Intermission: Christmas, The End.

December 25, 2009. 12:01 am
It was easily twice Sam’s size, though he couldn’t really be sure. Every time he tried to look at it, his vision blurred slightly, just enough to be noticeable. He was sure, however, that the thing was jagged and cold. Looking on it, his blood chilled, and a shiver ran down his spine, only in part to the freezing air in the throne room. Winter stood, a series of delicate cracks proclaiming its separation from the throne. It held a sword made of i- Sam frowned, squinting his eyes and looking for a hand. No, Winter’s arm terminated in a comically oversized icicle. Sam actually giggled, before he remembered the ice was stinging his face.

At the sound of the laughter, Winter opened one of its mouths and the wind screamed its anger. It threatened to blow Sam over, but he stood his ground, clenched his teeth, and held his sword high. The air shifted and Winter was upon him, swinging and stabbing with its pointed arm. From somewhere, Sam found the speed to match its attacks with the simple blocks his father had taught him. This went on for a long while, the second, closed mouth of the thing holding a sadistic grin. Sam caught a blow on the flat of his sword, held it and laughed loudly. It was half from exhaustion and half from the pure ridiculousness of his situation. Sam had looked up and seen the toy sword he was fighting with. The thing did not like that, and it screamed with both of its mouths, and Sam could feel the encroaching darkness get just a little closer.

Sam let out a yell of his own, breaking the counter and swinging desperately, his sword coming back with slivers of ice stuck to the plastic blade. The thing tried to block, and its pointed arm snapped in half, the toy sword biting into what Sam could only assume was Winter’s heart. Frost and fog streamed from the wound, and the fingers around Sam’s heart first relaxed, then disappeared entirely. The king shuddered once, and started to crack in places. Sam withdrew his sword, and strode into the now calm hallway.

December 25, 2009. 6:35 am
Sebastian, son of Sam, crawled out of his brand new big-boy bed, sneaking carefully up front. He wanted to try and sneak a peek at his presents, and knew his mother wouldn’t be awake so early, and his father either wouldn’t be home, or would be deep asleep on the couch. Either way, Sebastian was seeing just what had been brought in the night. Sebastian frowned in confusion as he eyed the much-abused toy sword leaning against the tree. It was almost as tall as he was. Something was up. In fact, he could swear he saw a pair of black boots behind the tree…

“Aren’t you supposed to be asleep, big guy?” Samuel stepped out from behind the tree, grinning at his son.