After the attack, the convoy was visibly shaken. The faces of the soldiers betrayed their anxiety. Helia, still dazed by the sudden violence of the incident, struggled to banish the images of the scene she had just witnessed from her mind. Only a few meters away, the corpse of a knight, still twitching in its last convulsions, haunted her.
The prince, stoic but with a darkened gaze, issued commands in a firm voice. "Let some knights do a round. We must know if any other creatures are lurking nearby." They were two hours away from the camp, a distance that weighed heavily in the thickened air.
Everyone moved quickly under his orders. Some soldiers worked to right the overturned cart while others checked the convoy's defenses. Sir Aldric approached the carriage and made sure Helia was all right. She reassured him with a faint smile. "I'm fine, Sir Aldric. Thank you." She paused before asking, "Do you know what they intend to do with the boar's carcass?"
"I heard they'll burn it before we leave. They couldn't leave a venomous carcass in the middle of the road."
This answer sparked an idea in the young scientist's mind. She straightened up suddenly, her heart racing. With Sir Aldric's help, she descended from the carriage. The ground was uneven, scattered with debris, and the acrid scent of blood and earth muddled her senses. The scene before her was chaotic: soldiers moved around the cart, some speaking seriously, others scanning the dark trees lining the road.
Followed closely by Sir Aldric, she made her way to Prince Arthur, who was overseeing the repairs.
"Your Majesty..." Helia called out clearly, drawing the prince's attention. He turned around, his brow slightly furrowed, curious at the interruption.
"May I ask permission to examine the carcass before it is burned?" she finished, bowing slightly.
The prince scrutinized her with some curiosity. "Do you understand the risks of the venom?" he asked, his tone grave.
Arthur was reluctant to grant her request due to the risk, as he was responsible for her safety, but he remembered his father's instructions to treat this lady as he would any of the scientists who had accompanied her. Helia nodded confidently. "Yes, Your Majesty. I will take all necessary precautions."
Arthur looked at her for a moment before giving a subtle nod of approval. "Very well. But be quick."
Helia wasted no time. She sent Sir Aldric to fetch equipment to record her observations, while she donned thick gloves and a cloth mask, then grabbed a stick to examine the carcass without touching the beast directly.
Under the curious gaze of a few knights and the more focused attention of the prince, Helia set to work. The massive body of the boar lay before her, a creature both fascinating and monstrous. She approached carefully, her leather gloves fitted tightly, her cloth mask covering her face. With a stick, she gently lifted the rough skin of its face, revealing the sharp teeth of the monster.
Its dentition is incomplete, she noted silently, studying the irregular fangs of the animal. Still growing... Yet, the disproportionate size of the beast troubled her. Helia lingered on other revealing signs of its youth: the tail, shorter than an adult's, as well as the visible skeletal structure through the injuries inflicted by the knights. Her thoughts swirled. How can such a young creature achieve such size? This is unnatural... But something even more disturbing awaited her.
As she neared the animal's reproductive system, she stopped, her heart skipping a beat. This is impossible... A cold sweat slid down her neck. The boar was sexually mature, a state it should not have reached for several more years. Yet, despite its obvious juvenile age, its organs showed full maturity.
Helia straightened, her mind spinning with this new revelation. This boar is not ordinary… it grows too quickly and develops too fast. The idea struck her like a bolt of lightning.
She had read all the reports from other scientists on these mutated creatures, but none mentioned such extreme ferocity or accelerated growth that led to sexual maturity so soon. Until now, their observations suggested an abnormal but gradual evolution, nothing as radical. This meant that between the latest studies and now, these boars had mutated further.
Someone or something was manipulating these creatures? Or was it due to the environmental mana?
Mana generally acted randomly, influencing fauna and flora in an unpredictable yet powerful way, without intent or apparent logic, much like neutral evolution dictated by chance. But never before had such a precise and targeted case been observed in nature. A natural mutation alone could not have made a species so aggressive while allowing it to grow and reproduce at such a rapid pace.
Without saying a word, she recorded every detail in her notebook. This discovery was not something she could share yet. Not until she was certain. But a growing doubt stirred within her: these beasts were not accidents of nature. Someone was toying with the laws of growth and life itself. She took samples, especially of the venom, for future analysis.
Once the examination was complete, she stepped back, leaving the prince to order the carcass to be burned. On the way to the camp, Helia couldn't stop thinking about what she had seen. The behavior of this creature was not natural. "The venom..." she murmured to herself. This venom must be far more complex than she had imagined. The knight's brutal death had not been caused merely by hemorrhaging.
As they reached the camp, Helia observed the landscape unfolding before her, while the carriage slowly advanced along the dirt road. The white tents lined up like sentinels beneath the fiery sky, where reddish hues mixed with the deep blue of the approaching night. The sounds of laughter and voices from the soldiers echoed in the air, creating an atmosphere both lively and unsettling. Campfires crackled here and there, casting a dancing light that projected shadows on faces marked by work and fatigue. Helia realized, with a twinge of anxiety, that she was one of the few ladies walking this military ground, a thought that had not crossed her mind until this moment.
The carriage stopped abruptly, and the prince, without looking back, quickly descended. Helia, surprised by his behavior, stood frozen for a moment. Then, moments later, one of the knights escorting the carriage from the camp's entrance, a tall man with mid-length blond hair and bright green eyes, dismounted from his horse, casting an almost amused look at the prince walking away. "I apologize for the prince's rudeness," he said with a nervous laugh, extending his hand to help her down. "I am Sir Leon, the right hand of His Majesty," he introduced himself with a broad smile.
With a slight smile, Helia took his hand and carefully descended. "It's nothing, thank you for your help," she replied, trying to mask her embarrassment. Sir Leon's good-natured mood was almost contagious, and she felt a relief in his presence.
Shortly afterward, Sir Aldric joined them. "Allow me to guide you," Sir Leon offered, a friendly smile on his lips. Helia and Sir Aldric followed him through the camp, where the atmosphere was tinged with tension.
"Look over there," Sir Leon continued, pointing. "That's the main fire where meals are served. You'll be able to get your food in the morning and evening."
"And just next to it," he continued, with his light tone, "is the nearest lake. You can wash there. The water is cold, but..." He paused for a moment, his gaze drifting toward the soldiers moving around them. "But I'm not sure you'll want to venture there for too long."
Helia nodded, but an uncomfortable sensation washed over her as she felt the gaze of the men upon her. She lowered the hood of her cloak, trying to make herself inconspicuous. The reality of her presence here, as a lady amidst a military camp, struck her forcefully. She silently thanked Sir Aldric for his presence beside her. He helped her feel less alone in this strange situation.
"Here," Sir Leon said as he continued walking, "we have the tents where the wounded are treated."
Eventually, they arrived at their tents. Sir Leon stopped and turned to them. "I will leave you to settle in. If you need anything, do not hesitate to call for me." His smile lingered, bringing a slight warmth to the tense atmosphere.
Without another word, he moved away, leaving Helia and Sir Aldric behind. Inside, the small space was cluttered with various equipment: a small bed, a bucket, a small bench, and a small wooden table. Helia sat on the wooden bench while Sir Aldric took care of setting things up. Her mind was too restless to rest. The image of the dying knight before her would not leave her.
After helping Helia settle in, Sir Aldric headed towards the exit. "I'll go fetch us some dinner. I've asked trustworthy knights to keep an eye on your tent, so you need not worry."
"No, wait! I'm coming with you," Helia exclaimed as she hurried to follow him. Sir Aldric gave her a disapproving glance but relented, and together, they ventured into the tumult of the camp. Night had fallen, and the cool air brought a sense of clarity.
They soon arrived at the large campfire, where several men were waiting in line for a simple meal. The scent of smoked meat wafted through the air, and Helia's stomach growled.
"Go sit down, I'll bring you your bowl," Sir Aldric said as he moved away to collect the food.
Helia observed the soldiers, their faces marked by fatigue, their features taut with the pressure. She could still feel the weight of their gazes upon her, heavy with curiosity, but she did her best to ignore them. Close to the fire, she noticed Lord Bellair sitting on a large log, drinking his soup. She felt relieved to see a familiar face and approached him to sit beside him, hoping to find some respite in their exchange.
"Lady Helia, good evening," he said, looking up from his bowl with a friendly smile.
"Good evening, Lord Bellair," she replied, taking a deep breath.
"How do you feel here, amidst all this? It must be new to you."
She nodded, appreciating the kindness in his voice. "I'm doing my best, thank you. And you, I suppose you must be used to it?"
He fell silent for a moment, his expression growing more serious. "Unfortunately, it never gets any easier, I assure you. I hope you've settled in well at the camp."
"Yes, I'm adapting," she admitted with a faint smile.
"So, what do you plan to do during your stay at the camp?"
"Actually, I intended to begin by observing a real wild boar for my research. Not this new species that has caused so much trouble, but a proper one. I'd like to understand where these new traits come from, particularly the venomous ones. It could help in finding an antidote."
Lord Bellair listened attentively, his gaze full of interest. "That's a good idea. Nothing better than returning to the source to understand a problem."
Helia hesitated for a moment. "Tell me, Lord Bellair, I suppose you've had the chance to see deaths caused by venom?"
He nodded, his expression growing more serious. "Yes, I've been the physician in charge since the beginning of this mission at the borders. I've seen many people die from venom. I've tried everything, but unfortunately, before I could react, they all died from heart failure."
"What led you to this conclusion? Do you think the poison has a direct impact on the blood flow?" Helia asked, curious.
"You're not far from the truth," Lord Bellair replied, bringing his spoon to his lips. "I've observed it myself. The victims often show a heart rate that accelerates dramatically, as if they are seized with terror. And unfortunately, that often leads to multiple organ failures."
Helia frowned slightly, intrigued. "What kinds of failures?"
Lord Bellair paused for a moment to think, his gaze drifting again to the flames. "Well, first, there's cardiac failure, which is often the first to manifest. The heart can no longer pump blood efficiently, leading to a lack of oxygen in the organs. Then, respiratory failure can occur, as the respiratory muscles are also affected. Finally, failures of internal organs, like the liver and kidneys, happen due to inadequate blood circulation. This vicious cycle accelerates the victims' death."
Helia listened attentively, her face revealing a deep understanding and empathy for those who had suffered. "It's terrible... The speed at which the venom acts is truly alarming."
At that moment, Sir Aldric returned, bringing a steaming bowl and a piece of bread, which he placed on Helia's lap. She absentmindedly grabbed it and thanked him with a distracted smile, her thoughts in turmoil. Sir Aldric sat calmly beside her, serving himself as well, while listening to the conversation.
"And have you noticed any other symptoms in the victims?" Helia asked, picking up the thread of their discussion.
"Yes," Lord Bellair replied, thinking. "I've also noticed signs of organ dysfunction. The kidneys and liver, in particular, seem to stop functioning properly quite quickly. I think this is due to the overload of the cardiovascular system, but it's hard to be certain without a more thorough analysis."
Everything he said seemed coherent, but something bothered Helia. If the poison's mode of action were as simple as an acceleration of the heart rate, an antidote would have already been found. It seemed to her that the explanation was incomplete, that a key element was missing.
She lost herself for a moment in thought, her mind racing to fill in the gaps. Then she looked up at Lord Bellair. "Would you allow me to examine the body of the knight who passed away earlier? I'd like to understand what really happened."