Comforting Darkness

Chapter 33: The Tutor, Metallic Monster

"A panzer!!" Diedrich had just said and that single word shook everyone up, making their hearts beat faster than what they already did, and placed wings at their feet. "It was developed so massive cannons, previously carried only by warships, could now be utilized on land. Your country is manufacturing them too, no?!" He asked Ciel.

"I had heard as much, but as far as I am aware, they are not ready yet! I had no idea... German weapons' development was so advanced!!" Ciel answered breathlessly.

"Bastards!!" Bard cried with passion.

"Just another reason to hate Germans!!" Selina added, able to run on her own since the haziness had been lifted from her eyes. Now her cracked nose was giving her the worst pain causing her headache too.

However, running to get out of the panzer's firing range was not enough for their pursuers, and suddenly a small infantry team appeared at the sides of the vehicle and started firing, forcing them to cover behind trees once again. Bard started shooting at the vehicle, making his currently favourite word, 'bastards' that is, a battle cry. He kept shooting only to see he achieved nothing, not even to make a dent at the metallic skin of the tank.

"Listen, stubbly! We will be defenceless if the cannon set its sights on us! So just keep moving those legs!!" Diedrich informed him without stopping running. "Son! How were you planning to get out of here?" He now asked Ciel.

"I never expected that giant vessel to appear!" Ciel cried with obvious frustration.

"There is a military railway on the eastern edge of the forest. It was used to bring in materiel when 'Wolfsschlucht' was built. We should be able to make our escape if the railcar is still running!"

"All right." The boy accepted the suggestion. "Let us take our chances wi..." He did not finish his word as a cry of pain left his lips and felt his body swaying for a second, before falling on the ground having finally reached his physical limits and now was unable to even move a muscle.

"Son!!" Diedrich yelled as he saw the panzer zeroing in on the fallen boy and loading.

Diedrich was a really practical man, therefore, never wasted time to think what he saw in the few seconds that followed. First, he heard the black clad blond woman calling her master, ignoring the coming blast from the panzer and her own instinct of life preservation - that normally should make her take cover somewhere like the others did - despite the evident distress for their master. On the contrary, she ran to the boy and in a second had covered him with her body taking him in her arms, right before another dark and tall figure joined them and grabbed both to move them out of the blast's way. What made Diedrich blink a few times, besides the bright light caused by the explosion of the vehicle's shot, was that as soon as the woman reached the boy it seemed like a purple, almost transparent dome covered both and allowed entrance only to the new figure.

When smoke and dust dispersed, Bard could not describe how happy he was hearing a familiar cool voice making a rather displeased comment. He lifted his head and saw Sebastian, perfect as always, holding Selina in his arms who in turn was holding young master. They were both shaking and groaning from pain as the explosion shockwave was still running up and down their bodies. Selina relieved left her head fall back at the butler's strong chest.

"It was a terrible blunder, going so far as to dress up like Lady Sullivan... You should have simply left it all to me." Sebastian said, wiping a little blood from his master cheek; when he saw there was no wound on the boy from which the blood could come, he touched the woman's chin and turned her head to him. The lower half of her face was drenched in blood running freely from her nose, that now seemed swollen and a little crooked as she was struggling to breath.