Rapture The Final Battle By: LadyDawn
2014 Copyright © All Right Reserved
Chapter 12 Getting Big There Valia
Mother always told me that vampires where one of the fastest to heal and we as the chosen ones heal even faster. Then someone tell me why I have been stuck in this bed for the last week? Today I was released finally to the joys of my awaiting family a party has been planned in my honor tonight—I swear they wait to throw a party for any occasion at all—tonight I am the unlucky intended victim. I am just happy to be free of those four white walls I will give them their party to be free.
“Are you feeling better Valia? Aren't you glad to be out of there? I would go stir crazy being cooped up for so long! Are you hungry we can go get you something to eat? If you are tired we can go to your room? You are so quiet...” I covered Icka's mouth with my hand so I could get a word in edgewise damn that girl can talk I swear.
“Slow down girl I am fine. I am just glad to be out of that room. Sheese. Now let's go down to the training grounds to see how the men have been getting along without me.” I released my hand from her mouth then stepped back and waited for the bragger of questions to begin again.
“Oh OK. This way.” She reached down and took my hand in hers and pulled me along through the winding turns of the old castle not even trying to flash me down to the training grounds. “Here we are sweetie. Let's go watch them practice, Bavo and Lady Gaia are out here with the men working on spells and sword fighting their two most needed fighting talents they are having problems with.” Huh, if I had been here for the last week or so I would have been able to whip these men into shape with the sword, I am the best of our group with a sword, that is what everybody tells me, anyway.
“Fine, lead the way,” We walked along the edge of the training grounds the castle wall to our backs and a pipe fence to our front separating us from the men. It was a huge odd shaped section cordoned off for practice. One section for hand to hand fighting practice, another for working with my specialty the sword, still another working with antique weapons—hand guns and rifles—anything not laser powered. I noticed that the antique weapon section through very busy was quiet when the weapons went off, must be something Lady Gaia or another witch spelled on the area to keep it quiet.
Cornor Sabau, Icka pointed out, was out on that range with the men teaching a handful of men to aim properly, he was behind the line of wooden rests set up to lay the guns down on walking to and fro waving his arms in the air and mouth moving rapidly. It was funny to see with no sound coming from his direction. We scooted along the gray rough castle wall over to the center of the field viewing area.
“Bavo,” I called out to my brother, 'ouch' that's going to hurt in the morning. Giggle. He just got hit on the shoulder by the guy he was training from the back when I called distracting him as he looked up. Oops so bad. “Hey big brother looking good out there.” I commented.
“Thanks. I think,” He had his hand on his shoulder rubbing the spot where the guy he was training hit him. I turned him around to rub it out for him just like I always do when I do the same thing to him with our training. “Thanks, Valia, how are you feeling? And the baby? Any problems there?” He asked me, my hands stopped rubbing out the knots in his shoulder and fell to my side. Leave it to Bavo to remind me about the baby.
“Um... The um... baby, yeah um that. Well I guess everyone knows... I guess it is... fine sort of... I don't know.” I have no idea really, the doctor kept trying to talk to me about it, but I kept side stepping the topic. I have no idea how it is even possible that I became pregnant—let alone the freak second person syndrome—not my favorite topic at the moment. “How is the shoulder? Sorry I distracted you before,” I changed the subject.
“Shoulder? Oh, it feels better thank you sis. But, what about you, Valia, how are you feeling? Any more flashbacks to that other person you were claiming to be?” He looked at me with such a serious expression on his face I couldn't lie to him. He is never serious. I looked down at my feet as if they were the most curious thing around.
Bavo lifted my head with a finger below my chin lifting it up motioning me to speak up. “Well,” I started. “She hasn't been back since that one time that I can actually remember her, being her.” I had a brief moment when I actually remember being someone else just before me, Valia, came back within myself for good. “I only remember her that one short time anyway, sorry.” I apologized.
“Hey, hey. No need to apologize there, sis. It wasn't your fault being sick, and all. It could have happened to any one of us.” Just like Bavo to try to make light of this, whatever it is I have, had. I start to cry fat tears, I can feel them running down my cheek dripping off my face to the ground below, my nose all of a sudden starts to run and I begin to hiccup. I'm a real mess. “What is it sis? Come here.” Bavo pulls me into a tight bone crushing hug laying my face against his rock hard chest laying his chin on top of my head—rubbing little circles on the center of my back like he used to when I was little—calming me down a bit.
“Thanks... I needed that. I just don't know what came over me all of a sudden,” It's true I have no idea why I am crying or feel such a rush of emotions wash over me right now. “Your the greatest brother, both of you are actually.” I looked to my sister Icka and pulled her into our little hug fest.
“OK. I have to get back to work I will see you later tonight for dinner at the party. Why don't you and Icka go up to your room and rest up for tonight, it is going to be a long night. Love you sis.” He kissed me on the top of my forehead and jogged back to the sword fighting area and went back to teaching.
“Well,” Icka turned me around. “Shall we?” She imitated the castle door for us to head that way. “Come, I feel a nice big glass of Royal blood is in your future. Giggle.” Icka held the back of her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes while imitating a fortune teller. I giggled along with her as we made our way back inside the castle.
Back inside my room I turned to sister Icka to ask her what the doctor said to her. “Icka, what did my doctor tell you this morning out in the corridor before she released me?” I walked over to my wardrobe to change out of what I was wearing into a pretty forest green Victorian dress with puffy sleeves and a corseted top in a shimmery green matching color. The top corset ended high enough above my belly so as not to feel tight there where the baby was growing within, it had flowing billowy skirts that went all the way to the ground. I paired it with forest green flats—my favorite foot wear. “Is there a reason you have me walking everywhere instead of flashing place to place,” I finally had to ask the question most on my mind.
She came over to help me into my dress and tie the back laces up for me though not as tightly as I like them. OK. So I guess they are all going to treat me like I am breakable now. When she was finished she turned to walk away, but I reached for her arm and spun her around to get my answers. “Fine,” She pulled me over to my bed and pushed me backwards till the back of my legs hit the bed, and I was forced to sit down upon it. “The doctor told me to make sure you took it easy for the rest of the week, no flashing, no training of any kind. You are to be stress free till she checks you out next week before she will release you completely.” Stress free does my doctor know what kind of stress that is going to put me under?
“A week? Honestly? Without using my powers will be more stressful that going back to my normal way of life, is she crazy?” I gave sister Icka my most incredulous look. She started laughing.
A week later and I am a total wreck, my nerves are frazzled from not using my powers, and I am about to chew the head off of the first person to cross my path. It was my doctor. “What the hell were you thinking keeping me from my powers? Are you crazy!” I shouted at her. I got right up in her face and shook my finger at her. “How dare you!...” I ran out of steam at that point as she grabbed both my shoulders and led me back to the gurney in the room and had me sit down on it.
“Sit,” She pushed me back till I was sitting. “Now, calm down so I can explain to you why I gave them explicit instructions to keep you calm.” She pulled both my hands free of her arms. “You are pregnant and for the life of me I have no idea how or why. You show no signs of ever having had sex before in your life either. Is that true?” She asked me. I vehemently shook my head side to side blushing at her question. “I thought not, so I am going to check you now to see just how far along you really are then we can take it from there. Are you taking your daily supply of Royal blood like I prescribed?” Again I nodded my head, in the affirmative direction this time. “Good that should help with both the morning sickness and hopefully the mood swings, though judging by just a few minutes ago it doesn't seem to be helping in that category.
I looked down and curtained my eyes with my hair to hide my face from her view. “What?” She asked. “You didn't take it this morning like you were supposed to did you?” She shook her head at me as I lifted my head up just slightly looking through my curtain of hair at her. “How many times do I have to tell you to take it first thing in the morning when you get up? Did your servant girl not bring it to your room this morning?” She inquired.
“She did!” I was quick to reply with a slightly raised voice. I couldn't blame the cute girl that came in every morning with my breakfast and glass of Royal blood. It wasn't her fault that today I decided to skip it so I could feel myself for this office visit instead of being all mellow like after drinking the stuff. “I chose to forgo it till after our little office visit.” I told the doctor. “I wanted a clear head which is something I don't seem to feel after I drink that stuff.” I shook my head hair flying side to side in a wild display—Royal Blood is so omnipotent that just a small sip to a normal vampire will give them unlimited strength, to a pregnant one like me it feeds every cell in their body supercharging them almost making them feel invincible and like walking on air, like being high on drugs—nope it was for the best to get answers I could remember. “Can I go back to my normal regiment of training, I am so sick of these four white walls of the castle they are driving me bat shit crazy. I want to go back to my daily training and helping out with the men like my brother and sister are.” I insisted.
“Well, let me look you over and if you check out fine then my answer will be yes with a few stipulations for the baby's sake.” She replied. I got undressed while she made ready the machines to check the fetus in my belly. I walked over to the wall in a paper gown and stood in front of the machine, and a few seconds later she was finished and I was getting redressed. I wore a simple to put on green smock dress that I could throw over my head to put on that hung to the floor with matching flats. “All looks good the baby is growing remarkably fast. You should be OK to return to light duties just don't overdue it, oh, and I should see you back here in say a months time for your next checkup.” She turned and left the room leaving me to my thoughts. I tried to flash back up to my room, but ended up out in the hallway just the other side of the door, I tried again and ended further down the same hall, so I gave up and walked the rest of the way up the two flights of stairs to my room to rest and drink up the glass of Royal blood I left behind from my breakfast.
Once I finished my glass of Royal blood I rested by finishing up reading a book on my flexi-vuescreen I had been trying to read for a week now. I tried to flash once again this time down to the training grounds. This was a much more successful flash, I made it all the way down to the center of the field causing quite the commotion; to the point where I was attacked by every guard that was within reach of me. I dropped down to my fighting stance and drew my inner water up from my depths and the ground all around me and created a bubble of protection around myself.
“Valia!” Bavo shouted from afar as he noticed the huge water bubble forming in the center of the field around me. He flashed over to just in front of my water bubble, and I dropped it splashing everyone around us in the process. “Thanks for that sis. Couldn't you think of an easier way to get rid of all that water without me getting soaked?” I just started laughing at him as did he upon seeing me laugh. “Welcome back sis glad to see you happy again.” He wrapped me into a tight hug. “Alright you men get back to work, what you never saw a brother and sister hug before?” He shouted at all the dripping wet men staring at us two.
“Shouldn't you send them in to change out of those wet clothes?” I looked around at all the men fighting as if I had never even soaked them down with a ton of water.
“Na, they are fine, they have to be able to fight under any circumstances they find themselves under even a sudden rush of water like just now. How else can they prove themselves to be the best of the best if they can't even fight a little wet.” Bavo explained. “You did them a favor by drenching them like that when you appeared. They all reacted appropriately and kept fighting after with no pause for being drenched I am very proud of their display. Though you might have been injured in the process.” He shook his head in dismay.
“I was fine and in no way ever under any threat by your men of harm. I have my powers back just fine. See.” I vanished right before his eyes and reappeared high up on the viewing platform made of wood high above all the practicing going on down below in the center of the field where I had originally intended to appear the first time. Bavo showed up by my side shortly there after. “See what I mean, brother I am fine, the doctor said I can return to service anytime I feel up to it so here I am at your service.” I saluted him for emphases with a little laugh.
“Fine, for now how about you stay up here and monitor for any problems you see. I have been one man short and can't be in two places at one time to watch over the whole field to see if anyone needs any help one on one.” He motioned for me to view the two fields in front of me; the hand to hand field and the sword fighting field. I motioned with a finger to the guy in the far corner at the antique gun range. “That guy? He is that Cornor Sabau we are supposed to train as the group leader. He really isn't all that bad actually. He picks things up quite fast and has advanced up the ranks to where he needs to be already. He is now our gun trainer being that he was experienced in those kind of antique weapons already before coming here to train.” Ah so I finally get to see this guy abet from afar even though Icka pointed him out once before from the ground which I could barely make out.
“OK. I will stay up here and watch, then what call you to go to the ones with the problems?” I asked. He nodded in agreement then flashed down to the sword fighting area. I watched him for a bit. My brother has got quite proficient at sword fighting while I was laid up. Icka was down on the field with the hand to hand training so I mind talked down to her. 'Icka, hello I am up in the observation tower watching you fight.' I told her as she jumped into the air to spin around and kick the guy she was fighting with in the head sending him flying back a few feet staggering back up on his feet. 'Hi sis how are you feeling? Great to have you back' she sent me back. 'it's nice to be back. Talk to you later tonight sis.' I turned to look over the whole field and noticed that one pair on Bavo's section weren’t holding their swords properly.
'Bavo, to your right about six over and three rows down. The two need some help with their hand placements.' I called out through our mind link. He waved off the guy he was fighting with and looked up at me with a smile on his face and waved. 'Thanks sis.' I nodded in the direction of the two he was headed toward. I turned to scan over the rest of his side of the field then back to Icka's side. She was having a lot less problems there so I pulled up a chair and got comfortable. It was looking like it would be a very long day from up here. It was as interesting as watching paint dry on a wall by the fourth hour and as much of a pain in the neck as one of those old tennis matches I watched on the tele. Good thing I heal quickly or my neck would be so sore tonight, well I hope it heals quick I am kind of worried about my healing abilities about now.
We all met up after a much deserved hot shower and change of clothes, unfortunately into our uniforms tonight for dinner with the Queen and King—my great grandparents—who just wanted a little informal dinner with her grandchildren to find out how things were progressing, and I guess she found out I was cleared from the infirmary. Damn word travels fast around here. So, here we all are gathered in the grand dining room for a little intimate dinner, right as if—our parents are all here, their parents are all here, hell even the Lord and Lady are here with us—informal my ass, I hate to think what they call a large dinner in this place.
We are all seated in a large circle of tables with the head table across the main opening for the servers to enter at. Kind of a three quarter circle with a straight table at the top for the head royalty to sit at, the Queen and King, Lord and Lady, and a Supreme Witch at either end, Xandria and her grandmother. They have the four of us seated dead center of the circle at the far end in a group. It feels more like we are there for an inquisition that a dinner with our family. The Queen starts tapping her crystal wine glass to get everyone to hush up.
“Family, good evening. I trust all are well.” She looked directly at me when she said that. “I am so honored you could all make it here tonight to dine with me, with us all here,” she spread her arms wide to indicate the whole front table of people. “It truly is an honor to gather with the entire family like this. It is so seldom we are able to gather together as one truly united family without a scintilla of remorse for being forced apart as we are. I am truly humbled to each and every one of you for your untiring and hard fought effort in this lifelong battle we have all fought for peace among our kind.” The Queen looked out among the family to each group of family members who were hugging their mates in kind. “With that said I want to say just how happy I am that our Valia has been cleared back for service from the infirmary, oh and also that she is bringing about another child with her; a girl child at that.” The Queen started chapping when she was finished as did everyone else in the room as they all stood up. I felt like sinking right into the floor then back to my room to hide away from all this undo attention.
“Valia. Congratulations on your new daughter to be.” The Queen announced to the room. Everyone else joined in with her. I must have blushed so many shades of red I could feel the heat of it. Once she sat back down the rest of the meal went as expected with everyone talking about the training we had been doing. How long before we could be finished, and when we would be moving all the retired High Council members back into the old refurbished castle. All in all we figured about another two weeks before it would all be finished, and we could all head back home. I couldn't wait to be back in my own bed with Maria's cooking.
Two weeks passed in no time and we headed back to the castle to start the moving process. All the new guards that are now to be the small army here at the castle are settled in, the original five hundred guards have been reduced to just one hundred. The rest have been sent back for retraining and reassignment to other posts around the world. The last one hundred are mostly for grounds keepers and night watchmen; while the army is here to protect the castle as a whole. Once we have them settled we begin transferring the members that will permanently be assigned to live out their lives here. It only took two days to bring them all back along with a couple of newly trained cooks and a full staff of maids to keep the place clean. We left the castle to head back to the High Command back in Germany for one last time before heading home.
“Well I guess we will be off, all the men are trained and set in place. The castle is populated again, settled down and functioning just fine. We are finished here so we are all going to head on back home.” Bavo told the Queen in our final meeting we were all in.
“Yes thank you all so much for all your trouble. Valia we will see you in two weeks don't forget your appointment. Your really starting to show now. Have a safe trip talk to you all soon. Love.” that was the Queen's last words.
We flashed back home to our sitting room where we all separated then each flashed to our individual rooms. I dumped my things on the floor then ran for my shower stripping on the way, I wanted a really hot shower to relax my muscles and to help ease the baby who seems to love these hot showers. I may have to start taking baths instead, I have been thinking about it lately even though I am not that big on soaking in a bathtub of water. Oh well for my baby I guess I will give in and soak for her. For now this feel so hot and nice on my body easing away all the stress and pains of the last few weeks. Heavenly.