Door 1 - The Snow Realm (The North Pole)

[Venom3001]

Basically that," Andreas agreed with a shrug. He wasn't looking forward to having to fight them if they forced it, but he could always try out his brainscrambling practice if it came down to it...  

[NativeForeigner]

The large and small yeti turned to each other and conversed, the large yeti growling. They could tell that the small yeti was speaking English, but what he was saying was indiscernible. After a brief moment, the small yeti turned his attention back to the group.

"Santa, you say?" he said slowly, "It seems we may have similar interests. What do you intend to do with the abomination?"  

[Venom3001]

After a second that felt like 6 months, Andreas shrugged and said, "Well, I defenestrated him from the top floor of his residence last time I was here. I'd hoped that the impact would do him in. No such luck. Since that wasn't adequate...." He trailed off, letting the yeti complete the sentence in a favorable manner without lying.

Besides, Andreas might take issues into his own hands regarding Santa if things went south.  

[NativeForeigner]

The yeti regarded Andreas for a moment, silently finishing his sentence.

He turned to the larger yeti and once again spoke a few hushed words, to which the larger yeti replied. The small one turned his attention back to the group.

"As I said before, we have similar interests. We are currently... hunting Santa. He has been made into an abomination that we cannot allow to exist. You may try to help us if you wish. Otherwise, leave."  

[Venom3001]

"Works for me," Andreas said. Technically true. He wasn't so sure about Henry, but that was a matter for later. "Any idea as to his whereabouts?"  

[NativeForeigner]

Greg nodded in agreement. Mostly just too terrified of the yetis to say anything.

***

"Good." the talking yeti began, "We've tracked him to this shack, but catching up to him has proved... difficult. Fortunately, he leaves an easy-to-follow trail."  

[Venom3001]

"That trail involves dead bodies, doesn't it," Andreas half-asked dryly. "It sounds like it involves dead bodies."  

[NativeForeigner]

"Mostly blood. Lots of blood. And a few bodies, yes."  

[Venom3001]

"Best not to tarry, then. Any infected bodies he left are only getting stronger if we wait," Andreas pointed out. He allowed the yetis to take the lead.  

[NativeForeigner]

The yetis led Andreas and the rest of the group back into the chasm and through to the basement of Santa's castle. The small one explained along the way that it would be nearly impossible to track Santa in the wilderness with them tagging along, and that he was likely to show up at either his castle or the Toy Factory.

Upon arriving at the bottom of the castle, the small one paused and addressed Andreas, the most responsive one. He handed him an ornate blowing horn.

"Here we will be parting ways. We have elsewhere to search. Should you run across Santa, blow this horn and any yeti nearby will heed the call. Also, no yeti will harm you if you show them the horn. Now get going."

And then they left, leaving Andreas and the others to search the castle for Santa or anything useful.

***

Meanwhile, the group that had gone with the Workmen showed up. Arthur had some idea of where Santa might be, not entirely sure he was dead, and suggested they search the Toy Factory.  

[Venom3001]

Andreas waits about two minutes, holding the horn (which he immediately resolves stays in his hands at all times), and promptly declares:

"Well, balls. Where do we go now?"  

[iD bracerS]

For the first half of the history lesson, Alex stood in silent awe. Jesse grumbled in the back of his head, but the milder boy was just absorbing the sights. Such a... such a dazzling conflagration of color! A veritable kaleidoscope exploded out of the tree to greet them, and Alex naturally had almost no interest in keeping up with the boring facts. Jesse had even less of one. For the second half of the lesson, though, things in Alex's mind went silent:

he could feel Chris listening.

She was there. Small, expressionless, and stolidly mute, but she was there. The windfall of knowledge had enticed her out of her short coma.

"Chris...?"

No response.

"Chris? You okay?"

Still no response.

"HEY b***h BOOKWORM, YOU GOT WHITE-OUT IN YOUR EARS?"

"For the love of Christ and all other mythical heroes, Jesse, I will END you."

"Chris!" Alex squealed happily.

And then Alex was in an Ice Castle. "Santa?!" Too much happiness at once! Even Jesse and Chris liked Santa. "Let's find him!" The boy began to run off towards this Toy Room, completely forsaking prior forebodings.  

[Jokerman-EXE]

Henry listened to the yetis absently, his mind on other things. He kept half an eye (brain?) on any alerts from his danger-senses, but other than that he was mostly occupied with thoughts of murdering Santa.

When they were left alone, Henry shrugged and replied to Andreas, "Hey man, nothin' for it but to keep on searching, right? Might as well just keep walkin' til we find something. Sure he'll turn up soon anyway, 'm I right?"  

[Venom3001]

"******** if we have a better idea. They probably just wanted us out of the way," Andreas replied, returning Henry's shrug with one of his own. "Any chance you can, like... locate the most dangerous direction and point us toward it? If he's even more far gone to the infection than before, no way that wouldn't let us find him."  

[Venom3001]

And then they found Santa.