Every window was glazed with fog as the hooded figure walked down the illuminated street. No matter where he turned, the town was filled with a jolly atmosphere as people whispered amongst themselves of the exciting news. 

It was a night of pure happiness, for everyone knew what would happen come midnight. Santa Claus, King of the North Pole, would return from his annual trip of delivering gifts to those who deserved them. Even the normally broody hooded man was infected by the positivity that seeped through the vibrant welcoming trees that were scattered through the town. 

He just returned from his own journey, checking off the list of names of those who did more harm than good throughout the year. After seeing the horrors of what the children were capable of doing with their little minds, he was relieved to be back home. Though he didn't necessarily enjoy his job, the man knew that only he could do it. After all, he wouldn't leave all the work to his dear friend.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, sending flurries of white snowflakes to brush against his face when his hood fell. Twisted horns revealed themselves from the depths of his disheveled black hair as it swayed with the wind. 

Before he could regain his anonymous status, a small gasp was heard from behind him. He turned around with alert eyes, preparing to be pelted with slurs.

He spotted a young girl with scarlet locks that peeked from under her green hat who was holding a clipboard close to her chest. The man recognized her to be his childhood friend. 

They barely met each other as his work took up most of his time. He enjoyed staying away from the bright town, for it would ease the residents who loathed him. Yet seeing her made him feel regret. While staying dedicated to his work, he inadvertently pushed her away.

Her eyes wavered, unsure if the man that stood before her was real. There was a long silence between the two while they watched each other, waiting for the other to say something. Yet only the wind spoke, howling cold cries as it brushed against their uncovered skin.

As the snow continued to bite at the man's bare hooves, he quickly flipped his hood back up and looked around, suddenly aware of his surroundings. He had forgotten how unwelcomed he was here; the citizens hated him for his appearance as well as his work. 

Still, he only came to report his findings to the King. So he turned away from the girl who played with him when he was a kid and headed to the ice castle that stood past the clouds.

The girl watched his back as he ran away. She tugged on her black scarf and looked downwards with disbelief. "Prince Krampus," she whispered, as if saying it any louder would disperse the spell of his presence.

I need to get to the king, he thought while running, pushing the elf's call to the back of his mind. The laughter and excitement ceased when Prince Krampus sprinted past the elves, replaced by curses and sneers in their native language. He tugged on his hood, wanting to hide from their hateful glares as much as possible.

Their subtle whispers soon rose to yells of protests the further he walked into town, each voice painting an array of emotions on the canvas of his mind. 'Let's make this quick,' he urged with a shiver. The man sighed, trudging forward with his tail swinging under his cloak. Once he reached the top of the frozen staircase, Krampus rubbed his shoulders before pulling the doors open.

He grimaced at the burst of wind that greeted him when he entered the castle. After hanging up his cloak, he closed the door behind him and turned his head in search of the king. When the goat demon couldn't find him, he sighed once more and muttered, "He should be here by now."

"King Santa?" he called, hoping that he wasn't interrupting a meeting when he walked into the lounge that was doused in mint chocolate. Every part of the room was an opulent design that balanced the fresh mint green and dark chocolate brown. Even Krampus's nose was filled with the scent of sweet peppermint candy. 'Elegant as always,' he reminiscenced with a smile. Krampus was tempted to sit down in the chaise lounge across the room when a scream ripped him from his trance.

He bolted towards the sound, slamming through doors until he heard a crack from a dimly lit room. The door wasn't completely closed, so Krampus took the opportunity to peek in. The first thing his eyes landed on was a reindeer shaking in a puddle of blood. Immediately afterwards, he scowled in disgust at the stench of iron that infiltrated his nose. Another crack made him peer inside, trying to get a better view of who it was coming from.

Once his eyes grew adjusted to the darkness, a silent gasp bubbled from him. There was a man pressing his boot on the reindeer's fresh scars, pushing it further in with a sneer. "You were two times slower than usual, Clyde." a deep, bellowing voice scolded, "I was almost late delivering Jimmy's presents due to your stupidity!"

'I know that voice,' Krampus realized with a gulp just as he spotted the large man dressed in red and white wielding a whip, 'it's the king.'

Before he could yell at the man for treating them so cruelly, the castle faded in front of him. Time seemed to stop all of a sudden, and Krampus floated above the North Pole until everything turned black. A dream? he wondered when he opened his eyes to find himself under the freezing night sky. Where am I?

He tried moving his legs but something prevented him from doing so. Suddenly memories of the distant past seeped into his mind. Oh, that's right. Antarctica. But then, what's on top of me? Krampus looked up to find a penguin on top of him. 

Well, this is new. "Um, hello. Would you mind getting off me?"

The penguin tilted its head and looked him straight in the eyes before letting out a squawk. "Good evening! I don't really want to. You're nice and comfy compared to the snow." 

The bird then shuffled its feet and stretched its neck. "Honestly, I thought you were dead. How can a human even manage to sleep here?"

"Excuse me, but I'm no human. As you can tell from the horns and fur, I'm half goat and half demon." While he talked, he struggled to move his tail from under his back.

"Hm, that's great and all, but I still won't move."

"Boy, I'm getting awfully hungry..."

The penguin flinched but covered it with a shaky laugh. "L-Liar! Everyone knows that demons don't eat animals."

"Ha, did you forget what I said?" Krampus questioned while sticking his tongue out to lick his lips, "I'm part goat. And goats eat anything."

"I'll have you know that m-my meat isn't very filling and wouldn't taste well. How about an a-a-albatross instead?" The flightless bird looked in every direction except for the front, avoiding Krampus's hungry gaze.

Seeing the penguin react so well made him chuckle. "Relax, relax," he teased, "I'm not going to eat you. Don't worry." Once he said that, Krampus took the penguin's distraction as an opportunity to wrap his tail around the bird and lift it up.

"Wh-what are you doing? This is no treatment for a lady!"

"Oh, my apologies, madamoiselle." He set her down and bowed. "My chivalry seems to be a bit lacking. Is the snow to your liking?"

She looked down and kicked her feet. "I guess. But it's not warm like you are."

He laughed bitterly and looked to the sky. "You'd be surprised. Anyways, I need to get going. It was... nice to meet you." 

"You too! But," she tilted her head, "where are you going?"

Krampus stopped walking, wondering the same question himself. He'd been in the Antarctica for almost a century, and he wasn't sure if anyone from the North Pole even remembered he was there. He was exiled, after all.

So he turned to the penguin and said, "Anywhere to distract me from my inner angels."