4. Xin
Xin
Noise invades my peace before anything else. The pain is thankfully gone but something isn’t right. Have I been returned to my home? Was this all just a dream? A warning to behave and stay out of business that does not concern anyone other than our elders?
Those jubilant thoughts are dashed when I open my eyes and find myself in an unfamiliar place. Some kind of innkeep for produce and animals, but none of either around.
Disappointment drops low in my stomach and I shake my head. The heavy movement throws my body off and I start to wobble. I try to catch myself and realise that my arms aren’t moving.
What the fuck happened to me? Did my bones permanently break?
I check if I’m in one piece, but stop dead when I see furry legs and hoofs. I jerk away, as if I can evade my own body. That’s when I notice something on my face.
I reach up to swat it away. Only I’m met with a long, gnarly snout, and it’s mine.
“AAAARRRGGGHHHHH. What the fuck.”
I try jumping back, screaming again when my front end kicks up off the floor. My head nearly hits the ceiling, I’m so high. Eager to find out more, I kick up again, my eyes darting everywhere.
All around me are stalls similar to mine. With straw coating the floors. Where am I? I growl, bashing into the wall. It easily gives way under my weight, and I rear back determined to break from this space.
Panic building in me has me rearing up and down, as though I can’t control this new body. Oh Gods, is this my new body? This is my true punishment, I am not only dead, but I will live in the hellunder as a beast for all eternity.
“You better get out there before he smashes the whole thing down.” A grumpy voice mutters from somewhere outside my walls,
I pay it no attention and continue bucking in pure panic. I can’t fucking stop, I have zero control and that is frightening.
“Dash, I'm serious, you better get out there. Now!”
“Alright. Damn Rudy, you are a bossy bastard when you want to be.”
Hurried footsteps have me tensing up as a man throws open a gate and rushes towards me, not at all put off by what I’ve become.
He raises his arms before speaking.
“Vixen, It’s ok. You are safe.”
His voice sounds familiar… The voice before I passed out. I suddenly stop rearing, and my panic is exchanged with something else. An overwhelming feeling. Rage.
“You! You did this to me.”
“No I didn’t. I helped you through it. The more you fight the harder it is.”
“And now I'm dead!” I roar letting the animal in me out.
Before I know it, I’m charging in the direction of the man. My killer.
“You’re not dead. You’re a reindeer. We all are,” he shouts, but I continue to charge his way.
The red fury pushes me faster, but his words begin to register. My brain takes in what he said seconds before I’m close enough to do any damage, and somehow, I manage to come to a halt inches from his nose.
Not dead? Reindeer? Fucking what?
The voice – Dash – didn’t even attempt to move as I charged at him. Even now he’s standing in front of me, arms folded and looking somewhat bored... My jaw tightens as the anger reignites.
“What did you call me?” I tilt my head and go to take a step, but that new weight on my head makes my full body sway.
Dash points up at my head. “The antlers. They weigh a tonne, but you’ll get used to it.”
“I don’t want to get used to it!” I jerk around again, jumping and kicking in hopes they’d pop off. But they don’t budge. “If I haven’t passed on, where am I? What am I? Why am I?” I say once I‘ve given up.
So many questions tumble free but I’m too hyper to wait for answers. My eyes race around the room for a way out of here, but pause when Dash starts shouting.
“You need to come in here and talk to this one before I fuck it up like I did with Rudy.”
Laughter rings out from an archway as a short older man flanked by three bigger men enter the room. The large men are of varying ages. Two older than me and one appearing younger, but I don’t pay them much attention as my eyes lock on the short man.
His familiar laugh is somewhat calming, but I keep my guard up; and with that, a new found aggression. My shoulders puff up and I instinctively scuff a front hoof.
“Oh he looks pissed. He’s gonna blow,” the younger one smirks.
“Shut up, Rudy. You’re always stirring up shit!” Dash shouts, giving him a dirty look that’s ignored.
So that's the Rudy he fucked something up with?
Slow movement in front of me has me looking down and I see the short older man walking towards me with purpose. He shows no fear or surprise at my new form, and again I feel drawn to him. He smiles at me through his pure white beard.
“I will explain everything to you, including who I am, but first I need you to relax so you can shift back,” He states like it’s just that easy.
“If I knew how to do that, I wouldn’t be standing here on all fours in the first place.” I huff, knowing I am still anything but calm.
The old man simply nods at my outburst and reaches up to place his hand on my long snout. The moment he makes contact with my furry skin, an overwhelming sense of peace takes over me. I close my eyes, enjoying the security and safety I haven’t felt since I was a youngling.
“Deep breaths, Vixen.”
Vixen? My name is Xin, I want to say but all I do is breathe deeply as instructed. A harsh tingle runs through my body and all my limbs relax. It’s easier to breathe and after a moment I open my eyes.
I'm closer to the man now, and his hand is on my cheek. My normal human cheek.
I sigh in relief. “That’s better.”
The stranger smiles and takes a step back, “See, Rudy, this is what you were supposed to do. That way you don’t freak out and have to be brought back by force.” One of the older men gripes from where he leaned on a stall door.
“I know, asshole. I wasn’t exactly myself!” he mumbles.
The old man flaps his hand behind him to silence their conversation, and gives me his full attention.
“Ignore them. Welcome to the North Pole on the planet called Earth. I am Kris, but most choose to call me by my more known name. Santa. Santa Claus.”
My eyes widen. I’m not dead, I've been sent to another planet. Earth? I feel the heat bubbling again, and force myself to take a breath. Don’t freak out like buddy said, just listen to the old man. Focus.
I take a deep breath as he continues, arms folded, listening intently to every word.
“Your name here will be Vixen, at least it will be to me.
For thousands of years, men from your planet have been called to me when needed.
They are entered in a hundred year length of service where they receive the ability to shift into a reindeer, and once a year they lead and fly Santa's—my—sleigh to bring gifts to children all around the world in one magical night.”
It feels like my eyes may fall out of my head. I want to ask if this is a joke and he is really the leader of Hellunder when he keeps speaking.
“Obviously with the length of service, some things would have to be addressed. For instance, over the next one hundred years you will not age. You will be cloaked in magic in order to make it appear that you have to the locals, but here you will stay the same.”
What’s a local? Wait, slow down, I blink rapidly.
“Most importantly, you will be able to find a mate here and live out your lives together. They will also not age while you are in service, but they will also not be able to give you children either. Once your service is over, you are free to move on with your mate or stay in service for longer if you wish.”
He says it as if I should be satisfied. Like there shouldn’t be a question on my mind, but there were tons. Everything he said to me was foreign, and hard to comprehend, but one thing he said stands out for me.
“What’s a mate?”
The others laugh and look at each other, clearly knowing the answer. I grind my teeth as the intense heat starts coming back.
That’s when a small person comes into the room and walks over to Rudy. His harsh features soften immediately as they speak in hushed tones.
I have never seen such a creature before, and I am mesmerised. I turn to Santa—who is smiling at me.
“That’s a mate. They are called females, and tend to be delicate and beautiful as well as a little troublesome. They pair off with the man of their choosing, unless they are your fated mate. Eve is a fate mate, Rudolph's mate to be specific.”
The more he explains, the more excitement grows in my stomach. Well until Rudy’ red eyes glow at me.
“Yeah, she’s mine. So you can keep your eyes to yourself before I pluck them from your head.”
I raise my hands in surrender. “Apologies are mine.”
“I know it’s a lot and there is so much more to discuss,” Santa chimes, ignoring the bravado. “but right now I think you’ve heard enough, at least until we’ve eaten. Now do you have any questions?”
I nod furiously. “Yeah. Where do I find one of those female-mate things?”