The Other-worldly Protector

Chapter 11: Home Away from Home

The soft rhythmic crunch of snow alerted Kiara of her dragon creeping closer. She side-stepped. "Oh, no you don't!" she said, folding her arms, "Your take-off was horrifying. I've officially named it the whirlwind of doom. I mean seriously, what was all that twirling and looping about? Why can't you fly like a normal dragon?" Whiplash grumbled and made an apologetic face with her huge blue eyes. "Nope. We're hiking back." Kiara turned on her heel and began to walk down the snowy mount. When she didn't hear the dragon shuffle, she paused and looked over her shoulder. Whiplash sat up on her two hind legs and stayed where she was, calmly examining one of her claws as she retracted and extended it. With a huff, Kiara stomped up to her dragon and said, "Any time now..." Whiplash looked down at Kiara but didn't move. "Oh, so that's how you're gonna play it, Ms Stubborn. Well, take this on for size!" Kiara lunged at Whiplash. When that didn't work she tried pulling and dragging and lifting from every angle, but the dragon remained glued to the spot. Panting, Kiara flicked her hair back.

"Fine. You win. What d'ya want?" A triumphant grin lit up the dragon's face as she lowered herself onto four paws. Kiara placed a hand on her scaly forehead.

"I want to take you home. And my home can only be entered by flying."

"Perrrfect." Kiara stretched the word with sarcasm. "Fine, I'll come, but on one condition: NO FANCY TRICKS. No loop-the-loop. No spins or twirls. No sudden drops."

"That's boring."

"Do we have a deal?"

"Yeah-yeah. Hop on already."

As soon as Kiara had cautiously mounted, Whiplash spread her wings and lifted off. She hovered above the mountain. "See, this isn't so bad..." Kiara started but then she saw the mischievous look Whiplash wore, "...and I spoke too soon."

Whiplash shot forward. She sliced through the air like a giant blow-dart. If Kiara hadn't leaned forward she would have definitely suffered from whiplash. No wonder Valka named her that. The unmatched speed sent a tingling sensation of thrill through Kiara, along with pumps of adrenaline. She mustered all her strength to latch herself onto the dragon as the ferocious wind rushed past. "I swear if a bug hits my face, I'll have your head," she grumbled, though her words were barely audible as they whipped away. Whiplash let out a deep chortle as she slowed to turn around a mountain. Then she sped off again. Kiara strained her arms and legs more than ever before and she squinted her watery eyes in an attempt to block out the piercing wind. Through her narrowed eyes she saw a large slab of rock, almost vertical.

"Whiplash! We're heading for a mountain!" she yelled. But the dragon continued towards the mount.

"Look again."

Kiara's eyes flickered to a large hole in the side of the mountain. "Is that a cave?!"

"That's right. Welcome to your new home!"

With that, they swooped into the large cave. Kiara was ready this time, arms wrapped around the dragon's neck as tight as a choker. Whiplash landed firmly and once again Kiara was flung upwards, but instead of bouncing off, her arms stretched painfully and her butt slammed back down on the dragon. She glared at Whiplash, but the dragon just looked back at her with a smug half-smile.

"You said no tricks, not no speed."

"You're not nearly as innocent as you look," Kiara muttered, vaguely acknowledging that she hadn't touched Whiplash's head when she heard her speak.

"You enjoyed it."

"What makes you think that?"

"The crazy wide smile on your face."

Stretching her sore arms, Kiara chuckled at how true that was. She slid of Whiplash and groaned as she stumbled when landing on her stiff legs. She could tell they'd continue to ache till the next day. "How come dragons don't look like they fly as fast when we watch them from the ground?" she complained.

"Because they aren't flying as fast."

"Yeah, that makes more sense. So are you like the fastest type of dragon now?"

"Yes. Well... Second fastest."

"Ooh, who's faster?" Kiara questioned eagerly.

"Valka called these dragons 'Nightfurys'. I call them something else."

"What would that be?"

"Extinct."

"Oh..." Kiara furrowed her eyebrows. Something about that didn't sound right to her. "Ya sure?"

"I've never seen or heard one, neither has anyone I know."

"So there's none left... That's a shame."

Kiara put down her rucksack and wandered about the rocky cave. "It's a nice place you got to yourself. Pretty neat." Although the entrance was relatively small, the cave could easily fit seven Hideous Zipplebacks with room to move —not that you'll want seven of them in one place. At the back of the cave, there was a passage where Kiara could hear the distant sound of gushing water. Whiplash walked up to Kiara, close enough for her to make out her thoughts.

"That leads to the waterfall on the other side of this mount."
"Ooh! Bath time arrangements too! That's not so bad considering that I'm literally a cave-woman now."

Kiara ambled to the entrance of the cave and stood on the ledge that stuck out from it. Her eyes wandered across the island, all the way up to the coastline, where the ocean kissed the land. "You've made damn sure that I'll have to ride you every time I come or leave." she said then added dreamily, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Whiplash walked up to her with an excited twinkle in her eyes. "So you're staying? Please say you're staying!"
"Of course I'm staying! You think I'd abandon you after discovering our cool mind-link? Nah, you're stuck with me from now." Kiara elbowed her playfully as Whiplash smiled ear to ear. The thought link was becoming so handy, it made Kiara wonder how they'd ever gotten on without it.

"Do you want to fish for breakfast?"
"More like lunch, but no thanks. I'd like a break from fish." Whiplash tailed Kiara as she walked to her bag.
"Awwn, but I wanted to show you the dragon way of fishing." Whiplash moaned.
"The dragon way? What were we doing before then?"
"The flightless way. The dragon way is way better; you fly across the ocean and dive for fish."
"Flying into the ocean! I'll pass. Had enough excitement for one day."

Kiara pulled out a Maltesers bar and unwrapped it. Whiplash wrinkled her nose and pulled her head back with a snort, obviously disgusted.

"I thought I saw you finish that!" Kiara heard Whiplash think.
"I had two, remember? What's so bad about chocolate anyway?"
"Smells like a Snap-Trapper."
"A what?"
"A large four-headed dragon that lures in human prey with that smell." Whiplash replied nonchalantly.
"Human prey!" Kiara screeched, "But dragons eat fish! And animals... Right?"
"MOST dragons do. Few like eating humans. There are even some giant dragons that eat other dragons."

Kiara gulped, unable to contemplate the size of those dragons. "I'm not so hungry anymore." she croaked.