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[center][h1][color=Deepskyblue]Corann Creed - Present Day - Tahoe Mountains[/color][/h1][/center]

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[color=deepskyblue]Madison was gone - fled with wherever the wind would take her. It was clear to Corann that the girl had no idea what she was doing or where she was going. She had one simple plan. Escape. Layla had struck a cord of fear into her that he wasn't even sure he would be able to help dissolve. It was entirely possible that for the first time since being tasked to look after someone, he would fail before he even truly began.

Boris stared down the spot where he had last seen Madison before she disappeared down the mountain. Hefting himself up and onto his feet, the little nub of a tail attempted to wag, though in the dog's confusion was unable to keep it wagging and instead kept starting and stopping. A low, sad whine came from him, his head cocking to the side before looking over his massive shoulder at Corann, question clear in his dark brown eyes.

"I'll have no more interference from you, Witch. Leave us - and return to your quiet isolation." Corann didn't even so much as give Layla a second glance before he started walking away from her. Boris jumped to attention, able to pick up that they would be going after the girl and began to head down the scented trail he could easily follow right to her.

The way down was not as easy as it looked. Mountains did very little by the means of "natural trails". There was only so much that Corann could do, and even less that Boris could do. But finally, after what felt like hours, they reached a leveled clearing where he could plainly see Madison, trying her hand at the protection ward that was supposedly keeping them safe, but also trapped.

Boris hurried along, barking happily as he got closer to Madison and began to playfully nudge and lick at her elbows and hands, dancing little circles around her in an effort to get attention from their time apart.

"The Witch has put up a barrier. It's her idea of keeping you safe." Corann explained to Madison, but then scoffed, clearly disagreeing with it. He jumped down the last little ledge before the flattened clearing and approached Madison, standing beside her and raised a gloved hand to the force that kept any of them from being able to leave. Though as powerful as the Witch was, the spell was a simple one. He had magic of his own, though his was stemmed more from the elements than anything else. If he was going to break the barrier without Layla's help, he had to be careful.

"I can break it... but you'll have to step back. Take Boris with you." he told her, commanding, though yet still somehow soft. He turned his head to look into her eyes directly. "I know you have questions... and what you're about to see won't help them, I'm afraid. For now. But I fully intend to answer any you might have once we're free from Layla's interference." He sighed and lowered his head. "She shouldn't have brought you here." he finished, speaking more to himself than to Madison.

Righting his head once more, Corann stared down the invisible wall his hand was pressed up against, his dark eyes narrowing in concentration as he began to pool magic into his veins. The clouds thickened and darkened, what was once a gentle, cool breeze picking up enough to start billowing around his hair and leather coat. Tiny droplets of rain began to fall from the sky and Corann closed his eyes. There was a clear pressure in his arm the way he had it held out, his fingers flexing and contracting as though he were willing for something to happen.

Lightning began to flash and thunder boomed and Corann's concentration only intensified. His face was screwed up in what almost looked like pain as he continued to battle against the magical barrier in front of him. But then, finally, as the next bolt of lightning struck down, it seemed to connect with his fingertips. There was a cracking sound, followed by shattering as billions and billions of dazzling, crystal-like shards fell to the ground all around them, only to dissolve into the Earth as soon as they hit.

Corann fell to a knee, his torso leaning over it as he tried to steady himself by dropping an arm so that his hand was flush with the Earth. His entire body was shaking which had nothing to do with the rain, his breathing labored as though he had just ran a couple miles at full sprint. A mixture of sweat and rainwater trickled down his face, though he paid neither of them any notice as he simply took those few moments to recollect himself.

The barrier had been broken. They were free.[/color]