The Other-worldly Protector

Chapter 32: Clifftop

"AAAAAARRGH!!" Kiara flung the branch off the cliff. It spun through the air as she panted. A splash sounded a second later, but she had already turned away and was storming up the cliff. Whiplash's head was lowered as her tentative eyes followed her rider. She couldn't remember the last time she saw Kiara this angry, probably because it was never.

"Three months!" Kiara ranted at the top of her lungs, marching back and forth. The frozen shock had been replaced by an angry hurricane. "Three bloody months of searching! And nothing!"

Whiplash didn't try to stop her or enter her mind. Kiara needed an outlet and it didn't matter if it was painful to hear.

"We combed that blasted island twice! TWICE! Searched every inch of ground there was! A-and.. nothing!" Kiara collapsed. Her knees hit the ground first, then her fists. Whiplash swept forwards, worry etched on her face.

"Ground," Kiara muttered, her voice dripping with venom that did not belong on her lips. "Ground, ground, ground!" she shouted, bringing her fists down repeatedly. She stopped and looked to the moon-lit ocean, though not really seeing it. Her eyes became glassy.

"Oh, Whiplash," she sniffed, "we just searched ground... Forgot to search.. trees." Whiplash curved around her, making sad but comforting purrs. Kiara leant against her dragon and curled up like a lost child, gasping and shuddering. And as the tears dripped down, she truly did feel lost. No plan. No hope. No home.

As the purrs continued, Kiara's breathing became more even. The ghost of a smile found its way to her lips. She was, after all, not friendless.

-

Once she'd calmed down, Kiara uncurled herself from her dragon. She walked over to the cliff edge and sat with her feet dangling off the cliff. She felt the warmth of her dragon as Whiplash settled beside her. "Thanks, Whiplash," Kiara said.  Whiplash tilted her head, her friendly gaze fixed on her rider.

"For what?"

"Sticking by me."

Whiplash rested her large head on Kiara's lap, making a soft gurgling noise at the back of her throat.

"You know, this explains everything."

"The dreams?"

"Not just that. On that ship... I got my memories back. Kinda proves your theory, the one about the crystal having my memories because it's the only link to my past."

"That was my theory?"

"I think so."

"Cool. So do you still have them?"

"No. The memories left with that ship. With that crystal."

"So.. what's your next move?"

Kiara's fingers traced the smooth scales on her dragon's forehead as she thought through her options, her head much clearer. There was no point in returning to Discovery, she realised and felt guilty for not saying goodbye to all the dragons before leaving, especially Robbie. Perhaps she should go back, to do just that. But shouldn't she be tracking Ryker before he gets too far? But how? She had no idea where he went, except that he was headed south from Discovery. Even then he could have changed course to go anywhere. One thing was for sure: at some point, the hunters would return to their headquarters. Kiara let out an irritated groan. She hadn't a clue where to find that, or even where to start looking. But she knew who did: Hiccup.

Whiplash raised her head, her ear twitching. The flaps she had heard became audible to Kiara moments later. They didn't turn as the dragon landed behind them and his rider dismounted.