Me: Well, after hell knows how long of waiting, here's Chapter 6!
Azryl: Your muse for this one hasn't been too nice to you, has she?
Me: No, but I don't blame her. Muse comes and goes as she pleases and we can't do a damn thing about it.
Rendan: On that note, how about we get this puppy started?
Zero: I'll handle the disclaimer. Azard doesn't own The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The variation of the tale he's using belongs to Disney. The only thing he owns are the changes and the Demon himself.
Me: Thank you, Zero. Read and enjoy!
Chapter 6: Tempting Fate
Phoebus walked about Paris that morning. He was slightly annoyed with Frollo's proclamation the previous day. After he'd left the cathedral in a huff, Frollo stated that he alone would do the checks to make sure the gypsy girl was still there. Anyone who'd disobeyed would be flogged, then killed. It was a no win situation for the knight. He wanted to see her again.
If there was one thing Phoebus could say about Paris since he'd been gone for so long, it was that Paris had gotten slightly more lively. Almost on every corner there was a gypsy either dancing or palm-reading. As he watched the dancers, his mind tended to wander to Esmeralda and her dance at the festival the day before. He was more than certain Frollo was doing something to get close to Esmeralda and it unnerved the captain. He knew the girl was an innocent yet he couldn't do a damned thing to stop Frollo. Well, nothing short of killing Frollo himself. Phoebus leaned against a wall and sighed heavily.
"Why do things have to be like this?" Phoebus asked no one in particular.
"Well, Frollo's been in charge for the past God-knows-how-many years and the man himself isn't exactly sane in any sense of the word," a voice responded from on top of the wall. Phoebus looked up to see long silver hair hanging over the edge, with the boy it belonged to facing the opposite direction.
"Silv," Phoebus cordially greeted the thief. Silv spun around and looked down at Phoebus before waving his greeting. "What brings you out this early?" Silv leapt off the wall and landed in front of Phoebus.
"Well, I visited the blacksmith that made your sword. He said he'd have my new weapons made in about a week or so."
"You don't waste time do you?" Silv merely shook his head to respond.
"Wasting time is wasting a life," Silv commented.
"True. If you waste time you are wasting your life."
"Huh?" Silv asked intelligently. "Oh! No, I meant if you waste your time you're wasting someone else's life." Phoebus gave the thief a confused look. "Well, think about it. If someone is in trouble and you're busy wasting your time doing God-knows-what, you won't be able to get to that person and save them. So, by wasting your time you basically just prevented yourself from saving a life." Phoebus nearly paled at that.
"Aren't you wasting your time then?" Phoebus questioned.
"Wasting my time with what?" Silv replied with his own question.
"Shouldn't you be going after Frollo to kill him?"
"Shouldn't you be trying to arrest or kill me since you know my intentions?" Silv retorted.
"Touché. But still, why are you wasting your time?" Phoebus watched carefully as the silver haired teen looked up at the sky and sighed.
"I'm not wasting my time, I'm biding it," Silv stated. "I have to wait for the perfect time to strike and such an opportunity has not presented itself... yet."
"Bet you wish it has," Phoebus said.
"You have no idea."
"I wish something would happen, I don't care what." Silv was about to respond to that statement when loud screaming suddenly erupted through the air. Cries of 'FIRE!' and 'HELP!' pierced the usually quiet Paris air. Phoebus and Silv both rushed from their place at the wall to find a building engulfed in flames. They listened closely and heard cries for help coming from inside. Without missing a beat the two charged in through the door to make their way to the trapped person or people inside.
The burning house was, in both figurative and literal terms, a raging inferno. Fire came out of nearly every room and the smoke was so thick it was impossible to see through.
"Keep your head down!" Phoebus heard Silv yell. Phoebus immediately ducked his head under the stream of black smoke and continued to look throughout the inferno. In the last room he searched he found a little girl, unconscious, in the corner. He quickly picked up her body and rushed outside as quickly as he could. Guards outside were currently throwing as much water as they could on the building in hopes of containing the fire.
Phoebus placed the girl on the floor before checking her pulse and breathing. Thankfully not too much damage had been done and she would recover given enough rest. Silv soon rushed out leading two people, a man and woman by their hands. The two ran to the girl and lifted her up, taking her soft coughs as a sign she'd live.
"A family happily reunited," Phoebus said.
"Seems so," Silv agreed. "This is your fault by the way."
"How is this my fault?" Phoebus shouted incredulously.
"You were the one who tempted fate," Silv responded.
"Tempted fate?"
"Slow today aren't you? You wished that something would happen and it did. Gotta be careful what you wish for."
"You seriously believe in that?" Phoebus questioned. Silv only chuckled his response. "You have to be kidding. There's no way that's possible. I bet nothing else in going to happen today."
"Thief! Help! Thief!" Someone shouted from a short distance away. A robed individual was running from the area as quickly as his legs could carry him. Silv merely looked at the captain with an annoyed stare. Phoebus, knowing his job, chased after the thief in hot pursuit and caught him moments later. With the property returned and the thief being taken to the stocks, Phoebus returned to see a grinning Silv.
"I told you," Silv began, "tempting fate. Here's some friendly advice, unless you want these things to keep happening, keep your mouth shut."
"You're joking," Phoebus deadpanned. "It's just an eventful day." Silv rolled his eyes at the captain.
"Okay, you want to test it?"
"How?"
"Say something totally crazy that you think won't happen, and I guarantee it will." Phoebus gave Silv another confused glance, not understanding what in the world the thief could be talking about but decided to do it to prove him wrong. Phoebus placed his hand on his chin thoughtfully for a moment before an idea came to him.
"Okay, there is no way that a beautiful woman will fall from the sky and land in my arms." Seconds later, Phoebus heard a scream coming from above him as a beautiful woman fell and landed in his open arms. The young woman blushed heavily and, stuttering out a thank you before kissing the captain's cheek, ran away. "Did... did that just happen?" Silv's smile was all the answer Phoebus needed. "How do I fix this exactly?" Phoebus asked before internally adding, 'Or more importantly, do I want to?'
"Keep. Your. Mouth. Shut." Silv explained slowly. "If you say something won't happen, it most likely will. So watch what you say."
"I'm still not convinced," Phoebus suddenly stated.
"Well, I'll leave you to figure out how much trouble you can get into with that," Silv sighed. "I've got places to be and people to steal from." With that said, Silv slammed his hand into the ground and vanished in the resulting explosion of smoke. Phoebus didn't know what to think. From what he'd seen Silv may have had a point. On the other hand, Silv could have set everything up to make him believe such a ludicrous idea. Of course there was always the chance, slim as it may seem in this case, that Silv was right.
Phoebus looked upward to see a few clothes lines and a broken window, indicating that the woman was most likely pushed, or fell, out of her home. Phoebus sighed again. It was all just coincidence. It had to be. Phoebus resolved to keep a small amount of belief that Silv was wrong in his mind. After all, there was no such thing as truly tempting fate... was there? Phoebus shook his head. If he was going to believe what he'd been told, he'd have to test it... a lot more than he already had.
With a small sigh, he decided to try one more thing, something he knew would be impossible to be happening.
"Okay," Phoebus said to no one, "there is no way, absolutely no way that I'll see Esmeralda today." Phoebus looked around and smirked confidently until he heard a familiar voice. One that belonged to the supposed King of Fools.
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this. This is practically suicide!" Azryl lowly shouted. Phoebus followed the sound of the voice in a small amount of confusion but paled when he heard a second voice, a voice belonged to a certain gypsy.
"Oh, don't complain," Esmeralda chided. "You're enjoying yourself and you know it." Phoebus paled when he remembered Silv's words. He glanced to his hands and curiously wondered just what kind of power he'd been gifted with, if it even existed at all. If there was one thing Phoebus was becoming increasingly sure of, it was that all these things that happened after he argued against it had to be a little more than coincidence.
"While I am enjoying myself," Azryl began, "that doesn't change the fact the Frollo will be returning to Notre Dame soon and I have no idea when. So, for your own safety, let's get back." Esmeralda sighed but agreed.
"Okay, so are we getting back in the same way we got out?" She questioned.
"Unless someone distracts the guards in front of the Cathedral doors I don't see any other way." Phoebus took this time to make his presence known.
"I believe I could help you with that," he said as he approached the two.
"Phoebus?"
"Why are you so willing to help, soldier?" Azryl asked with slight venom in his tone.
"Not one to trust soldiers, are you?" Phoebus asked.
"You were at the festival yesterday and you have to ask?" Phoebus was at a loss. The boy had a point.
"I'm offering to help you because I don't want Frollo to succeed in this case," Phoebus tried to explain.
"Why in this case over so many others?" Azryl asked. Esmeralda was more and more at a loss the longer the banter between the two males continued.
"Maybe because I never knew how bad the man was until just recently."
"Why just recently when it was obvious from day one?"
"This was the first time I'd seen him in years. I forgot how he used to be."
"What reminded you? Was it his attitude? His hatred of the people?"
"Silv brought it up, but Frollo himself reminded me..." Azryl looked at the knight who'd suddenly found the floor intriguing. Azryl let out a long, drawn-out sigh.
"Fine, I'll trust you this time but if you betray us..." Azryl began threateningly.
"I understand," Phoebus interrupted him, not needing to hear the consequence should he betray the boy. He walked with the two of them two the Cathedral door to see Frollo slowly approaching. Azryl and Esmeralda swore, the secret of them leaving was very close to being discovered. Phoebus noticed this and started to think.
"Damn!" Azryl cursed. "There's no way we can get inside in time!" Phoebus grinned and decided to try something.
"There is no way something will happen that'll distract Frollo and the guards at the same time," Phoebus said almost loudly. Esmeralda looked at him with confusion as a hooded figure darted from the alleyways and tackled Frollo to the ground. After a quick struggle, the attacker jumped up and fled, with Frollo calling for the guards to catch him and retrieve something that was stolen.
After the guards left in hot pursuit, Frollo himself followed them. With what happened, everyone had different reactions. Phoebus was grinning slightly, Azryl appeared indifferent and Esmeralda's jaw would've hit the floor if it wasn't attached to the rest of her face.
Azryl took this moment to grab Esmeralda by her hand and rush into the Cathedral, creating the illusion that they'd been there the whole time. Phoebus smiled lightly as he felt someone come up behind him.
"Now do you see the power of tempting fate?" Silv asked. Phoebus only nodded. "Now will you try your best to keep your mouth shut?" Phoebus chuckled.
"I think I'll just try to watch what I say instead. I think I can use this to benefit me," Phoebus stated.
"That's not too wise," Silv commented.
"How do you mean?"
"If fate feels like she's being cheated, the only times that will work is when the effect hurts you in some way. Fate can be fickle and she won't help you if you take advantage of her kindness. On that note, I'll repeat my advice one last time. Keep. Your. Mouth. Shut."
"I'll take your words into consideration," Phoebus said as he began to head to his next destination. Silv watched the retreating captain and sighed.
'No, I don't think you will,' Silv thought. 'Oh well, your loss. Fate can be a beautiful thing if you know just how to keep her happy.' Silv turned and started to walk away. 'I give him about a week before fate turns on him and by then it'll be too late for him to do a damn thing about it.'
Me: And that's the chapter.
Zero: Stupid Phoebus. Doesn't he realize the powers he's toying with?
Azryl: Apparently not. Why do I get the feeling that this... Tempting Fate thing will become important later.
Me: Oh, it will. Trust me, it'll be worth it.
Rendan: I suppose that'll do it for this round?
Me: That it is, Rendan.
Rendan: Okay, well, be good and be safe everyone!
Me: I'm outta here!