The Other-worldly Protector

80. Doomed Island

The boulder-like dragon didn't slow in the slightest as it stormed towards the cage, rattling the earth on the way. Kiara screamed and squeezed her eyes shut. The rumbling reached its peak. For a fleeting moment, she felt warmth and steadiness wrap around her. Then, with a painfully loud clang, the cage lurched. Kiara's stomach dropped as she was launched into the air with it. It tumbled, knocking around its occupants like they were no more than a beanbag. Bruises collected and the screeches of metal bending and breaking filled Kiara's ears. As the beast rolled past, the cage skidded to a halt in a cloud of dust.

Ears ringing, Kiara tried to make sense of her condition. She was battered and shaking but somehow nothing was broken. She sat, leaning her head against the steadiness that had wrapped around her. It took her a few seconds to realise what had happened and when she did, her heart lurched and heat flushed her skin. She lifted her head off Tuffnut's chest. "You—?" Her words were cut off when she choked on dust. She coughed.

"You cool?" he asked, arms still wrapped around her and one hand cradling the back of her head. Though he was the one swaying like he was on the brink of fainting, he peered at her worriedly.

"You shielded me," she uttered. Her eyes widened. "Are you okay? Are—are you hurt? You..."

Tuffnut laughed, sounding delirious. "Don't worry. We Thorstons are famous for our extremely thick craniums." He knocked on his helmet. Unconvinced, Kiara inspected his unfocused eyes.

"Thick scull or not, you have a concussion," she stated.

"Not to worry, I was born with that."

Outside their dust-cloaked cage, the quakens chased and attacked a nadder, nightmare, gronckle and zippleback, spurred on by two hunters who ran alongside them, slamming giant hammers into the ground. When a shockwave caught one hunter by surprise, he was thrown back and lost his grip on the hammer. It flew and landed far away. Now weaponless, he quickly retreated, letting his partner take full control.

The shockwave also blew the dust away and as it did, Hiccup came bursting into the broken cage. "Are you okay?!" he demanded. His worry flipped to confusion when his eyes landed on the pair. "We're good!" Kiara squeaked, scrambling off Tuffnut's lap.

"Good to see you in one piece," Hiccup quipped.

"Har har," she said, rolling her eyes at his smirk to internalise how flustered she felt. The shadow of a zippleback fell over her. "Don't forget to tell your grandkids you got run over by a quaken," Ruffnut cackled from on top of the cage. One head of her dragon lowered through the broken bars and grabbed Tuffnut.

"This is my second time as well," Kiara grumbled as she stepped through the gap between two bent bars.

"With how today's going, I'll beat your high score, no problem!" Tuffnut called as he left on his dragon to join Astrid, Snotlout and Fishlegs in keeping the quakens occupied.

"And I'll make sure you don't," Kiara murmured. She sprinted off, grabbing her weapons on the way. Toothless came bounding alongside her. "Where are you running off to without a dragon?" Hiccup asked from the saddle as Kiara tucked in her knife.

"I'm getting that hammer—" She cut herself off with a sharp gasp as she spotted Meatlug and Fishlegs hovering in place while a quaken barrelled towards him. Fishlegs remained still with a hand outstretched towards the advancing beast. "Hiccup!" She pointed to the scene in alarm.

"Fishlegs, get out of there!" Hiccup yelled as he and Toothless rushed over. Fishlegs took no notice. He continued to mutter to himself with a look of focus. The quaken drew closer with no sign of stopping. "Fishlegs!" Hiccup screamed. At the very last moment, Meatlug swept aside and towards Hiccup. The quaken shot past and collided into the mount with a boom.