The sweet venom Chapter 10: 9

Read chapter 10 of The sweet venom by aspa201 on NovelPedia.

The next day, Helia found herself beside Lord Bellair in the tent they referred to as the morgue, a grim space where the air was thick with the acrid smell of death mingled with that of blood. The tent was dimly lit, barely illuminated by a few flickering lanterns, and in the back, she could make out several corpses covered with linen sheets, stacked up awaiting cremation at the week's end. Lord Bellair gently lifted the cloth covering the face of a young knight, a man barely in his twenties with red hair, frozen in the rigidity of death. Helia, though familiar with human anatomy, had never seen a corpse so close, except in magical simulations. The sight of his livid body intimidated her, and the unbearable stench stung her nose. She forced herself not to appear weak, closing her mouth to avoid inhaling the fumes. Observing her discomfort, Lord Bellair offered her a small jar of scented balm. "Here, this might help," he said, his tone understanding. She thanked him, applying the balm under her nose. It somewhat alleviated the odor, but the sight of the body still shook her. "I doubt a Lady like you has ever analyzed a corpse. Are you certain you wish to proceed?" Lord Bellair asked, a hint of concern in his voice. "Yes, I am doing this for science," she replied firmly, straightening slightly to observe the body more closely. Both of them wore gloves and masks, necessary precautions in this place where death and pain mingled. Lord Bellair slowly slid the cloth covering the knight's body. She observed with care the marbled skin, streaked with violet spots, concerning discoloration marks that seemed to spread beneath the surface like small explosions. "What are these marks?" she asked Lord Bellair, pointing to the bruises and micro-hemorrhages visible under the skin. "These are the traces of internal hemorrhages caused by the rupture of blood vessels," he replied, his gaze serious. "The victim's heart rate spiked, forcing the blood to pass through already weakened vessels. These swellings you see are the result. One of the many side effects." She nodded, her eyes scanning for more subtle signs. She asked Lord Bellair to help her open the knight's chest to examine the internal organs. Together, they made a precise incision along the chest. As soon as the incision was made, a shocking sight presented itself: deep bleeding, bruised organs, and traces of red lesions staining the liver and kidneys. She frowned. "This kind of damage is... impressive," she said, delicately touching the swollen tissues with a scalpel. "It is as if the body had imploded from the inside." There was an element she couldn't quite grasp, an invisible trigger. Everything seemed to indicate a more insidious action, perhaps directly linked to the blood cells. They spent a few more minutes carefully examining the organs, and Lord Bellair patiently answered each of Helia's questions, clarifying her doubts with detailed explanations. Finally, he sighed and stood up. "I fear this doesn't provide much new information," he said, removing his bloodstained gloves. She nodded thoughtfully, removing her own gloves and mask, which she threw into the small trash bin designated for them. "Perhaps not directly, but every detail counts. This has opened up new avenues for me to explore," she replied calmly but with determination. She thanked him for his help and left the tent to find Sir Aldric standing guard outside, her mind unsettled by what she had seen. She returned to her own tent, grabbing her notes to organize her thoughts. She needed to reflect on all this calmly; every observation, every clue had its importance. After almost an hour of jotting down hypotheses and comparing symptoms, a few ideas began to form in her mind. Sensing her rising tension, Helia decided to step outside for some fresh air. The surrounding forest, though dense, offered a temporary refuge, an area considered safe, guarded by soldiers stationed on the outskirts. She needed to think, but more impo