Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and happy new year!
This chapter is dedicated to June, Nakoujou and Marbits. Hugs you all tightly.
As always, big thank you to my wonderful betas for all your help!
Chapter 21: We Can (Not) Be Alone
Todoroki was late.
Momo's chest tightened. She wrapped her arms around herself and walked over to the window to gaze down at the street below.
Outside, a waxing moon peeked out behind dark clouds that scudded across the night sky, throwing rays of moonlight down onto Dicaea and the ships anchored in the harbor below.
The noise and activity of the day had died down a long time ago. And the square, which had earlier been filled with people, was now empty as the respectable merchants had packed up and returned home.
Momo stood, staring out the window, looking for any signs of the distinct red and white hair of Shouto Todoroki, but there were no signs of him. The only people still outside were a few stragglers: merchants and drunkards.
She bit her lip and turned away to pace along the length of the room. The spear Todoroki had purchased for her rested near the doorway. But besides her weapon and a few other belongings, the chamber was poorly decorated aside from the most basic furnishings.
Two twin-sized beds sat adjacent to each other. Against the back wall was a small chest for valued possessions; otherwise, the room was bare. There were no rugs or tapestries.
The room's only source of light came from a single candle mounted to the middle of the wall. Nothing to help Momo distract herself. Nothing.
Momo's gaze lingered momentarily on the flickering light, watching as a drop of wax slid down the wick to harden on the bronze holder below. Her fingers fidgeted with the stiff ends of her new chiton. Each second felt longer than the last, even slower than the cheap candle's dripping wax.
'Where is Todoroki? It didn't take this long to deliver a message, right?'
Momo walked back towards the window and stared outside. She wondered if something could have happened to him. What if Todoroki had run into his brother? He could be hurt or in need of help…
Momo shook her head. She pressed a hand to her chest and took a deep breath, pushing her rising worry away.
She was being silly. If Momo could believe in anything, it was Todoroki's strength. He could handle himself.
Sighing, she leaned against the windowsill and watched a group of men leave the inn below, joking and laughing.
If Todoroki had really encountered Dabi, Dicaea would not have been this peaceful, she supposed. Still, Momo's heart continued to pound as she stared blankly at the men disappearing down the road.
There was the faint smell of herbs and roasted lamb drifting up from the first floor. The scent of fresh lemon twined with oregano and garlic in the breeze and tempted Momo's senses.
Her mind's eyes conjured a decadent feast, and she had half a mind to follow the sumptuous smell downstairs. Todoroki had left her with drachma, but Momo didn't feel particularly hungry.
She frowned. Her eyebrows furrowed together as a thought abruptly struck her. Pushing off from the wall, Momo turned and quickly went over to the bed. Snatching up the purse, she opened the bag and froze.
The purse was filled with enough drachma to get two people back to Sparta comfortably, but it wasn't the lack of funds she was worried about.
Momo's hands shook as she stared down at the coins. It was too much. Todoroki hadn't taken any money for himself when he left the inn earlier.
A cold shiver ran down her spine. Her jaw trembled. The anxiety curling in her stomach twisted sharply, transforming into something a lot darker, a lot more frightening.
Sending a letter was costly; even Momo knew that. So there had to be a purpose for why he had left her with all their funds. Her heartbeat grew louder in her ears. He couldn't –
He wouldn't have abandoned her, would he?
'You'll forever be alone.'
The ghostly, nasally voice — Overhaul's voice — swept through Momo's consciousness like a sudden winter storm. Her breath caught, and she stumbled back.
'Curse you! I won't forget this mortal.'
Momo shivered. The words wrapped around her chest like icy vines, tightening until Momo gasped. Memories dug into her heart like frigid thorns. And all the fears and misery Momo thought she buried after her battle with the god resurfaced, cutting into her soul.
Wrapping her arms around herself, Momo slumped down onto the bed, shaking.
For a month, she had tried to not think about the God of Nightmare's words. It wasn't as if Momo had discarded his final decree; it would be remiss not to consider a god's will. However, Momo didn't feel any different after the battle and had concluded that Overhaul's words were nothing more than a defeated god's hyperbole, not an actual curse. Though — had she been wrong?
Was that the reason Todoroki had been acting strangely all day?
She dropped her chin down and tried to breathe. Momo had heard of people becoming more affectionate and generous when they felt guilt. If that were the case, were the spear and new clothes parting gifts? Had Todoroki purchased those secular objects as a means to ease his conscience of guilt for leaving her?
Momo felt sick. She squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated on trying to drag in deep, slow breaths to calm herself.
Rationally, Momo knew it was ridiculous to be this upset. It would be out of character for Todoroki to suddenly abandon her. He had many chances to leave her in the past, and he never had. The most likely conclusion was that Todoroki had gotten distracted — he probably ran into Fukukado or her men and was out drinking.
So why?
Why did she still feel like she was going to fall apart when she thought she might have been left behind?
It felt like a betrayal of all her accomplishments.
Momo opened her eyes and stared down at her hands clasped around the purse in her lap. Her fingers were holding the bag so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.
A sudden wave of anger rushed over Momo. It was anger at Todoroki. And herself.
Momo slammed the pouch down onto the bed, suddenly offended by the bag of coins. She stood up and walked back over to the window. Her hands curled into tight fists at her side.
There was no way she was cursed.
She was a god slayer.
Momo knew she had many excellent qualities. Even if Todoroki had left her, she was strong, smart, and resilient. A god had pulled her into her deepest fears, and she had emerged victorious. She could handle herself. She didn't need anyone.
She didn't.
Momo glanced back out the window. The moon shone brightly through the dark clouds.
Her whole body felt cold, and the needle-like sensation of anxiety twisted in her stomach. Momo bit her bottom lip hard, drawing in a breath through her teeth.
She couldn't keep going on like this. She'd find Todoroki and prove to herself that there was nothing to worry about, that her worries were unfounded. She was not cursed.
Her mind was made up; Momo grabbed the purse from the bed. Slipping the money into her chiton, she strapped her spear to her back and headed outside.
The air had chilled considerably from earlier in the evening. Momo adjusted her cape around her shoulders and followed the stone roads towards the harbor. She wished she had inquired where Todoroki had gone before he left, but she hadn't. Now, Momo would have to go kapeleia by kapeleia to find him.
She sighed and picked up her pace.
Warm lights shone through the windows of houses as she passed, and there was the smell of hearth fires and freshly baked fish and vegetables mixed with the crisp scent of the sea.
In the distance, the sound of a lyre and the drinking song, Skolion of Seikilos, could be heard echoing across the city.
As she drew closer to the harbor, sailors and less savory types appeared along the streets. Momo ignored a few sailors as they called after her.
She came upon the first kapeleia and glanced inside. Sailors and fishermen were packed into the chairs, drinking wine and listening to a bard. The nearest server looked up as Momo opened the door, and his mouth pulled down into a deep frown.
She quickly scanned the room for Todoroki. But he wasn't there. She turned, and Momo left before the server could scold her.
Being with Todoroki for almost three months, Momo had forgotten that he was the exception for how women were treated in Greece, not the rule. Most men didn't consider it proper for a woman to be walking around at night, let alone visiting a kapeleia without a chaperone.
The sides of Momo's lips twisted down. Women were meant to stay home and rear children. Even slaves hardly left the house unless sent on an errand. Todoroki truly was special.
The anger she felt earlier slowly reduced to a low simmer as a different emotion joined the twisted feelings in Momo's chest. But she didn't have time to analyze any of it.
She set her jaw.
Momo needed to find Todoroki.
She had to.
"Yaoyorozu?" Someone abruptly called.
Momo looked up. Standing in the doorway of the next tavern were two people. She squinted into the light. Her eyes widened.
"Kendo!"
Kendo gave her a warm smile and stepped forward. "I didn't expect to run into you again. Not this late at night, at least. What are you doing out here?"
"I'm looking for Todoroki. Have you seen him?" Momo asked, her voice rising in hope.
"Todoroki, my man?" Tetsu-Tetsu asked. He scratched his neck. "Nah, we just finished dinner. And I was about to get the oxen ready for us to get out of town."
Momo blinked. "You're not from here?" she asked, surprised.
"No. We were just stopping on our way through, just like you," Kendo said. "But we don't need to go right away. Do you need help finding Todoroki?"
Momo hesitated, then shook her head minutely. "It's okay. I don't want to impose."
"You're not imposing!" Kendo reached out and grasped Momo's hands. "We're friends now. Sisters in arms." She smiled and squeezed Momo's hands reassuringly. "Besides, three sets of eyes are better than one. Right?" She winked.
Momo stared at Kendo for a moment. Then she relaxed and gave her a wane smile. "Thank you."
"Alright!" Tetsu-Tetsu hit his fist into his opposite hand. "Now, let's get started. Where do you think he might be?"
"We were staying at an inn by the central square — where we met you. We checked in, and then Todoroki left saying he was going to send a message. But that was some time ago. I don't know where he would have gone after. I was going to check the tavernas and kapeleias nearby..." she trailed off.
Kendo stared at her for several seconds and then gave a short nod. "How about this? We can't leave the oxen for long, so how about we look around here, and you search on the other side of the harbor?"
Agreeing to Kendo's plan, Momo left the couple and headed towards the other end of Dicaea.
The entertainment section of Dicaea ran down to the western end of the harbor. Stone and limestone buildings with signs advertising sex and opium hung above statues of Dionysus or nymphs. The smell of perfume and alcohol seemed to leak from every direction.
Momo blushed and looked away as she passed a scantily-clad pornai. The woman's disheveled clothing slumped from her shoulders, showcasing her breasts. A sense of discomfort slid down the back of her neck, but Momo ignored the sensation as she continued down the street.
Entertainment districts existed in every city — Momo knew this. There were always men and women seeking pleasure or escape. Troy even had one until the end of the war, but as a priestess of Apollo, Momo had never visited it.
She wondered if Todoroki would really be here. A knot in Momo's stomach tightened. She found it hard to imagine, but still, she had to check. It was the only way for Momo to be able to relax.
Her hands clenched at her side as she pressed on. The number of people roaming the streets began to thin as Momo drew closer to the end of the harbor. Shops were slowly replaced by warehouses, and the strong scent of the pernai's perfume waned in favor of salty sea breeze.
Momo sighed. There was no point in going further. Todoroki wasn't here.
She was about to turn around when two large carts, led by a team of two heavy oxen each, abruptly pulled out onto the narrow street.
Momo looked up, and her eyes widened as she froze. Her insides shriveled in disgust.
The carts weren't wagons but cages. Inside one, women and children sat huddled in the cramped space. And in the other, a single person with pinkish skin and curly, rose-pink hair sat slumped over.
Momo gasped in shock.
A wood nymph.
What was a nymph doing in a cage? It was a crime against the gods for a mortal to touch one of the godly creatures.
Before Momo had a chance to process the situation further, a deep masculine voice called out from the front of the carts. "What the hell are you doing? Get those doors opened. We're going to be late."
Momo stepped sharply back. She ducked behind the nearest building and out of sight as five men jumped off the cart. There was a sound of hinges squeaking and a door opening.
Momo shifted and glanced around the corner.
The carts had stopped in front of a stone warehouse. Another group of about four or five men exited the building to meet the others. At their sides, each carried a sword and whip.
The men worked quickly, unlocking the cage with the women and children.
"Get out!" one of the slavers barked.
He uncurled his whip and cracked it against the ground. There was a sharp cry of alarm. The women and children flinched. He moved to strike his whip again when the prisoners began to slink out of the cage.
"Just push them if they aren't moving," one of the other slavers said, his voice full of annoyance as he struck the back of a child's head.
A couple of them whistled as a woman with a pretty face got off the wagon.
Momo wanted to skewer them all, but she curled her fingers into a fist and forced herself not to react. Her gaze drifted back to the biggest man, the one who appeared to be in charge.
It was too dark to decipher his features, but the man was tall with broad shoulders and muscular arms. An aura of danger seemed to cling to him, and the hair on Momo's arms and the back of her neck stood on end. She pressed her lips into a thin line. Something about him felt familiar.
Then it hit her. Her eyes widened. He was the slaver from the market, the leader of the men who had accosted Kendo.
The simmering anger that Momo was trying to control flared into hot rage. Her fingers twitched. Slowly, she reached up and unhooked her spear.
Momo glanced around the side of the building again. Counting the men, there were around eleven to twelve slavers in total. And that wasn't counting any additional men that could still be inside the warehouse. Her stomach dropped.
The odds weren't in her favor.
Momo's lips curled back. She drew in a harsh breath through her teeth, trying to calm herself. She needed to be patient. She couldn't act foolishly.
She was confident in her skills, but taking on so many armed men by herself, when she still didn't know the full situation, was risky and could easily result in failure. The only way for her to win was to fight individual bouts. However, those weren't winning odds either. Even if Momo were able to lead the slavers away and fight them one on one, she'd have to beat each in a matter of seconds in order not to be overwhelmed.
Her gaze drew back to the head slaver. Her stomach lurched. There was something about him that put her on edge. A nagging voice in the back of her mind told Momo to be cautious of him. She may have taken him by surprise in the market earlier, but now that he was armed and aware of her skills, the situation could turn out differently.
Momo gritted her teeth in frustration. The best option was to wait for the slavers to go back inside and then find Tetsu-Tetsu and Kendo. Perhaps, with all three of them — and Todoroki, if they'd found him — they could win. But could she leave and find her way back?
"Not that one, idiot. Trumpet wants that one with him," the gritty voice of the head slaver snapped, drawing Momo out of her thoughts.
She jerked her gaze back to the carts. One of the men had approached the nymph's cage. Inside the prison, the nymph appeared to be moving.
Momo's eyes narrowed. The nymph's movements were slow and jerky, as if she were drugged. Was that how they captured her?
Her gaze ran over the cage. It was a wooden structure similar to the other cage, but there was some sort of insignia carved into the wood. Momo narrowed her eyes, trying to decipher the inscription, but it was too dark to make out.
The head slaver turned and looked up and down the dark street. Satisfied, he turned back towards the men. "Alright. Get those last ones inside. I got to deal with Trumpet," he said, before jumping back onto the cart.
The other men worked quickly; they slammed the empty cage door shut and ushered the remaining women inside. Momo watched as two of the men returned to the warehouse, leaving two slavers outside.
The leader said something to them in a voice too soft for Momo to hear. There was a sharp crack of a whip then the cart departed down the street.
Momo's breath caught in anxiety.
They were moving the nymph.
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 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.
"First, we need to find the keys. I don't think I'll be able to pick the locks on all of these."
Hagakure nodded. Momo stood and helped her up. She glanced at the bodies lying still on the floor. "Can you look here? I'll go check the men outside."
Hagakure nodded, and Momo hurried back towards the entrance and froze.
There was only one body in front of the doors. A dark patch of blood pooled on the ground where the other man was supposed to be, but there was no body.
Momo jerked her head up and looked down the dark street; however, Momo didn't see anyone.
She swallowed over a tight throat and quickly knelt down to check the body of the other man for the keys. His chiton was empty. Her heart pounded in her chest, Momo could feel their time to free the slaves growing shorter.
She turned and rushed back inside. "Did you find the keys?"
Hagakure straightened and shook her head, expression tense. "They aren't here."
Dread twisted in Momo's stomach.
The men and women in the cages moaned and called out to her.
"What if they come back? Hurry up and free us."
"Free us!"
"Please…"
The prisoners' cries filled the warehouse, ricocheting off the stone walls.
Momo's chest rattled. Her mouth was dry; she swallowed and stared at Hagakure. "One of the men got away," she said in a low voice, so the men and women in the cages couldn't hear.
"What?"
"Two men were guarding the door. I thought I had taken care of both, but one wasn't there when I checked."
Hagakure's eyes flashed. Her expression showed similar panic as she realized the repercussions of the man having escaped. "I'll get him!" She started forward, but Momo raised her arm to block her.
"We don't have time. We have to get these people out of here first." Momo swallowed. "Can you pick locks?"
Hagakure nodded quickly.
"Start from the far end," Momo ordered. "I'll start here. Let me know if you have any trouble."
She hurried to the nearest cage and crouched down in front of the lock. Her hands were moist. She wiped them on her chiton and then, using the tip of her spear, began to work the lock.
After a few attempts, the door swung free. Momo's shoulders dropped with relief. Her fingers ached from the delicate operation of opening the mechanism.
"Get out of here as fast as you can and get away from the city," she called as she moved towards the next prison.
The slaves' feet pounded against the floor as they ran out of the doors.
In the distance, a low shout of alarm sounded.
Momo's heart felt like it dropped into her stomach. They had run out of time. It would be only a few minutes until forces were assembled to round up the escaped slaves.
Slavery was too profitable of a trade to the city for officials to overlook the escaped men and women. The slaves' best chance for freedom was to take advantage of the commotion and try to break through all at once.
Momo redoubled her efforts to unlock the other cages. The wooden door finally flung free, and the captured prisoners pushed out in a commotion.
Momo didn't wait. She stood and rushed to the next prison. She skidded and nearly fell as she reached the cage.
As she slid to a halt, she looked up. Hagakure had opened three cages.
Two prisons to go.
Anxiety built within the room to the point that it was palpable. Momo swallowed hard and tried to ignore the moans and frantic voices trying to hurry her.
There was shouting and the sounds of scuffling outside the wooden warehouse. A bell rung in the distance.
Momo's fingers shook as she worked on the lock.
Outside, she could hear pounding feet and angry shouts. The slaves screamed and pushed against the cage as they tried to free themselves.
Behind her, the wooden doors to the warehouse slammed open so violently that the hinges snapped on one of the twin doors, and they plummeted to the floor with a loud bang. Slavers rushed in.
The last gate swung open, slamming into Momo as the men and women broke out, panicking.
Momo hit the ground. She quickly pushed herself up. The warehouse was filled with the sound of screaming and violence. The freed men and women darted towards the doors, dodging and attacking the slavers as they fought to get free.
In front of her, two former slaves wrestled a man to the ground. Another slave smashed the man's head in with a wooden beam, spraying blood across the floor.
For a moment, Momo thought the slaves would win before a group of city guards burst through the doors, weapons drawn.
They surrounded the slaves and began beating the men and women back inside.
In a few minutes, they would be trapped. Momo had to do something.
She looked around. Empty cages lined the walls. Men and women were fighting in the middle of the open floor.
There was a glimmer of light from behind her. Momo jerked her head up. Above the farthest cage, a window was set high on the wall. She could use that to get out of the warehouse and counterattack the slavers from outside.
Momo scrambled to her feet. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Hagakure threading through the violence, as if unseen, towards her.
"YaoMomo, what should we do?" Hagakure asked, her voice wavering with urgency.
Momo pointed up towards the open window. "It will take too long to try and force our way through the front doors. You and I will break out through the window and counterattack from outside."
Hagakure's eyes widened at the plan.
Momo scurried to her feet and hurried to the back of the warehouse. Hagakure followed close behind her. Momo lifted Hagakure up onto the cage nearest to the window. Hagakure pushed the shutters over the window aside, and she crawled out.
There was a loud thud as Hagakure jumped down.
Momo's heart raced. She glanced back. The violence was escalating. Momo set her jaw and pulled herself up onto the cage.
The window was placed high, but Momo didn't have time to think as she jumped down.
She hit the ground with a thud. Her legs shook from the impact, but luckily she didn't roll an ankle.
"Yaoyorozu…" Hagakure's voice shook.
Screams were coming from down the street. There was a bell in the distance ringing to raise an alarm about the escaped slaves.
Momo staggered and straightened. She could do this.
"Hagakure, on me."
She turned to lead Hagakure towards the noise when suddenly, a large man appeared at the other end of the alley, blocking her path towards the doors.
Momo froze.
The moon highlighted a man's silhouette, making his short blonde hair gleam. Sharp eyes that were as hard as flint stared down at her.
It was the head slaver, Momo realized. She took a hesitant step back. Her hands tightened on her spear.
The slaver didn't react for a moment, then the corner of his mouth curled up.
"Found you, little rat."
Sorry for those waiting for the TodoMomo interactions! I promise more are coming.
All comments are welcome. I love reading your thoughts and predictions!
Also, I did go back and change some details in the last two chapters. Nothing too major, but added more foreshadowing and smaller details.
More Notes
1. The ancient Greek drinking song "Skolion of Seikilos" can be found here if you are interested in listening: /ancient-lyre/skolion-of-seikilos
2. Kapeleia - The regular everyday Greek had the kapeleia and taverna. Both served food and drink, kapeleia focused on drink, taverna on food.
3. History of locks - History of mechanical locks started over 6 thousand years ago in Ancient Egypt, where locksmith first managed to create simple but effective pin tumbler lock that was made entirely from wood. It consisted of the wooden post that was affixed to the door, and a horizontal bolt that slid into the post. This bolt had set of openings which were filled with pins. Specially designed large and heavy wooden key was shaped like modern toothbrush with pegs that corresponded to the holes and pins in the lock. This key could be inserted into opening and lifted, which would move the pins and allow security bolt to be moved. ( .uk/a-history-of-locks/)
4. Pornai - Pornai is the ancient Greek word for prostitutes