Santa sent a low clicking sound out of the corner of his mouth. The reindeer in the rear picked up Santa’s signal and forwarded it on to the lead.

“Izawa,” Santa spat the name, “you just made my naughty list.”

With the grace and skill of seasoned sleigh drivers, Dasher and Dancer quickly twisted and forced the entire vehicle plummeting down towards the snow-covered hills of the North Pole. The ninja was caught off guard and lost his balance. Santa, however, could never be destabilized on his own sleigh. He wrested the sword from the ninja’s hand and set the blade against Izawa’s throat.

“You can put coal in my stocking if it suits you, Kringle,” the ninja said. “My master wants his talisman returned.”

“He doesn’t deserve it,” Santa growled.

“It matters not,” Izawa said, and as he leapt from the sleigh, his sleeves billowed and he began to float away.

“Coward!” Santa yelled to the fleeing ninja.

Izawa merely smiled and looked down.

The snowy hills were peaceful and white, and quickly approaching.