Klaus

Prolog

"What the f*ck do you think you're doing?" said the man in a thunderous voice.
His face looked calm but his anger was showing through his gritted teeth, his frowned eyebrows and his clenched fist. His icy blue eyes were throwing lightnings. The thugs looked at him, puzzled. In front of them, a tall white bearded man was standing shirtless in the freezing cold of the winter storm. He was dressed with nothing but a red hat, red pants and leather boots. In his back, he was carrying a giant red bag, and a thick chain was wound up around his muscular upper body.
"Haa?! Who do YOU think you are old man? Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong!" one thug shouted, and approached the man, swinging his dagger.
"I asked you a simple question. What are you doing to this person?" The man replied as he observed the group abandon their victim and slowly surround him.
"That?" the leader pointed at the body lying motionless in the red snow and laughed.
"She's an elf, who gives a f*ck they're just worthless pieces of shiiiarrrggh!!!" his laugh suddenly transformed in a scream of pain.
Floating 20cm above the ground, the white bearded man was holding him by his nose. He whispered, almost for himself, "unforgivable".

As the thug leader was crying for mercy, the old man said "I agree with you. Your nose should stay where it belongs..." then roared "6 feet under!!!" and smashed the leader's head on the icy ground.
At this moment, the others jumped on the old man to subdue him. To no avail. The bearded man swung his enormous bag and sent them flying. 3 hit trees and rocks, 2 landed in powder snow and got up.
"Oy geezer! You gonna pay for that!" yelled one of them.
"Dirk I'm not feeling it something's off" said the other.
"Don't be a p*ssy Phil we're 2 vs 1!" Dirk replied.
"You don't see his aura?!"
Through the whirling snow storm Phil couldn't describe what he saw. A blueish smoke was emanating from the old man's body. And his eyes were continuously leaking blue lightnings.
"What aura? What the heck are you talking about? Let's get him!"
Dirk then charged at the old man in an angry attack, swinging his club. Phil shook his head, but as soon as he looked at the bearded man again, the vision was gone. Unsure, he still gathered enough courage to follow Dirk's lead. This time around, the latter wasn't lucky, and Phil immediately stopped his own attack.
Under the sharp look of the old geezer, he felt like an ant about to be stomped on and sent to the 2D world. He peed his pants. And then...
"Hm. Stay here." the old man said and turned around, walking to the elf.
This was Phil's chance to flee, forget everything and start a new life. But as soon as he started to sneak away, he heard the man's thunderous voice "Where are you going?"
Looking back at him, Phil saw the elf covered in thick fur blankets in his arms.
"Lead me to your place."

No sooner said than done, the old man layed the elf in the cleanest bed he could find in the sole room of the chalet. He blew up the fire in the hearth, then immediately started treating her. His bag seemed to contain an infinite number of things. Was that magic? Phil couldn't help but wonder. After all, what else could he do, hanging tied up from the ceiling?
"I have a mission for you. Get me these ingredients from the nearest potion maker you can find."
Phil must have dozen off because hearing that thunderous voice out of the blue nearly gave him a heart attack. In that moment, the rope that held him was cut and he fell on the floor. Freed from his bounds, he accepted the list given by the old man. He couldn't understand what was written. It wasn't that he couldn't read, but the ingredients mentionned where absolutely obscure to him. However, something was telling him to trust the old man. Until now, his intuition has never been wrong, and the times he didn't listen to it led him to desastrous situations. He also didn't want to be crushed.
"Erm... What do I say when they ask what is it for?"
A cloud came into the old man's eyes. After what felt like an eternity of silence, he opened his mouth again.
"Tell them... tell them, Santa is back. Tell them, Santa Klaus is back in town."