The days that followed marked the beginning of the bait trials. True to her attention to detail, Helia meticulously checked that every device functioned properly, ensuring everything was ready to be deployed. She also collected and recorded the scouts' reports in detail, scrupulously noting their observations on the effects of the mixture.
The first reports were encouraging: the majority of the boars that had consumed the bait showed a significant decrease in aggressiveness, to the point of even ignoring the presence of individuals of the opposite sex, where previously they would have rushed to mate with uncontrollable frenzy.
During the rest of her time, she assisted Lord Bellair in the medical tent, taking the wounded soldiers' vital signs and observing the evolution of their condition. Her long discussions with Lord Bellair about the progress of the research on the venom gave her a new outlook on the subject, nourishing her own reflections and inspiring new avenues of analysis.
Today, at last, she was going to verify the results firsthand by collecting samples to analyze the true physiological effects of the bait. These data would allow her to make any necessary adjustments to perfect the formula.
A knight had come to fetch her to escort her to the carcass of one of the first boars to have ingested the bait, recently killed and moved to a secured area under heavy surveillance.
She walked confidently through the dense forest, her leather boots treading on soil covered with damp leaves. Early summer bathed the undergrowth in a golden light filtering through the canopy.
Sir Aldric walked a few steps behind her, flanked by three other knights in gleaming armor, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords, alert to the slightest danger. One of them carefully carried Helia's sampling equipment.
When they reached the clearing, the boar's carcass lay at the center of the area, massive and inert. Even though it was not the first time she had dealt with such an imposing carcass, she could never fully get used to it. Even in death, it still looked terrifying.
Around the clearing, several knights stood in a scattered formation, watching the surroundings, their faces closed and focused. Two of Helia's knights joined them, while Sir Aldric and the fourth knight remained close to her, ready to assist with the sampling.
She approached the carcass and began with blood samples, sliding the needle into several strategic areas of the body, then continued with tissue samples.
She was fully focused on her work, absorbed in her task, when a distant sound disturbed her concentration. At first faint, a dull trembling grew stronger, accompanied by metallic clanking, shouts, and inhuman roars. She straightened abruptly, exchanging a worried look with the knights escorting her. The air suddenly grew heavy, laden with an invisible threat.
Suddenly, a knight burst out of the woods, breathless, his armor scraped and damaged. Helia and her two guards turned toward him in unison. His wide eyes were filled with raw terror as he cried out:
"Leave now, we're under attack! Chimeras!"
As if to underscore the urgency of his warning, sinister cracking sounds and guttural roars drew dangerously closer. Sir Aldric and the other knight did not hesitate for a second. Sir Aldric firmly grabbed Helia by the arm, abandoning the boxes and syringes without hesitation. With a swift motion, he dragged her toward the forest. All three began running as fast as they could, heading for the camp, about twenty minutes away on foot.
Helia struggled to keep up, her breathing ragged with effort and panic. Behind them, the roars intensified. Instinctively, she briefly turned her head. A massive winged creature, with a muscular body and a sinuous tail, crashed down onto the carcass they had been studying. Its enormous fangs sank into the flesh, and in a flash of steel and fury, the messenger knight engaged the beast in combat.
"What about the others?!" Helia shouted, gasping, her mind in turmoil.
She was thinking of her two other knights patrolling the perimeter of the area, where the attack must have begun.
"Don't worry about them. They know how to fight." Sir Aldric replied in a firm voice without slowing.
He had barely finished speaking when a massive shadow cut through the air. A giant chimera, wings spread and fangs bared, swooped down on the knight running ahead. Before he could react, the creature seized him in its jaws and rose violently into the air. A cry of horror caught in Helia's throat. The unfortunate man's blood dripped into the void as his silhouette vanished into the heights.
Paralyzed, she had no time to process the horror of the scene. Sir Aldric tightened his grip on her and accelerated even more, scanning their surroundings with heightened vigilance. They ran for long minutes, until the roars seemed to fade. Their pace finally slowed, granting a much-needed respite.
Helia, completely out of breath, released Sir Aldric's hold and stopped, her body shaking with tremors. Her mind wavered between the shock of loss and the relief of having survived. But this moment of respite was short-lived.
A new roar, distant yet menacing, reached them. Sir Aldric met Helia's gaze. They understood simultaneously that the danger was not over. He grabbed her arm again and took a few steps forward—then stopped dead.
A chimera stood directly in front of them.
He immediately tried to turn back, but another monster emerged on the other side.
They were surrounded.