Gates to Infinity The Novel Series Declaration of Determination

Hero's lost in the forest

"No."

That single word was what Merc told Ash when the 13 years old boy asked if he could go to the forest on his own. Actually, Ash asked Merc if the man would accompany him to the forest, but the Leader was busy so he couldn't, and that's why Ash asked if he could go on his own.

"Why?" Ash with a sad smile on his face, "The other Teens can go to the forest, why can't I?".

"First, when your friends go to the forest, they always go with their parents." Merc said firmly as he raised his finger, "Second, even if they don't go with their parents, they would go with one of the Elders. Third, you can't fight yet, what if you go to the forest on your own and some wolves or worse – dragons attack you?" His expression then softened as he placed his palms on the boy's small shoulders, "I don't want anything to happen to you, Ash, that's why I can't allow you to go to the forest on your own. Do you understand?".

Ash let out a sigh before nodding his head, "I understand." He answered slowly and reluctantly.

"Ok just stay in the House until you are 15." Merc nodded back before standing up to his full height, he then patted Ash on the head before continuing his way to the Great Hall, since Ash had stopped him when he was on his way earlier.

Of course I understand, but that doesn't mean I won't go anyway. Ash thought with a fake evil smile when Merc had entered the Great Hall, he looked around to make sure no one saw him before walking away. He walked over to his house and entered the building first before going right through the back door, it's a good thing that his back yard was practically the forest itself.

Being in the forest on his own, Ash really enjoyed his time. He spent his time sketching the scenery in his notebook, collecting some herbs that he knew to give to Gothi later, and just enjoying being in the forest itself. Still, being a 13 years old and didn't pay attention to his surrounding, Ash found himself in trouble.

"Oh no." Ash muttered to himself as he looked around the forest, "I'm lost." He stated in worry, he was too deep into the forest that he couldn't see his village anymore, and he couldn't tell where in the Chiania's forest he was. He knew that since he was lost, it would be best for him to stay in place and waited for someone to search for him, but he didn't want to get scolded by his Mentor for going into the forest on his own. He sighed before continuing his walk, if he was lucky, he would find something that he recognize and he could go home on his own.

Ash walked and walked, and yet he didn't see anything that could tell him his location, as far as he knew, he just got himself into the even deeper part of the forest where wild animals lived. His legs were tired as he didn't know if he could keep walking, and he was glad when he found a clearing with an apple tree nearby. He climbed the tree and took two apples from the three before jumping down onto the ground, he sat and leaned on the tree to eat. "Hm, sweet." Ash said happily as he took a bite of one of his apples, he then continued eating in silence. He finished his first apple before moving on to the second, just as he took a bite of it and swallowed it though, he heard running footsteps.

His eyes widened as he looked at the direction he heard the footsteps from, only for his eyes to widen even more at the sight of a deer running towards him, and not too far behind the deer, he could see a pack of wolves. "Oh those animals hate me." He muttered as he took off running, hoping that the wolves wouldn't chase after him as well. It seemed that the Animals really hated him, because he heard running footsteps heading for the same direction he was running to. He took a look behind him, and sure enough, half of the wolves chased after him as the other half finally caught the deer and kill it. Ash snapped his head forward and gulped as fear consumed him, he knew that he didn't have a chance against the wolves, the only thing he could do now was ran and hoped that the wolves couldn't get him.

He ran as fast as he could from the wolves, forcing himself to run even faster when he heard the wolves getting closer to him. He ran and ran until he arrived at the cliff and couldn't run anymore, he turned around and whimpered in fear when he saw that the wolves were closing in. "No . . . please . . ." He begged even though he knew that the wolves wouldn't understand him.

The wolves growled while walking over to him slowly but surely, Ash whimpered again and took a step back unconsciously. He gasped when he slipped before screaming in fear as he fell off the cliff, into the unforgiving sea below.

"Noooo-!" His scream died when he suddenly caught by something, he opened his eyes and saw how dangerously close he was to the sea before the sea soon became so far from him. Before his mind could register what had just happened, he was back at the cliff and facing the wolves.

Ash was confused when he saw the wolves looked scared at him, but he soon found that it wasn't him that the wolves was scared at, it was something behind him. An angry roar sounded from behind him and the wolves scattered with their tails in between their legs, he froze and looked behind him to see a dragon that wasn't like anything he had ever seen before.

The dragon was big, but smaller than a Nadder, and was black in color, the shape of the dragon was more like a bat than a bird. It wasn't a Deadly Nadder, or a Gronckle, or a Monstrous Nightmare, or a Hideous Zippleback, and certainly not a Terrible Terror. The only one left was . . .

"Night Fury?" Ash asked with fear.

The dragon, who was still looking at the direction of the retreating wolves until he spoke, was now looking down at him with a pair of forest green eyes, a pair of beautiful eyes that were intelligent and definitely weren't mindless like what people said about dragons.

The Night Fury cooed softly at him before picking him up once again and flew over the forest, Ash was strangely not afraid during the flight, and in no time at all he arrived back at the edge of the forest. After Ash was placed back on the ground, he turned around in time to see the dragon fly away from him.

"Thank you . . ." He whispered softly even though the dragon wouldn't hear him, he sighed softly before walking slowly to the village.

That day, he found out that dragons weren't mindless creatures, they were intelligent being just like humans. He promised himself right then and there that he would never kill a dragon, unless it's the only thing he could do to survive.