Inescapable

The boy sat on the ground and stared up at Thana. 

Thana said. "What is that look for?" She pointed at the dragon and said. "Order your dragon to kill me already!"

The boy said. "So you really want to die that badly?" 

Thana said with annoyance. "Were you listening at all, kid?! Of course I do! I've wanted to die ever since I was cursed with this name! But no one has ever been strong enough to kill me! So order your dragon to-" 

The boy cut Thana off as he looked down at the ground and mumbled. "Fine then." 

Thana said. "What was that?" She cupped her right hand around her ear as she stared at the boy and said. "I couldn't quite hear you." 

The boy looked up at Thana, with tears welled up in his eyes, and said. "I'll do it! I'll order it to... kill you." He looked down at the ground somberly. 

Thana laughed as she said. "Why do you look all sad, kid? We're enemies. You're not supposed to feel anything for your enemies." 

The boy didn't say anything in response. He continued to look at the ground somberly as he thought. "Even if we are enemies..." 

Thana's laughter ended as she looked over at the white dragon, which was still hovering in the air above the King's Garden, and said. "Now do it. Send your order." 

The boy looked at the cracked whistle in his hand and thought. "So all I have to do... is use this thing again..." He looked up at the white dragon and thought. "And it will do whatever I tell it..." 

SG yelled out. "My lord, use the whistle! Now is your chance!" 

The boy thought. "My chance?" He looked at the cracked whistle and then looked back at SG. 

Both SG and Alessia were covered with multiple cuts and bruises but they were both continuing to fight each other. 

SG had multiple cuts along his red armor. Especially on his chestplate. His chestplate had more cuts than the rest of his armor. Not only did he have cuts on his armor he also had multiple small cuts across his face as well. The edge of SG's blade also looked more dull than it had been before. 

Alessia was in a similar condition to SG. Her chainmail vest had multiple cuts across it. Her face, arms, and hands were also covered with multiple cuts, as well as bruises. The edge of Alessia's blade also appeared to look more dull just like SG's. 

Both SG and Alessia were breathing heavily but they continued to fight each other. They both charged at each other. Their blood spilled across the Garden as they fought each other.

The boy thought as he watched SG. "I'm surprised he is having such a hard time... Isn't a Second Guardian supposed to be more powerful than a First Guardian?"

Thana said to the boy. "Quit getting distracted. Order your dragon to attack me already! We don't have all day!" 

The boy thought. "That's right. We don't have all day... My time is running out..." He looked at the cracked whistle and thought. "I still need to escape this Garden! I still need to get to the Ceremony!" He blew on the cracked whistle. 

A deep sound echoed from the whistle. The ground began to shake underneath the boy's feet but he didn't fall over. He remained standing and looked up at the dragon waiting for its response. 

The white dragon stared at the boy with its big black eyes and then roared in recognition of the boy's command. Its roar echoed across the sky and shook the garden as well as the castle. 

The ground shook beneath the boy's feet once again but the boy remained standing. 

The white dragon spread its four wings and then flew toward the boy at an alarming speed. 

The boy stared at the white dragon and thought. "It's flying toward me... What should I do? Should I move... or should I...?" 

Thana laughed with joy as she said. "It's finally happening! I can finally die after all these years!" She stood in front of the boy and stared directly at the white dragon flying towards her. She tightened her grip on her dagger ready to attack the white dragon the moment she got the chance. 

The white dragon continued to charge directly toward Thana and the boy.

As the dragon continued to get closer Thana's smile suddenly turned into a frown as she mumbled sadly. "Your Highness... I hope you will still be able to complete your mission without me..." 

The boy suddenly heard footsteps from behind him. He heard the pace of the footsteps increase. It sounded as if whoever was behind him was running. 

The boy was tempted to turn to look at whoever it was that was running behind him but he couldn't take his eyes off the dragon.

Alessia groaned. "Wait... We weren't... finished yet..."

The boy heard something fall onto the ground behind him. 

As soon as the white dragon got close enough Thana charged at it with her dagger. She ran towards its head and attempted to gouge out its right eye. But, with one slight flick of its head Thana was knocked off her feet and sent crashing into the wall. 

The white dragon stopped moving as soon as it was close enough to the boy. It then landed on the ground beneath it. 

As soon as the white dragon's feet touched the ground the ground beneath it began to cave in. Extremely large cracks appeared in  the ground. The ground itself began to break. 

The white dragon stared at the boy with its big black eyes and the boy stared at the white dragon with his light silver eyes. 

The ground began to crumble beneath the boy as well. Huge cracks spread out from the dragon and began to spread beneath the boy's feet. 

SG said from behind the boy. "My lord forgive me for this. But, you must get to the Ceremony at all costs..." 

The boy thought. "What?" 

SG dropped his sword onto the ground and then grabbed the boy with both of his hands. 

He threw the boy toward the dragon. 

The boy flew through the air as he yelled out. "Wh-What are you doing, SG?!" 

SG said to the boy. "Grab onto it and don't let go. Head for the Western Gate." He reached down and picked up his sword with his left hand. He stood back and said. "Once you reach the Western Gate head Northwest." 

The boy grabbed onto the white dragon's scales and climbed on top of the back of the dragon. He kept his arms and legs wrapped tightly around the white dragon's back. He looked over at SG and said. "Wait... aren't you coming with me?" 

SG turned his back to the boy and said. "I'm sorry, but I can't." He looked at Thana, who was on her hands and knees coughing onto the ground, and said. "I have to ensure no one follows you." 

The boy said. "What but-!" 

The boy was suddenly cut off as the white dragon began to spread its wings and ascend into the air. 

The boy felt like he was going to get blown off the white dragon's back. He looked down at SG and Thana. 

Thana rose back to her feet. There was a huge crack down the center of her mask. She placed her right hand over her mask and held her dagger in her left hand. She said while annoyed. "Even a dragon wasn't able to kill me..." 

SG tightened his grip on his sword and began to walk toward Thana. He said as he walked. "So I'm guessing you're a Guardian. Probably a Fourth or even a Fifth." 

Thana chuckled as she said. "You think I'm a Fourth? Or even a Fifth Guardian?" She laughed loudly as she said. "I'm just a girl who wants to die. I'm a Second Guardian!" 

The boy thought. "Someone as strong as her is only a Second Guardian?!" 

SG stopped walking and said. "A Second?" He looked irritated as he said. "Oh well. I suppose it doesn't matter." He charged at Thana.

Thana and SG clashed blades. 

The boy continued to ascend in the air as he was watching SG and Thana fight and thought. "Wait, where is the third one?" He looked around the entire garden but couldn't see Alessia anywhere. He could only see Thana and SG. Anxiety built up in the boy's body as he looked around the garden and thought. "Where is she? When did she disappear?" 

The boy then looked around at the white dragon's body but saw no sign of Alessia. He sighed and thought. "I guess she escaped..." 

Soon the white dragon was high in the sky above the garden and above the castle too. 

The boy looked around at his surroundings. He could see the entire castle. The castle itself sat on top of a hill and was divided into two sections. The two sections were the King's Section of the castle and the Queen's Section of the castle. The King's Section was the western half of the castle with the King's Garden in the center. The Queen's Section was the eastern half of the castle with the Queen's Garden in the center.  

The north part of the castle, west part of the castle, and east part of the castle all possessed a big gate that connected to the city. There were only three entrances into the castle from the city. Each of the three entrances were completely blocked off. They were guarded by multiple soldiers on both sides of the entrances. All the soldiers were wearing dark red armor. 

The boy thought as he looked down at the soldiers from above. "So that is why the castle is so empty... There is way more guards out here than usual..." 

The boy then looked beyond the castle. He could see buildings in all directions. Beyond the buildings were massive walls which completely surrounded the city. The boy stared at the city with amazement as he thought. "This is the first time I've ever actually seen the city. This is actually the first time I've ever been out of the castle at all..." He shook his head left to right as he thought. "That's not important right now. SG said to head to the Western Gate, right? So that is where I need to go." 

The boy tapped the white dragon's left side two times with his hand and then pointed toward the Western Gate and said. "Go that way." 

The white dragon followed the boy's orders and flew toward the Western Gate. 

As the white dragon flew away from the castle the boy thought. "I promise I'll come back for you SG. Just don't die, okay?" Tears began to well in his eyes. He quickly wiped his tears away with his hands. 

The white dragon continued to fly toward the Western Gate. As it got closer the boy saw a glint from an object fly towards them. The object flew at an insane speed toward them and the white dragon quickly moved to the right. The object flew past them. 

The boy looked at the object as it flew past and thought. "Is that... an arrow? But who? Who shot it?" 

The white dragon continued to fly toward the Western Gate. 

The boy looked around for anybody carrying a bow but he didn't see anybody. The only people he could see were civilians running away as soon as they saw a dragon.

Hundreds of meters ahead on top of the Western Gate the boy caught sight of a glint. The boy screamed at the white dragon. "Look out." But it was too late. 

The dragon attempted to dodge to the right again but to no avail. The arrow flew at even faster speed than the previous arrow and tore through both of its left wings.

The white dragon began descending toward the ground. It fell at an alarming pace toward the ground. Until it finally crashed about a hundred meters in front of the Western Gate. 

As the white dragon crashed into the ground the boy was launched off its back. The boy flew into the dirt. His head began to spin. 

The boy thought. "What? What just happened? Wasn't I just in the sky? Why am I on the ground now?" 

The boy looked up at the Western Gate in front of him. He spotted a figure standing on top of the wall. 

The figure wore thick white armor with a crimson mask. He had orangish brown hair. Strapped to his waist were two matching white daggers. In his hands was a great bow with a giant steel arrow nocked back. 

The man in white armor aimed his giant arrow at the boy's chest as he said to the boy. "My name is Adrastos Andreas. I am His Supreme Majesty's Second Guardian. You will not go beyond this point!"