The forest was drowned in a cacaphony of dangling bells, low pitched dastard cackling and an incessant, preternatural rumbling.

'GruummM' it echoed seemingly from behind every damn tree, bush and snowhill on the incline.

Balthazar shot a worried glance at his traveling compagnions.

Lucia had produced a saber from underneath her expensive-looking traveling cloak which looked too thin to be of any use in combat.

'Ahh' the old man fell unto his knees.

'We'll protect you' she told the sickly pilgrim kneeling in the snow next to her.

'..hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come..' The grey bearded geezer paid her no mind however and quietly prayed away with a rosary in hand. None of us knew his name as he refused to talk except in prayer. Following his jealous look...

Albero the freakishly long limbed peddler was already halfway up a spruce.

Balthazar took some painted pebbles out of his sidepouch as he spotted a nearby pocket of snow.

He uttered an incantation, scattered the pebbles on the ground around them and dove into the pocket short before the first of them emerged heralded by a loud, bright crash and a volley of splinters.

A furry blur was catapulted across the incline and right next to Balthazar. A moment of shock passed as putrid blood dyed the snow where it had landed crimson.

Two tall curving horns emerged from the bleeding mess of fur. Its burning eyes focused..

'Graaahaha!' the exagerated features of a demon exlaimed as it noticed the praying pilgrim and overlooked Balthazar.

It shambled toward the geezer in a hungry dash. Lucia intercepted the thing twice as broad and tall as her with her saber without hesitation using the incline to increase her leverage.

The blade rushed into the creature's forehead ending its life but also embedding itself in the skull of the thing the locals called Krampus.

But it was not alone. More mountain demons emerged from the wreckage.

Three more came sprinting up the incline. They too had horns and fur and fierce features. They also had bells dangling from their hips and waved with bundles of twigs.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Before they could get too far, Balthazar focused some of his power into his palm and shot a bolt of static energy from at the nearest Krampus.

[Experience Bolt: Stumble] he muttered in the arcane tongue. The spell forced someone to experience a misfortune the user had experienced within the lunar month.

'Gah!' the Krampus yelped as the spell forced it to experience stumbling and spraining an ankle.

It fell on one of the painted pebbles thus activating its runic magic [Rune: Flare]. A large jet of fire erupted from the [Flare] rune and cooked the mountain creature alive.

The shortest of them threw a fist full of burning coal at the pilgrim but the tree their predecessor had crashed into finally fell by the side and blocked the projectile while also halting their advance.

That was also when the peddler joined them. Instead of falling from the tree and breaking his neck like he deserved Albero unfortunately leaped from the tree in time and even managed to run the shorter Krampus through with his long sword.

Albero posed triumphantly with a look that screamed just as planned when the one he had run through followed a few steaming coughs of blood with a stream of flame.

'!' the lanky blonde rolled into the snow trying to put the fire out. The remaining Krampus used the opportunity to whip at Albero.

Albero went limb.

'Gahaha' it let out a hearty laugh. But as it attempted to heave Alberos body into its burlap sack another [Experience Bolt: Stumble] hit it. The hulk of fur let go of Albero.

Balthazar could have sworn it was then that a breeze of wind came from the pilgrims direction. A flash of lightning arced from the heavens. The Krampus fell over burned to a crisp.

The pilgrim then walked toward Albero and as he finished his prayer he touched the mans chest.

'Urghh!' Albero jolted awake. He took a moment to compose himself. 'Don't let them whip you. The whipping is worse.'

'Noted. Should I need to choose I will leap into fire instead' Lucia said without the slightest hint of sarcasm.

The pilgrim shuddered. Balthazar agreed with him.

The noise of the Krampus Parade was still drowning out the forest.

'Damn we don't have time for this. We need to find their lair before the night is over otherwise-'

Blood splattered everywhere as something sharp pierced Balthazars gut.

Betrayal.

*Earlier*