Gates to Infinity The Novel Series Ash and The Night Fury

Chapter 6 the Hearts Connected

"Alright, it's done!" Ash said in Heroic pose as he looked at his latest invention, the left tail fin for Shadow. He had worked for a long time, considering it's the first time he made a dragon's tail fin, and by the time he finished, it's already morning.

"What is done?" Ash Flinch when he heard Cynthia's voice rang out so suddenly, he immediately closed the tail fin and turned around to face the Runner girl, "What is it, Ash?" Cynthia asked curiously as she eyed the tail fin.

"Uh, no- nothing, just an experiment." Ash answered with a bit fear.

Cynthia narrowed her eyes, "Ash, you're Shaking." She stated calmly as she looked straight at Ash's eyes, "You only do that when you are nervous or trying to hide something, so, what is it? And don't you lie".

Ash looked away from her, "Why would you want to know?" He asked instead.

"Just curious." Cynthia said with a sigh as she entered the room before looking at the blueprint behind Ash, "I don't know what you are planning to do, but I have a feeling that it had something to do with a dragon that no one ever seen, aside from you of course".

Ash's eyes widened in surprise, "Where do you get such an idea?" He asked with a bit of fear.

Cynthia merely looked at Ash with a raised eyebrow and pointed at Ash's book, which was opened on the page where he draw Shadow, causing Ash to gasp in shock, he couldn't believe that he forgot to close the book. "I couldn't recognize it as one of the dragons in Dragon Manual, and the only one I have yet to see is the Night Fury due to the fact that there's so little information about Night Fury in the book." She explained as she touched the drawing, her index finger then tapped softly on the left tail fin, "You had erased the part on the left tail fin, but then you re-draw it." She looked at Ash straight in the eyes, "I'm guessing that this dragon is injured and you are helping it".

Blood drained from Ash's face, he looked at Cynthia with horrified expression and his hands trembled. "Cynthia." He began fearfully, "Please don't tell anyone, they will lock me in the cell." He pleaded as he put the tail fin on the desk.

"It's true then?" Cynthia asked softly in surprise, Ash nodded in defeat, "You are aware that you are betraying your own team, right?".

"Yes." Ash said with a sigh, "It doesn't really matter though, sooner or later, I will take upon my decision from Chiania eventually since I refused to kill dragons. I don't really care, I have made some preparation in case i face my decisions what i made, but I couldn't do that now, I still need to use the forge".

Cynthia eyebrows shot up and she looked at Ash with wide eyes, she would never think that Ash had prepared himself to face the greatest challenge which he make his own decisions, let alone accepted it so easily. If she heard right, what Ash implying was that he only need some time to finish whatever he need to do in the forge and he wouldn't care even if she told everyone about his betrayal.

She looked straight at Ash's eyes and she could see determination in there, with a bit of fear hidden beneath it. She remembered that expression, she had seen that look on Ash's face when he denied Merc in front of the whole village, the day he firmly stated that he refused to kill any dragon unless it's the only thing he could do to survive.

Cynthia, just like any other girls in chiania, had learned how to be a tough girl just like the Runners in her village. She wasn't supposed to show any sympathy towards someone who refused to kill dragons, but she couldn't bring herself to be cold at Ash but the other teens. She didn't know nor understand why Ash refused to kill dragons, no one in the village did, not even Ash's own Mentor . . . but unlike the rest, Cynthia respected Ash's decision.