Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 23 ~ Part 3||

Momo grabbed Todoroki's arm. "Come with me. I need your help freeing anyone trapped in the ice."

They rushed down the street.

There were more people trapped than Momo had originally thought. Fifteen in total.

Momo swung her spear around and slammed it down against the ice. It shattered with a loud crack, and a man pulled his foot out with a cry of relief.

She hurried onto the next trapped victim. Her vision danced with dark spots, and her side pulsed in pain from where she had failed to dodge the head slaver's magicked fist. Momo bit her bottom lip and forced herself to breathe in a deep breath, pushing the pain to the back of her mind. She couldn't lose focus now. Stopping before the next slave, Momo began chipping at the ice around the woman's feet.

Todoroki crouched down opposite her. Heat shimmered around his body, and Momo could see the ice melting as he pressed his fingertips to the frozen extremities of the people trapped inside.

From the corner of her eye, Momo noticed some movement. She looked up as a slaver rushed toward her, spear raised.

Momo tried to scramble into a defensive stance. But before she could strike out, a blast of heat skimmed her cheek.

The slaver screamed. He stumbled back, his body alight in shimmering red and orange flames.

Twisting around, Momo met Todoroki's gaze. He was staring at her with sweeping concentration as if looking her over for injuries.

"I'm okay," Momo said hurriedly, wiping at her forehead. Her skin was moist with sweat.

Todoroki's eyes hardened into sharp flints. Momo thought he would argue, but then he gave her a slight nod and turned back to continue freeing the slaves.

Momo breathed a sigh of relief. They were almost done. Just a little longer, and they could all escape. The slavers and city guards were strong. But they hadn't fought in a war.

Her heart rose in her chest in anticipation as she continued chipping at the ice trapping the men and women.

"We can't hold out any longer!" Kendo called over the commotion.

Momo looked up, wiping at her forehead as she found Kendo in the uproar.

"Go! We'll catch up."

Tetsu-Tetsu gave Momo a stiff nod. He jumped back onto the cart. Then he flicked the reins, and the oxen charged down the street, away from the violence. The slavers and city guard stumbled back as the cart dove down the street.

Men shouted in fury.

Momo slid across the ice. Her side burned in agony where the slaver had hit her, and her breathing was labored. But she didn't have time to slow down.

The ice shattered, and the last slave was free.

Her vision swayed as she stood. Momo ground her teeth, willing herself to not pass. She had overexerted herself, but she didn't have time to rest yet. Swallowing back the pain, she looked up. "I'm done. Let's go!"

There was a roaring crack behind her, like ice shattering.

Momo jerked around.

Everything went black.

It was like waking up suddenly from a deep slumber. The world swam back into view — blurry and disoriented — and Momo's stomach roiled as if she were going to throw up.

Slowly, her senses returned to her. Momo felt the hard surface of stones against her cheek. Her head was pounding.

Blinking slowly, her vision fading in and out, Momo raised herself up onto her arms, panting. Her stomach twisted painfully at the movement, and for a second, Momo thought she might be sick. She swallowed back the bile that rose up her throat.

Tentatively, she touched her forehead. What happened?

Distantly, the sound of shouting became clearer. She looked up, and slowly, her vision cleared.

Standing in front of her — back facing Momo — Todoroki stood like a god of rage. Snaking up his arms, magic of ice and fire crackled and hissed.

The slavers and city guards hesitated. Their expressions filled with terror as they stood sandwiched between the Spartan and giant behind them.

The head slaver had broken out of the ice. His gauntlets of blood and muscle pulsed as he stood three heads taller than the other men.

"Get them! Kill them all!" He shrieked, "But leave the woman to me; she is mine."

Searing blue and red magic erupted up Todoroki's arms. "She will never be yours," Todoroki roared. He thrust out his hand, and the spell erupted, shooting like an arrow towards the head slaver.

It burst in scorching ice and heat. Burning steam whipped down the street, obscuring everything in a thick cloud of white. Trapped within the searing cloud, the head slaver screamed in agony.

Todoroki didn't pause; he turned around and knelt by Momo's side, gathering her into his arms. He gave her his sword and spear to hold, then picked her up and took off down the street.

"Get them! Get them! You fucking whores!"

Sandaled feet clapped against the stones behind them. Momo's head pounded with each jerky step. Her fingers wrapped tighter around the weapons in her arms. Todoroki suddenly swerved. He darted around a corner in the road and took a sharp turn, halting almost immediately as they came to a dead end.