Fire and ice

Extraction of an unwanted circumstance

Queen Mary and prince Varylm are passing the Blue woods riding on the back of the horse returning to the kingdom of X'hikini. As they are making their way, they suddenly felt a huge wave of wind. A purge of warmth quickly reached them.

–I do not like this feeling.– complained the queen.

–Worry not my queen, it's just wind.–

They then continued with their way in silence. Only the collision of the horse's hoof with the thorny grounds of the Blue woods and their gasp for air could be heard. As they were riding through the woods, Queen Mary heard footsteps in the woods.

–Stop...–

–What is it?–

–I think I hear something...–

As Queen Mary was looking around for an unknown being, a deer passed them running away.

–It's just a deer mother...–

–Ohh...– sighed Queen Mary.

–Are you sure you're well mother?–

–Yeah... maybe your grandmother's special ingredient is the one making me paranoid... Can you please stop here, I need water.–

Prince Varylm stopped the horse, he then got off with the queen.

–I'll fetch it for you...– offered prince Varylm.

–No, thank you son... I'll do it.– said the queen petting prince Varylm's arm.

–The stream is down there.–

The queen took a full bota bag from their packages at the horse's back. She then opened it to see the liquid inside the bag.

–Is this wine?– asked the queen smelling the liquid inside the bota bag.

–What kind of help will a man with no valuable beverage be in times of need. You taught me that remember?–

–Using my own swords against me huh?– said the queen flushing the wine out of the bota bag.

–That was our only help.–

The queen chuckled and walked away to fetch water from the near stream and left prince Varylm with the horse. As the queen was fetching water in the stream, she felt the presence of an entity she has never felt before. She then looked around.

–Who's there?... Prince Varylm?– said the queen looking around to see who's present.

There it was, the penanggalan, disguised as Amarath in a black cloak facing down. The queen couldn't see it's face.

–Hey... do you want water?– asked the queen offering water to the penanggalan.

The penanggalan remained silent. It then moved towards the queen in the speed of light, leaving black dust behind it. It then lifted its face up and looked at the queen with scary black eyes. The queen was breathing faster than a man who is running in the woods to save his life from a hungry jaguar. A tear rolled down from the queen's eye as she was awaiting her fate. The penanggalan opened its mouth that reeked of the thousands if not hundred thousands souls that the penanggalan devoured into its darkness. A scorpion looking-like creature crawled out from the penanggalan's mouth and climbed the queen's shoulder, making its way to her neck. The queen was trying to stand still as she tears were rolling down her cheeks and sweat dripping from her body. The creature then bit the queen in her neck and started digging its way inside her body. The queen mourned in pain and fear but couldn't scream as she didn't wish to put prince Varylm's life in danger.

–Mother?– screamed prince Varylm walking towards the stream.

Both the penanggalan and the queen heard prince Varylm approaching the stream. The creature with only its tail left out of the queen's neck crawled out and returned to the penanggalan. The penanggalan then turned into black dust that flew away from the queen in an unimaginable velocity. The queen held her neck where she was bit and wiped her tears.