[CENTER][H3][B][COLOR=Brown][hr]C O L I N C A I L L E[/COLOR][/B][/H3][sub][i]New West Jethrull Mall[/i], West End, [b]Jethrull[/b] | 10:00 AM, Friday, April 7th, 2017 [/sub][/CENTER][hr] [center][b][color=slategray]A STORM RISES[/color][/b][/center] The winds were raging, seething with anger, and despite the crow's best protests, even its soaring wings could not overcome that natural fury. Rain pelted its tar-black feathers with the type of furious equality that only a storm such as this could be capable of. It proved unrepentant, unrelenting, and no matter what angle the bird attempting to pierce its stormwall, unmoving. A fortress made of wrathful clouds with towering pillars of rain and fracturing bolts of yellow-gold lightening to defend against all intruding eyes, be they beast or man. Or in Colin's case, a ramshackle combination of the two. [sub][color=olivedrab][i]"Colin..."[/i][/color][/sub] The young Draoi attempted to prod The Morrigan's servant along, forcing his will over the birds own and demanding that it fly further into the storm. It wouldn't do anything life-threatening, but the bird would serve Colin as well as it could. Catching a rouge updraft, Colin let the bird's body drive endlessly upward so to gain better vantage over the area. He had set the crow deep into the Demon's Teeth earlier this morning, and though the sprawling mountain range was fiercely beautiful, it yielded no information that the man had not already known. Crescent City's sky was bleeding rain like a vein fresh cut, and Colin was desperate to find out why. This land was sick, Colin could feel it, and he doubted any Draoi worth their salt would not feel the same wave of prickling anger that bit at the back of his mind. Rain and thunder, wind and storm, they all sang a song of rage that burned his Vis-laced blood. Something was wrong with this storm, and that something had to do The Demon's Teeth. [sub][color=olivedrab][i]"Colin."[/i][/color][/sub] Again, Colin ordered his crow to drill itself against the stormwall, but each time it pressed forward, it was rebuked with an equal force. Lightening shrieked down from the sky around the bird, sending it squawking away as its fire-fed fractals that stretched outward towards the creature. Some force was preventing Colin's spell-summoned pet from piercing the veil that hid Old Stone Mountain from his gaze. And even with the Draoi's perspective shoved into that of a bird, it rightly pissed him the hell off. [Color=olivedrab]"Colin!"[/color] Eye's shooting open with alarm, Colin's fist shot outward against whatever person was shaking him. His gaze turned frantic as he shot up from his car seat and steeped outside, hands guarding against any further assault. Some leftover part of his spell urged him to take flight, but this body had no wings and Colin wasn't much one for from running from a fight. [color=olivedrab]"Jesus-fucking-christ Colin! Ye' punched me!"[/color] Colin blinked, confused. It took a second for his eyes to readjust from the avian perspective they had been in not moments ago and slip back into their normal orientation. In front of him stood Walt O'Connor, not an assailant, but an old friend to the Caille family. He was rubbing his jaw, nursing a bloodied lip and staring at Colin with a mix of annoyance and surprise. Colin's fist throbbed in return, and his face twisted with minor embarrassment as he realized what had happened. [color=brown]"Uh-Sorry Walt, ye' woke me up from a wee bit of nightmare."[/color] Colin took a second to gather himself, purging the last of his avian instincts with a shake of his head. He had cast 'Morrigan's Call' at the start of the car ride, but he hadn't expected to be forced out of the trance that the spell had set him in. Usually, when he transferred his perspective into that of one of The Morrigan's servants and pulled back into his own brain, there was no kickback from the bird. He was also never snapped out of his trance by an irritated Irishmen either, so Colin supposed that Walt had an accidental hand in that. Walt rolled his eyes as he sucked on his lip, but nodded all the same. He motioned for Colin to close the car door behind him and to follow quickly. The rain, ever-present in recent months, had poured even harder in past days. Even only minutes out in the open, and Colin was already soaked to the bone. He and Walt ran hurriedly from the car-parking lot to the entrance of the sparsely populated mall. [color=olivedrab]"A nightmare eh? So even the great Colin "Balor" Caille of Caille family fame fears something?"[/color] Walt joked as they approached the sliding doors which promised a dry haven from the rain. The younger Draoi snorted lightly, before poking the older man's ribs with a sharp elbow. [color=brown]"Fuck off, ye' old blighter,"[/color] Colin chuckled, warming himself as he entered the multi-storied department store. He gave the location an appreciative glance. He hoped he could find the gear he needed to hike Old Stone Mountain here. Without it, it'd be even harder to scale the mountain in hellish weather like this. Walt laughed loudly to himself at the younger man's annoyance. He thought Colin was a good kid, an even better Draoi, but too damned serious sometimes. He was glad he could get a rise out of the boy, even if he received a bruised lip for his efforts. Walt saw a lot of Ava in Colin, both the good and the bad. If he could help the man avoid the same mistakes his mother had made in her youth, well, all the better for the both of them. Colin stopped abruptly, causing Walt to send him a curious glance. The young Draoi was glaring intensely at an advertisement featuring a grinning cat and an empty bird cage. Walt smiled in understanding, and gave Colin a light shove from behind. [color=olivedrab]"Ye' were casting that crow spell I taught ye', weren't cha?"[/color] [color=brown]"Fuck off, Walt."[/color] [color=olivedrab]"Careful now, any more lip an' I might just go and buy a cat."[/color] [color=brown]"FUCK. OFF. WALT,"[/color] Colin growled at the older man, an effort that lost much of its impact due to Walt's near-hysterics. [CENTER][H3][/H3][sub][i]New West Jethrull Mall Parking Lot[/i], West End, [b]Jethrull[/b] | 12:00 PM, Friday, April 7th, 2017 [/sub][/CENTER][hr] [color=brown]"Tent?"[/color] [color=olivedrab]"Check."[/color] [color=brown]"Boots and Mountain clothes?"[/color] [color=olivedrab]"Check."[/color] [color=brown]"Loyal manservant willing to lug all this shite to his car and drive me to my luxurious home?"[/color] [color=olivedrab]"Ye're a right arse, ye' knew that Colin?"[/color] Walt grunted as he heaved the last of the young Draoi's supplies into his car. It was a tight fit, but through some small miracle they had managed to squeeze all the remaining supplies that Colin had needed for his trek into Walt's rundown hatchback. The older Irishman slammed the car trunk shut with a [i]thud[/i], and turned to see the broad, smug smile of Ava Caille's only son. [color=brown]"Sorry, get it from me mum,"[/color] Colin replied without a trace of an apologetic tone. His grin was glib, and it proved hard for Walt to deny that the boy reminded him of Ava. He had that same passion for life, her sense of humor, and even her damnable infuriating nature. Though he must've been the spitting image of his father, a figure unknown even to Walt, his smile was undoubtedly and apologetically his mother's. [color=olivedrab]"Aye, that you do. Now, before I drop ye' off, ye' sure ye' don't want me to come with ye'? Take it from a local, The Demon's Teeth aren't easy on travelers usually, and in this weather its gonna be far worse. An extra set of hands might ye' well, to catch ye' when ye' fall on yer arse if nothing else,"[/color] Underneath his teasing, Walt was very much concerned for the boy. It seemed to him that Colin was rushing off into the unknown, head full of youthful fantasies about uncovering some lost bit of knowledge. Many Draoi died that way, chasing rumors. Walt had made a promise to Ava to watch after her boy as if he were his own, and if one of his boys were doing something as brainless as this he'd have half a mind to box their ears in. Colin raised a suspect eyebrow at his friend, and placed a firm hand on Walt's shoulder. [color=brown]"Listen, I appreciate the concern, but ye' know as well as I do that this is my task not yers. I can't accept yer help, the Order won't allow it, and don't want it. Don't worry about whatever me mum's said, I'll be fine,"[/color] Colin gave Walt a light pat on the cheek, and while his grin was genuine, so was the stern intensity that lurked behind his smiling, brown eyes. [color=brown]"So stop treating me like a damned child and get yer arse in the car."[/color] Nodding solidly, Walt brushed off Colin's hand and hopped in the driver's seat of the car. Colin followed swiftly after, glad to be out of the chill of the rain and that he and Walt had reached an understanding. He liked the man fine, but he, like everyone else, needed to learn that Colin could handle himself. He didn't need help from his family to figure out what was happening at The Demon's Teeth. This was his journey to take, and no other Draoi's. The sight of The Old Stone Mountain loomed dangerously in the distance as Walt's car merged out of the mall parking lot and onto the highway. Colin couldn't help but smile at jagged ridges which pierced the sky. He'd had tried to scope out the mountain range by air, and had failed. Now he would try by land, and see if that yielded any better results. The mountain couldn't resist Colin forever. Nothing could.