End of the Odyssey(4)

With the familiar leather grips of her daggers in hand, Gloria felt a wave of peace sweep through her mind. It was the peace of one who was going to go for the kill… so all other distractions could easily be thrown aside, leaving behind only the singular concentration of a predator ready to pounce.

Yet… The moment her eyes fell on the wrecking ball created by defensive cloaks that had successfully made an opening in the defenses she had been proud of, her eyes bulged out of their sockets and she felt like screaming into the air.

The man who had stepped out of the ball man was groggily tottering to the left, then the right. He was mumbling under his breath in the same manner as Gloria had just been, and what he was saying was the reason behind her renewed rage.

"H-he said it was a surprise. Then he shoved me inside this thing. It went round and round and round and round… and then I was flying! Like a bird! Where am I? Who am I?"

'It's not him! Then there is he? Where?'

She turned around, searching for the leader of the villains who was the main target. The one who had arrived was harmless; she could take care of him in time, but she didn't want to miss an opportunity to kill that lanky teen while she was occupied with taking out her fury on insignificant cockroaches like the one who had arrived.

It was just then that the people, who had been emboldened by the gaping opening in the doors that had seemed so impregnable until now pushed forward with such strength that the riot shields finally fell back, and the men and women holding them had to scramble to get out of the way if they didn't want to be trampled by thousands of feet. A mad rush began as the citizens hurried to the doors and the governor whom they wanted to kill at any cost, but Gloria could only crouch and scan the faces of the crowd, thanking her master inwardly for his insistence that she learn the spell that allowed her to speed up her mind for a few moments, so that she could keep track of all the hundreds of features she had to sort through.

Inside her, the power of the Blessing began to flow away, used up by the spell that should have given her an edge. Yet, she frowned more and more with disappointment as the villain had not taken the obvious step to hide himself in the crowd so that he could get inside.

The big man was still stumbling about, muttering something else in his breath, and finally, with a snarl, she decided that she would kill him and then resume her search. But as soon as she stepped in his direction… the walkie-talkie at his belt lit up, and the voice of the one she hated so much was heard in the platform to the right of the doors.

The entire thing was large enough that the flood of people getting inside the mansion had left them alone. The wrecking ball had entered the residence, then bounced out, and hence, that was why the big brute was close by.

"Guns!" The voice said, and she sneered as handling opponents with firearms was one of the earliest things she had been taught.

Only… the sneer faded as the brute took out two gun-like objects almost by instinct, and pressed the triggers.

Haunting music instantly came to life in the air, sweeping towards her too quickly for her to do anything but clap her hands to her ears futilely. She had searched and searched for a method to prevent the effects of these damn tools, and the only way she had found was one that would use up her Blessing at a rate she did not like.

But how were the flutes and guns related, at all? A single glance at the brute gave her the answer, and once again, a scream of vexation came to her throat.

'How do you have so many ideas? Have you been planning for this odyssey for years? Is that it? Fuck you!'

The 'guns' were battery-operated hairdryers, fitted with the tail ends of the flutes to their outlets, allowing air to flow into the tools so that they would operate without needing one to use their own mouth.

She even felt that she might applaud such intelligence if they weren't going up against each other, but the thought faded away quickly as she remembered the punishment that the Dragon reserved for those who disappointed him.

Reluctantly, she reached out to the spell that would help her. She knew that the natural resistance that those with a Blessing had to such enchantments would cease to help her if the onslaught of the haunting music continued, but just as she was about to grimace and accept the fact that she wouldn't be able to cast too many spells from here on… the precaution that she had taken kicked in, and actual gunshots were heard in the air.

'Ha! You're not the only one who's smart!'

The brute gasped and staggered back, finally coming to his senses. Opening her eyes, she saw that the guards who had been ordered to shoot anyone who suddenly played music had responded to her threats, and thankfully, they had been just out of range so that the music didn't make them faint before they could do their job.

The brute had collapsed to the floor. As soon as she spotted him, she had known that his function must only be to distract her, and sure enough, she heard her walkie-talkie burst to life as she turned to the street beyond that had begun to empty as the people rushed inside the residence.

She wasn't worried about what those who had gone in could do, especially because the villain wasn't among them. The final barrier before they could enter the governor's room was even stronger than the one the wrecking ball had broken through, and despite their numbers, they wouldn't even be able to put a scratch on it. No, she was more worried about the way the other two villains would emerge, and after casting the spell to sharpen her mind once again, she gazed out at the thinning crowd and found the source of the noise.

The spot of the disturbance was far away, at the moment, but it was coming closer with a speed that made her raise her eyebrows. Inexorably it marched on, step after step falling on the ground with the firm gait of one in complete control.

She couldn't take it, anymore. At once, she felt her face go slack and her mind crawl to a stop as she witnessed another usage of the tools that she would never have been able to think of in a million years.

She was now convinced that he hadn't had time to prepare. She had heard, once, from her master about a few whose creativity was so powerful that it was a strength, unto itself, that could be used to remarkable effect in odysseys, but she hadn't believed him, then.

Now, she did so with all her heart.

A horse was on its way to the governor's residence, with a cloak at its front to shield it from anyone or anything that came in its way. It was faster than any animal born to the Earth… and that was because it was wearing two pairs of shoes that had lent so much speed to the villains when they had fled.

Its feet were a complete blur, and it's excited neighs reverberated in the air. In a blink, it climbed the steps of the residence as easily as if they were flat ground, and as it passed Gloria, a sense of deja vu filled her mind.

He was in front of her, but she could do nothing. Even if she had been given time to prepare, she didn't know what she could have tried to accomplish against such a fast-moving and well-protected foe. He was wearing the mask that had become infamous throughout the town, and he even nodded toward her respectfully as he passed her by.

She felt her knees shake as if they didn't want to hold any more. All she wanted to do was sit and clutch her head and wish that she had never gotten into this odyssey.

The urge was so strong that she almost gave in… but a loud crash from somewhere inside made her bite her tongue and draw blood.

The pain moved her to action. Once again, she had been outplayed… but she wouldn't allow herself to be defeated. She was late, but she would be damned if she would allow them to have such an easy victory.

Dimly, she saw that she had stopped believing that they would win. It was a scary thought, and she tried to discard it like all the others, but this one… refused to be crushed.