Christmas Story: And Eight Tiny Reindeer by CdnDraxis

Thank you CdnDraxis for enter the Christmas Fiction Contest. Here is their story...

(By Dan Peyton)

Over the bleak, cold arctic north a large BADGE landing craft buzzed through the gray skies. Gliding next to it was the stone hero Gargoyle, keenly watching the white land below.

Nova sat in the command seat of this large craft while his trusty robots managed the controls. He touched a comm device attached to his ear, “Anything yet, Gar?”

Gar answered, “Just snow. I...WATCH OUT!”

The proximity alarm went off and the whole craft lurched to the side as something slammed into them. The whole craft spun out of control, the three robots on the bridge rolled about like toys in a storm while Nova kept his firm grip on the command chair.

Nova looked out the front windows as they fell out of the sky and slammed into the ground. Waves of white powder spewed from either side of the ship as they plowed across the frozen north. After the sliding came to a stop, Nova shoved the emergency exit open and jumped out.

Gar landed next to him, "Sir, look!"
A demon approached,“Ah, Director Nova. It’s been a while.”

“What is it this time, Krampus? You and I both know you’re unable to get into Santa’s palace.”

Krampus resembled a man with shaggy hair all over his body, long demonic horns on his head, a long tail, and goat-like legs. He smiled at Nova with those fangs of his, “True, I could never get into that place. But, things have changed.”
“What are you talking about?”

Krampus answers, “These Morphons are spectacular little blessings, now aren’t they? Some humans have been turned almost into gods with them, and some into demons...depends on what they do with them I suppose. I, already being nearly a god myself, found them to be most delightful.”

Nova growled, “What have you done?”

“What I was always meant to do, punish the nasty little brats of this world. And with Santa out of my way, I think I can do my job unhindered. I think I will go eat at least ten thousand children, for starters. I believe that should make up for the lost years with Santa holding me back. Then, who knows? Maybe I’ll eat a few thousand more, all before Christmas.”

“No, you can’t,” Nova exclaimed.

Krampus laughed, “Who will stop me? Without Santa’s cheer, and morphons surging through my body, I am invulnerable. Now, I think I’ll start with a nice aged appetizer.” He jumped at Nova but was blindsided by a full-body slam from Gar. Without a second thought, Gar punched the demon hard enough to send him sprawling ten feet backward across the snow.

“Stay away, monster,” Gar commanded.

Krampus sat there, wiping a trickle of blood from his nose. “You’re an interesting foe. I’ll enjoy playing with you when I’m done. But, alas, I have other plans.” He vanished in a black puff of smoke, leaving only a cackle in its wake.

Nova let out a furious scoff, “This is serious.”
"What was that thing?" Gar asked.
"A demon who dines on little children. Since you can fly, head back to BADGE HQ and alert the leagues that Krampus must be defeated. I’ll stay here and call on any heroes who can help me find Santa and set this all straight. GO!”

Gar took to the skies while Nova headed back into his wrecked ship. He activated his comm, “Nova to all heroes, I need anyone who can help me find Santa, this is a matter of planetary emergency.”

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(By CdnDraxis)

CdnDraxis was patrolling the northern wastes when the alert from Director Nova came in. He listened in disbelief at the details of Santa’s capture by Krampus, and the morphon empowering of the demon. The horror of the situation stunned him into inactivity, and he could only stare at the horizon as the snow swirled around his ankles and began to accumulate.

But the cold and snow were old friends. As the dim light of day further faded into night, the first glimmers of the aurora borealis drew him out of his reverie and back to the situation at hand. With a shudder and a shake, like the ruffling of a bird’s feathers, he settled his furs about himself and began to ponder the problem.

Santa could not be destroyed. Despite the boasting of the Krampus, Santa was an elemental force of nature, a supernatural being with ties to this world stronger than those of the Krampus. Even with a boost of power by the morphons, there are just some things that cannot be unmade. That being said, it might be possible to incapacitate and imprison Santa, to block him from interfering with the Krampus’s mad plans.

So, trapped...but where? CdnDraxis thought it unlikely that Krampus could have removed Santa forcefully from his workshop fortress, but Santa could have been lured out and ambushed. From there, he could have been taken to a secret location and imprisoned. The Krampus was a northern demon, so it would hold that his choice of prison would be within his bulwark of power. So the best place to start would be the workshop fortress, and expand the search from there.

CdnDraxis spread wide his arms, and began to draw in the essences of the North; the biting cold of the zephyrs borealis, which drew warmth from flesh; the permanence of the ice, which preserved all things in suspension beyond time; and the energy of the auroras, power drawn to this place by the planet itself. He opened himself to the Gintarra, the elemental dragon of the North: the creature he had been destined to serve since birth, but who now instead assisted him since the morphons had altered who he had become. “Guide me, Cold One, that I may do what must be done” he called out over the frozen tundra.

He felt the peace settle over him as his senses expanded and he became one with the environment, a true Avatar of the North. With a gesture, he summoned the zephyrs and began to slide over the frozen landscape, gaining speed as he headed to the North Pole. Sight clarified as the auroras showed him obstacles to avoid and the easier paths to steer and glide. As he approached the frozen sea, the pack ice groaned and creaked as it bent to his will and smoothed out to ease his journey.

After several hours, CdnDraxis began to near Santa’s workshop fortress. He slowed his progress as he was hailed by the elven guards, pop-guns at the ready. “Director Nova sent me; can you tell me what happened?” CdnDraxis called out, arms held out harmlessly to the sides.

“Several hours ago, there was a call that the reindeer herds to the west were under attack, so Santa and a squad went to investigate. We have heard nothing since from any of them” replied a female elf.

“It is best if you all remain here, and shore up the defenses, in case Krampus tries for the fortress. The reindeer and I will find the Man for you” said CdnDraxis, as he began to slide to the west. He heard a horn blow, and the fortress began to light up as the defenses sprang into place. He traveled for a short distance and came upon the reindeer herd stomping around in a panic.

He slowed and calmly approached the herd as they gathered in a defensive pack. With an intuitive feeling, CdnDraxis stopped and stomped on the ground with his right foot, throwing his head up and down. The herd calmed, and a large bull stepped forward and bowed his antlered head to a startled CdnDraxis. He bowed back, saying “I know of the attack. Do you know which way they went?” As one, the herd turned and faced west. “Thank you” said CdnDraxis, as he continued west. The herd followed silently behind him on his quest.

CdnDraxis found tracks in the snow which he followed for a while, but they faded out after a mile, wind and snow erasing traces of Krampus’s passing. He stopped, and starred ahead for a moment, then knelt and thrust his hands into the snow. He thrust his power down and out into the frozen landscape, searching for something. He reached up for more power, and drew down the aurora borealis and whispered a word out into the swirling winds: “Wrong”.

Power quested outward, recognizing that which belonged and continuing the search. After several minutes, the energy bounced off something foreign, something not natural to the tundra. CdnDraxis opened his eyes, and spied in the distance a mound in the ice above which the aurora danced. He and the herd approached the mound, and found a dome of black ice, sitting like a blister on the tundra. It pushed the eye away from itself, but also seemed to suck the hope and life out of CdnDraxis as he tried to stare at it.

CdnDraxis began to draw in the powers of the North, concentrating and focusing them until he felt he could not contain any more. Just then, he felt a nose on his back and, with a glance, saw the herd had formed a wedge behind the bull now touching him. His capacity surged open and he drew down further energies, until he wielded more power than he ever had before. With a cry of triumph, he thrust the power into the dome, and it shattered, crumbled and vanished into the howling winds.

Lying on the ground was the Man himself, dressed in that red suit children knew everywhere. As CdnDraxis approached, he drew in a deep breath, opened his eyes and smiled as he said “Merry Christmas, young one”.