Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 20 ~ Part 2||

The sun had sunk low in the sky, bathing the city of Dicaea in rich golden hues by the time Shouto stopped in front of a dilapidated house.

A statue of Hermes sat out front, and above the door frame were three spheres suspended from a bar, designating the shop a place of barter. However, those were the only pieces of evidence that the house was even lived in. Perhaps in years past, Shouto supposed, the storefront may have been elegant, but years of neglect had worn away the paint and rotted the wood.

Shouto stood there for a moment, debating if the innkeeper had deceived him before deciding against it. Even a child would know how to scam someone better than this.

Tapping the end of Endeavor's hilt, Shouto considered his options.

Across the road, elongated shadows stretched across the paved stones, tracking the sun's movement.

Shouto frowned. He was running out of time. If he left to find another barter shop, he might miss the closing of the market, and then he wouldn't be able to surprise Yaoyorozu with a gift. It wasn't as if he knew where else to go anyways.

Sighing, Shouto pushed open the door and walked in.

The shop was small and overly cluttered with plants. A single window overlooked the mountain ranges to the west, letting light in.

In the middle of the room, a three legged table was set up with two backless stools on either side. Along the perimeter chests, various statues, and plants sat haphazardly stacked or pushed against the walls as if the owner were trying to grow a garden inside.

Behind a set of overgrown weeds, something moved. And Shouto started as he realized — what he thought was a statue —was, in fact, an old man, shriveled and shrunken with time.

The elderly man stood on top of a wooden chest, muttering to himself as he looked outside. "A hot summer, followed by an even colder winter... The gods sure are vindictive." The old man tapped his walking stick against the box. "Not good. Not good."

Shouto shifted awkwardly. He was unsure if he should speak or just wait for the owner, but before he could make up his mind, the old man by the window turned and almost jumped backwards. The box wobbled under him precariously before he caught his balance.

"Who are you?" The old man demanded. "I don't need any more statues." He tapped his stick on the box angrily. It made a wooden, hollow sound.

"Er...No, I'm not here to sell anything." Shouto's eyebrows furrowed down in confusion, and he glanced around the room attempting to find the owner, but all he saw were plants.

If this wasn't the right location, he'd have to quickly find another shop to barter his bangles. He didn't want to waste his time talking to the old man. He needed to speak to the owner. "Sorry. I must have come to the wrong place. I was looking for Gran Torino."

The old man's eyes narrowed. His wrinkles on his forehead crinkled further. "Gran Torino...And what do you need with him?"

Shouto sighed; he slid a bangle off his arm and held it up. "I heard he offers a fair bargain."

The old man's eyes lit up. "Oh!" He smiled and jumped off his perch. Hobbling closer, faster than someone his age should ever be able to, he grasped Shouto's arm and pulled him towards the stools. His sandals made an odd clipping sound underneath his long chiton that dragged against the floor.

"Why didn't you say so!" He said. He forced Shouto down on one of the stools and grabbed the golden bangle from him. "Customers are always welcome. I'm Gran Torino. But, I haven't seen you around here before - " he paused, and his eyes narrowed as they scanned Shouto, as if assessing him.