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As the group pursued the malevolent little elf leader through the dimly lit hallway, they soon came upon sets of doors lining both sides of the corridor.

"Look up there," Mya exclaimed, pointing to the signs above each door, labelled ‘dorms’. "There’s so many of them."

Archibald let out a wistful sigh. "This place was once filled with laughter and magic, so many students used to roam this tower."

Mya turned to the transformed mouse. "And now?"

In response, a palpable silence hung heavy in the air as the mouse shook his tiny head. It seemed none of the children had been spared, leaving the tower utterly forsaken.

Unease settled over the members of the group as they exchanged troubled glances. Their footsteps echoed softly down the hall as they cautiously checked each dormitory door, revealing nothing but cobwebs and layers of dust instead of any signs of life.

"This place feels more like a haunted mansion than a towering academy," remarked Mya, her voice tinged with unease.

Walterfink added, "And the air... tastes funny."

"It does?" Mya asked, poking her tongue out to test the air but ended up shaking her head. "Well, keep your eyes open for anything useful."

"Like what?" Walterfink asked.

"I dunno, maybe something like a magic wand," she replied, turning to Archibald. "Did the students use those here?"

"Wands? Absolutely, and sceptres and staffs as well," Archibald replied. "But they were usually reserved for the older students and teachers. They didn't trust us younglings with them; you might accidentally turn yourself into a chicken or something."

A mischievous glint sparkled in Mya's eye. "Or perhaps a mouse?"

Archibald couldn't help but chuckle.

"So, if you were a younger student, how did you manage to get your hands on a wand?" Mya asked.

"Staff actually," Archibald clarified. He took a deep breath before confessing, "I stumbled upon it in the corridors, shortly after the new headmaster arrived. You see, not long after his arrival, our teachers started disappearing mysteriously. I found one of my master's staffs in the hallway, and I kept it for... protection."

Mya's intrigue deepened. "And what happened to your staff after that?"

"It was confiscated as soon as I transformed and fled. Most likely, it was taken by..." Archibald pointed towards the ceiling, leaving the rest unsaid.

Santa nodded thoughtfully. "Repurposed I’d imagine. The Nutcrackers are definitely made from magic wood, but what's their secret? Every time we defeat one, the power source seems to fizzle out and disappear."

“Let’s hope the answers are upstairs,” Added Mya

With the mystery still hanging over them, they continued on, eventually stumbling upon a set of stone stairs that led upward. Santa turned to Archibald, who’d been their guide so far, "And what’s up here?"

The mouse looked up at Santa, looking apologetic. "As I said, I'm just a younger student. I don't know what goes on in the higher floors of the tower, The only thing I know is what the older students tell me, and that's not much. I think there’s a laboratory up here and maybe a workshop."

“Workshop?” asked Mya.

“I said maybe… We study all types of magic at the tower, from enchanting, conjuring, apothecary and artificery.”

“A lot of magic involved with creation,” mused Santa. “That would explain all the soldiers.”

As they pondered the idea, Walterfink picked up a loose clump of dust and fluff and waved it Infront of Mya. “Is this useful?”

Mya eyed the collection of filth with disgust and shook her head.

Walterfink shrugged and plopped it in his mouth.

Santa sighed, ignoring the strange elf he turned his attention upwards. "Alright, everyone, stay alert as we climb these stairs. And be prepared for anything." With those words, they began their ascent, the mystery of the tower deepening with each step.

🎄Santa’s party has left: Cotton Candy Island (Mysterious Tower - Second floor)

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🎄Santa’s party has entered: Cotton Candy Island (Mysterious Tower - Third floor)

As they made their way up the tower, Santa's worries riffled through his mind. He held his breath, his heart pounding, praying that they wouldn't stumble upon another unwanted surprise waiting for them at the summit. His magical powers were still recharging, leaving them in a precarious position.

Since their intense clash below, they hadn’t seen any more warriors. It seemed that fortune might have decided to favour them at last. Leaving Santa to hope that his little elf zombies had already defeated all the enemies. That way they could corner the evil elf and demand answers from him. Santa thought bitterly, knowing that it won’t be that easy. Why are they going to such lengths to protect the tower? And who was this boss the elf spoke of?

Santa hoisted his sack onto his shoulder and gritted his teeth.

As they ascended, a disconcerting realization began to dawn on them. No matter how high they rose, there wasn’t any signs of access to any of the floors.

🎄Santa’s party has entered: Cotton Candy Island (Mysterious Tower - Fourth floor)

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🎄Santa’s party has entered: Cotton Candy Island (Mysterious Tower - Fifth floor)

"Why are we climbing so high?" Santa mumbled. The last few floors raised questions because they lacked visible entrances, suggesting that something substantial was hidden at the core of the tower.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Santa checked his mini-map, and his thoughts raced as he looked at the centre of the tower, which appeared as a dark and ominous blank space. The staircase they were climbing spiralled around this seemingly endless chasm. He extended his hand to touch the inner section's stonework, but the mystery of what lay beyond remained unsolved.

“The air’s getting tastier,” Walterfink commented.

“Sure, it is…” Mya responded with an exasperated sigh.

🎄Santa’s party has entered: Cotton Candy Island (Mysterious Tower - Top floor)

When they reached the top of the stairs, they entered a completely dark room filled with a strange smell and a foreboding low hum. Only a few faint orbs in the distance offered any clues of what greeted them.

"I can't see a thing in here," Santa admitted, his voice echoing. "Does anyone have a torch? Oh, wait, I think I might have one in my..."

"Illumination," Mya whispered, her voice filled with purpose. Instantly, a radiant golden orb of soft light materialized, casting a gentle glow that pushed back the oppressive darkness.

“Well, that’s better,” Santa admitted.

Above them, swirling clouds of orange smoke obscured the ceiling. Shelves surrounding them held countless vials filled with nefarious-looking liquids, while an array of cauldrons awaited in the shadows. An alchemy lab? Santa wondered.

"I don't recall any of the older students mentioning this place. It feels... wrong," Archibald commented, uneasily. He pointed to a wall adorned with mysterious angular shapes. "What's all that?"

Santa recognized them instantly. Countless screens covered the wall, reflecting the soft golden glow of Mya's orb. Ominously glowing buttons of various colours adorned the table beneath, poised to be activated at any moment. In the background, the incessant hum of towering tech equipment reverberated, lending an eerie and disconcerting ambiance to the lab.

"Where's the dark elf?" Santa asked, his voice cutting through the unsettling ambiance.

Together, they surveyed the room, their eyes scouring the area for any hint of movement. It seemed the cunning scoundrel had managed to find an ingenious hiding spot.

“Tricky little smog herder,” swore Mya.

As they continued their search, they cautiously approached the cauldrons and neatly arranged plant clippings. Santa and Mya exchanged wary glances as they passed, their suspicion mounting with each step.

The herbs and peculiar ingredients exuded an unsettling aura.

"Um, Santa..." Mya began.

Santa turned his face set in a scowl.

"Look, Mistletoe Nectar," Mya said trembling, her finger pointing to a vial filled with a dark, sap-like liquid. "And there's Tinsel Pine Sap and Frosted Holly Berries," she quickly identified. "So S.E.R.G. wasn't kidding... All the poisonous concoctions from the Hot Cocoa are all here."

Santa clenched his jaw, struggling to contain his anger.

Archibald, still trying to grasp the situation, chimed in, "I've never heard of those ingredients. What are they?"

Santa released the tension in his muscles with a sigh and softened his expression, as he began to explain, "These ingredients, they're all sourced from this very island." His eyes scanned the room, observing the multitude of similar herbs patiently waiting to be converted into lethal concoctions. "It appears they've stripped this island bare."

“That’s sure a lot of poison,” Mya added, just as Walterfink reached out to touch one of the vials, Mya shouted and slapped the Tinsel Pine Sap right out of his hand. "Stop that!" she scolded. "That's poison, you goose!"

"Aww. But I'm hungry," Walterfink whined, his eyes fixed on the tantalizing vials.

Mya let out an exasperated sigh, while Santa shook his head in amusement.

"Not to rain on your parade, Mya," he began, his eyes fixed on the ghastly form of Walterfink, "but I don't think these herbs can harm us now, given that we're all..."

"Fair point," Mya conceded.

"It's odd, though. I sense a lingering, strange magic within them," Santa mused.

"You do? I thought it was just my imagination," Mya admitted. “Maybe they had been enchanted to increase potency.”

"They smell yummy," Walterfink chimed in, reaching out for one of the herbs.

Mya swiftly slapped Walterfink's hand away again. "We have no idea what they might do to you."

After carefully navigating around the ominous vials of poison, they converged in front of the computer screens. Mya jumped onto the table and began methodically activating the buttons, one by one. As the screens hummed to life, a sudden hush fell over them all as they comprehended the disturbing images displayed before their eyes.

"Is that?" Santa asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"Oh, Snow drift!" Mya exclaimed. "It is."

Before them, the screens displayed surveillance footage of Christmas Village, captured from a myriad of angles. They could see everything, from the massive tree in the centre of town to the ice rink below and even Santa's workshop. It was as if every inch of the village was under constant surveillance.

"Someone has put a lot of effort into this," Mya remarked, her brows furrowing in concern. "Do you have any enemies who would go this far?"

Santa shook his head then pondered the question. "But for what purpose?"

Mya shrugged and then froze, her finger pointing to a different screen. "Hey, it's our boat!"

Santa turned to see a screen on his left, and sure enough, it displayed their boat—the one they had used to reach the island—engulfed in flames. Santa's heart sank. "Why would they?"

Mya gasped, her eyes wide with realization. Her nimble fingers fell on the controls of the surveillance system, and within a few quick clicks and presses, she found it: the button to switch from Christmas Village to something else. "Santa, look..."

The video stream smoothly transitioned, focusing on a mysterious workshop bathed in an eerie glow.

"Where is that?" Mya asked.

“No idea,” Archibald replied.

Santa gazed down at the wooden boards beneath his feet. He had his suspicions.

On the screen, the massive workshop was big enough to churn out hundreds, if not thousands, of the menacing nutcracker soldiers. At the heart of this workshop lay the source of their power—a ceaselessly toiling machine manufacturing more of these soldiers.

They all let out a collective gasp.

"That machine..." Santa mumbled, his voice tinged with disbelief. "It can't be?"

Mya closed her gaping mouth before answering, "a giant nutcracker."

[Nutcracker Behemoth, Level 64]

"So, nutcrackers making nutcrackers that’s..." Archibald began with a tremble. "Genius," he finished, shaking his head. "Crazy, scary and evil…. but genius."

Santa eyed the red text above the monstrosity and felt his limbs tremble.

The very elf they had been pursuing had managed to pop up front and centre in the workshop, where he now directed the colossal nutcracker. This behemoth was fully engaged in mass-producing an army of the menacing soldiers. As they observed, they noticed a vital component of these creations—a shimmering jewel-like object being inserted into the newly crafted nutcrackers' heads.

"Is that...?" Mya began, her voice filled with disbelief as she pressed her nose against the screen, trying to get a closer look. "A scale?"

Santa eyed the object on the screen, his brow furrowing with intrigue. "How can you tell?"

Mya chuckled, wrinkling her nose. "Santa, I've been playing Dungeons and Dragons for..." she counted on her fingers. "Forty-eight years! I think I know what a scale is when I see one."

Archibald, equally baffled asked, "a scale of what?"

Before May could respond, a sudden rush of steam billowed across the screen, as the tower rumbled in response. Small hidden pipes in the floor burst, spewing forth peculiar-looking steam that created a chaotic swirl of gases in the air. They instinctively craned their necks upward while holding their noses, and for a brief moment, the orange smoke parted, unveiling a colossal skeleton.

“A dragon?” Santa exclaimed.

"They're creating an army of soldiers using magic from dragon scales?" Archibald inquired; his eyes wide with astonishment.

"It certainly appears that way," Santa confirmed.

Mya's gaze remained fixed on the ceiling, her expression shifting to one of melancholy.

"We need to find a way down there and put an end to this chaos," Santa declared with determination. His finger pointed to the malevolent elf perched prominently atop the colossal nutcracker. Over the elf's shoulder hung a large black sack, eerily resembling the one that now lay over Santa's own shoulder. A darkened ribbon of cloth was cinched tightly around it, sealing the sack shut.

Mya's eyes followed Santa's gesture, quickly spotting the object of his attention. "The final piece!" Mya almost giggled. "The hem is around the elf's sack... Santa, is that...?"

Santa nodded sombrely, his expression darkening as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

Mya’s expression turned severe. "Then let's pay this evil puppeteer a visit."

"Spread out! Let's look for the entrance," Santa called out.

As they moved cautiously through the room, scanning every nook and cranny for a possible way to descend into the workshop below, uncertainty loomed in their minds. Santa wasn't entirely sure what they would do once they reached the workshop, but an idea was slowly forming in his mind.

After what felt like an eternity, Walterfink, of all the group members, stumbled upon a tiny, well-hidden lever built into the floor. With a swift pull, a concealed door opened, revealing the entrance to the workshop below. As they gathered around the newly discovered passage, Mya offered a crucial piece of advice.

"Don't engage the giant directly; you'll only get yourselves killed," she cautioned.

Santa nodded, fully aware of the odds they faced.

"But how do we give the big man owies?" asked Walterfink.

Santa's eyes sparkled with a mischievous grin. "This is not a battle against a giant nor an army; it's a mission to disrupt a workshop. Both of you have witnessed your fair share of workplace accidents over the centuries, haven't you? Are you ready to unleash some workshop chaos?"

The two ghoulish elves grinned.

Santa gave them a quick nod, feeling pride fill his chest as he pointed downwards, “Good luck all of you.” He gestured for the elves to go first.

Mya turned back with a look of confusion. “What are you going to do?”

Santa let out a sigh, eyeing the room behind them. He had a plan but wasn’t entirely sure it was going to work. “Don’t worry, I’ll be right behind you.”

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