Home for Horny Monsters Ch. 081

Ice didn't do that. At least, it never had for her.

The elevator door slid open, and a cloud of fog billowed outward. Everything the fog touched frosted over with intricate patterns, and Yuki had to bite her lip to keep from swearing.

"I know you're down here." The speaker had a slight husk to their voice, but Yuki couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman. However, the frost patterns had her worried. The intricate nature of laying patterns in frost wasn't something casually done. It took tremendous amounts of effort for such an artistic endeavor, and the newcomer didn't look like he was straining himself by any means. "You made quite the mess of the Cocoa Lounge."

Mike pulled an air filter off and silently lowered it to the ground. He took Yuki by the hand and pushed her into the gap.

"What are you doing?" Her voice was so quiet, she may as well have just mouthed the question.

They're tracking my magic, he replied in sign language. His sign language was sloppy, but passable. He had been working on it with Daisy for over a year now. His magical ability to understand it hadn't translated to being able to use it himself, so it was something he practiced regularly with the fairies.

When the figure emerged from the frost, it was a young man with pixie cut hair, light blue skin and pointed ears. His hair was white, and he had sharp cheekbones that made him look aerodynamic.

There was a napkin balled up inside a crystalline sphere made of ice in his hands. Yuki nearly groaned when she realized it was probably a napkin Mike had used. With a single hair, a witch could track someone to the ends of the Earth. Whatever was in that napkin had made it easy for them to be found. The ball had a silver arrow hovering above it, which oscillated back and forth between where Mike stood and where Kisa was hiding.

"Now that's interesting." The man turned to look at where Kisa and the others were when Mike cleared his throat. "How are you in two places at once?"

"Okay, you've found me." Mike had moved further down the throat of the furnace, where the light didn't quite reach. "Sorry, I got here a little while ago, and have no idea what's going on and kind of ended up down here. Care to explain where everybody went?"

The man looked taken aback, and his bloodless lips pursed together. "You're not an elf."

"Nope. I am definitely a human man," he replied while moving away from Yuki's hiding place. "Just an ordinary guy who fell through his fireplace."

"An ordinary human couldn't do that." The stranger pointed at the arch behind him. "Summon and command the elements. No, I suspect you are more than you seem, and definitely believe that you aren't alone."

"Now, now, no need for accusations. I'm just a random guy lost in a Hallmark movie, and you're coming off pretty strong." As Mike spoke, Yuki could feel the subtle pressure of his magic radiating down the length of the furnace. She felt a need to believe him, to take him at his word and trust that he meant no harm. It was an interesting extension of his magic, and she wondered how much was a conscious effort on his part. Or maybe it was just her own wishful thinking? She would have to ponder it when their lives weren't in potential jeopardy.

"Humans aren't allowed in the Workshop." The stranger held up the ice sphere. "And why are there two of you?"

"Don't know. I'm not sure how that spell of yours works. If you explain it, maybe I can answer your question?"

The man walked toward where the others were hiding, little spheres of ice spinning around him like tiny moons. Yuki realized after a moment that he wasn't even walking--instead, he hovered about an inch off the ground and glided forward.

"We're not off to a good start to begin with, and you're about to piss me off." Mike's voice now contained an edge that was hard to ignore, and he was nearly at the entrance to the furnace. His magic filled the air, and the pressure in the room increased. The man stopped and turned his attention back toward Mike.

"Stop that," he said.

"Stop what?" Mike held his hands out, showing they were empty. Yuki felt a cold breeze inside of the furnace. It was coming from the man with the crystal ball. She pulled the tarot cards from her pocket and began sorting through them to find the right one. Sometimes when she held the cards, a sixth sense guided her to the one that was right for the situation. Other times, like this, she was forced to rely on her own imagination.

"Whatever your magic is doing. Stop it." The man held up the crystal. "Or I will make you stop."

"Then have a proper conversation with me." Mike stopped at the entrance to the furnace. "My name is Mike, by the way."

The man mulled this over, then looked at the crystal ball. The arrow kept twitching away, his features hardening as a layer of frost formed over his skin.

"You can call me Jack." Jack lifted a hand and made a casual gesture, as if shooing a fly. A powerful gale of wind slammed into Mike, but he had crouched down a moment before it hit and grabbed a seam in the floor. His legs nearly slipped out from beneath him, but he remained upright.

Mike conjured a spider made out of lightning and sent it running across the floor. It leapt up and clung to Jack's face, causing him to panic and back into his own ice arch. A couple of blocks fell loose, but the structure remained intact despite the gaps in its support.

Yuki jumped from her place of concealment and drew the Two of Wands. A staff appeared in each hand as she dashed toward Mike. When she made it to his side, she handed one to him.

"They shoot fire," she explained, then held her staff out and summoned a jet of fire. Jack dodged, summoning a sphere made of ice to deflect the flames. Dark blue veins stuck out in Jack's neck as he hovered into the air and pointed at the two of them. The ice arch burst apart with chunks of ice rushing toward them.

Mike ducked under the first one, then jumped over another. He had ignited his staff as well, and sweat beaded along his brow as the two of them tried to evade the icy projectiles while still attacking Jack.

"We can't fight this guy," she said. "Do you know who he is?" Instinctually, she wanted to summon a dozen icicles and turn the man into a pincushion, but had a strong feeling that anything she made would no longer belong to her. Even now, she could feel the magnetic pull of his magic as the shattered ice slid back across the floor toward him.

"Jack fucking Frost, apparently." His eyes flicked over to where the others were hidden. "Think a loud enough noise would make him drop that crystal ball?"

"Maybe." She pulled a pair of earplugs from a pocket in her sleeve and deftly jammed them in her ears. If they could destroy the ball, they could get away. But where would they even go?

Mike took a deep breath and unleashed the banshee's scream. The sound caught Jack off guard, and he covered his ears, causing his shield to drop. Yuki directed a stream of fire at Jack, concentrating it on his hands. The flames licked at his flesh, and when he dashed up into the air, he dropped the crystal ball on the floor.

Yuki turned her staff onto the orb. It melted in seconds, then the napkin ignited and turned to ash. She grinned, happy for the small victory.

The scream ended when Mike ran out of breath, and he was taking another deep breath when Jack let out a howl of rage reminiscent of a blizzard. The whole room frosted over as gale-force winds shoved Mike and Yuki down the throat of the furnace. The floor froze beneath them, and they were now sliding on ice.

"Yuki!" Mike stuck his hand out and grabbed her tail as they slid down the tunnel. She didn't know how far they went, but the icy wind suddenly vanished as the world went dark.

� � �

Kisa crouched down behind the block of ice next to the elevator, her wary eyes on the back of Jack's head. She had moved away from the others the moment she realized that Jack was using their bodily fluids to track them. Now that the napkin was gone, she was safe.

As for Mike, he and Yuki had slid down the long hallway of the furnace and simply disappeared. This seemed to puzzle Jack, who was gazing warily down the throat of the furnace. He picked up a chunk of ice and contemplated it for a moment. When he threw it into the furnace, it slid into the darkness and then blipped out of existence.

"Hmm." Jack turned around and pulled something out of his pocket. It looked like a child's walkie-talkie. He held it to his mouth and pushed the talk button. "The intruders escaped into the furnace. Human man and a fox demon. They disappeared, I don't know why. Over."

The walkie-talkie emitted a piercing burst of static. Kisa winced and held her ears, but Jack nodded as if he understood the sounds.

"I see. Should I send the ghosts after him? Over."

Another blast of static, then silence.

"Understood." Jack put away the walkie-talkie and pulled a trio of Christmas ornaments from his pocket. He set them on the ground and took a step back.

From each of the ornaments emerged a single light, each one about a foot across. They circled over Jack in a tight spiral, changing colors like bulbs on a Christmas tree.

"Find them," Jack commanded. "Teach them the true meaning of Christmas. Then kill them."

One after another, the lights shot into the furnace and disappeared into its depths. Satisfied, Jack walked back to the elevator and pressed the button. Once he was gone, Tink and the others emerged from hiding. Alabaster was clutching his head as if in agony.

"Oh, they have the spirits, how did they get the spirits?" He groaned and looked at the furnace. "I'm so sorry about your friends."

"Why?" Kisa moved to get a closer look at the furnace, but Holly intercepted her.

"It isn't safe," Holly explained. "From here, it looks simple enough, but once you go past a certain point, you can end up anywhere. They could be hundreds of miles away already."

"What the hell? How?"

The elf shook off the minor swear. "We use a sunstone to heat this place. It's essentially a tiny star. The furnace is infinitely long, and always changing. That's why Tinker has had to help us, those goggles of hers are the only thing that can lead you out!"

"Tink go get husband," the goblin declared, pulling the lenses over her eyes. "Fix furnace, too. You see."

"You can't go in there!" Alabaster shook his head. "Jack sent the spirits of Christmas themselves in there! How was he able to command them? Only Santa can do that! As for your friends, they're as good as dead. I'm sorry."

Tink rounded on Alabaster and grabbed him by the straps of his overalls. With surprising strength, she lifted him up and slammed him into the wall. Holding him with one hand, she pulled the hammer from her tool belt and pressed it against his chin.

"Take back." Her voice was quiet, but her yellow eyes had gone wild, and she was breathing heavily through her nose. "Pointy ears wrong, take back wrong words!"

Alabaster scowled at the goblin. "I'm not afraid of you," he told her, then pointed up at the ceiling. "I'm afraid of whoever is up there, running the show. That voice is one of the scariest things I've ever heard, and the fact that Jack was taking orders from it is even worse!"

"I didn't hear anything," Kisa said. "It was just radio static."

Holly and Tink both looked at Kisa. "Really?" asked Holly. "It was all growly."

"Not growly," Tink added. "German." She set Alabaster down. "Tink go in furnace, find husband."

"You won't be able to find him. The goggles will guide you out, but they won't help you find him. And even if you do, the spirits will have gotten to him first. They will show him things about himself that he isn't willing to accept, and will drive him to madness."

"Tink no care." She was already walking toward the furnace. "Husband come for Tink, now Tink turn to help."

"Hey, wait." Kisa caught Tink's tail and held it. "Is it even safe in there?"

"With the heat off? Yeah, sure." Alabaster shook his head. "You're more likely to starve to death, though. Elves who've gone in almost never come out."

"Husband different." Tink whipped her head around. "Always beat odds. Pointy-ears want Tink help? Husband first." She jabbed her finger in Alabaster's direction, then turned back to the furnace. "Fix stupid furnace after."

"Tink." Kisa tugged her tail again. "Hold up. If I come with you, I can sense where he is. That'll help us find him, and then you can bring us all out."

Tink nodded, then looked at the elves. "Tink go now."

"Wait." Holly reached into her pouch and pulled out an impossible length of Christmas garland. She wrapped it around Tink's waist and tied it off, then moved on to Kisa. "Don't get separated," she told them. "Even if you're only a foot apart, the furnace can split you up. Also, I have some cookies you can take with you. They'll keep you from getting hungry, at least."

Holly looked like she was going to say something else, but behind them, the elevator groaned. Everyone turned to look as the dial moved again.

"Are they coming back? Why?" Alabaster frowned as the dial turned. They watched the ornate arm rotate until a hideous screeching sound filled the air when the elevator was halfway there. The shaft vibrated as the lights flickered overhead.

The white elf slapped his earmuffs on and, with a panicked expression, took the garland from Holly. He tied a knot around her waist and gave her a push toward the furnace.

"Run!" He cried, then pushed them again. "All of you! Go, now!"

"Allie, what's happening?" Holly tried to undo the knot at her waist, but Alabaster shoved her toward the furnace again.

"There's no time. You have to get away!" Alabaster winced when a loud screech filled the chamber. The magical lights overhead dimmed to a glow as a low bass tone filled the room, then burst into a symphony of whispers. "One of us needs to survive, and it needs to be you!"

Kisa had heard enough. The sound itself reminded her of the time she fought an angel, and she half expected a winged abomination to burst out of the elevator shaft and demand revenge. She grabbed Holly around the waist and started running toward the furnace.

"No, stop, wait!" Holly tried to fight them, but Tink helped Kisa lift the elf as the two of them dragged her into the darkness of the furnace. Tink handed Kisa a flashlight, then snapped the lenses of her goggles into place.

Behind them, there was a loud whoosh, followed by sizzling metal. Alabaster had pulled out welding torch that looked like a candy cane and was attempting to weld the doors together. The sparks that fell from the magical tool danced around on the floor and laughed like children before puffing into nothingness.

"Keep going!" he cried. "Don't let anything happen to Holly!"

The elevator door reached their floor, then buzzed loudly when the door wouldn't open. Something hit it from the inside, causing the doors to split apart and release a cloud of smoke.

Kisa looked back to see a long dark arm burst forth from the doors and grab Alabaster by the head. Long fingers easily palmed Alabaster's skull and dragged him toward the elevator.

"Mother of Kris Kringle!" Holly's eyes were wide with terror as the doors opened further. Inside the darkness and the smoke, something laughed as Alabaster was pulled inside. "Run faster!"

Alabaster screamed, then went silent. The elevator doors groaned as they were forced apart by a pair of those dark, sinister hands. Kisa let out a shriek as the doors burst open, and then she slammed into a wall and fell. Everything went abruptly quiet, the air stinking of magic and sulfur.

"Ow, dammit!" She scrambled to her feet and tried to run, but Holly and Tink grabbed onto her and wrestled her to the ground.

"Safe now! Safe!" Tink pointed back the way they had come. "Look!"

Kisa looked past Tink and saw that a solid wall had appeared. "Won't that thing come out where we did?"

As if in response, a distant roar could be heard off to her left.

"No, but he's probably in here with us already." Holly shivered. "I've heard the stories, but I never believed he could come back."

"He who?"

Holly sat back on the ground and let go of Kisa, then hugged herself tightly. Instead of speaking, she broke into quiet sobs of grief.

� � �

It was pitch black, and the ground was sloped enough that Mike slid at an accelerating rate. He kicked his legs out to try and feel a wall and felt around for something else to grab with his free hand.

He had a fistful of Yuki's tail in his other hand. Logic dictated that pulling her tail was an absolute no-no, but every fiber of his being screamed Danger! at the thought of releasing her.

Yuki grunted next to him, and he heard a loud pop, followed by the sound of screeching metal. As they came to a stop, he fell over a ledge and dangled by one arm in the darkness. Above him, Yuki howled in pain. He summoned another spider, having it jump and stick to the wall.

The spider provided enough illumination to see that he was dangling over a pit. He couldn't see the bottom, and bits of dirt and ash drifted past them from somewhere up above. Down below, a few tarot cards fluttered out of sight.

"Damn it, Mike! At least grab my leg!"

"Sorry!" Unburdened by a fear of heights, he pulled himself up by gathering her other tails into a bundle and climbing them. He was able to get a solid grip on her ankle. "What are you holding onto?"

"Summoned some swords," she replied. "But I can't let go or we'll fall."

"Understood." He summoned another spider and sent it up the wall and over the ledge. They didn't provide much light, but there was no other illumination to see by. "Better?"

"I see a ledge with a handrail." She grunted, and there was a popping sound from up above, followed by a shower of sparks. "I think I can get us there, why don't you get a better grip?"

Unable to do much else, Mike obeyed. He pulled himself up to her waist, and was chagrined when his head ended up inside Yuki's robes. The lingering odor of her bath with Naia clung to her skin, and if he wasn't dangling over a bottomless pit, he would have chanced extricating himself to assume a better position.

"You're heavy," Yuki grunted, then said nothing else. Progress was slow, and he tried really hard not to notice how smooth her legs felt against his face. Kisa had a thin layer of hair over her entire body, but Yuki's skin alternated between fox and human, creating patches of fur along her body. Her thighs had no such deviation that he could feel, and he wasn't about to ask about her choice in fur distribution.

The process was only a couple of minutes, but it felt like hours. Yuki's movements had slowed significantly, and sweat now poured down her legs.

"You good?" he asked.

"No." She had stopped moving. "We're by the ledge, but I don't know if I can make it."

"We kind of don't have a choice," he told her. "Unless you want me to let go." He wondered if he would fall a few feet and teleport somewhere else in the furnace. It was better to take the chance than potentially killing both of them.

"Don't!" She grunted, then moaned in pain. "Even if you did, I don't think I could pull myself up. I'm sorry."

Mike sighed, his magic uncoiling inside of him.. "Don't be sorry, you're doing your best. This is going to hurt, by the way."

"What?"

He summoned the magic, allowing the raw electrical charge to build up in his hand. Saying a little prayer, he clamped his palm down on Yuki's thigh and let it all loose.

The kitsune tensed up as the charge ran through her body and into the metal hilt of the swords. With his other hand, he pushed her robes open so that he could start climbing up her body. Her eyes were wide and her teeth bared when he moved his hand to her side and transferred the magic over. The current running through her body had locked up all her muscles, and he knew he could only hold out for a few more seconds before the magic was gone.