A Devil's Grace 1930

| Chapter Six |

After punching out the radio, Tanya had fallen asleep, Valen's arm acting as her seatbelt for the most part. Since they had lost those communist bastards a little while back, the ride was rather calm. There was no swerving or overbearing turns. She felt as if she was just laying on a soft pillow on the back of a cart.

Something she had done as a youngster, while at the Orphanage, laying in a pile of hay that was stacked in the back of a moving horse-drawn wagon. She couldn't help but smile as she slept.

Valen every now and then glanced down at her as she seemed to be relaxed. A faint smile stayed his face, a quiet chuckle emitting from his throat. The way she appeared so peaceful was almost scary, even if it was a sleeping smile. He began to wonder what she was dreaming about if she was even dreaming at all, she was the Devil of the Rhine. 

Though as his eyes rested on the car radio, a small frown formed over his lips. Those things cost a pretty penny as they had come out recently for domestic consumers.

Lightly resting his right hand on her shoulder, making sure she didn't slip off, he leaned back in his seat while keeping his left hand on the wheel.

That was when he heard it, the gunning of an engine, one that he didn't entirely recognize. His eyes trailed over to the driver side mirror that protruded from where the windshield met the dash. It was a police car? His eyes narrowed on the vehicle in the mirror, but he didn't see the Mage anywhere.

That was when a sweatdrop appeared over his brow.

Feeling his hand run down her arm, Tanya's eyes shot open and she raised a brow at the sound of an overlocked engine, followed by a loud BOOM. She immediately went to throw herself into an upright position, only for Valen to hold her down. "Valen!" She growled up at him as she flailed a hand, only for the sound of a trench shotgun to go off.

The sound of the windshield being twisted and torn apart echoed in her ears, glass splashing against the protective barrier inches from her face provided by Valen himself. 

"Move it!" She shouted at him as he swerved the vehicle about, she wasn't going to stay down. 

Valen could hear the person behind them reloading the weapon. A frown formed over his lips as he stared down at her. "Take the whe--"

KABOOM! Another shot rang out, breaking through Valen's barrier. 

Blood splattered across Tanya's face as she still tried to sit up and Valen merely flinched. Her eyes locked on his arm, the one which was holding the wheel as she was half raised from his lap.

It was like a shark had taken a nibble.

Valen's face contorted slightly as he saw her face paling. "Anti-Magic Shells..." During the War, these Enchanted Ordanents were under development.

Tanya had recognized the sound of the gun used. The M1897 Trench Gun, a weapon that caused much-unneeded suffering despite its efficient use. Pulling the pistol from her bag as she wiped the blood from her face with her sleeve, she blindly aimed her other hand towards the car.

She could just make out the communists, it appeared they had commandeered the police officer's vehicle. It was likely they had disposed of the mage as well. 

"Take the Wheel," Valen spoke as he looked over towards her with a frown.

She seemed to smile just a bit too much, cocking back the hammer of her weapon. Her azure eyes locked with Valen's briefly as she asked a question, "What rank were you?"

"Lieutenant Commander," His eyes narrowed on her as he knew exactly where she was going with this. Even though they had both once belonged to two separate entities, she wanted to pull rank.