked Peanut impatiently.

“Peanut! That was rude.” scolded Michael.

Peanut’s ears lowered, but her eyes looked pleadingly at her human. “I’m sorry but I want to eat him.”

Raskagar let out a chuckle and looked fondly at the dismayed feline.

“It’s alright my dear one. When I am human again, I promise I shall ignore you thoroughly.”

Peanut’s ears perked up at the offer. “That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

Raskagar let out one more “ahem” before resuming his story.

“When I discovered him, he was standing over a cauldron where it was clear he was attempting to recreate the mixture, but in a much larger quantity.  I first scolded him for his insolence and demand he had over the stolen potion, which I could see hung in a glass vile around his neck. When he refused to listen, I then attempted to take it by force. But the scoundrel shoved me into the ingredients shelf in a rage. The cauldron toppled and some bottles fell during the scuffle… well, I can assume our current states are the result of an unfortunate mix of transfiguration potion, some pest repellent, and olive oil. Though the one bright spot on this dark tale is my fur is quite silky.”

“Our? You mean you both transformed into mice?” asked Rhianna.

“I became a mouse, and fitting that the traitor became a big fat rat! As soon as I fought my way out of the sleeve of my robes, I saw the rat escaping out a window, dragging the vial behind him as he fled.”

Michael stepped forward.

“This is a lot of exposition, what exactly is our mission here?”

“Why, to stop the rat from ruining Christmas of course!” said Raskagar.

Santa’s booming voice interjected. “In short, Barnabus has somehow managed to disperse the stolen potion to all the toys we crafted this year. What’s worse, he has commandeered the workshop and commanded the legion of toys to prevent my elves and I from entering. Were we to reclaim it by force, and return the toys to their proper state with the antiserum Raskagar concocted, we may harm the toys in the process.  I would not risk ruining even a single child’s Christmas, and I cannot possibly deliver toys that are, shall we say alive, to the Children of the world.”

Michael nodded and once again brandished the sword. “So the plan is we infiltrate the workshop, masquerade as toys under the Rat’s command, and when we take down their leader, we’ll order the toy legion to…”

“Will you stop with the stabbing gesticulations? We are trying to reason with the imbecile!” shouted Raskagar, straightening the brim of his small pointed hat. “Come, we need to get into the workshop through the ancient secret tunnels…” Raskagar went on, pointing his staff toward what appeared to be a small crack in the wooden masonry.

“…That is a hole in the wall” said Rhianna.

“Astute observation, madam. I was adding dramatic flair,” replied the mouse.

“What if there are spiders?” she asked, mildly panicked at the thought of entering the dusty space.

Michael put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“I’m sure there aren’t many spiders at the North Pole, and if there were, they would be magical Christmas spiders that just want to give you four hugs.”

She let out an exasperated sigh as he hugged her tightly in demonstration.

Santa chuckled above them.

“You will need this to get out,” said Santa, reaching down with a small golden key and handing it to Rhianna’s outstretched hands.

”The key to my workshop will come in handy when the shrinking potion eventually loses its potency. Now hurry, we only have an hour before I need to depart if I’m going to make my deliveries in time for Christmas morning.”

***

Raskagar led the way through the dusty wooden crevice, illuminating their path with the glowing tip of the staff held in his paw. He muttered an incantation to dim the light as soon as the glow from the workshop became visible through the cobwebs in their path. The group attempted to avoid the sheer obstacles, but pieces still clung to their clothes and fur. Rhianna shivered with anxiety and rushed to the narrow opening in the wall. She emerged into a room bathed in the glow of dozens of silver lanterns. Shelves of deep mahogany wood lined with white lace covered every inch of the walls. On the shelves were hundreds of porcelain dolls of every shape and size. Each wore a unique dress, in every variety of fabric and color imaginable with intricately embroidered patterns. Under the shelves and along the walls were crafting tables, some covered in buttons and ribbons, and others with tiny brushes and small containers of paint.

“The porcelain room,” whispered Raskagar from behind, as the rest of the group emerged. “We have entered the most delicate room in Santa’s workshop. I need not tell you why it is absolutely imperative we all remain as silent as—”

Zelda interrupted with a loud sneeze that caused her to ears to flap loudly as her head shook.

The group eyed her incredulously.

“It was dusty in there!” whined Zelda.

Michael gave her a slight smile and bent to pet her behind the ears, but his hand slowed as he noticed the heads of every doll lining the shelves slowing turned in their direction. Some blinked, while some unfinished ones stared blankly with unpainted eyes. The fur on peanut’s back instinctively rose.

“That’s not creepy at all,” said Peanut

“What do we do now?” asked Rhianna, slowly backing away.  Raskagar put a paw on her shoulder. “My dear, you’re meant to be one of them, remember?” he said, nudging her forward.

“How am I supposed to do that?” she asked in a frustrated whisper.

“Everyone knows dolls are notoriously critical. Just select one to scrutinize and the others shall follow suit.  We can sneak away while they’re distracted.”

Rhianna stepped forward, knocking the dust off her sleeves and smoothing down the material of her green dress. She selected a curly blond-haired doll in the corner with an elaborate up-do and a painfully ruffled pink gown. She eyed it up and down and shook her head in disapproved. Slowly, the others joined, and all eyes were on the new target.

“That was too simple,” said Rhianna

“I told you madam: it’s the most fragile room in Santa’s workshop. That includes their egos. Come, let’s get out of here before your ruffle-clad friend turns their attention back on you.

***

The next room was adorned with garlands, with iron lanterns on large oak tables. Boxes and wooden crates in neat piles covered the floors. From the ceiling hung carefully painted hot air balloons and various carvings of birds in flight. The shelves along the walls were home to a menagerie of painted wooden animals of all species imaginable. A row of rocking horses and dollhouses towered over the group as they stepped further into the wooden room.

“Look!” said Zelda, bounding over to a small box nearby, walled with winding keys like the one strapped to her back.  As she approached, a small shadow scurried away and attempted to hide behind a dollhouse. Zelda chased after it. “Come back!” she cried, “I’m nice! Let’s be friends!” She gave an investigative sniff as she approached the house. The small head of a little yellow duck peeked its way around the corner. Its wooden feet made a faint tapping sound as it waddled forward, its winding key spinning in the effort.  As the duck approached, Zelda gave it an affectionate boop on its orange-painted bill.

“Perhaps your friend here is the only one in this room affected by the potion,” said Raskagar as he observed the toys surrounding them. The moment he uttered the words, the rocking horses began a slow back and forth dance, creaking the floorboards as they reared.  The animal figures on the shelves stamped their hooves, flapped their wings, or opened their jaws as they inspected the intruders.

The carved creatures appeared ready to leap from their shelves. The little wooden duck waddled forward between Zelda and the encroaching stampede, quickly winding her key in a tight spin which stopped suddenly with a resounding “pop.” The duck’s feet raised about two inches from the ground with one small jump, and then it flopped back in place on the floor.  The wooden creatures stopped in their tracks, but whether they halted in fear or bewilderment was left to the imagination.

“Apparently that brilliant display of dominance was enough for us to gain safe passage! Make haste, our time is running short.” Raskagar quickened his pace.

Zelda nudged her new yellow friend, who followed by her side with the quick pitter patter sounds of her wooden flippers on the floor.

‘”How is it that Barnabus could have distributed the potion to so many toys? He barely had enough for a few, let alone an army,” the mouse pondered as they entered the archway into the next room. “It would have been impossible to distribute the potion individually. He must be doing it all at once somehow.”

“If that were the case, then wouldn’t everything be moving? The tables, the chairs, the… scissors,” said Michael.

Raskagar pondered the statement. “I do not believe so. A potion of animation would target any object where there exists an assignment of expectation for reciprocated affections.”

Zelda stopped bounding around her duck friend long enough to tilt her head sideways at Raskagar’s comment.

“In other words,” said the wizard, “it’s a matter of wanting something to care for you in return. A child would want a stuffed bear to return its affections, but would not likely feel the same for a fork.”

Michael halted in his tracks. “Hold on, you said Barnabus’s spoon was talking after he stirred the potion.”

“I did indeed, but I also said he often spoke to that spoon, having no one else to talk to on long nights.”

“So that’s why certain toys are “alive” but other’s aren’t?” asked Rhianna. “Why the dolls moved, but not the dollhouses?”

“Indeed” said the wizard. “You wouldn’t expect your own house to start moving about on its own now would you? We have more pressing priorities at hand, and at this rate, we will never find him in time. We need a way to get through the rooms with more ease.”

Peanut let out a small cough.

“Something to speed up the journey…”

Peanut swatted the mouse’s robe with her paw.

“A quicker means of transportation.”

“The train!” hollered Peanut, causing Raskagar to jump.

***

From the far side of a lavishly-decorated room stood the most impressive Christmas tree the DeAngelo family had ever seen. Its beauty was magnified by their small stature, since they stood no taller that the ornaments adorning its branches. The walls of the mahogany room reflected the radiance of the twinkling, fluttering lights that encircled the tree—like fireflies but more vibrant in their hues.  “Lumibugs,” said Michael with a fond smile.

Encircling the base of the enormous tree was an elaborate toy village so perfect in detail that the small group might, for a moment, have imagined themselves full-sized again. On the outskirts of the village sat a small set of railroad tracks atop a smattering of artificial snow. The tracks ran from one side of the room to the next, with small archways just high enough for the train to pass from room to room. A far-off echo of a train whistle reverberated through the walls.

“I’ve never been on a train before!” piped Zelda excitedly as she bound toward the tracks, the waddling wooden duck trailing behind.

As she neared the tracks, the sound of footsteps could be heard approaching from behind the tree. An army of wooden soldiers emerged from there, marching in two neat lines. The ba-rum bum bum of their drum beats matched the pace of their footsteps as they blocked the path between Zelda and the tree.

“I’ll handle this,” said Peanut, noticing the slight shiver of Zelda’s tail as she stood bravely in the face of the army.

Peanut gave her loudest warning hiss in their general direction. They drew their swords.

“You handle this,” said Peanut as she fled and turned about behind Michael.

Raskagar gave him a pat on the back. “Not to worry. These fellows are all the same. Just distract them long enough for the train to arrive, and then we can all jump on and be on our way to find that rat.

“I have an idea,” said Michael. He marched forward to their same drum beat, then drew the sword from the scabbard at his hip and held it in the same position as the soldiers held their own weapons. Then, he sheathed the sword. The army mirrored his action. Michael saluted the wooded solders, and sure enough they all returned the gesture.  “This is creepy, but I like it,” said Michael, bemused by the situation.

From the hole in the wall they could see the soft billowing of white smoke from the stack of the train.

“Quickly!” said Raskagar, ushering the group to the far left of the room. Michael followed them, but in a backward run so the army of soldiers would continue looking in the other direction.

The train was intricately crafted, with black, gold, and red designs along every gear and wheel. Rhianna picked up Peanut as they broke into a run, and tightly clutched the gold key she had thus far been using as a walking staff.

Zelda hoisted her duck friend onto the small train platform with a gentle nudge under the wooden tail feathers before jumping on herself.

Raskagar and Michael were the last to jump on the caboose, and just as Michael’s attention turned to the train, the army of soldiers all at once turned around, drew their swords, and charged them at a full run. Luckily for the group of travelers, the hundreds of soldiers did not have sense enough to funnel their way through the narrow opening without a leader, and instead crashed into the wall.

“Ooh, that sounded bad. I hope they didn’t get damaged. Santa said every single toy needs to go to the child it was made for” said Michael.

Zelda looked him sadly. “But not all of them, right? Maybe we can keep just one?” She gave the little duck at her side a soft pat with her paw.

“I don’t think so Zelda, I think this one was made for some special child in the world that needs a little friend,” said Rhianna.

Zelda’s ears drooped.

“Maybe Santa will have a special stuffed toy just for you when we get back,” said Michael, just as the train billowed past a carpeted room filled with stuffed creatures and patchwork toys of every color and texture imaginable.

“I suppose it’s my turn to face off against our next challenge?” asked Peanut with her head held high.

Raskagar chuckled lightly. “No, let’s not stop here. These stuffed ones tend to be a bit…full of themselves.”

He ignored Peanut’s scowl and addressed Zelda, whose head was resting on the duck’s wing.

“Friends aren’t all you expect. They can betray you in an instant! That rat I considered a friend as well as an apprentice. And this is how he repays my generosity! He will get what he deserves. Every action has a price.” The mouse’s face was suddenly bathed in an angry red glow as they entered the next room.

The group could see two velvet chairs facing one another in front of a large fireplace with crackling flames. The mantel was filled end to end with a variety of board games and playing cards. Some were familiar, but others must have been meant only for the children of Tellest, with silver and gold symbols and lettering that exuded an air of magic. Nestled between the chairs, and glowing from the fire blazing behind it, a small glass table supporting an intricately carved chessboard sat. A figure emerged behind one of the stone castles atop the board, and a shadow moved across the ceiling, depicting a massive black rat with outstretched claws.

***

Peanut’s fur stood on end at the sight of the rat. Rhianna put a hand on her back to calm her as Michael whispered to Raskagar. “Were we supposed to be sneaking up on him? Because I’m pretty sure he saw us.”

Raskagar stood atop the toy train, and batted aside the puffs of white smoke blowing in his face as the engine chugged along.

“This is no time for subtlety lad. Santa will need to depart at a moment’s notice.” He held his staff high in the air with both hands and shouted an incantation in a language they had never heard. “Apfrit te amba iflict nicht et um bret elooris altu mat enofin vepa tevik sha letera!”

When he tapped the staff to the train, the train came to a halt.

“Wow, what did that mean?” asked Zelda, amazed at the display of magic.

“That is an ancient language, long forgotten in this world. It’s difficult to translate, but I’ll give it a go. It means “stop.”

“So that’s why it’s long forgotten,” said Peanut dryly.

The group abandoned the train and headed for the glass table to meet their foe.  Raskagar began chanting a levitation spell that resembled the language he had spoken on the train. As they drifted upwards toward the board, Michael readied his sword. Rhianna clutched the gilded workshop key to her chest, and Zelda did little tumbles in the air, enjoying the sense of floating upward.

As soon as their feet touched the board, the pieces took immediate notice to the intrusion. A voice behind them yelled “charge!” as the pawns moved forward. The stone figures were flanked by the black and white knights atop their horses, whose thundering hooves shook the board as they closed the distance between them. Zelda stepped forward in a defensive stance, the little wind up gear on her back shivering slightly with the rest of her body as she prepared for the battle at hand.

Suddenly Peanut ran forward, and in a calm, nonchalant voice said the words “apfrit te amba iflict nicht et um bret elooris altu mat enofin vepa tevik sha letera.” The pieces halted in an instant.

Zelda’s eyes widened. “Are you a wizard now?” she asked the feline.

“I prefer sorceress. And yes,” said Peanut.

Raskagar stepped around the two animals and approached the large rat, who had adorned himself in doll clothes fit for a king.

“Barnabus, come out from behind that castle this instant. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

The rat hissed angrily as it crouched lower behind the stone chess piece, his sharp black claws menacingly scraping the sides. “No,” said the Rat.

“Barnabus, do not test me” said Raskagar.

“You can’t see me” said Barnabus.

The mouse sighed in annoyance. “You are right there. You are a huge, hairy beast who is getting a talking to.”

“But I’m not here.”

“I can see you, you’re right there.”

“No I’m not,” said Barnabus.

“You are!”

“Am not!”

Michael leaned over to Rhianna, whose face bore the same perplexed expression.

“What is happening?” he asked his equally confused wife.

“I don’t know, but this is the most bizarre encounter we’ve ever had. And we’ve fought penguins,” she said.

“Barnabus you get over here right now and apologize for what you’ve done.”

The giant rat, with his shoulders hunched and head hung low, slowly approached the mouse.

“I’m sorry Uncle Raskagar.”

“Sorry for what?”

“For stealing the potion and almost ruining Christmas and making us tiny and…I’m just sorry,” he said with a small sniffle of regret.

“Hold on, your nephew is your apprentice? You described him as your friend,” said Michael.

“Yes, well that’s nepotism for you,” said Raskagar casually.

Michael shook his head. “No, I mean, the way you described him I was expecting…well, someone older. You did say he’s going to get what he deserves, that there’s a price to pay…”

“Ah yes, the price must be paid for your betrayal!” Raskagar boomed as he turned toward Barnabus and wagged a disapproving figure at him. “No cookies for you this Christmas!”

The boy gasped in horror at the declaration and began yelling in outrage.

“I know I messed up. But I was lonely! You’re gone all the time, and I’m all alone stirring potions with nothing but a spoon to play with!”

“It builds character!” shouted Raskagar.” Besides, I always come back! Am I not entertainment enough?!”

“It’s not the same! You’re old!” yelled the boy in a rat’s body.

“Preposterous! And besides, you don’t have time for playing. You’ll soon be graduating from potion-stirring to spell-crafting.”

“I…I am? Wait, you still want me to be your apprentice?” yelled the boy.

“Of course!”

“Then why are we yelling?”

“Because it’s Christmas and we’re family! It’s what people do!” shouted the mouse.

Both rodents chuckled softly, as Raskagar gave Barnabus a comforting pat on the back.

“By the way, how did you manage to awaken all these toys at once?” asked the wizard.

“I used the smoke,” he said, and pointed to the train, still motionless on the tracks.

“Clever boy! But come, let’s put in the antiserum in the smokestack and undo this magic the same way it was done, shall we?”

“I’ll do it. This was all my fault. Besides, I want to say goodbye to my friends,” Barnabus said, a wistful look in his eyes. Raskagar handed him the antiserum and gave him an approving nod.

“He’s going to change them all back?” cried Zelda, nuzzling the little duck at her side.

“Don’t worry little one. Trust someone who understands the laws of magic. No matter how much we want certain things to be, all things return to their natural state. I can turn leaves to gold in an instant, but they will still be worthless. I will soon turn back into an old man, as I am not meant to be a mouse.  I am sure of this because my constant craving for cheese is slowly abetting. But I can tell you this: I will return to my natural state with a new appreciation for the little things.”

***

The train departed, with a tint of purple smoke billowing gently through the air as the serum began to disperse.  The chess pieces returned to their positions on their respective side of the board. Everything grew silent.

“I think it’s time we go,” said Rhianna, as she suddenly felt her body rumble with the familiar sensation of magic. Raskagar muttered an incantation that levitated the family from the glass table to the floor below. As soon as their feet touched the ground, they sprung up to their full height in one swift motion.

Thankfully for the humans in the group, the clothes magically grew with them. The animals shook their fur free of any remnants of their disguises, and committed themselves to the joys of stretching after feeling compressed in their smaller bodies.

The mouse wizard and the wind-up duck looked up at them from the chessboard.

“Are you coming with us?” asked Michael, looking down at Raskagar.

“I’ll be along in a moment. I feel as though I too shall change back soon, but first I’ll escort this little one back home!” he shouted, with a barely-audible squeak.

Rhianna reached for the workshop key that had fallen during her transformation to full height and ushered the rest of her family toward the exit.

As they unlocked the workshop door, Rosewyn let out a loud cheer. “They worked! They really worked,” she cried with a small dance. “What worked?”  Michael asked.

“The clothes, of course! That’s why they took so long to prepare. I made them with an enchanted fabric so they would grow when you did.”

“Ha!” said a deep male voice behind them. “How embarrassing to have saved all of Christmas only to celebrate in the nude!”

Rosewyn let out a shy gasp before covering her eyes with one hand and placing the other over her mouth to stifle the laughter.

There, standing in the doorway was the wizard Raskagar in human form. He was a tall and gangly old man, standing with his hands on his hips, with a white beard on his sharp jaw that stretched far enough below his navel to offer a semblance of modesty.

The elf maiden composed herself long enough to fetch a blanket from Santa’s chair and offered it to the bare wizard.

“No, I shan’t my dear. Though my nephew may have use for it in a moment. The cool air feels wonderful after spending all that time covered in fur! I think I shall take a walk. Lovely to meet you all!” he said. He gave them a low bow before walking out into the snowy night.

***

The DeAngelo family watched the portal close behind them as they returned to the back yard of their home.  The moon shone so brightly, they thought, for a moment, that Christmas morning had already come.

“It’s a shame we didn’t get to say goodbye to Santa,” said Michael, brushing some snow off his red soldier uniform.

Rhianna picked the hem of her dress up and away from the snow. “Rosewyne said he left in a hurry as soon as the door to the workshop opened. At least children around the world will have toys on Christmas. And we got to keep these outfits.”

“They’ll certainly come in handy during convention season,” said Michael, reaching an arm over his wife’s shoulder. She hugged him around the waist, and then noticed the silence around them. She looked for the animals to ensure they had followed through the portal.

Peanut was sitting impatiently by the door, staring at the handle as if willing it to open. She muttered to herself through a clenched jaw “should have asked that confounded mouse for more spells.”

Zelda lay in the snow with her head down, sniffing at the place where the portal had vanished.

“What’s wrong puppy?” asked Michael, bending down to stroke her fur.

Zelda let out a sigh. “I understand Barnabus. He was just sad being alone all day. My favorite part about going to Tellest is making new friends. My least favorite part is saying goodbye.” She nuzzled her head somberly against Michael’s hand.

“Don’t be sad. It’s Christmas!” said Rhianna. “We still have a few hours of magic left.  Let us know what you want. What would make you the happiest?”

Peanut suddenly backed away from the doors with her ears pointed upward in high alert. “Something’s different” she said. Zelda sniffed the air and perked her ears forward toward the house.

“She’s right… There’s a…a something, moving around in the house.”

Michael took a protective stance in front of his family as he opened to doors to their home. Sitting under the Christmas tree was a box wrapped in silver paper, with a large purple ribbon on top.

“Santa must have made our house one of his first stops,” said Rhianna, as she approached the gift.

On the end of the ribbon was a small note that read:

For the DeAngelo family. May this be a reminder that little things can lead to big adventures.

Zelda and Peanut both approached the box, sniffing circles around the small gap in the lid.

The box shook and they jumped backward. From within, they heard a small woof.

Rhianna and Michael both gasped in delight. Zelda’s eyes widened as she saw a tiny black nose pop out from the small gap in the lid. The little nose sniffed the air as Zelda brought her face closer to inspect the new member of the family. Zelda looked up at her humans with eyes glistening in happiness. “Santa really brought me a friend for Christmas,” she said with a small whine of excitement.

Michael hurried over to undo the ribbon so they could greet the puppy.

“Peanut, can you believe it? We have another puppy!” said Rhianna with joy.

And as her humans opened the lid, and Peanut was whipped in the face by the eager wagging of Zelda’s bushy tail, only one phrase came to mind: “I’m doomed.”

Happy holidays to everyone!

The post Little Christmas appeared first on Tellest.

There is a legend that exists that says this: The first snow of the winter season brings with it incredible magic, and if you see that snow falling as the sun rises, you are rewarded with a wish.

And so it was that day in that cozy corner house, where a doting husband and loving wife cuddled up beside their fluffy dog and their resistant cat.

“Rhianna, it’s snowing,” the man said.

The lady swept her lovely mane of red hair out of her face, and stood, clutching the little dog close to her chest.  In time, she reached the window that overlooked their yard, and she could not rein in that smile.

“You have to get over here and make a wish, Michael,” she bade.  “It’s the first snow of the season!”

Never one to buck her traditions, the husband rose and scooped the cat along with him.  If he had to be present for such an occasion, it was only fair that their pets both be there as well.

The fellow looked out upon that falling snow and grinned at his wife. “This isn’t one of those things where I can’t know what you wished, is it?”

Rhianna laughed and shook her head.  “I don’t think so.”  She looked down at the dog—her fur almost the same color as the woman’s hair. She pushed as far into Rhianna’s chest as she could, and she laughed as she realized she was attempting to squeeze as far away from the cat as possible.

“I wish that we could communicate with our fluffy little babies.  Would’t it be funny to hear what Peanut and Zelda thought?”

The man chortled and shook his head.  “I have a feeling we would be a little less impressed than you think.  I can just imagine Zelda now: ‘throw the ball, throw the ball, throw the ball!’  And Peanut?  It’d be wasted on her.  Though I guess it would be funny to hear what she says in her sleep.”

“Oh, I just want them to know we love them,” Rhianna said, rubbing her forehead against the dog’s.  She looked up at her husband, who still stared out that window.  “What are you going to wish for?” she asked.

He pondered for a moment, watching as each of those snowflakes dropped.  “Hmm,” he thought.  “This time of year, I bet it’s beautiful in Tellest.”

Rhianna just smiled and rolled her eyes.

Tellest was a world that Michael had imagined for sixteen years.  It was the world that brought the two loved ones together.  Once upon a time, Michael suggested that Rhianna utilize her artistic talents to help him bring that world to life.  They ended up finding other awesome people to help with that, and the two of them ended up forming a beautiful relationship together.  After five years together, they worked on that fantasy universe together, writing stories, creating games and gathering art.

Michael kept wearing that goofy grin, and shrugged.  “I wish that every Christmas, we could visit Tellest.”

*          *          *          *          *

A few days passed, and it was the afternoon before Christmas Eve. Michael heard the telltale buzz of his phone as he was putting on his coat.

“Hewwwoooo,” he cried as he swiped at the screen.

“Michael?” he heard Rhianna say.  “I think you should come home.”

The man arched his eyebrow.  His wife always played around when he first answered the phone.  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Well,” she said, “nothing is wrong, per se.  But you’re going to need to see this.”

The prominence in Michael’s throat dropped, and he hurried to his car.  He tried to maintain some air of composure, but he sped home faster than he should have, and when he pulled into the driveway, he nearly forgot to shift the vehicle into park before he jumped out the door.

Michael rushed to the front of the house, jamming his key into the lock and swing the way open.  He was surprised to see his wife sitting on the couch, staring at their dog on the floor.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

Zelda, their pretty little dog, turned about at once, and stood on her hind legs.  “Daddy!”

Michael smiled as the pup crossed the distance to meet him by the door.  It wasn’t until she reached him that he realized what had transpired.  His eyes went wide, and his gaze slowly drew to Rhianna, still sitting on the couch.  She passed him a knowing nod, confirming that he was not, in fact, going crazy (though some people suspect all DeAngelos are).

He cocked his head to the side, and looked at the eager dog.  “Zelda… did you just speak?”

“Woof!” the pup called out.  It was not the typical bark of the dog when she was called upon to perform her tricks.  No, she said the word—and with great pride, judging by the waggle of her rump.

“You see what this means, don’t you?” Rhianna asked.

Michael returned an absent stare as he put together the clues that he could find.  “It means your wish came true,” he mumbled.

“It means you were wrong!” his wife exclaimed.  “She hasn’t asked me to throw the ball yet!”

Zelda spun about with a gasp, and stared at her mommy.  “Ball?” she cried.

“Wait a minute,” Michael said.  “You wished for the ability to communicate with our animals.  Plural.  Is Peanut able to talk now too?”

In response, Rhianna walked to the window, and swept the curtain out of the way.

The cat was there, and she turned her head to look at the interloper to her bay window refuge.  “Ugh,” she groaned.  “What do you want?”

Rhianna gestured with her hand as if to ask if that was confirmation enough.

“How long have they been like this?”

“Since about an hour ago.”

Michael arched his eyebrow.  “That’s right about the time we noticed the snow a few days ago.”

“You made a wish too, you know,” his wife reminded.  “Did we get any tickets to Tellest lately?”

He shrugged.  “No mail today, it seems.  I don’t think it’s in the cards.”

Just then, a loud, persistent gust battered the back of the house. The french doors shuddered against that buffeting of wind, and the married couple inched closer to that area.

Against all odds, the back yard was covered in white.  Snow had fallen there in a matter of moments.

No, not fallen, they soon realized.  It was being cast out from the ground—and the large swirling vortex that was there.  The wind and snow whipped around like mad, and as more of that white stuff coated the ground and the glass of the door, visibility was limited.

“I think that’s our formal invitation,” Michael said.

“You can’t be serious,” Rhianna protested.

“Our animals are talking.”

His wife opened her mouth to argue further, but the words were caught behind her lips.  She raised a single finger and nodded.  “You make a good point.”

Beyond the glass of those doors, another sound echoed through.  It was the jovial laughter of a fellow they had heard in countless stories and recreations of holiday cheer throughout the years.

“Ho ho ho…”

“It can’t be,” Michael muttered.  He opened the door to hear the sound with more clarity.

“Merry Christmas!” he heard.

Overwhelmed with curiosity, the man opened the door.  He lifted his arm to shield his eyes from that whipping snow.  As he drew closer, he could see that the large hole that manifested in their yard held one more secret: a rippling image was displayed several feet below. A beautiful manor covered in snow with smoke billowing out of several chimneys was there, appearing as though it were on the other side of a pool of water.

While the bewildered man studied that portal to another world, the little brown dog sprinted out of the open door.  “Santa!” she cried.

Inside the house, Rhianna reached out as if the simple gesture could somehow placate the excited pup.  “Zelda, wait!”

It was too late though.  The dog leapt off the ground with glee in her eyes, and even Michael was too slow to catch her.  She descended into that hole at once, and plunged through the rippling image, until she was out of sight.

The man stood there in shock, his mouth agape.  He looked back to his wife, his slow gaze meeting hers.  She was as silent as he was, but she offered a shake of her head.  Rhianna knew that he had already made his decision though.  He forced a sigh out into the air, steam slipping into the cold from between his lips.  Without anymore hesitation, he hopped into that vortex.

“Michael, what are you doing?” Rhianna grumbled.  “I’m in pajamas!” That did nothing to stop her though, and she fumbled to put on a pair of shoes.  As she reached that opened french door, she looked to the cat in her bed on the opposite side of the room.  “Stay here, Peanut.  We’ll be right back.”  She looked to that swirling vortex and tried to bear a grin.  “At least, I hope we will be.”

She shrugged and stepped out of the house, swinging the door shut. She didn’t slow at all as she leaped into the unknown.

That door never closed properly, bouncing back open and letting the chill back into the house.  The cat sighed and rose from her comfortable bed, hopping to the hardwood floor below.  “The least you could have done was make sure you closed the door, you peasants!”  Peanut sauntered to threshold of the house, looking at the whipping wind and the hole just out of reach.  “Good riddance,” she mused.

She spun about then, and approached her food bowl—the only other thing besides sleep that truly gave her comfort and was aghast by the sight of it.

It was empty!

“Wait for me!” she cried as she sped out that open door.

The cat was the last one through that portal, closing her eyes as she took her fateful leap.

With the family of four summoned to that faraway place, the portal closed, and the snow and wind expired with one final blast of air. The door to the DeAngelo abode shut fiercely, and the yard settled back into place, though a circular outline where a deep hole once was remained there to prove the strange event that unfolded.

*          *          *          *          *

The cat tumbled forward in that odd void of gravity.  Images she couldn’t understand whipped by, until she saw one that she couldn’t help but be drawn to.  There, a lavish manor that seemed akin to a huge, longstanding hunting lodge was adorned with lights and decorations.

She was so distracted by the view that she wasn’t prepared for that liquid feeling of the exit portal.

Still, Peanut had enough sense to right herself before she landed in the snow.  With deft skill, the feline landed on her feet, and stared at her familiar loved ones.

Rhianna arched her eyebrow as she swept the snow off of her pajamas.  She lifted her gaze to meet the recently arrived cat, and clicked her tongue.

“Good riddance?” she echoed.

Peanut stood straighter upon hearing that comment.  “Oh, you heard that?” She made no further attempt to apologize, as though an acknowledgement was enough.  She sat down, despite the snow on the ground, and licked her front paws clean.  When she looked past her smirking owner, she saw Michael cradling the dog, and wiping the snow from her nose.

Rhianna walked up beside them, and dusted her husband’s shoulders clear of the white stuff as well.  “So, here’s a question that might be worth asking.  How are we going to get home?”

“A portal that opened up in our backyard just ripped us through space and time before dumping us in front of a gorgeous wintertime manor, and you’re already asking about home?”

She shrugged.  “That’s a fair point.”

By then, the dog was cleaned up, though she narrowed her eyes as the wind whipped more powder about the air.  “I’m going to put you down now, Zelda, alright?  No running off anymore.”

As soon as she was on the ground, she shook her body, discarding any of the snow that the man couldn’t get to.  When she was steady once more, she looked up.  The DeAngelo family watched as the front of that beautiful lodge was awash with a warm glow.

The door opened, and the silhouette of a man with a large form filled that broad entrance.  “Come on then,” the stranger bellowed.  “It might not seem cold in all this snow, but I assure you, a Tellest winter is a dangerous thing!”

Without any further prompting, the dog scurried off into the snow.

“Aaaaand there she goes,” Michael conceded.  “Run along with her, and I’ll get the cat,” he told his wife.

“You will do no such thing,” Peanut moaned.  She didn’t put up much of a fight though, huddling against her owner’s chest as he scooped her up.

Rhianna trudged through that snow until it covered her pajama bottoms, and soaked them thoroughly.  Before she reached the opened gate in front of the lodge, her teeth were already chattering.

Zelda, their typically skittish dog, had no qualms about prancing into the house.  The man obscured by the light took a step back and let the chihuahua slip by before turning his attention back to his other guests.

The redhead stopped just before the steps that led to that building, in awe at what she was seeing.  “It’s you.  It’s really you.”

Behind a  bushy grey beard and beneath a wide-brimmed red hat, the broad fellow bore a warm smile.  “Of course it’s me.  Who else would I be if not myself?”

Rhianna couldn’t bring herself to even blink.  “But I mean, you’re him.  You’re—”

“Santa Claus?” Michael asked as he drew close.  He wasn’t as shocked by the appearance of the fellow, and he offered a nod to him.

“And pleased to be making your acquaintance,” the very spirit of Christmas said to them.  “Why don’t you both come in and settle down with your pets, and I’ll have one of the servants prepare us all some cocoa.”

The two loved ones were surprised, as they entered the house, to see one of the aforementioned servants standing before them.  A dwarf, his head in line with the bottom of Michael’s shoulders, presented a tray before him that carried two neatly stacked outfits.

“I love new clothes,” Rhianna cried as she plucked the  one aside.

Her husband, meanwhile, released his hold on the cat, lifted the jacket that remained, and let it hang before him.  “This looks a lot like the leather jacket I have at home.  This one looks much nicer, though.  It’d be awesome if this thing fits.”

“I assure you, sir, the measurements are accurate,” the dwarf bade.

“How can that be?” Michael asked as Santa made his way deeper into the lodge.

The jolly man in red simply chortled at that cynicism, but the dwarf leaned forward, and brought his hand to his lips.  “He’s sees you when you’re sleeping.”

Rhianna nodded, as if that was all she needed to hear.

That dwarf led them to a small antechamber so that they could change out of their wet clothes into the new ones that were prepared for them.  They looked at one another, impressed with the outfit that—they could scarcely believe it—Santa had set out for them.  After only a few moments, they emerged from that chamber to find that the dwarf had gone.  A quick turn to their side showed the flickering light of a hearth, the crackle of the fire and its glow inviting.

As the husband and wife entered that sitting room, they saw the jolly, white-bearded fellow in a chair near the fire.  Zelda was cuddled up in the seat beside him, while Peanut was perched upon the arm of that chair.

“It seems they’ve taken a liking to you,” Rhianna said.

The owner of that lodge sent a bright smile her way.  “Who wouldn’t like me?” he asked.  “I’m Santa.”  Before his guests could offer up any would-be witty responses, he waved them in.  “Come in, come in. Grab a seat and make yourself comfortable.  We have some things to talk about.”

As Michael and Rhianna cozied up next to each other on the settee opposite the very spirit of Christmas, the stocky fellow leaned forward.  “So, I take it you realize your wishes have actually come true.  That must have come as some surprise for you both today.”

“That’s putting it lightly,” Michael admitted.

Santa chortled as he mused on that.  “A little honesty goes a long way,” he said.  “You weren’t brought here solely for fun and games—not entirely.  Only two of you have had your wishes come to fruition, and we must remedy that at once, though I’ll need your help for the other two.”

“The other two?” Rhianna wondered.

“Of course!” he exclaimed.  “Four DeAngelos watched the fall of that first snow and made their wish.  Just because you couldn’t understand the furriest members of your family, that doesn’t mean they didn’t have a wish.

“Take Zelda here.  What did you wish for, little one?”

The little brown pup looked up to the man in red, her tail wagging furiously.  “I wanted to fly!” she cried.

“And fly you shall, you precious little thing,” he declared.  “But that will come in a little bit.  Your mother and father are going to need to help me with a task in order to fulfill your wish.”

Zelda turned to her owners and stood up on her hind legs, batting at the air.  “Help him you two!  I want to fly!”

“What do we have to—”

Michael stopped Rhianna from finishing her question when he leaned forward.  “Wait a minute.  What did Peanut wish for?”

Santa nodded, twitching his mustache.  “Your cat?  She wished for a—”

“I didn’t implicitly wish for anything,” Peanut grumbled.  “I just… voiced my desires.”

That fellow in red let fly a tremendous belly laugh that had the cat leaping from the chair over to her owners.  “Very well then, you finicky feline,” he said.  “We shall say that  your wish has yet to be made.  It’s in reserve.”

“What did you wish for?” Michael asked the cat as he cast a sidelong glance her way.

Peanut looked at him for a moment before promptly turning away to ignore him.

Father Christmas leaned forward again, lifting his hand to shield his mouth from the persnickety cat.  “She wanted a big, tasty bird.”

“But I did not wish for it,” Peanut made clear to all the others in the room.  “I was just voicing a concern.  When is the last time any of you ever considered what I want?”

“All you want to do is sleep and eat,” Michael said.  “I thought we were fulfilling that wish awfully well!”

Rhianna swept her husband back further in his seat.  “You mentioned that you had a task for us.  What is it you needed from us?”

Santa clapped his hands together.  “Always willing to offer aid when help is needed.  My girl, that is why you’re on my nice list.”  He rose, and stood before the fire, wrapping his arms around his back and clasping them together just above his rump.  “Again, let’s step back to that honestly I was talking about.  Surely you’ve heard all the stories about me: climbing through chimneys, making toys for children—”

“Delivering them all in one night,” Rhianna added.

“Right!” he said, spinning about and pointing a finger at her.  “Now that last one is a bit of a misunderstanding.  How could one man deliver to all of those children in one night?”  Before his guests could offer up a suspicion, he smiled and stepped a bit closer.  “In this world, I’m what is known as a wizard.  Not just any wizard, mind you, but an artificer.  Your husband is no doubt familiar with the concept: I collect magical relics to help me make my tasks a little simpler.”

“Like the sack you keep your toys in,” Michael surmised.  “It’s a bag of holding isn’t it?”

“Right you are, lad.”

“And your sleigh,” Rhianna piped up.  “It can fly, can’t it?”

Santa wore a smile so bright that even his eyes seemed aglow with pride and happiness.  “Parts of it can, of course.  The parts that are fashioned from cordus trees have the ability to float, given the proper treatment.”  He waved his hand then, dismissing his own rambling.  “One of the most important pieces of my collection is this one right here,” he said, pointing to the mantle.  There, a golden bracelet wrapped in holly rested, sitting within a glass display.  “With that, I’m able to travel through time and space, and I use it all to return to that one day a year when children expect gifts and merriment.”

“A bracelet that lets you travel to other places and other worlds,” Michael echoed.  “Isn’t there another wizard who—”

“Spoilers!” Santa said as he draped his arms across his burly chest. He eyed Michael up and arched his eyebrow, but sent a knowing wink his way a moment later.  “In any case, it’s a pretty big commitment.  Nobody realizes how much work it is to make sure every child gets what they need each Christmas.”

“I always thought you had some helpers,” Rhianna said.

“Well of course!” the jolly fellow said.  “I couldn’t possibly do it all myself.  We’ve got craftsman and stable hands, and all manner of assistance.  Wintertide is meant to be a holiday that is embraced by all.  Er… that is what the people of Tellest call Christmas, my dear.”

“Alright, so where do we come in?” Michael asked.  “I’m not about to let our pup go without a chance to fly.”

“Yay!” Zelda exclaimed, leaping off the chair and jumping against her owner’s leg.

“Well then, let’s get to it, shall we?” Santa reasoned.  “I am going to be somewhat busy here through Christmas, as I’m sure you can surmise.  But there are a few things that I need to make sure the holidays go off without a hitch.  One of those aforementioned helpers, an elf named Revan, is waiting for you out in the northern tundra with a few  assistants.”

“Waiting for us?” Rhianna wondered.

“Of course,” he attested.  “Did I not mention I have mastery over time itself?”

The spouses could not tell if the jolly fellow was having a go at them, or if he was serious.

“In any case, Revan and the helpers have a few things that I need. First and foremost, they’re great alchemists.  They’re responsible for a good deal of Christmas magic, and without them, I’m not sure I’d be able to get everything done!”

“Well,” Michael mused, “how are we supposed to find them?  Even though I’ve written about Tellest, I didn’t even know you were here until now.”

“Ah, but that part of the story just wasn’t ready for you yet, lad,” the big fellow said.  “You and your wife are conduits to this realm.  When the tales are ready to be told, I’m sure you and countless others will be ready to spread the word.  And don’t you be worried about finding Revan.  That’s the trouble that I’ve already got worked out for you.  Just make sure you remember this: when you’re there, ask for the three potions.  They’ll know what it means.  While you’re there, I’m sure my other friend Leoden will want to look after the sleigh. He always pays extra attention to it around this time of year.”

He clapped his hands together, then, and proceeded further into the cabin.  His guests waited for just a few moments more before they followed him.  He waited beside the exit to the lodge, and they could see the tremendous sled that waited for them just outside the door.

“Borti,” Santa called out.  In a few moments, the dwarf they met earlier appeared from an adjacent room.  He carried that tray again, but it did not hold clothes any longer.  Instead, a sword, a quiver and a bow were stacked upon it.  “Ah, you read my mind, my friend.  You two are getting your Christmas gifts early,” he said to his guests.

While Michael beamed and scooped up the gear, Rhianna looked at Father Christmas with concern.

“This is Tellest, dear girl,” Santa declared.  “You never know what dangers there might be.  That said, where you’re going, I don’t think you’ll have anything to worry about.”

“Come on, Honeybuns,” Michael said, presenting her with the exquisite bow.  “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

She sighed then, accepting the offered weapon.  He helped her drape the quiver over her shoulder, and together—with both their animals at their feet—they followed the burly man in red out into the snow once more.

As they approached the sleigh, they were stricken by how beautiful it looked.  The grain of the wood was of particular interest.  That ancient piece had no doubt seen a great many events throughout Santa’s life, and Rhianna’s mind went racing to think of all the possibilities.

“There are so many things I want to ask you before we leave,” she lamented.

“Dear girl, do you think this is the last time we’ll meet?” the jolly man asked.  “Your husband wished for a trip to Tellest every Christmas. There are many visits yet to come!  And fret not.  You’ll see me once more before you return to your home.”

She nodded as she accepted his words.  Her attention shifted to Zelda, whose ears perked up as her body straightened.  “Big dogs!” she grumbled.

Michael couldn’t help but laugh at that, because the approaching animals weren’t dogs at all.  A team of eight reindeer marched on the snow toward that sleigh, a large fellow behind them keeping them all in line by their reins.

“That’s impressive,” Rhianna said.

“That’s just Kartan,” Santa said.  “If you need a fellow who can rope eight reindeer with his bare hands, there’s no better type for the job than a haudron.  Those half-giants have got enough strength in them to do some truly uncanny things.”

Kartan led the team to the front of the sleigh, and slotted them there in place as Santa and his guests arrived there.  “Thank you my old friend,” the spirit of Christmas bade.  He turned to the couple and their pets then.  “Are you four ready?”

Michael and Rhianna nodded, scooping their animals into their arms, and sliding onto the seat of the sleigh.  The man in red with the wide-brimmed hat sidled into the seat behind them.

“You’re coming with us?” Rhianna asked.

“Just to get you started,” the jolly fellow said.

That team of reindeer walked on, pulling the hefty sleigh for a few hundred feet.  Kartan was trudging through the snow behind them, but Santa’s visitors were too busy looking at the gorgeous aurora that seemed to circle the mountain near the lodge.

Finally, the team drew to a stop, and they realized they had pulled up before a steep cliff.

“Where do we go from here?” Michael asked.

“Forward, of course,” Santa said as he stepped out of the sleigh.

Both DeAngelo spouses looked at each other with curious expressions.

“What, you don’t trust me?” Santa Claus asked.

“That’s just a cliff,” Rhianna said.  Her eyes opened wide, then, and a bright smile stretched across her face as she turned back to their host.  “Are the reindeer going to fly us to your alchemist?”

Kartan passed by on their side, and they knew that her suspicion was wrong.  He untied the team from the sleigh, never offering a word to the visitors to the unfamiliar realm.

“What’s going on?” Michael wondered.

“Don’t worry,” Santa bade.  “This is all part of the plan, and it’ll make your journey to the workshop that much quicker.  And I wouldn’t trouble yourselves with having to find your own way back.  Revan or Leoden will surely point you in the right direction back to the lodge.”

“Okay, but how are we supposed to get there without any reindeer?” Michael asked.

“Christmas magic,” Rhianna surmised.

Magic seemed to be the furthest thing from it when Kartan gave a mighty push to the back of the sleigh.  The husband and wife sat down and clutched their pets even closer to their chest.

“Now hang on,” Santa ordered.  “This next part is a little bumpy.”

“Santa is going to kill us,” Peanut squeaked from behind Michael’s arms.

“Hold tight,” Santa cried as Kartan gave the sleigh another hefty shove.

They teetered on the edge of the cliff then, and Rhianna could feel Zelda shaking in her grasp.  The half-giant clapped his hands together before placing them against the vehicle one more time.

“Wait!” Santa yelled.  He ran up behind the sleigh, and draped his arms over the back of it.  “I almost forgot the most important part. The magic that brings you there safely only works if you believe.”  He turned to Kartan and offered a nod.  The half-giant gave one last push to the sleigh, sending it off the edge of the cliff.  “See you in a few hours, no doubt,” Santa shouted out with glee.

All four of the DeAngelos screamed as they saw the jagged rocks and the icy water below them.

“I believe, I believe, I believe,” Michael said as Rhianna buried her head against his shoulder.

“Your stupid Christmas wish is going to get us all killed!” Peanut grumbled.

Just then, though, right before those deadly rocks they careened toward, a ripple of time and space appeared.  Michael breathed a sigh of relief, which all of his loved ones could sense.

Zelda perked up as they approached that portal at a rapid pace. “Yay!” the little dog cried.

All at once, the sleigh and the passengers upon it descended into that rippling vortex.

*          *          *          *          *

When they were done floating through that rift in space, they emerged far away—but still pointed down toward certain doom.  All that mirth that they had summoned upon finding the portal was thrown to the wayside as they careened toward the flat expanse below them.  All four of the visitors to Tellest screamed in unison, their voices breaking once the sleigh banged and rocked against some unseen terrain.

The icy slope caught the sleigh, and the passengers were oblivious to their subtle ramp to safety.  With their eyes closed, and all of them huddled together, none of them noticed at first when their sleigh was upright again.  They slid forward, and it wasn’t until they braved the view that they realized they were safe.

“Again!” Zelda demanded.

Another sigh of relief left the lips of the two owners, though they knew not to let down their guard after that harrowing journey—even though it only took them a few moments to arrive there.

Still, the sleigh slid forward, toward a tremendous fir tree that was adorned with ornaments and strange lights.  The sleigh slowed just as it pulled into that area, and it was only then that the passengers could feel how badly their legs were shaking.

“The old fellow didn’t warn you about the portal, did he?” they heard off to their side.

They turned to see a strange man approach them from a building nearby.  No, not a man, they realized soon after.  His pointed ears pegged him as an elf.

“Huh,” Rhianna mused.  “I always thought Santa’s elves would have been the short ones.”

The stranger walked up beside the sleigh, investigating it as he took account of the two humans and their pets.  He had an odd look about him, his arms bare in that cold, and his chest covered only by a blacksmith’s apron.

“You must be Leoden,” Michael said.  “Santa told us there would be a craftsman here who took special care of his sleigh.”

With a nod, the elf stroked his beard.  “Well, when you’re working with something this old, you want to make sure it can last even longer.  Did he tell you the story of this old piece of driftwood?”

Rhianna arched her eyebrow upon hearing it described as that.  “He didn’t.  We didn’t have much time to converse while we were there. What did you mean when you called this driftwood?”

Leoden waved his hand.  “Ah, that’s not a story for me to tell.  But you should ask him about it next time you see him.  It’s sure to be an interesting revelation.”  The elf reached out, and helped the auburn-haired beauty off the sleigh.  “No doubt you’re here to see Revan. Leave this sled in my care and I’ll have it ready to go before you’re done collecting the things you need from him.”

“Thank you very much,” Michael said.

Together, the guests of that encampment made their way around the tree, coming close enough to see all the ornaments upon it.  Little glass balls were strewn about here and there, with shining, floating creatures inside.  Other decorations, fashioned from stone or wood hung from loops of ribbon, each engraved with a heartfelt message.

As they rounded the end of the fir, they noticed a trio of large buildings that looked similar to Santa’s lodge.  All of them seemed like exquisite log cabins, though they were surely the biggest they had ever seen.

The two humans, the dog and the cat were drawn to the center building, and they were surprised to see the door open before they drew too close.

When they ventured inside, that surprise only grew.  Vials and glassware were stacked throughout the room, making the inside of the giant cabin look like the laboratory of a mad scientist instead of a workshop for tiny elves.  Swirls of color were abound in every one of those flasks, the closest row alternating red and white.

“Like a candy cane,” Rhianna whispered.

“Ah, you must be Santa’s newest helpers,” they heard.  At once, a face appeared behind one of those round glasses where clear liquid flowed.  It was awkward and shifted into an odd shape, but the visitors could see the bright smile that person wore.  “I finished the latest batch of potions just in time, it seems!”

The elf emerged from behind the row of glasses, and her expression of glee was even more pronounced, somehow.  She wore a dark green, short-sleeved cincher, with white and red striped leggings that looked like she was propped up on two long peppermints.  Light brown hair tumbled down past her shoulders, and big, happy eyes landed upon the visitors.  She was smitten at once with the little dog who felt brave enough to introduce herself.

“Gorgeous!” the elf maiden said as she dropped to a bent knee to pet the pup.

“You too!” Zelda exclaimed.

Michael shook his head as he tried to make sense of the situation. “Wait, wait… you’re Revan?”

She sprang back up, and extended her arm.  “Pleased to meet you!” He was surprised by the powerful grip, and the enthusiastic shake, but even Michael could’t hold back a smile as the exuberant elf leaped forward and wrapped his wife in a fierce embrace.  “Hope you found the place alright,” she teased.

“Well isn’t she just a ball of sunshine,” Peanut grumbled.

Revan brought her hands to her cheeks and squealed.  “Kitty!” she cried.  The cat wasn’t quick enough to bound away before she was scooped up into the elf’s arms.  Revan twisted this way and that as she squeezed Peanut until she protested with a little groan.

“So, Santa told us to mention three potions,” Rhianna said, ignoring the adorable plight of the feline.

“Oh, of course,” the elf said.  “It’s hard to forget these three—he’s been using the same lot for centuries.”  She moved over to a table on the far side of the room, and gathered up three large flasks of glowing liquid.  One glowed green, one glowed blue, and the last glowed silver.  “You see, moving around with all those goodies takes an awful lot of work.  So what we’ve done is put together a concoction that makes the task a little easier.”  She held up the blue flask, and balanced it in her hand.  “This one here makes the presents he’s put together for the children smaller.  He’ll put them in the bag and it makes it easier for him to get to.  The green potion is sort of like the antidote.  It isn’t really fixing anything, so to speak, but it’s the right amount to get them back to the right size.  Those two potions counteract one another.

“But this one right here,” she said, juggling those flasks until the silver one was most prominent, “this one is the most important one of all.  This is the one that makes things fly.”

Zelda’s ears perked up at those words, and her eyes grew wide and eager.

“Yes, little one,” Revan said.  “Santa told me all about your wish!” The maiden turned to the human visitors, and arched an eyebrow.  “Are you two alright with your little puppy getting some wings?”

“It’s her wish,” Michael said.  “Who are we to get in the way of that?”

Zelda bounced around in excitement, and was the first to follow the elf out into the snow once more.  Revan fell to her knee again, the white and red stripes on that leg settling into the ivory dusting on the ground.  She popped the cork off of the flask, and was careful to tilt the glass over the dog’s head.

“Now remember, this is pretty potent stuff.  Santa is using it for a pretty good length of time, so you only need a drop of it, and it’ll last for hours.”

That drop landed on Zelda’s head, and she crouched low as if she was waiting for it to rain on her.  She narrowed her eyes, and looked about, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.  “I don’t feel any floatier,” she said.  When she saw Michael and Rhianna’s widening eyes, though, she demonstrated some concern.  She looked down, and realized that she was a few inches off the ground.  A gasp escaped her lips, and she opened her mouth into an adorable canine grin.

“Merry Christmas, Zelda!” Revan said.  “Try it out!”

The little brown dog floated higher and higher, and before long, she grew comfortable with the motions of flight.  She could pitch and roll and dive with ease, and before long she was performing tricks in the air that made it look as though she was flying for years.

“I’m getting dizzy just watching her,” Rhianna said with a bright smile on her face.  Michael stepped up beside her, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

“Regretting not wishing for something awesome like that?” he asked Peanut a moment later.

The cat sneered, but stared with interest at her sister.

“So, she’ll be able to do this for a few hours,” Revan said.  “Probably just long enough to get you back to Santa’s lodge, if not further. With luck, she’ll be flying through the portal back to your world.”

“She’s going to be overjoyed,” Rhianna mused.

Revan’s eyebrows went up, and she inched closer to her visitors. “Now here’s something extra we have to talk about.  We were hoping Zelda would want to use her newfound ability to help us and Santa with a little dilemma.”

“What dilemma?” Michael asked.

“Well, getting the sleigh here was easy,” the elf said.  “The portal pretty much drops it off right here without any problems.  But we need to get it back to Santa, and the portal only works in one direction.”

Rhianna arched her eyebrow.  “So you were hoping that—”

“We were hoping that she’d pull the sleigh.”

“Ha!” Peanut snickered.

“But she weighs like… twelve pounds,” Michael argued.

Revan wore as innocent a grin as she could muster, and she lifted the green potion into the air.  “She doesn’t have to be.”

“I could see this being a problem,” Rhianna muttered.  “She already thinks she’s a big dog.”

“Well, let’s see what she says,” Michael said.  “For all we know, she might not even want to do this.”  He whistled just as Zelda did a loop-de-loop in the air.

Despite her incredible mirth with being able to take to the sky, she turned toward her family, and dove toward them.

“Slow down, Zelda,” Rhianna bade.  “Slow down!”

That warning wasn’t enough to dissuade her though.  She skittered down to the ground, losing her balance at once, and rolling through the snow.

Everyone in attendance gasped except for Peanut, who crooned her neck to see what transpired not so far away from them.

“Woo!” Zelda cried.  “That was awesome!”

Michael ran to the snow-covered pup and lifted her off the ground, dusting off her face.  “You alright little girl?”

“Never better!”

He squeezed her close to his chest, noting that she couldn’t stop wagging her tail.  He had never seen it move so fast, and if he wasn’t aware of the Christmas magic, he would have suspected that rapid propelling tail was what made her fly.  “We have a favor to ask of you, puppy dog.”

“A favor?” she echoed.  “You’ve never asked for one of those from me before.”

“Think of it as a really, really amazing trick!” Rhianna said.

“I love tricks!” Zelda said.

“Well we have a really important one for you, darling,” Revan replied. “How would you like to be the one who brings Santa’s sleigh back to his lodge?”

“I could do that?  Really?”

“If you want to!  But we have to use some of this potion on you.  It’ll make you big and strong enough to pull the sleigh.”

“I’m going to be just like one of his reindeer!” she exclaimed.

“That’s right, you will!”

Revan dropped to her knee again, pulling the stopper from the green flask.  “Just like before, all we really need is one drop—more than that and there can be… side effects.  Are you ready, Zelda?”

The dog panted in reply, and put her paws on the elf’s upright knee.

“Alright then.  Hold still, and we’ll get you all set up!”

Once again, that little dog flinched as the drop of that concoction landed on her head.  Revan stood up and took a step back, and at once, Zelda noticed she was growing in stature.

“You guys look so small compared to me now.”

“This is trouble just waiting to happen,” Michael joked.

“Let’s make sure you can still fly, little one,” Revan teased.  “Why don’t we all head over to Leoden’s and see if he’s done with the sleigh?”

Sure enough, Zelda was still able to take to the air.  She pranced like one of the nine famous reindeer that was known to tug Santa’s sleigh across the night sky.  With that much glee, it was hard to catch up to her, but she settled down beside the other elf’s workshop.

“Leoden?” Revan called out.

“Just putting on the finishing touches,” he replied from within.  The doors to that building were thrust open, and a plume of steam rolled out into the snow.  Leoden lifted his goggles, and wore a wide smile behind his beard.  “Your chariot awaits.”

“That was quick,” Rhianna praised.

“Well, when you’ve been at this as long as I have, it’s almost muscle memory.  She’ll serve you and the big man well.  If he treats it right, this sleigh won’t even need to be looked at next year!”

“You say that every year,” Revan reminded.  She stepped up alongside the vehicle, and grabbed the reins, pulling them into place until she had just what she needed.  “Alright there, Zelda.  Are you ready for your harness?”

“Ready!” the eager pup replied.

Leoden walked up to the two humans, and turned them to face away from his shop.  They were almost looking back toward that huge, icy slope that they arrived on.  “So, here’s how to get back to Santa’s lodge.  If you take the sleigh just to the side of that ridge, you’ll see a big, frigid lake.  Just beyond that, there’s an ice canyon.  It’s a beautiful view, but it’s also right in line with where you need to go.  If you just follow that for an hour or so, you’ll eventually see the lodge in the distance.  This time of year, he’s got that place so lit up, you’ll see it from miles away, no doubt.”

“Thank you, Leoden,” Michael said.  “I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to get to know you better.”

He arched his eyebrow.  “You really think this is the last time we’ll meet?  You’re one of Santa’s champions now.  That’s a fellowship that you never walk away from.”

“In that case, I look forward to seeing you again,” Michael said, extending his hand.  The two shook before Rhianna moved to hug him.

When Michael turned back to the oversized pup, she was all strapped into her harness, attached to the sleigh that would take them back to Santa’s.

“She’s all set,” Revan bade.  “All that’s left to do is get you settled in and get you on your way!”

“We appreciate all you’ve done for us,” Rhianna said.  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Zelda this happy—and she’s a pretty happy dog by nature!”

“Well, she must have two very nice owners then!”

Peanut, looking up at Zelda with discerning eyes grumbled upon hearing the merry speak of the humans.

“Alright, we hear you, cat,” Michael conceded.  “Everyone ready?” He scooped Peanut up, and placed her on the front bench of the sleigh, and took his place beside her.

Rhianna slipped in next, squeezing in next to her husband.

Revan approached then, with the three flasks.  “Now remember, green makes things bigger, blue makes them smaller.  The silver will make things fly.  We already dabbed the sleigh with some of that, so your little pup won’t have any problems lifting the thing!”

Leoden jogged into the workshop then, and gathered an item from the back seat of the sleigh.  “Almost forgot,” he said, presenting them with a small piece of wood with three holes in it.  “This will keep the things from sliding around.  Not our first try at this,” he informed.

“You sure have thought of everything,” Rhianna jested.

The two elves smiled.  “Alright then.  Best you get on your way,” Revan said.  “Don’t want to risk disappointing the children!”

Michael offered a nod.  “Ready when you are, Zelda.  Time to fly!” The magically grown dog took a few moments to get some traction, but after a few slips and slides of her paws, the sleigh was moving. “Happy Wintertide!” Michael called out to their two new friends.

“Merry Christmas!” the elves called back.

Zelda’s speed and strength was more than anyone expected, and in mere seconds, she pulled away from the workshop village, and into the sky.

“Do you think it’ll be a regular ride back to Santa’s?” Revan asked when the sleigh drifted out of sight.

Leoden cocked his head and wore a mischievous grin.  “When have you ever known Santa’s plans to go off without a hitch?”

*          *          *          *          *

They were making fantastic time, Michael supposed—even though he wasn’t sure how much of a journey they had left.  As the icy canyon whipped by around them, though, he thought there was no way they weren’t on schedule.

“I can’t believe I forgot my phone,” Rhianna lamented.

“Something tells me you wouldn’t get any reception here,” her husband replied.

She gave him a punch on his shoulder that was filled with mock anger.  “I would have loved to have taken pictures of everything.  Is this how you imagined the world we’ve been working on?”

He shrugged.  “I didn’t even know there was a north pole here on Tellest.  And Santa?  How was I supposed to know he was here?”

“So that begs the question: does Tellest exist because you wrote it, or did you write about it because it was already there?”

“Well, technically, it—”

“We may never know!” Rhianna interrupted.

“Are we there yet?” the cat beside them wondered.

Michael narrowed his eyes at that question, and gazed at Peanut. “Don’t make me turn this sleigh around,” he teased.  “If you’re bored, you only have yourself to blame.  Zelda made a pretty awesome wish.  How you doing up there, Zelda?”

“I’m good!” the dog hollered back.  “I just keep imagining the moon is a ball that I can catch if I just fly as fast as I can!”

“See?” Rhianna said.  “That’s a good outlook on life.”

“Ugh, I’m just so bored!” Peanut grumbled.

“We’re flying in Santa’s sleigh!” Michael protested.  “How can you be bored?”

“Take a look around,” Rhianna suggested.  “This canyon is beautiful, the icy reflections are neat to look at—and look!  There’s penguins beneath us!”

Both of the other passengers peered over the side of the sleigh to look at those cold-region birds.

“We know some people back home that would be so jealous to see them in the wild,” Michael mentioned.

“And not just any wild, but wild from another world!”

Peanut sighed and rolled her eyes, walking back to the center of the vehicle.  Her gaze was drawn, then, to the swirling contents of the flasks on the bench seat.  While Michael and Rhianna were busy peering at the fantastic surroundings, she leaped back onto the seat, and watched the potions swish with every movement Zelda made.

She couldn’t deny her feline tendencies, then.  With one quick swat, the green concoction was knocked from the stand.

“Whoa!” Michael cried when he heard the glass roll onto the floor of the sleigh.  “Peanut, we need that for Santa.”

The feline stared back at him, not at all bothered by being chastised. “I’m a cat.”

As it rolled about on the floor, Michael lunged for it, failing at stopping it a few times.  Finally, it wedged into place against the bottom of the seat, hanging off the side of sleigh.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” the man bade.  “The flask didn’t break, so as long as the cork—”

The pop of the stopper leaving the glass echoed out over the canyon. Once more, Michael lunged for the potion, but he was unable to grasp it before three drops of that bright green liquid spilled from the vial.

Rhianna muttered, then.  “Did… was that…”

“Whatever you think happened, that’s probably what happened,” Michael returned.  He held the flask aloft, praying that more of that liquid wouldn’t slosh out past the top.  “What’s the worst that could happen though?  I mean, if it drops into the water, it’ll probably just end up diluted, right?”

For a few seconds, all three of the passengers stared ahead, as though there was nothing more to be said.

Then, they heard the tremendous splashing from below.

Michael and Rhianna each ventured a glance from either side of the sleigh, and their eyes went wide at the sight of the creatures that emerged from the dark, frigid water.

“You’re seeing what I’m seeing, right?” Michael asked.

“If you’re seeing humongous, angry-looking penguins, then yes, we are seeing the same thing!”

He swallowed hard, but then turned to his wife.  “Hold this for me,” he said, handing over the green flask.  “Do not drop it or let any of it spill.  “Giant angry penguins I can deal with.  I can’t say the same for a giant angry Rhianna!”

She glowered at him, but snagged the flask with as much care as she could.  He didn’t waste too much time trying to placate her.  Instead, he reached for his hip, and tugged the sword Santa gave him out of its scabbard.  Though it was a bit of an endeavor, he kicked his boot off as well, shoving it against the front of the sleigh.

“What are you doing?” his wife asked.

“Well, I’m not going to tear up any of the clothes that Santa gave us. But these are my old dingy socks.  I’ll get new ones.”

Before Rhianna could correct herself, he stabbed the tip of the sword into the sock, and tore a hole into it.  In that condition, it was even easier to tear, and he finished the rest by hand.

“Alright, now you have one sock, but I don’t know why,” Rhianna finally explained.

It was Michael’s turn to glare.  He snagged the flask back from his wife, and balled up the torn up piece of the sock.  Careful not to be too aggressive, he stuffed that into the hole at the top of the vial, and placed it back on the stand the other two flasks sat upon.

Finally, he set his gaze upon the cat once more.  “No touchy,” he said. “There we go.  Problem solved.”

As he sat upon the seat, grabbing his boot once more, Rhianna looked behind the sleigh, and was faced with a bigger problem.

“You know those big angry penguins?” she asked.

“Yes,” Michael said with a grunt as he pulled his boot into place.

“They’re big-angry-penguining this way.”

He stood up and spun about, noticing those massive birds flocking toward them at a hurried pace.  Their eyebrows made them look even fiercer and angrier, and had Michael reaching blindly for his sword.

“Zelda,” the man yelled.  “Go get that ball!”

The pup looked back upon hearing that request, but when she saw the monstrous penguins, she broke into a hasty retreat through the air.  Those birds towered over the sleigh, and she wasn’t about to let her family fall prey to those things.

“We can’t even head up out of the canyon,” Michael grumbled.  “There’s too much ice in the way.”

Their dog pulled the sleigh up and under snowy viaducts.  Those blue and white bridges came close to the vehicle a few times, but Zelda was skilled enough to give them the berth they needed.

“Hold my hand, Michael,” Rhianna bade.

“We’ll be okay,” he assured.  He was surprised then, when she stepped over the front seat, and landed in the back.  “What are you doing?”

She responded by scooping up her quiver, and swinging it over her shoulder.

“Looking out the back?” he asked.  “You’re going to get sick!”

“I can get sick later,” she protested.

As the nearest penguin charged forward—not with an awkward waddle, but a rapid sprint—Rhianna plucked up her bow, and nocked an arrow.  It drew closer, opening its massive beak to show off the bristly, knife-like spines therein.  The woman was having none of it, though, and she loosed her missile, landing it right in the center of its preened, white feathers.

That monstrous bird let fly a painful, loud squawk, and fell from the air, tumbling down the canyon into the water below.

“That… was… amazing,” Michael declared.

She turned to him, bursting with confidence.  “Thanks.  I was aiming for its head.”

He couldn’t shield his goofy smile.

It was wiped away a moment later when Peanut piped up from beside him.

“Problem!” she declared.

Another penguin was running right up beside them.  The side of the canyon angled sharply before them, and the two humans knew that the feisty bird meant to leap from there onto the sleigh.

Michael furrowed his brow and grabbed the reins, giving them a little snap.  “Faster, Zelda.  You can do it!”

He noticed another little tug on the reins then, with Peanut holding onto those straps as well.  “No, slow down!” she chimed in.

“Don’t listen to Peanut,” Michael bade.  “When has she ever had a good idea?”

Zelda obeyed her daddy, panting as she pushed as hard as she could.

“Up, up!” Michael cried.

The penguin was right beside them as they neared the apex of the canyon.  Stalactites hung from the icy ceiling like frosty spears, and everyone on board that sleigh had to duck their heads to avoid being skewered.

It was the moment of truth.  The man brandished his sword as the penguin turned its head and delivered a menacing gaze.  It leaped, its red eyes fixed on the sleigh.  Michael cut across with the sword.

It struck out—not against the penguin, but against one of those large stalactites.  A spray of snow and icy specks cast out, landing in those beady crimson eyes the bird pointed their way.  Blinded as it was, it missed its target, and sailed through the air until it clunked against the opposite wall.

“You’ve had some practice with this, huh?” Rhianna asked.

He flashed a bright smile, and stood taller at the sound of that praise. “Actually, I was hoping I could knock the spike into the darn thing!”

“I’ll take it!” his wife declared.

With the penguins still giving pursuit, the riders knew they had to come up with another plan.

“I have an idea,” they heard.

As they realized it was their adorable dog that said that, they felt a rumbling in their stomachs.

“Why does that make me more scared than anything?” Michael wondered.

“Hold on tight,” Zelda ordered.

The embiggened dog jerked the reins to the side, then, and the sleigh was quick to follow.  As she turned in the air, the sleigh rocked and teetered to its side.  With a tremendous thump, they collided with the sloped wall on that side.  The rails on the bottom of the sleigh slid into place, and the DeAngelos shifted in their spots.

Michael narrowed his eyes and saw what Zelda was trying to do.  Far ahead, a wide aperture led out of the canyon, but there was no way they would be agile enough to sweep up in order to escape…

…unless they looped around that icy bridge that spun about the area. How Zelda had even figured out the logistics of that maneuver was beyond him.

“We’re going upside down,” he warned the other members of his family.  “When she told us to hold on tight, she was serious.”

Peanut’s eyes went wide, and she clung to the only thing she could think of.  With her claws extended, she dug into Michael’s leg.  He scooped up the three potions, and held them in as firm a grasp as he could as he dropped to the ground before the seat.  Pressing his legs into the wood before him, he locked himself into place.  Rhianna landed beside him then, and he wrapped the reins around both their arms.

“Go puppy, go!” he called out.

With that encouragement, Zelda sprinted across the wall until it reached the sloping underside of the nearest bridge.  The penguins encircling them adjusted their paths, but even they were surprised by the movements being made by their prey.  Racing down the opposite side, Zelda and the sleigh gained even more momentum until the ramp jutted upward.

All four of the DeAngelos screamed in unison as they aimed toward that narrow aperture in the icy ceiling.  Penguins flew through the air, just missing their target.

It wasn’t until the sleigh passed through the hole that Michael realized he hadn’t dared to breathe.  Forcing air through his lungs, he felt the heat come back to his body.  The sleigh righted as Zelda leveled out again, and the passengers felt relief.

Michael stood up at once, giving the reins a light snap.

“Now Zelda!” he cried.  “To the top of the canyon, to the top of the wall, back to Santa’s one and all!”

*          *          *          *          *

The burly man in red couldn’t hide his smile as he saw that sleigh soar across the sky.  When he walked out to meet them in that snowy field, though, he could tell that something was amiss.

“You made good time!” he said.  “But, what was the rush?”

“Hey there Santa, we’ve got a bit of a problem,” Michael said.

“A few drops of your growth potion might have got into the water in the canyon,” Rhianna added.

“Oh my,” Father Christmas said.  “Is there anything I should be aware of?”

“Well, I mean, this is Tellest,” Michael said.  “Surely there have been giant, dire penguins before, right?”

A jolly laugh escaped Santa’s lips then.  “I think there’s an easy solution to this.  Why, I could still have you home before Christmas Eve.”

“Really?” Zelda asked.  “What’s your plan?”

He reached up and pet the dog who stood taller than his sleigh.  But it was the smallest member of the family who his gaze was drawn to.

“This could all be fixed if you just make a wish, Peanut,” he bade.

She wore a perplexed gaze as she considered his words.  “What are you getting at, big man?”

He fell to a knee before the cat, and tousled her fur just behind her ears.  “Now, repeat after me,” he said.  “I wish I could eat a big, tasty bird.”

*          *          *          *          *

Those penguins kept charging forward, eager to find the meal that had eluded them.  They scurried through the canyon for miles, until they were upon flat ground once more.  Their red eyes were drawn to the shining lights upon that distant building.  They passed between those snowy mounds, their appetites driving them forward.

So intent on their next meal, they weren’t expecting to become one.

Suddenly, they stood in a tremendous shadow, and the moon was obscured by a new mountain—one of fur and claws and fangs.

Peanut—now twenty feet tall—looked down upon the birds and licked her lips.

*          *          *          *          *

It was Christmas morning, and Michael heard scratching at the door. He was surprised, as Zelda was still curled up in the bed.

Arching his eyebrow, he threw on his pajamas, and opened up the door.

Peanut was there, and she let fly a meow that was loud enough to have Rhianna stirring from her slumber.  The little cat—back to her normal size—skittered back into the living room, and her owner was quick to follow her.

Michael couldn’t hide his smile, as he stood there, looking at their tree.

“What is it?” Rhianna groggily asked.

He pointed to a chest that sat beneath the tree—almost an exact replica of the one that had carried Revan’s potions.  His wife ran over to it, and popped open the lid.  There, inside, were four wrapped presents, each labeled for one of the members of the family.

Rhianna handed them out, and even the animals tore away the wrapping paper.  Michael smiled when he opened his and spotted a new pair of socks.  His wife giggled when she spotted a ball for Zelda, and a stuffed penguin for Peanut.

“Catnip?” she asked, as if expecting the cat to be able to answer her still.

Peanut replied by rubbing her face into the toy’s white belly.

Michael peered over at his wife, and arched his eyebrow.  “What’d you get?” he wondered.

She unwrapped her gift, and was surprised to see an exquisite pair of archery gloves waiting for her.

As she tried them on, smiling all the while, Michael took a step forward, and noticed one more item in the chest.  He plucked out a little envelope, and the letter that was tucked inside.

“What’s it say?” Rhianna asked.  “What’s it say?”

“It’s from Santa,” Michael replied.  “He’s wishing us a Merry Christmas and a Happy Wintertide, and he can’t wait to see us next year!”

Happy holidays everyone!

The post Christmas Wishes appeared first on Tellest.

Mageborn took a lot of effort from a lot of people, and it’s the first story that really pushed us forward into our Tellest renaissance, so to speak.  I’m really excited to have it available to folks, and I hope you check it out, and enjoy it!

Next week, we’ll begin releasing our next Tale of Tellest novella in serialized format, like we did with Mageborn.  It’s been a busy year so far, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Everyone has been so incredible so far, and it is the best way I know to give back.

Cheers!

-Mike

The post Mageborn Released on Amazon appeared first on Tellest.