I'm not sure whether to put it in Historical Fiction or what, but it'll go here for now I guess. Well, this was for a contest that ends today in... about two and a half hours. I'd appreciate critiques, and feel free to be brutal. I've never done one of these things before, so I'm not really sure how it turned out. Anyway, enjoy!
Everyone has heard of Santa Claus, but few know how Santa Claus came to be. It is true that Saint Nicholas was known to be very kind, and that reputation led to many legends and stories. One story is that he saved three sisters from being sold into slavery by throwing pouches of money into their stockings one night. But that was long before Santa Claus. However, Saint Nicholas did have a hand in picking Santa Claus. Let me tell you all about it.
***
The cave-like room was filled with men and animals, some with real white beards, some bald, some furry, some skinny. On the far wall were three thrones.
The first was a throne made from what looked to be half like a daytime sky; the other half a star filled one. Half a sun and half a moon met in the middle, giving the head of the withered old man sitting in it a sort of halo. Sitting in the throne with his arms resting upon the silky armrests was the oldest living person ever to be found. His long white beard fell into his lap, his wrinkled, grandfatherly face bright. Two pale blue eyes poked out from under half-moon spectacles. The clock around his neck instantly gave him away as none other than Father Time.
Next to Father Time’s throne was a throne that appeared to be made out of several small, sturdy trees, all growing upward and tangling together. Flowers sprouted from niches all over the throne, and a beautiful woman sat upon that throne. Her long hair was black at the top, fading to blonde near the bottom, kept out of her vibrant green eyes by a silver circlet. Her dress was a collage of blue and green and brown at the top, fading to purple then bright red, orange and yellow. She was called Mother Nature.
On her right was an even less elaborate throne, made mostly out of wood and wreaths. It was simple but comfortable, just the way the young man sitting on it liked. He had longer brown hair tied at the nape of his neck with a leather band. His brown eyes twinkled with excitement, but he twisted the hem of his cream shirt nervously. Once his name was Nicholas, but most people called him a saint by then, although he didn’t feel he deserved the title.
Father Time, Mother Nature and Nicholas were the judges of the Tournament. Mother Nature held a long sheet of parchment in her hand, ready to begin the first of three tests. Sending a glance to Father Time, she nodded. Father Time stood from his throne and raised his hands for silence. When the hall quieted down, Father Time declared in an ancient, resounding voice, “The first Test has begun! Listen carefully.”
Several in the group looked confused, but as soon as the first name was called off by Mother Nature, they understood the meaning to Father Time’s words. One by one, contestants were called forward and separated into two groups. When at last, no more competitors stood in the middle of the room, Mother Nature again turned to Father Time.
Again, Father Time stood. “Now that you are divided, we can continue. Everyone here”—he pointed at the group to his right with two fingers—“is dismissed.”
Shouts rose from the group Father Time had dismissed, but he sat back down without so much as another glance at that group. It took several Helpers to manage to persuade the group out of the chamber. The silence was almost deafening when one of the remaining contestants said, “Why were they dismissed?”
Mother Nature spoke now, in a strong and calm voice. “This first Test was not that of ability or skill, but rather appearance. It perhaps seems unfair, but if our goal is to pick a representative of our new holiday, he must not drag his attire through the mud, nor scare little children. We are here not for our own benefit, but the benefit of those who will witness the goings-on of this holiday. This is also your final chance to leave if you feel you no longer wish to compete, or find yourself unable to.”
None spoke, but three more competitors left the room, grumbling to themselves. Only twenty-five competitors remained, some standing nervously or shuffling their feet, others watching the three judges. It wasn’t much longer when Father Time said, “The second Test will begin shortly. I advise you to move away from the doors.”
All twenty-five competitors scurried away from the doors and scattered across the room. What could the next test be that Father Time would warn them? A test of courage, bravery or strength, perhaps? But nothing could prepare them for what waited.
Two of the little Helpers went to the doors, smiling mischievously. The only ways to tell them apart were their bright hats, one a bright evergreen color, the other a strawberry red. Both Helpers looked like little children, and they had oddly pointy ears. The red-hat Helper grinned even more broadly as he and his sister (who looked identical, despite their genders) pulled the large golden handle, dragging open the huge wooden doors. They laughed as the commotion began.
Dust was kicked up, veiling whatever approached. All the contestants lurched out of the way of the stampeding beasts, for it was obvious that was what they were. The pounding of their hooves and feet quickly ceased and the dust settled, revealing the next test to the dumbstruck contestants.
“Challengers!” Father Time’s voice rang out. “Choose wisely.”
Slowly, the contestants made their ways towards the trios of beasts. There was no shortage of unique creatures to choose from. Reindeer, tigers, horses, mules, even large hawks were grouped in threes, all tethered to a large, colorful sleigh. There were twenty-five sleighs; one for every contestant. They waited expectantly, nervous.
“At your feet is the second Test. Only a handful of you will succeed, but that is entirely up to you. You have one hour to complete the task,” Father Time said.
Nearly all the contestants looked confused, but after hearing the deadline, they scrambled to find the second Test. It certainly wasn’t what any of them expected; just a paper filled with names. At the very top of the list, in swirly script were three, somewhat confusing words: Naughty or Nice.
“What are we supposed to do with this?” a contestant yelled, scowling up at the three judges.
Mother Nature glanced at a group of gleeful Helpers. Two of them instantly jumped to her silent command and raced each other to the angry contestant’s sleigh. “No questions!” they chimed, laughing as one grabbed the bridle of an anxious-looking white tiger in the lead. Together, the two Helpers led the sleigh out of the room, where they vanished behind a large door.
“No questions? That’s crazy! How are we supposed to know what to do if you won’t tell us?” another contestant shot.
Another helper, a blonde girl with dimples, skittered up to the large white horse hitched to his sleigh. “You’re not very smart. They said no questions!” she giggled, grabbing the reins and leading the second contestant out. When she reappeared with the other two Helpers a moment later, they laughed and called out, “Any more questions?” Still laughing, as if without a care in the world, the three Helpers returned to their group off in the corner.
Some contestants grumbled to themselves, but they all turned back to their lists. When an hour had passed, Father Time cleared his throat and all the Helpers dispersed around the room. A moment later, the Helpers had gathered the lists from all remaining twenty-three contestants and ran up to Father Time, Mother Nature and Nicholas. After all the lists had been given to the judges, the contestants waited anxiously for their verdict, although few knew what to even hope for, other than to continue to the third and final Test.
Several painstaking minutes passed when the three judges held the remaining lists in their hands. Lists lay scattered on the ground at their feet, and each judge held only three or four sheets. Mother Nature and Saint Nicholas passed the parchments to Father Time, who stood once more.
“Sadly, many of you were unable to identify the means by which you would label the Naughty or Nice list. All of you have shown your desire to continue, although not all of you shall. If you have not succeeded, your name will be called, and a Helper will escort you out,” he said firmly. He then proceeded to call out the names of those who failed. Fourteen names were called, each contestant and sleigh led from the room. Fifty-six contestants had been narrowed down to nine nail-biting challengers.
After everyone who failed the second test left, Nicholas scanned the crowd, showing any hint of interest in the contestants since the beginning. A moment later, he spoke. “You have done well, having come this far. But I wonder if you can continue. In the end, there can be only one victor. As I’m sure you are all aware, these sleighs were for more than a means of the second Test. They are also the largest part of the third and final Test. Your sleighs have been claimed, so I see no point in delay. The third Test begins now,” Nicholas said.
A great rumble shook the cavern. Light filtered into the stone room and all the contestants looked skyward at once. The entire roof of the cavern had shifted into a gaping hole, like a portal into the starry sky. One contestant whistled in awe of the new sky-light.
“The third Test, Delivery, shall commence.”
Yet another unexplainable phenomenon occurred as a glittery dust accumulated underneath
each sleigh, flowing like a fountain of dry-ice. The first sleigh to claim the air was draw by three brown reindeer; the rider seeming rather surprised but confident. One by one, the sleighs drifted into the air. The glittering dust seemed to cling to the hooves or feet of the animals as they slowly drifted upwards.
Two contestants, both led by teams of reindeer, seemed to have a handle on direction their teams first. As soon as they did, the two sleighs rocketed up and out the opening in the roof of the cavern. Eventually all the contestants meandered out of the room.
Mother Nature stood from her throne and walked behind them, coming to the veiled drape that hid a second chamber. Brushing the curtain aside, Mother Nature entered the room. It was circular, and in the center was a crystal bowl filled with placid water that resembled a bird-bath. About fifteen Helpers were crowded around it, staring into, laughing with each other, and joking over the contestants’ trials.
“Step aside, if you will,” Mother Nature said gently, wading through the crowd of Helpers toward the Looking Glass. She peered into it and saw the first of many contestants, struggling to contemplate their tasks. He stood on the roof of a house, his sleigh drawn by snowy reindeer waiting for him at the other end. Smiling, she watched as he went to the chimney and began to climb in. “A rather subtle way in, I amend you for that,” she said as she continued to watch.
The scene in the water shifted to another contestant atop a snowy roof, using a similar method as the first. He was the first contestant to take flight with the team of brown reindeer, and he seemed to already be rather comfortable with the procedure.
A rustle of fabric drew her attention away from the bowl momentarily. It was Nicholas and Father Time, both obviously eager to see what the contestants were accomplishing. Mother Nature waved Nicholas over and he peered into the bowl next to her. “Who is he?” she asked, her eyes glued to the contestant with the brown reindeer.
Nicholas looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, “I believe he said his name was Kristopher Kringle.”
She nodded thoughtfully as Father Time ran his hand above the bowl, causing the image to change. This time the contestant was staring into an open window. He appeared to not have a very clear idea as of what to do, and ended up jogging around to the front door and leaving two gifts on the door-mat.
The images were constantly changed, as each of the judge using their own method to deliver presents, some more subtle than others, and some just plain insane. But the sacks on the sleighs were emptying, and the contest could only drag on so long. So the three judges left, already considering their winner. When they returned to their seats, they talked their decision over and came to the conclusion just before competitors began streaming back into the cavern. The first contestant back happened to be Kristopher Kringle, but his fellow contestants weren’t far behind. It wasn’t long and all the contestants were back, nine sleighs, nine teams of animals, and nine worn out, nervous men.
Once everyone was quiet, Father Time stood and said, “We have chosen our winner.” Murmurs flew among the contestants, as well as the gossiping Helpers. Father Time called for silence and the hall went deadly quiet. “I believe I will let you do the honors, Nicholas,” he said, too softly for any of the contestants to hear as he settled himself back onto his throne.
Nicholas nodded. “Very well. The winner of this contest is not one, but two. I understand I said there could only be one victor, but as it so happens, two of you have shown equal knowledge and use of what we have given you, and both have the same ‘scores’. These winners are—!”
***
And that was how the first Santa Claus came to be. One snowy night in December, a group of contestants gathered together. Each was given a taste of what it would be like, and two got the job. The three judges could’ve made up a fourth Test for the two winners, but they decided the world was big enough for two men to share. Little did they know just how important their new holiday would one day become, but I doubt they would have cared.
That is the conclusion of my tale, for there is not much more to say. Some say there is, but I suppose that is a story for another time. Until then, farewell. May you never forget the tale of the Santa Tournament.
I fixed it on my computer for my portfolio, but haven't gotten around to posting the fixed version on here.