Sometimes Salvation is Found in Agony

Chapter Six

Outside the tavern, Athos, Porthos, and d'Artagnan were keeping watch on the comings and goings of the patrons from the rooftop across the street, while they listened to the sounds coming from inside. The rooftop was the safest place for the musketeers to be, for their comrade's sake, though not being to keep a closer watch on Aramis made them worry as well, worry that something may happen and that they wouldn't be able to get to him in time. None of them liked it when it was only one of them taking all the risk.

Inside, Aramis slowly walked between the onlookers and when the taverner called out for the next challenger, the musketeer stepped forward and stood sullenly before the shirtless man who had won the last fight by pummeling the last challenger until he was unconscious, if not dead, as he wasn't moving at all.

One of the men working for the tavern owner walked in between the two fighters, picked up the loser's body, not caring if he were alive or dead, threw him over his shoulder, then carried him away, as a few of the wenches prepared each of the next opponents for the next round, neither the previous victor or challenger saying a word as they stared at each other with coldness and a fierceness in their eyes.

"If you're ready, begin the fight!" the taverner cried out as the sound of a gong rang loud and the cheering began, while the victor moved in toward Aramis to lay his first punch. "The victor of this match continues on, while the loser, loses and forfeits his life. Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Aramis was able to dodge the first few punches, while he threw and landed a few of his own, knocking his opponent back a step, but it didn't take long before a kick to his chest knocked the musketeer back and to the ground. He didn't stay down for more than a second before he was back on his feet again and continuing to fight. Fists were thrown and punches were landed, as were kicks knocking both Aramis and the other fighter down, but each time the spectators cheered as they both got back up to continue. However, soon one of the victor's punches landed directly against the barely healed wound in his shoulder, causing Aramis to cry out as he fell to the ground hard and remained there, holding his hand over the injury as it slowly began to bleed out between his fingers, the stitches having been torn open.

"Finish him!" many of the men and women surrounding them were shouting, while the rest cheered on the victor as they all believed he was about to win once again, just as he had several rounds before. "Finish him! Kill him!"

It was then that the victor stood over Aramis as he slowly pulled out a dagger from the sash he wore around his waist and raised it high over the musketeer, then smiled as he spoke up smugly, "I'm real sorry about this friend, but the people have spoken. They want me to kill you. You are certainly the best I've come across yet, but there can only be one victor, and that's me. I assure you, this is nothing personal."

The musketeer glared up at him from the ground despite the agony he was in, then just as the man was about to strike, Aramis suddenly and swiftly dodged the blow, took hold of his enemy's hand and thrust it hard upward as he twisted it around, causing the blade to become embedded deep inside the victor's chest. The man looked down at Aramis in shock, then staggered backward, turned to look for help from his friends, and finally collapsed to the ground, dead.

"We have a new victor!" the taverner shouted exuberantly, causing everyone to cheer except for those that moved in to take away their friend's body, while Aramis lay himself back down against the ground and fought to breathe through the pain, while trying to stifle the blood flow. "I have to say, I am truly impressed. We all believed Ansel had you cold, but… You proved us wrong. Well done!"

"I think it's clear that our new victor isn't going to be able to continue tonight, so if it's all right with you, I'd like my friends to help him out of here so that we can get him bandaged and cleaned up," the woman who had asked Aramis to enter the fight said calmly to the tavern owner running the fights, while two other men bent down over the musketeer and gently lifted him between them, then carried him outside and away from the large crowd inside. "Thank you all for the gold and silver. It has been a pleasure, as always."

As the two men carrying Aramis between them exited the tavern, followed by the woman, the three musketeers keeping watch from above saw that their friend was hurt and started to move in order to climb down, until Athos stopped them, knowing that if they were to blow their cover, then it may put Aramis at even greater risk. So instead, they climbed along the rooftops, then made their way down to the ground and followed from a safe distance behind, as they kept watch on Aramis' captors, waiting for the right moment to attack them if need be.

When they arrived outside of a small hovel, another figure walked up to the woman from the shadows as she motioned for her men to carry Aramis inside, then she spoke up to the newcomer saying, "You're early. I wasn't expecting you to arrive until morning."

The man stared at the woman and replied, "So I've come early. Do you have the money we asked for?"

"And something more," the woman answered as she handed him a small bag carrying the coins she had won earlier. "He doesn't look like much now, but I think I have finally found us the perfect fool to help us in our mission. You should have seen him fight. He has hidden strength beneath this deep darkness he wears across his face."

"Good, and where is Renee?" he asked again.

She looked in the doorway where one of the men with her stood, looking for assistance, then turned back to her guest as she responded, "Your sister went to go and find a few more recruitments of her own. We will meet up with them around noon tomorrow. Are you staying the night?"

The man smiled as he moved closer and pulled the woman into his arms and kissed her passionately, then released her as he replied, "I'm afraid I can't for awhile. I have business to attend to over the next few days, but I look forward to meeting up with you again when you come down to Marseille. Bring your new friend with you. I look forward to meeting him when he is back on his feet. I will see you soon?"

"Be safe," she answered after she simply nodded and watched as he disappeared once again, then walked inside after the other man staying with her.

"Marseille?" d'Artagnan asked in confusion as he, Porthos, and Athos remained hidden behind the wall of a vendor's shop close by after listening in on the conversation between the woman who has their friend and the man in the shadows whom they couldn't see. "Is that how far this conspiracy really reaches or are we dealing with people involved in something completely different?"

Athos shook his head worryingly and then responded, "I'm not sure, but whatever is going on, these people are at least going to help Aramis after whatever happened in that tavern tonight. If something isn't right, Aramis will either escape or find a way of letting us know he needs our help. Either way, we keep an eye out and wait."

Porthos scoffed and then stated, "I hate waiting. If whatever Aramis just went through is for nothing, I am going to enjoy beating these three senseless. At least it's not raining."