Thunder and Lightning

Hours later, Cammie was navigating a beat-up Chevrolet truck along a muddy back road. Mercury was curled up in a satisfied fashion on the passenger seat. Cammie had told George that something had come up and that she had to go check it out. They had agreed to keep in touch by phone, and Cammie had set out to find transportation. It was a small town, with no car dealership or rental. The best she could do was the local garage and gas station. She bribed and beseeched the grimy, weathered owner with a large lump of cash and a story about her aunt needing her on the farm as soon as possible, and he had reluctantly agreed to let her borrow one of his trucks for a day or so. He had given her the worst of the bunch, and it clanked ominously as she shifted in and out of four-wheel drive. She grunted as it bumped over a rut in the road, and she prayed that the truck wouldn't get stuck in the mud.

Mercury was directing her and constantly peering up and trying to see over the dashboard.

"Are you sure you know where we're going?" she asked for the fifth time in the last half hour. The road now was little more than a frequently run track through farms and fields. Most of the buildings were old, collapsing barns and silos. If they got stuck out here, they were up a creek without a paddle.

*Yes. This way,* he assured her, bobbing his head. His ears flapped up and down, which she noticed they often did when he was excited, and his olive eyes sparkled brightly with possibilities. The mist tuft on his tail seemed to flicker with his energy as well. Cammie tightened her grip on the wheel uneasily as the truck sloshed through a particularly deep puddle, but it fortunately kept going.

They continued, passing through an area where the fences had been ripped up and were lying in pieces around the field. Cammie spotted a large house and several barns up ahead, and they didn't appear to be in any better shape. In fact, looking closer, there seemed to be a distinct line of demolition running across this farm.

A tornado? she wondered. It could be anything, but the linear nature of the ruination seemed unlikely to occur by mere disrepair.

*Here!* Mercury suddenly screamed, causing her to stomp on the brakes in surprise.

The truck rocked at the sudden locking of the wheels, nearly tossing Mercury to the floor. He looked askance at his bondmate.

"You said 'here'," she pointed out. Mercury shook his head and strained to look out the windshield.

*There... house,* he amended. Cammie leaned over the wheel and looked at the partially decayed structure. Then, she shrugged and started the truck down the road again. She turned off at the proper place, glad that they wouldn't have to cut through the fields to reach the farmhouse. The truck pulled into the empty yard, and the engine thumped and rattled in protest when she turned it off. Wreckage from the home and barns was strewn over the area, but it looked like nobody had lived here for quite a while. The house was dark and menacing, and it seemed to watch them with a baleful gaze as Cammie lifted Mercury into her arms and exited the truck. Her boots sunk into the muck a bit, and she cautiously approached the house.

The front steps were all but gone, only a few frame boards showing where a porch might have once been. As Cammie drew closer to the loosely hanging door, she noted odd tracks in the mud. There were paw prints, like dog prints except larger and flatter. The paw pads were differently shaped as well. Alongside the tracks, and occasionally obscuring them, was a large sliding track, as though something had been dragged through the muddy earth and into the house. There was mud on the doorframe as well, now that she was looking. Cammie stopped a few feet from the unlit entrance, uncertain whether she should proceed. She was alone, with a small dragon hatchling to watch out for. If anything happened, there would be no help and no one to save Mercury.

*We go in,* Mercury whispered to her, apparently feeling the same timidity but determined to march on. She squeezed him a bit tighter in her arms and stepped up to the entrance. She had to use one arm to grab the doorframe and brace a leg inside before hauling herself up over the large step from the ground. She pushed the unhinged door out of the way and crossed into the abode.

It wasn't completely pitch black inside; sunlight trickled through gaps in the roof and walls. Cammie breathed in relief, glad that she would at least be able to see where she was going. The left side of the house was mostly destroyed, and the second floor was spotty, at best. The staircase leading up to it disappeared halfway there, a large broken crescent between it and the sections of flooring above. To their right, however, the house was more stable.

The tornado must have ripped away that side of the house but not had the strength to finish it, Cammie surveyed. Probably an F2 or an F3...

Her footsteps seemed loud in the silent space, and she flinched as the floor creaked under her weight. She wondered how strong the floor was and hoped that she wouldn't fall through and break a leg. It could be dangerous walking around abandoned buildings under the best circumstances, never mind wandering around one that had been partially destroyed by a tornado.

Mercury craned his head forward, intent on the front room to their right. *There...*

Cammie stepped toward the doorway. What she could see of the room was dusty and empty, with a small, broken bureau in the corner. There was, however, a track running through the dust and occasional streaks of mud along the floorboards. Whatever had come in here had obviously gone that way. As she came within a few feet of the room, she felt the hair on her arms and scalp rising. At first, she was baffled and mistook the sensation for goose bumps, but when strands of her hair began floating upwards and her head started tingling, she panicked. She had heard this was the sensation you got before lightning struck. She gasped and ducked toward the floor, curling her body protectively around Mercury and making her head the lowest point of her body.

If you're going to get struck by lightning, might as well get hit in the ass... she recalled, bringing up a bit of wisdom from one of her old stormchaser friends. She had barely made it to the floor when there was an audible crackle and a bright light. She felt a charge run through her and shrieked in fear, but whatever it was streaked over her head and she got only a glancing taste of the electricity from it.

What is this? Ball lightning? Cammie thought in terror. The sky had been perfectly clear, with no sign of storm, but she remembered urban legends from school about ball lightning entering houses and flying around rooms under sunlit skies. Suddenly, there was a vehement roar, like nothing she had ever heard before, a mixture of wildcat and Tyrannosaurus Rex. Mercury wailed in terror and distress. Cammie trembled and tried to shield Mercury with her body, afraid to even look up but knowing that she had to see what she was up against and, if possible, find an escape.

She raised her head and immediately was faced with an odd sight—two powerful legs, ending in large, taloned paws, with a thick tail behind them. The skin was even more strange, smooth and pearlescent, reflecting light and swirls of different colors from their surroundings, like it was made of glass. Her eyes continued upwards, and she found two gigantic, feathered wings glistening to either side of a powerful chest, a lengthy neck, and finally, at the very top, the face of a Clarus Dragon, distorted in anger and baring sharp draconic fangs at them. Cammie froze, completely speechless and awestruck.

The Clarus flapped its wings in an aggressive manner and snarled before releasing another ear-splitting roar. Cammie felt the air suddenly become electrified again. The horrible tingle of impending doom rippled across her skin, and she could do nothing except curl around Mercury and scream.

"No! Please!" she cried, cowering from the powerful and raging Glass dragon.

*NOOO!* Mercury shrieked at the same instant, fright radiating from him thickly and making Cammie shudder as it amplified her own fear.

There was a growl from the dragon's direction. The attack didn't come, but the electricity didn't abate. If anything, it intensified. Small bolts crackled out from the adult Clarus, several of them snapping into the floor around Cammie's head, leaving blackened spots on the grayed wood. Cammie whimpered and tried to inch away. Mercury was making an odd, trilling noise that sounded either like begging or utter and complete panic.

*STOP!* the Clarus adult thundered, her voice cutting through Cammie's mind like a finely sharpened knife. Cammie immediately flattened herself to the floor and stopped her retreat, barely breathing and trying to remain as still as possible. Her heart was pounding in her ears, but she could still hear the Clarus's feet stalking closer. The static in the air grew more intense as the dragon's bulk drew closer, and Cammie squeezed her eyes shut and prayed.

O Lord, please protect us, your children, and save us from this dragon's wrath, she begged, then launched into a mental recitation of Our Father. Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven...

The prayer gave her the strength to bear the moments that passed as the Clarus adult drew her head close to Cammie's and inspected her. The dragon then stepped back.

*Get up,* she commanded brusquely.

Cammie slowly uncurled and pushed herself to her feet. Her legs were cramped slightly from the time on the floor, but she didn't even wince. Her arms wrapped protectively around Mercury, trying to screen him from the female dragon. The Clarus was mere feet away, and her eyes were fixed distrustfully on Cammie. Cammie kept her head down and looked mostly at the floor, only glancing occasionally at the dragon's face. She didn't want the Clarus to feel threatened; the dragon was obviously angry and unpredictable. Mercury's head was burrowed into the crook of Cammie's arm, and he was shaking visibly and making whimpers that were so soft she could only feel them.

*Who are you, and what are you doing here?* the Clarus demanded.

Cammie paused, uncertain how the dragon would take her answer. "Camilla Jane Murphy... looking for you," she answered hesitantly, unsure how to address the female, then swallowed nervously. The Clarus's eyes narrowed in suspicion; Cammie pressed on, trying to explain further. "M-Mercury, my, uh, hatchling, told me that you needed help, s-so we came to find you..."

Cammie's arms tightened minutely around Mercury as she spoke, tensing up in preparation in case the Clarus was going to attack again. This time, Cammie was ready. If it happened, she would throw Mercury to safety and allow the electricity to hit her. At least then he had a chance to escape, if a slim one.

*No, stay with you,* Mercury whimpered, reading her thoughts, and she felt his teeth clamp down on her jacket, anchoring the little dragon to her arm.

Better that you get away and live, she hissed to her charge in desperation.

*No. Both or none!* he protested, tensing and gripping her with all his might. Tears sprang to Cammie's eyes as she felt his devotion and fear. She raised her gaze to the female Clarus, who was staring at them. She was still suspicious, but she seemed to be relenting. After all, Cammie was obviously not a threat, nor was the tiny hatchling she held. The electric charge in the air faded away, leaving Cammie feeling dizzy with relief.

*I am Charaustra... but it is not I who need your help. Follow me.*

The dragon wheeled on her feet and fluttered awkwardly back into the room. From the way she used only one wing, Cammie thought she might be injured, but she obviously had something more pressing for them to attend to. Cammie took a deep breath, loosened her grip on Mercury, and followed Charaustra into the room.

Mercury poked the leg of the man on the floor experimentally with his nose, earning a sideways glare from Charaustra. Cammie, meanwhile, was examining the human carefully. He appeared to be in his thirties, tall but not lean, with shaggy sandy brown hair that fell over his forehead and around his ears. There was a few days worth of stubble on his face, but under that, his skin was pale. There was heavy bruising around his nose and the left side of his face, but there didn't appear to be any broken skin. Cammie leaned closer, listening to him breathe and watching his chest rise and fall. He didn't seem to be in distress, but according to Charaustra, he had been comatose or sleeping since the previous night.

*He awoke for a brief period of time a few hours ago, but now he sleeps again,* the Glass dragon informed her. Her eyes were fixed on her bondmate, worried.

Cammie shook her head and listened. The Clarus spoke in her head with an English accent, something she found rather odd. She wondered offhand if Charaustra found her American accent just as strange.

"It's good that he woke up... the longer someone is in a coma, the worse the injury is. He really should go to a hospital, but they would ask questions, and you certainly wouldn't be able to be seen," Cammie pondered, shaking her head yet again.

*Your world does not have dragons then,* Charaustra concluded, not sounding surprised. *Only a few Earths we have seen do.*

"A few Earths...?" Cammie questioned. "You've been to different ones?"

*Yes. We travel not through space or time, but across dimensions. We have seen many Earths, and many versions of other worlds as well.*

"You've been to outer space?"

Charaustra simply nodded, pointedly gazing at Jason. Cammie took the hint and turned her attention back to the comatose human. She reached to touch his face gently, trying to feel for fractures.

Good thing he's unconscious, she thought. Poking at a broken bone would cause anyone extreme pain. Her fingers pushed first on his bruised cheekbone, but she didn't feel anything irregular about it, and nothing moved unexpectedly. She trailed her fingers up and felt the bridge of his nose more gently. The heaviest bruising was here, and it looked as though the nose had been bleeding earlier. The bones didn't appear to be crushed or misaligned, but there was a lot of swelling. It might be fractured.

Charaustra watched Cammie's actions with an eagle eye. She didn't like the strange woman touching her bondmate, but Jason needed help, and the other human did honestly want to assist them. Her hatchling, meanwhile, kept nudging the edge of Jason's traveling cloak. Charaustra resisted the urge to snap at him; she was on edge, and she knew it. He wasn't hurting anything, so long as he didn't start bothering Jason.

"I don't know, nothing looks too serious, although the bruising is bad... but I'm worried about him sleeping this much. Can we try to wake him?" Cammie asked finally, not having any better ideas. Char nodded and leaned down to nudge Jason's chin.

*Jason, wake up,* she projected at a normal level. Then, she continued louder, *Jason. Jason! Come on. You have to wake up. Wake up, Jason!*

She nudged him harder in increments, keeping up her mental barrage. Cammie stared uncertainly, wondering if she should join in as well. Mercury seemed to think this was a fine idea, and he butted his head against Jason's leg, squeaking at the human.

*Up! Up!* he insisted. *Wake up, sun! Up!*

Cammie finally reached down to shake the man's arm lightly. Suddenly, he moaned, his brows knitting together, and his head shifted slightly, trying to escape Charaustra's nudging.

*Jason?* Charaustra prompted, drawing back. Cammie froze, waiting to see if he was going to wake up. Only Mercury continued his barrage, giving another squeak and butting into Jason's leg again.

*Up, sun! Up, sun!* Mercury was chanting, more to himself now than at Jason.

"...Char?" the man murmured, opening his eyes and cringing a bit at the pain that was accompanying consciousness. At his words, Mercury stopped and looked up at them cheerfully.

"Sun up!" he proclaimed, obviously giving himself full credit.

*Jason, are you all right? You've been sleeping almost straight through since last night,* Char told her bondmate.

"What happened?" he asked. He was in a lot of pain, so he didn't try to sit up. His head felt especially heavy, and he tried to avoid moving more of his facial muscles than were necessary to speak.

*I told you once before. You were hit in the head by a falling beam when that storm hit the barn.*

"Oh..." Jason responded, trying to remember. He could recall running to the barn, but that was about it. He breathed out, trying to get control of the pain in his head. He didn't want to black out again. Then, he noticed that something was touching his arm, and when he looked over and spotted Cammie, he started at the unexpected presence of another human. He stared at the woman for a moment in confusion. She was fair skinned and blue eyed, rather pretty in fact. Long brown hair was mostly held back in a ponytail, with some wayward strands falling around her face, backlit by the daylight from the broken window in the room. Although right now she looked rather uncertain and worried, he could see something stronger and more independent in her eyes.

Did we already meet? he wondered. He had forgotten talking to Char earlier, so he may have forgotten this woman as well.

Cammie was held in Jason's gaze for those few moments, and she found herself looking into his hazel eyes and seeing someone who had suffered. His eyes held distrust and apathy, and they fiercely guarded whatever secrets he had.

"Um... hello," Jason said finally, breaking the silence.

Cammie took a moment to respond. There was something about having an English accent directed at you that could make any American woman freeze up. "Hi... I'm Cammie," she answered finally, mentally kicking herself into action.

Jason processed this, something immediately standing out. She's American? Where the hell are we? Then, he realized that her hand was still resting on his arm. The gesture was too familiar for his liking; over the years, he had gotten wary of people, for good reasons. He pointedly stared at her hand, silently demanding its removal.

Cammie saw Jason's eyes drop to her hand, but she resisted to urge to snatch it back. His was a calculated look, given to make it clear that he didn't approve, and that grated her the wrong way. It seemed... impolite, given that she was here helping him after nearly being fried by Charaustra to begin with.

It's not like I was doing anything wrong, she defended silently, but she held her tongue. She waited until Jason's eyes returned to her face before she removed her hand slowly and returned it to her lap. The silence dragged on for a moment afterwards, neither one of them sure how to continue. Mercury decided to solve the problem his own way.

*I am Mercury!* he voiced, hopping up to perch on Jason's shin. Jason flinched, but then his eyes widened slightly in surprise.

Another Clarus? he asked Char.

*Yes, a hatchling,* she affirmed. Mercury puffed out his chest and tried to look impressive. He fanned out his tail the best he could and perked his ears forward, cocking his head and staring at Jason in anticipation. Jason considered the hatchling for a moment, formulating a proper response.

"It's lovely to meet you, Mercury. And I suppose Cammie is your bondmate then?"

*Yep!* the grey hatchling answered blithely. *You okay now?*

Jason paused. His head was pounding, and the light from the window seemed far too bright. His head had always been a weak point. Ever since he was a child, he had been plagued by migraine headaches. The recent head trauma wasn't helping, but he would live.

"It hurts, but I'll be all right," he told Mercury.

*Good! We go now!* Mercury informed everyone.

"Hold on a tic. Go where? Where are we?"

Cammie stepped in to answer, since Mercury had no concept of geography. "Northeast Oklahoma... the United States," she amended, wondering where Jason was from originally.

"I know where Oklahoma is," Jason muttered, becoming irritable as the pain struck sharper. Damn Americans. Just because they didn't know anything about geography didn't mean that no one else in the world bothered to learn it. "Where are we going?"

Cammie's eyes narrowed minutely; she didn't like his attitude, but she decided to let it slide, seeing as he had recently suffered a head injury after suddenly dropping in from another dimension. Hearing his question, she faltered for a moment. The only place to go would be back to the motel... but moving in an adult Clarus dragon in broad daylight would be some trick. She sighed. "Mercury and I will go back to the motel and make sure they don't give away our room. We'll come back for you at sunset. It will be easier to move Charaustra in the dark."

"A motel?" Jason questioned, drawing the word out distastefully.

"Do you have a better idea? Would you rather stay in this rickety house?" Cammie asked sharply, about to draw the line.

"No..." Jason admitted. "... do I get my own room?"

"Do you have any money?"

"... no."

"Then you learn to share."

Cammie got up and brushed off her jeans. She observed Jason from her standing position; he was staring directly into her face, still trying to assert some from of social dominance. "Get some rest, and stay put until sunset," she told both him and Charaustra. Then, she turned away rapidly and stooped to swipe Mercury from the floor. He cheered happily as she swung him up into her arms.

*Bye!* he called to Charaustra and Jason over Cammie's shoulder as they quickly left the room and moved toward the exit.