The sweet venom Chapter 12: 11

Read chapter 12 of The sweet venom by aspa201 on NovelPedia.

The tent for the wounded was immersed in an austere atmosphere, saturated with the scent of blood and medicinal herbs. Beds were lined up in tight rows, accommodating injured knights, some asleep from the effects of sedatives, others struggling to stay awake. Caregivers moved quickly between the beds, rushing to provide emergency treatments. Sir Leon had been placed in a more secluded corner, isolated from the others to prevent the spread of venom. Helia, still in her nightgown and hastily styled hair, wore Aldric's jacket draped over her shoulders like an improvised shield. Next to her, Aldric remained motionless and silent, casting worried glances at Leon. Lord Bellair, having cleaned and sutured Leon's wound, was carefully finishing the bandage. Sir Leon lay unconscious, his chest bandaged, his complexion disturbingly pale. After finally removing his bloodstained gloves, Bellair spoke to the Prince in a measured voice. "His condition is stable." The Prince, still frozen, nodded silently, but his gaze remained dark. Then, in an authoritative tone, he turned to Helia. "Now, explain to me what you've done. Have you found the antidote?" Helia, busy checking Leon's vitals, hesitated slightly. Bellair, curious, also turned his gaze towards her, attentive and waiting for her to continue. She took a soft breath before responding. "Not exactly... It's not the antidote, but a temporary remedy. It counteracts the immediate lethal effects of the venom, but I don't know how Sir Leon's condition will evolve." The Prince furrowed his brows, while Bellair looked at her silently, gesturing for her to go on. Being a little nervous, she chose her words carefully before continuing: "There are certainly risks of side effects..." Lord Bellair, clearly surprised, interrupted her. "Doctors and scientists have tried countless remedies, and none have ever worked until now." She nodded. "Yes, their approaches were correct. The problem was with the source." "You mean... the action mechanism of the venom?" asked Bellair, intrigued. She nodded again. "I believe we've long been mistaken in thinking that the venom from the monsters accelerates the heartbeat to the point of causing internal damage. But after my observations, I hypothesized that it works by making the internal walls of the blood vessels permeable, causing micro-hemorrhages. When the heart rate increases, these micro-lesions worsen, giving the impression that the accelerated heartbeat is the cause, when in fact it's merely an exacerbation." A silence fell over the tent as Lord Bellair thought intensely. The clarity of her hypothesis was undeniable, and he murmured almost to himself: "So... your remedy is simply a coagulant combined with a calming agent?" She nodded again. "Primarily, yes. I also added extracts from plants with properties that constrict blood vessels, to slow the spread of the venom, as well as some compounds with anti-inflammatory effects. But I'm not an expert in pharmacology. I believe the formula can still be improved, even though it doesn't replace a true antidote." Bellair gave her an approving gesture. Prince Arthur, arms crossed, listened attentively. His eyes glanced at Leon, then he asked, his face tense: "Could the side effects be severe?" Helia understood that by this question, the Prince wanted to know if Leon's life was still in danger. She desperately wanted to reassure him, but she knew she could not offer false hope. Her hypothesis had only worked by chance, and she was sure of nothing. The pressure mounted within her. Hesitant, she answered in a nervous voice: "Well, the venom remains lethal, even in small doses... and the remedy doesn't cancel its effect, it only counteracts the most severe symptoms. So..." Sensing her distress, Lord Bellair intervened to help. He straightened up and, in a measured tone, calmly addressed him. "Your Highness, Sir Leon is the first man to survive the venom thanks to Lady Helia. His condition will help us better understand the