Judge and Tempters

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Summary: Hastur loved the 14th Century and beyond; it was his heyday of the time during the famine, the black death, the civil wars and the religious upheavals of Europe. It wasn't until 1462 did his life got turned upside down in the arrival of an angel. And not just any angel, but the Archangel Gabriel. What is he doing here messing up with his temptations to Frollo? And what is he doing here if not stopping him of doing his job?

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Chapter 2: The Archangel

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Frollo stared at the Archdeacon with such indifference. The way he dangles the child makes Hastur's heart leap out from chest watching him. The Archangel stood there doing nothing but kept his head down, but his bright violet eyes was easily seen under his cowl as the winter's wind blow across the courtyard. The demon glanced at the angel in a curious glance; Gabriel wasn't wearing the normal attire of the heavenly host when they are just passing through earth. What was even stranger is that Gabriel wasn't wearing the robes of the priests or that of any rank of the Catholic Church either as the last angels that Hastur and Ligur saw did. No, the angel looked like an everyday street worker like a gravedigger or someone that cleans the streets of sewer. A peasant with worn tunic, pants, cowl and a thin cloak; practically the same as he and Ligur wore.

"This is an unholy demon! I'm sending it back to hell, where it belongs." Frollo replied to the Archdeacon.

The Archdeacon scooped up the fallen woman into his arms. She was dead. "See there is the innocent blood you have split on the steps of Notre Dame."

It's not your fault. She ran. If she didn't fight against you, you would not have kicked her.

Frollo rolled his eyes. "I am guiltless—she ran, I pursued."

"Now you would add this child's blood to your guilt on the steps of Notre Dame."

You didn't know it was a child! How could you?

"My conscience is clear!" snapped Frollo. The Archdeacon was not having it.

"You can lie to yourself and your minions." The Archdeacon scowled at Hastur who stood in the darkness of the courtyard. It was then that Frollo had noticed him as well but did nothing. It was a comfort to him to have someone that would take his side if the Archdeacon wish to take legal action against him over the woman's death. "You can claim that you haven't a qualm, but you never can run from, nor hide what you've done from the eyes, the very eyes of Notre Dame!"

Frollo looked up at where the Archdeacon was pointed at. It was the eyes of the statues, all the saints and those of the Bible, that was looking down on them from the Cathedral. Hastur felt the twinge of fear in Frollo's soul as he started to feel guilt of this crime. It was the first time Frollo personal killed a person after all, the other deaths he has causes was not by his hand but from those that work for him.

Hastur felt his demonic influence twirl with the archangel's, how curious as Hastur never thought angels can tempt, only demons. Hastur stepped closer to the angel tilting his head, Gabriel's actions spoke to him that he would do nothing to bring back the woman from death, no attacking him as it was clear that the angel knew he was a demon and who he was. Curious enough the angel didn't move away as Hastur approach him to stand by his side. As they both watch the event in front of unfold.

Her death is not your fault. She slipped. The steps were icy. Anyone could have slipped on those steps and died.

She is a woman. Why did you kill her? All she was doing was protecting her child.

She was a romani woman! One less woman means less bastards born to plunge your city of their filth.

Thou shalt not murder. The Corruption of Cain has poisoned your blood of what you have done….

Frollo swallowed as he glanced at the child that was still in his arms. "What must I do?" he asked the Archdeacon. The Archdeacon said a small prayer to the woman as he got up off the ground. The old man sighed as he glanced up at Frollo and then back at Gabriel who still stood there. It appears that the Priest does know of Gabriel, which makes Hastur wonder how long the angel been in the city without him or Ligur knowing.

"Care for the child, raise it as your own." The Archdeacon said.

Frollo choked. "What? I'm to be saddled with this misshapen—" Frollo paused as thought creeped across his face.

A child that could be of use to you later….

…An heir to continue your reign….

Frollo sighed. "Very well. Let him live with you, in your church."

The Archdeacon was surprised by this. Part of him thought that Frollo would not agree of adopting the child. Where the hell would they raise a child in the church to begin with? It's not like they had nuns in the cathedral. "Live here? But where?" he asked.

"Anywhere." Frollo looked up the cathedral as he saw the bell towers. "Just so he's kept lock away where no one else can see. The bell tower, perhaps. And who knows—our Lord works in mysterious ways." f

Hastur had to gag at that as it was the same bullshit that Heaven like to spat about.

"Even this foul creature may yet prove one day to be of use to me." Frollo said; as he cups the child closer to his chest from the cold wind. He looked up and turned to Gabriel who bowed his head. "You there! Gravedigger." He pointed at the Archangel who looked up, his violet eyes brighten.

"Yes, sir?" the archangel asked, stepping closer to Frollo. Hastur looked between the angel and human with confusion. This Archangel is being subservient to one of his damned targets?

"Take the woman for a proper burial. Hastur, join him." It was a dismissal.

Hastur grinned as he bowed low to Frollo before the man could leave on his horse either back to the church to get any of them to find him a wet nurse or to the Palace of Justice. "It will be done, my lord." Hastur said. Frollo nodded and left.

The Archdeacon didn't want to hand over the woman to Hastur's care as his black covered eyes glistened towards the priest with a sinister grin which the man flitch at the sight and closed his eyes as if been slapped.

"Give the woman to me, Father." Gabriel said, he reached out his arms towards the Priest. "I will make sure she is properly buried."

"Yes, yes. Very well." The Archdeacon know of Gabriel (however not by name) as he is much more of a man of God then the likes of Hastur. He had already given his blessing to the poor woman as there was nothing else for him to do. "I have other duties to attend to. As well let the monks know of our new charge." The Archdeacon placed the dead woman into Gabriel's arms and the angel nodded as he stepped away towards the demon.

"We will take good care of her, Father." Hastur smirked, nodding his head in a mock bow. The Archdeacon fought off another shiver at the sight of the man. If there is any way to describe the likes of the man would have been oily. The man stepped back from the demon as far as he could without looking to be rude as Hastur is close to Frollo. The Archdeacon did his normal dismissal of prayer towards the two men, Hastur spitted in disgust that the human would dare to do that to him and went back to the church, locking the great doors as he went.

Alone in the courtyard, Hastur looked back at the Archangel, twisting his leg just so just in the off chance that he needed to run. He shifted the wings on his back as he cracked his neck. "You do now that Frollo is mine, right? I don't like to share."

(End of Chapter)

Words: 1,468

Author's notes: I know its little out of character, but Gabriel is the only Archangel that Hell knows that has no track record of killing any demons unlike the rest of the Archangels, hence why Hastur didn't fear him. I figured to leave the plot hole of what happened to the body of Quasimodo's mother. I hope this tiny chapter is okay.

Until next time!

-Marsha