The next morning went about as well as could be expected.

The news came just a little past dawn.

The stable hands had arrived at their usual time, ready to get started on the reindeers' feeding and grooming, only to be met with a nasty shock from the previous night.

The barn was unlocked and had been the scene of a bloodbath.

Since the courtyard and halls were still somewhat empty, Dai Kaio was pretty much the first one to hear of it. The Kai that banged furiously on his bedroom door could barely utter a comprehensible sentence, but all the Lord of Lords needed was to hear the fear and urgency in his voice, and look at the haunted eyes.

The Lord of Lords was dressed in seconds and instantly transmissioned to the palace's courtyard, but not before sending a telepathic alarm to all his Supreme Kais, Kibito - his chief guardian, and Mr. Owen. They were to meet him at the barn; one reason was to see if anyone could identify the slain Kais from any of the sections they were in charge of, and the second was to keep the leaders close and informed once he was able to figure out what happened.

But there was no need to ask his Supreme Kais to take a look. When he arrived, it took only a second for Dai Kaio to register the scene before him, and he recognized the two corpses... once he was able to find the pieces to where he could make out certain features.

He paled, putting the back of his hand to his mouth. It was ugly and painful to witness but he gave himself a moment to clear his thoughts before taking a level-headed approach. Later, he would mourn. But for now, he instructed the stable hands to close off the barn, take the reindeer out to graze, and instructed Kibito to have a security team ensure that anyone who was not a Supreme Kai to steer clear of this area.

Once that was tasked out, the Lord of Lords waited outside and soon felt the presences of the others arriving and making their way into the courtyard. He counted them silently - 12 so far, their faces filled with fear and dismay. They all had yet to go inside the barn, clearly reluctant to even do so.

Owen and Thorsen were approaching Dai Kaio just as Elder Kai arrived. The others - his favorites and his own team - followed soon after.

"Mr. Owen," Dai Kaio addressed solemnly, "I'm sorry we're to meet under these circumstances, but I'm going to need your assistance closely on this. Could you follow me and tell me if you're able to identify the creatures inside? Perhaps you've seen them on your expeditions."

Owen paused first, then nodded with slight apprehension. ''I'll certainly try my best, Sir.''

Owen was a tall man, about 5'11,'' clotted cream-colored with a stocky build, his long white hair pulled back and parted halfway into a ponytail. He wore the same guardian attire as Kibito, but he always spoke with the calm resolve of a veteran diplomat. He hardly ever rose his voice unless it was necessary. At all times, Owen needed to be open and flexible due to his constant encounters with strange lands, but he was uncompromising in his morals and cared greatly for his people. He was only hesitant now because of what this trouble could mean.

So Dai Kaio led Owen, along with Thorsen, toward the barn. They pushed through the side entrance into the darkness. Kibito followed the trio in case his support was also required.

The smell was foul, accosting their noses.

It wasn't long before Owen stopped in his tracks, his eyes dancing over the scene, gazing over the three monsters slowly, disbelievingly.

"Have you encountered these beings before?" Dai Kaio asked.

"I have," the wildlife expert said slowly. He pressed his lips into a thin line, then he ran a hand over his mouth and a little over his beard. "They aren't from here. From this planet, I mean."

''How is this possible?'' Kibito asked.

South Kai came rushing in after them through the side door at that point. He wasn't alone. West Kai made a appearance, followed by North Kai and Elder Kai, having decided to follow suit. Nobody else was eager to join.

South Kai, the tallest and strongest among them, reached him first before noticing the mess; his hand clutched his leader's arm immediately, his breath catching for a moment then resuming harshly. His appearance was deceptively authoritarian, but everyone who knew him knew he was as kind and gentle as any Kai, possibly more so due to his large stature. Being the biggest usually brought more of a sense of responsibility over how he treated the others, assuming the role as a protector.

North Kai looked to the corpses, stunned, horrified. "I... I know these two." It was a quiet whisper.

"I do, too." Dai Kaio acknowledged, his face sullen.

For a long moment there was silence.

"Master," Thorsen said suddenly, looking at Owen and pointing at something on the far back corner on the ceiling of the barn. Owen stepped closer to where he stood and discovered a nest that had been laid in a high corner. It was tattered and shredded, and mostly empty.

"Are... Are they from the South Pole?" South Kai asked warily.

It had been everyone's first thought.

"These aren't," Owen said as he looked up at a different angle, motioning to the carcasses of the three monsters, "but I think the animal that ate them is. The things you see here are called Horrors, and for a good reason. They're from a planet in a whole other galaxy." He pointed to the nest. "Nobody saw this until now? What time does the barn close for the night? When does everything usually settle here?"

"Just before sundown, sir..." said one of the stable hands quietly. He was the same one that went to retrieve Dai Kaio, just standing in the back and looking so small and fearful. "W-We secure it every night..." he shook. "I-I swear... we check everything thoroughly..."

"You're not in any trouble, son," Owen soothed calmly, putting his hands up, "but just to be sure, is it possible this might've been overlooked?"

"No, sir. There's no way."

"Were the locks broken when you arrived?"

"Possibly, sir... They're missing."

Owen blinked. "What about any destruction? Any holes in the walls?"

"Just one of the reindeer pens. And... that," He pointed to the wall to the side.

Sure enough there was a hole that burst inward, with pieces of wood splintering here and there, but it was too small for it to belong to the Horrors.

And Owen said so. "Something as big as these and there's hardly any damage to the barn itself?''

''This is madness! How could such despicable creatures get past the protective barriers?'' Kibito practically demanded. ''The wards surrounding the North Pole prevent anything evil or with cruel intentions from passing through!''

''That's just it.'' Owen replied smoothly. ''These things live off instinct. They can't determine good and evil, which can explain how they could pass through the barriers, but I... don't know how they could've made it here..." - he frowned - "unless they had some help."

"You mean someone might've accidentally let these things in?" West Kai asked sadly, looking to the bodies from the corner of her eye.

"No," Owen shook his head once, "I mean, someone must've intentionally brought them here - to this planet and to the palace. There's no way they could've come here, otherwise. No one would've missed them even if they had hitched a ride somehow. Even while little, they're dangerous. The Horrors were also here long enough to produce a nest. They grow fast and breed fast, but... If I didn't know any better, I'd say someone waited until the barn was closed off and put them in here."

"What?" South Kai asked incredulously. "How could anybody...? W-Why...?"

"I don't know. It's hard to tell anything without a witness. This is the first time we've ever been breached like this."

"Do you suppose there could be more?" Dai Kaio asked earnestly.

"No. Any more and the situation would've escalated, I guarantee it. The palace would've been invaded and there would've been a lot more casualties than this. These things got the taste of our blood. I'm confident that the being that killed them did some rounds of its own, too. But just to be safe, we'll do an area-wide search."

"And what about the creature that attacked the Horrors?"

Owen folded his arms over his chest thoughtfully. "I'm thinking that whatever it was, it was wandering the area, not really understanding why it was drawn here. Then it heard the attack as it was happening and came flying in." He gestured to the hole in the wall. "Only it was a little too late. It's definitely thorough. It even ate most of the eggs from the nest and crushed whatever it couldn't stomach."

"You say a South Pole native did that?" Elder Kai asked. "How do you know?"

"They're the only ones I've seen be able to," Owen replied, shifting his weight to one leg. "And they're sensitive to changes in the atmosphere, in the environment, possibly even more so than we are. They will destroy anything that doesn't belong somewhere if it poses a threat. I'm sure you know, sir," he told Dai Kaio, "they're very particular about their isolation. They've developed a keen awareness of danger, and are not against seeking it out to get rid of the problem... and now I'm assuming even if it means crossing some boundaries."

Dai Kaio said nothing, looking down. He trusted Owen's word. The man was competent in his job and had worked with South Pole natives before on his missions, and that type of relationship took years built on trust. He was possibly the only one they allowed near. Not even Dai Kaio had ever been able to get close enough; they were too skittish of outsiders that didn't require punishment.

West Kai looked worried. "Is it a danger to the others? What are the chances it's still here?"

It was Dai Kaio who replied. "Krampus' creatures are mischievous, of course, sometimes to the point of being almost violent. Their job is to punish bad children, bad people, and those who disrespect the Christmas spirit... but they're not evil. Even if it's still in the area, so long as nobody provokes it, it shouldn't cause any harm. However," he looked around, as if searching for something specific, his expression growing more pinched, "right now I'm more concerned about a missing person. One of ours.'' Dai Kaio straightened the moment he couldn't find the energy signature he'd been looking for on the palace grounds. ''He's not here.''

"Sir?" West Kai looked down too.

"East Kai!" North Kai added suddenly, his face alert. "These men are his team! My, Gods... If there's a chance he was here, then why isn't he among the bodies?"

The others paled then, suddenly realizing the smallest among them had yet to show up.

Dai Kaio glared. "It looks like we now need to start a search team. Kibito, I need your best trackers. Have them search the entire perimeter of the village and into the woods. If they spot something - or someone - strange, they need to contact Mr. Owen or myself immediately and wait for us."

"Yes, Lord!" The sturdy Kai was out in a flash.

"What should we do, Sir?" West Kai asked.

"You and the other Supreme Kais get your team leaders to start rounding everyone up into the great hall," Dai Kaio instructed. "Don't startle them but let them know it's a serious matter, and don't mention the two bodies yet to the workers. I will take care of that later. While the search is going on, we can have everyone break into small teams and see if they can find anymore nests. Don't engage with anything hostile; just call on Mr. Owen or Thorsen. I will go assist Kibito in his search."

"Right!"

And then West, South, and North were gone.

Elder Kai rose his head knowingly to Dai Kaio. "Don't worry about this part. You have enough on your plate. I'll send for an angel to assist with the bodies and make arrangements for a burial. We'll send these boys out with the proper respect."

"That's greatly appreciated, Sir." Dai Kaio nodded. "Thank you." Then the elder made his way out.

"Master,'' Thorsen asked softly, his expression full of concern, ''are you all right?"

Thorsen was a bright, courageous, and kind-hearted young man. He stood at 5'9" and was well-built - most likely from the years of handling foreign wildlife. He had a mohawk that tied off into a ponytail, was rose-colored, and possessed deep black eyes. He held a deep and great respect for his teacher and had a more magnanimous view on beings like humans and mortals, possibly better than most Kais. He too wore the assistant attire as his mentor.

"I've worked with these two, especially Victor there," Owen said gloomily, his hands on his hips. "This should not have happened. But because it did, I can't help but think we might still be at risk."

Dai Kaio placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. "Once we find East Kai and make sure there's no longer a potential threat on the land, we'll sit with the Supreme Kais and formulate our next course of action."

"Yes, Sir."

"In the meantime, I need your help with the teams. Right now, with your experience and knowledge on these creatures, you're our best defense."

"... I'll do what I can."

"Thank you for your help."

Owen nodded as Dai Kaio walked on to address the stable hands, instructing them to bring the reindeer inside the palace to the inner stables once the animals were done grazing, then to close off the barn until an angel arrived.

Owen motioned for Thorsen to follow him as he made his way out. "Come on, son. Let's tackle this thing. The less time wasted, the better."

"Yes, sir."

Dai Kaio watched them go. The only thing that kept the God of Creation on edge now was that he still wasn't able to pick up on East Kai's life energy.

Unfortunately, that could usually only mean one thing. And it would be some time before they found him...

Somewhere and sometime later out in the woods:

When Shin first woke, he couldn't think or move. He had woke with a start, his awareness still muddled and adrenaline pumping.

Almost immediately, Shin's mind demanded rest despite the headache throbbing at the back of his skull. Though every time he tried to close his eyes, they would snap open, the feelings of something trying to eat him forcing his body to jolt awake once more.

He vaguely decided to look around.

From what he could tell, he was somewhere dark yet dry. He could smell freshly dug up earth and sweet roots. He realized he lay on his back, and when he tilted his head to one side, he could see a small ray of light coming from what appeared to be an opening just a few feet from him, and it led down what appeared to be a tunnel to some kind of burrow. Only it didn't come to him that he was in a burrow, only that he knew he shouldn't be in one.

Sluggishly, his eyes dragged over the small space in which he found himself.

That's when he noticed a few tiny objects beside him. At first, he dismissed them as pebbles, but then realized that they were too colorful to be stones of some kind.

It was candy... like the kind he had...

Shin couldn't finish that thought, but his heartbeat had began to regulate once more and he felt drained. How long he had been there he had no idea. But finally one clear, lucid thought swirled in his mind, telling him to ''get out.''

When he could think again, he felt carefully to determine which parts of his body were functional. Once he was satisfied that everything could move and seemed to operate normally, he stared for a long while at the opening of the tunnel. Then, very weakly, he rose himself up and crawled.

Inch by inch, he mechanically worked his way out in that same muddled mental state, until at last he emerged out of the tunnel, squinting as the harsh rays of light offended his eyes. It was only when his entire form pulled free that he collapsed back onto the snow beneath him, the icy crystals crunching under his weight. He lay there, breathing steadily for several minutes, his eyes still bleary and uncomprehending.

I have to sleep for a while, he thought.

Tired and unable to do much more, he once again faded into blackness.