As the final echoes of battle faded into the night, I found myself standing amidst the aftermath, my chest rising and falling heavily as I caught my breath. The bodies of fallen enemies and comrades littered the battlefield, and the stench of blood and sweat clung to the air like a heavy fog. My grip on the Blade of the Fallen King loosened as the adrenaline slowly drained from my system, but my mind remained sharp, scanning the area for any lingering threats. It was over. For now, at least.
I sheathed the blade, its weight still a reminder of the power I had unleashed during the fight. The power I had never fully understood but had learned to wield. My aura still buzzed faintly around me, a whisper of the strength that had surged through my veins just moments before. As I looked around, I could see the knights slowly regrouping, some tending to the wounded, others standing guard in case another wave of attackers decided to press their luck.
Rodrick approached me, his heavy footsteps crunching over the dirt and rubble beneath him. His face was weary but proud, a deep satisfaction etched into the lines of his weathered skin. The scars of countless battles adorned his aged features, but today, there was something more—a glimmer of pride that went beyond just the victory we had won.
"You fought well today, Your Highness," Rodrick said, his voice carrying the weight of both exhaustion and admiration. He gave me a nod of respect, one I hadn't seen often from him.
I offered a tired smile, wiping the sweat from my brow. "I had good men fighting alongside me. This wasn't a solo performance."
Rodrick chuckled softly, a sound rare for the stoic knight. "Maybe so, but there's no denying it. You held the line with a strength that… well, to be honest, I've only seen once before."
I raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious. "Once before?"
His eyes met mine, and I could see the reflection of the battlefield in them, but also something deeper—memories, perhaps, of battles long past. "Your father, King Valen," he said after a pause. "He used to say that you held a strength beyond measure, destined to be the strongest. I didn't believe him back then. I thought it was a king's pride in his son speaking. But today… I think there's truth in his words."
I felt a strange mix of emotions at his words—gratitude, disbelief, and perhaps even a bit of discomfort. I had never seen myself as anything extraordinary, at least not in this world. The power I had felt during the battle wasn't mine alone; it was a combination of everything I had learned from the Path of Heroes and the abilities I had unlocked. I couldn't let Rodrick or anyone else place me on a pedestal I wasn't sure I belonged on.
"You're exaggerating," I said with a soft laugh, trying to deflect the praise. "It was all because of the help of the rest. If it weren't for Eldoria's greatest warriors—yourself included—I wouldn't be standing here."
Rodrick's eyes softened at my words, but before he could reply, we were interrupted by a low, gravelly voice.
"Pardon the intrusion, Your Highness," Garreth, the towering black axe-man, approached us, his hulking frame casting a long shadow over the battlefield. His normally boisterous demeanor was replaced by a serious expression. "But there's a problem. Helena… she's not doing well."
I turned to him, my stomach tightening. "What happened?"
"Ambush," Garreth said, his voice grim. "During the fight, she got caught off guard by one of the New Moon warriors. Bastard landed a blow that… well, it's bad. Real bad."
The tension in his voice was unmistakable. I had seen Helena in battle—she was fast, precise, a whirlwind of steel on the battlefield. If she had taken a hit bad enough to have Garreth worried, then it wasn't something to take lightly.
Without another word, I followed Garreth through the remnants of the battlefield, Rodrick trailing close behind. My thoughts raced as we made our way to where Helena lay. She was one of our finest, and if we lost her…
When we reached her, I could see the gravity of the situation immediately. Helena was sprawled on the ground, her face pale and drawn, her breathing shallow. A deep gash ran across her torso, blood soaking through the makeshift bandages that someone had hastily wrapped around her wound. A few of our medics hovered nearby, their expressions tense as they worked to stabilize her.
Her eyes fluttered open as I knelt beside her, and she looked up at me with a mix of disbelief and amusement. "The prince… here to see me? Never thought I'd see the day."
I forced a smile, trying to mask the concern I felt. "Don't start with that. You know I'm here for you."
Helena let out a weak chuckle that quickly turned into a grimace of pain. "Never thought I'd see the day… when the prince, the one I always called a weak, arrogant bastard, would be the one strong enough to lead us like this."
I swallowed hard, the weight of her words sinking in. She had always been one of my harshest critics, never shying away from letting me know how she felt about the former Eldric Valen, the version of myself that had been weak and unworthy. It was only natural—after all, Helena had once been considered as a potential fiancée for me, a political arrangement that she had rejected time and time again.
"It seems you were wrong about me," I said softly, though I couldn't help but add a bit of humor to my tone. "Turns out I wasn't such a weakling after all."
Helena smiled faintly, but her face quickly contorted in pain again. "The king… he'd be proud of you," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "He trained me, you know. Treated me like I was his own daughter. Gave me everything. And now… I'm gonna die before I can even repay him."
I shook my head. "No. You're not going anywhere."
The medics looked at each other nervously, and one of them, a young woman, spoke up. "Your Highness… we've done all we can. She doesn't have much time left."
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. Helena was slipping away, and none of the usual remedies were working. But then, an idea sparked in my mind—something from The Path of Heroes. The starting pack. There had always been a full-health potion in the game's starting packs, a potion that could heal any injury. It was a long shot, but I had to try.
With a focused thought, I reached into the void where I had summoned the Blade of the Fallen King before, calling upon the power of the Gate of Babylonia. My hand tingled as the familiar sensation of summoning filled the air around me. And then, to my amazement, it appeared—a small vial of shimmering, crimson liquid, the healing potion I had hoped for.
The others around me gasped, their eyes widening in shock as they saw the potion materialize in my hand. I barely registered their reactions. All I could think about was saving Helena.
"What is that?" the medic asked, her voice trembling with disbelief.
"Something that can save her," I replied, my tone confident even though I was unsure myself. "Helena, you need to drink this."
Her eyes flickered open again, and she managed a weak smile. "You're full of surprises today, Your Highness."
I gently lifted her head and held the vial to her lips. "Drink. Trust me."
With a slight nod, she drank the potion, her throat moving as the liquid slid down. For a moment, nothing happened. The tension in the air was palpable, the weight of everyone's gaze focused on her.
Then, slowly, color returned to her face. The pale, deathly hue faded, replaced by a healthy flush. Her breathing steadied, and the bleeding stopped entirely. The deep gash that had torn across her torso knitted itself back together, the skin mending before our eyes.
Helena blinked in surprise, her hand instinctively reaching for where the wound had been. She sat up, her movements fluid and full of strength.
"I… I feel…" she stammered, her voice full of wonder.
"Like you've never felt better," I finished for her, a relieved smile breaking across my face.
The medics stared in awe, their jaws practically on the ground. "This is… impossible," one of them muttered.
Helena's eyes locked on mine, a look of disbelief and gratitude flashing across her features. "You… saved me."
I shrugged, trying to downplay it. "Just returning the favor. You've saved me plenty of times before."
She laughed—a genuine, full laugh, and for the first time, it felt like the weight of the battlefield had lifted, if only for a moment. But I couldn't help but feel the eyes of everyone else on me, questioning, wondering just what I was capable of.