Somewhere Between Hell And Heaven

08. Manipulaters

Chapter 08 – Manipulators

Days changed into weeks and weeks turned into months. For a month I've been living here, learning how to survive in a land where dark demons exist. My questions remained in my head, waiting for a convincing answer. I refused to let my mind wander into my past in the Insul world, but in times like this I couldn't help but wonder what Sisters meant before I chose my weapon.

'You call yourself a Price, yet you are much more than a Price.'

I wasn't a Price. I'd never known my last name. The person I called my father was actually my stepfather. But he was the only man who'd given me the experience of a father, so why would I even bother finding out about my real father? The only thing I knew about him was that he'd left my mother and died without even knowing that he had a daughter. He'd only seen my brother.

I sighed as I turned away from the window of our room. After a silent debate with myself, I decided to leave the mansion for a walk. These free times are the worst for me, because they leave me alone without anything to do and let my thoughts invade my peace.

I was making my way through the hallways of the sixth floor, when I heard a voice call for me.

"Wait up!" I looked over my shoulder to find Elle, Kelly and Kitty jogging towards me. Kelly was waving her huge sword around as if to chase away bad flies. I saw a couple of people dodging her blade before throwing dirty looks over their shoulders.

"We're going to practise near the lake." Elle panted.

"Are you coming?" Kitty asked, eagerly.

I wondered what had gotten into Kitty's head to be this much excited about practice in the free time.

"Oh, sorry. I- er, was on my way to the library." I lied.

"Come on!" Kelly groaned, dramatically throwing her arms wide around which earned her a curse from a girl who'd fallen on her face trying dodge Kelly's sword.

"Come with us." Elle whinned. "Ethan will be there with his friends."

"I only saw Cole. Ethan being there is a guess." Kelly raised her hands in mock surrender.

"Is that why you're going to practise in free time?" I raised my brows at Elle and Kitty.

"Well yeah..." Elle shifted from left foot to right in unease. "Kinda?"

I smirked. "You guys go ahead. I can't."

                         * * *

Walking away from the Mansion, I was seriously starting to regret about heading towards the Forest of Alrior, on foot. In free times, usually tyros go to the villages and have fun. We were banned to go the Forest of Alrior without permission. I wasn't planning on going into it, so I thought that it didn't matter.

I looked down at my body. My shirt was tucked into my pants. My combat boots' heels were brown, drenched with mud. I muttered a curse. Like the idiot I was, I hadn't thought about going to the stables and bringing a horse with me.

It was when a bright purple Cice came near me, inviting me to follow it. Inviting. Not demanding. This Cice was like the firefly thing I saw at Aunt Sue's place and not like the butterfly things I saw in the library. I felt my Blessing grow warm and suddenly I wanted to know who sent it to me.

I followed it as it flew into the Forest of Alrior. Forgetting that I'm breaking a rule, I hurried forwards, afraid to lose the Cice. Few minutes later, I was standing in the middle of a forest. The Cice had long disappeared.
I bit the insides if my mouth as slowly drew my sword from its scabbard. It was stupid of me to follow a Cice into a forbidden place. Now, as the result of my stupidity, I'd gotten myself lost in a middle of a freaking forest.