I'll give others a chance to play with it before i give more clues. Davey Jones should recognize one of them though. in any case, a chapter...
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Chapter 9
Heartbreak
The next morning, Phoebus and his soldiers stood at attention as Frollo’s personal carriage pulled up. “Morning, sir,” Phoebus said, saluting as Frollo exited the carriage. Frollo’s only reply was rubbing his eyes and moaning.
“Are you feeling alright sir?” Phoebus asked.
“I had a little trouble with the fireplace,” Frollo said, rubbing the last bit of tiredness from himself.
“I see,” Phoebus muttered, and then aloud said, “Your orders, sir?”
“Find the gypsy girl!”
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The ‘search’ that followed, though search was a pretty kind word for what actually happened, took them all across Paris. The soldiers broke into houses at will, and arrested anyone that was a gypsy or aiding a gypsy, often under the most meaningless evidence or with means that were nothing less than cruel. Even Phoebus, a trained soldier, could barely keep his temper in check witnessing such atrocities. And the day was only starting.
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Sora, Riku and Kairi also watched with sour expressions, for now Heartless were joining in the search under Frollo’s command, and they were less merciful to those they found. As much as they wanted to help, however, there were simply too many soldiers and Heartless together to survive an attack on them.
No, the only way they could help was by trying to locate Esmeralda and warning her of the danger. However, their search was no more successful than Frollo’s, and they spent many hours running around town, careful to avoid being recognized, and killing Heartless where possible.
Their search eventually led them to an old mill on the outskirts of town; Frollo and his army were already there, as was a crowd.
“He’s never harmed anyone before,” one person whispered in fear.
“Frollo’s gone mad,” another replied.
A hooded figure quietly walked behind Sora and tapped him on the shoulder. The three turned and saw Esmeralda with Jolly hanging around her neck and a cloak covering them.
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“We found this gypsy talisman on your property,” Frollo said to the miller and his family, “have you been harboring gypsies?”
“Our home is always open to the weary traveler,” the miller said, on his knees in front of Frollo, “have mercy my lord.”
“I am placing you and your family under house arrest until I get to the bottom of this,” Frollo said, beginning to walk out the door, “if what you say is true and you are innocent then you have nothing to fear.”
“But we are innocent. I assure you we no nothing of these gypsies.”
But Frollo had already exited and pushed the miller back inside. He then used a soldier’s spear to seal the door shut and, mounting his horse, said to Phoebus, “burn it.”
Sora clenched both his fists and scowled. They were too far away to hear what Frollo was saying, but he could guess after seeing one of the soldiers hand a burning torch to Frollo, though it was still twilight.
“What?” Phoebus said in disbelief.
“Until it smolders,” Frollo continued, “these people are traitors and must be made examples of.”
“With all due respect,” Phoebus said, taking the torch Frollo handed to him, “I was not trained to murder the innocent.”
“But you were trained to follow orders,” Frollo replied, the threat thinly veiled.
Phoebus took a few steps back and, his patience with Frollo worn out completely, doused the torch in a barrel of water.
“Insolent coward,” Frollo breathed, then took another torch and set fire to the mill himself. In seconds, the entire straw house was a burning inferno, and Phoebus gasped in horror when he heard the screams from within it.
Sora, his patience also tattered into nonexistence, charged forward in anger, Kairi and Riku close behind. Before anyone could stop him, Sora sent a bolt of ice toward the house, cooling part of the roof instantly. He then turned his attention to the Heartless and soldiers that were now encircling them. Phoebus nodded at the trio and jumped through the window into the blazing home. Moments later, he emerged carrying two children, the miller and his wife right behind him.
Phoebus handed the children to their parents, who then took off into the city. Soon after, he was grabbed by soldiers and pushed to his knees, another one a sword to his neck.
“The sentence for insubordination is death,” Frollo said from his horse, “such a pity. You threw away such a promising career.”
“Consider it my highest honor,” Phoebus growled.
The soldier raised his sword, ready to bring it down on Phoebus’s neck. At that moment, Riku turned and, seeing the situation, launched a blast of dark energy at Frollo. The bolt missed, but the action spooked Frollo’s horse and knocked him off. Phoebus, seeing the opportunity, quickly knocked out the two guards and jumped onto the horse, trampling over several Heartless engaged with Sora and his friends in the process. Seeing the moment of escape, the trio charged through the gap launching blasts of magic and darkness to any who tried to pursue them or Phoebus.
“Ignore those three,” Frollo shouted, “get Phoebus, and don’t hit my horse!”
The archers advanced, as well as any Heartless with ranged weapons, and launched volley after volley of arrows at the escaping Phoebus. One Heartless got lucky and hit him in the back, sending him toppling off the horse and down the bride into the river; Sora quickly incinerated the offending Heartless.
The archers moved up to launch another volley into the water, but Frollo held up his hand, “Don’t waste your arrows. Let the traitor rot in his watery grave. Find the girl!”
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By the time Sora, Riku and Kairi got to the bank; Esmeralda had already pulled Phoebus out of the river. The wound was bad, lethal if not mended quickly. However, they needed to find a proper place to tend to it and out in the open was not the place.
“We need to find a place for him to hind,” Esmeralda said.
Sora nodded, “there’s only one place where Frollo wouldn’t think of looking.”
All eyes turned to the bell tower of Notre Dame.
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Meanwhile, Frollo and his guard had looked over every inch of Paris, but they still could not find any sign of the girl.
“I had the entire cathedral surrounded,” Frollo muttered to himself, “guards at every door. There was no way she could have…”
He suddenly stopped himself, hearing the bells ring far above.
“Unless…”
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“Quasi?”
Quasimodo jumped in surprise. He had been scanning the streets from his tower for any sign of Esmeralda. “Esmeralda?”
Quasimodo jumped down the stairs to meet her. “I knew you were alright. I knew you’d come back!”
“You’ve done so much for me, my friend. But I must ask your help one more time.”
“Yes, anything.”
Then he saw Sora, Riku and Kairi… bringing in the wounded Phoebus.
“This is Phoebus,” Sora said, “He’s wounded and a fugitive, like us.”
“He can’t go on much longer,” Esmeralda said, “I knew he’d be safe here. Please can you hide him?”
Quasimodo nodded grimly and led them up to his bedchamber, where they would hide him. Sora then gently laid the soldier down. Riku immediately went to the window to keep watch.
“Esmeralda…” Phoebus breathed.
“Shh,” Esmeralda said while pulling out a bottle of wine, “you’ll hide here until your strong enough to move.”
Noticing the wine, Phoebus said, “Ah, I could use a good drink.” Then the wine was poured on his wound. “Ahh, yes. Feels like a 1470 burgundy, not a good year.”
Sora and his companions stepped back to let the two of them be alone, standing right next to Quasimodo.
“That family owes you their lives,” Esmeralda said as she sewed up the wound, “you’re either the single bravest soldier I’ve met, or the craziest.”
“Ex-soldier, remember?” Phoebus said, “why is it whenever we meet, I end up bleeding?”
“You’re lucky,” Esmeralda said when she finished, “that arrow almost pierced your heart.”
Phoebus took her hand and placed it on his chest, “I’m not so sure it didn’t.”
Quasimodo, suddenly becoming weak, grabbed a beam for support. His breathing came in quick bursts, and tears nearly formed on his eyes. Sora and Kairi, suddenly noticing they were holding each other’s hands, stepped apart and glanced at Quasimodo. Sora felt a pang of sadness at the hunchback, well guessing what might very well be going through his mind when Phoebus and Esmeralda kissed.
Quasimodo turned, unable to look anymore, and buried his face in his hands folded over the beam. He felt a terrible pain inside him, the pain of heartbreak.
I knew I’d never know that warm and loving glow, though I might wish with all my might. No face as hideous as my face was ever meant for heaven’s light.
Sora and Kairi thought about leaving Quasimodo alone to sort out his emotions, but something stopped them.
“Hey guys,” Riku said, “I think you might want to see this.”
Everyone rushed over to the window, and Riku pointed to the front gates. Frollo was coming.
“Quickly, you must leave,” Quasimodo said, “go down the south tower steps.”
Esmeralda nodded and left, but Sora and his friends remained behind. “We’ll remain here,” Sora said, “I smell trouble.”
Quasimodo nodded, and they proceeded to stash the sleeping Phoebus under the table. Sora, Riku and
Kairi then went up and hid in the rafters, while Quasi got set the table for their supper.
“Oh, master,” Quasi said when he heard Frollo enter, “I didn’t think you’d be coming.”
“I’m never to busy to share a meal with you, dear boy,” Frollo said, “I brought along a little treat.”
After a moment, Frollo cleared his throat, and Quasi, realizing he was forgetting something, jumped up to gather the dishes and cups, knocking down several others on the way. He then quickly placed them on the table, panting for breath.
“Is there something troubling you Quasimodo?” Frollo asked while placing a bundle of grapes on Quasi’s ‘plate, which was really just a circle of wood.
“Oh, no Master. No!” Quasi gasped.
“Oh, but there is, I know there is. I think… your hiding something.”
“Oh, no master, I…”
“You’re not eating, boy,” Frollo interrupted, and Quasimodo began to quickly eat his grapes. Suddenly, a moan came out, secretly from Phoebus, and Quasi attempted to disguise it by moaning about how good it was. Phoebus groaned again, and Quasi kicked him in the face. He concealed this action by ‘coughing’ violently.
“Seeds,” he explained, and up above, Sora put his hand to his face and shook his head. Quasimodo was a good person but a terrible actor.
“What’s… different in here?” Frollo said, unconvinced, and rose to his feet. His eyes then fell upon Quasi’s table of miniatures, spotting an unfamiliar one. “Isn’t this one new?” he asked, much to Quasimodo’s horror, “it’s awfully good. Looks very much like… the gypsy girl.”
Quasi gasped, realizing the jig was up.
“… I know YOU HELPED HER ESCAPE!” he growled, then slammed the wooden figure onto the table, “By now all of Paris is burning because of YOU!”
Sora was almost ready to jump off and confront Frollo, but Riku held him back, pointing. Concentrating, Sora could see tendrils of darkness surrounding the corrupt man, meaning that Aloz had already made contact with him.
“She was kind to me, Master.”
In a fit of pure rage, Frollo began to destroy the model of Paris while screaming, “YOU IDIOT! THAT WASN’T KINDNESS, IT WAS CUNNING! SHE’S A GYPSY; GYPSIES ARE NOT CAPABLE OF REAL LOVE! THINK, BOY, THINK OF YOUR MOTHER!”
Then, he suddenly seemed to regain his composure, and placed his hat back on his head, “but what chance could a poor, misshapen child like you have against her heathen treachery. Well, never you mind,
Quasimodo, she’ll be out of our lives soon enough.”
Then took a kitchen knife and stabbed the wooden figure with it, then held it over the candle. When it caught fire, he flicked it to the ground, “I will free you from her spell, she will torment you no longer.”
“What do you mean?” Quasimodo breathed.
“I know where her hideout is,” he said, walking away, “and tomorrow at dawn, I attack with a thousand men.”
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we near the climax of Notre Dame, with but one chapter between now and then. during this climax you will see but a hint of the prowess possessed by the leader of the mysterious trio (and we'll learn their names, lol). but the leader's powers will remain a mystery until the first major battle of the war...
with all due respect,
Merlin326
