The two men who had centuries of history together cut ties the moment Krampus broke his sacred binds. "I can't agree with your beliefs. You've grown too vain for my liking."

"My, my. This coming from a demon?" the king taunted before tapping Krampus' cheeks, "How cute."

"Cut the bullshit and let me go." He could already feel his voice growing hoarse.

His Majesty let out a snicker, pressing his fingers against the goat-demon's jaw. "Well, you heard the man; let him roam free."

A snowman looked up. "But Sire-"

King Santa turned his head to the guard and stared at him, daring him to repeat himself. "Speak another word and you may not be so frosty tomorrow. Now, I'll say it one more time; let the man go."

"U-Understood." After that sentence was muttered from their snow-frosted lips, they slipped their arms from around the prince and saluted the king.

Krampus was utterly speechless as blood dripped from his healing wound. He had the entire town in the palm of his hand and no one seemed to be doing anything about it. He turned around with a huff, hooves scraping against the hardened floor when he walked away. He needed to stop him, and wouldn't be satisfied until he was dethroned.

"Oh, you want to know why I brought you back?" King Santa started after biting a truffle, "I knew you wouldn't be able to do anything. So just stay in your place and go babysit the little fuckers."

Krampus tightened his fists and refused to respond. Dethroning be damned, he needed to kill him. When he slammed the chocolate door open, the only words his ears could pick up from the other side of the hall were, "Clean this up."

The goat demon groaned when he caught Jack Frost leaning against the chocolate caramel wall, a smirk plastered on his frozen face.

"What is it now," Krampus growled, not in the mood for tricks or treats as the door closed behind them.

"You. It's hilarious―you, the great Christmas devil, restrained by a couple of snowmen while Sandy Claws cut you open like a can of tuna."

The prince stomped to the blue man and bared his fangs. "Whatever mind games you want to play with me, I'm not interested."

"Alright, alright." Jack rose his hands in defense. "But just so you know, if you have any intention of harming the king, I'm obligated to retaliate."

Krampus' tail swung quicker than a windmil. "I'm not in the mood, why can't you understand that?"

"Ah, but if you really weren't, then why are we even talking? Tell me, were you filled with nostalgia at the sight of me?" He traced Krampus's goat ears.

Krampus hissed from the snow trail his finger left in its wake, taking a step back. "Don't touch me."

Jack chuckled. "Oh, having a change of heart are we? But if I remember correctly, you used to touch me al―"

Krampus covered the creature's mouth before he could finish. "Not another word." When he saw the man's cobalt eyes shimmering, he removed his cold hands. "Don't bring up the past; we didn't even last long."

"No, but keep this up and you won't either." Jack's gaze took a sharp shift from regret to worry. "I don't want that to be our last memory."

"I know how to handle myself." Krampus crossed his arms, keeping his side-slit eyes anywhere but on Jack. He turned to the exit when long arms draped over his shoulders. 

"Never turn your back on the enemy. It might cost you your life one day,"  Jack warned, then presumed to press an ice shard against his back.

Krampus sighed before kicking him back. "You aren't an enemy."

"How are you so sure? I tried to kill you this evening."

He laughed at the question and turned his head towards the man. "Well, my back wasn't turned on you that time." He then bowed before opening the door to let himself out.

Tim's spear greeted him when he was outside. "You've got some nerve, kid."

"Calm down. I think he's gotten his fair share of a good beating from the king," Yuki said while gesturing towards the gaping wound in Krampus' stomach.

Tim scratched his head, letting snow fall to the ground, and turned his stone gaze to the goat demon's stomach. "Oh. What? Shouldn't you be―I don't know―dead?" he snapped, cringing back at the sight of his visibly cut organ.

"I get that a lot, it seems," Krampus muttered while staring at his stomach and the blood that colored his fur auburn. "Oh, this? Yeah, me and Santa were just wrestling around. He only cut my omasum*. My other three bellies are still kickin'."

Yuki narrowed his eyes. "Interesting. Anyways, we'll make sure to mention the corpses in the yard to the king."

Krampus clicked his tongue. "Don't worry; he already knows," glaring at the castle for a moment before walking away.

Somehow, he needed to find a way to free the North Pole from this disaster of a monarchy. If he killed him now, they'd know he did it. By now, all of the guards knew how much hatred he held for that bastard king. He looked at the snow as he wandered aimlessly through the streets of the abandoned town. There had to be something. Traps? Arrows? Sleeping spells? He stopped walking. Oh, poison! Vanilla mentioned flowers before―he had to see her.

Once he spotted the tall white building that held all of the prisoners in its clutches at the end of town, he ran for it. The wind howled at him, determined to drag him to the snowy ground as it threw broken snow crystals in his eyes and scars. The brush of snow burned his healing wound without any mercy.

Ice coated the smashed windows and wrecked furniture with haste. Once the wind grew louder, almost as if it was screaming in his ears, Krampus stomped his hoof and grinded his teeth. "Jack!" 

The wind's cries grew louder, making Krampus regret throwing away his clothes. It laughed around him and whispered, "As you wish. Just don't let the frost bite."

In other words, don't get caught.

"You got it!" he yelled to the wind, provoking a chortle from the ubiquitous being. Just as sudden as it started, the wind ceased, allowing the snow to drift at its own pace.

Now that he was without distractions, Krampus dashed through the snow until he was at the doors that smelled of vanilla. Haha, Vanilla. I bet she hated this place, he thought.

After pulling them open, he wasted no time in reaching the elevator, his hooves clicking on the cream-coated floor while he ran. Once the doors closed and he was alone, Krampus sighed once more. So much shit to deal with. Before even thinking about killing Santa, Krampus knew he needed to rest. But he couldn't, not yet. He licked his lips just when the doors opened.

"Vanilla!" Krampus called once he stepped in front of her cell. She bolted up with a startle, flipping out from under her blanket rather ungracefully.

"What the hell, Krampus? Do you know what time it is?" Vanilla pulled her pillow over her head with all of her might, eyes squinting.

"No, not really." Although he did remember spending nights nestled in his mother's fur as a kid whenever they visited earth, even then he never bothered to grasp the concept of time.

She folded her arms and moaned. "Well that's great and everything, but what do you want? Hurry up so that I can go to sleep."

"All right; let's cut to the chase. Where's the damn flower?"