{"id":26448,"date":"2022-01-17T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-17T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=26448"},"modified":"2022-01-19T03:14:22","modified_gmt":"2022-01-19T08:14:22","slug":"christmas-revelations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/christmas-revelations\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas Revelations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every year, we I post a personalized Christmas story here on Tellest.\u00a0 You can see all the ones from the past several years by going to the DeAngelo Christmas Archive<\/a>.\u00a0 Or you can just jump to the latest story, Christmas Revelations, below (although you will benefit from reading the older stories first).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Christmas Revelations<\/strong><\/p>\n

A Tale by Michael and Rhianna DeAngelo<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In more ways than they cared to admit, the sands in the hourglass seemed to flow in the same direction.\u00a0 Perhaps the only way they changed was that they flowed a little faster.<\/p>\n

It was too difficult to ignore.\u00a0 The world still hadn\u2019t quite returned to normal, although there were signs of healing.\u00a0 Gone were the worries of Zelda and Maisie not knowing how to socialize with other people, for there were far more instances of visitors to the house that year, especially as the months went on.\u00a0 And so, too, was Rhianna\u2019s interactions, as careful as they were.\u00a0 The opportunities to see loved ones in safer ways had afforded some relief as well.<\/p>\n

Though there was always, on the periphery, some worry that things were not as safe as they could be, a nagging feeling that enough wasn\u2019t being done to feel completely comfortable.<\/p>\n

They were baby steps, Michael tried to convince himself.<\/p>\n

Yet, with all the baby steps there were, it felt like the previous two years were rolled into one, almost impossible to tell the two apart, with the sensation that far less time had passed than truly had.<\/p>\n

When the day came that the DeAngelo family looked forward to each year, it seemed as though it came too quickly.\u00a0 Perhaps for that reason, at first, they didn\u2019t realize everything was not as expected.<\/p>\n

The year before, Christmas seemed to come early, and almost entirely too powerfully.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t until they were whisked away to Tellest that they learned of someone highjacking the holiday portal that typically brought them to Santa for whatever annual adventure or celebration they had in store.\u00a0 Trapped in a strange facsimile of a house, nothing felt quite as rewarding that year as they were hoping after several long and fretful months\u2014until they managed to ride a dragon to freedom and spent their holidays on a comfortable tropical island.<\/p>\n

Still, they hadn\u2019t managed to find the one that had thwarted Santa\u2019s plans that year.\u00a0 While it wasn\u2019t typical for the DeAngelo family to hear from their jolly host outside of the holiday season, as the days ticked down to the next Christmas, they wondered about their plans.\u00a0 If Santa\u2019s brother hadn\u2019t been stopped, who was to say that some other sort of deception wouldn\u2019t be set in place a year later?<\/p>\n

The difference, Rhianna explained time and time again, was that Santa was prepared that year.\u00a0 They wouldn\u2019t have to worry about being wrapped up in any tricks or ruses, and it was likely to be a perfectly fine time at the North Pole.<\/p>\n

That faith was tested as the day before Christmas Eve arrived.<\/p>\n

The evening hours, leading to midnight, were not awash in a fresh snowfall, as they often were.\u00a0 Instead, the sky was bleak and grey, just enough light bouncing off the clouds to be able to see outside.\u00a0 It was cold out; the wind rattled the windows of the house just enough that Zelda had to fight against her neurosis.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t shiver like she normally did\u2014bolstered by the Christmas spirit, Michael and Rhianna supposed\u2014but she did pant a bit.<\/p>\n

Maisie and Peanut fared a little better, each snuggling the same warm blanket, though neither realized one was atop the other, separated by the layer of fabric.\u00a0 Or, at least, that was what it appeared they wanted others to believe.<\/p>\n

Michael sat on the couch beside them, the dog and the cat comforted by his presence, even though he\u2019d spent the day at home rather than at work.\u00a0 Though he\u2019d taken some of the time off to write, at that moment, he\u2019d settled a nice depression into the couch as he played a game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t get up,\u201d he insisted to his wife.\u00a0 \u201cMaisie and Peanut would be too sad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna, meanwhile, was filling the house with a lovely aroma, mixing something up in the kitchen.\u00a0 \u201cAt least play a game with fun music so that I can listen.\u00a0 Or change it to a show that I\u2019m only half-interested in so that I can listen to the dialog without getting too invested.\u201d<\/p>\n

That time was long past, and they were drawing closer to the time they knew that magic would come to their little house.\u00a0 They tried to settle their anxieties, but Michael and Rhianna had to admit, they were concerned with when<\/em> the magic would arrive, and who it would belong to that year.<\/p>\n

Rhianna set down a plate on the coffee table, with piping hot bread and an orangey glace atop it.\u00a0 With the aroma that much closer to her husband, he could no longer ignore it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cBread and mango butter?\u00a0 Not exactly cookies and eggnog, but I approve.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI figured it goes better with where we ended up last year.\u00a0 A nice, warm island filled with yummy food\u2026 Santa deserves something special as thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, okay,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cBut he better be open to sharing.\u201d<\/p>\n

For some reason, everyone felt as though they were waiting longer that year.\u00a0 Perhaps it was because everyone had been present throughout, and nothing had given that feeling of speeding up the day.\u00a0 Husband and wife alternated checking their phones, identifying the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cStill an hour away,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cI can just sense the puppies want to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019m trying to find out what way Peanut is going to berate me when she finds the means to speak.\u201d\u00a0 The dogs barked in unison after the slightest of delays then.\u00a0 \u201cYou even had your tuna this year,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s right, I didn\u2019t forget.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFifty-nine minutes,\u201d Rhianna grumbled.\u00a0 \u201cWhy is this day so long?\u00a0 I can\u2019t wait to hear their little voices again!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, let\u2019s not jinx it,\u201d her husband insisted.\u00a0 \u201cThe last time we got the portal early, we ended up imprisoned by\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not going to happen this year,\u201d Rhianna declared.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t have it.\u00a0 I won\u2019t!\u00a0 This year, we\u2019re going to have a perfectly splendid Christmas free of traps or locked houses, and especially eating things we\u2019re not <\/em>supposed to.\u201d\u00a0 Maisie ducked her head at that statement, though the woman patted her affectionately, for she had in fact been on her best behavior lately.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo chasing after rambunctious pups and racing against giants and elves and dwarves?\u201d Michael asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo fending off huge, carnivorous penguins?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot even being turned into toys and battling it out against magical rats?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna arched her eyebrow and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cThat was a bit fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always something,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cEven when it doesn\u2019t look like there\u2019s going to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Time continued to pass, and while they could have sworn it was the next day already, it was still minutes from midnight.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, look on the bright side,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re not being tricked into an escape room by Santa\u2019s brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna looked around, narrowing her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cUnless that\u2019s what he wants us to think.\u00a0 Curious that you said that, and that you stayed home today this year, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou really <\/em>need to get out more,\u201d Michael said, leaning over and kissing her on the forehead.<\/p>\n

Rhianna feigned an angry glare at her husband, but the next moment, she cuddled up next to him a little closer on the couch, and grabbed his arm, nuzzling his shoulder with her head.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, I wasn\u2019t a fan of being deceived last year, but it was nice that the animals could talk a little bit earlier.\u201d\u00a0 Peanut hopped onto the couch then, searching for scratches.\u00a0 Rhianna couldn\u2019t stave off a laugh then, acquiescing to that request at once.\u00a0 \u201cEven the most persnickety of voices,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Maisie and Zelda joined them there some time later, the entire family snuggled together on the couch.<\/p>\n

\u201cA full boat,\u201d Michael said with a smile on his face.<\/p>\n

Of course, Peanut could only accept being flanked by the pups for a few moments before she hopped off Rhianna\u2019s lap, forcing an involuntary grunt from the woman.<\/p>\n

Rhianna sat forward then and reached for her phone.\u00a0 \u201cDo you want me to plug yours in so that it\u2019s charged when we\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

As her words trailed off, Michael stopped scratching behind Maisie\u2019s ears and tilted his head.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it?\u201d he wondered.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook,\u201d his wife said, turning her phone to face him.\u00a0 The locked screen showed the time then, the large numbers reading 12:02.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s after midnight, and the portal still isn\u2019t open.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d Michael asked, nudging the pup off his lap.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe your phone\u2019s time is off?\u201d\u00a0 When he clicked the button on his own phone however, he saw that his phone had flipped to 12:03 then as well.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are we going to do?\u201d Rhianna asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I mean, it isn\u2019t like Santa has any sort of technical support line, as far as I know.\u00a0 But what about the book?\u00a0 He communicated with us by book last year a few times.\u00a0 Maybe he\u2019s sending us messages this year as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna leapt from the couch, eager to test that theory.\u00a0 She ran to the writing desk they kept in the room, and grabbed for the tome that spoke of Santa\u2019s lineage, and of the things he did to bring Christmas to life.\u00a0 With a sigh setting her shoulders into a slump, she shook her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing here as far as I can tell.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even the animals seemed to know something was strange then, and Zelda ran to the back door of the house, scratching at the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it, girl?\u201d Michael asked.\u00a0 He rose from his seat on the couch and hurried there as well, wondering if something was beginning to take shape there.\u00a0 \u201cDo you see anything out there?\u201d he asked the pup.<\/p>\n

Zelda looked at him for some time, almost as if she expected to be able to say something, but no words came out from betwixt her whiskered lips, and she scratched at the door again.\u00a0 That late, several minutes after midnight, he was a bit worried about her waking up the neighbors, but nobody seemed to notice anything in the years that passed.\u00a0 Then again, in those other years, there was certainly magic that took shape in the backyard of the DeAngelo household.<\/p>\n

Reeling him from his thoughts, Zelda scratched even more incessantly.\u00a0 Michael finally relented, and set the door open, a cool breeze whipping through the house enough that he thought of shutting the door at once.\u00a0 Zelda skittered outside, and the rear light flickered on, but still, nothing could be seen.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year things were way too early.\u00a0 Maybe this year the pendulum is swinging the other way,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cBut I don\u2019t remember Santa saying anything about it.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think he would have just decided not to bring us this year without telling us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou haven\u2019t done anything that put us on the naughty list, have you?\u201d Michael asked.\u00a0 He chuckled to himself and shook his head, before looking at the other pooch on the couch.\u00a0 \u201cMaisie, do you want to go outside too?\u201d<\/p>\n

The littlest pup of the household was always the most excited to venture out into the world, whether it was because of a biological need or a psychological one, to check the perimeter, or even just to take a single step out and give everything an ocular pat-down.\u00a0 That night, it was hard for her to even drag herself off the couch, and when she skittered to the other room, she stopped at Michael\u2019s side, refusing to go outside.\u00a0 She looked up at him, and when he looked down, she leaned over, nuzzling her head against his leg.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, baby girl.\u00a0 I want you to be able to talk too.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the time Rhianna stood beside the table and looked outside, Zelda seemed inconsolable.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t believe how sad they are.\u00a0 I guess we really take for granted how much they look forward to this time of year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re usually adventures like no other,\u201d Michael said, a wistful tone causing a crack in his voice.\u00a0 He looked back to the oven, the green light displaying the time.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s ten minutes after midnight,\u201d he said then.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m guessing we\u2019re not going anywhere this year.\u00a0 I\u2019ll go out with them and make sure they do their business and then we can get ready for bed, I suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Michael stepped outside, Maisie went with him, looking up at him with every step they took, as though she was hoping he could bring the Christmas magic to life.\u00a0 After a few seconds, she realized he was as unable to do anything as she was, and she set off sniffing at the ground.<\/p>\n

She couldn\u2019t find a spot she was satisfied with when a loud gust of wind blew through the area.\u00a0 A large puff of snow seemed to arrive then as well, but Michael looked about the area in curiosity.\u00a0 He glanced back at the door to the house, and saw his wife\u2019s widened eyes, and she pointed to the ground there.<\/p>\n

Sure enough, the snow had come up from the ground.<\/p>\n

Michael recognized the outline of the portal at once.\u00a0 \u201cZelda, get out of there right now!\u201d<\/p>\n

But it was too late.\u00a0 As gusts of snow burst out of the ground, finishing their circle, the portal came into being, and Zelda fell through the magical vortex.<\/p>\n

Rhianna banged on the door before opening it, and the force of the wind was almost enough to rip it off its hinges.\u00a0 \u201cIt was early last year, and it\u2019s late this year,\u201d she called out.\u00a0 \u201cWhat if it\u2019s a trap like last year?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if it is, it\u2019s too late to hold off now,\u201d the man insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, we\u2019re going,\u201d she replied.\u00a0 \u201cBut just be prepared for whatever is on the other side.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael nodded, and before he had even taken his first step, Maisie charged forth as well.\u00a0 Together, both leapt into the portal, crashing through the wall of rising snow.<\/p>\n

Inside the house, Rhianna turned back toward the living room.\u00a0 \u201cCome on Peanut,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cI know you always resist, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Even as she spoke, the cat scurried forward, though slow enough as to say, \u201cI know you\u2019ll bother me until I follow, but I\u2019ll do it at my own pace.\u201d<\/p>\n

When they were both outside, Rhianna shut the door to the house, ensuring none of the snow would get in while they ventured to Tellest.\u00a0 She scooped the feline up then, and then reached the perimeter of the portal.\u00a0 She narrowed her eyes, and covered Peanut\u2019s face so that the cat wouldn\u2019t be bothered by the rush of snow, and then, taking a breath, she jumped as far into the center of the portal as she could, disappearing beneath the ground.<\/p>\n

The roar of the snow and the wind continued for a few more moments, and then it stopped, the ground closing up again, the snow that churned into the air finally able to come back down again.\u00a0 Before long, any evidence of the portal being there at all was covered in white flakes, and a few moments later, the backdoor light of the DeAngelo household went dim.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Michael shouted as he fell, hoping there was a pile of snow on the other side of the vortex to crash into.\u00a0 By the time the portal magic wore off, and he saw where he would be landing in Tellest, it was too late.\u00a0 He landed with a thud, a cloud of powdery snow taking to the air.<\/p>\n

The man groaned, unable to produce a noise loud enough for even him to hear, and he rolled to his back\u2014just in time for Maisie to land on his stomach, forcing a large breath from his lungs.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t seem to care too much that she had knocked the wind out of him, and she licked his face a few times before scampering off to investigate the area.<\/p>\n

Off to the side, Michael saw Zelda peering off into the distance, the horizon seeming much farther off than he expected.\u00a0 He climbed to his knees then, his arms outstretched, and he crawled a little bit away, hoping not to be squashed any further.<\/p>\n

Before he could rise to his feet, Rhianna emerged through the portal, landing on a bent knee and an outstretched hand.\u00a0 She looked to Michael at her side, who wore an impressed visage.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you just stick a superhero landing?\u201d he asked, his voice still quiet and ragged.<\/p>\n

Before Rhianna could answer, Peanut hopped from her other arm, and bounced on the ground after realizing how cold it was.\u00a0 She, too, moved beyond the landing ground, toward where Maisie and Zelda stood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll bet it looked cool, but my body is going to hate me for that in the morning,\u201d Rhianna said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt already is the morning, technically,\u201d Michael replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cI stand by what I said.\u201d\u00a0 She took her husband\u2019s hand, and they both labored to stand a little straighter then.\u00a0 Together, they looked to their trio of pets, watching them gaze off into the distance.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are they all looking at?\u201d<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long for them to find that enlightenment.\u00a0 A few rocky outcroppings stood in the area, but there was a clearing not far from them which the animals looked on from.\u00a0 As Michael and Rhianna neared them, they realized they stood atop a clifftop overlook, with a seascape stretching out below them.<\/p>\n

As majestic as the view was, it was perhaps the wooden longboats that sailed toward the nearest shore that caught their attention the most.\u00a0 There were a variety of sailors in the ships, though from that distance, nobody on the clifftop could see anyone clearly enough to know if they were friend or foe.\u00a0 They did notice that the longship figureheads were fashioned to look like reindeer, though.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat has to be Santa\u2019s fleet, right?\u201d Rhianna asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever heard of Santa having a navy before.\u201d\u00a0 He hummed to himself then.\u00a0 \u201cAn air force?\u00a0 Now that makes sense to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever sort of military forces Santa has on his side, this is unlike anything we\u2019ve ever faced this close to Christmas,\u201d his wife said.\u00a0 \u201cThings must be far bleaker than we imagined.\u00a0 Just listen to how quiet it is.\u00a0 I\u2019ve played enough Viking video games to know what a battle is supposed to feel like, and it\u2019s unlike longboats to be so quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere must be a plan brewing,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n

As the pair discussed everything from war arrangements that they imagined their friend made, to the kind of enemies they expected to face on the field of battle, to just where that battlefield would be, the youngest member of the DeAngelo family couldn\u2019t help but be distracted by something else.\u00a0 A bug with a golden-glowing thorax buzzed about the area, and Maisie couldn\u2019t help but follow it with her gaze.\u00a0 If Zelda or Peanut seemed concerned with it, they didn\u2019t show it.<\/p>\n

Maisie turned about, trying to boop the bug with her nose.\u00a0 It was no use though, for every time she drew close enough to touch it, the lumibug, an insect native to Tellest\u2014though that one was certainly a bit exotic looking, even for the strange bugs\u2014buzzed just far enough away for her to miss interacting with it.<\/p>\n

That wouldn\u2019t be a problem, she soon realized.\u00a0 A handful of other lumibugs joined the first one, those other ones blinking with light of their own, in shades of green, blue, and red to join the golden yellow luminescence of the first one that caught Maisie\u2019s attention.\u00a0 She hopped into the air to play with the bugs as best she could, but they flew about in a crazy manner, until they ended up landing on a bush a bit further away from the cliffside.\u00a0 At once, it looked like the shrubbery was decorated for the festive season, the bugs looking almost ornamental in their appearance as they rested there.<\/p>\n

While Maisie stared at them, the small branches of the bush seemed to rattle and sway.\u00a0 The little dog didn\u2019t know what to think at first, but when she noticed the pair of eyes staring back at her, she knew what she had to do. She took in a deep breath of crisp air that filled her lungs.<\/p>\n

\u201cMerry Christmas!\u201d she cried out.<\/p>\n

The person hiding in the bush let their eyes go wide for a moment before they disappeared behind the greenery once more.\u00a0 Behind Maisie, the rest of her family turned to regard her.<\/p>\n

Maisie\u2019s voice echoed across the cliff side, and they were sure that those in the longboats heard her as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s just hope they\u2019re on our side,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got more important things to pay attention to,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cOur babies can talk again!\u201d<\/p>\n

The lumibugs took to the air again, along with a bigger swarm of them that had been hiding within the bush, and Maisie twirled about and jumped in the air to play with them.\u00a0 Her patches of white fur made an excellent canvas for the light to spill upon.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho were you yelling Merry Christmas to?\u201d Rhianna wondered.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s no one here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was though!\u201d Maisie said, excited enough not to stop playing with her new insect friends, although every time she spun about, her eyes landed in the shrubbery not too far from them.\u00a0 \u201cWhoever it is, they\u2019re hiding in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael stood on the tips of his toes to try and peer into the bushes, but he didn\u2019t see anything besides more lumibugs that flashed their abdomens about.\u00a0 \u201cMaisie, I think you might have just saw a couple of bugs close enough together that they looked like eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The little pup quit hopping around then, grumbling at the two humans.\u00a0 \u201cI know what I saw,\u201d she insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Peanut interjected with a roll of her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just like all those times you hop in the window and bark at nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are squirrels that need to be told their place,\u201d Maisie said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know that much is true,\u201d Zelda added.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s pretty good at keeping her eyes out for rodents.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a rodent,\u201d Peanut teased.<\/p>\n

\u201cPsst!\u201d they all heard then.<\/p>\n

They looked about, trying to make sense of what just happened, but no body could understand where the noise came from.\u00a0 Then Rhianna\u2019s eyes flashed, and she pointed at the bush.\u00a0 \u201cLook!\u201d<\/p>\n

Sure enough, there were a pair of large eyes staring at them, and as the person inside the shrubbery pushed forward, the family could see their pointy ears poking out as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou must be one of Santa\u2019s friends!\u201d Maisie exuberantly declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully those folks in the boats are on our side as well,\u201d Rhianna said.<\/p>\n

The hidden elf brought her hand up and out of the bush, before swinging it back around and hovering it over its camouflaged lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever a good sign after<\/em> your echoes are heard around all of the surrounding area,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n

The elf stepped out of the shrubbery and looked about anxiously.\u00a0 The DeAngelo family could see that it was a female elf, like many under Santa\u2019s employ, although that one wore battle paint and looked ready for war.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s trouble in Tellest,\u201d she warned with a whisper.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s not much I can tell you here, but once we meet up with Santa, he\u2019ll know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, Santa is alright,\u201d Rhianna said, blowing out a sigh.\u00a0 \u201cWe had thought, with the portal opening so late\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The elven maiden raised her hand to quiet the woman.\u00a0 \u201cBest not to speak out loud.\u00a0 There could be hidden listeners.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the time we find out what\u2019s going on, those people in the boats will climb this cliff, and we\u2019ll have very active listeners,\u201d Michael joked, earning a scowl from the elf.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re hoping they\u2019re our reinforcements,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cBut you know Santa\u2019s brother.\u00a0 He\u2019s a master of deception, and it could all be a devious ploy.\u00a0 We don\u2019t want your presence here known, so if I am to take you to our mutual friend, you\u2019ll need to be silent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can do that,\u201d Maisie excitedly offered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m very good at being quiet,\u201d she blurted.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly when you\u2019re sleeping,\u201d Zelda insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd barely then,\u201d Peanut added.<\/p>\n

The youngest animal grumbled a bit then.\u00a0 \u201cWhy are you two always picking on me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause you\u2019re the baby,\u201d Zelda explained.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s your job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d Rhianna said, kneeling to pet the pup, as well as her two furry siblings who couldn\u2019t stave off their jealously, and needed pets of their own.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a very important job to have.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on,\u201d the elven maiden said, beckoning the family on.\u00a0 \u201cAt the very least, we can get you beneath cover where prying eyes might not see you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The elf\u2019s noticeable anxiety as she led them down rocky corridors through the mountain added to the DeAngelo family\u2019s sense of unrest.\u00a0 Even in trying times, during Christmas, Tellest had always held a sense of magic and wonder for the family of five.\u00a0 But this year seemed bleaker, and more foreboding.\u00a0 Rhianna sent a worried glance in Michael\u2019s direction, her eyes echoing the same look of weariness he\u2019d seen the last two years back home.\u00a0 Without a word he reached out and squeezed her hand, which she knew meant everything would be ok.<\/p>\n

The animals walked ahead, closely following the elf. Maisie kept nudging slightly ahead of the elf before looking back, as if willing her to walk faster. \u00a0Every so often, she whispered \u201cis this quiet enough? I can be even quieter.\u201d \u00a0Then, in the same exact pitch, she went on. \u00a0\u201cIsn\u2019t this even more quieter?\u201d<\/p>\n

Zelda let out a grumble. \u201cIt\u2019s been a while since I put my mouth over your face. I think you need a reminder of who\u2019s boss.\u201d Peanut whipped her head around incredulously at Zelda.\u00a0 \u201cI meant\u2026I meant just of her. \u00a0Sometimes. When you\u2019re upstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEven when you can\u2019t see me, I\u2019m still the boss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zelda sighed.<\/p>\n

Michael and Rhianna\u2019s smiles at their exchange faded as they heard the unearthly sounds on the other side of a large stone wall covered in a dusting of white snow. It appeared as if the stones were haphazardly placed, perhaps from a rockslide or explosion on the side of the mountain.\u00a0 The sounds from the other side seemed muffled, as if by magic.<\/p>\n

The two humans tried to detect what was there beyond the barrier.\u00a0 A commotion of some sort was there, but they couldn\u2019t yet pinpoint a sound.\u00a0 Whatever cacophony was there was beyond their detection<\/p>\n

The elf gently placed her hands on the stones and uttered words of power in a language they did not understand. \u00a0She stepped backward a few feet toward the family. \u00a0Nothing happened for a moment, but then the rocks began swirling together weightlessly in the air, forming a human-like shape, although it was three times as tall and four times as wide as Michael, the tallest of the present group. \u00a0Just a short while later, a large golem of ice and snow stood there, fully formed and looming above them. The being peered down at the elf, and she fearlessly instructed it to allow passage. As soon as the order was given, the golem stepped aside, and the ground rattled with the force of its steps. \u00a0A faint swirling shimmer could be seen through the gentle snow flurries that blew from the mountain. There was motion on the other side, but nothing could be seen clearly through it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat must be a magic barrier,\u201d Rhianna said.<\/p>\n

The elf sent her a nod of acknowledgement.\u00a0 \u201cQuickly, we must hurry and close the entrance. I\u2019ll take you to Santa when we\u2019re through.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peanut fearlessly followed the elf through, with Maisie close on her heels. Rhianna and Michael looked around for Zelda and panicked when they did not immediately find her. Michael then felt something shiver behind his boots.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d Michael asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rock monster stomps were loud!\u201d she whimpered.<\/p>\n

Michael chuckled, picked her up and kissed her on the head. There\u2019s probably going to be a lot of noise and a lot of people in there. \u00a0Will you be brave?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be\u2026 I\u2019m tough,\u201d she insisted.\u00a0 \u201cIt was just unexpected.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael then looked to his wife, who looked worriedly at the portal. \u201cThere\u2019s probably going to be a lot of people in there. \u00a0Are you<\/em> going to be all right?\u201d he asked, half in jest.<\/p>\n

Rhianna sighed. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019m fine. \u00a0It\u2019s Christmas in Tellest. \u00a0It\u2019s different from back home. \u00a0At least everyone here is jolly.\u201d<\/p>\n

As they passed through the magic barrier, they were flooded with very un-jolly sights and sounds.<\/p>\n

They emerged through the magic barrier as though they had walked through a silk certain, into a clearing surrounded by mountains. \u00a0Crude hide tents were set up as far as the eye could see. \u00a0The festively dressed elves that they were used to in years passed were bustling about in leather and steel armor, with red and green warpaint adorning their faces. \u00a0The deafening clang of metal against anvils could be heard echoing through the clearing, as strong-armed dwarves mercilessly gave shape to weapons that they forged. \u00a0Where toys had been made in years past, all their attention was on instruments of war.<\/p>\n

Even the gnomes who tinkered on some of Santa\u2019s greatest projects, bustled about, hoping to be able to pivot away from playful gadgets to implements of the conflict yet to come.\u00a0 Perhaps they could turn the tide and secure a victory for their otherwise jolly champion.<\/p>\n

Orders were barked on all sides as the three races prepared for battle against whatever enemy they may be facing. The DeAngelo family stood frozen at the unsettling scene.\u00a0 Maisie\u2019s attention drifted to some nearby elves rolling a large snowball.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, at least they seem to be having fun\u2026\u201d Maisie said with a nervous lick and a gulp.<\/p>\n

The elves placed one sizable snowball on top of another, and another. \u00a0Encircling the figure, they began to chant a spell. \u00a0Hollow eyes and a cavernous mouth formed on the upper snowball, fashioning an almost skull-like appearance. \u00a0Frozen arms sprouted from the sides of its spherical torso. \u00a0Then, all at once, the snowman came to life, and it reached for a nearby offered weapon, taking it between frigid fingers.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d said Zelda, wide eyed and perturbed.<\/p>\n

The elf maiden beckoned them away from the army of the weapon-wielding snowmen taking shape. \u201cCome, Santa has been awaiting your arrival.\u201d<\/p>\n

She brought the family through the rudimentary walkways between the encampments, and into the heart of the chaotic battle preparations. \u00a0A large tent, standing taller than the rest and covered in fur pelts and an array of fabrics to keep out the frigid air stood before them. \u00a0The elf maiden announced loudly that the DeAngelo family had arrived, but there was no reply from within.\u00a0 She cleared her throat and announced formally again. \u201cI have brought the DeAngelo family, by your command.\u201d \u00a0Again, no reply came from within.\u00a0 Before she could try again, Zelda bolted through the flap in the tent, yelling \u201cSanta\u201d with glee. \u00a0She immediately screamed and ran back out, batting her face with her paws as if something were wrong with her eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d the two humans of the group said in concerned unison.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s \u2026 he\u2019s\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before she could finish her sentence, Michael and Rhianna opened the flap of the tent, preparing for terrible news.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s naked!\u201d she finally exclaimed.<\/p>\n

The two humans immediately dropped the tent fabric as if it burned their hands. \u00a0Before it fully closed, they could not hope to stave off the state of shock that gripped them. \u00a0Santa was clothed by then, in boots and pants, padded with leather and plated in steel. \u00a0His torso, however, was partially exposed as he fastened his tunic, and under the long white beard were the broad, defined muscles of a seasoned warrior. \u00a0Santa was covered in battle scars, and looked more like a Viking conqueror than the jolly Father Christmas they came to know through the years. \u00a0The husband and wife looked at each other with raised eyebrows, fighting the urge to laugh at the unexpected sight.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry Santa,\u201d said Rhianna sheepishly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWas he really naked?\u201d asked Maisie.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, he wasn\u2019t,\u201d Rhianna said with a chuckle.\u00a0 \u201cBut I didn\u2019t expect him to be ripped.\u201d Her face glowed pink with embarrassment as she heard rustling within the tent, clearly within earshot.<\/p>\n

Michael looked gleeful, excited to make fun of her for the blunder for a long, long time.\u00a0 Still embarrassment could come later.\u00a0 \u201cHe must have a marvelous diet plan,\u201d he said, tapping her in the side with his elbow.\u00a0 \u201cAlthough come to think of it, lugging all those presents around is probably a decent enough workout.\u201d<\/p>\n

Santa emerged from the tent then, and the merriment died at the sight of him, wearing a fretful scowl, with worried eyes that seemed far more distant than in all the years since they\u2019d first met him.<\/p>\n

He was fully clad in armor, with the underlying fabric dyed blood red. \u00a0He wore a large white and grey fur mantle draped across his shoulders, and a thick black leather belt with matching leather boots. \u00a0Two giant war axes, elaborately carved with runes, and seemingly too large for one man to carry, were strapped to his back.<\/p>\n

\u201cRipped huh?\u201d Peanut said, looking him up and down with a discerning eye. \u201cHmm. Must be all the milk and cookies,\u201d she said sarcastically.<\/p>\n

Santa\u2019s serious visage broke, and he let out a familiar chuckle.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s indeed correct,\u201d he playfully remarked to the small cat.<\/p>\n

Michael chuckled with a smirk and patted his own belly.\u00a0 \u201cUh, I assure you, it isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna nudged his shoulder and mumbled \u201cCalories don\u2019t count on Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr on birthdays,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cOr when we\u2019re sad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s a calories?\u201d Maisie wondered, tilting her head in confusion.<\/p>\n

\u201cFuel for fetching!\u201d Zelda explained.<\/p>\n

Santa\u2019s lips parted as he prepared another few remarks for his honored guests, but before he could say anything, he peered over their heads, and called out to his bustling holiday legion.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemember, either bolster the snowmen with something sturdy inside, or with magic,\u201d his deep voice resonated.\u00a0 \u201cWe need them to survive whatever force comes their way.\u201d<\/p>\n

None of the DeAngelo family remembered him speaking with such a low timbre in all the years that they had visited him.\u00a0 They were certain that the stress of whatever turmoil had come to the North Pole had affected him tremendously.<\/p>\n

Santa sighed, and for the briefest of moments, his voice rose back to a familiar tone. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019m sorry, but we have urgent matters to discuss. \u00a0There is a power at work that threatens Tellest, your world, and countless others.\u201d \u00a0The solemnity of his words rang in all their ears. \u00a0He turned his attention to the elf maiden, who stood up straighter to receive his order. \u00a0\u201cEllaria, please be a dear and go to the dwarf forge master and fetch my helm.\u201d \u00a0Zelda perked up at the word fetch, but Michael nudged her slightly with his leg and shook his head. \u00a0She understood the message that it was not the time for play, but her ears lowered a bit, nonetheless.<\/p>\n

There was no hope in reining in all the animals\u2019 whimsy though, as Maisie stepped forward and puffed out her chest.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, I\u2019m something of a foragemaster myself,\u201d she announced.\u00a0 \u201cI find all kinds of things in the grass that I\u2019m not supposed to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna groaned and slapped her forehead, while Michael shook his head and tried not to chuckle.<\/p>\n

Michael was able to push past the quirky comments, noting the gravity of the situation.\u00a0 \u201cThis isn\u2019t a normal turn of events,\u201d he said to Santa then.\u00a0 \u201cIs this about your brother?\u201d<\/p>\n

Their oft-jolly host let a somber nod answer for him for a moment, and then he stood in silence for a few seconds longer.\u00a0 \u201cI had thought that Loki would have had enough fun last year tormenting you, but it seems he\u2019s back in full force this year.\u00a0 We first noticed his arrival when he and his pillagers ransacked and took over my workshop.\u00a0 Shortly after, he drove out the dwarves from the mines, and forced them back across the frozen wastes.\u00a0 He amassed a squadron of frost giants and snow satyrs\u2014far more than live in Tellest, I\u2019d wager, at least this close together.\u00a0 He\u2019s fashioning his own army and preparing for an invasion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d Rhianna asked.\u00a0 \u201cIs he trying to stop Christmas?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWorse,\u201d Santa insisted.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019ll try to use what I\u2019ve made of the North Pole and use it to take over this world.\u00a0 And when he\u2019s done here, he\u2019ll try to take over yours, and any other world that celebrates any version of Yule.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cWhy would he do that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s his own cruel way of mocking our history.\u201d\u00a0 The embodiment of Christmas stood taller then and folded his burly arms over his chest.\u00a0 \u201cI trust you\u2019ve read the tome I gave you so many years ago?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna nodded and offered the fellow a wide smile.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve been waiting forever to talk about this,\u201d she said, almost too excited to bear.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight,\u201d Santa said.\u00a0 \u201cWell then, you know the truth of it.\u00a0 You know who I was before I came to Tellest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBaldr,\u201d Michael said, invoking the fellow\u2019s original name.<\/p>\n

Santa bowed his head, as though hearing his old moniker was a heavy burden to bear.\u00a0 \u201cYou two might know the story, but your little ones may not.\u201d<\/p>\n

He shuffled back a step and sat upon the edge of the table beside his tent, leaning on his knee.\u00a0 \u201cOnce in a land far away, I was noted for celebrating far different things.\u00a0 I was the leader of hunts, and a prince upon my people, beloved by all, but soon cursed with the gift of foresight: that one day I would be struck down by one I called friend.\u00a0 My mother also saw the signs of my demise, and she worked tirelessly to find a way to save me.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it was not to be,\u201d Santa explained.\u00a0 \u201cDespite all her searches, and all her delving into magics, and seeking out the aid of others, my fate could not be changed.\u00a0 Even though I seemed impervious to any other sort of injuries, there was one thing that could pierce the shroud that protected me.\u00a0 It was the same ingredient that my mother had used to make a concoction that would otherwise keep me safe: mistletoe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Santa stared off into the snow on the ground beyond the DeAngelo family while they listened, enraptured by his tale.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor a brief while, everything seemed to be going better.\u00a0 I felt more confident, took greater risks, and even acted recklessly.\u00a0 The others among the Aesir would fall upon me to surprise me and start a scuffle, seeing if they could do anything to harm me, but I would always find a way to come out unharmed.\u00a0 Swords and hammers bounced off me.\u00a0 Arrows could not pierce my skin.\u00a0 It seemed I had imagined the opposite of what could happen to me.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith my confidence regained, I led a pack of mighty hunters on an escapade across the sky.\u00a0 Back then, I had horses that could fly instead of reindeer, but we almost came back with a good haul.\u00a0 It was a cause for celebration again and again.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne night, my hunters and I were playing around,\u201d Santa said.\u00a0 \u201cI swore, to the ends of the mountains and back, that no matter what they did, they wouldn\u2019t be able to hurt me.\u00a0 Despite our better judgment, they tried with just about everything: axes, slings, shields.\u00a0 But it was then that a surprising event took place.\u00a0 My brother, Hudr, blinded by darkness since he was young, stepped forward, brandishing an exquisite spear.\u00a0 Now, we didn\u2019t know at the time, but it was crafted out of mistletoe.\u00a0 Had I been aware of it, I would have avoided the damned thing like my life depended on it\u2014because it did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Santa rubbed his abdomen just above his right hip.\u00a0 \u201cIt didn\u2019t take long.\u00a0 The mistletoe reacted in my body at once, sending me spiraling to the ground.\u00a0 I must have been unconscious before I fell, for I remember dreaming before I could feel the sensation of my head hitting anything.\u00a0 The dream again left me believing I was going to die.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I didn\u2019t,\u201d he declared.\u00a0 \u201cIn my visions, I always saw myself fall, but it was never a violent sight or anything along those lines.\u00a0 Even caught in the mistletoe\u2019s poison, I was aware that the interpretation I had years before was wrong.\u00a0 I still lived, caught somewhere between awareness and a stupor that robbed me of myself.\u00a0 I was weak, weary, and at danger of something terrible happening to me, but I would yet live.<\/p>\n

\u201cOutside of the oblivion I was trapped inside, the others of the Aesir believed that Hudr had killed me.\u00a0 While he was put in shackles and locked away, the person who gave him the spear was still slinking around in the shadows.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, admittedly, my mother had grown a bit paranoid over the prior year or so, always looking for a way to keep me safe.\u00a0 She knew that there was some foul deed at play that had set me to oblivion.\u00a0 While I lay on the cusp of eternal darkness, she conspired with my wife and one of our good friends, the dwarf Litr, to send me off somewhere safe from whoever had tried to have me killed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael and Rhianna looked to each other, familiar indeed with what had happened after Santa, his wife, and the dwarf came to Tellest.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, you think that Loki was the one to give Hudr the spear,\u201d Rhianna surmised.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that now, after all these years, he\u2019s finally found the other world you made your home, and he\u2019s trying to finish the job,\u201d Michael added.<\/p>\n

Santa nodded.\u00a0 \u201cEven with thousands of years to try and find out what little details he could, I\u2019ve managed to keep my identity and my secrets safe.\u00a0 But I knew it was only a matter of time before he would find me again.\u00a0 Still, I\u2019ve no idea why he harbors a grudge after everything that\u2019s transpired.\u00a0 All I know is that he threatens all we\u2019ve built here, and if we don\u2019t do anything to stop him, we may be in greater trouble than in any recent time I can recall.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve faced down lots of things for the sake of Christmas,\u201d Zelda said, puffing out her fluffy chest a little bit.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll help to make sure Loki doesn\u2019t stop it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peanut sighed and sat down beside her, for a moment springing back up as she felt the cold snow on her backside.\u00a0 \u201cAs much as I am loathe to agree with the dog, she\u2019s right.\u00a0 We didn\u2019t spend the last five years helping you just to let some guttersnipe swoop in.\u201d\u00a0 She looked to her two humans and narrowed her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWe do not like uninvited guests.\u201d<\/p>\n

Santa chuckled then; his hearty belly laughs almost returned before his weariness took over.\u00a0 \u201cAlas, I don\u2019t believe he\u2019s using my resources to stop Christmas.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s planning on taking over this world, as well as yours, and any other that celebrates Wintertide, or any sort of version of Yuletide.\u00a0 In fact, I suspect yours might be the next on his list after what happened last year.\u00a0 He was going to use the portal I open for you at midnight each year, but I thought better of it this year, and suspected something was amiss.\u00a0 Sure enough, when I opened my portal, you could see his mischievous magic taking shape.\u00a0 The color changed on this side, but who is to say what it looked like on the other end.\u00a0 All I do know is that I arranged something with Rurnar.\u00a0 A few giants from an opposing clan may have had a portal open up in their den, instead of it opening up in the DeAngelo household.\u201d\u00a0 When a few eyes grew wider at that revelation, he waved his hand and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019ll be fine.\u00a0 If there are puzzles to sort through like last year, I\u2019m sure they\u2019ll take a heavier-handed approach, but the important thing is that you\u2019re all here.\u00a0 And might I add, I apologize for the delay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s okay Santa-man,\u201d Maisie cheerfully said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re here now, and as I understand it, there are cookies for Christmas?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCookies are for celebrating,\u201d Santa said, regret tinging his voice.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, little one, but a proper feast is only something we can come home to if we achieve victory this day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maisie bowed her head, sniffling at her poor fortune.\u00a0 \u201cI always get food when I come to the North Pole.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s alright, Maisie,\u201d Michael said, stepping forward and bending low to scratch behind her neck.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll help Santa beat Loki, and you\u2019ll have a full belly in no time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSanta, couldn\u2019t we enlist some help from some of the other Aesir?\u201d Rhianna wondered.\u00a0 \u201cCouldn\u2019t Odin, or Thor, or Hela offer some sort of assistance?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Father of Christmas shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cAt this point, I\u2019d think they\u2019d be like to join with Loki.\u00a0 Imagine not seeing your family for such a long while that\u2026\u201d\u00a0 His words drifted off then, for both Michael and Rhianna arched their eyebrows and folded their arms across their chests.\u00a0 \u201cYes, yes, I suppose that was a poor excuse.\u00a0 Perhaps I could send a missive, but by the time they receive it, Tellest could be overrun, with all the other worlds soon to follow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Michael said in a sardonic voice.\u00a0 \u201cIt sounds to me like someone is ashamed they kept their whereabouts and survival a secret.\u00a0 You know, it\u2019s been over a year since I\u2019ve seen my brother, and I miss him like crazy.\u00a0 Your family would be overjoyed to hear from you again, even if things have changed after all this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps you\u2019re right,\u201d Santa said.\u00a0 \u201cAnd it\u2019s an error I shall consider if we manage to push Loki back.\u00a0 But for now, we must prepare for battle.\u00a0 Did you see the longboats in the bay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYep!\u201d Zelda replied.\u00a0 \u201cThey looked like Svetlana boats,\u201d she said, her tail wagging as she recalled her Wintertide friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen battle is nearly upon us,\u201d Santa insisted.\u00a0 \u201cOn the other side of the bay, the battle will commence.\u00a0 I\u2019ve sent another fleet of ships on the other side to distract him.\u00a0 But we\u2019ll attack him from the rear and give him a taste of his own medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, no daring espionage missions into the heart of danger?\u201d Rhianna wondered.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo sending us hurtling back through time to stop Loki before he gets here?\u201d Michael asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo fiskeblugen?\u201d Peanut asked.\u00a0 When all eyes landed on her, she furrowed her feline brow, and stood a little straighter.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u00a0 Every plan is better with fiskeblugen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Santa looked beyond the DeAngelo family then and offered up a whistle to some of his other allies.\u00a0 \u201cAlas, we don\u2019t have the means to set\u2026most of those plans in motion.\u00a0 My adopted brother has taken over many of the places we would use to enact any meaningful strategies.\u00a0 I\u2019m at my wits\u2019 end, and I believe we\u2019ve exhausted all other options.\u00a0 Therefore, I believe we\u2019ve no better plans than this.\u201d\u00a0 He gestured with his chin beyond the family.<\/p>\n

They turned about to see a group of dwarves hurrying their way with weapons and armor in hand, including armor that would have been far too small for humans to wear.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose outfits are much different than the ones we usually get from you,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnusual times call for unusual measures,\u201d Santa said.\u00a0 \u201cWar isn\u2019t something that I would typically encourage, but we\u2019ll need every soldier we can get on the front lines.\u00a0 My only hope is that our magic can be made to serve us well\u2014I don\u2019t want anyone being injured if I can help it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is Christmas,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cNo one should be hurt on Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before anyone could offer up even the suggestion of a protest, the dwarves moved into position, helping the recent arrivals into their armor.\u00a0 The animals, despite being a bit skittish, were wrapped in mythril plate then as well.\u00a0 The armor was light, but sturdy.\u00a0 After Michael and Rhianna donned their protective gear, the dwarves handed over an axe to the man, and a shield and spear to the woman.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, why don\u2019t I get a weapon?\u201d Zelda asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll just have to use your teeth,\u201d a voice they had just grown used to called out.\u00a0 Ellaria hurried back to the tent, wringing her hands as she drew near.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy teeth are exclusively designed to chew rawhide,\u201d the little dog grumbled.<\/p>\n

Maisie shuffled a little closer to her, struggling just a bit against the buckle of the armor she wore.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re supposed to chew<\/em> it?\u201d she asked her big sister.<\/p>\n

As they discussed their methods of ingesting their treats\u2014and how Maisie believed Zelda was mocking her with how long she took to eat her rawhide\u2014the third animal of the DeAngelo pack was fitted to her own armor.\u00a0 Peanut, the lightest of the three, had a thin mythril plate situated on her body, and once the dwarves had it covering her, she looked ready for battle.\u00a0 But as they stepped away from her, everyone in attendance could see that she had gone rigid.\u00a0 Whereas she normally looked about with fluid movements, she only glanced this way and that with her eyes then.\u00a0 A moment later, she tipped to the side, her tail sweeping as an indication that she was no longer happy with the plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeanut, this is no time to go catatonic,\u201d Rhianna teased.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t need this foolish outfit,\u201d the cat grumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s for your own protection,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cAnd the dwarves looked like they worked really hard on it, so you be gracious about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPut it on some other prissy kitten then,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cPut me on the front lines, Santa.\u00a0 I\u2019m in the mood for murder.\u201d<\/p>\n

All the other members of the DeAngelo family stood a little straighter after that comment, but in taking turns looking at each other, they began to nod in understanding.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re just going to leave her behind this time, aren\u2019t we?\u201d Michael asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll lash her to the mast,\u201d Rhianna said with a chuckle.\u00a0 \u201cOtherwise there goes your plans for keeping injuries down to a minimum,\u201d she said to the Christmas figurehead.<\/p>\n

Santa sighed, and nodded to the dwarves, who removed the armor from the cat.\u00a0 \u201cWe mustn\u2019t waste more time.\u00a0 I\u2019ll work with Nanna to make sure there\u2019s magic in place that will protect the little ones, even if they don\u2019t wear armor.\u00a0 And to, uh\u2026make sure that she doesn\u2019t sink her claws too deep into Loki\u2019s troops.\u201d<\/p>\n

A horn sounded in the distance, in the direction of the cliff that the DeAngelo family arrived on.<\/p>\n

\u201cBest get ready,\u201d one of the dwarves said.<\/p>\n

The camp bustled with activity as Santa\u2019s soldiers moved on from their preparations.\u00a0 The elves and dwarves hurried out of the camp, while the gnomes and the enchanted snowmen took a bit more time to move on their way.<\/p>\n

Santa waved his guests on, and together, they made their way outside of the camp proper, and with a wave of Santa\u2019s hand, the hulking golem that stood as its guardian returned to its rocky form.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t have anyone seeing our battle plans,\u201d Santa said.\u00a0 \u201cAs long as this fellow remains undefeated, the rest of the camp will look like mere rocks as well, even from the sky.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a shame,\u201d Michael stated.\u00a0 \u201cIt would have made a good combatant on the battlefield.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes you must fight battles with your wits more than your strength,\u201d their host said.\u00a0 \u201cHopefully this surprise attack puts us in a better position to recover our losses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll find ourselves a victory this day,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cChristmas and Santa go hand in hand, and because of that, we\u2019ll win through.\u201d<\/p>\n

The group made their way through the rocky paths that Ellaria had wound them through earlier.\u00a0 In some of the especially hilly areas, they could see beyond the outcroppings, to the large stretch of empty space beyond the cliffs, and the sea that stretched out beyond the horizon.\u00a0 Rather than heading up the path that they had come from upon their arrival, Santa led them on a sharper descent, and before long, they could see the shore, and the longships that would take them across the bay to where the battle would commence.<\/p>\n

Still there was quite a way to walk, and not all of them were happy with the travels.<\/p>\n

They heard her grunts before they turned to appreciate the great efforts Zelda was making.\u00a0 She leapt off the ground, and even with the mythril armor upon her back, she managed to jump as high as the humans\u2019 hips.<\/p>\n

\u201cPick me up!\u201d she cried.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want to walk anymore!\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna looked down at the pup, and held her arms out wide, showing off her gear.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry baby girl, but I\u2019ve kind of got my hands full here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael bent down to a knee and draped his war axe over his shoulder.\u00a0 With his free hand, he scooped Zelda up, letting her rest against his other shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cJust be careful,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want you to get a close shave with the axe.\u201d<\/p>\n

While they continued, Maisie drew closer to Peanut then, and dared to whisper to her.\u00a0 \u201cYou might be the queen, but she\u2019s definitely<\/em> a princess.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cat couldn\u2019t help but chuckle at that comment.<\/p>\n

Finally, the group reached the shore, and followed Santa as he approached one of the nearer longships.\u00a0 Just like all the boats in his fleet, the figurehead was fashioned to look like a reindeer.\u00a0 All the ships had different, unique sails that marked them upon the sea, but the one that Santa moved toward looked the most like him.\u00a0 The sail was fashioned to look red like his suit, with white snowflakes stylizing the look.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just waiting for us now,\u201d Santa said.\u00a0 \u201cIf you two would help us sail, we\u2019ll reach the other side that much quicker.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael nodded.\u00a0 \u201cSorry Zelda, I\u2019m going to have to put you down.\u201d\u00a0 He placed her on the ship, and she scrambled to a spot she felt more fitting for her.<\/p>\n

Rhianna helped as well after she had placed her spear in the boat and set her shield against its side.\u00a0 One after the other, she assisted the other two animals, though Peanut sprang off her when she felt safe to make the leap.<\/p>\n

Michael grabbed his wife\u2019s wrist and rubbed her hand.\u00a0 \u201cAre you going to be alright?\u00a0 I know how you do with motion sickness.\u201d<\/p>\n

She furrowed her brow and widened her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t embarrass me in front of our favorite Christmas wizard,\u201d she bade.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, but that might soon change,\u201d Santa said, clearly hearing what the woman said.\u00a0 When his guests turned to regard him, he gestured toward the cliffsides on their side of the bay.<\/p>\n

At first, the DeAngelo family thought perhaps they were to look at the cliff where they had entered Tellest that year.\u00a0 However, it was a bit farther away: a rocky precipice that extended up and out, the sheer drop below frightening indeed.<\/p>\n

The person atop it did not seem bothered in the slightest.\u00a0 The moon shining bright in the sky behind her, they could see a figure wearing the same shade of red as Santa, with an aura of magic surrounding her.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that\u2026?\u201d Rhianna asked, her words trailing off, for she believed she knew the truth of her question before she asked it in full.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat she is,\u201d Santa confirmed.\u00a0 \u201cI told her that I\u2019d prefer it if she stayed out of the thick of it tonight.\u00a0 She has some history with Loki as well, and he may not know that she is from our old world.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he spoke, his better half gesticulated, working her magic until the aura that seemed to surround her pitched off toward the bay.\u00a0 The arcane light coalesced, looking like the northern lights.\u00a0 As it flowed forth, the sails atop the longships billowed, carrying the vessels forth.\u00a0 The creaking of wood was the only sound that announced the fleet of Santa\u2019s ships as they traveled toward battle.\u00a0 The magical ribbons of light moved about until the woman seemed to disappear into the night, as though a swath of clouds had blocked out the moon and the stars only where she once stood.<\/p>\n

The ship rocked up and down as the conjured winds propelled them forward.\u00a0 Santa busied himself by sending quiet orders to the crew. Michael and Rhianna stood side by side upon one of the benches, in their battle gear, with weapons at the ready. Their three animals occupied themselves nearby, as they were too small to see above the antlered wooden figurehead on either side, and the ships rocked back and forth a bit too much for them to venture a glance over the side.<\/p>\n

The man stood while propping up his wife as waves of nausea overtook her. \u201cThis isn\u2019t a very intimidating look on me, is it?\u201d she groaned.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d he teased. \u201cI certainly wouldn\u2019t want to face you in battle. Not in lose-your-lunch range, at least.\u201d<\/p>\n

She let out a pathetic whine.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dear girl, this won\u2019t do at all,\u201d said an elegant voice behind them.<\/p>\n

When they turned about, they were surprised by the sight before them.<\/p>\n

Santa\u2019s wife had joined them on the ship. \u00a0They could now clearly see her features. \u00a0She was a handsome woman, with a strong jaw but soft, full cheeks, only slightly touched by the lines of time. \u00a0Her long white hair was set in intricate braids near the crown of her head, and the rest flowed lightly in the wind. \u00a0Her blood red dress billowed around her, save for the black leather corset and chainmail at her torso.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you were heading back to the camp to away our return,\u201d Santa remarked.<\/p>\n

She raised her eyebrow and folded her arms over her chest.\u00a0 \u201cOnce again, it seems that whenever you grow tense, you forget yourself\u2014and me.\u00a0 I told you, this confrontation involves me just as much as it does you.\u00a0 When someone threatens the one that I love, they must deal with me directly.\u201d\u00a0 Despite her firm stance, she looked at the recent arrivals to Tellest with a smile drawing back her lips.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, we have friends here that need our help as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

She gestured, waving her hands about, and a small white glowing orb appeared. \u00a0It floated from between her palms and toward Rhianna\u2019s forehead, the spell bursting into tiny snowflake-like particles under her skin. In an instant, she stood straighter, and color returned to her face.<\/p>\n

Her eyes went wide as the motion sickness she fought with since the ship launched dissipated.\u00a0 \u201cI love you,\u201d Rhianna said, only a hint of sarcasm about her tone.<\/p>\n

Santa\u2019s wife arched an eyebrow and smirked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Michael exclaimed with mock indignity.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut seriously, thank you,\u201d his wife remarked.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re invited to every family vacation we ever take. \u00a0Forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman laughed with the same expression they saw on Santa: serious yet kind.<\/p>\n

\u201cI shall keep that in mind when the war is won. \u00a0It\u2019s been many years since I\u2019ve seen you all, though I suppose not too long since you\u2019ve seen me.\u201d \u00a0Michael and Rhianna exchanged looks, recalling their time traveling adventure to the first Christmas.<\/p>\n

\u201cNice to meet you again!\u201d said Zelda brightly. \u201cBut\u2026why haven\u2019t we seen you every Christmas?\u201d the small dog inquired, tilting her head.<\/p>\n

Nanna smiled down at the pup. \u00a0\u201cChristmas is Santa\u2019s business. \u00a0I still celebrate the old ways and have my own traditions to keep during the Yule season.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean you don\u2019t spend Christmas together?\u201d Maisie asked, ears lowered.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes, but he\u2019s busing working and it bores me. \u00a0Yule is a time of feasting and drinking. \u00a0We see each other all the other days the rest of the year, but I am by his side when he needs me. \u00a0Like this year. \u00a0Loki threatens all our traditions with his greed. \u00a0We shall not allow it to go unpunished.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peanut walked forward and hopped onto the seat directly in front of Nanna. Their eyes locked in an intense stare.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou,\u201d the cat said. \u00a0\u201cI like you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman nodded. \u00a0\u201cYou have good taste, my feline friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suddenly, the ship jolted forward, rendering them all unbalanced, and the ship came to an abrupt halt. Rhianna was thankful once again for the magic that washed away her motion sickness.<\/p>\n

Nanna hurriedly made her way back to the front of the ship to assess the danger, passing her husband as she did so.<\/p>\n

Santa joined the DeAngelo family on the other side of the mast, leaning over the edge to peer at the waters below. \u00a0However, he only saw his reflection looking back at him, depicted within crystalize ice that had formed below.<\/p>\n

\u201cLoki,\u201d Santa muttered, the words pouring out like smoke from his lungs, as his hot breath met with the bitter cold.<\/p>\n

Santa\u2019s estranged brother used his gifts of cunning to turn the sea to ice that set upon the fleet, stopping them before they could cross the bay.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m c-c-c-old,\u201d Zelda said, her teeth chattering as she shivered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI w-w-ish I was under my b-blanket,\u201d added Maisie.<\/p>\n

\u201cSanta, what do we do?\u201d Asked Michael.<\/p>\n

Rather than reply, Santa looked to the other end of the ship, to his wife, who surveyed the landscape.<\/p>\n

Nanna recalled the winds she had conjured, as more of their ships would collide with the large sheets of ice if they pressed onward. \u00a0When the wind died down, she evoked silence into the air, and the crew on all the nearby ships were compelled to obey. \u00a0Nanna closed her eyes and listened.<\/p>\n

She could hear the beating of hooves echoing on the frozen ground in the distance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d Zelda asked, her head darting from side to side, the poor pup apparently less concerned with the cold then.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe must have expected such a thing,\u201d Santa said.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to get the ships back to the shore.\u00a0 \u201cNanna?\u201d<\/p>\n

His wife nodded, and began a new dance with her hands, the coalescent glow drawing forth from the atmosphere until once more it looked like the northern lights hovered around her.\u00a0 The guests noticed as the sails pushed back the other way, the creaking of the masts reporting across the bay as the ships protested under the pressure.<\/p>\n

\u201cHold it,\u201d Peanut said.\u00a0 \u201cWait!\u201d<\/p>\n

While Santa looked to the distant shore, and Nanna worked her magic, they were too distracted to see the concerns of the little cat.\u00a0 Michael and Rhianna turned to regard her instead and peered over the ship to see what she saw.\u00a0 The ice already circled around their ship, and when they looked to the other vessels of Santa\u2019s fleet, they saw that they too were trapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t hope to batter our way through the ice,\u201d Michael bade.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll tear through the ships and will end up sinking!\u201d<\/p>\n

Santa began to speak, but he saw the trees beyond the bay rustling, and within moments, he saw his adopted brother\u2019s fearsome army.<\/p>\n

Mighty frost giants knocked over hulking evergreens on the other side of the bay, while furry white creatures\u2014snow satyrs, the group soon realized\u2014emerged en masse.\u00a0 While the frost giants waited on the shore, the satyrs ventured to step onto the ice-crusted water, their hoofbeats resonated across the bay.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like they didn\u2019t want to wait until we reached them,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre we going to be okay?\u201d Maisie asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, we will be,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cWe just need a plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can start by getting off the boats,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cIt doesn\u2019t do us any good to sit here waiting for them to arrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right,\u201d Santa said.\u00a0 \u201cAnd perhaps we could still make use of them in some fashion.\u201d\u00a0 As the group scrambled off the ship, Santa bellowed to the rest of his army.\u00a0 \u201cEveryone, disembark the ships.\u00a0 We\u2019ll keep the ice strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

No one dared to question their leader, and before long, elves and dwarves stood atop the frozen bay, only the distant sea lapping against the ice shelf that was created.\u00a0 Several of the ships closest to the shore were the ones that the gnomes and snowmen had boarded, and they struggled but eventually scrambled back to land.<\/p>\n

Once everyone was out of the ships, Santa worked his own magic.\u00a0 Before his army\u2019s eyes, the ships rose out of the water, the brackish sea dripping off the hulls.\u00a0 Imbued with Santa\u2019s magic\u2014the same he had used on Christmas night to give flight to his reindeer for millennia\u2014the ships floated weightlessly in the sky. \u00a0The strain, however, to hold a fleet of warships aloft required significantly more power than he had planned to use. \u00a0He looked to Nanna, his brow sweating despite the bitter cold. She nodded and worked her own magic to conjure winds back toward the shore. The sails billowed in the forceful breeze as the ships glided above the frozen waters, the fleet appearing to move as if by the force of cresting wave that would never quite crash.<\/p>\n

The DeAngelo family watched in awe, but concern, as the fleet sailed away and the army they amassed sat stranded in the middle of the frozen bay, with a stampede of snow satyrs heading their way.<\/p>\n

\u201cSanta! You can\u2019t expect us to walk <\/em>to shore, do you?\u201d Peanut cried with indignity.<\/p>\n

Santa grunted his response, the weight of the spell still shaking his usually steady demeanor.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d but I do expect you to hold on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHold on to what?\u201d Zelda piped up.<\/p>\n

At once, it seemed the ice below released a cloud of flurries, as if some invisible breath had blown upon a dandelion and the petals danced in the air. The flurries spun in tightly wound circles until strands of silver rope appeared.\u00a0 It was then they noticed the elves among the crews, moving their hands as if weaving an intricate tapestry in the air. The family recognized it as the same magic used to bring the snowmen at camp to life. The silver ropes reached out to each member of their Christmas army, as if beckoning them to take hold.<\/p>\n

As soon as they connected with the conjured ropes, they were pulled in the direction of the floating ships.<\/p>\n

\u201cHang on tight everyone,\u201d Santa bade.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll retreat and regroup and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have enough hands,\u201d Michael said, grabbing hold of Maisie and Peanut while trying to convince Zelda to climb onto his arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cEw, I don\u2019t want to be that close to the dogs,\u201d Peanut said then.\u00a0 She clawed her way to the man\u2019s shoulder, but before she could even arrive there, Santa worked his magic on them as well.\u00a0 She floated into the air before she could catch a good grasp on Michael\u2019s furry cloak.<\/p>\n

Rhianna grabbed hold of Zelda before she could float away then, though she seemed almost pleased with the weightlessness.\u00a0 \u201cYay!\u201d the dog exclaimed.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s get them back into the lead ship,\u201d Santa said.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re high up enough now that we shouldn\u2019t have to worry about any extra weight pulling them back into the water\u2014or the ice.\u201d\u00a0 Even as he spoke, the perspiration that marred his brow had his skin shining, and everyone who knew the jolly fellow wondered if he would be able to last long enough to make it back to the clandestine camp.<\/p>\n

Michael kissed Maisie on the forehead, and lifted her into the air, letting Santa\u2019s airy magic take her too.\u00a0 Peanut had already grabbed hold of the rearmost reindeer figurehead on the flagship, and it was as though she matched with vessel\u2019s altered gravity then.\u00a0 As Maisie floated on by, the cat sighed, and reached out, grabbing hold of the pup\u2014even making sure not to use her claws too liberally.<\/p>\n

Rhianna, seeing the success with which her other two fuzzy babies made it to the longship pushed back her anxiety and relinquished her hold on Zelda.\u00a0 Within a second though, she grabbed hold of her again, squeezing extra tight.<\/p>\n

\u201cMom,\u201d the dog protested.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, I love flying!\u201d<\/p>\n

That time, Rhianna did let the pup go, and she lifted into the air.\u00a0 Peanut didn\u2019t offer her help that time, hopping down onto one of the benches.\u00a0 Maisie was ready, however, and she reached out and chomped hold of her sister\u2019s auburn fluff, pulling her into the ship.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemember everyone, hang on!\u201d Santa said.\u00a0 As he spoke, the snow-silken ropes the elves fashioned looped around the figureheads of the ships, binding the troops to the vessels.<\/p>\n

But not everything would go according to their new plan, it seemed.\u00a0 As the snow satyrs drew close, they did not gather up their weapons\u2014axes and spears stored on their backs, Michael noticed.\u00a0 Instead, they reached for a tool that nearly all of them had on their hips, but from that distance, none of Santa\u2019s army or his guests could quite make them out.<\/p>\n

When they set them spinning and then launched them in the air, it didn\u2019t take long for them to realize what they were then.<\/p>\n

A score of grappling hooks flew out over the bay, reporting as they landed on the ships with thuds and scrapes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re trying to steal the ships!\u201d one of the nearby dwarves cried out.<\/p>\n

Despite the ambush, the struggles, and the fear, a new power was heard on the impromptu battlefield then.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot with my babies inside,\u201d Rhianna growled.\u00a0 She grabbed hold of one of the silken strings that connected her to the longship and wrapped it around her spear.\u00a0 She pulled at once, and only a moment later, Michael was beside her, helping her to tug the ship back.<\/p>\n

Inspired by the recent arrivals to the North Pole, all of Santa\u2019s troops rushed to move as well, some throwing axes across the battlefield, their weapons meeting the satyrs, but failing to cause any real damage, for a fluttering red shield seemed to push back against the attack.\u00a0 Still, it was enough to have some of them stumbling back, grunting in their goatlike language.\u00a0 The other dwarves and some of the elves tugged on the silken lines, trying their best to ensure their vessels were not lost.<\/p>\n

For a time, neither of the two sides seemed to gain any ground.\u00a0 Then Michael\u2019s eyes went wide, and he grabbed hold of the spear a bit tighter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have an idea everyone!\u201d he called out.\u00a0 \u201cIf we all lean back, we\u2019ll be able to shift our gravity, and gain the upper hand.\u00a0 I\u2019m pretty sure I\u2019ve seen something like this before.\u00a0 It\u2019ll definitely work!\u201d<\/p>\n

He performed as he said he would, leaning back until his upper body was almost parallel to the icy surface.<\/p>\n

Surprisingly, his suggestion seemed to work, and he gained a little more momentum when he tugged on the boat that held their fluffy babies inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cWoo!\u201d Maisie cried in excitement.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo, Daddy!\u201d Zelda cheered him on.<\/p>\n

Everyone was surprised when a jagged grappling hook sailed across the sky, aiming right for Michael.\u00a0 With the man leaned back as he was, he couldn\u2019t spot the thing coming.<\/p>\n

Rhianna gasped, and reached up, but it came forth too fast.\u00a0 She knew that she would be too slow to stop it.<\/p>\n

It did halt, however, smacking against a blue shield that fluttered just the way the satyr\u2019s had earlier.\u00a0 Michael spilled to the ground though, the magic not doing enough to stop the full force of the missile, though it was enough to prevent any sort of true danger.<\/p>\n

He shook his head, and spotted Santa, not so far away from him then.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will not lose anyone this day,\u201d their host insisted.<\/p>\n

Michael\u2019s eyes were still opened wide by the sudden attack, the man wondering what would have happened if Santa\u2019s magic was not there to protect him.\u00a0 The look of surprise quickly turned to one of intense determination, and he stood up again, grabbing hold of the spear once more.\u00a0 He glanced at his wife, and gave a nod, pulling with all his strength yet again.\u00a0 That time, his emotions fueled him even more, and he could feel himself gaining ground, even with the slippery ice beneath them.<\/p>\n

The snow satyrs\u2014looking more goatlike than a typical satyr would\u2014grunted and groaned, and even though they had cloven hooves that offered them traction on the iced over lake, they knew that there was little hope to press on against Santa\u2019s army.\u00a0 As they were drawn closer toward the gaps in the ice where the boats had once been trapped, they abandoned their hold on the grappling hooks, and began their own retreat toward the opposite shore.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d a voice called out over the region, otherworldly and powerful.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve broken their spirits, but it is time to regroup.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both armies retreated from the ice then, a bit winded, but otherwise unscathed.\u00a0 The satyrs skittered across the bay, withdrawing into the forest as the frost giants loomed.\u00a0 Once all their allies had made their way to safety, they too departed, their bluish skin disappearing beyond a cover of green and white.<\/p>\n

On the other side, dwarves, elves, and gnomes finally caught their breath, trying their best not to show any weakness.\u00a0 Michael and Rhianna still pulled their longboat, even with Santa assuring them they were all safe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t mean to offend you,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cBut we sort of make it a point not to leave anything to chance if we know better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Santa shrugged and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re right of course.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be winded anyway, but we might as well be safe.\u00a0 Loki\u2019s frost giants are powerful enough to launch an attack even from this distance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nanna reached her husband\u2019s side then and grabbed his wrist.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s head back to the camp, and we\u2019ll see if there\u2019s something else that we can do to take back our home from your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

With the adrenaline subsiding, sore muscles and aches and pains could be felt a bit clearer then.\u00a0 Michael rolled his shoulders and rubbed his chest where the grappling hook had smacked against the shield.<\/p>\n

Everyone had gathered under the massive tent their leader had back at the camp.\u00a0 While Santa and his wife were present, there were only a few delegates of each of his other factions who waited inside.\u00a0 And then, there were his guests.<\/p>\n

Rhianna squeezed each of their little ones extra tight, the thought of anything bad happening to them leaving her with a pit in her stomach.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I had everything figured out,\u201d Santa said, pressing his fingers against his temples.\u00a0 \u201cI guess it goes to show, you can\u2019t deceive someone such as him.\u00a0 He\u2019s the god of mischief, after all, and deception goes along with that in some ways.\u201d\u00a0 He sighed and sank into an old oaken throne near a war table that showed the region.\u00a0 Nanna was there behind him at once, gripping his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid this might be the first year in quite some time that there won\u2019t be any Yuletide celebrations,\u201d the oft-jolly man admitted.\u00a0 \u201cNo Wintertide or Christmas either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t give up yet,\u201d Michael said, springing forward as though no pain or fatigue wracked his body.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s still plenty of time between now and Christmas.\u00a0 We just have to come up with a plan that Loki wouldn\u2019t be able to get in front of.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Rhianna agreed.\u00a0 \u201cHe knows how you think, even after all these years.\u00a0 What you need is someone who would be able to make plans that you wouldn\u2019t.\u00a0 Let us be your advisors this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Santa looked to his wife, who shrugged and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWhat better plans do we have, my love?\u201d she asked.\u00a0 \u201cWhat did you have in mind,\u201d she wondered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Michael said, \u201cI think we need\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReinforcements!\u201d Zelda offered up.<\/p>\n

Maisie was there beside her though, shaking her head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, no\u2026 We need superpowers!\u201d<\/p>\n

Before anyone could indicate whether either of those were good ideas, another voice piped up.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re all fools,\u201d Peanut said, looking at each of her claws as she flexed them.\u00a0 \u201cWhat we truly need\u2026is chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone sent confused glances her way, and she rolled her eyes and shook her head before hopping up to the war table.\u00a0 \u201cThink about it.\u00a0 Loki is always going to be one step ahead of us, even if he doesn\u2019t know us that well just yet.\u00a0 He\u2019s always got some kind of contingency.\u00a0 But what he doesn\u2019t have a plan for is absolute lunacy.\u00a0 He wouldn\u2019t expect a plan that wasn\u2019t well-founded, so let\u2019s find a plan that stinks!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, we need the dwarves and elves to stop making weapons and armor and start making fiskeblugen!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPeanut, how can you be hungry at a time like this?\u201d Rhianna wondered.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all part of the plan,\u201d the cat insisted.\u00a0 \u201cNo one will expect it.\u00a0 We take the smelly stuff,\u201d she said, moving her paw to the side to better enunciate her proposal, \u201cand then we cover me in it.\u201d\u00a0 When no one seemed to be impressed with her idea, she sighed and rolled her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m a misunderstood artist, born well before my time.\u00a0 But it\u2019s perfect.\u00a0 The smell could attract all sorts of attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael and Rhianna looked at one another, considering the disorderly wisdom of that notion.\u00a0 Neither said a word, but they could see in their spouse\u2019s eyes that they saw not only the possibility of the plan working, but also the fun that could be had in pursuing it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis could work,\u201d Santa said, rising to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cAnd moreover, we could still consider the other little ones and their plans as well.\u201d\u00a0 He looked to Zelda and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI think it\u2019s about time we say hello to some old friends.\u201d\u00a0 He cast his gaze to Maisie next.\u00a0 \u201cAnd as I recall, you have some experience with magical artifacts, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Maisie sat up a little taller, as close to a canine smile on her face as was possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s not dawdle then,\u201d the red-attired man bade.\u00a0 His jolly demeanor had returned, and he approached the war table with an eager grin upon his face.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

Though she was not alone, Zelda felt a bit of anxiety at the lingering thoughts of her family being so far away.\u00a0 They all had their roles to play though, she knew, and soon she would end up being the hero of the day.<\/p>\n

By her side, two elves\u2014including the one named Ellaria that she had met after coming through the portal into Tellest\u2014traveled along with her, leveling their bows in case anyone was considering a devious attack on the little pup.\u00a0 The forest was dense, and trouble could lurk behind any shadowy thicket.<\/p>\n

Far beyond where they were, they could hear a strange sort of grunting groan, and the elves drew back their bowstrings, prepared to fight off any monsters that would have been hiding in the woods.\u00a0 As warm as it was under the coniferous trees, hardly any snow was able to coat the forest floor.\u00a0 Whatever creatures there were would be camouflaged without the white canvas behind them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a little further, right?\u201d the little, red-furred dog asked.\u00a0 \u201cIf Santa was right about the clearing, we\u2019ll be able to see better in a few more minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe northern wilds are not to be taken lightly,\u201d Ellaria told the pup.\u00a0 \u201cA few more minutes might be all the time we have before something unspeakable happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zelda gasped.\u00a0 \u201cYou won\u2019t run out of bones, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

The elf arched an eyebrow at the dog, confused by such speak.\u00a0 \u201cWhat foul curse do you speak of?\u00a0 Do your bones dissipate back on your world?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Zelda asked.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s a dissipate?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ellaria waved her hand in frustration.\u00a0 \u201cNever mind.\u00a0 The only thing I\u2019m concerned about regarding my bones is making sure they\u2019re not crushed by whatever monsters are out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zelda snorted, the intentional gesture almost looking like a sneeze.\u00a0 \u201cWhatever dangers are out there my friend can take care of it.\u00a0 When I talked to Santa, he said they\u2019re the only one brave enough to live here in the clearing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen she\u2019s brave indeed,\u201d Ellaria declared.<\/p>\n

When the pair of elves and the little dog emerged from the woods, it took some time to make sense of the clearing before them.\u00a0 A light fog spread over the area, seeming to rise from the lake in the center of the otherwise snowy expanse.\u00a0 The moon shone down over the mist, illuminating it in an eerie glow.\u00a0 The moon reflected in the still water of the lake as well, though the fog played odd tricks on its likeness.<\/p>\n

The group heard another strange grunt, but that time, it was followed by an immense roar, prompting Zelda to send a wide-eyed gaze toward Ellaria.\u00a0 \u201cAre there dinosaurs here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Returning the dog\u2019s gaze with a quizzical one of her own, Ellaria shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cYou and I have very dissimilar breadths of knowledge little one.\u00a0 I don\u2019t even know the word you just used.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be honest, I don\u2019t really know it much either,\u201d the dog said.\u00a0 \u201cBut I know it sounds just like that!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat wasn\u2019t\u2026whatever you said it was,\u201d Ellaria insisted.\u00a0 \u201cIt was a\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Before she could say another word, the fog cleared just enough for them to see the white-furred creature bound across the area.\u00a0 The elf behind Ellaria gasped and sprinted back toward the tree line, even though the monster didn\u2019t seem to aim toward them.<\/p>\n

\u201cCoward,\u201d the maiden said as she reached for an arrow in her quiver.\u00a0 That arrow seemed to be a bit different than the other ones she had, for the tip was colored crimson.\u00a0 She nocked it to her bow and drew back the string.\u00a0 \u201cAre you ready to see what foul beast haunts this clearing?\u201d Ellaria asked.\u00a0 She released the bowstring and watched it fly into the air.\u00a0 The red phosphorous activated from the speed of the arrow careening across the sky, and when it did, it illuminated the clearing further, even scattering the fog somewhat\u2014a little bit of Christmas magic, Zelda was certain.<\/p>\n

As visibility improved, the pair who stood their ground in the field watched as the white-furred creature kept up its charge, charging at first on its hind legs like a human before teetering forward and bounding on all fours.\u00a0 Zelda, even from her lower vantage point, was the first to see the reason they had come to the clearing.<\/p>\n

The moonlight caught on the reindeer\u2019s head and antlers as the light of the red phosphorus dispersed.\u00a0 She stood for a moment, finishing whatever grass she grazed on that she had found in patches amidst the fine layer of snow.\u00a0 When she was done, she reared up and swung her head, answering the monster\u2019s mighty charge.\u00a0 She never hesitated, beginning to rush forward as soon as her front hooves landed on the ground again.<\/p>\n

\u201cSvetlana,\u201d Zelda said, just reining in her emotions before she would have called out a greeting to her friend.\u00a0 She knew that there were dangers ahead for the reindeer, and that any distraction could be trouble.<\/p>\n

Ellaria pulled another arrow from her quiver, but Zelda hopped up on her hind legs.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d the little dog insisted.\u00a0 \u201cYou might hit Svetlana.\u201d<\/p>\n

The maiden grumbled a bit, but knew the dog was right.\u00a0 She looked back to the tree line, where she spotted her frightened companion, and shook her head, gesturing not to attack.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t seem willing to even draw his bow anyway, the fellow cowering behind one of the evergreens.<\/p>\n

The braver pair watched with bated breath as the two creatures continued their rush toward one another.\u00a0 They dropped their heads, prepared to butt skull against skull.\u00a0 A loud crack echoed in the clearing, sending a few of the birds who were bathing in the warm lake fluttering into the sky.<\/p>\n

Zelda hopped up again, eager to see what happened.\u00a0 Standing on her hind legs, she was able to see the white-furred creature topple backward, dazed before it even struck the ground.\u00a0 Svetlana shook her head, for certainly the blow did not come without some minor discomfort.<\/p>\n

With her mouth hanging agape, Ellaria blinked away her surprise.\u00a0 \u201cShe knocked that yeti down with a single strike.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s because Svetlana is amazing,\u201d Zelda said, hurrying forward as soon as her feet hit the ground.<\/p>\n

Ellaria\u2019s focus was on the withdrawing yeti, then.\u00a0 The creature knew better than to challenge the spectacular reindeer, and it cleared out from the area, rubbing its head with its leathery blue hand.<\/p>\n

When Ellaria was certain an attack wasn\u2019t coming, she looked down to her where she had last seen her companion, confused by her absence.\u00a0 She adjusted her vision then, spotting the mutt charging across the field as well.\u00a0 And the elven maiden wasn\u2019t the only one who had noticed her.<\/p>\n

Svetlana began a charge of her own as well.<\/p>\n

With her eyes going wide, Ellaria stuttered before offering a warning to one of Santa\u2019s esteemed guests.\u00a0 But it was too late.\u00a0 Zelda cared not for any cautioning.<\/p>\n

The reindeer dropped her head again, her antlers close to gouging the ground.\u00a0 Zelda, too, bowed down, as though she was waiting for the inevitable strike.<\/p>\n

But the pair skidded to a stop when they drew close, nuzzling their heads against one another instead of striking a violent blow.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve missed you!\u201d Zelda cried.<\/p>\n

Svetlana grunted in turn, and snorted when she rose back to her tall, proud position.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I know that,\u201d the dog responded, seeming to understand the reindeer.\u00a0 \u201cBut I\u2019m only allowed to come to the North Pole once a year.\u00a0 You could just come to our house, couldn\u2019t you?\u00a0 Don\u2019t you fly?\u201d<\/p>\n

The majestic creature made a sound that seemed akin to a bark, and Zelda could sense her frustration.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, sorry.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to be all upset about it.\u00a0 I can\u2019t fly either\u2014except for that one time.\u201d\u00a0 She blew air out through her nose, which prompted her to sneeze then.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll work out the logistics of more playdates later.\u00a0 That\u2019s not why I came here today.\u00a0 Santa needs your help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Svetlana tilted her head to the side, a bit intrigued by the statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s trouble down south, and we could really use your talents to help our friend out.\u201d<\/p>\n

The reindeer stared past the dog then, noticing the elven maiden a bit further back in the clearing.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, her?\u201d Zelda asked.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s just Ellaria.\u00a0 She\u2019s one of Santa\u2019s friends as well.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t think you were real, but I showed her.\u201d\u00a0 The pup spun about in a circle, excited that she was able to prove her traveling companion wrong.\u00a0 \u201cSo, what do you say?\u00a0 Are you going to be able to help us?\u201d<\/p>\n

Svetlana seemed to grumble and began drawing away from Zelda.\u00a0 That time, the pup didn\u2019t seem to understand her old friend, for it was her turn to tilt her head in confusion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did I say?\u201d Zelda wondered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry if I hurt your feelings!\u201d<\/p>\n

The reindeer headed toward the tree line on the opposite side of the clearing, and Zelda was fast on her hooves, trying to make sense of what was causing the legendary reindeer to turn her back on their mutual friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to be in big trouble,\u201d Zelda said.\u00a0 \u201cWe need all the help we can get, and I was just telling everyone how cool you were!\u201d<\/p>\n

Svetlana turned around, facing the lake, and blew out a deep breath, the air turning to steam in front of her snout.\u00a0 Then, she sent out a series of loud, sustained grunts, stomping her feet on the frosty grass with a cadence that sounded deliberate.\u00a0 Once more, Zelda tried to understand her but to no avail.\u00a0 Even without understand the specific nuances of Svetlana\u2019s noise choices, Zelda and Ellaria understood just a few moments later what the delay had been for.<\/p>\n

A score of other reindeer emerged from the forest, the animals joining their leader there without fear of the visitors.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re all going to help?\u201d Zelda wondered.<\/p>\n

Svetlana responded with a series of quick nods, before she dipped her head and turned to the side, offering up her antlers.<\/p>\n

\u201cHurray!\u201d Zelda replied.\u00a0 She grabbed hold of one of the antlers then, and Svetlana lifted her head and pivoted around, delivering the mutt to her back.\u00a0 \u201cTo Santa!\u201d Zelda cried.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s save Christmas, and beyond!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

The burly, squat fellow rested his arms on his knees, and it took everything in him not to spill to the ground while he accidentally leaned forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how you do it,\u201d the dwarf mused.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s like you never get tired.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maisie offered up a canine shrug, the muscles in her back flexing for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cI think it\u2019s from when I swallowed the gem two years ago.\u00a0 I get worn down a little bit, but it\u2019s only when I stop doing something that I realize running is a lot of work!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, could you tone it down just a bit,\u201d her traveling companion asked.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re making me look bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe we can borrow a sleigh and I can pull you up the mountain,\u201d Maisie teased.<\/p>\n

During their journey toward their destination, the dog learned that the dwarf, Kjotvi, was a distant descendant of Litr, Santa\u2019s friend who had joined he and Nanna on their pilgrimage to Tellest.\u00a0 While Maisie had never seen the celebrated dwarf, she could tell by Kjotvi\u2019s enthusiasm that Litr had earned great renown among their people, and indeed most of the communities of Tellest\u2019s North Pole.\u00a0 Whenever Kjotvi felt run down or worried, he invoked the name of his relative, and pushed on.<\/p>\n

And so it was as they pushed past the latest snowy hillock.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, the last time I was here, it felt a bit darker,\u201d Maisie explained.\u00a0 \u201cWith the big ol\u2019 moon in the sky, it\u2019s like I\u2019m looking at something brand new.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to need you to start to lead the way soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, I\u2019ll handle it,\u201d Kjotvi insisted.\u00a0 \u201cJust need some of that little DeAngelo dog energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maisie forced a sneeze then.\u00a0 \u201cTrust me, it\u2019s not both of us,\u201d the little dog said with an air of superiority.\u00a0 \u201cZelda gets all sleepy after a five-minute walk.\u00a0 She begs to be picked up!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I should have traveled with the other one,\u201d the dwarf muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was that?\u201d the pup asked.<\/p>\n

Kjotvi just stared for a moment, but realized he\u2019d been found out.\u00a0 \u201cWhat, did that little rock give you super hearing as well?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNope, that\u2019s all me,\u201d Maisie said, resuming her trek.\u00a0 \u201cIt helps to know when someone\u2019s crunching on food and trying to be sneaky.\u201d\u00a0 She stopped suddenly, her head darting from side to side.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you hear someone eating a cookie or something just now?\u201d Kjotvi wondered.<\/p>\n

Maisie shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cI think we\u2019re here.\u00a0 This was the cave I found when everyone was yelling at me.\u00a0 Phew, that journey felt longer for some reason this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you think we\u2019ll find who we\u2019re looking for in there?\u201d the dwarf asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Santa says it, it\u2019s got to be true.\u201d\u00a0 She led the dwarf inside, taking her time to move about, as the moonlight was only strong enough to illuminate the first few feet of the cavernous tunnel.<\/p>\n

As she went through the darkened passageway, Maisie couldn\u2019t help but smile.\u00a0 Some marks remained in the cavern: the scratches and bites that she had nervously left upon the walls and beams so long ago.\u00a0 She had come a long way since then\u2014still reacting to stress in her own way, but she knew that had made great progress, and nothing was going to cause her any undue grief again.<\/p>\n

With Kjotvi close behind her, the pup\u2019s ears perked up then, and the dwarf knew it was more than just a passing thing at that point.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs everything alright?\u201d he wondered.<\/p>\n

Maisie nodded, though she hunched a little lower, just in case.\u00a0 \u201cI hear voices.\u00a0 But they\u2019re\u2026\u201d\u00a0 As her words trailed off, she sprang up, and her tail wagged excessively.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re familiar!\u201d\u00a0 She sprinted ahead, leaving the dwarf to stumble after her.<\/p>\n

Before long, the pair of them found lantern light spilling into the tunnel, and they heard the mirthful voices of those who inhabited the cavern at that time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, my ears aren\u2019t all that good,\u201d Kjotvi said.\u00a0 \u201cBut I\u2019ve got a big ol\u2019 nose that works better than most, and that\u2019s a delightful holiday feast if I\u2019ve ever smelled it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust like last time,\u201d the dog said, her tail wagging so fast it looked like it could lift her off the ground.<\/p>\n

The pair entered the large chamber of the cavern, which had been decorated to be far more festive than the last time the pup had been there.\u00a0 Garland was strewn from the ceiling, and the walls had been painted in striking colors.\u00a0 A small table had been set out, brimming with food\u2014and then a larger one not far from it with enough food to feed a giant.\u00a0 Coincidentally, a giant reached for a mammoth rib before he spotted the surprise visitors.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaisie?\u201d his deep voice resonated.<\/p>\n

\u201cRurnar!\u201d the dog excitedly exclaimed.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy friends,\u201d the giant said, gathering up the attention of the elf and the dwarf who mingled in the cavern.\u00a0 \u201cLook who has just joined us!\u201d<\/p>\n

Maisie\u2019s eyes went a little wider at the sight of two more of her old friends.\u00a0 \u201cHalgrum!\u00a0 Beroras!\u00a0 I hadn\u2019t expected to see you here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The elf dropped to a knee and spread his arms out wide, ready to accept a hug from the little dog.\u00a0 \u201cMy, it\u2019s good to see you,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWe began a yearly tradition after our little feast years ago.\u00a0 We come together before Christmas to celebrate our friendship.\u00a0 We even read about your family\u2019s exploits throughout the year.\u00a0 Santa sends us a missive every once and a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maisie gasped.\u00a0 \u201cYou didn\u2019t hear about those other holidays we celebrate, did you?\u201d\u00a0 She hopped down from the fellow\u2019s leg and gave him a very solemn look from the top of her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cZelda cheats during the egg hunt, I\u2019m sure of it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hear a little bit of everything, little one,\u201d Beroras said.\u00a0 \u201cBut mostly we hear how much the five of you love each other, and how you\u2019ve been keeping each other sane and happy during this tumultuous time in your world.\u00a0 I have to say, I thought it was difficult in the harsh, cold north here.\u00a0 You endure much.\u00a0 But now is not the time for somber thoughts.\u00a0 We should rejoice, for you\u2019ve come to visit!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI dun know about that,\u201d the dwarf said, shuffling forward while holding his arm across his belly.\u00a0 Halgrum arched an eyebrow, the other bushy bit of fur on above his other eye lowering enough to have the dog wondering if he\u2019d blinded himself.\u00a0 \u201cAs I recall it, this one might just eat everything we\u2019ve got on our plates, and then some.\u201d\u00a0 He patted his stomach then, demonstrating that it was quite distended then.\u00a0 \u201cThen again, mayhaps I\u2019ve already had me fill.\u201d\u00a0 He let a little chuckle separate his lips then, and he tousled the fur on the back of Maisie\u2019s head and neck.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s good to have ye here, Maisie.\u00a0 Although I suspect ye\u2019re not here on your own\u2014without the rest of yer family, that is,\u201d he said, offering a little bow to the unfamiliar dwarf.\u00a0 \u201cThere must be trouble brewing, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMore than you know,\u201d Maisie said.\u00a0 \u201cWe came here because we need your help.\u00a0 This is one of the greatest challenges that Santa\u2019s ever faced, and he\u2014well, we\u2014thought we could call in a few favors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beroras folded his arms over his chest then.\u00a0 \u201cYou came here specifically for Rurnar, didn\u2019t you?\u201d\u00a0 He smirked, only slightly offended by his suspicion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, the bad guys have giants of their own,\u201d Maisie explained.\u00a0 \u201cBig, mean blue ones!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFrost giants,\u201d Kjotvi clarified then.\u00a0 \u201cEvery now and then they venture to our realm, and we chase them off, but we\u2019ve never seen them in such grand numbers before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never seen the likes of ye before,\u201d Halgrum said.\u00a0 \u201cHow are we ta know ye haven\u2019t led this poor little pup astray?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Maisie grumbled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m bigger and smarter than I was before.\u00a0 Kjotvi was there with us in Santa\u2019s tent.\u00a0 I trust him, which means you can too!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEasy there, Tiny,\u201d a more powerful voice bellowed from further back in the opening of the cavern.\u00a0 Rurnar bent forward, letting his powerful gaze fall upon the little dog.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t have the magic powers that the amulet once bestowed upon you.\u201d\u00a0 He turned his shoulder, the trio of revelers looking up at the decorations then.\u00a0 Sure enough, the amulet from the feast two years earlier hung from the apex of the cavern, the reflecting torchlight sending sparkles scattering upon the stone walls.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll see we\u2019re a little cooler and more collected this time.\u00a0 Over the last couple of years, we\u2019ve learned to take a breath, and plan things out.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo\u2026\u201d the giant went on, his solitary syllable sounding artificially dragged out.\u00a0 \u201cAre you taking care of that blanket I gave you?\u00a0 You didn\u2019t end up eating that, too, did you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t do that anymore,\u201d Maisie grumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWould you like to?\u201d Rurnar asked.\u00a0 He reached up and grabbed the amulet, bringing it closer to the dog.<\/p>\n

The scrappy black and white pup was mesmerized by the jewel once more, the sparkles reflecting in her eyes.\u00a0 She licked her lips and sniffed at the amulet.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs\u2026uh\u2026 Is everything okay?\u201d Kjotvi asked.<\/p>\n

Without consciously considering his words, Maisie began to nod.\u00a0 \u201cI know what to do,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A strange drumbeat resonated through the icy canyon; the few dwarves stationed at the maw blew out nervous breaths that turned to steam the second they left their lips.\u00a0 They watched in anxious anticipation as the gnomes\u2019 contraptions were put to the test.\u00a0 The cat that oversaw the operation, on the other hand, paced between the dwarves, and paused every few moments to stare down the icy corridors that she remembered from so long before.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow goes your progress?\u201d Peanut asked then.\u00a0 \u201cWe can\u2019t wait too much longer.\u00a0 As much as I am loathe to admit it, I would be slightly perturbed if anything happened to any of my family.\u201d\u00a0 Her eyes darted from one dwarf to the other then.\u00a0 \u201cI mean, uh\u2026 Who would feed me if anything were to happen to them?\u00a0 And as for the dogs, well\u2026 They somehow elicit more sympathy from the humans, and that benefits me as well.\u201d\u00a0 She clicked her tongue then and turned back to regard the dwarves.\u00a0 \u201cI asked you a question!\u201d she grumbled.<\/p>\n

A gnome upon a dais overlooking the central contraption froze, looking through oversized spectacles to the vexed puss.\u00a0 \u201cMiss,\u201d he said, feeling foolish for uttering the pleasantry, \u201cas silly as it may seem, this plan requires pinpoint precision.\u00a0 We must be utterly cautious, otherwise the whole thing could be folly.\u00a0 And moreover, there would be somewhat greater consequences,\u201d he said, wrinkling his nose as the thought.<\/p>\n

Everyone looked to the other two gnomes that traveled with the group.\u00a0 The pair wore far less festive attire, each wearing what looked like an oversized diving bell atop their heads, with a thick pane of glass separating them from the outside world.\u00a0 They worked a set of levers on large vats beside the central contraption, mixing some foul concoction with tremendous labor.<\/p>\n

It was backbreaking work, especially for the diminutive people.\u00a0 Strange, foreign sounds seemed to emit from the gnomes\u2019 suits.\u00a0 They grunted and groaned and forced out fretful breaths as they worked fervently, knowing that their patron saint of winter\u2014as well as their excessive commander, for the moment\u2014would be satisfied if the plan was a success.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on then,\u201d Peanut meowed.\u00a0 She sat upon her rump in the snow, hopping up for a second more before she could acclimate to the sudden discomfort.\u00a0 Then she looked at the lead gnome with an angry scowl upon her face.\u00a0 \u201cOverseer Ulgifda, is it?\u00a0 What\u2019s taking so long?\u00a0 I thought the stuff was ready to dispense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReady to transport,\u201d the gnome known as Ulgifda clarified.\u00a0 \u201cBut the rest of the gadget won\u2019t work if we hurry things before they\u2019re ready.\u00a0 You know we cobbled this together as quick as we could, but we don\u2019t want to take unnecessary risks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peanut growled, sounding more like a feral savannah cat than a lazy housecat.\u00a0 She looked to the dwarves then, who stood a little taller after catching her gaze.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou two, who cares about the drums.\u00a0 Help these two to mix what\u2019s in there so we can get things moving a little quicker, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n

The drummers ceased their drumming, looking to each other with concern upon their faces.\u00a0 The one had his head turned just far enough that Peanut could see the prominence in his throat sink, no longer disguised by his beard.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf something happens to my family because you were lollygagging\u2026\u201d she said, the cat\u2019s concern somehow quite apparent.\u00a0 All at once, all the false confidence, the abrasiveness, the smugness, it melted away, leaving the old cat looking weary and worried instead.<\/p>\n

Seeing the guise shift, even abrupt as it was, the dwarves were filled with new determination.\u00a0 They set their drums down, and hurried to the side of the gnomes, helping their associates to turn the cranks that mixed the concoctions inside the vats.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s it,\u201d Ulgifda declared.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re almost there.\u00a0 Just a little bit more.\u201d\u00a0 He wrapped his fingers around a handle upon the dashboard of the contraption before making eye contact with the frustrated cat.\u00a0 \u201cMiss Peanut.\u00a0 It\u2019s ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThrow the switch,\u201d the cat insisted.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a nod, the gnome foreman did what was expected of him, pulling back the lever that activated the central device.\u00a0 At once, the vats began churning, sending their questionable contents through tubes into the main contraption.\u00a0 With atypical fuel finally flowing, the device unlocked, and a huge mechanical arm swung up from the opposite side of the control panel.\u00a0 A circular disc expanded from that arm, some sort of magical technology growing out from the metal chassis.\u00a0 Blades extended from the disc then as well, and in only a few short moments, they began spinning, the gnome technology operating without any issues.<\/p>\n

Peanut sat in front of the fan, a mischievous grin upon her face.\u00a0 But as the blades spun faster and faster, a strange scent washed over the area.\u00a0 The cat\u2019s grin turned from one of impish intentions to an almost euphoric smile then as the fiskeblugen wafted forward.<\/p>\n

While the two gnomes with the diving bell helmets were able to push past the potent odor, the two dwarves and the gnomish overseer could not escape it.\u00a0 Ulgifda retched, nearly spilling the contents of his stomach into the snow.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrying to make room in your bellies for this delicious stuff?\u201d Peanut teased.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I\u2019m afraid this batch isn\u2019t meant for you few.\u201d<\/p>\n

Almost as soon as she finished speaking, a drawer in the central contraption opened with a mechanical hiss, steam shooting off into the cold early morning air.\u00a0 The cat stepped forward, looking at the central vat of pickling compound.\u00a0 She took a deep breath then, enraptured by the scent, even while the dwarves, grabbed up their beards and smushed them against their noses in a futile attempt to escape the pungent smell.<\/p>\n

Peanut and her companions were not the only ones to detect the overpowering smell then, she knew.\u00a0 Behind her, the canyon walls shook, shards of ice collapsing and shattering down below, a strange cacophonic symphony playing along the towering frigid corridor.<\/p>\n

The cat turned to her allies then.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s the sign that our plan is working.\u00a0 Go on, run,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be right behind you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thankful to give their stomachs a break, the dwarves and the gnomes withdrew as planned.\u00a0 Peanut, left alone, sat down again, taking in the sounds, the vibrations, and indeed the hardy smell of the fiskeblugen\u2014along, she knew, with something else.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for your help, Revan,\u201d the cat whispered, remembering the assistance she received from one of Santa\u2019s elven helpers.\u00a0 The maiden was a wonderful alchemist, and when Peanut\u2019s insane plan was revealed to her, she was more than happy to lend a hand. \u00a0\u201cWell then,\u201d the cat said, her quiet voice carrying into the canyon, \u201clet\u2019s give them something to chase, shall we?\u201d<\/p>\n

And with that, Peanut hopped into the smelly vat of liquid.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Michael and Rhianna peered over the rocky outcropping, sneaking a peek at Santa\u2019s alchemical lab\u2014as well as the pair of Loki\u2019s satyr sentries who watched over the door of the building.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re sure he\u2019s in there?\u201d the woman asked her husband.<\/p>\n

Furrowing his brow, Michael turned to regard Rhianna.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not certain of anything.\u00a0 But if Santa says that Raskagar is in there, that\u2019s where we\u2019re going to go.\u00a0 He\u2019s integral to the plan, and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPeanut\u2019s plan,\u201d Rhianna interrupted.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Peanut\u2019s plan,\u201d Michael repeated, understand the inanity of the statement.\u00a0 \u201cBut there\u2019s some logic to the illogical\u2026ness, of it.\u00a0 Let\u2019s just hope Santa\u2019s intel was correct, and we didn\u2019t waste our time getting here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s hope we don\u2019t get captured or killed,\u201d Rhianna added.<\/p>\n

\u201cYe of little faith,\u201d Michael said then, a confident grin appearing on his face.\u00a0 \u201cYou think we\u2019ve got anything to worry about with this big guy on our side?\u201d\u00a0 He absentmindedly slapped the rocky outcropping then, activating the magic that was present there.<\/p>\n

All at once, the stones barreled forward, rumbling the ground around the alchemy lab.\u00a0 The satyr sentries discovered too late that the boulders tumbled their way and let out a pair of sad little bleats before they were sent flying, cast away from the doors they guarded.\u00a0 The boulders\u2014all bunched together, and connected by magic\u2014rolled on uninhibited, until they struck the two oak doors, slamming them open.\u00a0 The collection of stone finally rolled back, and as it did, it reformed into the huge golem it was\u2014the same one that had once protected Santa\u2019s camp.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, that\u2019s never happened before,\u201d Michael said, a little embarrassed from activating their magical guardian prematurely.<\/p>\n

The golem looked on at the two humans it was sent to protect, the apertures in its crafted head glowing green as it gazed upon Michael and Rhianna.\u00a0 It lifted its right arm then, the limb altered before they had left the clandestine camp on their various missions.\u00a0 Instead of an articulate hand, the equivalent of a stone cannon was fashioned there.<\/p>\n

Michael\u2019s eyes went wide as the golem\u2019s eyes turned a pale red, and it leveled its weapon at them.<\/p>\n

With a mighty foom<\/em>, the cannon fired, and a projectile came soaring toward the pair of humans.\u00a0 Rhianna tugged her husband to the side, though it seemed as if the white missile was bound to pass right by them anyway.<\/p>\n

The hardened snowball whizzed by them, and struck an encroaching satyr in its chest, sending it tumbling backward.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that was terrifying,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cBut it\u2019s got our backs, it seems.\u00a0 There\u2019s no better time than now to get into that building.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d Michael said, pulling his wife over the small hillock and toward the alchemy lab.<\/p>\n

They could hear other members of Loki\u2019s army drawing near, and sure enough the golem fired forth more projectiles.\u00a0 Just as before, a loud report rang out before a grunt or a groan or a bleat followed suit.<\/p>\n

The couple moved along, sprinting across the area, and slipping around the massive stone creature\u2019s side.\u00a0 As they passed by, they could see the magic that afforded it its chilly ammunition.\u00a0 The snow that coated the area outside of the alchemy lab rose from the ground in ghostly wisps, almost as though the golem breathed it in through grooves along its back.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a good thing the ground here is mostly snow, huh?\u201d Michael mused, ushering his wife past their guardian before they slipped into the building.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep up the good work!\u201d Rhianna cried.<\/p>\n

As Michael and Rhianna disappeared inside, the golem kept up its work, firing off snowy missiles at the satyrs and even a frost giant that had appeared.\u00a0 Its eyes turned green then, however, as the first few blades of grass appeared beneath the many layers of frost.<\/p>\n

The satyrs noticed the slowing speed of the golem\u2019s firing and hurried to overrun it.<\/p>\n

But they realized at once, that when those eyes turned green again, it was only temporary.<\/p>\n

As the creature inhaled enough snow to launch another array of snowballs, its eyes turned red.\u00a0 Some of the satyrs knew better than to move when it had locked onto a target, but others who drew close believed they could pass by it.<\/p>\n

They thought wrong.<\/p>\n

One after the other, the satyrs were seen by the golem, and its eyes turned red.\u00a0 Only those who were clever enough to stop were spared from a solid snowball in the chest or between the eyes.<\/p>\n

The guardian had earned Santa\u2019s champions some time.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Inside the alchemy lab, it was far quieter\u2014for a time.\u00a0 The entrance was devoid of any signs of Loki\u2019s army, or those denizens of the North Pole who performed their work ahead of the upcoming holiday.\u00a0 But as Michael and Rhianna delved deeper into the building\u2014a strange amalgamation of rudimentary architecture blended with gnomish craftsmanship\u2014mechanical hissing rang out and was soon joined by a deeper bubbling sound.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think that is?\u201d Rhianna wondered.<\/p>\n

Michael shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cYou know there\u2019s all kinds of magic that makes Christmas possible.\u00a0 There\u2019s potions and salves and even fuel for some of Santa\u2019s gadgets.\u00a0 I\u2019m surprised this place is still running if the folks here have been taken prisoner though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just goes to show you how dedicated they all are to making sure people have a wonderful holiday,\u201d Rhianna mused.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I suppose it means they believe Santa will win through in the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael took that hope and that faith and internalized it.\u00a0 He grabbed hold of his axe in one hand and interlaced the fingers of his other hand with those of his wife, and they continued along, as silent as they could be.<\/p>\n

It only took another few moments before they saw a warm light spill into the central corridor of the building.\u00a0 The quiet was gone though, with a harsh voice carrying through an open door.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me what I want to know, and I\u2019ll let you walk out this stinking building of your own accord,\u201d someone growled.\u00a0 \u201cBut defy me again, and the only way you\u2019ll leave this place is if someone carries you.\u00a0 No?\u00a0 Very well then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna gulped but tightened her grip on her spear and shield.\u00a0 She looked to her husband and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWe came here to help Santa\u2019s friends and the people that bring joy to others every year, right?\u00a0 Let\u2019s help whoever is in trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael breathed out an anxious sigh of his own, but did as his wife suggested, stepping forward, into the light.<\/p>\n

His next breath was caught in his throat when he spotted a gnome that looked as though he was about to be squashed between two panes of glass.\u00a0 That was not his fate, however.\u00a0 A grizzled, old satyr stood atop a platform, his hand on a lever.\u00a0 He pulled it down, and a burst of what looked like steam erupted from the mechanisms above where the gnome was trapped.<\/p>\n

Joining her husband there at the entrance to the room, Rhianna watched on in horror as the gnome cried out, for whatever flowed through the pipes in the room began pouring out into his glass cage.\u00a0 Wisps of smoke came out of the nozzle from which the dark brown liquid churned. \u00a0But it wasn\u2019t the scalding hot stuff it appeared to be.\u00a0 The gnome pressed his face against the glass, his big nose and bulging eyes leaving him with a ridiculous visage for the moment before he realized that there were other visitors in the alchemy lab, and quite unlike those in Loki\u2019s army.<\/p>\n

The gnome couldn\u2019t consider it very long before his glass case filled up over his head.\u00a0 A moment later, the glass panes sank into the floor, along with the cross pieces at their edges.\u00a0 The gnome remained fixed in place, trapped within a giant chocolate bar.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt didn\u2019t have to be this way,\u201d the satyr said then.\u00a0 \u201cAll you had to do was tell me where Santa\u2019s camp is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know where Santa\u2019s camp is,\u201d a high-pitched voice rang out into the room then.\u00a0 Rhianna stepped forward and stood taller, willing herself to be brave in the face of danger.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I know what they\u2019re having for dinner,\u201d Michael said then, slamming the handle of his axe into his hand.\u00a0 \u201cLamb chops.\u201d\u00a0 He looked at his wife then, all seriousness leaving his face.\u00a0 \u201cI know they\u2019re not the same thing, but it just sounded cool in my head.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is this?\u201d the satyr grumbled, his voice coming out sounding as though he was trying everything that he could to keep it from sounding like a guttural mess.\u00a0 \u201cIf you prisoners found your freedom, you should have gone the extra step and actually escaped.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll part of the plan,\u201d Michael countered.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, we\u2019ve already got the front door of the place covered.\u201d<\/p>\n

That revelation seemed to shock the satyr a bit, and he stood up straighter upon hearing it.<\/p>\n

All the while the two sides were trading verbal barbs, the gnome, encased in chocolate, looked on, his eyes clear of the sweet stuff.\u00a0 Michael and the satyr went back and forth most office, but Rhianna, during bouts of quiet, looked to the encapsulated gnome, who watched his eyes dart to the side.\u00a0 She looked over her shoulder, seeing nothing too out of sorts.\u00a0 She realized, then, that the gnome couldn\u2019t turn his head, and he was trying to bring her attention to something that was out of his peripheral vision.\u00a0 She followed his gaze off to the side, imagining he was pointing with his finger.\u00a0 Sure enough, she saw something worthy of her attention there.\u00a0 A sword lay propped up against the wall of the room, just behind a control panel that was full of buttons and levers.<\/p>\n

And the satyr was quietly, almost imperceptibly moving toward it.\u00a0 As he lunged forward, Rhianna moved quicker, throwing her spear without a second thought.\u00a0 The satyr thought better of his grab then, pulling his hand back as the javelin pierced through the side of the mechanical panel.<\/p>\n

Michael froze for a moment, surprised to see his wife fling her weapon forward.\u00a0 But just as soon as the satyr moved again, so did the man.<\/p>\n

Reaching out with a furry hand, the satyr tried to pluck its weapon off the ground.\u00a0 But Rhianna\u2019s spear kept it firmly in place, locking it at the cross guard, and a tug at the pommel did nothing to relinquish the sword from the spear.\u00a0 Even twisting it aside, the creature couldn\u2019t hoist his weapon out beyond the halfway point of the blade.<\/p>\n

The satyr had to step forward with his sword, twisting it into place to bring it to bear.\u00a0 But Michael was there in an instant, swinging his axe with all his might, catching the sword before it could be wielded in combat.\u00a0 The man\u2019s weapon embedded in the floor though, and try as he did, Michael couldn\u2019t retrieve it.<\/p>\n

Knowing better than to keep trying for his sword, the satyr swept to the side with his rounded horns, catching Michael in the chin and knocking him back.\u00a0 Michael fell from the platform, rolling forward to prevent a nasty twist in neck or any other sort of calamity.<\/p>\n

Rhianna ran up the stairs next, still wielding an item she believed could help against their foe.\u00a0 When the satyr moved to ram her, he met a shield instead, and both combatants were a bit stunned by the immensity of that blow.\u00a0 Rhianna fell to her rump, while the satyr groaned, shaking the stars from his vision.<\/p>\n

Down below, Michael collected his own bearings, climbing to his feet while rubbing his shoulder.\u00a0 When he looked up and saw the satyr ready to begin a furious charge toward his wife, he looked to his side, hopeful for anything that might be able to turn the tide.\u00a0 To his side, there were a wide array of confections, all kinds of different jarred candies that one might receive as a small holiday treat, from candy-coated chocolates to flavored popcorn, and brightly colored jawbreakers.\u00a0 Michael\u2019s eyes grew wide, and he thrust his hand into the jar of perfectly round candies and grabbed as many as he could in his fist.\u00a0 Then, with a quick turn, he threw them at the platform above, in between his wife and the sinister satyr.<\/p>\n

With cloven hooves, the satyr didn\u2019t have to worry about slipping on the hard round balls, but he was still unprepared for his foot to land on one.\u00a0 The little things were resilient indeed, and the satyr shifted his weight to the side, pulling a muscle in his leg.\u00a0 An undulating growl escaped his lips, and he reached down to grab hold of his injured calf.<\/p>\n

While he wrestled with his pain, Rhianna hoisted herself up with the help of a conveyer belt at her side.\u00a0 Packages of fine white powder, which almost looked like snow, moved along on the conveyer belt, and the woman grabbed one of them.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t cold when she had it in her hands, and as she considered all the other items within the lab, she realized what it was instead.\u00a0 She turned then, bringing the bag of sugar over her head, and just as the satyr righted himself, she smashed him on his crown, right between the horns.\u00a0 The bag tore apart at once, covering him in a smattering of white powder, and sending a small cloud of it into the air.<\/p>\n

The satyr growled, raking at his eyes, but it was too late.\u00a0 He was already blinded by the stuff.\u00a0 Whipping his head back and forth, he tried to strike Rhianna, but she had backed away, safer than she was before.<\/p>\n

\u201cAw,\u201d Michael said, climbing up the steps of the platform.\u00a0 \u201cI was worried about him before, but he\u2019s not so bad, is he?\u00a0 I mean, look at that sweet face.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is no time for quips!\u201d Rhianna said, though even she had to stave off a giggle.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, don\u2019t worry about him,\u201d Michael said as he reached the satyr.\u00a0 He gave him a little shove in his chest, and even though he was a sturdy opponent, without being able to see, he didn\u2019t put up much fight.\u00a0 He stumbled backward, catching more jawbreakers under his hooves, and grunting in pain.<\/p>\n

As Michael worked him toward the back of the lab, Rhianna heard a noise behind her.\u00a0 Worried that reinforcements might have arrived, she spun about, bringing her shield to bear.\u00a0 It was only the gnome encased in chocolate, however, and he muttered something incoherent until the woman swung around to see him.<\/p>\n

Further back in the lab, Michael saw another use for all the sugar in the room.\u00a0 A large silver bin looked to be covered in cobwebs, but the man knew that they were a sweet concoction.\u00a0 Though he couldn\u2019t read the text above the dials on the round bowl\u2014the instructions written in either gnomish or dwarvish, he surmised\u2014he had seen such things before.\u00a0 When he turned up one of the dials, he could hear the device whirr to life.\u00a0 Cotton candy wisps began to fill up the basin.<\/p>\n

The satyr, hearing the mechanical noises but unable to see what caused them, took a wild swing at Michael.\u00a0 The man ducked aside, and opened the front door of the basin, then.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s see what this does.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael cranked the dial up all the way, until the machine sounded like a jet engine about to explode.\u00a0 Sure enough, the machine went into overdrive, a blast of cotton candy bursting from the basin and engulfing the satyr.<\/p>\n

The goatman, thoroughly covered, and looking like a pink cloud, no longer had the same vicious look to him that he did when the visitors to the lab saw him using his scare tactics on the poor, trapped gnome.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you say?\u201d Rhianna asked the little fellow encased in chocolate.<\/p>\n

\u201cI shed, chie hih uh wish uh wickorish wish.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna shook her head then.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I don\u2019t think we\u2019re speaking the same language.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIye sheaking uh shaye yanguage yer sheaking, Iye jush shuck!\u201d the gnome angrily replied.\u00a0 \u201cGeh uh wickorish wish.\u201d\u00a0 He said, speaking deliberately slowly to help convey his thoughts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is a wickorish wish?\u201d the woman queried.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh wickorish wish!\u201d the gnome, exasperated, cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, the licorice twist!\u201d Rhianna realized, her eyes going wide with the excitement of having figured out the gnomes wishes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAsh uht I shed!\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

As Michael spun the satyr about, coating him with more and more of the pink cotton candy, Rhianna ran to another machine, which stretched and pulled at a candy rope.\u00a0 She dislodged it from the machine then and ran it over to Michael.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can tie him up with this,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cBetween that and the fluff, we should be able to ensure he can\u2019t do anything to warn any of his friends, and then we\u2019ll have free reign of the lab.\u201d<\/p>\n

The satyr grumbled then. \u00a0But, just like the gnome, his voice was muffled by the confection he was trapped within.<\/p>\n

Michael didn\u2019t plan on listening to anything their foe had to say then.\u00a0 After trying to find out where Santa\u2019s camp was, the last thing they needed was to be tricked into revealing some sort of detail that the satyr could bring to Loki.<\/p>\n

Instead, Michael took the licorice rope that his wife handed him, and, finding it more durable than it looked at first glance, he wrapped it around their foe.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, satyrs are supposed to be more goatlike, but with all this cotton candy surrounding him, he\u2019s looking kind of sheepish,\u201d Rhianna suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought we weren\u2019t doing any quips,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is different,\u201d she replied.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve already won!\u201d<\/p>\n

That assessment had the satyr growling in protest.\u00a0 Michael simply cinched the knot of the licorice rope tighter, eliciting a grunt from their foe instead of more incoherent words.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, he didn\u2019t like that one, did he?\u201d Michael asked.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s going to like it a lot less when we free his little torture victim and break everyone else out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The satyr struggled with his bindings for a moment, but failing to make any progress, he sighed, and bowed his head.\u00a0 Dejected, he didn\u2019t even watch as Michael and Rhianna approached the giant chocolate bar.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, then,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get you out of there, shall we?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m surprised you\u2019re willing to let all that chocolate go to waste,\u201d Rhianna said to her husband.\u00a0 \u201cThis place is very bad for your sweet tooth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThe only thing giving me pause is that this outfit that Santa gave me is already feeling a little tight,\u201d he said, patting his stomach.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t need to be busting out of my furs right in the middle of a huge battle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s fair,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cBut maybe we could come back here after the battle,\u201d she teased.<\/p>\n

The gnome grumbled and tried to speak, but he was so exasperated, the husband-and-wife duo couldn\u2019t hope to understand anything he offered up.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust hold on a minute,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cThis stuff is pretty sturdy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Together, she and her husband began snapping off pieces of the chocolate bar until the gnome\u2019s limbs were free.\u00a0 He began lending a hand as well, mostly scrapping away the stuff by his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, it\u2019s good to breathe out of more than just a thin line near my lips,\u201d the gnome said then.\u00a0 \u201cYou two mentioned you were sent by Santa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a manner of sorts,\u201d Michael confirmed.\u00a0 \u201cCan you walk on your own?\u201d<\/p>\n

The gnome took a few steps forward, though the chocolate still stuck to his limbs left him unable to bend his knees, and he ended up looking quite strange in his movements.\u00a0 \u201cI can move well enough to escape from this darned place!\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael clicked his tongue and scratched the back of his neck.\u00a0 \u201cActually, that wasn\u2019t quite what we had in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna clasped her hands together and took in a deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cWe could use your help.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

With a crack of a whip, the laborers were coerced into working faster, even though the weapon hadn\u2019t drawn close to any of them.\u00a0 One of the elves still bore a welt on their arm from that strike that stung just from moving quickly, as if the breeze given off from their movement sent an icy touch upon his skin.<\/p>\n

The human beside the cauldron grumbled as he worked, not pleased in the slightest to be using his staff to stir the slimy, sticky substance\u2014not at all what was supposed to be in the cauldron, he knew.<\/p>\n

\u201cBlast it all,\u201d the fellow said, stopping what he was doing, and stepping to the side, his prized staff in hand.\u00a0 He shook it off, not bothering to care about the consequences.<\/p>\n

\u201cPut that back in there,\u201d one of their captors said, pointing to the staff.\u00a0 The satyr was white furred, almost looking as though the snow had fully covered him, and he was unable to remove it.\u00a0 Still, that pure look did nothing to stave off the fearsome look of the creature.\u00a0 Just like his curved horns, his spear looked dangerous.\u00a0 As it came prodding toward the laborer who dared to step out of line, the wielder slammed the weapon to the side, the metal banging off the cauldron with a resonating blow.\u00a0 \u201cGo on,\u201d the satyr said.\u00a0 \u201cOr else we\u2019ll grind your bones to paste and throw you in there as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the opposite side of the room, the other satyr, a female with tawny fur and silver hooves and horns cracked the whip, more for the fun of it than to scare any of their prisoners.\u00a0 She paced the room, bored with their task.\u00a0 The satyrs had, after all, taken the alchemy lab with very little resistance.\u00a0 She knew that it was an integral part of Loki\u2019s plan, and that it would behoove them to keep the rabble working.<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t use my staff anymore,\u201d the man said.\u00a0 His sudden boldness has the other prisoners halting their work as well, though it was more in horror at their companions\u2019 brazen behavior.\u00a0 \u201cIf you want me to stir up whatever it is we have here, go and fetch me something I can use that hasn\u2019t been in my possession for nearly half my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

The white satyr spit on the ground, drawing uncomfortable looks from the captives.\u00a0 \u201cYou can make a choice here: either you care about your staff, which you\u2019ve had for almost fiftey years, or you can take more care of yourself, considering you\u2019ve known yourself all<\/em> your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDuly noted,\u201d the man said.\u00a0 \u201cBut I think I\u2019ll still not be mixing with this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRaskagar!\u201d one of the other captives pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t make them madder than they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t the satyrs that scared him into compliance.\u00a0 The wizard couldn\u2019t help but consider his friend\u2019s fears, and he bowed his head then, grumbling as he moved back into place.<\/p>\n

Before he could set his staff back into the cauldron, he was surprised to see another captive standing in the doorway of the chamber.<\/p>\n

The little gnome looked to be stained by dirt, his hair tousled where it wasn\u2019t matted, yet he had a look of conviction on his face.<\/p>\n

The white furred satyr caught the sudden widening of the wizard\u2019s eyes and spun about.\u00a0 The gnome tried to skitter out of view, but he wasn\u2019t fast enough, it seemed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn intruder!\u201d the goatman hollered, catching his companion\u2019s attention.\u00a0 He charged toward the exit of the room, his hooves resonating against the floorboards and echoing out into the corridor.<\/p>\n

When he emerged from the vat room, he didn\u2019t see the pair of humans skulking in the shadows, his only focus on the gnome who ran as fast as his legs would carry him, toward the exit of the building.<\/p>\n

Michael and Rhianna heard another pair of approaching hooves, and the woman swung out with her spear, just as the tawny furred satyr emerged into the hallway.\u00a0 As the spear struck her across the chest, momentum took her backward, spilling her to the ground.\u00a0 Rhianna moved at once, smacking her atop the head, ensuring she wouldn\u2019t be conscious of their plans for liberation.<\/p>\n

Beside her, Michael stepped around until he could glance at her, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise.\u00a0 \u201cHow is it that you, with know situational awareness, managed to pull that off?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Rhianna said with a shrug.\u00a0 \u201cChristmas magic?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRhianna?\u201d they heard from inside the chamber then.\u00a0 \u201cMichael?\u201d\u00a0 Raskagar ceased what he was doing and hurried around the vats until he reached the entrance to the room.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you two doing here?\u00a0 Where\u2019s the rest of your family?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re okay,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve even got a new pup to introduce you to.\u00a0 But we\u2019re here on a mission for Santa, and they\u2019re off performing very important tasks of their own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, you came here to rescue everyone from the clutches of those furry beasts?\u201d the wizard wondered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe came here specifically for you,\u201d Rhianna explained.\u00a0 \u201cLest you not forget, you were a furry beast at one point as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThough, perhaps a touch smaller,\u201d Michael teased.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, yes,\u201d the Raskagar conceded.\u00a0 \u201cI must admit some days I wake up and still feel as though I have whiskers upon my face.\u201d\u00a0 He stroked his white beard and mustache then.\u00a0 \u201cWell, much longer whiskers, that is.\u201d\u00a0 He turned and waved on the other captives, a collection of elves and dwarves and gnomes that were relieved to find their prison turned to a sanctuary.\u00a0 \u201cIf you\u2019re here for me, you must already have a plan.\u00a0 Care to let me in on the details?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cBut we should whisper it so that nobody else can hear, just in case.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

The gnome burst from the doors of the laboratory, surprised to see the massive golem before him, even though his rescuers had revealed that he was present.\u00a0 Satyrs, and even the mighty frost giant were lying down in the snow, nursing aching chests and heads.\u00a0 The apertures where the golem\u2019s eyes would be glowed green again, and even when it saw Santa\u2019s foes writhing on the ground, it didn\u2019t invite any other further violence upon them.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, you!\u201d the gnome cried out to the large, stone creature.\u00a0 \u201cMichael and Rhianna said that if I needed help, you would help.\u00a0 Well\u2026 Help!\u201d<\/p>\n

The golem shuffled about, sentient, and intelligent enough to look to where the gnome pointed.<\/p>\n

When the white furred satyr came barreling out of the laboratory, his focus was so intense on the gnome, that he didn\u2019t notice the tall pillars that framed the gnome.\u00a0 The diminutive fellow couldn\u2019t help but smile then, as he pointed up toward his large, unexpected ally.<\/p>\n

The satyr looked up, just in time to see the green eyes turn a pale red.<\/p>\n

With a mighty swat, the golem sent the goat man flying, a cry that sounded more like a bleat ringing out into the night.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, now these next people coming out of the lab ought to be our friends,\u201d the gnome said.\u00a0 \u201cNo smacking anyone else, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Before long, some of the other people that the gnome worked with did in face exit the laboratory and gasped at the sight of the large golem.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t look to be ready to cause any trouble then, even taking a few giant steps back to allow some room for those people who had just been liberated.\u00a0 At the end of the procession, the golem saw the two humans he traveled with, and he fell to one knee, eager to witness them return safely.<\/p>\n

Raskagar was with them as well, stuffing his hands into his pockets to ensure they had everything they needed\u2014both to get them back to Santa\u2019s camp, and to help in the long battle to come.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, you\u2019re sure this is going to work?\u201d Michael asked.<\/p>\n

The wizard twitched his snow-white mustache then.\u00a0 \u201cNow when have I ever steered you wrong?\u00a0 Of course, this will work.\u00a0 That is, assuming our friend here can handle throwing more than just snowballs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s certainly not what he was designed for, but he\u2019s beginning to learn things awfully quick,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cSo, what do you say?\u201d she asked the golem.\u00a0 \u201cDo you want to try and design something a little different?\u201d<\/p>\n

The golem\u2019s eyes changed color then, and for the split second that the green faded away, Rhianna felt close to panicking, wondering if his magic had been altered in some way.\u00a0 But his eyes didn\u2019t transform into that familiar, frightening red, but a cool blue that was accentuated by the reflection of the snow beneath his large stone feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like he\u2019s open to the suggestion at least,\u201d Raskagar said.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t you make sure you have everything you need and prepare everyone else for our exit, and I\u2019ll try to make our preparations with the golem?\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael and Rhianna agreed with that suggestion, and Michael headed over to the folk that they had liberated.\u00a0 \u201cWhile all of Loki\u2019s people are nursing their injuries, you\u2019ve got some choices to make.\u00a0 You could either rope them up the way they did you, or\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

While he went on, explaining the options to the former captives, Rhianna approached the little gnome who was once captured in an oversized chocolate bar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to thank you for being so brave, even after everything that happened to you,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cThings could have gone very differently in there if you weren\u2019t there to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

The gnome chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI have to admit, for a few moments, I was definitely planning on just running out the door.\u00a0 But when you told me who you were, knew I couldn\u2019t pass up the opportunity to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you\u2019re one of Santa\u2019s champions now, too,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cBut you know, with how chaotic everything was in there, we never learned your name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe?\u201d he said, excited that the people he had learned about over the last half-decade wanted to know more about him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m Quarrick.\u00a0 This day will go down in history as one of my favorites!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOurs too,\u201d Rhianna said, patting him on the shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cEspecially when we win!\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael came up alongside his wife then and gave her a little squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cA few of them are going to stay behind and try to wrangle up the satyrs while they have the golem here.\u00a0 The rest are going to head to safety.\u201d\u00a0 The man turned his attention to the gnome then.\u00a0 \u201cQuarrick, was it?\u201d \u00a0He extended his hand to the little fellow.\u00a0 \u201cThank you for your help in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quarrick, eager to shake hands with his new friend, couldn\u2019t stop his smile from growing larger.\u00a0 \u201cGlad to be of assistance.\u00a0 But I must say, I\u2019m going to be heading out with those who are looking for safety.\u00a0 I think I had a good run of luck today, and I don\u2019t need to press it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably a good decision indeed,\u201d Rhianna said.<\/p>\n

The three of them heard Raskagar clear his throat then, and when they turned, they spotted him standing beside the golem, who had dropped to one knee, and balanced on the limb that had some resemblance to a hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ve come to an understanding,\u201d the wizard said.\u00a0 \u201cAre you two ready to head back to the camp?\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael breathed out a sigh but nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not enthusiastic about going up against his army again\u2014last time I did almost get turned into a pincushion\u2014but I\u2019m eager to put all this behind us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd to see the babies again,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cI hope they\u2019re all okay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we\u2019ll be seeing them shortly, I assure you,\u201d Raskagar said.\u00a0 The wizard turned to everybody else then, clasping his hands together.\u00a0 \u201cMy friends, there\u2019s a bit of magic that is going to be taking place here in a moment, and not all of it is under my control.\u00a0 I\u2019d ask that you take a few steps back while our friend here uses his power to make something a little bigger than a snowball.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the freed captives did as they were told, snow from far beyond where the golem stood began to lift into the air, swirling about and affecting visibility.\u00a0 Ochre grass could be seen for the first time in months as the flakes of snow funneled into the lines on the stone creature\u2019s back.\u00a0 Once a large area around the laboratory was clear, the golem began the creation process.\u00a0 Instead of the foom<\/em> sound that preceded the launch of a snowball, there was almost an electric buzz in the air.\u00a0 A cylindrical tube emerged from where the golem\u2019s cannon arm opened up, and from there, a new shape began to form.<\/p>\n

While the golem worked, it began to teeter just a bit, the magic it created sapping it of its energy enough that the wizard and the other two humans could not help but notice.\u00a0 Raskagar was beside the golem, helping to shape the snow and convert it into hardier ice.<\/p>\n

Soon after, the husband-and-wife duo were surprised to see the snow take the form of a bench.<\/p>\n

\u201cI expected something a bit less refined,\u201d Michael said, impressed with the workmanship.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve done well,\u201d Rhianna said, tapping the golem on his leg.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I may have had something to do with it,\u201d Raskagar said.\u00a0 \u201cBut yes, a lot of it comes down to our friend here, and of course I couldn\u2019t do the next part on my own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you\u2019re sure it\u2019s going to work?\u201d Michael wondered.<\/p>\n

Raskagar scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cWell of course I haven\u2019t tested it, but I\u2019ve never second-guessed my magic before.\u00a0 And even though our golem friend here is new to me, he\u2019s certainly used his powers to some effect.\u00a0 My spells bolstered his design, and here we are.\u201d\u00a0 The wizard\u2019s eyes went wide for a moment.\u00a0 He took his hand and rooted it around in a pocket in his robe.\u00a0 \u201cI almost forgot.\u201d\u00a0 He slammed down his palm across the back of the bench then.\u00a0 When he moved it, Michael and Rhianna saw the carefully folded candy wrapper there.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was going to happen if we didn\u2019t have that?\u201d Rhianna wondered, folding her arms over her chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s neither here nor there,\u201d Raskagar declared.\u00a0 \u201cAll is right now, except none of us have planted our rears on this bench.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael was the first to sit down, although he instantly popped back up, blowing air out through his lips.\u00a0 \u201cWhoa that\u2019s cold.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s frozen solid, as I had told you,\u201d the wizard insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but you didn\u2019t say we would be too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure it\u2019s not that bad,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 She sat down as well, then, only she didn\u2019t climb back out of the seat.\u00a0 Her eyes did grow wider though.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got to say,\u201d Michael remarked, \u201cI\u2019m surprised you\u2019re still sitting.\u00a0 You\u2019re certainly stronger than I give you credit for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not that,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve frozen to the seat!\u201d<\/p>\n

Her husband hurried to sit down next to her, and started rubbing her hands and shoulders, trying to warm her up.\u00a0 \u201cI think we\u2019ve committed to this course,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cBut it\u2019ll only be a short while, right Raskagar?\u201d<\/p>\n

The wizard nodded, and turned about, bunching up his robe to sit upon.\u00a0 Even so, his eyes nearly popped out of his head when he felt the cold against his garments.<\/p>\n

\u201cColder than you expected?\u201d Michael asked from the middle seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I wouldn\u2019t give to have a bit of fur on my body again,\u201d Raskagar said.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I apologize, but things are going to have to get just a bit more uncomfortable.\u201d\u00a0 As he finished speaking, he teetered his staff to the side, and Michael and Rhianna squeezed back a bit as a frigid bar of ice extended across the front of the bench, locking them in place.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes the North Pole have it\u2019s first roller coaster?\u201d Rhianna wondered through chattering teeth.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, only it doesn\u2019t have a track,\u201d Michael suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cA track?\u201d the wizard asked.\u00a0 \u201cWhere we\u2019re going, we don\u2019t need a track.\u00a0 Alright, Rahm,\u201d Raskagar used the creature\u2019s namesake as he passed a glance to the golem.\u00a0 \u201cSend us to Santa\u2019s camp.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just as before, when the golem was creating the bench, a series of hums began to reverberate, until every one of them sounded like the noise he made when he blasted snowballs at the satyrs earlier.\u00a0 Rhianna watched as little bits of snow puffed off the bench, and she could feel vibrations all around her.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it too late to get off this ride?\u201d she mused.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething makes me think it\u2014\u201d\u00a0 Before Michael could fathom the rest of his response, a larger foom<\/em> than they had heard before was joined by what sounded like glass shattering behind them.\u00a0 His breath was stolen away as they took to the sky, and he couldn\u2019t push anymore words out then.<\/p>\n

Beside him, Rhianna cheered in excitement.\u00a0 With an exuberant smile upon her face, she turned about, and looked back at the laboratory, and all the people they had helped.\u00a0 They all waved, and she spotted Quarrick first, the little gnome jumping up and down and waving both hands.\u00a0 And just beside him, Rahm, the giant golem, waved his one articulate hand as well.<\/p>\n

Michael looked to his side, watching the old wizard\u2019s stringy white hair press back in the wind.\u00a0 Raskagar held a tight grip on his staff, though he slowly brought it back, weaving it between he and Michael.<\/p>\n

With a single tap of his magical implement, the trio felt a huge backward force on the bench\u2014enough that it felt as though they were being pushed back toward the laboratory.\u00a0 A moment later though, they understood what had happened.\u00a0 The candy wrapper which Raskagar had fixed to the bench had expanded, taking the form of a giant glider that would make their journey far less dangerous.<\/p>\n

A relieved sigh escaped Raskagar\u2019s lips then.\u00a0 \u201cNow this is definitely the way to travel,\u201d the wizard said.\u00a0 \u201cCould you imagine if everyone could get about this way?\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael and Rhianna giggled at the wizard\u2019s revelation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be something,\u201d Rhianna said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly a short while until we reach Santa\u2019s camp,\u201d Michael remarked a few moments later.\u00a0 \u201cOnce we all finish our tasks, we\u2019ll be ready to go, and we can take down Loki once and for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Raskagar offered up a solemn nod.\u00a0 He knew there was much he had to do upon their arrival.\u00a0 The wizard reached up then, and grabbed the underside of the makeshift glider, steering it toward the ground a little quicker.\u00a0 With only a short time before Christmas, he knew his services were of the utmost importance.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

Sunlight shone down upon the snow and the sea, and all the ice that had once frozen the bay solid had melted once again.\u00a0 Santa and Nanna stood atop the cliff that their guests had once arrived upon, and they looked over the region, knowing that their earlier skirmish would be nothing compared to what was to come.<\/p>\n

A missive arrived on the path leading from their camp.\u00a0 \u201cEveryone has arrived,\u201d the young elf declared.\u00a0 \u201cWell, except for one, but their allies returned a short while ago.\u00a0 Should I send out a\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n

A battle horn echoed in the distance, and Santa knew that the time for peace was quickly diminishing.\u00a0 Loki wouldn\u2019t be sending his troops across the bay again, but around the loop of the land, and there was nothing that anyone could to stop them.<\/p>\n

Or at least, that would be the case if the DeAngelo family had not been successful in their quest to find allies.<\/p>\n

For almost as soon as Santa saw satyrs charging through the woods, their fur appearing atop the green canvas of the rows of evergreen trees, the first of Santa\u2019s reinforcements arrived.<\/p>\n

A pack of reindeer galloped through across the shore, some splashing into the icy waters as though they did not have a care in the world.\u00a0 Leading the pack was a reindeer who had a small, auburn-furred dog holding tight to the reins, gripping them in her mouth.\u00a0 While Zelda offered up incoherent cheers and motivation, it was the other members of the pack that would help to win the day, surely.<\/p>\n

Nanna pointed to the number of reindeer that followed Svetlana into battle, noting that elven archers rode atop their backs, already drawing their bowstrings taut.\u00a0 A few arrows were loosed, screeching through the woods.\u00a0 Some hit the evergreens, while others met their marks, striking the satyrs.\u00a0 Just as it has been before on the frozen water of the bay though, a deep red outline marked them before they fell\u2014or in the rare occasion, simply stumbled backward.<\/p>\n

Santa\u2019s swelling confidence took a blow the next moment when he realized that Loki had been scrounging up his own allies during the brief respite they had found in battle.\u00a0 Blue-faced yetis bounded through the trees, growling and roaring as they broke toward Santa\u2019s troops and the rapidly progressing reindeer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey haven\u2019t come this far south from their sanctuary in years,\u201d Nanna said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDecades, perhaps,\u201d Santa agreed.\u00a0 \u201cWe are lucky to have had the little one fetch Svetlana and her friends.\u00a0 They may turn the tide.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Svetlana met the lead yeti, she lowered her head, cracking her skull against its face.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d Zelda cried below, still holding tight to the reins with her teeth.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll give you a nice head massage later!\u201d<\/p>\n

While the action unfolded in the forest, the elf who had come to deliver news of the battle to Santa pointed toward the shore on the northeastern side of the bay.\u00a0 Sure enough, there Santa and his wife saw more of Loki\u2019s troops encroaching.\u00a0 With the satyrs and yetis entrenched in the forest, it came down to Loki\u2019s frost giants to press toward Santa\u2019s camp then.<\/p>\n

But Santa had his own troops ready to make the journey around the bay.\u00a0 A detachment of gnomes and dwarves charged forth, even in sight of those large opponents.\u00a0 From afar, the frost giants hurled log and boulders, trying to flatten the members of Santa\u2019s army.<\/p>\n

Just as before, with the grappling hook that struck Michael, a wintry blue shield appeared atop one his armor as a tremendous log struck him.\u00a0 He was knocked to the ground, but he was able to breathe out a sigh of relief when he found himself able to climb to his feet again.\u00a0 Just as he hoisted himself off the ground and dusted off his clothes and his armor, another projectile soared over head.<\/p>\n

That time, it was from behind the front lines, and when the dwarves and gnomes found about it, they nearly cheered in unison.<\/p>\n

They looked behind them, expecting to see another feat of Santa\u2019s mechanical marvels.\u00a0 But they didn\u2019t see any catapults or trebuchets.\u00a0 Instead, what they saw were giants of the northern reaches, come to help against a common enemy.\u00a0 Rurnar and his brethren slung stones and barrels, various liquids splashing up against the frost giants, or even passing through to the woods and smashing atop a fierce yeti before it could take a mighty swing at a rushing reindeer.<\/p>\n

Along with Rurnar, it seemed Halgrum and Beroras had taken to the battlefield, the delegates bringing with them their own attachment of their kinsmen.\u00a0 Though Santa certainly couldn\u2019t see his adopted brother, he imagined the other member of the Aesir looking a bit panicked by the sight of all the troops that Santa had begun to amass.<\/p>\n

Before he could turn to his wife and express any building confidence, he was surprised to see a black and white blur take to the shore below.\u00a0 He was familiar with that sight and knew that Maisie had once again taken a hold of the magical pendant that she had swallowed years before.\u00a0 Even from that far vantage point, when she took a moment to reconcile where she was on the battlefield, Santa could see that she had it tied around her neck like a collar, and that they wouldn\u2019t have to go, and grab hold of it after she was done with it as her family had once before.<\/p>\n

The little dog panted, looking into the forest.\u00a0 While she had enhanced speed and strength, her stamina was only marginally improved, and as much as she liked to rib Zelda for running out of energy too soon after a walk, she had to admit that it was a lot of work bringing their allies back down from the north.\u00a0 Still, she wasn\u2019t about to let a little fatigue prevent her from helping her family and her friends.<\/p>\n

Maisie bolted into the forest, knocking down a yeti before it could throw a wild swing at a nearby reindeer.\u00a0 When Maisie was sure the creature was knocked down, she turned to regard the reindeer and her companion.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t take long for her to realize that it was Zelda who rode upon the legendary reindeer\u2019s back.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat one was mine,\u201d Maisie teased.<\/p>\n

Zelda grumbled, but never let the reins fall from her clenched jaws.\u00a0 She tugged the red strap to the side, urging her friend deeper into the woods.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, Svetlana,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s find another one to beat up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nanna gripped her husband\u2019s hand, happy to see the tide had changed in their favor.\u00a0 Before she could offer up any words of encouragement though, she watched as a pale blue zephyr passed through the area.\u00a0 Just as earlier that day, they watched as the water in the bay began to freeze over.\u00a0 Without any of Santa\u2019s ships crossing the distance to the other side though, she wondered what the reason for the spell might be.<\/p>\n

But then, she spotted something that she could not have expected in all her time living in the North Pole with her husband.\u00a0 There before them, on the distant shore of the bay, was an army who wore armor that she had not seen in some time.\u00a0 More pristine than anything the inhabitants of the North Pole wore, they seemed to almost gleam in the morning light.<\/p>\n

Nanna grabbed her husband\u2019s arm and steered his attention in that direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Aesir,\u201d Santa said, his mouth dropping open when he saw his people in the land that he had made his home so many centuries before.\u00a0 \u201cHow did Loki manage to convince them to come here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe trickster knows how to work his magic,\u201d Nanna said.\u00a0 \u201cBut even so, this is our land.\u00a0 If anyone knows it and how to protect it, it\u2019s us.\u201d<\/p>\n

A horn blew three times, and at once, all of Loki\u2019s troops ceased their attacks.\u00a0 The yetis, satyrs, and frost giants almost seemed to freeze, as though the aurora that the god cast over the bay had worked on them too.\u00a0 Their shields held fast though, perhaps even strengthening, because bold red glowing illuminated the forest when a reindeer struck a yeti, or an elven arrow met its mark and reached a satyr.\u00a0 Those empowered shields kept the intruder god\u2019s troops standing, and Santa and Nanna realized that they had underestimated their foe yet again.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrother!\u201d a voice called out then.\u00a0 It was the same one they had heard earlier that day when the first attempt to breach the distant shores failed, and their longships were nearly stolen.
\n\u201cWe don\u2019t have to do this.\u00a0 If you simply have your friends lay down their arms, this will be a quick transfer of power, and no one would risk being hurt.\u201d\u00a0 Unlike before, where the voice was disembodied, Santa and Nanna watched as a distant figure strode forward, to stand in front of the other Aesir.\u00a0 He had red hair that looked like his head had been lit aflame for a time.\u00a0 Even after all that time\u2014and from that distance\u2014neither could forget Loki\u2019s fiery mane.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome and parlay with me,\u201d the god who they once fled called out, his voice carrying loudly across the bay as though he was right there beside him.\u00a0 \u201cIt has been so long.\u00a0 I only wish to speak with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nanna turned to her husband then and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s time.\u201d\u00a0 She squeezed his hand, and he turned to regard her.\u00a0 \u201cIf we are going to try to do this, it has to be now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be no transfer of power,\u201d Santa said then, more to himself and his wife than to those who stood beside him.\u00a0 But then he stepped forward, nearly to the edge of the cliff face.\u00a0 \u201cThere will be no transfer of power!\u201d he repeated, loud enough that he was certain those who fought on Loki\u2019s behalf heard.\u00a0 \u201cThere shall never be a Christmas that I allow to pass that isn\u2019t filled with joy.\u00a0 You may have found your way to my home, my land, and my workshop, but you will not keep it.\u00a0 You want to meet again after all these years?\u00a0 Then let us meet on the battlefield!\u201d<\/p>\n

Santa jumped down from the cliff, landing on the ground below upon bent legs as though the fall was meaningless.\u00a0 Those dwarves and gnomes, elves and giants that surrounded him gave a mighty cheer when they saw that he had joined them.\u00a0 And then, unsheathing his mighty sword, Santa strode forward.\u00a0 The rest of his troops gave charge then as well, except for one.<\/p>\n

Nanna whipped her hand about, a series of sparkles whipping around her upturned limb.\u00a0 A small swarm of multicolored lumibugs fluttered about, glowing like a moving string of Christmas lights.\u00a0 Nanna narrowed her eyes, focusing on one golden insect, which flew at the end of the procession.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo now,\u201d she whispered.\u00a0 \u201cLoki will be too focused on the battle to notice you until it is too late.\u00a0 Your passage should be clear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Together, the swarm followed behind the charging army, blinking every so often, high above the skirmish below.\u00a0 The one with the golden glow, flagging just a bit behind, flew a bit lower as well.\u00a0 Behind it, a shrunken sleigh trailed it, attached with miniaturized reins. \u00a0A trio of humans rode upon the small vehicle, clutching tightly to the frame.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve outdone yourself, Raskagar,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll likely pass right by everyone with no one thinking better for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The wizard held a hand over his stomach while he leaned forward from the backseat.\u00a0 The flight was a little less steady than he had hoped, even though the insect was able to carry the extra weight that the sleigh and its passengers represented.\u00a0 In front of him, Rhianna reacted the same, for a time, before her eyes shot open and she reached into the pockets of her outfit.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere,\u201d she said, handing a candy over to Raskagar.\u00a0 \u201cI took them from the laboratory earlier.\u00a0 I figured they\u2019re ginger, I\u2019m ginger, it just makes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd this will set my stomach straight?\u201d the wizard asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs will a look toward the horizon,\u201d Michael confirmed.<\/p>\n

Raskagar groaned. \u201cWhen we get a little closer, I\u2019ll help the wee bug out.\u00a0 Remember, we don\u2019t want to go completely unnoticed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight,\u201d Rhianna said, feeling better the moment she chewed on the candy.\u00a0 \u201cBecause we need to convince Loki to chase us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, at the rate our little friend here is moving, the battle is going to be over before we reach the other side of the bay,\u201d Michael mused.\u00a0 \u201cAre you sure you found us a fast enough lumibug?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCareful,\u201d Raskagar teased.\u00a0 \u201cThat bug might be hungry enough to eat you as a snack.\u00a0 We don\u2019t have to reach Loki first.\u00a0 We just have to reach him around the time the other lumibugs pass.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut they\u2019re all so much farther ahead of us,\u201d Michael explained, gesturing toward the open air before them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey won\u2019t be for long,\u201d Raskagar said, suddenly feeling energized after chewing on the ginger candy.\u00a0 \u201cBut let\u2019s not let that distract us.\u00a0 In fact, we may have some distracting we can do ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Below, a satyr charged with his spear at the ready.\u00a0 He swept low, catching an elf off their guard, and pulling them from their feet.\u00a0 With his hooves tapping against the icy ground, the satyr hopped up and over a dwarf, and jabbed him with the blunt end of his weapon, briefly activating the blue shield that protected him.\u00a0 The satyr turned about again, that time looking upon a gnome who looked in over his head.\u00a0 The diminutive fellow quivered at the sight of the approaching goatman, but neither saw the strange light that seemed to fall from one of the passing lumibugs above.\u00a0 A light blues streak of color followed behind the white light, and a little hum accompanied it.<\/p>\n

The satyr didn\u2019t hear it, nor did he see it as it fell toward him.\u00a0 As he raised his spear, it seemed he might have been the first one to pierce one of the magical shields throughout the encounter.<\/p>\n

But as the light landed upon his head, it was as though a bolt of lightning had struck him from the heavens.\u00a0 The blue streak quickly followed suit, racing toward where the light hand landed.\u00a0 At once, a flash stole away the satyr\u2019s vision, and he howled from the quick shock he received.<\/p>\n

The gnome, seeing his opportunity, leapt forward, stabbing with a little dagger that was caught by the satyr\u2019s crimson shield.\u00a0 The goatman would survive those quick jabs, but they, too, stung, and he danced backward as the gnome kept rushing forward.<\/p>\n

All along the lumibug\u2019s path, more of those little streaks of light shone out, and more of Loki\u2019s troops were quick to feel the sudden pains that the light preceded.<\/p>\n

Not everything was going well for Santa and his troops, however.\u00a0 While Loki lingered at the other side of the bay, the warrior Aesir he traveled to the North Pole with ventured onto the ice.\u00a0 Santa planned on meeting them there, and he was joined by an attachment of dwarves and elves.<\/p>\n

The Aesir demonstrated early that they were no mere mortals.\u00a0 Their prowess in battle seemed unmatched as they struck down one enemy, and then the next, avoiding strike after strike during the first several minutes they were on the ice.<\/p>\n

In the woods, Santa\u2019s forces had diminished, with some retreating to lick their wounds, while others had spun about to join their leader in his fight against his old kinsmen.<\/p>\n

Maisie watched as Svetlana charged into a yeti, lowering her head to drive her antlers forward.\u00a0 The reindeer bristled once the yeti tumbled back, and she snorted, sending a cloud of steam into the air.\u00a0 As another yeti barreled in, Maisie set to work, skittering forward quick as she could with the help of her magical amulet.\u00a0 As the yeti set its sights on Svetlana and the little auburn-furred dog atop her, it pounded its chest like a gorilla.\u00a0 Svetlana turned to regard it just as it resumed its rush.<\/p>\n

But it would never reach it.\u00a0 Maisie leapt into the air, lowering her head.\u00a0 She knocked into its chest, sending it flying back a dozen feet between two sturdy pine trees, needles falling from their branches as the yeti crashed through the cover.<\/p>\n

Maisie landed on her feet, but the headbutt disoriented her.\u00a0 She shook her head and panted a bit as she came to terms with the tremendous efforts she had offered up.\u00a0 A new shadow loomed over the small black-and-white dog, and she only just noticed the darkness that surrounded her.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook out Maisie!\u201d Zelda cried.\u00a0 She finally let go of the reins, and hopped off Svetlana\u2019s back, landing upon the nearby satyr\u2019s face before it could bring down its long halberd.\u00a0 Though Zelda flexed her fingers, and her claws were curled up, she found a red shield instead of the satyr\u2019s skin or its fur.\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t keep her composure and she tottered off the creature, spilling to the cold ground below.<\/p>\n

Though the satyr stumbled back a step, he was not deterred.\u00a0 Instead, he found a new target, lifting his crude polearm to punish the little mutt for her interference.<\/p>\n

For a moment, Zelda wondered if she had a shield like everyone else.\u00a0 Would hers activate in time?\u00a0 Would it be enough even if it did?<\/p>\n

As the halberd came down, Zelda felt a little pinch around her neck.\u00a0 Then, her vision began to spin.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got you,\u201d Maisie said, though Zelda\u2019s scruff was still between her teeth.<\/p>\n

Together, the pair of them looked on, for when the satyr\u2019s halberd met with only the frozen earth below, he left himself open for a fierce kick from Svetlana.\u00a0 The shield fluttered and broke, and they heard the deep grunt that left the goatman\u2019s lips as he flew across the area, smacking against the trunk of a nearby tree.<\/p>\n

Though the reindeer had found vengeance for her friend, she was quickly surrounded by his allies.\u00a0 Svetlana spun about, bucking like a wild horse as a quartet of satyrs and yetis inched toward her.\u00a0 She grunted and whined, kicking when they came close, but they kept their distance, wary of her power.<\/p>\n

\u201cSvetlana!\u201d Zelda whimpered.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s alright,\u201d Maisie said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll help her.\u201d\u00a0 The other little pup took a few steps forward, and collapsed into the snow, too exhausted to take another step.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaisie!\u201d Zelda cried then, running to her sister\u2019s side.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do we do?\u201d she asked, even though she saw Maisie\u2019s eyes fluttering, and she knew the other dog was struggling to stay awake.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

All around her, other reindeer spilled to the ground, and elves were knocked off their mounts as Loki\u2019s troops overwhelmed them.\u00a0 Zelda turned to the north to see if Santa and his troops fared any better.\u00a0 While Santa easily fended off the horde of satyrs and Aesir, his troops showed their fatigue, and their foes showed their prowess.\u00a0 More than one dwarf was knocked into the air only to fall back down upon the icy, shattering it before sinking into the shallow, frigid waters beneath.<\/p>\n

Zelda nuzzled up against Maisie, nudging her with her nose, worried that all was lost.<\/p>\n

Another horn sounded in the distance, and the two dogs wondered if it was Loki, calling for his victory, knowing that the residents of the North Pole had been bested.\u00a0 Even his troops stopped then, however, for none on the battlefield could determine who the signal belonged to.<\/p>\n

A moment later, a frightening screech echoed throughout the bay.\u00a0 It was like a banshee had come to exact her rage on both sides of the skirmish.<\/p>\n

But it didn\u2019t take long for the troops to realize who would benefit from the new arrivals.<\/p>\n

Peanut skidded on the ice, her traction failing as she adjusted the way she leaned.\u00a0 Behind her, towering dire penguins chased after her, chomping their beaks as though they were trying to swallow the feline whole.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a deal!\u201d Peanut growled as she slipped the other way.\u00a0 \u201cA year\u2019s supply of the stuff, if only you\u2019d fight for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the penguins slid on its stomach, its pace improved substantially.\u00a0 It nearly thumped into the cat, but she leapt high into the air, bouncing off the feral bird\u2019s rump.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, fine then!\u201d she yowled.\u00a0 \u201cThen onto the backup plan.\u201d\u00a0 She turned about, almost spinning a pirouette like an ice dancer.\u00a0 When she found a familiar gnome upon the cliffside, she jumped up again, waving her arms with great enthusiasm.\u00a0 \u201cSend the barrels!\u201d she ordered.\u00a0 \u201cSend them before I become a snack!\u201d<\/p>\n

The gnome and his allies up above launched their war machines, slinging barrels across the battlefield.\u00a0 Santa\u2019s troops had taken advantage of the distractions, but Loki\u2019s Aesir watched as projectiles flew across the bay toward them.\u00a0 Most knew well enough where they were going to land, and dodged out of the way, but one unfortunate warrior raised his axe to fend off a foe instead of looking skyward.<\/p>\n

When the barrels crashed against the ice\u2014or the poor, shortsighted combatant\u2014they fell apart, releasing the liquid inside.\u00a0 The brine that the fiskeblugen once sat within covered patches of the icy bay, leaving those warriors close to them to gag and cough at the overpowering odor.\u00a0 The Aesir who was covered in the stuff fell to his hands and knees, heaving to try and empty his stomach.<\/p>\n

The foremost penguin, who had passed the cat, set its gaze at the smelly liquid not so far away then, and slid on its belly toward that point of the battlefield.\u00a0 But the penguins who had not ventured to travel in that manner still had their focus on the cat.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not supposed to come after me,\u201d she hissed.\u00a0 \u201cI was only drenched in the fiskeblugen to get you to follow me here.\u00a0 Now you\u2019re supposed to\u2026\u201d \u00a0Her words trailed off, and her gaze fell upon a part of the ice that had cracked open, leaving just enough room for her to leap in.\u00a0 \u201cI always swore I\u2019d never take a bath again after the vat of fiskeblugen,\u201d she wistfully said.\u00a0 \u201cThis is a sad day indeed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wasting no time, Peanut didn\u2019t hesitate to hop into the water.\u00a0 And though it was cold, she knew better than to leap right back out.\u00a0 She paused just long enough for the dire penguins, standing taller than Santa, to swing their focus toward something else instead.\u00a0 As more briny barrels soared across the sky, they moved toward Loki\u2019s side of the battlefield, eager to feast.<\/p>\n

The cat finally crawled out of the frigid waters, shivering the whole way, and looking more like a bilge rat than a feline with elegant fur.\u00a0 Just as she was about to curl into a bawl and shiver herself into oblivion, she noticed an aurora of orange and yellow above her head.\u00a0 At once, she felt warmth surrounding her, and when she looked in the nearby waters, she could see that her fur fluffed up enough to make her look just as silly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s fine,\u201d she grumbled.\u00a0 \u201cAt least I\u2019m warm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not so far away, she heard some troubled barking, and turned to regard it.\u00a0 Zelda stood next to a tree, barking into the darkness a few feet away.\u00a0 Peanut, curious, pranced in that direction, noticing the notes of fear in her sister\u2019s yipping.\u00a0 As the cat drew closer, she saw what looked like a pile of snow on the ground beside Zelda.\u00a0 Then, she saw the black spots intermingled with the white coat and knew that it was Maisie.<\/p>\n

With all the chaos unfolding around them, Peanut didn\u2019t see the younger dog\u2019s shallow, tired breaths, only her limp body on the ground.<\/p>\n

A feral yowl escaped from Peanut\u2019s mouth, and her eyes narrowed, for she saw the vague outline of some of Loki\u2019s troops in the woods beyond where Zelda was, the scared dog still barking into the shadows betwixt the trees.<\/p>\n

Peanut, even as old as she was, flexed her muscles, and felt her claws unsheathe.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t hesitate as she bolted forward, passing Zelda.<\/p>\n

While Loki\u2019s troops wailed on Svetlana, watching the blue shield that surrounded her fade from the bold cobalt it had been to a dusky cornflower color, none knew that the little cat had set her sights on them.<\/p>\n

Peanut leapt into the air, no care for her achy muscles, or the size difference between her and the yetis and satyrs.\u00a0 She landed upon the face of a yeti first, scratching enough that a shade of red diminished every other second.\u00a0 Though the creature was mostly feral, it knew that its shield would not last long, and its eyes went wide in shock.\u00a0 Just as it heard a shattering sound, and the shield dissipated entirely, it brought its hands to its face, pushing the cat off.<\/p>\n

Peanut landed on the ground upon her feet, and she bounced off the cold snow, already finding another target.\u00a0 A satyr stood not far from her, slamming the butt of his halberd into the fallen reindeer\u2019s side, eager to see her shield fail as well.\u00a0 But he had his back to the incensed cat and didn\u2019t notice as she charged at his leg.<\/p>\n

With just as much rage guiding her, Peanut raked at his leg over and over.\u00a0 With his gaze drawn to the reindeer, he didn\u2019t understand why his shield was failing.\u00a0 But he surely felt why a moment later.\u00a0 As his shield broke, the cat at his heel yowled\u2014his only warning before she sank her teeth into his leg just above his hoof.<\/p>\n

The satyr screamed at the top of his lungs, and skittered forward, bounding between the trees to find some sort of salvation.\u00a0 His three remaining allies\u2014a shieldless yeti, and an unharmed satyr and yeti that didn\u2019t know any better\u2014followed suit a moment later when they saw the hissing cat where the goatman once stood.<\/p>\n

Svetlana, finally free of her aggressors, still lay on the ground, for her fright compelled her there, and she carried more fatigue than she showed.<\/p>\n

Zelda, barked from her spot a few feet away, and Svetlana looked in the little pup\u2019s direction.\u00a0 Though Zelda desperately wanted to run up to her friend and nuzzle her, she found she couldn\u2019t leave her sister\u2019s side.<\/p>\n

Peanut looked to the fallen dog and began to trot up beside her and the other one.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t until she drew close that she realized that Maisie\u2019s eyes were open.\u00a0 The cat hurried her steps then, and when she finally reached the pup, she nuzzled her head against Maisie\u2019s chin.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m okay,\u201d the tired dog said.\u00a0 \u201cJust a little worn out.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know how Zelda plays fetch all day when she can\u2019t walk a few blocks without begging to be picked up.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Peanut found a comfy spot to sit beside Maisie, Zelda watched as Svetlana labored to stand.\u00a0 The reindeer shook her head, and when she finally felt sturdy ground beneath her, she grunted.\u00a0 The other reindeer who traveled with her to help Santa grunted out as well then, the forest full of their sounds.<\/p>\n

Zelda panted in excitement then and turned to regard her older sister.\u00a0 \u201cThank you Peanut!\u00a0 You saved the day!\u201d<\/p>\n

The cat wore a scowl still, but when Zelda looked away, that angry gaze softened, just a bit.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Not so far away, Santa swung his sword, knocking a satyr back onto the ice with enough power that the goatman lost his footing, and fell to his back, sliding back a few feet.\u00a0 The once-jolly fellow felt another presence beside him then, and brought his hefty blade to bear once more, but he stayed his hand, for he knew he would hear no end of it if he swung against his wife.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re beginning to falter,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNonsense,\u201d Nanna replied.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re evenly matched, now, and might even be winning.\u00a0 And our final card has yet to be played.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you see them?\u201d Santa asked.\u00a0 \u201cAre they still on their way?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nanna looked across the battlefield, and her eyes glowed golden.\u00a0 While everything else in her vision seemed to turn to grey and draw out of focus, the flickers of light that shone in different colors seemed more vibrant than ever, and it was as if she stood right beside them a few moments later.\u00a0 She watched as the lumibugs fluttered over Loki\u2019s troops, and toward the Aesir who commanded them all.<\/p>\n

Loki looked in Nanna\u2019s direction then, as though he could see her through all the rabble\u2014as though he could see her there right beside him, looking at the swarm of bugs.<\/p>\n

Nanna gasped then, withdrawing back into her own vision before shaking her head to regain her composure.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d Santa asked, deflecting an axe swing from a sturdy-looking satyr.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll take the bait,\u201d Nanna said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On the other side of the battlefield, the three humans in the miniaturized sled couldn\u2019t ignore the fracas below.\u00a0 Elves and dwarves weaved out of combat with satyrs and yetis, all while dodging projectiles thrown by Loki\u2019s frost giants.\u00a0 A duo of dire penguins slid across the ice, hungry to feed an insatiable appetite.<\/p>\n

One of the trebuchet-fired barrels struck a frost giant in the chest, shattering against his sturdy frame, and leaving him covered in briny liquid that stank beyond what he could bear.\u00a0 He hollered in fear as the pair of penguins leaped off the ground, closing their toothy beaks over one of his arms, and one of his legs.<\/p>\n

As much danger as the penguins posed, the invading army\u2019s leader focused on something else instead.\u00a0 He narrowed his eyes, peering at each of the passing lumibugs, watching as they shone their light in different colors.\u00a0 Then, one at a time, he swatted them out of the air, knocking them in every direction, until there was only a small collection left.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s it,\u201d Raskagar said.\u00a0 \u201cI was hoping we could get past him without any violence unleashed upon our little insect friends, but they\u2019ll be fine, I\u2019m sure.\u00a0 As for this bug, and the sleigh\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

As Loki brought up his hand to smack the lot of the last few bugs, the wizard worked his magic, and set a spell upon the sleigh.\u00a0 A trail of fire shot out of the back, and the sleigh and the little vehicle and the insect attached to it zipped across the battlefield.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d the humans in the sleigh heard.\u00a0 \u201cNo!\u201d<\/p>\n

But it was too late.\u00a0 They had already passed over Loki\u2019s rear guards, and their commander almost seemed to retreat from the large skirmish, for he had seen the peculiar way the final lumibug traveled.<\/p>\n

Michael and Rhianna once again felt the rush of the air on their face, and the sudden jolt forward had them pushed back in their seats.<\/p>\n

\u201cStill have any of those ginger candies?\u201d Michael asked.<\/p>\n

Before his wife could even return an answer, Raskagar leaned forward, pointing with his wand toward front of the sleigh.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow remember, you two: this is going to be a tight squeeze, but my magic will guide you through, so you don\u2019t have to worry.\u201d\u00a0 The wizard flicked his wrist, and a swirl of sparkling light fluttered forward.\u00a0 As it landed upon the lumibug\u2019s back, the harness that kept it connected to the sleigh snapped, releasing it from its bindings.\u00a0 \u201cWhoa, we\u2019re alright,\u201d Raskagar said as their floating vehicle dropped a few inches\u2014inches which felt like more than a few feet.\u00a0 The sleigh steadied itself though, just in time for the trio riding there to see their target.<\/p>\n

\u201cSanta\u2019s workshop,\u201d Rhianna mused.\u00a0 \u201cOne more important place to pry from Loki\u2019s grasp.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the site of our victory if all goes well,\u201d Raskagar replied.\u00a0 He clapped Michael on his shoulder then.\u00a0 \u201cNow, you remember the plan, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot in the slightest,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cDo you know how many plans we had today?\u00a0 I\u2019m all planned out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s an easy one.\u00a0 Just stay out of trouble until help arrives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see how that goes,\u201d Rhianna said with a wink.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll see you soon!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat you will,\u201d Raskagar said.\u00a0 With another flick of his wrist, he pointed the wand toward himself, and at once, he hopped up from the sleigh.<\/p>\n

Michael and Rhianna looked over their shoulders, watching as the wizard returned to his normal size, and landed in the icy path leading toward the workshop.\u00a0 Standing between the two streetlamps there, they could see as Raskagar began preparing more enchantments, for in the distance, it was apparent that some of Loki\u2019s army had doubled back, intending on protecting the workshop at all costs.<\/p>\n

When the husband and wife wrenched their gazes away from the shadows that drew closer to the building, they realized they were much closer to the workshop than they had anticipated.\u00a0 The door was mere inches away, and the miniaturized sleigh was near to it indeed.\u00a0 They grabbed hold of each other and hollered at the top of their lungs.<\/p>\n

Then, a moment later, their sleigh passed through the keyhole of the door, like a line of thread through the eye of a needle.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They could sense that things had changed, and that time for the better.\u00a0 Peanut, Zelda and Maisie labored through the forest, taking things nice and easy, for the satyrs and yetis had all fled, and the rest of Santa\u2019s troops were on the offensive again.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d Peanut wondered as an elf sprinted by.<\/p>\n

\u201cLoki broke ranks, and ran away,\u201d the elf explained then.\u00a0 \u201cAfter that, his army scattered like flies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zelda looked to the cat while Maisie stopped walking and let loose a tremendous yawn.\u00a0 \u201cDid we win?\u201d she wondered.<\/p>\n

Peanut shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cWe didn\u2019t win until we\u2019re all back together.\u201d\u00a0 She swatted the black and white dog on the rump then.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you think, Maisie?\u00a0 Are you okay to run just a little bit again?\u00a0 You only have to keep up with the two of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Maisie insisted, though as she spoke, she ended up leaning against the nearest tree, and yawned again.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not tired at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peanut grumbled, knowing that, though her sister had likely helped a lot in fetching some of their more impressive allies, that her terrible fatigue was keeping them from making sure that the rest of their family was safe.<\/p>\n

Before she could commit her thoughts to words, she heard a grunt behind her, and as she meowed in surprise, all three animals were scooped off the ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cSvetlana!\u201d Zelda squeaked.\u00a0 \u201cAfter everything that happened today, I thought for sure you were going to be taking an even deeper rest than Maisie.\u201d<\/p>\n

The reindeer grunted again, and began to canter forward, knowing that each of the DeAngelo pets were worried.\u00a0 As tired as she was, the reindeer would get them to the workshop before long.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The sleigh had delivered them just where the wizard promised them it would.\u00a0 Michael and Rhianna walked on from there, for once they had arrived within the workshop, the magic guiding it had ceased.\u00a0 For a brief few moments, the pair were happy to have passed through the keyhole.\u00a0 But when they realized the sleigh was quickly descending toward the hardwood floor, their cries resumed.\u00a0 They only abated at the last moment when a bit of leftover magic caught hold of them, ensuring they didn\u2019t smash into the ground.\u00a0 Still, they had no control over the vehicle without a lumibug or any reindeer, and eventually it did land on the ground, and slid about.<\/p>\n

After they recovered from the furious beating in their hearts, Michael and Rhianna climbed out of the bold red sleigh and stepped onto the dusky brown floor of the workshop foyer, which seemed to stretch on for a mile toward the main room of the building.\u00a0 After several minutes of walking, they looked back to the sleigh, musing about how much the place looked like a desert in their miniaturized forms.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, I barely like walking when I\u2019m regular sized,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cBut at least I can look at the trees and the animals\u2014you know, nature.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael blew out a tired sigh then as well, but when he turned to his wife, he wore an animated smile.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d he asked, jumping ahead, and pointing with both hands toward various places in the foyer.\u00a0 \u201cLook: way over here, we have desk mountain.\u00a0 And over there, on the horizon, we see the shelves of led\u2019jer,\u201d he announced, putting a fantasy spin on the accounting books that Santa\u2019s workers kept hold of.\u00a0 Then he looked up and feigned a bit of a fright before he pointed to a little toy airplane that hung from the ceiling.\u00a0 \u201cA dragon!\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna rolled her eyes and shook her head, but she couldn\u2019t ignore the smile stretching her lips.<\/p>\n

Their few moments of respite from all the chaos unfolding at the north pole was soon cut short, for they heard the violence then even from within the workshop.\u00a0 Spells fired off and reported as explosions, and war shouts and hollering rang out as well.\u00a0 Someone slammed against the door of the building, and the husband and wife looked at each other, new worries bubbling over.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got another big problem,\u201d Michael said then, all hints of optimism chipping away then.\u00a0 \u201cHow are we going to get that door open?\u201d he said, pointing to the room where all the magic happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll find a way,\u201d Rhianna said, taking over the duties of thinking positively.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s just hope that everyone outside is going to be alright as well.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Raskagar felt a layer of sweat marring his brow just beneath his hat, and he blew out a cold breath as he watched the next line of Loki\u2019s troops dare to charge forth.\u00a0 Often, it was a well-protected Aesir, dressed in more refined and angular armor, who seemed set on protecting the workshop.\u00a0 Despite their more elaborate gear, they were no match for the old wizard\u2019s quick thinking and quicker enchantments.<\/p>\n

Magical traps clasped the legs of those who ventured a bit too far from the path, rooting soldiers in place.\u00a0 A sudden heat upon a part of other soldiers\u2019 bodies were the only warning they had before a burst of flame sent them flying skyward, or straight at the workshop, only to thud into the wall.\u00a0 And when Raskagar felt truly winded, he summoned his own guardians to help: a pair of snowmen seemed to burst from the ground, their innocuous look soon proved false by their surprising expert swordsmanship.<\/p>\n

The wizard, surrounded by those he had bested, who nursed aching heads or weary bodies, knew that he was flagging as well.\u00a0 And as he saw the flaming red hair of the opposing commander stomping his way, he knew that it was only a matter of time before he would fall under the wave of Loki\u2019s might.<\/p>\n

For a fleeting moment, he thought it might be better to be overrun by the Aesir or the satyrs, or even a frost giant who stomped his way.\u00a0 But he reminded himself that everyone had a role to play, and his was not done yet.<\/p>\n

As he assured himself, other members of Santa\u2019s army emerged from the nearby woods, elves and dwarves ready to meet yetis and goatmen.\u00a0 The sound of steel ringing against steel set a symphony amidst the still night, with more instruments joining in every few moments.\u00a0 Raskagar helped as best he could, flinging distracting, swirling missiles at Loki\u2019s troops.\u00a0 But it was the elves and dwarves who made the difference then, knocking their foes back or sweeping them to the ground.<\/p>\n

Before long, the area just outside the workshop was strewn over with those unconscious combatants who had toiled for just a bit too long.<\/p>\n

Loki looked over his shoulder then, seeing Santa and Nanna hurrying as quick as they could, but he knew it would not matter.\u00a0 The Nordic god of mischief continued his short trek toward the workshop, soon stopping just before he reached the wizard there, and the new guardians he had amassed.<\/p>\n

\u201cStep aside,\u201d he demanded.\u00a0 \u201cIf I have to, I\u2019ll dice you up with my dagger, the mighty Laevateinn.\u201d\u00a0 As he spoke, he flipped it over in his hand, and Raskagar could see the spark that sizzled on the tip of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll not let you pass,\u201d the wizard insisted.\u00a0 Dispatch me if you must, but I make my stand here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen you mark your fall there as well,\u201d Loki said.<\/p>\n

He sent his dagger flying forward, and while Raskgar expected it to come toward him, it instead tore through the snowman to his left, the dagger seeming to dance on the opposite side of the impaled sentry as though it was moved about on a string.\u00a0 With a tug on the invisible tether, the dagger went right back through the snowman\u2019s hollowed-out head, carving a bigger hole there.\u00a0 Loki caught his little blade with ease, shooting a confident smirk Raskagar\u2019s way.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll have to do more than melt a snowman to impress me,\u201d the wizard said.\u00a0 \u201cSo, you\u2019ve got a magic dagger.\u00a0 So what?\u00a0 Allow me to show you some real magic.\u201d<\/p>\n

At once, little stones seemed to show up in the air around Raskagar, and his frightening foe couldn\u2019t quite make sense of where they came from.\u00a0 Had the wizard plucked them up from beneath the snow, or pulled them from the aether?<\/p>\n

It made no difference, for the Aesir god had no intention of letting the caster use them.\u00a0 He tossed his knife again, that time ignoring the other snowman and aiming straight for the wizard.\u00a0 Raskagar\u2019s stones moved into place, deflecting the magic dagger, and knocking it to the side.\u00a0 Loki scoffed and pulled his hand to the side, willing the blade back around, but the stones were once again in place to protect the man he wished to dispatch.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou bore me,\u201d Loki said then, and rather than attack from afar, he began a hasty approach.<\/p>\n

Raskagar\u2019s stones spun about him, and with each pass, they pulled in more magic from beyond the veil.\u00a0 An electrical charge surrounded one, while another was awash in flame.\u00a0 Yet another took on a pale blue hue and looked to freeze over with ice.<\/p>\n

Just as it had been, Loki didn\u2019t seem to exercise any caution, never faltering in his approach.\u00a0 He burst forth, bringing his dagger back to his hand just in time to take a bold swing at Raskagar.<\/p>\n

But the wizard\u2019s stones all conflated into one area, just before him, and a trio of magical effects burned, shocked, and froze the god, bringing him to his knees before he teetered over backward.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told you before,\u201d Raskagar said, \u201cyou will not reach the workshop.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the wizard looked at the fallen Aesir god, he heard Loki\u2019s voice.\u00a0 \u201cHe may not reach it.\u00a0 But I will.\u201d<\/p>\n

It took a moment for Raskagar to realize the voice didn\u2019t come from the figure he saw fallen on the snow before him.\u00a0 All at once, the illusion that Loki had concocted burned away, and Raskagar saw that he had bested a satyr, and not the god.\u00a0 Loki appeared as if from thin air, an invisibility spell ceasing by his doing.<\/p>\n

The wizard never had a chance to swing his magical stones back the other way.\u00a0 Loki flipped his dagger over in his hand and drove it into his foe\u2019s back.<\/p>\n

The shield broke, reporting its failure with a sound that resonated like breaking glass.\u00a0 While the dagger didn\u2019t cause any lasting damage to the wizard, it certainly felt like he was thumped with a hefty club, and he fell to the ground, barely able to catch himself on his hands.\u00a0 If Loki had intended to deliver a more permanent consequence, Raskagar wasn\u2019t sure.\u00a0 But the wizard knew that he had been spent one way or the other.<\/p>\n

Laboring to lift his head and watch the battle continue to unfold, Raskagar felt his arms shaking.\u00a0 But when he saw a familiar pair not so far away, and with a new sibling with them, the wizard felt the strength to exhibit some last-minute arrogance.\u00a0 He turned about, just in time to see Loki grasp the door, and thrust it open.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven in my falling, there has been glory,\u201d Raskagar said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes?\u201d Loki wondered.\u00a0 \u201cAnd why is that?\u201d\u00a0 He turned back to the fellow he had bested, and he failed to see the golden light that swirled about from the door handle, beginning at his feet, and wrapping around him like a gilded vine that was cognizant of his shield.<\/p>\n

So caught up in waiting for Raskagar to give him an answer, he hadn\u2019t noticed the quartet of animals barreling his way.<\/p>\n

At the last moment, a satyr ambled into the reindeer\u2019s path, although he was unaware until the last second that he had done so.\u00a0 He turned, and on reflex, ducked his head, antlers and horns meeting in a fierce blow that had the reindeer and the satyr spilling to the ground.\u00a0 Zelda and Peanut leaped off to the sides, but Maisie hopped right over top of the falling goatman.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, Svetlana,\u201d the little black and white dog said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll take it from here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Loki spotted the commotion then but thought nothing of it.\u00a0 He was not aware of the magic that Maisie possessed\u2014nor the magic that was taking hold over him.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t until he saw that the dog was charging toward him that he noticed the two magics in tandem.\u00a0 Maisie\u2019s amulet glistened in the light of morning, while the golden helix that passed over him left his body tingling.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat have you done?\u201d the Aesir god asked.<\/p>\n

Raskagar smiled.\u00a0 \u201cOh, not much.\u00a0 Just cut you down to size.\u201d<\/p>\n

Loki looked down at himself, not quite noticing anything just yet.\u00a0 But when he looked up, he realized it was too late to do anything beyond brace for impact.<\/p>\n

Maisie, using the full power of the amulet once more, charged forth, bowing her head.\u00a0 With a little hop, she rose into the air, driving her head into Loki\u2019s chest, and sending him flying backward.<\/p>\n

Loki flew through the foyer, slamming against the door into the workshop proper, and forcing it open.\u00a0 As he fell to the ground, the magic that Raskagar had invoked on the workshop\u2019s front door took hold in full and shrunk Loki down.<\/p>\n

When he landed upon his rump on the ground, he noticed that everything looked bigger.\u00a0 Everything, that was, except for the husband-and-wife duo who had just about reached that door.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Michael and Rhianna shouted, so surprised to see such a large object smash into the area that they were headed.\u00a0 Similarly, the smack of Loki\u2019s back against the door before he landed on the ground sounded like thunder in the surrounding building.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought we\u2019d have more time to get into the workshop,\u201d Michael whispered to his wife.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s alright,\u201d Rhianna said, tapping the handle of her spear against her shield.\u00a0 \u201cLoki\u2019s been knocked around a bit.\u00a0 We\u2019re fresh for the fight!\u201d\u00a0 She looked over her shoulder to see who had aided them and saw their little black and white dog\u2014much bigger to them then, of course\u2014shaking her head from the charging headbutt.\u00a0 \u201cGood job, Maisie!\u201d Rhianna called out, though she knew that the pup wouldn\u2019t hear her.<\/p>\n

Loki finally rose to his feet, shaking his head as well.\u00a0 It was then that he focused on the pair in front of him, and understood that he recognized them, to some extent.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if it isn\u2019t a pair of my brother\u2019s champions,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWhat a delight to finally meet in the flesh.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh look,\u201d Michael said, crossing his arms over his chest.\u00a0 \u201cIf it isn\u2019t the guy who hijacked our trip to the North Pole last year.\u00a0 You know, there was a jug of eggnog with my name on it that I completely missed last year, and it was your fault.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot to mention all the good food,\u201d Rhianna grumbled.\u00a0 \u201cMaisie was so mad!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cBut it looks like she already got her vengeance on you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, Maisie, that\u2019s right,\u201d Loki said, rubbing his rump.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose she was the one that just launched me halfway across the workshop.\u201d\u00a0 He stood a little taller then, and tossed his dagger into the air again, the blade spinning over several times.\u00a0 \u201cShe did me a favor then, since now I\u2019m able to stop you\u2014which was part of my intentions in the first place.\u00a0 And after you two are out of my way, I\u2019ll be sure to put that mutt in a kennel where she belongs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna stomped forward a few steps, furrowing her brow at once.\u00a0 \u201cMaisie hates kennels, and I hate whatever makes Maisie sad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry to disappoint you,\u201d Loki said.\u00a0 \u201cBut I have a feeling you\u2019re going to have to get used to that a lot soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should be the one being locked up,\u201d Rhianna grumbled then.\u00a0 \u201cAfter what you did last year, it\u2019s only fair.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh please,\u201d the Aesir god said.\u00a0 \u201cI did the two of you a favor and gave you something to look forward to after a wretched year of being trapped in the same routine day after day.\u00a0 You should just count your stars that its benefits coincided with finding my brother after all these centuries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael stood up a little straighter then, believing for a moment that he detected a strange change of tone in Loki\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter,\u201d the god said.\u00a0 \u201cThere will be no benefits to you lot this year.\u201d\u00a0 As he finished speaking, he drew his dagger, the empowered Laevateinn, once more.<\/p>\n

By reflex alone, Michael stepped forward and to the side, guarding his wife.<\/p>\n

And it was just in time, it seemed, for Loki tossed the blade into the air\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026but it hovered just before where the husband and wife stood.\u00a0 By the time they realized it was a distraction, Loki was already sprinting into the room behind him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHurry up!\u201d Rhianna said, pushing Michael to the side.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s getting away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but why?\u201d Michael said, breaking into a sprint of his own a moment later, and easily catching up with his wife.<\/p>\n

She grumbled as she pushed on, keeping pace with him as best she could.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know, but look,\u201d she said, pointing for just a moment before she realized the gesture was making her flag behind.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s aiming for the portal.\u00a0 Maybe he\u2019s going for reinforcements.\u00a0 Or maybe the power emanating from it will negate the shrinking magic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever it is, we can\u2019t let him get there,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cBut it won\u2019t matter if we can\u2019t catch him, and he is really <\/em>fast!\u201d<\/p>\n

As Michael finished his thought, he and Rhianna nearly shouted in unison, for a reddish-brown blur zipped by them then.<\/p>\n

It only took a moment for them to realize that it was there other dog, and Zelda saw the fleeing Aesir as well.<\/p>\n

Michael cheered instead, cutting himself off at once to ensure that he didn\u2019t ruin the element of surprise.\u00a0 Rhianna sent a gloating laugh in Loki\u2019s direction, just as she saw Zelda bound off the ground, leaping over their foe.<\/p>\n

Loki turned about, trying to see what had earned the woman\u2019s arrogance.\u00a0 He only barely noticed the shadow overhead and turned back the way he was heading in time to see the auburn-furred dog looking his way, her eyes narrowed.\u00a0 He attempted to speak, but Zelda crinkled her nose and began growling, the noise pushing him back a few steps.<\/p>\n

Willing bravery back into his body, Loki held up his hand, and the blade that he had tossed toward the husband-and-wife duo earlier spun back across the area, and into his hand once more.\u00a0 He held it up as though it was a javelin ready to throw, and he stomped toward Zelda.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou fool,\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cI reared the mighty Fenrir.\u00a0 You think I am frightened by some oversized mutt?\u201d<\/p>\n

Zelda stopped growling for a moment and tilted her head to the side.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not oversized.\u00a0 You\u2019re undersized.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd her pedigree papers say she\u2019s one hundred percent chihuahua,\u201d Rhianna said, gasping for air as they reached their opponent once more.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but we\u2019re pretty sure they\u2019re lying, aren\u2019t we?\u201d Michael asked his wife.<\/p>\n

She threw her shield hand up in the air.\u00a0 \u201cHe doesn\u2019t need to know that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Loki didn\u2019t bother to turn about, knowing that the only thing stopping him from reaching the portal was right in front of him.\u00a0 He reared back and tossed his dagger.<\/p>\n

But he didn\u2019t expect a spear to come soaring in faster, striking the spinning blade before it could travel too far.\u00a0 Rhianna\u2019s weapon struck the floorboard in front of Loki, and became embedded there, while the dagger flew off and tumbled to the side.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou imbeciles,\u201d Loki said then.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you know anything about Laevateinn?\u00a0 It\u2019s enchanted, and comes back to me when I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

As he turned about to fight off his other two opponents, Michael slid on the ground, and swung out with his axe, catching the Aesir in his belly.\u00a0 Loki was still under the power of his shield, however, which flashed red for just a moment as Michael kept moving, pulling the axe back away.<\/p>\n

Loki turned to keep up with the man, watching as he pressed down on the spear, freeing it from where it had landed.\u00a0 At once, Michael tossed the spear, and brought his axe to bear again.\u00a0 The god rolled his shoulder back and growled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll have to do better than that,\u201d Loki growled.\u00a0 \u201cIf you\u2019re trying to beat me, you can\u2019t miss.\u201d\u00a0 Even as he spoke the words, he realized that the spear had gone right where it was supposed to, and when he looked over his shoulder for a flash of a second, he saw that Rhianna once again had the spear in her hand.<\/p>\n

He thrust out his hand, catching Laevateinn just in time to deflect a stab from the spear.\u00a0 The next instant, he spun a pirouette, swiping a slash of Michael\u2019s axe away.<\/p>\n

And so it went, for several moments, Loki desperately moving about, spinning halfway around to parry one attack or dodge the next.\u00a0 Eventually, he was able to move to his side enough to fight the two humans without being caught in a pincer maneuver.\u00a0 Of course, he couldn\u2019t quite escape his situation, for Zelda hopped up and down in the air, almost herding him in place.<\/p>\n

The pup only hesitated for a moment when she saw a dwarf\u2014most likely a warrior fighting on Santa\u2019s side of the battle outside\u2014enter the workshop from the rear door of the building.\u00a0 He heard the series of tink, tink, tinks<\/em> that rang out from the area before narrowing his eyes and looking at the small combatants on the floor.\u00a0 He looked down further then, to the flask he held in his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s enough of that then,\u201d he said.\u00a0 He took one final swig of whatever was in the flask, and then squeezed the rest of it onto the fire that crackled in the hearth beside the back door.<\/p>\n

None of the combatants were very concerned when that guest turned about and walked away, but they did notice the roar of the fire as it consumed the alcohol that he poured in the hearth.\u00a0 The dwarf hadn\u2019t noticed\u2014or hadn\u2019t cared about\u2014the portal on the opposite side of the workshop, which Loki knew he just couldn\u2019t reach, surrounded by the DeAngelo family as he was.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grow tired of this,\u201d he growled.<\/p>\n

Sensing a lull in the scuffle, Michael panted, leaning back, and rubbing his back with his free hand.\u00a0 \u201cI grow tired in general,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cOh, this stupid pandemic hasn\u2019t been great when it comes to keeping it shape.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRound\u2019s a shape,\u201d Rhianna ventured, though she bowed down, resting her arms on her bent knees.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just not the right<\/em> shape.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the two stopped poking fun at themselves for their overly sedentary lifestyle since being relegated to their homes, they noticed that Loki had found an unexpected ally: himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet us be done with this so that I can be on my way,\u201d the Aesir said, and as he spoke, the pair of Loki\u2019s duplicated again, and then once more, so that there were eight Loki figures that all seemed to act independent of one another.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, this just won\u2019t do,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n

One of the Loki images lunged toward Michael, slashing out with its dagger.\u00a0 Michael stepped to his side and swung with his axe, cleaving it through his foe, and he watched as a wisp of colored smoke trailed off from there, while the image reconstituted on the other side.<\/p>\n

Rhianna, too, prepared to do battle with her foes, for two more versions of Loki seemed to be ready to attack her.\u00a0 But both times she attempted to parry a blow her spear went right through the images.<\/p>\n

Even Zelda couldn\u2019t hold herself back, and jumped onto the closest Loki she saw, like a fox hunting for its prey under a heavy snow.\u00a0 When she didn\u2019t feel anything between her paws, she hopped back, and was surprised to see the trickster god reform.<\/p>\n

Several dozen feet away, Loki\u2019s invisibility spell wore off, and he turned to look at his latest magic confusing the DeAngelo family enough to keep them preoccupied.\u00a0 \u201cPathetic,\u201d he said, before he resumed his quick escape toward the portal.<\/p>\n

He hurried in front of the work desks that Santa\u2019s craftspeople worked on, but he didn\u2019t notice one more inhabitant of the building, who had hidden herself in the shadows.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly a fool wouldn\u2019t know you didn\u2019t have one more trick up your sleeves,\u201d he heard.\u00a0 Loki looked over his shoulder, expecting one of those left fighting his doppelgangers to have fled from the fight.<\/p>\n

He sensed that he was looking in the wrong direction then, however, and when he looked to his side, it was just in time to see a large paw swinging down.<\/p>\n

Loki crashed to the floor with Peanut\u2019s weight upon him, and he heard his shield shattering.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet your hand off me, you mangy feline!\u201d he grunted.\u00a0 He gasped and yowled when the cat\u2019s claws dug in a little further.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s enough of that,\u201d Loki heard then, and at once, Peanut retracted her claws and backed away.\u00a0 When the stars stopped circling the Aesir god\u2019s vision, he saw a different hand reaching down toward him, that one wrapped in a leather glove. \u00a0A moment later, he was dropped into a frosted orb, and someone closed off the top of his new prison, trapping him, and ensuring his quest for the portal was in vain.<\/p>\n

He fought to keep his balance, but it was all in vain, for a moment later, his glass cage was turned upside down, and he was forced to catch his bearings.\u00a0 Loki shook his head, trying to make sense of the strange visions he was seeing.\u00a0 He was certain that he was still inside, for he could see all of the desks and toys within Santa\u2019s workshop, but he was also stricken by the sight of snow, fluttering down toward the ground, though he didn\u2019t see any of it sticking to the wooden floorboards.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long after that for him to realize his horrible turn of fate.<\/p>\n

He was trapped in a snow globe.<\/p>\n

The fellow who had caught hold of him stepped back, and he could see the person\u2019s fluffy white beard, and he realized that he had been apprehended by the enemy commander, his very brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Loki,\u201d Santa said, a certain jolliness returned to his voice in the coming of his victory.\u00a0 \u201cI hope you don\u2019t mind, but we\u2019ll be taking back that portal now.\u201d<\/p>\n

The trapped Aesir wore a disappointed frown, but spread out his arms, and waved his hands to the side, conceding victory to his brother.<\/p>\n

Santa stepped back, holding up a finger to Loki, bidding him to wait while some other necessary tasks transpired.\u00a0 Some of the Christmas figure\u2019s elite warriors entered the buildings and began guarding the doors, while a tired old wizard shuffled into the workshop, waving about his staff to undo some of the magic that he had cast on his friends.<\/p>\n

A moment later, Michael and Rhianna reverted to full size, and they some sighs of relief escape their lips.\u00a0 Zelda hopped up toward them, excited to see them returned to their appropriate height, and upon one of those jumps, Rhianna caught her upon her arm, turning over her shield to give her more of a surface to sit upon.\u00a0 Peanut sprang onto the table beside them then, and then they heard the excited snuffles of their other dog as Maisie pushed her way into the workshop.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoa!\u201d Michael said, turning about and bracing for impact as he sank to his knees.<\/p>\n

Maisie jumped into his arms then, nuzzling her head against his chest.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s okay, Rurnar and Halgrum and Beroras took the amulet back after we won.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael chuckled, knowing that, had they not, he would have likely been napping on the floor of the workshop then.<\/p>\n

With the family reunited, and Santa\u2019s better half moving into the building then as well, a new feeling of reprieve washed over everyone who was in attendance.<\/p>\n

Everyone, that was, except for one person.<\/p>\n

Santa turned back to the snow globe upon the fireplace mantle.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow let\u2019s see what we\u2019ll be doing about you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The area around the portal was decorated with enchanted snow, and glowing wreaths, framing the once sought-after military target as one meant to be celebrated then.\u00a0 For indeed, it had become a point of much deliberation throughout the night before a call had been made by Santa to use it for just the thing that Loki had intended to use it for: bringing forth the people of Asgard.\u00a0 Santa, however, had a different sort of invitation that he had sent out through the portal to his old home, much to Loki\u2019s chagrin.<\/p>\n

And yet, the trickster god didn\u2019t seem all that perturbed by his loss, or by his failure to secure the portal.<\/p>\n

The blue-robed wizard moved up beside the shackled prince of the Aesir, holding up a plate of Christmas treats, which Loki waved away.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it true that the real reason that you invaded the North Pole this year was to make sure that Santa couldn\u2019t use the portal for Christmas?\u201d Raskagar wondered.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor Christmas?\u201d Loki repeated with a scoff.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t want him to be able to use it at all.\u00a0 He left home centuries ago and I was not about to see him bugger off again under the dark of night.\u00a0 Christmas was just a bonus.\u00a0 Do you know how many missed yuletides we\u2019d suffered through when we thought him passed on all those years ago?\u00a0 Well, I certainly think he could stand to miss at least one.\u201d<\/p>\n

He turned to his side then, looking at the center of the workshop, where Santa and Nanna danced together, encircled by two little dogs who jumped about, enjoying the music and the frivolity, while their humans clapped along to the music and took swigs of festive drinks.\u00a0 Peanut, the DeAngelo cat, sat a bit behind them, taking refuge beneath the same work desk that she had ambushed Loki from earlier.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow that\u2019s someone who I can agree with when it comes to festivities,\u201d Loki grumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, come now,\u201d Raskagar said.\u00a0 \u201cIt can\u2019t be all that bad, can it?\u00a0 Look.\u201d\u00a0 He pointed toward the foyer of the building, and then to the frosted-over windows, both which showed that even Loki\u2019s beaten troops had begun to enjoy themselves, with satyrs and even frost giants taking part in the revelry.\u00a0 \u201cIf they can be merry, why can\u2019t you?\u201d Raskagar asked.\u00a0 \u201cHere.\u201d\u00a0 He tapped his staff against the god\u2019s shackles then, and the clasp snapped apart, the manacles falling to the floor.<\/p>\n

They disappeared before they ever reached the wooden boards, and by reflex alone, Loki grasped at his wrists and rubbed his skin.\u00a0 \u201cAren\u2019t you worried about me commandeering the portal again?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think the shackles were for, hmm?\u201d Raskagar mused.\u00a0 \u201cAfter all our back and forth this day, and you doubt the extent of my magic?\u00a0 The whole while you were wearing them, I was attuning the portal to you, ensuring it won\u2019t ever react to your whims again.\u00a0 As such, there\u2019s no need to have you moping about over here, wondering when to make your move\u2014at least, in that direction.\u00a0 But perhaps it\u2019s over there that you could make a move,\u201d he said, pointing with his staff.\u00a0 \u201cYou clearly have some issues that need resolving, wouldn\u2019t you say?\u00a0 No better time than the present to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the wizard finished his speech, a young lad with a mop of blond hair emerged from the portal, and exclaimed with joy, \u201cRaskagar!\u201d<\/p>\n

The magic-toting fellow spun on his heel and flashed his eyebrows, nearly throwing his staff to the side.\u00a0 \u201cBarnabus, my boy!\u00a0 It\u2019s good to see you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Loki grumbled and turned to head to the center of the workshop, his brother in his sights.\u00a0 Before he could interrupt Santa\u2019s dance with Nanna, however, another reveler interrupted his plans, yet again.<\/p>\n

Michael had imbibed a few too many spiced eggnogs.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Loki,\u201d he said, enunciating the few syllables perhaps a bit too much.\u00a0 \u201cI just want to say I get it.\u00a0 I mean, I miss my brother too.\u00a0 Maybe the next time he comes home, I\u2019ll try out the Loki method and flatten his tires or something so he can\u2019t leave.\u201d\u00a0 Michael meant no ill will with his comment however and tapped his former foe on the shoulder as he moved along.<\/p>\n

Loki still grumbled again, a little less than happy that his business had been circulated among all the people in the North Pole, it seemed\u2014those of his opponent\u2019s forces, and of his own.<\/p>\n

Even with that truth before him, Loki didn\u2019t relent, forcing himself to continue along his path, his brother in his sight.\u00a0 If he couldn\u2019t find victory on the battlefield, he would still succeed to speak his mind to his brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, Loki,\u201d Santa said, upon seeing his adopted brother.\u00a0 \u201cIt is good to see you out of your shackles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve turned my troops into a bunch of jovial rabblerousers,\u201d the trickster god said.\u00a0 \u201cI might as well still be<\/em> in shackles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, but there\u2019s no need for any of that sullenness, is there?\u201d Nanna asked.\u00a0 \u201cAs it turned out, we practically wanted the same thing anyway: for that portal to work\u2014only I suppose we wanted to work for different reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, I suppose in the interest of transparency\u2014something I\u2019m still trying to get a knack for\u2014I might as well come clean and let you know that the thought of using the portal for world domination did come to mind once or twice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Santa couldn\u2019t stifle a fit of jolly laughter then.\u00a0 \u201cAs I recall, you\u2019ve been battling those aspirations since before I came here.\u00a0 Perhaps a vague thought crossed your mind, but I\u2019m glad you came here for a more personal reason.\u201d<\/p>\n

Loki stood a little taller then and arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cYou know I\u2019m the god of deception, don\u2019t you?\u00a0 Are you certain that it\u2019s a good idea to keep me around like this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Santa draped his hand on his brother\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI was never worried for myself.\u00a0 Truth be told, in all the time that we\u2019ve lived here, we had time to correct that one little mistake from Freyja\u2019s enchantment.\u201d\u00a0 He pointed at the mistletoe that hung from a few of the crossbeams above their heads.\u00a0 \u201cWhat, you think I\u2019d have all those sprigs of it here if all it took was someone tossing them at me?\u00a0 No, my real worry was Christmas.\u00a0 There are billions of people out there who deserve this one bright spot of the year more than any, and I can\u2019t imagine a world where darkness wins out.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry that for a time, I thought you were part of that darkness.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI may yet have some of it in my heart,\u201d Loki muttered.\u00a0 \u201cDid you know how long I suffered, believing an errant prank had been the end of you?\u00a0 I gave a wobbly spear to a blind god.\u00a0 How was I to know that it would hit you?\u00a0 Between everyone hating me for that, and what felt like years of sadness that came after that, learning that you may have still been alive broke me.\u00a0 I spent centuries searching for you, brother.\u00a0 I just never expected to find you on this world so far from the nine realms.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, technically\u2026\u201d Santa began to say.\u00a0 However, he grew silent when he saw another set of visitors arrived through the portal.<\/p>\n

Loki followed his brother\u2019s gaze across the room and was aghast to see a pair of Aesir looking about the room, only three eyes between them, although the Allfather, had Huginn and Muninn to help him identify the things worth his attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou invited Mother and Father?\u201d Loki asked in a panic.<\/p>\n

Santa shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI figured it was time for a proper family reunion.\u00a0 Come then, let\u2019s say hello while the day is still young.\u201d<\/p>\n

Loki lingered there for a time, hesitant to take his brother up on that offer.\u00a0 \u201cIf you\u2019ve invited them, I wonder who else you\u2019ve sent word to.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The celebrations wound down considerably.\u00a0 Though there was cause for celebration, there was still much work to do ahead of Christmas as well.\u00a0 While Santa\u2019s workshop had been used in full throughout the year, and many of the toys and gifts had been fashioned and packaged, they had lost valuable time due to the skirmish and the festivities that followed.<\/p>\n

Of course, even knowing all that, it was difficult for Santa to send his relatives away, having just come clean about his whereabouts after what felt like eons.<\/p>\n

And there were a great many relatives to welcome to his new home.\u00a0 Santa, once Baldr, embraced his parents with such love that the big jolly fellow had nearly barreled them over.\u00a0 He met with Freyja some time later, demonstrating that the one item she had left out from her ritual had been resolved.<\/p>\n

Thor departed the party the way that he arrived, a large thunderclap heralding his travels.<\/p>\n

That time, Zelda responded with a grumbly \u201cStop doing that!\u201d\u00a0 The rest of the guests believed that it was much more fitting of a hero than her previous pronouncement of \u201cwe\u2019re doomed!\u00a0 The world has ended!\u00a0 We\u2019re all going to die!\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, all those who had come from Asgard had moved along except for one, for Loki remained behind, finding it within himself to revel a bit, and enjoying the yuletide spirit in full after so many years.<\/p>\n

Santa also had some of his more trusted champions by his side, though he could see that the battles and the planning had left some fatigue upon his friends\u2019 faces.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, you outdid yourself this year,\u201d he said to the DeAngelo family.\u00a0 \u201cI know this certainly wasn\u2019t the kind of thing that you were expecting, and it didn\u2019t begin or end the way I believed it would,\u201d he mentioned, clapping his brother on his back for good measure.\u00a0 \u201cBut you had a hand in bringing these two insufferable fools back together, and you helped to ensure there will be more joyous times ahead of us all.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I must ask you this one thing: what do you want for Christmas?\u201d<\/p>\n

With the three animals tuckered out beneath the table, it fell to the husband and wife to come up with a worthy enough present.\u00a0 Rhianna reached out and grabbed Michael\u2019s hand, giving it a gentle little squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cI think we have everything we need this year,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re just grateful to have our family together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs wonderful a gift as anyone can have,\u201d Santa said, while Loki rolled his eyes\u2014though, it seemed even that indignant look had faded somewhat.\u00a0 Santa stood then and helped his tired guests out of their seats.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps we could have you back later this year for a proper celebration preceded by as few battles as possible.\u00a0 I hear July is a wonderful time for festivities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael and Rhianna scooped up their tired animals and walked alongside Santa as he brought them closer to the portal.<\/p>\n

\u201cMerry Christmas,\u201d Michael said to Santa then, his voice as close to a whisper as he could get, for he did not wish to wake Maisie and Zelda, both draped over one of his shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m glad that you were able to get something you weren\u2019t expecting this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs am I,\u201d the jolly fellow replied.\u00a0 \u201cNow you get home and get some rest.\u00a0 It will be a new day before you know it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna leaned forward and stood on the tips of her toes, giving Santa a quick embrace, but minding the snoring cat she had pressed against her chest while she did so.\u00a0 \u201cSee you next year,\u201d she bade.<\/p>\n

Santa waved them on as they departed, disappearing through the portal.\u00a0 He lingered there for a time before he turned, a weary smile upon his face.\u00a0 He saw Loki at the table still, though he had risen, and leaned backward against it, his arms crossed over his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know,\u201d Loki said, \u201cI hate to admit it, but I see why you like them so.\u00a0 They\u2019re a pleasant enough lot, and from all I\u2019ve learned of their exploits, they\u2019ve earned your praise.\u00a0 But you know, having heard the stories, I think\u2026 I think I know just the present for them this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do?\u201d Santa wondered.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

With gifts and wrapping paper strewn across the floor, Rhianna remarked that their living room looked just as bad as the battle at the North Pole.\u00a0 While the animals played with their new toys and treats, the husband and wife took sips of coffee and hot cocoa.<\/p>\n

Michael stifled a yawn, but leaned back toward the tree, reaching toward a box that was tucked a bit behind where the other presents had been.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this is the last one,\u201d he said.\u00a0 As he brought it forward though, he noticed his wife\u2019s narrowed eyes and furrowed brow.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u00a0 What is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t use that wrapping paper,\u201d she insisted.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I even wrapped the presents you got for me,\u201d she teased.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s not a secret present you got us, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n

All the animals were more intrigued then as well, joining their humans on the floor to look at the box.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, it moved about, and they heard a little snuffle from within.\u00a0 Zelda and Maisie looked at one another, a bit perplexed by that sound\u2014and by the new smell they detected in the house.<\/p>\n

But it was Peanut, who had been through it time and time again, who knew just what they were in for.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot again!\u201d she cried.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A huge thank you to Leo Borazio and Wern Szuen Lee for helping us with our bookmarks this year.\u00a0 It was a rush job for both of them, but they did an awesome job with everything!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every year, we I post a personalized Christmas story here on Tellest.\u00a0 You can see all the ones from the past several years by going to the DeAngelo Christmas Archive.\u00a0 Or you can just jump to the latest story, Christmas Revelations, below (although you will benefit from reading the older stories first).   Christmas Revelations […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[346],"tags":[695,2741,2742,2011,2743,2012,291,1055,489,1602,2744,1054],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Featured-Christmas-2021.png","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-6SA","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26448"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26448"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26448\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26757,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26448\/revisions\/26757"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}