Chapter 5: God Help the Outcasts

Iris walked off in her disguise, having slipped out from behind the cloth and snuck back into her tent.

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Drew was rubbing Spitfire's neck to keep him calm following the day's excitement when he noticed a familiar cloaked figure walking into Notre Dame and close the door. He smiled slightly.

()()()()()

Iris took the cloak off as Twilight came in. Iris looked around the glorious church. She'd never seen the inside of it before. The gothic architecture was stunning. As she walked, she couldn't help but remember her family in Berk. Several years ago, when Iris was only four, she, her pregnant mother, and her father were separated while making a bid to go to Paris and good fortunes, but they were separated, and only Iris made her way to Paris. She had no idea where her parents were, if they were still alive, or even the fate or gender of her unknown sibling.

She was startled out of her thoughts when she heard the noise of armored footsteps and turned around to see Drew standing there. In one fluid motion, she grabbed Drew's sword with one hand and threw him down with the other as she held the straight blade to Drew's chin.

"You." Iris said venomously. He was the soldier who had ordered her capture. So what if he helped her, he wasn't on duty then. She knew all the guards and none of them were strong willed enough to defy Alvin.

"Easy, I just shaved this morning." Drew said with unnerved humor.

"Oh really?" Iris asked. "You missed a spot."

"Alright, just give me a chance to apologize." Drew said.

"For what?" Iris asked skeptically.

Drew then quickly pulled the sword out of Iris's hand, which caused her to lose balance and fall over.

"That, for example." Drew said with a smirk.

"You sneaky son of a-" Iris began, but Drew interrupted her.

"Uh-uh-uh. You're in a church."

"Are you always this charming, or am I just lucky?" Iris asked as she grabbed a long black candelabra and held it like a staff.

They then had a fight, but Iris's weapon was heavier, which gave Drew more time to parry.

"Ah, candlelight." Drew said. "Privacy. Music. Can't think of a better place for hand-to-hand combat."

As Iris got used to the weight, she began to make quicker strikes, cutting Drew's parry time in half.

"You fight almost as good as a man." Drew remarked.

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing about you." Iris retorted.

"That's hitting a little below the belt, don't you think?" Drew asked.

"No, this is." Iris said as she jutted at Drew's groin, but Drew caught it with his sword. Iris then slammed the base of the candelabra into Drew's head.

"Touché." Drew said with a smirk.

Suddenly, Twilight flew down and whacked Drew in the stomach with her tail.

"Didn't know you took care of an old lizard." Drew said with a smirk.

"She doesn't take kindly to soldiers." Iris explained.

"I noticed." Drew said with a grimace. "If I may, I'm Drew. I was named after my father. I'm guessing my parents expected a lot of it out of me."

"Were they right?" Iris asked.

"Yup." Drew said. "And you are…?"

"Is this an interrogation?" Iris asked skeptically.

"It's called an introduction." Drew explained.

"You're not arresting me?" Iris asked in surprise. None of the other guards were strong-willed enough to defy Alvin.

"Not as long as you're in here." Drew explained, gesturing around the church. "I can't."

"You're not at all like the other soldiers." Iris said as she put the candelabra back.

"Thank you." Drew said with a smile.

"So… If you're not going to arrest me, what do you want?" Iris asked.

"I'd settle for your name." Drew said with a smile.

"Iris." Iris said plainly. "My mother named me after the Greek Goddess of the Sea and the Sky."

"Beautiful." Drew said. "Well it's better than Drew anyway."

They starred at each other for a few moments and began to get closer when the door burst open, and Alvin strode in.

"Good work Captain." Alvin said. "Now arrest her."

"Claim sanctuary." Drew whispered, but Iris was too angry to listen or realize what he was doing. "Say it!"

"You tricked me." Iris said bitterly.

"I'm waiting Captain." Alvin said with a hint of impatience in his voice.

"I'm sorry sir, she claims sanctuary. There's nothing I can do." Drew said, and Iris suddenly felt a small spark of respect regrowing in her at the man who refused to arrest someone in a church. Alvin held no such respect.

"Then drag her outside and-" Alvin began when he was cut off by Archdeacon Gobber who appeared to have just walked in.

"Alvin, you will not touch her." Gobber then put a comforting hand on Ishizu's shoulder. "Don't worry. Minister Alvin Frollo learned long ago to respect the sanctity of the church."

Alvin just starred angrily and raised his hand as the guards he brought with him walked off. Gobber then took a firm hold of Drew's arm and escorted him out as if he was a little boy who had just sworn in school.

"Alright, I'm going." Drew said as he gently pulled his hand free and walked off.

Suddenly, Iris felt someone grab her arm and hold it behind her as a head leaned close to her ear.

"You think you've outwitted me." Alvin's voice said calmly into Iris's ear. "But I'm a patient man, and gypsies don't do well inside stone walls."

She then felt something suspiciously like Alvin putting his nose to Iris's hair.

"What are you doing?" Iris asked in a whisper.

"I was just imagining a rope around that beautiful little neck." Alvin said as he rubbed the base of Iris's neck when she pushed him away.

"I know what you were imagining!" Iris said angrily.

"Such a clever witch." Alvin said with a smirk. "So typical of your kind to twist the truth to cloud the mind with unholy thoughts. Well no matter. You've chosen a magnificent prison, but it's a prison none the less. Step one foot outside and you're mine."

Alvin then walked to the door and closed it sharply, and his words left Iris with the revelation that aside from Twlight, she was all alone inside the church. She then looked out of a door and found saw a guard say, "Alvin's orders. Post a guard at every door."

Furious with despair, Iris thrust the door closed as Twilight flew up and landed next to her.

"Don't worry Twilight." Iris said. "If Alvin thinks he can keep us in here, than he's wrong."

"Don't act rashly, my child." Gobber said calmly. "You created quite a stir at the festival. It would be unwise to arouse Alvin's anger further."

"You saw what he did out there." Iris said as she pointed at the door and thought of Hiccup. "Letting the crowd torture that poor boy! I thought if one person could just stand up to him then…" She sighed. "What do they have against people who are different anyway?"

"You can't right all the wrongs in this world by yourself." Gobber said sagely.

"Well no one out there is going to help." Iris said as she thought of Drew, who practically trapped her in there in the first place. "That's for sure."

"Perhaps there's someone in here who can." Gobber said as he gestured around him. He then walked off.

Iris looked around at the people praying, and she looked up at the statue of the Virgin Mary holding Baby Jesus. She had spent four years of her life being taught to worship the gods of Old Norse, but as she came here, she couldn't help but think… Could Moses have been right? Either way, what god would talk to Iris? She was just an orphaned Viking dancing girl and a gypsy. Still…

I don't know if you can hear me,

Or if you're even there.

I don't know if you would listen

To a gypsy's prayer.

Yes I know I'm just an outcast.

I shouldn't speak to you.

Still I see your face and wonder,

'Were you once an outcast too?'

Iris then thought of poor Hiccup Haddock. Condemned just because of his eyes and hair alone. She also thought of Drew. In his own way an outcast for his views on justice as they clashed with Alvin's.

God help the outcasts.

Hungry from birth.

Show them a mercy

They don't find on Earth.

God help my people.

The poor and down trod.

I thought we all were

Children of God…

"I ask for wealth." A boy with long blond hair said.

"I ask for fame." A blond girl with blue eyes said as she looks like the first one.

"I ask for glory to shine on my name." A boy with short dark brown hair said.

"I ask for love… I can possess…" A little boy with black hair asked.

"I ask for God and his angels to bless… Me…" They all called out, and Iris pitied them.

I ask for nothing.

I can get by.

But I know so many

Less lucky than I.

Please help my people.

The poor and down trod.

I thought we all were…

Children of God…

God help the outcast.

Children of… God . . .

As Iris stood in a reflection of a stain-glass window, Twilight walked up and push her head to Iris's hand. She then hugged her. She was startled when the black haired girl called out, "You, Bell Ringer! What are you doing down here?"

Iris then turned to see Hiccup Haddock stumble back as he began going back up the stairs.

"Haven't you caused enough trouble already?" The girl asked.

"Wait!" Iris called out as she rushed after Hiccup. "I wanted to talk to you!"

She followed Hiccup up the winding staircase.

Chaos dose not own The Hunchback of Notre Dame or HTTYD but she owns Iris and Twilight the Snow Fury, Hikari belongs to WingBladeWeaver1357, and Drew belongs to RedDiEnd.