Return of the General's Daughter

Prince Alaric panicked and was about to lay Agilus on the ground, but Lara prevented him from doing so.

"The poisoned blood will travel to the heart faster if he is lying down," Lara said calmly.

"Do you think I need to cut some more to let out the poisoned blood?" Alaric sought her eyes and asked helplessly.

"He had already bled a lot. It might harm him." She wanted to say that what he did previously was more harmful, but looking at his forlorn look, she swallowed her words.

She moved to the other soldier who had also been bitten, washed the wound with soap and water, and placed the turmeric salve over it. She noticed that his wound was shallow. The thick materials of his trousers saved him. The snake’s fangs did not penetrate deeply, so only a small amount of venom was injected. He should be alright.

Then she returned to Agilus to apply a pressure immobilization bandage. She always kept two sets of that strip of cloth in her backpack for emergency use. She hoped that Agilus would get lucky and that the venom would bind to his tissues instead of the bloodstream, potentially inactivating it.

She knew of a captain who was bitten by a snake in the jungles of Zandaya. He was saved by applying the pressure immobilization bandage. The cobra’s venom was inactivated, and he did not need to take an IV for the antivenom.

"We should go back," Bener interjected, his voice firm as he stood alongside his brothers. The tension in his gaze flickered with concern, reflecting the danger that loomed around them. "This place is dangerous."

"Take the corpses of the two prisoners and throw the two bandits into the river." Alaric’s voice was grim as he carried Agilus and mounted his horse.