by penny watson
Oskar laughed and pounded his father on the back. “Dad, this is Kiana Grant. She sort of… uh… accidentally ended up in Glasdorf. It was not intentional. She found my sleigh on the roof of Gregor’s apartment, panicked when she saw Boris, and jumped into the trunk. She woke up here, found Gabi and went way beyond the call of duty to keep her safe and secure, and then the girls found me. That’s it in a nutshell.” He paused and gazed into Kiana’s eyes. “She’s an amazing person.”
Kiana squeezed Oskar’s hand in silent thanks. Her heart pounded as Santa inspected her from head to toe. He had a massive build, just like his sons. Impressive biceps bulged from a Swim Alcatraz T-shirt. His sparkling hazel eyes raked over her in assessment. He stroked his goatee and nodded his head.
Alena rubbed her husband’s arm soothingly. “Now, don’t start stressing out, honey. How about a cup of green tea to help you relax?”
“Wow.” Kiana turned to Oskar. “Your parents are not at all what I was expecting,” she whispered.
Alena chuckled. “An old couple with big bellies and gray hair? I suppose some of our ancestors may have looked like that, but we’re having too much fun competing in triathlons and marathons to be old-timers just yet.”
“You should see all their trophies, Kiana,” Wolfgang said, smiling at her stunned expression. “They’re just a wee bit competitive.”
“That’s true,” Sven agreed. “They’re in way better shape than I am.”
Santa leaned down and stared Kiana in the eyes, his expression grave. “Are you trustworthy, young lady?”
She nodded her head, afraid to speak.
“Can you keep a secret? A really big secret?”
An elf with a mohawk piped in. “A super big secret!”
“Yah,” added another with a black leather jacket and a nose ring. “No Suddies can know about Glasdorf or we’re toast!”
One of the elves in the silver robes inspected her and waved a hand in front of her face. A strange wavy gel appeared around her body, blue in color. “She’s good,” he said in a rough voice. “Well done, Oskar. She’s got a kind heart.” The elf smiled at her and shuffled away. Kiana turned to Oskar in bewilderment, not sure what was happening.
Suddenly, Santa swept her up into a bear hug with no warning whatsoever. One moment her feet were on the ground, and the next she was suspended in the air, being squeezed by Santa Claus himself. He finally set her back on the floor and she struggled to catch her breath.
“Geez, dad, don’t suffocate my girlfriend.” Oskar pulled her back into his arms. “You okay?”
She nodded again. Mr. Klaus had a huge grin on his face, complete with a charming dimple.
I guess Santa likes me!
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Klaus. I can keep a secret. I would never tell anyone about Glasdorf, I swear. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble. I just want to make sure Gabi is okay, and hopefully help you find Wiebe so he doesn’t hurt anyone else.”
“Thank you so much for taking care of Gabi,” Alena said with a concerned expression. “Nick and I are very upset that Wiebe was neglecting this beautiful little girl.” She reached down to squeeze Gabi’s hand. “Thank you, dear.”
An ancient elf ambled over to Kiana and bowed. “Any Sudlander who looks out for a troubled child is welcome here in Glasdorf.” He paused and flipped a long braid over one shoulder. “Even though Oskar did not follow proper protocol, the Council appreciates your concern for young Gabi. Thank you very much, Miss Grant.” He held out a gnarled hand to Kiana and she shook it, dumbfounded by his announcement.
Santa cleared his throat. “Well, Oskar, I can see this young woman is very important to you.”
Oskar nodded and pulled Kiana tightly against him. “She is,” he answered.
Santa smiled and turned to Kiana. “Well then, I would like to welcome you to Glasdorf, Miss Grant. Unfortunately, I wish it were under better circumstances. Alena and I will make sure Gabi is taken care of. But I’d rather not involve you in this investigation. Wiebe’s dangerous and I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“I totally agree with that,” Oskar added. “Boris, Ingo, any news I should know about?”
Boris ambled over to Oskar, a half-smoked cigar dangling from his mouth.
“Boris Kohl! There is no smoking in the Weihnachtsmann’s house!” Mrs. Klaus held an ashtray under his face, and Boris spit out the cigar. He blushed and mumbled an apology under his breath.
Ingo and Lys approached Oskar with their hands clasped. Ingo cleared his scratchy throat. “It’s like Wiebe just disappeared. We can’t find him anywhere. I think he’s using Dark Magik to cloak himself.”
Master Eugen joined in their conversation. “I agree with Ingo. It appears that Wiebe has lifted some very old, very powerful spell books from the Bibliothek Magik. I thought they were protected, but unfortunately he has found a way to access these tomes. We must find him and neutralize his influence before he does irreparable harm to our village.”
Boris turned to Eugen. “Is there any way the Bändigers can find him using their magik? A way to uncloak him, so to speak?”
Sven raised an eyebrow. “This is sounding suspiciously like a Star Trek episode.”
Santa frowned at Sven, silencing him. “Boris has a good point. What do you think, Master Eugen?”
He shook his head. “It may be possible. I’m not sure.”
“I threw some magik darts at him when he ran from the Bibliothek. If I can get close enough to him, I think I can use them to paralyze him briefly,” Ingo said.
“Brilliant, Ingo! Excellent strategy.” Eugen patted his shoulder warmly.
Lys shot Santa a worried look. “Wiebe almost killed Ingo once. I’d rather not give him another chance to finish the job.”
A sudden commotion in the hallway caught everyone’s attention. They turned to find two panicked elves stumble into the great room.
“Good God! What happened to the two of you?” Santa rushed forward to catch one of the elves before he fell on his face. His clothes were ripped, and bloody scratches covered his body. Oskar slipped an arm around his companion and helped him to sit on a sofa. “What happened, Kurt? You look like you’ve been through a war.” He took a hand towel from his mother and wrapped it tightly around the elf’s arm, where a bloody gash was oozing.
“Wasn’t war. It was Wiebe. The bastard conjured up some Teufelchen at Dag’s Bar. We’re under attack!”
“What are Teufelchen?” Kiana asked Oskar.
“Little devils.” Oskar shook his head. “Have you seen the movie Gremlins?”
“Uh huh,” she answered.
“You know the evil gremlins who rip apart that town and wreak havoc?”
Kiana swallowed nervously. “Yeah, they’re monsters.”
“Exactly,” Ingo agreed. “Teufelchen are demons created with Dark Magik. They are evil and destructive…”
“Maniacal…” added Kurt.
“Unpredictable,” concluded Eugen. “Wiebe must be stopped!”
Alena brought a pitcher of water over to the battered elves and began to wipe their grimy faces.
Kiana poured some into glasses and offered it to them.
They nodded their thanks and drank greedily.
Oskar sighed. “Teufelchen make those gremlins from the movie look like a bunch of German choir boys. We gotta get to Dag’s and take them down. Kurt, how many elves are in the bar right now?”
“I’d say… maybe fifty? We were just starting a dart competition. The little devils popped up out of nowhere and started brawling. Josef and I escaped out the back door before they locked the place down. Dag’s pissed.”
“Any sign of Wiebe? Was he there too?” Oskar asked.
“Nope. Didn’t actually see Wiebe. But one of the Teufelchen swaggered into the bar and announced that Wiebe had sent over a present for all of us. And then a bunch of little devils waltzed in and all hell broke loose.”
Santa put a comforting arm around Oskar’s shoulders. “All right, s
on. What do you think we should do?”
Oskar stood up and Kiana was shocked by the look on his face. He was in full warrior mode now. He looked furious and determined, his emerald eyes glittering fiercely. He turned to his brothers.
“You guys ready to party?”
“Hell, yeah. What do you want us to do?” Sven asked.
Wolfie stepped forward. “It’s time to clean house. Wiebe’s stepped way over the line.”
Gregor and Nicholas nodded in agreement. “What do you think, O?”
“I think we should break up into five groups, each headed up by a Klaus. We’ll approach Dag’s from different directions—north, south, east and west. And the last group can see if there’s a way in from the roof. Take a posse of about twenty elves each.” He turned to his father. “I’d like you to stay here and keep watch over the ladies. I don’t like the fact that Wiebe isn’t at Dag’s right now. It’s making me uneasy.”
Santa nodded. “I hear that. I’ll keep a couple dozen elves with me here, and the Council. If anything happens, you let me know right away. Our healers will be ready.”
Eugen reached for Oskar and clutched his forearm. “Unfortunately, I’ll have to stay behind as well, Oskar. I am not feeling too well today. Getting old is difficult, I’m afraid.” He winced as he said the words. The master turned to Ingo. “You’ll be the Bändiger in charge at Dag’s today. Use your magik wisely, friend. I have every confidence in you.”
“Don’t worry, Master Eugen. I won’t let you down,” Ingo said gravely.
Kiana grabbed onto Oskar’s arm as he started to head out of the great room. “Oskar…”
He smiled at her and pulled her to him for a quick kiss. “Don’t worry, Moon Goddess. You’ll be safe here with my Dad.”
“I’m not worried about me! I’m worried about you.” She ran a finger along his stubbly chin. “Please be careful,” she whispered. He leaned down for a more leisurely kiss.
“I promise. You take good care of Gab. We’ll be back soon.”
Kiana watched as Lucy hugged Nicholas, and Lys leaned her teary face against Ingo’s shoulder. Then, the five giant Klaus brothers took off like a pack of avenging angels, with a parade of shouting elves following close behind. Gabi clutched Kiana’s hand tightly, her face pale and pinched.
Just as the group exited the Weihnachtsmann’s house, she heard Oskar say, “Let’s get ready to rumble.”
And then they were gone.
Oskar could hear the tinkle of breaking glass and screams coming from Dag’s Bar. He crouched on the roof of the building and signaled to his brothers at each entrance on the ground level. Gangs of elves crowded around the building, ready to pummel the uninvited guests. They’d gathered tennis rackets, baseball bats, curling brooms, axes and other paraphernalia to battle the demons.
Oskar raised his hand and whistled softly. A blood-curdling cry sounded from the elves and they began to smash the doors, desperate to gain entry and help their friends. An awful screeching sound erupted from within the bar.
“What the hell is that?” Boris covered his pointy ears with his hands and grimaced.
“The Teufelchen. They sound like demons from hell all right,” Ingo answered. He turned to Oskar. “Once we’re inside, what do you want us to do?”
Oskar grabbed the handle of the roof door and pulled. A plume of dust escaped. “Spread out and try to push them back to Dag’s office. If we can trap them in the back of the building, then I’m hoping you can use your magik to wipe them out.” He looked at Ingo expectantly. “Do you have any idea how to do that, Bändiger?”
Ingo shot him a wily smile. “Yah. I got an idea, all right.”
Oskar and the elves quietly made their way down the staircase to the storeroom at Dag’s. A noxious smell hit them full force and their eyes watered. Oskar heard a scuffling, then a door popped open and the raucous noise blasted them from the front of the building.
As soon as the door swung shut, Boris released his breath. “Cripes, those little suckers stink to high hell. Dag’s gonna have to wash this place down with a bucket of suds.”
“Boris, as soon as we get through the door, you head over towards the pool table. Hunker down there. Ingo, take your guys behind the bar. I assume you’re going to kast a spell, right?”
Ingo nodded. “Yeah, just give me a couple of minutes to fine tune it, and I’ll string them up.”
Oskar turned to a couple of elves behind them. “If you see anyone in dire straights, jump in to help out right away. Don’t be squeamish. The demons are wicked. Got it?”
The elves nodded.
“Okay, guys, let’s go.” Oskar pushed the door open and assessed the situation in a glance.
Holy Mother. Dag’s place was a mess. Tables were overturned, glassware crushed on the floor, and pools of yeasty-smelling beer dotted the ground. The Teufelchen cackled with glee as they hurled darts at the elves and raked them with their talons. Those were some butt-ugly little mothers. Black crusty scales covered their foul-smelling bodies. A reptilian tail, tipped with spiky barbs, swished from their posteriors. And their eyes were cat-shaped, beady and glowing red.
Oskar rolled his eyes when he realized that Wiebe had dressed them all in lederhosen with green and red stockings. Each demon wore a Santa hat.
“Wiebe’s got a sick sense of humor, eh?” Boris yelled as he felled a demon with his curling broom. The little devil screamed in agony as he dropped to the ground.
“No kidding,” Oskar replied just as another Teufelchen flung itself onto Ingo’s back. It laughed viciously as it attempted to bite his pointy little ear. Oskar reached over, grabbed the stinky demon by its tail and whipped it across the room where it smashed into a wall, and slid to the floor in an unconscious heap.
“Thanks, O!” Ingo shouted as he ran to the bar.
Suddenly a roar went up from the elves. “Oskar’s here! Yee haw!” His appearance seemed to reinvigorate the battle and several elves high fived him as they sauntered past, swatting at the devils with tennis rackets and a rolling pin. He noticed Loki and Hieronymus cornered behind the jukebox. Two demons had lit a chair leg on fire and were attempting to burn them out. Oskar grabbed a couple of baseballs from his pockets, wound up and released his fast pitch. Took out both demons, then slid across the floor, snatching a pitcher of beer on the way, and doused the flames.
Loki whacked him hard on the back. “Good to see you, O. These bastards are nasty. We’ve been smacking ‘em around, but it seems like more and more keep appearing. Hopefully you and your brothers can make a dent.”
One devil dropped from the ceiling in front of Loki and reached for his face with a razor-sharp talon. Loki leaned back and Hie hacked at him with his woodworking carving knife. The Teufelchen screamed and fell back.
“Well done,” said Loki.
“Thanks,” responded Hie. “It’s my high carbon steel blade from Sweden.”
“Nice,” Loki nodded in response.
Oskar picked the demon up by the scruff of his neck and flung him behind the jukebox.
“You two should head over to the bar and keep watch for Ingo while he conjures up his enchantment. He needs to focus on his spell-kasting right now, and not worry about defending himself against these little a-holes,” Oskar said.
“We hear you, O. We’re on it!” With woodworking tools clasped in each hand, Loki and Hieronymus slashed their way across the room. They flew over the bar top and stationed themselves in front of Ingo while he concentrated on his spell.
Oskar turned to find Sven struggling with three Teufelchen, who were hanging onto his poncho with their claws.
“Get the hell off me!” Sven swung around trying to dislodge them, but they just laughed. Oskar jumped over a pile of elves and demons rolling on the floor, and grabbed the Teufelchen on Sven’s back. He yanked his hair and the demon screeched, narrowing his eyes at Oskar.
“Oh, look. It’s the punk. So glad you joined the party.” The foul-smelling devil smiled at him and Oskar
punched him in the face. He dropped like a stone onto the floor.
The remaining demons crawled up Sven’s chest and started to choke him viciously. Oskar grabbed a scaly foot from each devil and threw them to the ground. The wrestling scuffle on the floor rolled right over them, and they joined into the fracas, temporarily forgetting about Sven.
Sven raised an eyebrow and wiped an arm across his forehead. “Thanks for the help, bro. I’m gonna need a beer after this. Who knew fighting putrid demons was such hard work?”
A banshee-like scream caught Oskar’s attention. A Teufelchen flew from a tabletop with a jagged piece of glass grasped in his claw. He jumped onto Boris and tipped back his head, preparing to slice his neck.
“No!” Oskar yelled, momentarily paralyzed by the sight in front of him. He watched helplessly as the demon’s face erupted into a sick grin. Boris’ eyes widened with fear as the glittering piece of glass waved in front of his face. Oskar could feel his heart pounding, fear coursing through his body. There was no way he would let Boris go down… he was his right-hand man. He scrambled over the litter-covered ground, desperate to reach his friend. Just as the devil was about to strike, Oskar grabbed his claw and yanked it back. The incensed demon growled at him and plunged the shard into his arm.
Oh, hell, that’s gonna hurt. Stars danced before his eyes as blood rushed from the gash. He took a glass pitcher from the table next to him and smashed it over the demon’s head. The Teufelchen fell in a heap at his feet.
“Boss!” Boris whipped off his sweatshirt and wrapped it tightly around Oskar’s arm to stop the bleeding. He swallowed and peered up into Oskar’s face. “You just saved my life,” he whispered hoarsely.
Oskar shot his assistant a pained smile. “I already have you trained. Can’t afford to start over again with another elf.” Thank God Boris is all right.