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Sorey and Rose and their seraphim had decided to stop in Pendrago for the night. They had been fighting hellions left and right as training to take on Heldalf, and they had been encouraging each other to push their limits. The final straw for the training session was broken when Edna complained about a skunk-type hellion knocking her off her feet, to which Zaveid couldn’t help but tease her that she was felled by something so weak. Additionally, it had been getting colder. The blighted rain that once fell across Rolance had ceased after they defeated Cardinal Forton, and they had hoped that it would warm up when the sun peeked through the clouds again, but it still remained damp and chilly. On the way back to the city, they came to realize that it wasn’t rain but tiny snowflakes. Upon entering through the imposing gates covered in new snow, Lailah and Zaveid were the first to notice that things were much more colorful than usual.
Large glass ornaments hung from the awnings of the inn and weaponsmith, and paper lanterns with various images glowed softly as night slowly enveloped the prospering city. The windows of many shops displayed gift boxes with large bows and stockings full of what appeared to be toys and cane-shaped objects. Other lanterns hanging from homes had mistletoe bunches and poinsettia flowers. It was also so strange to Sorey and Mikleo, which surprised their friends. As the two nerdy archeologists of the group, and probably the more adept at the humanities like culture and traditions, everyone else had expected the Shepherd and his water seraph to recognize these decorations.
“So, Sheps here has never heard of Christmas or any sort of holiday gift-giving?” Zaveid asked. “Man, what a let-down! Guess you can’t be the best archeologist in the world now.”
“To be fair, I don’t think Sorey ever aimed to be the best,” Lailah thoughtfully replied.
“Ha-ha, sure, joke at my expense,” Sorey sighed. “Anyway, what’s all this about? Is it a human custom?”
That was when it struck everyone that their beloved Shepherd’s ignorance of Christmas and the general holiday time was simply because he never truly experienced it as a child. Granted there was a first time for everything, even the seraphim in Elysia never thought to teach him about it since they viewed commercialism and the consequent materialism to be more of a vice than a virtue. Zenrus was raising a pure vessel, not someone who wanted to buy everything his heart desired.
Lailah asked for them to go to the inn. She wanted to explain the holiday time over warm food, especially now that the cold was starting to get to her. The decorations in the inn were much grander. A large pine tree sat in the small lounge area, decorated with red and white ornaments and—as Edna soon pointed out—candy canes. A velvet skirt had been placed around the bottom of the tree, and a few boxes painstakingly wrapped to perfection were positioned under it. Whether these were actual gifts or merely props had yet to be determined, and the innkeeper was adamant about making sure no one touched them. Stockings were pinned over the fireplace, and popcorn chains draped in loops under them. Mikleo was somewhat nervous that it would all catch on fire, but Lailah assured him that they wouldn’t. She seemed almost offended that he would think that. Sorey’s emerald eyes focused on the golden star at the apex of the tree with wonder.
“Ahem,” Lailah uttered to grab his attention. “Christmas and other holidays like it are a time when people give presents,” she began. “Humans often give presents to friends and family, and the idea is to spread cheer and be merry; hence, merry Christmas.”
“Used to be that way,” Edna interjected. “Humans have been progressively more and more about buying expensive stuff than acting giving good presents.” She gave Rose an implying side-eye.
“Okay, Party Pooper,” the assassin chided.
Lailah regained her thoughts after the comment then continued. “While people mistakenly think that the more expensive gift is a better indicator of importance, it’s usually just the thought that counts. In fact, people who tend to give gifts with the notion that they want to give rather than to receive are the same type of people that accrue little to no malevolence.”
“So everyone is just being nice to each other,” Sorey said, the romanticism evident in his dreamy look.
“Ooh, that’s not all!” Rose beamed. “There’s a legend about this fat old man that leaves presents for all good boys and girls named Santa Claus. If you’ve been good for the whole year, he leaves you the thing you want the most. Personally, I think he’s closer to a vigilante justice guy who steals from the rich and gives to the poor—I mean, how can he afford to leave all those gifts? And there’s no way his elves are working for free.”
“Case in point,” Edna nonchalantly said. “The holidays have lost their meaning to capitalism.”
Sorey and Mikleo’s interest were piqued now. Surely, they’ve been good boys and while they weren’t completely up in arms about getting gifts, it would definitely be fun to meet this Santa Claus. But how did Mr. Claus keep track of who was naughty and who was nice?
“I’m glad you asked,” Edna answered. “Santa has a list of good children and bad children. And as a secret helper, I get to look at it every year.”
Zaveid and Rose both rolled their eyes. She was obviously up to something, but Sorey and Mikleo, far too enthralled by their new knowledge, didn’t detect it. Edna pulled from the strange secret compartment of her umbrella two bulky envelopes. One was labeled NAUGHTY and the other was labeled NICE in beautiful cursive handwriting. She opened the former, pulled out only a small portion of it, and gasped.
“Oh no!” she emphatically said. “Sorey and Mikleo…are on the naughty list!”
“What!?” Sorey almost cried. He bolted up from his chair in disbelief then demanded to see the list. Edna coyly tucked it back into the envelope and—somehow—back into her umbrella. “Edna, come on! Please! I can’t be on the naughty list! I’m the Shepherd!”
Mikleo came around the table to try and steal the umbrella from her, but he never did understand how she packed things into it or pulled things out. He refused to give up, threatening to dismantle it if she didn’t bring out the naughty list for everyone to see.
“I can believe Sorey being on the naughty list but definitely not me,” he professed. “I’ve made up way less harebrained schemes as a kid than Sorey!”
“How can you say that, Mikleo?!” Sorey bawled.
Rose chastised Edna for making Sorey cry, but she discreetly admitted that it was fun to watch. But because he was so upset, he wanted to find some way to reconcile his position and status with Mr. Claus. The next day, while everyone else went about their holiday shopping, Sorey—and by association, Mikleo—looked for all sorts of odd jobs and charity work to make it back onto the nice list.
It started with advertising for the item shop next to the inn. All Sorey had to do was do a little dance and get people to buy the most expensive item in stock. Sure, it was swindling a little bit, and the gracious Shepherd felt like it was an underhanded tactic, but he couldn’t say no. Once people started taking the Shepherd’s word on items, other businesses saw they could use him for their own profits. When advertising stopped feeling like genuine help, Sorey turned to cleaning the entire city for Sergei and his men. He required Mikleo’s help to pressure wash the cobblestone streets, which the water seraph begrudgingly did out of love for his Shepherd. And then he became the emotional therapist for anyone who was still traumatized by Forton’s actions.
By the end of the day, Sorey was exhausted but happy that he had helped so many people, though it was partly for personal gain. Edna made sure to point that out when they reconvened for dinner.
“Sorey, don’t you think you’re going about this all wrong?” Mikleo asked his beloved Shepherd.
“What do you mean?” Sorey questioned. He was clearly winded despite trying to appear like he could still do more work. “I…I guess being the Shepherd isn’t enough to be a nice boy, so…I’m helping out people!”
“You’re running yourself ragged. Guys, excuse us. The Shepherd needs to have a bath and some time to think.”
Mikleo somewhat forcefully uprooted Sorey from the dinner table, which appeared strange to the regular souls that didn’t have the resonance to perceive the seraphim with him and Rose. They had gotten used to it by now, but it always made for a curious scene.
Upstairs, Mikleo and Sorey soaked in the wooden tub together. What was supposed to be a moment of self-reflection became a debate since Sorey was sure he could get off the naughty list if he just kept doing odd jobs.
“Why wouldn’t helping people work?” the Shepherd asked dejectedly. “I thought…I thought I was helping people as the Shepherd already…”
Mikleo stepped towards him, stroking his damp hair so that it was tucked slightly behind his ear then cupped his cheek in his delicate hand. “Sorey, you’re a huge help to everyone. It may not seem like it, but you’ve done more than enough for all of humanity,” he tried to convince him. “Even if I didn’t want you to become the Shepherd, I’m glad you are now.”
“Thanks, Mikleo, but I have to keep trying.”
“Well, if nothing else, you’re persistent. But really, take a break. We can’t have the Shepherd keeling over from overwork, and I can’t lose the one person I want to be with forever.”
That night, as Rose slept and the other seraphim found different places to sleep in their tiny inn room, Sorey lay next to Mikleo with mounting questions. What could have possibly made him a naughty boy? He sprang up, the answer clear as the moon in the sky in his head. Mikleo turned to him, and feeling his weight shift as Sorey sat closer to the edge of the bed, he opened his eyes.
“Sorey?” he whispered.
“I think I know what I did,” Sorey told him. Mikleo crawled over to him. When he sat next to him and rested his head on his shoulder, he sensed how terrible he felt. “I bet it’s when we got into that fight when I became the Shepherd.”
“You can remember that?” Mikleo asked him in a vain attempt to pretend like their fight had never happened. “What was that even about?”
“Mikleo…”
Sorey turned to look at him, his emerald eyes dark with worry and regret. Mikleo realized that he was serious. He would have kicked himself if he could—how could he not notice that his Shepherd was bothered by something that now seemed so trivial? He suggested that they take a walk together. Sorey agreed, and he stood up from the bed. There was little point in putting on his earrings or the Shepherd’s cloak or carrying his sword. He strapped his Celestial Record in the pouch on his rear in case the walk didn’t help. Surely, he believed that the brisk night air would clear his mind.
Looking at the Christmas decorations outside now, Sorey felt guilty. Mikleo stayed quiet so he didn’t make his partner feel like he had to say anything. He would talk on his own in time, and he wanted to listen to him. The only thing he did to show his support was hold Sorey’s hand.
They walked through the northern district to a bench surrounded by a few wildflowers. Sorey sighed as he took a seat. “What can I do to make it up to you?” he finally asked.
“Hold on,” Mikleo told him. “First, why are you suddenly remembering that incident? We made up a long time ago.”
“We made up, but Santa must think it wasn’t enough. Oh, I can cook all your favorite food and popsicles and—well, I’m not the best cook, but I can try!”
Mikleo just watched him. He gently put his hand on his cheek, saying softly, “That’s not necessary, Sorey. We made up, and I’m still happy you’re the Shepherd. Besides, if that naughty list were real, you wouldn’t be on it. You’re kind. Maybe too kind.”
Both of them got up from the bench and made their way back to the inn after perusing the Celestial Record for a moment. Mikleo told Sorey there was nothing to worry about between them. He promised him that he would always love him, and fights like those were going to happen no matter what. What was more important was that they persevered through them and came out stronger than before. After returning to the inn, the water seraph and the Shepherd stood in the doorway of the hall that led to the rooms upstairs.
“Don’t ever doubt yourself like this again,” Mikleo lightly scolded. “Because if you’re upset, then I’m upset.”
“Okay, I promise, Mikleo,” Sorey smiled at him. “I’m sorry for making you worry.”
“No apologizing!”
Sorey glanced up to see a mistletoe while Mikleo turned up his nose at him.
“Then how about this?” the Shepherd playfully said. He pulled Mikleo’s face close. Quietly, gently; he brushed his lips against his water’s. When he let him go, he smiled again at him.
“S-Sorey…in public?!” Mikleo cried out in embarrassment. His face was redder than the stockings on the mantle in the lobby. “And…And I thought you didn’t know about customs like these!”
“Well, we both know more about plants than Christmas—which is upsetting in itself—and I’ve read a little bit about mistletoes and the tradition with those. And…I wanted an excuse to kiss you!”
Sorey stood proudly with his fists on his waist and his chest pushed out. Mikleo, in utter disbelief that his Shepherd was so cunning, couldn’t help but hug him. Sure, it would look strange to anyone that was still up and about. They didn’t care. Sorey’s mind was finally at ease, and it was still early enough that they could get a good rest and still wake up early. The two boys returned to their room to sleep in each other’s arms. And when morning came, they were woken up by the sounds of Rose’s excitement and surprise.
“No way! Santa was in this room?!” she giggled like a little child. “I didn’t hear anything at all! Oh my God, this is so cool!”
“Keep it down!” Edna snapped at her. “Some of us are trying to sleep!”
“Seraphim don’t need to sleep, though,” Zaveid retorted with a smirk.
“Sorey! Mikleo! Look! There’s a couple of presens for you two!” Rose noticed.
There were two boxes with their names on them. Sorey wondered if that meant that Santa had a high enough resonance to perceive seraphim, then he had to question if his ability to check on all boys and girls was actually an ability that would make him a seraph. Regardless of what he was, he opened the first gift box. Inside, he and Mikleo found a pair of Normin earmuffs for Sorey and a Normin scarf for Mikleo. A letter in print had been left inside with the items, and Sorey read it aloud:
Dear Sorey,
I know you’ve been a good boy, and you work very hard to make others happy. Sometimes you make others happy even if it means you might be sad. It takes a very strong person to be able to do that. You and Mikleo are both wonderful, and I sincerely hope that you succeed in all your endeavors. The earmuffs and scarf may not be useful now, but when you accomplish your goal and explore the far north, please remember to take these things with you.
Sincerely,
Mr. Santa Claus
“You got a letter from Santa!” Lailah cheered. “You’re so lucky!”
Mikleo looked at the other box. The handwriting on the nametag was different than the letter. Who left this gift? And more importantly, what was inside? The water seraph opened it with Sorey looking over his shoulder. Inside the box…
Sorey quickly shut it, his face flushed.
“Well? What is it?” Edna asked.
“I-It’s nothing! Nothing at all!” Sorey stammered. “Absolutely nothing!”
“Tell us!” Zaveid nagged.
“I-It’s our present! So we’ll use it as we like!”
“That’s not fair…” Lailah pouted.
It wasn’t, but it was something was better left hidden until the late hours of night. But the mysterious gift box was certainly not from Santa. Given that Mr. Claus had written such a heartfelt letter, there was no way he would leave such…promiscuous items. And they had a pretty good idea of who it was. They turned back to the box and the naughty list that was inside with the items. The naughty list…of naughty items.
“Dammit, Edna,” Sorey and Mikleo quietly cursed.