((A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. Work has been keeping me on my toes lately. Enjoy!--D. Masters))
They again fell asleep, having thoroughly worn themselves out, and slept to the coming of the sun. As the first of the new light hit his face, Drake couldn't remember where he was, only that he was surrounded by hay, and that he was lightly restrained by...something...around his waist. Looking around, he saw Maura, as nude as he realized he was, sleeping at his side. With a light blush, he awoke the young woman, and began to hunt for his pants.
"Why are you in a hurry, lad? Do you wish to be out of my company so quickly?"
In truth, Drake thought that was most of the reason, but he wasn't going to tell her that. "Nay, I was gone all night without telling my mother; She'll be worried thin." Maura looked satisfied with his answer, and began to look for her clothes, too. When they both had what they were looking for, they crept out of the loft, and outside. The fog was thick that morning, which would prove to be a blessing since Drake was walking with his hand about Maura's waist, and hers about Drake's. The fact that She was only in a slip, and He in his pants wouldn't help the fact along with their elders. At her porch, they kissed farewell, and Drake began his walk home, still barefoot.
Not three miles from his house, he was greeted by his dog, Roland. The beast was little more than a mutt, but he was set apart from most dogs by his eyes: they were fierce, but empty blue. Bombardiers eyes. That was the feature that had given him his name, though. Drake had gotten his hands on a copy of The Gunslinger, by a man named King. Drake loved the book, but was disheartened when he learned that no stores in his area had the next book in the series. He had found the dog three days prior, but was resigned to calling him "Boy" until Drake got the book. What had spooked Drake's mother, though, was how quickly the dog took to the name, like it was his all along.
"Well, now, how did you find me? Is Mom looking for me?" The dog whined, and looked over his shoulder confirming Drakes question; out of the fog came his mother, pale-faced and angry. What bothered Drake the most, her anger notwithstanding, was the look about her; it was almost as if her anger was radiating off of her in waves. The fog he noticed, didn't seem to want to touch her, even though it had to.
"Drake Allen Masters! Where in the name of the Man Jesus have you been! I was up until two this morning waiting for you to come through that door!"
Wincing as he walked towards her, Drake stopped trying to blather through; he just told her. His mother's anger grew as his story progressed, that was, until he got to the part about Joeseph not seeing them. When he finished that part, hanging his head, the blow he expected never came; instead his mother just looked at him, sighed, and said, "I think that it is time that we had a bit of a talk about our family, Danny." The fact that she used her bBirns name for him made if true that she wasn't angry with him.
"...After we had our talk, Mom took me to see a few of her relatives. They taught me about my abilities, and trained me to control them; in short, they helped me find myself. I still got my headaches as a kid, though, and that is why I was sent on the moors: the one time that I wasn't, I spent the following three days repairing the kitchen wall and ceiling."
Aramai had paid intent attention as Drake's story was played out in his head; the story filled in a large many gaps, but still left him with a few small questions.
"So...I understand what your power is, but what are your abilities? The way that you explained it, power and ability mean two different things to you. I have already gathered telekinesis, what I call The Sight, moderate telepathy, and what you referred to, vaguely, as The Burst. My questions are this: What is the Burst, and do you have any other abilities?"
Drake sat thinking for a few minutes and then asked Aramai if there was a way to the roof. "Well, there is but...it's supposed to be restricted to Public Security forces only." Drake looked at Aramai knowing full well that the man had unrestricted, limitless access to the roof. Seeing that Aramai had noticed his flat knowing gaze, he allowed himself to answer one of his own questions that had re-rose when he was telling of himself.
"The only reason the fog wouldn't touch her is simple; she was angry and using power she had long forgotten."
"That is what I thought too, Drake." Snapped from his thought, Drake realized he had still been sending. He closed his mind so that his inner tirade wouldn't seem to be directed at Aramai. Drake liked the man, and didn't want to offend him. Soon after he quit kicking himself over the fact that he was still in story mode, they arrived at the roof; which gave a beautiful view of downtown Tokyo. Drake took time to savor the view, enjoying the way the city obviously diminished into farm, and was traceable by the lights alone. Gathering himself up, Drake stretched, everything from his neck down cracking; after which he gave a rather satisfied sigh.
He looked over at the smaller man beside him and asked, "Are you sure that you are ready for this? I'm really too tired to do it more than once." he was boosted by the smile he received at his comment. "Well, then. I suppose that I should have you move back some; I wouldn't want to hurt you inadvertently."
Aramai backed to the opposing ledge, and motioned Drake to carry on.
Starting with his arms down, and his hands facing palms out, Drake began to gather his mental energy. As he raised and crossed his arms in front of himself the energy started to become visible. Holding his arms crossed he rolled his shoulders only, he ended with his arms crossed, fists down, above his head. The energy was now a very visible shade of blueish green, with a solid orb at the cross made by his arms. Drake opened his eyes, which had turned from their normal green, to an ominous black. "...Burst..."
After his display, Drake and Aramai went downstairs, and to the lobby. Both men bid each other a tired farewell, and Drake took a cab to his hotel, where he fell asleep to an old Jackie Chan movie on TV.
When he woke up the next morning, Drake felt better than he had in days. He figured that he just got a nice cleansing when he used the Burst earlier in the morning. Deciding to take his high into an advantage, Drake decided that he would spent the day sight seeing, and maybe talking to some of the benign spiritual inhabitants of the city, get himself caught up on the news since his last visit to Japan.