The Final Battle (RAPTURE Series Book #3)

Chapter 6 Poof - Surprise! Screech

Rapture The Final Battle By: LadyDawn

2014 Copyright © All Right Reserved

Chapter 6 Poof - Surprise! Screech

I snuck up behind Bavo and Icka at the top of the stairs wrapped them both in a big hug then transported them into the dining room. I have been wanting to try that stunt for ages, and it worked perfectly—that is till someone decided to screech. “Valia!” Icka screeched out into my ear; it reverberated throughout the dining room also. I laughed so hard I dropped them both at the last second. “Ouch!” Icka yelled up at me. Bavo laughed and turned an looked down.

“Serves you right girl for screeching into my ear like that!” I raised my voice at the end laughing uncontrollably. Bavo had this shit eating grin on his face looking down on sister Icka as he reached out a hand to help her up off the floor. “Come let's get seated before Maria comes to see what all the noise is all about.” I was still laughing. My brother helped her up, and they both headed toward their seats. I was just sitting down when I heard Maria's voice.

“I heard that,” Maria called out from the kitchen only making us laugh all the harder. “You all seem to be in a good mood today.” she popped her head into the dining room to check in on the three of us.

“Yes Maria I just transported these two down from the top of the stairs when they weren't looking.” She shook her head and returned to her cooking. This is nothing new in the House of Ravenwood. Maria has seen it all before with our parents and their parents before them.

*Pop* In pops the Lady Gaia in a flourish of witchy style, directly into her chair like every evening. “Evening everyone did I miss anything?” Lady Gaia asks.

“Only me transporting these two down here from the top of the stairs and dropping Icka on her butt when she tried to make me go deaf. Other than that not a thing.” I started laughing once again. What can I say I was tickled that my stunt had worked, but that I had dropped Icka in the end. It was the face she had made when I dropped her that got me laughing in the first place. That girl can pull a face now. “You should have seen the face she made when I dropped her it was priceless, Lady Gaia.”

“I can only imagine. I guess you just have to learn your landings then.” She stated bobbing her head up and down.

“Oh there was nothing wrong with my landing, it was Icka whaling like a screech owl when we got here that cause it. Bavo being tall enough to have his feet securely on the floor, but Icka's wasn't yet, and when she went all Screech Owl on me well, I had to cover my ears and let her go. Hence her falling.” My smile broadens for the second time in telling the story.

“Oh I see,” Was all she said. In walked Wilda and Stela.

“We heard congratulations Valia, your doing so well.” Wilda startled me from behind. Naturally I jumped in my seat, and everyone laughed at me. Sheese can't a girl catch a break. Maria walked in with her cart full of food. Mmm spaghetti and meatballs with vegetarian lasagne for both Lady Gaia and Stela to eat. Stela is rapidly becoming a vegetarian; for a blood drinker aka vampire. Never would have though it.

“Maria, that smells delicious care to join us tonight at the table?” Bavo asked. She turned in our direction plate of lasagne in hand mouth hanging open more from shock that anything else.

“You want me... to join you all at the table... to eat with you? Me... Master Bavo? Are you sure?” She shook her head side to side turned and place the platter of food down and went back to filling the table full with the rest of the platters she brought in.

“Sure why not you are family, Come join us for a change,” Now this is unlike Bavo to ask Maria to join us for a meal; I guess I am starting to get to him after all with all my constant pestering of him. He looked over at me and smiled. Yes that is exactly why he is doing it.

“OK... If you would like me to join you... I will.” She finished putting the last platter on the table left to take away the cart and returned sans apron; which we never see her without. Settled in, in one of the empty chairs then one by one we rose to go get our food from the serving table. It was a very nice dinner with everyone seated and very good conversation. The night wore on after cleaning up the dining room we carried on into the sitting room to watch some news on the tele, then a couple of challenging 4D games before heading up to bed.

***** The Next Morning @ Ravenwood *****

“Hi Bavo, Ouch damn it Icka that wasn't funny!” I stood and untangled myself from my brother and sisters arms and legs at the bottom of the stairs after an unsuccessful transport to the dining room like I did last night by my sister Icka. “You could have broken my neck girl. Damn! Next time let's you and I practice that down stairs more till we get it right OK?'” I asked her. She is OK with one person herself but any more, and she is having trouble with distance. Well so am I, but mine is limited to the compound with all four of us, so about a mile in distance unlike Lady Gaia she has no limit at all. And Bavo we haven't reached his limit yet; though we are afraid to try at the present for fear to end up in the ocean. “We will work on it later today, OK sweetie?” I pulled her into a hug and smiled at her to show her no harm done. Heck you never know till you try.

A week ago both Bavo and Icka were outside by the lake on the far side blowing down a corps of trees then cutting off the roots stacking them in the middle of the newly cleared area. They stacked all the trees log cabin style in a U shape open at the lake side the size and width of the lake to form a new practice are for Bavo and Icka to practice something new they are both working on in secret. Something to do with fire and wind. Bavo has already burned down all the roots they pulled out of the ground. It was really something to see that night, and we all had so much fun around the huge fire telling stories and making smores. Yummy! I was lucky enough to be able to watch at a safe distance from the opposite side of the lake while the did all the clearing and assemble work that day.

***** As explained by sister Icka *****

Bavo and Icka are out by the lake it is early morning they are getting ready to practice a new and different experiment with Bavo's fire. He takes a knee, places one hand deep into the sandy soil below him. He starts drawing the fire from deep down within himself and also from deep within the earth, drawing it to him—pulling upon the earths mantel of molten fire—he draws it to him slowly—Magma—just like his own core. His inner being draws up through this hand the energy of mother nature and her fires glow heating a small patch just below to intense proportions. Rising up to a standing position, raising his hand the earths fire dances out of the earth to follow the hand about in a dance of red and yellow glows, till he lowers in back to the earth and with Icka's help of wind and rain from the lake beyond quenches the earths glow back down to a glassy surface. They have succeed in using another one of Bavo's new powers; a power of the fire within, and Icka's combined powers of air and water.

***** Back in the training room *****

Bavo and Icka flash back down to the training room after finishing up out at the lake making sure all the fires were well extinguished. Icka goes to work with Valia and Lady Gaia on her little problem with transportation. “Hi Icka. Are you all finished up with Bavo for the day? Ready to try to carry both of us all around the manor?” Lady Gaia asked her. The look on her face was precious. “Oh come on it won't be that bad, I am here to help if anything goes wrong I will catch you.” She told her just like when she was teaching me. We all held hands, and we were all off to points unknown. We bounced around the entire manor from one place to the next getting further and further with each jump we made. The first few were really rough landing for sure. But as time went on and on she got better and further. By the end of the day she was carrying the two of us all the way to the outer most regions of out compound. As her final test she transported all us Bavo included up to the second floor landing without dropping anyone. Practice makes perfect.

When we were all showered and changed for dinner we all met up at the top of the stairs and waited for Icka to bring us all down to the dining room as one, even Lady Gaia was waiting with us. She came up behind us giving us a group hug and poof we disappeared and landed perfectly down right where we were supposed to be. A perfect eight point landing right in the dining room by the door. “Great work Icka couldn't have don't it better myself.” Lady Gaia exclaimed. We all took our seats to wait for everyone else to get there so we could eat. It was a really good days practice. We are each picking up things so fast these days.