Story 3 Hunchback of Notre Dame
Chapter 1 Festival of Fools (Is Full of Fools?)
Ivan had named the child Berwald, a name not common in the streets of Paris, to remind the boy every day that he was different. Ivan made it his goal to make the boy feel different, from telling him it was not nice to look at anyone with his stare, to making sure he knew that his speech problem was, in fact, a problem. That didn't really help the child, but he found that as he grew he became skilled in other areas that he believed were redeeming for his scary stare and his muddled words. He was quite excellent at ringing the bells, and he was even better at creating tiny dolls from wood that the priests could hand out to some of the children in the square. The best of them he saved for Oliver, the sacrament boy, though. Oh, how he loved to see the children smile from his small hiding place, one that he had found while exploring the cathedral that he called home.
Ivan was sure to visit him at least once a day to make sure that he was well taken after, and Berwald was sure that his father figure cared for him- even if he was to be exiled from the outside world that he craved. At least he had his friends. Though Ivan said that they were just figments of his imagination, the three gargoyles that kept him company sure moved around more than gargoyles should have been able to, and Oliver would often come up to keep him company.
Kiku was the shyest of the three, very prudish too. He would always be one to comfort with hesitant words rather than engage in physical contact- not that Berwald minded, he really didn't know that it was normal to receive hugs or comforting touches. He also made it a point to avoid all areas where Berwald would consider his personal space unless invited. Heracles was the most wise of the group, always offering sage advice in between naps. He liked the cats that sometimes took refuge in the cathedral, and would often play with them, and the cats appreciated the feeling. That left the most energetic of the group, Peter. He was rather active, flying around in the air near the bells. He would go on and on about things he liked, loved card games, and had the worst of attention spans. But they were his closest- only- friends, and he was content with that.
Well, almost content. Berwald wanted to go to the festival of fools. Maybe Ivan would allow him the pleasure today? It was a long shot, but there was still a chance. Watching the square below as he finished another doll for his village diagram, he smiled. A sudden chirping to his left caught his attention, and he turned away from watching the gypsy telling a story below, and walked over to one of the ledges where he knew a bird's nest was. It was in the mouth of a gargoyle closer to the edge than he would have thought a bird would have put their nest. Swinging over the edge of the building without a care, and sitting on the wall that blocked a free fall to the streets, he scooted close to the small chick he knew was there. It was yellow and fuzzy, more of a chicken than a bird, but it was odd, just like Berwald.
" 's t'd'y the d'y th't y' g'nna fl'?" He asked it gingerly, trying to enunciate his words enough for the creature to understand. It shook itself and shrunk back against the stone. " d'nt b' sc'red, t'd'y 's the p'rf'ct d'y t' fl'. See?" He grabbed it from it's nest and held it out to see the town below. " 'f I could fl' I would g' 'nd b' 'p'rt 'f the f'stiv'l 'f fools." He bounced his hand slightly as the chick began to fly, and watched with a small and gentle smile as it started to hover in the air. "See th're y' g'." The chick chirped happily, and started to fly off in the distance, following the other birds who were migrating to the east. His smile turned into a small sad one as he muttered, "N'b'dy w'nts t' b' coop'd 'p h're f'rev'r."
"Jeez! I thought he would never leave!" Peter complained, sputtering out the nest remnants and bird feathers. "Why did I have to be the nest holder again?"
"Because you volunteered since you thought that little birdies were super cute, and that I shouldn't have been complaining as much as I was." Heracles sighed as he started to come to life, awaking from his nap.
"Whatever. Anyways, you gonna go to the festival this year, Berry?" The nickname was endearing, but unnecessary in Berwald's opinion. He shrugged and started to head inside. A mime below them caught Peter's attention soon after, and he started to hack a loogie to shoot down below at it. Heracles sent him a flat stare that made him swallow it back up and smile apologetically. "Wait for us!" He whined, following Berwald.
Berwald smiled for a bit again, and headed towards his room, favoring climbing on the sides of the stairs rather than the stairs themselves. "So, are you going?" Kiku asked, as he joined the other two gargoyles on the stairs. "You have always wanted to."
Berwald just shrugged again and headed to his table of villager carvings and buildings, setting his newest creation, the gypsy and his cart, down in the spot he had seen them in on the square. He stared at it sadly. "I c'nt g', 'van wouldn't l't m', y' g'ys kn'w th't. I'll 'sk 'nd h' w'll s'y no."
"Why not just sneak out?" Peter chimed in.
"I wouldn't f't 'n."
"But you said it yourself, no one likes to stay in here forever."
"B't-"
"I think it would be wise for you to go. You can hide in your cloak if you're that worried." Heracles added. That sparked a light in Berwald's frightening blue eyes, and he got to his feet, hurrying to go and get his cloak. As he was about to grab it, he heard a tutting noise from behind him.
"What do you think you're doing, Berwald?" Ivan asked.
Berwald looked away. "I w'nt'd t' g' see th' f'stiv'l." He didn't bother to try and speak normally around Ivan, knowing that his guardian believed his impediment to be unchangeable, despite the years Berwald had practiced with Oliver to sound normal.
"Do I need to tell you what will happen again? Your own parents abandoned you, why do you think the people out there will be any different?"
"Th'y could b' n'ce." Berwald suggested. Ivan just shook his head and looked out a window before slowly speaking.
"The world out there is so different from the world you and I have made here. I know how cruel it is out there, how wicked it is. It's I alone whom you can trust in this whole city. I am your only friend, I who kept you, taught you, fed you, dressed you, I who look upon you without fear. How can I protect you, boy, unless you always stay in here, away in here. Remember what I taught you, Berwald? You are deformed." Ivan left from the window and started to head closer to his room and gazed at his wooden city with disgust that Berwald did not see.
"I'm d'f'rmed." Berwald sighed in agreement.
"You are ugly."
"I'm 'gly."
"And these are crimes for which the world is unforgiving, and shows little pity. You do not comprehend."
"Y' are m' one d'f'nd'r."
"Out there they'll revile you as a monster."
"I'm a m'nster." Berwald was close to tears now at the harsh, but true, words that he had been taught his whole life were repeated.
"Out there they will hate, and scorn, and jeer."
" 'nly a m'nster."
"Why invite their calumny and consternation? Stay in here be faithful to me." Ivan swept aside the wooden people that littered the fake streets on Berwald's fake city, and set down a basket with lunch.
"I'm f'thf'l."
"Grateful to me?"
"I'm gr'tef'l."
"Then do as I say, obey, and stay in here."
"I'll 'bey 'nd st'y 'n h're." Ivan smiled at his reply, and they both sat down and ate a quiet lunch, neither really wanting to speak.
"I will not see you tonight, I hope that it alright." Ivan asked. It wasn't really a question, but more of a command.
"Y's s'r." Ivan petted his head down, pushing his askance glasses back into place and walked away, leaving Berwald alone. He looked at his friends mournfully. " 's 't b'd th't I st'll w'nt t' g'?"
"Of course it isn't, Berry." Heracles said, holding out his cloak. "And I don't care what Ivan says, I think you'd have fun. Why don't you try it for one day, then you can just come back here? No one has to know." Berwald looked at the others- who kept his gaze unlike any other creature he had known- and smiled.
"Th'nks g'ys. I'm g'ng." They cheered and quickly ushered him out of the tower and into a back way.
Out on the street just outside the city center two half-fairy girls were putting on a little show to earn money, twirling in small circles and swaying to the music created by their fellow half-fairies. They were extremely lucky that they hadn't gotten caught yet, but then again both girls were very good at not getting caught.
The two girls looked enough alike to be sisters, though in reality they weren't related at all. Both had silky blond hair, but one had it cut so it only reached a little past her chin and pulled into two ponytails at the side of her head, while the other's hair fell past the middle of her back, her bangs pulled to the side by an unusual cross pin. They were pale beauties, admired from the men around them.
The longer haired one had a white blouse sticking out of a simply black waist wrap, with a dark blue skirt falling just above her ankles, showing her bare feet that were adorned with jewelry. She held a tambourine, hitting it gently, watching the crowds around them with cold but playful purple eyes. Her companion had similar eyes, though they were a shade lighter and looked a little blue towards the outer rings of her eyes, more playful and cheery than her counterpart's. Like the one with long hair, her dress was a simple white blouse but she did not have a wrap, only a silver dangled sash of the same slate blue of her skirt adorned her waist. She was playing a flute-like instrument, enchanting the children around her even though their mothers took them away whenever they noticed the children drawing closer. A goat danced in front of them, ugly and more like a troll but still recognisably a goat.
A little farther down that street was a very confused guard named Matthias. Lost in the city he had once called home, the blond male tried to ask for directions from two guards who had absolutely ignored him. Turning to his horse, he said, "You go away for a few years and everything changes, and everyone is rude!" He grumbled some more half-heartedly, wishing he had a drink on him. His unruly blond hair stuck at odd angles, not wanting to cooperate. His dark coat was lined with an inside of dark red save for his black boots. The odd fashion is what he would state was his trademark look. Sparkling blue eyes soon spotted the two half-fairies and his frown turned into a smile. Flipping two coins in the air, he caught the eyes of the long haired one, who gave him a small smile in return, and continued to play.
Matthias was smitten, as she was a pretty thing, and continued to watch, ignoring the need to report to the Justice Palace. That was, until, a small child slipped out of the shadows and whistled. The two girls froze and then hurried into action, packing their things up in a hurry, the goat towing away the money filled hat and spilling it across the street. The long haired one hurriedly went back for another hat that had been dropped, only to be stopped from retreating by the same two guards that had ignored Matthias earlier.
"Alright ye fairy, where'd you get the money from?" One with a mustache asked.
"For your information I. Earned. It." She replied cooly, tugging the hat away from the man's hands.
"I ain't stupid sweetheart, fairies don't earn money."
"Yes we do!" The other girl appeared at her side, who was soon held back by the second guard.
The first girl rolled her eyes and said, "You uneducated swine! We earned the money, number one, and you don't use ain't in a sentence, number two."
"They probably stole it." The second guard piped up, either ignoring her insult or not understanding it.
"You would know about stealing, wouldn't you." The first girl shot back.
"Troublemaker! I'll-" The first guard called out, but was cut off by an elbow to the stomach from his captive. He groaned a second time as the other girl kicked him in the groin, the goat from before running up and doing the same for her captor. Both of the girls scrambled for their earnings. Once it was in hand, the two girls ran off into the distance, followed by their ugly goat.
The guards got up, limping towards them, and Matthias smiled as he led his horse out in front of the guards and barked. "Puffin. Sit." And his horse sat down on the guards. The people around him started to laugh. "Oh my goodness. I am so sorry. Naughty horse. He's just impossible, I can't take him anywhere." He winked at his horse and the crowd, who soon dispersed with quiet chuckles. He caught the eyes of the two girls who were looking back at him with thankfulness and a hint of amusement, the shorter haired one giggling before they too disappeared from sight.
"Get your horse off of me!" One guard commanded.
"I'll teach you a lesson." The second one growled, pulling out a sword.
Matthias laughed and pulled his axe from off his back, pointing it at him, "You were saying, Lieutenant?"
The man's eyes widened in realization as he quickly put his sword away. He sputtered out a, "Oh, captain! I'm so sorry I-"
"It's fine. Don't be a kiss up. You were just doing your job. Now if you two aren't too busy, can you direct me to the Justice Palace?"
"Just make sure the prisoner talks, will you?" Ivan growled to the torturer in front of him as Matthias approached. Matthias frowned, that didn't sound good. "Ah, you must be the gallant Captain Matthias from the wars?"
"Reporting for duty as ordered sir." Matthias replied without as much lip as he wanted- he was on orders after all.
"Your service records proceed you, Matthias. I expect nothing but the best from a war hero of your caliber."
"And you shall have it sir, I guarantee it."
"Yes, yes. You know that my last captain of the guard failed to meet my expectations." Ivan smiled as a cry came from the cell where the torturer had run off. Matthias flinched. "Well no matter, I'm sure that you'll whip my men into shape, now won't you?" Ivan started to walk up the stairs to the top of the building slowly, waiting for Matthias to follow.
"Uh, thanks. Tremendous honor to be serving you sir." As they walked past the cell, Matthias ducked his head over the side to see if he could catch a glimpse of what was going on in there, before Ivan could see him. Nothing was in sight, though labored breathing seemed to becoming from another area. Hmn. He caught up in a hurry, as they came to a view of the courtyard from a railed balcony. In the courtyard there were people watching a puppet show given by what seemed to be a jester.
"You come to Paris in a grave hour, Captain. It will take a firm hand to keep the weak minded from being manipulated by the sin that is secreted in the city."
"Manipulated, sir?"
"Look at them," Ivan curled his lip in disgust, "Half-fairies. They live outside the normal order of how things should be. Their heathen ways inflame the worst sins of the people and they must be stopped."
"Wait, wait, wait… Let me get this straight, you summoned me from the wars- the very important wars- to capture magicians, mystics, and dancers?"
"No, no, no. The real problem is right in front of you. For years I have been… taking care of these half-fairies, one by one." He danced his fingers on some poor unfortunate ants that crawled about on the stone railing, crushing them. "And yet, for all my successes, they still thrive. No, what you are here to do is to find their nest, if you will, the place they call the Court of Miracles." He lifted up the stone to reveal even more ants below the stone running amok.
"And then?"
Ivan smiled, an insanity in his eye, as he said, "Take care of the problem." He smashed the stone back, crushing and killing the insects below. Matthias gulped and feared for the half-fairies in the city, pleading that they would have the instinct to get out of Paris before it was too late.