It was a brisk but beautiful day in the Glacial Village, so Reina decided to go for a walk by the cliffs.
What is that? She thought as she saw a strange sparkle on a ledge below her. She leaned down cautiously for a better look.
Fire?
She stumbled back just in time to avoid being roasted as flames shot up from below.
What in the world…? She thought she saw a shadow in the flames.
Fear overcame her as a thought popped into her head. The baby fire demon…
"HELP!" she screamed, turning toward the village.
She tried to run but something grabbed her by the hair. The shadow!
"What are you screaming about?" a female voice said.
Reina tried to look at her attacker but felt the grip tighten to prevent her from turning her head. "Who are you?" she said, trying to calm herself and think logically.
"That's not important," the voice said. "Don't worry, I don't plan to hurt you. I just want something from you."
The voice was deep and throaty, but also young. Reina judged from the way she was being pulled that her attacker was much shorter than her, but stronger as well.
"What is it that you want?" she asked.
"There was a woman that used to live here," the voice said. "Her name was Hina. I'm looking for her."
Reina closed her eyes and fought back tears.
"Hina is dead," she said. "She killed herself years ago."
"I expected as much," the voice said. "Before she died she had a child, correct?"
"I don't know," Reina lied. She gasped as her assailant pulled her hair tighter.
"Is that a fact?" the voice said, sounding angry. "Are you sure you don't know anything about a child?"
"There was one child," Reina said through clenched teeth. "A girl, named Yukina, a beautiful ice maiden. But Yukina left – ahhhh." The attacker pulled harder.
"You're lying! The child couldn't have been an ice maiden!"
"There was a twin," Reina whispered. "A vile fire demon –a male fire demon." Imiko, she thought.
"Now we're getting somewhere." Reina's attacker loosened her grip. "What happened to that child?"
"We…we killed it," Reina admitted.
"What?" her aggressor was so startled she let go completely, giving Reina the opportunity to look at her. The sultry voice belonged to a demon child under five foot with long black hair and deep red eyes. Upon seeing her Reina considered running, but remembered the fire. I can't outrun the flames…
"There is no place for a male in our village," Reina said. "We threw him over these very cliffs."
The demon child gave her an incredulous look. "You just threw it off the edge?" she said in disbelief.
"I didn't do so personally," Reina said warily.
"But the child is dead." The girl growled. "Dead! Not even a chance at life. Not even a chance to dance with the flames."
As the girl spoke flames burst up around her.
"Please…" Reina said, "It is the way we have always lived. I had no personal responsibility-"
"Shut up." The girl said. "Just shut up and burn!"