Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 24 ~ Part 1||

Darkness shifted down a deserted street, and a man and a woman emerged from the shadows.

Not slowing her pace, Momo reached up and adjusted the cloak around her shoulders. The night wind tickled the newly exposed skin at the back of her neck, but Momo didn't pay it any attention as she followed close behind Todoroki. On the other end of the city, panic over the escaped slaves and ensuing chaos could still be heard. However, the tight streets Todoroki and Momo traversed were silent. A far cry from the storm of anxiety swirling through Momo's mind as they made their way towards the tavern.

Momo's fingers tightened around her spear. Beads of sweat dotted the back of her neck and hands. The elation she felt from their earlier kiss had already been swept to the back of Momo's mind as fear and uncertainty about the operation overtook her thoughts.

It was clear that Trumpet wasn't an ordinary slaver. He had captured a nymph, a being supposedly incapable of being imprisoned by mortal means, and didn't appear to be afraid of the consequences of his actions. It meant Trumpet was either arrogantly wealthy or was sponsored by someone. Perhaps both.

A shiver ran down Momo's spine. She swallowed over a dry lump in her throat. What was even more worrisome was that Trumpet's men had been armed with godly gifts. And without knowing what those gifts were, it would make the operation exceedingly difficult.

The injury cascading down Momo's side burned as if to remind her of the earlier encounter. She slid a hand underneath her cloak. Pressing a palm against her side, Momo quickly bit back a hiss as her fingers grazed the bruised skin that was likely already dark and purpling.

The warning in the back of Momo's mind grew in intensity. It was arrogant for Todoroki and her to embark on this mission unprepared, especially after Momo's earlier collapse. If Trumpet's guards had gifts even a fraction as powerful as the head slaver's, she would be in trouble if they got into a direct confrontation.

Momo bit her lip, mind reeling as she tried to summon a strategy.

There was nothing. No other choices.

They didn't have the time to reunite with Tetsu-Tetsu and Kendo for support. And if they postponed the operation, the city guard would have time to reorganize or Trumpet would move locations. The best time to act was truly now.

A hand suddenly shot out in front of her, jerking Momo out of her thoughts. She stumbled, and an arm slid around her waist, stopping her from lurching forward.

"Yaoyorozu!?" a husky voice whispered. "Are you alright? Is your head bothering you?"

Momo blinked and looked up. While she had been trapped in her thoughts, they had arrived at the tavern.

Heat flared across her cheeks. Hurriedly, she stepped out of Todoroki's arm and pressed her back against the wall next to him. "I'm fine. I was just considering our operation," she said, not meeting his gaze.

For a moment, Todoroki didn't say anything, then his lips pulled up into a thin smile that didn't reach his eyes. He lifted an eyebrow. "And that winning 'operation' was to just walk right in? Sorry for stopping you. I didn't realize that was the plan. " His voice lilted up at the end with sarcasm.

Momo snorted, embarrassed and offended. "Of course not," she grumbled before pushing roughly into Todoroki's side to glance around the corner at the tavern again.

The building was a modest two-story house made of wood. A thatched roof, with overhanging eaves, was supported by dried clay bricks. And a tall wall of white stones encircled the back of the house, creating the traditional Greek courtyard. To the side of the wall (only a few meters away from the front entrance of the tavern) stood a wooden barn.

Momo turned her gaze back to the house. From the few windows carved into the side of the tavern, lights could be seen flickering through marble shutters on the first floor. The top floor of the tavern was dark, except for one room at the far end of the building.

That would be where Trumpet and his entourage would be. The nymph as well. A flicker of movement behind the shutters in the tavern's first floor window caught Momo's attention.

A lookout.

She pressed her lips into a hard line and withdrew back into the shadows. "There's a sentry in the first floor window. And I don't see any other openings outside of climbing over the wall. But if Trumpet is as cautious as you heard, then he most likely has someone guarding the back entrance as well. It's going to make it difficult to get in without a confrontation."

Dropping her gaze to the ground, Momo pressed her index finger to her chin in thought. It was out of the question to use the front or back entrances to storm the tavern. If Trumpet's men were regular mercenaries, Momo was certain that she and Todoroki could win. However, if they were using magicked items, then the certainty of Todoroki and her victory was in question. And they couldn't afford to act any more rash than they already had.

Tapping her finger against her chin, Momo considered their alternatives. If they could get onto the roof, without being spotted, they could, perhaps, break through a window. The only problem was that marble didn't melt or freeze, so they would have to smash the shutters to enter, and that would create needless noise.

As Momo contemplated their options, the more aware she became that Trumpet wasn't ignorant. When they first arrived at the tavern, Momo thought it was poor judgment that Trumpet hadn't relocated to a new location or at least stationed more guards outside. However, the more she considered the building's structure, the more it made sense that Trumpet hadn't felt the need to move. Although located in the center of the harbor district, the tavern was taller than most of the surrounding buildings. And, with only a few watchmen, Trumpet had a clear view of anyone coming or going.

She bit her lip again. That left only two other options: wait for Trumpet to leave or...

"We need a distraction."

Momo's heart dropped into her stomach as she met Todoroki's silver and turquoise eyes through the darkness.

"I'll lure Trumpet's guards out. You sneak in after -"

"No," Momo said stiffly, cutting Todoroki off. She clenched her fingers into a fist over her chest.

She wouldn't be able to stand for Todoroki to take on the responsibility of distracting Trumpet's men by himself. No matter how strong he was, it was too risky. Her heart couldn't handle that stress. Her stomach felt as if it were twisting into a tight knot at the thought. The fear from earlier, at the idea that Todoroki was abandoning her, was still too fresh in Momo's mind. The sharpness of her terror was like ice sliding down her spine.

She couldn't — wouldn't — leave Todoroki's side. Not now. Not ever again.

It was a promise.

But, what choice did they have?