So reluctantly Tito raised Manny but he was kept isolated in the bell tower and refused to ever let him leave. He was also very cruel and abusive toward the child because he harbored a deep hatred toward him. Years passed, Manny grew into a strong young man who rang the bells of the cathedral every morning and every evening. His only friends were the three statues of the keepers who secretly had the ability to come to life.
"Alright fellas you can't nest here, so fly away." Manny said shooing the birds who were building a nest in the mouth of the Candle Maker statue. Once they all flew away the statue cane to life and began spitting out feathers.
"Blah! Ick!" He spat. "Man! I thought he'd never leave! I'll be spittin feathers for a week."
"Well that's what you get for sleeping with your mouth open." The statue of Xibalba said coming to life.
"Ha, Ha, go scare a nun."
"Guys don't start." Manny groaned. "It's way too early."
"Sorry Manny." Xibalba said.
"Hey Manny what's going on down there?" Candle Maker asked.
"It's the annual saints day festival." He said.
"Oh yeah it's our time to go out and scare the locals." Xibalba said.
"No." The statue of La Muerte said coming to life. "Now you know very well my love that we are forbidden to show ourselves to humans but dear Manny here was a small exception."
"Hey look a mime!" Candle Maker got ready to spit on him but La Muerte and Xibalba quickly covered his mouth and forced him to swallow his saliva.
"Savage." Xibalba mumbled thumping Candle Maker on the head.
"I was only kidding." Candle Maker said.
The two other beings rolled their eyes then the three of them saw how sad Manny looked.
"Hey what's wrong with you?" Candle Maker asked. "Aren't you going to watch the festival? You look forward to it every year."
"I know but I don't feel like watching it this year." He said going up to his room.
"Oh dear I think I know what's wrong." La Muerte sighed.
"What? He ate a bad tamalli?" Candle Maker said.
"No he wants to go and have fun like everyone else." A couple of birds perched on her. Being a heavenly being animals naturally liked her but she found it annoying sometimes. "Get away from me! Go on! Sheesh!"
She swatted the birds away and went to talk to Manny.
"Manny, have you ever thought of going to the festival instead of watching it?"
"Yes but I wouldn't fit in."
"Why not?"
"Well look at me, fur, claws, fangs, not common appendages you see on people."
"Well everyone is different dear."
"But I'm not just different, I'm a freak."
"Not to us and not to God."
"Yeah kid just go out and have fun." Candle Maker said. "You don't wanna waist your life do you? And besides what's stopping you?"
"My uncle."
"Ohhhhh right."
"Yeah and he hates the festival or any other party that he believes celebrate tom foolery. So asking him is a bad idea."
"Who says you have to ask?" Candle Maker suggested.
"What the judge doesn't know can't hurt him." Xibalba said.
"But what if he saw me?"
"Where this." La Muerte said handing him a cloak. "Besides everyone else will be in costume, you'll blend right in."
"Hmmm...Not a bad idea. I'll go!"
"Good morning Manny." Tito said entering the room. The beings quickly froze.
"Uh...Good morning Uncle."
"Who were you talking to?"
"I...I was...I was talking to my friends."
"Friends?" He said looking at the statues. "Stupid boy! How many times have I told you that statues don't speak!"
"About 252."
"Right and yet you still speak to them."
"Well can you blame me? I don't have any other friends up here." He said. "You know I wouldn't have to talk to them if you'd let me go out and make real friends."
"Manny we've been through this before, if you went outside the world would take one look at you and scream in bloody terror."
"Yes Uncle."
"So what are your plans for today?" He asked drinking from his goblet.
"Oh the usual." He laughed nervously. "Cleaning and polishing the bells, enjoying the company of the statues who cannot speak, possibly...go...to the festival."
Tito choked on his drink and spat it out.
"What was that?!"
"Uhhh...Cleaning and polishing the bells."
"No after that!"
"Enjoying the company of the statues who cannot speak."
"No you fool! The last part about the festival! You were thinking of going today weren't you?"
"Well you go every year and-"
"I am the judge and head of law here! I must go to that God forsakken festival!"
"But why can't I go? Why must I stay up here all my life?"
"Manny when your noble father died and your heartless mother abandoned you, did I leave you to die?"
"No."
"Or turn you over to the work house?"
"No."
"And who took you in and raised you after all these years?"
"You did."
"That's right I did! And I could've easily not have done that after all you did cause the death of my brother, your father. The only family I had left but I opened up my heart and welcomed you with open arms."
"But I still don't-"
"You cannot leave this place because you know nothing of the world out there! It is dark, cruel, and unkind! You are a hideous monster who doesn't belong in society!" He yanked Manny by his ears.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Uncle that hurts!"
"Well imagine how much it would hurt worse if you ever asked to go out again! Now put those thoughts out of your mind and remember your place!"
"Yes Uncle."
He then left Manny alone. Once he was gone the statues came back to life and La Muerte tended to the wound left on his ears. Manny wondered why his uncle was cruel to him. True he raised him and kept him safe inside the cathedral and brought him food and water but he always yelled at him, called him things like stupid and a monster, and he would sometimes beat him too. He wasn't sure what he would've done if he didn't have his friends.
"Man I hate it when he does that." Manny complained.
"Manny don't you listen to that beast." La Muerte said. "If anyone is a monster it's him."
"Do you still wanna go?" Candle Maker asked.
"Strangely enough...I'm more determined to go."
"Really?"
"Well he says I can't go because I don't know about the world so I think it's time I find out about it."
He put on the cloak and pulled the hood over his head.
"How do I look?"
"It would fool your own mother." Xibalba said.
"I wouldn't say that." La Muerte whispered to him.
"So are you sure this is a good idea?" Manny asked.
"Trust us Manny we know it's a good idea." Xibalba said.
"We love you Manny." La Muerte said. "And we want you to be happy."
"Can I ask you guys something? Why do you guys care for me? You said yourself, you can't show your true forms to anyone."
"Well this isn't exactly who we really are." Candle Maker mumbled.
"Shh!" Xibalba said elbowing him. "We just took pity on you that's all."
"Yeah now hurry up it'll soon be starting." Candle Maker said.
"Okay." Manny sighed. "Here I go."
He left at noon, his guardians wished him luck and hoped that he would have good time. They weren't the real La Muerte, Candle Maker, and Xibalba just statues of them brought to life by the souls of dead people but they wouldn't dare reveal who they really were for fear of having to move on and leave Manny alone with his wicked uncle.
Meanwhile a Captain T.J, a soldier had recently been summoned from the war to help manage the law of Paris.
"I leave town for a couple of years and they change everything." He said reading the map. He spotted two soldiers walking by. Sargent Diego and Lieutenant Sergio, Tito's right hand soldiers. "Excuse me gentlemen could please tell me where the...Mmm I guess not."
His eyes then spotted a cloaked beggar looking for money someone might have dropped on the ground. Taking pity on her he tossed a few coins on to the ground, she quickly gathered them up. She stood then and removed her hood. T.J was expecting her to be some old lady or hag but to his surprise she was a pretty girl with light brown hair and hazel eyes .
"Thank you." She said.
"You're welcome." He said with a flirtatious grin.
"I am Andrea and God bless you for your kindness."
"My pleasure."
But their conversation was cut short by Lieutenant Sergio pulling her toward him by her hair.
"Hey beggar! We don't like filthy people like you around here!" Sargent Diego said. "Get out of here!"
"I have as much right to be here as you do." She said. "And take your dirty hands off me!"
She pulled her hair out of Sergio's hand and kicked him in the shin before running off.
"Come back here beggar!" Diego said.
But before he could chase her T.J tripped him.
"Philip sit!" He ordered his horse and Philip did as his master said.
"Whoa! Ow!" Diego cried.
"Oh I am so sorry." T.J said feigning regret while trying to hide his laughter. "Naughty horse, naughty."
"Get this thing off me!" Diego demanded.
"I'll teach you a lesson peasant!" Sergio said pulling out a knife.
"You were saying lieutenant?" T.J pulled out his sword in response. The two men then became aware of the armor he was wearing.
"Oh Captain!" They gasped. "At your service."
T.J smirked.
"Would you kindly show me the way to the palace of justice?"
"Yes sir!"
The two soldiers took him to the palace of justice to greet Judge Tito.
"Ah Captain welcome back from the war." He greeted him.
"Thank you your honor. It is good to be home but if you don't mind me asking why was I called back here?"
"Spain is in desperate need of your help against exterminating some of the vermin that plague it."
"Which is?"
"Undesirables. Slaves, beggars, and the worst of them all gypsies."
"I was summoned from the war to capture dancers and palm readers?"
"Their ways contrast with the ways of God and they roam the streets committing countless robberies and bewitching innocent people with their black magic."
"And what exactly do you plan to do with them sir?"
"Weed them out one by one."
"Kill them?"
"Exactly. I plan to find their hideout which they call the Court of Miracles where I will wipe out every single one of them."
"Sir isn't that a bit cruel? I mean doesn't our religion teach us to show kindness to all people?"
"Trust me Captain I showed these people kindness once and it cost me dearly."
"I don't understand."
"It is not necessary that you know my past with them." Tito said. "Tell me Captain have you ever attended a festival."
"No not recently."
"Then this should be very educational for you."