陽劃落在水平線的盡頭,河水被染成燦爛的橘紅色,在運河的中心可看見一隻正趕著回程的小木舟,河邊本寥寥可數的釣客也已經消失得無影無蹤,入夜後的邊境並沒有以前那般太平。465Please respect copyright.PENANA0JZXxWUl16
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在運河的盡頭,有一碼頭,約三百年前已包在運河工程中落成了,幾十年前又翻新過一次,本是西方不死族之出入口商品集散之地。只是要到西方去,途經死亡山脈,外圍的官道窄小,氣候多變,來往的商人集合成一支商隊,一起來回,相互照應,走一趟就是數月,今日離商隊歸來尚有一月,沒有買賣做,也就沒甚麼人來,只有一隻商船泊着,商鋪也沒有營業。465Please respect copyright.PENANAfRWD9hQW14
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出了碼頭,向西直走數里,已是關口。關口城牆連着一片山壁,關口以西即非人界。465Please respect copyright.PENANArEjt4OicHw
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兩個匆匆趕路的身影,走到了關口前。465Please respect copyright.PENANA4mCOP0oWBs
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梓喬拿出了通關文牒,向渡口的守衛出示。465Please respect copyright.PENANAlanHjwUYC3
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「是!請過。」465Please respect copyright.PENANAlnHY55EsLj
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守衛看到了文牒後,馬上以一個恭敬的姿勢讓出一條路給他們通往,文牒上有軍方、騎士學院和魔法學院的印章,這二人可是大有來頭。465Please respect copyright.PENANADu4UMrBhPz
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「謝謝。」梓喬收回文牒,兩人正要從關口中過去,守衛卻叫住了他們。465Please respect copyright.PENANAMjTqBk7UTr
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「只是…就算你們是魔導士和騎士,晚上出關都有些太危險了。」465Please respect copyright.PENANAMTeDxi1x1J
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「為甚麼?」逸天疑惑地問道。465Please respect copyright.PENANA5AYfRX6X55
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「野獸兩位想必不用怕,但石像鬼就不一樣了。它們本來棲息於西方盡頭的死亡山脈,近來卻反常地在這邊獵食,它們會在晚上活動,乘人不備,從天上抓住獵物,刺穿他們的筋骨,讓它們失去行動能力,然後再把它們帶回自己的巢穴和同伴一起享用。由於他們的移動速度很快而且數量也很多,所以鮮有獵物能逃過他們的追殺。」465Please respect copyright.PENANACr5MGIu8JC
465Please respect copyright.PENANAgX2jlrlpYG
侍衛同時拉起衣袖,露出一條由手腕延伸至手肘的深黑色疤痕,他數月前被石像鬼抓傷過,還好那次的石像鬼落了單,被守衛群起而攻殺死了。465Please respect copyright.PENANAFbV20FkbSp
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「嗯…那的確是很有威脅的存在…」465Please respect copyright.PENANAHXnm2nvC8l
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逸天低聲咕噥道,右手也有點不安地抓了抓背上的劍柄。465Please respect copyright.PENANA4axDlVlrvG
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「如果不介意的話,兩位要不要先在我們這裏留宿一晚?早上石像鬼不敢出來。」465Please respect copyright.PENANAxFswcUdP2U
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出於擔心,守衛向逸天他們發出了邀請。465Please respect copyright.PENANAiDSZUtiA9g
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「嗯,我倒是沒問題…」465Please respect copyright.PENANAWeDR0pLbkq
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逸天望向梓喬,眼神裏尋求著她的同意,想必是未成熟的劍技讓他退縮了吧。465Please respect copyright.PENANAbRlIlv9S6I
然而,梓喬卻說了出乎逸天意料的決定。465Please respect copyright.PENANATArvGnTzYk
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「不,我們要繼續趕路。」梓喬也不約而同地撫着魔杖,但卻得出相反的結論。465Please respect copyright.PENANAio9bWHxV45
聽到梓喬的決定,逸天不禁嘆了口氣。465Please respect copyright.PENANAeZGK8KeCT7
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「為什麽啊?我們根本沒必要晚上去那麽冒險啊?」465Please respect copyright.PENANAP5MM4WrHPL
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「石像鬼不是問題,消滅斥候要緊。」梓喬的回應卻顯得十分嚴肅。465Please respect copyright.PENANAuvGZ8GIgOY
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「可是…」465Please respect copyright.PENANA9mXDm8gmh1
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「趁現在還有時間趕快走吧。」465Please respect copyright.PENANAQKMKHhjz9M
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接著梓喬走向了一旁的馬殿。465Please respect copyright.PENANA1VSaNGLkY9
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「侍衛,我們需要馬匹為我們趕路。」剛才兩人乘船順運河而下,關口離山脈尚有數十里,要是不借助馬匹,天黑前就到不了山脈,然而守衛聞言卻臉色一變。465Please respect copyright.PENANA8BP6A0U6yL
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「大...大人!首先,我們西方邊境的資金向來…不是很充足…」465Please respect copyright.PENANAYXRX3RLY4q
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「所以連兩匹馬也沒有嗎?」465Please respect copyright.PENANA8W8M6bh8nE
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「對…對對!不是我們不借…只是我們的馬匹已經有不少無故失蹤了…」465Please respect copyright.PENANAYlL5Dot0XI
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「我瞧你胡說八道也有個限度吧,馬兒好端端的怎麼會失蹤了呢?我看是你們偷偷煮來吃了。」梓喬也是隨口說說罷了,邊防重地的馬匹都是報信的快馬和戰馬,他們又豈敢私自煮來吃,只是聽說馬匹無故失蹤,心中甚疑。465Please respect copyright.PENANArplKJjpdTW
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「我們怎麼敢!大人有所不知了,我們西邊邊境最近經常發生怪事,先是附近小鎮的居民會無故失蹤,接馬殿里的馬匹也是一樣,可能是石像鬼已經越過了關口,開始向東蔓延了。」465Please respect copyright.PENANA2Iwip88ivV
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「難道是不死族的斥侯?」465Please respect copyright.PENANAOuIITXsWQD
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逸天自剛才守衛解釋時已經緊皺眉頭沉思著什麼,聽到這裡又忽然若有所思地問道。465Please respect copyright.PENANA6CWvwWpQHY
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「不…不死族?唉,石像鬼還不夠嗎?」465Please respect copyright.PENANAWdip08uKjW
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「守衛,讓我們離開吧,我們奉皇室和學院的密令,去殲滅附近不死族的斥候。」465Please respect copyright.PENANAMnNWcTlL7Z
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「何逸天!這不能說!」465Please respect copyright.PENANALcUoXxu6Cn
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只見守衛的臉色一陣鐵青,但隨即又回復了正常。465Please respect copyright.PENANAd0xm1gckoH
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「大人,老實說是不是又要打仗了,反正我們這種守邊境關卡的士兵都是微不足道的小棋子,你們就做個好心告訴了我,好讓我和家中老母見個最後一面。」465Please respect copyright.PENANAsxsaVe9wBs
看來他在邊境見識過各種凶獸,自知總有一天要死於非命,不死族來犯是死,石像鬼來犯也是死,反正都是死,也就看開了。465Please respect copyright.PENANAxIW8NB9lwA
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只見梓喬好沒氣地說道:「所以你讓我們現在去殲滅它們還來得及,快點去備馬!」465Please respect copyright.PENANAEGJcjuR1Zf
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「是的,我這就去為兩位備馬。」465Please respect copyright.PENANAXbX3drddCY
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守衛小跑着走開了,直到守衛消失於馬殿之中,梓喬才無奈地歎了口氣。465Please respect copyright.PENANAIlxY95LV8l
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「你是白癡嗎!你怎麼能把密令的內容說出來!」465Please respect copyright.PENANAUrQvcM4Nzu
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「抱歉。」465Please respect copyright.PENANAnGyCmxFsWc
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「你這人真是,就正正因為內容和不死族有關才要秘密授命。」465Please respect copyright.PENANAX9DVmrlfmx
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「為什麼?」465Please respect copyright.PENANAROp1WQnILV
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梓喬不安地咬了咬嘴唇。465Please respect copyright.PENANAaLJzo7gHKu
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「不死族身體異於常人,力氣巨大,普通守衛根本不是它們的對手。而且聽說他們嗜血成性,見人就殺,消息傳開了人民會陷入恐慌,這是第一。」465Please respect copyright.PENANAA5Q1cnkGgJ
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「對不起,是我一時心急了,還有呢?」465Please respect copyright.PENANAfTBqdyPEe2
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「始終人類和不死族之間,暫時還沒到正式開戰的時侯,名義上他們是友邦,我們的行動不宜張揚。」465Please respect copyright.PENANAK1Iet31EnP
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這時守衛從馬殿里牽著一匹棕毛黑鬃馬,走了出來。465Please respect copyright.PENANAtVR405Pbn2
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「我們馬匹實在不多了,用來報信的快馬太少了,實在不能借出,兩位使者大人就將就一下,兩人乘一馬吧。」465Please respect copyright.PENANAafcn1biefA
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兩人茫然相視半响,梓喬才無奈地搖了搖頭。465Please respect copyright.PENANA45s19cW5gF
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守衛見她搖頭,忙道:「這馬雖然不快,但平常馱慣了重物,耐力長久,就是兩人共一騎也沒問題。」465Please respect copyright.PENANA8njXkiSEqF
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「好吧,你抱著我坐後面。」465Please respect copyright.PENANAJdCKiOWHVO
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逸天在現實世界,居於城市之內,鮮少有機會騎馬,而梓喬早一年到這裡生活,騎馬出行可說是家常便飯了。465Please respect copyright.PENANABZCmfvcUPX
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這樣也好,免得那傢伙不會騎馬丟醜。465Please respect copyright.PENANAxV52SDm1bM
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梓喬輕輕一踏馬蹬,跨上馬背,逸天見狀也依樣葫蘆地以有些生疏笨拙的動作跨了上去。465Please respect copyright.PENANAE71QLpWvoT
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「守衛,我們後會有期!」465Please respect copyright.PENANAyeSt2JPSri
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不待他回應,梓喬輕拍馬身,兩人一馬已迅速順著小路奔向起伏不平的小路,消失在夜色之中。465Please respect copyright.PENANAvJazS1a7u9
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眼見遠去的兩人,侍衛又望向了身邊的一個小土坑,他的夥伴在那裡站了十多年站出來的,領着微薄的薪水,守着國家的門戶,雨打風吹也不離不棄,他絕對是一個好守衛。465Please respect copyright.PENANAdnpnU07HBo
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但在石像鬼面前,他也不過是有待玩弄的一塊鮮肉,最多上面多了點鐵渣子罷了。上次他們能殺死石像鬼就是因爲牠顧着玩弄他同伴的屍體,侍衛只能在心中暗暗為這兩人一馬祝福。465Please respect copyright.PENANAHx3TGBonnv
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兩人向死亡山脈的方向跑去,一路上的景色也開始變得詭異,原本茂密又高大的草叢漸漸變得稀疏,最後只剩下幾條枯萎的乾草,再向前就是一片赤地了;偶爾經過的動物體積也越來越大,而且身上散發着惶恐的氣息,如果不是他們在石像鬼面前稍有抗衡之力,現在已經化為白骨了。465Please respect copyright.PENANAutYVl5jVPt
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兩人沒有往回走,也沒有說話,反而越走越快,直往山脈而去。465Please respect copyright.PENANADZG0mitNke
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霧氣開始環繞兩人,說明二人己到了山脈外圍,兩人隨即下馬,但由於大霧視線受阻,無法視清五米以外的情況,叫兩人寸步難行。465Please respect copyright.PENANAD0aVIT9nAZ