Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 21 ~ Part 3||

Her hands were moist. She readjusted her fingers on her spear and straightened up. She'd have to follow them. If she didn't go after them now, Momo wasn't sure she'd be able to find the nymph again.

Emerging from the shadows, she took a step to follow them when a muffled scream tore from within the warehouse.

Momo froze. Her gaze darted back towards the building, heart pounding.

It sounded like a woman's voice. Momo hesitated.

The cart with the nymph rattled as it moved down the street.

What should she do?

If Momo rescued the slaves, she would lose sight of the nymph. But could she really ignore what was happening? A cold chill spread through her.

No.

Her fingers shook around the hilt of her spear. She couldn't leave the women and children here. If fate had been different, it could have been Tokoyami and herself in those cages.

Her gaze returned to the two men standing in front of the doors, and she swallowed hard. There were at least two men in the warehouse, perhaps more. Could she really save the prisoners all by herself?

Momo's eyebrows furrowed, and she bit her lower lip as she tried to imagine what Todoroki would do.

He would charge in. Momo was sure of it.

But Todoroki was a demigod. Could she, a normal human, make a difference by herself?

'You're my godslayer.'

She gritted her teeth at the memory of Todoroki's voice. Momo readjusted her hands on the hilt of the spear and drew in a deep breath.

She could do this.

Momo set her shoulders and turned to take in the building. It was plain, made of stones with reeds for a roof. Small windows were set high on the walls as if to keep people from looking out... Or in.

She'd have to use the front.

Momo tightened her grip and then rounded the corner. She moved quickly. The men didn't even have time to react.

She stabbed the nearest man through the throat. His eyes widened in alarm, and he opened his mouth to scream, but only blood came out.

With a sickening squelch, Momo pulled out her spear. Blood sprayed her hands, wetting the hilt of her spear. Momo didn't have time to readjust as the second man unsheathed his sword.

He swore and lunged at her. But Momo was faster. She pivoted and jabbed the end into his stomach. Then, she flipped her spear and knocked him to the ground. He lay unmoving where he fell.

Momo stood for a moment, breathing heavily. Then she wiped her hands on her cloak and readjusted her hands on her spear before straightening. She listened for sounds inside the warehouse. But there were none. There was no indication that the others had caught on.

Her heart pounded in her throat. She had to act now.

Momo shoved the wooden doors of the warehouse open.

The building was larger than she had originally thought. Seven to eight cages with humans, men, and women — packed so tightly they could barely move — lined the room as if the warehouse were a prison.

The pretty woman, who the men had whistled at moments ago, was on the ground. Her chiton ripped as two of the slavers struggled to hold her down.

Fury exploded within Momo. She snarled and charged forward.

The men scrambled to their feet, cursing. But they were slow as they struggled up from the ground.

Swinging her spear around, Momo knocked the nearest man back down. She slammed the tip of her weapon through his eye. There was a sick crunch as the spear slid through the man's head, killing him instantly. Momo yanked her spear out.

Behind her, the other slaver snarled. She pivoted. Dodging the man's blade, she whipped her spear up.

It was like cutting through soft cheese. The metal of the spear sliced through the man's stomach. Blood and innards fell out.

He screamed and crumpled to the ground, holding his abdomen. Momo knew, from treating similar wounds during the war, that he wouldn't live. She stepped forward and sliced the man's throat. And the warehouse fell silent.

Breathing heavily, Momo turned around and scanned the rest of the building. There were no other guards. All the men that had been stationed at the warehouse were dead.The slaves in the cells pressed up against the wooden bars, watching her with cautious expressions.

Relief washed over Momo. She turned and hurried over to the woman laying on the ground. She knelt down by her side. "Are you okay?" Momo asked in her most calming voice.

The woman's lips quivered as she sat up. Tear stains ran down her cheeks. She wiped at her eyes, then looked up and gave Momo a shaky smile. "Yes. Th- thank you for saving me."

The woman was pretty with shoulder-length brown hair and warm brown eyes.

"Of course." Momo reached out. The woman's chiton was ripped. Momo took the ends and started re-arranging the cloth, tying it back into place.

"Who are you?" One of the male prisoners called out as Momo helped the woman.

She glanced over her shoulder and raised her chin, onyx eyes blazing from the fury of battle. "Momo Yaoyorozu of Troy."

A ripple of excitement spread through the warehouse. Momo glanced back at the woman in front of her. "I'm going to free everyone, but I can't do this alone. Can you help me?"

The woman's expression rippled. For a moment, she hesitated, then she suddenly slapped her cheeks as if waking herself up. She straightened. "Of course!"

"Thank you..."

"Hagakure. Toru Hagakure. What do you need?" Hagakure asked, staring at Momo intently.