The Christmas Mission

Prologue

 The night is darkening round me,

  The wild winds coldly blow;

  But a tyrant spell has bound me

 And I cannot, cannot go.

  —Emily Bronte "Spellbound"

            The cold was a dazzling spectacle. It would dance in swirling snowflakes, howl in harsh storms, crawl up the limbs of trees, buildings, and most of all, human beings, whom it would throw its harsh shadow on to. And once the cold's reign came to an end, it would leave behind an icy wonderland, covering nearly everything in its sight with sharp yet beautiful crystals that glittered in whatever light may shine upon it.

            Yes, the cold was beautiful, but it was also horrendous, a monster of sorts. It consumed one's very heart and soul and left nothing but an empty shell behind. This was what Ruby supposed had happened to the ice nymphs.

            The ice nymphs were powerful creatures, adorned in glittering ice crystals. They were not human in appearance as one might have expected, but they resembled to Ruby somewhat the form of a monster. Starting from their legs grew sharp ice crystals that made up the rest of their body. Down their spine protruded triangular crystals that glinted a dark blue in the night. And on top of their head was crowned an array of sharp icy points. But what frightened Ruby the most were their crystal eyes that were more blue than Ruby had ever seen and their sharp pointed teeth that also glinted in the light, reflecting the sharpness which could easily kill.

            The Ice Kingdom was located deep within the winter woods, locked away from any civilization nearby. It was a magnificent kingdom with icy castles arising from the snow-covered ground. It was nearly impossible for any human being to stumble upon it, but when a poor human being did, the creature was often drawn toward the kingdom's beauty and did not ever return to its original home, sucked into the kingdom of greed and evil.

            As great as the Ice Kingdom seemed to be, Ruby knew that the ice nymphs were unhappy with their situation. Many years ago they had been living at a certain point in the North Pole where the winter lights touch the Earth most brilliantly, and a certain magic had seemed to flow all around them. But they had been driven out once civilization had emerged and the "notorious Santa Clause" had stolen this magic and made them flee their home, enclosing a magical border around the nearby villages and towns to keep them from ever entering again.

            And Ruby agreed with his choice. She had seen the vicious things the ice nymphs could do, heard about the many kidnappings, the slaughterings, and attempts at revenge. She had fallen victim herself to this practice when she was only seven years old, snatched up with her mother when they had straddled too far past the magical border.

            So now Ruby sat cross-legged in a cold and dark prison within the castle of the Ice King. She had spent seven years of her life here now, locked away in the cold. She had seen what the ice nymphs had done, had heard their rage late at night when they howled in anger, and had witnessed first hand the power they possessed.

            Ruby leaned against the icy wall behind her, her breath coming out in puffs. It was a wonder she had never died of hypothermia in this place, and she wondered why the nymphs would not just let her die. They always made sure she had the warmest clothing and was never in danger of dying. Even now, a very heavy coat surrounded her frail and thin body, combined with a scarf, woolen gloves, a hat to nestle around her dark hair, and heavy pants and boots. She could not remember, however, the last time she had felt warmth. Sure, the clothes kept her from dying of hypothermia, but they did not lock out the cold entirely. She couldn't remember the last time her breath had not come out in puffs, the last time ice crystals had not stuck to her long, dark brown hair.