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Tags: Human, Magic, Magical, Feral, Reindeer, Wolf, Transformation, Male

Stunt Reindeer Core (cast): Meteor from South Timber (a former human teenager named Kristofer Falkner) Codine from South Timber (a stunt reindeer with switched colors) Captain Jumper (stunt reindeer trainer/coach) Surger of Glacier Falls (a stunt reindeer with an odd looking rocket marking on his forehead) Rapid of Cascade River (a stunt reindeer with a two-tone coat which resembles a river) Gusto of Swansong Woods (a stunt reindeer with a hearty outlook on life) Danger of Cavern Heights (a stunt reindeer who seems as if he might jump if you said boo) Laugher of Humor Meadow (a stunt reindeer with a touchy funny bone) Grave of Soul Creek (a heart-fallen stunt reindeer with dark skull markings on both sides of his head)

KF-SRC-01 Cold Hooves By Darrel James Vanwinkle (Ratseye/Pouchlaw) January 1st, 2015

Chapter Two

The hike back to the training camp wasn't all that far, thankfully, and Kristofer was taken to the main stable building where Captain Jumper kept the maps of the region. Despite everyone calling him Meteor, he had already made a few friends among the stalwart hopefuls. Aside from Captain Jumper and Codine, the others in no particular order were: Surger of Glacier Falls, a buck who had an odd looking rocket marking on his forehead; Rapid of Cascade River, a buck with a two-tone coat which resembled a river; Gusto of Swansong Woods, a buck with a hearty outlook on life; Danger of Cavern Heights, a buck who seemed as if he might jump if you said boo; Laugher of Humor Meadow, a buck with a touchy funny bone; and Grave of Soul Creek, a heart-fallen buck with dark skull markings on both sides of his head. Something about Jumper training seven reindeer made Kristofer suspicious but for now he would focus on looking over those maps that the captain had indicated him having.

Jumper led Kristofer into the building marked with the reindeer symbol for navigation and pointed him over at a wall full of the local maps. Walking over, the former human boy noted that while the maps had the right continental shape, highways, known cities, and the usual national forest listings were all missing. Instead, the rivers had odd names, only the reindeer settlements were named, and known flight paths between each reindeer community. Although in one part of the map to the far north was something he knew did not exist on any Earth map at all: Christmas Town. So that's where Santa's workshop and village is located; it's on another world. And sadly, I am on that world. This isn't my Earth at all. Now where is... Ah, there it is. South Timber. That's the place Mr. Meteor and Codine are from. Man, it's the furthest south on the map. And I recall Codine saying that the Veil Gates weren't working right. If that is what I passed through to get into this world, then I need to learn more about Veil Gates. But how do I ask about them without tipping anyone off that I'm not a reindeer?

Glancing aside, Kristofer now noticed that Codine was standing right beside him at the wall of maps looking at the layout himself. "Had the gates been working right, I would have arrived where you did, Meteor. Now that we're alone and since we're both from South Timber, let me just say this... as I told Captain Jumper earlier, there is no way for me to know every reindeer in my home village. The population changes every year. That part is true; what wasn't true is who populates my home settlement. Although I am not one myself, the majority of the reindeer in South Timber are former humans who either got stuck as a reindeer for too long or couldn't find their way back to some mythical world they called Earth. The weird part of these transformed reindeer are that they claim that they have another name but their current bodies won't let them speak the name while in our world. Therefore, I must now ask you, Meteor... are you one of these newcomer transformed reindeer or are you legit like I am? And please, just be honest; isn't that the best policy?"

"While my body's name is Meteor, my real name is similar to part of Santa's alternate name," he replied. "But every time I try to say it, this body makes me use the Meteor name. I used to be a human teenager. I was at a national park picnic grounds with my family just off of Park Road 49. There was an overlook with a nice view of a pristine grazing meadow just beyond a stream and suddenly a caribou galloped right past where I was standing. He was heading straight toward the edge and stupidly, I tried to make a grab for him because I didn't want to see him get hurt when he went over the edge. But there must have been one of those gate things you keep mentioning in mid air because he went through it and vanished... and when I went through, I crash landed into a deep snow drift. When I managed to climb out, I was in this body."

Codine smiled. "So your human name was Kris or Kristofer or something like that." Kristofer smiled at that point. "The second one; on the nose. I am glad to hear someone use my real name despite Meteor making himself be topside. But since we are on the topic of honesty being the best policy... tell me about these Veil Gates. I need to know how they work." The other reindeer turned to look directly at his associate. "In order to explain the Veil Gates fully, it will take longer for you to understand how they work than you currently have and I joined Jumper to be trained in becoming a stunt reindeer. So I'll make you a deal, Kristofer... you join the rest of us for the duration in this training and in our spare time, I will teach you about the Veil Gates and where each one leads to. There are gates all over the Earth in various locations and all over Veil also in varied locales. Usually when you travel through a gate, as long as you know your destination, you always arrive at that locale. But when it is your first time, your landing zone is randomized. You could have landed in a sticky bog in the far south territories. And how messy that would have been because there is no telling when any reindeer would have found you. So what do you say? Join up in exchange for the knowledge to get home? Or decline and try to find your way without my help? It is your decision."

"That difficult to understand, huh?" replied the reindeer called Meteor. "I do want to get home and the more I can learn about traveling through these gates, the better of my chances of teaming up with you and the others more often after I did get home." He quietly thought about the offer before nodding his head one time. "Okay, Codine... I'll sign up with the stunt core with the rest of you. I take it there is an incentive toward completing the course?" The other reindeer smiled. "Well, you will be taught how to access your flight powers, for one..." Oh yes, he went straight for the jugular by mentioning the reindeer flight power. Kristofer smiled in return as he brightened up a bit more. "The flight power? Cool! I'm in. What do I do?"

Moments later, Codine had Kristofer standing before the reindeer trainer himself. "Like I said before, sir... Meteor is a good team player. He has chosen to sign up with the rest of us in exchange for the hospitality that we are giving him while he is among us. And it turns out that I had briefly met him in South Timber; I just never learned his name then." Captain Jumper nodded his head as he had Kristofer dampen one hoof and press it down on a sign up form as he spoke his name. The paper glowed with magic when this occurred and what was left behind was not the hoof print itself; instead the full name was on the page: Kristofer "Meteor" Falkner. Jumper glanced from the form to look at the reindeer with the meteor marking once again. "Kristofer Falkner, is it? Were you an adult or a teenager back home?" To which the answer was, "A teenager, sir. My family is probably worried sick about me by now."

Captain Jumper gently placed a hoof on the former human's shoulder. "Time is different here in Veil, Kristofer. After you learn your flight power, you should be, by then, educated in how to see Veil Gates and to know which one leads to where on Earth. Former humans assume animal form here in Veil; but on Earth they regain their humanity. So rest assured when I say that as long as you remember your family back home, you will always be able to return to your other life. By enrolling here, when I call upon you three times, you will come instantly. Thus, when you hear my voice the first time, that is your warning that I need you. If you are human when you hear me, if you are undressed, get your clothes on as fast as possible. When you hear my name a third time, there will be a few moments to let you say a short sentence before you vanish from Earth and return to Veil." Kristofer nodded his head. "I understand, sir."

End of Chapter Two