I ended up having to make myself comfortable in the vault as the trickster took their sweet time to make their move. The guards came to check on me every hour and when they did, they brought what news they had. Otherwise, I was left to my own devices, so I tried to make the most of it.
I examined the artifacts from a safe distance, studying them to see what I could glean about their power and function. In the process, I came up with several ideas that would undoubtedly be of great interest to my more magically-minded colleagues. They were things that could be done without direct experimentation with the artifacts, of course. Though those experiments would have been very interesting to watch.
I was considering asking the guards if they could bring me some food when I felt a shift in the air that my gut said was the trickster making their move.
The story magic that held the Pole together tightened its grip around all who walked the grounds with such sudden ferocity that I could scarcely breathe. The artifacts surrounding me radiated with the power, perhaps lending their strength to the defense of their home. I lost all track of who and where I was for several minutes before I managed to settle back into myself.
“Holy sugar cookies,” I muttered, too focused on regaining my bearings to worry too much about my unintended word choice. That problem would fix itself in time. The issue of there being a trickster trapped in the vault with me required more attention. “Using the reaction to your distraction to cover your entry. Very clever.”
They didn’t respond but I could feel them watching me from the shadows. I didn’t look directly at it, wanting it to feel safe enough to take its time with its next move. Instead, I put on a show like I was trying to find it, making sure to keep it in the corner of my eye.
“You know, they don’t let just anyone down here unattended,” I commented. “This is one of the most well-protected places in all of the North Pole, which is a pretty protected place to begin with. It must take a lot of courage and know how to pull off not one, not two, but multiple break-ins.”
I pulled a large magnifying glass out of my pack, holding it out in front of me like I was trying to use it to find the trickster, and turned my back to where I knew it was. I caught its reflection as it slipped out of its hiding spot and began to slink around the edge of the room, going to investigate the nearest artifact. The way it moved felt distinctly feline, though the edges of its shape were too blurry to be fully compared to a cat. Even the shadows it cast, faint as they were in the flickering light, shifted to mimic different animals from folktales and myths. Creatures such as this were born from tales told around fires and they persisted even into the modern age with less adaptation than some of their brethren, who were more markedly changed by the shifting of tales.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
I continued talking, continued praising its intelligence, but it gave no indication that it understood what I was saying or that it was paying attention to anything aside from the way I moved. It sidled up to one of the artifacts, only to scurry back as my protections flared. Then it tried another artifact. And another. Each time it was rebuffed it became more frantic in its motions.
“I hate to break it to you, but you’ve wasted a lot of time and energy today, my friend. I have everything in here protected and warded so you specifically cannot reach it. Whatever you were hoping to steal, you will not be getting.”
With a screech it lunged at me, moving so quickly I almost didn’t duck in time. Shadowed, sinewy limbs flailed at me, attacking me with the efficacy of an angry toddler, but this toddler had thieving fingers and nasty tricks, and it was furious at me. It managed to snag a few odds and ends before I could figure out its shape enough to scruff it.
It looked deeply annoyed as I lifted it to eye level, giving it a few shakes to dislodge the bits it stole.
“I know what you are, now. I know what you look like. You are going to leave this place and not come back without direct permission of one of the Clauses. I am letting you go with the understanding that you will not cause trouble on your way out. If you choose to go against that understanding and break my trust, you will not like the outcome. Blink once if you understand me,” I said firmly. The glowing green eyes glared at me for several seconds before giving a single, slow blink. “Good. Allow me to escort you to the edge of the village. You should be able to find your way from there.”
The vault guards instructed me to leave my protections standing, to which I happily consented. My hands were a little full keeping the trickster under control. Once I was certain the vault was secure, I made my way outside. Before long, I found myself being flanked by additional security, which I also didn't mind. Even though I didn’t necessarily need it, it did scare the trickster into being a little more docile.
Activity paused around me as I made my way through the North Pole, carrying a grumpy-looking trickster spirit by the scruff of its neck like a misbehaving cat. Word must have spread quickly because before too long, Maguire came jogging up to join me.
“I've got this handled,” I called out before he reached me. “Can you go collect the Clauses for me? I will give you all a debrief once I've taken care of this one.”
The trickster hissed and swatted at my hand in protest. I gave it a shake and the hissing turned back into a low growl.
“Are you sure?” Maguire asked.
“Yep. It’s a little grumpy but we have come to an understanding. We aren’t going to come back any time soon, are we?” I held the trickster up so I could make direct eye contact. It continued to look annoyed, but it gave me the same slow blink.
“Very well. Where do you wish to meet?”
“Let’s make it the kitchen. After that last story surge, Mrs. Claus is probably baking up a storm.”
Maguire nodded and ran off, leaving me to deal with the increasingly grumpy trickster. I safely deposited it just outside of the bounds of the town, where it scampered off with its tail between its legs. I took my time heading back to the kitchen, checking in with the guards to let them know what to keep an eye out for.
By the time I reached the main house, it was full of the scent of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, and my mouth started to water.