他們花了很長的一段時間才走出地道,遠比來時耗費的時間更久。472Please respect copyright.PENANA4Q6oG1rcsb
472Please respect copyright.PENANARdhvFVM8ho
炎魔帶領他們來到鴉之森附近的出口,當霍金爬出地穴,迎在前頭的僅有一輪斗大的滿月,月光輕輕披覆於降雨過後的草原,在狼狽了半天後,地表的一切看來都比從前更加美麗,即使是穴口邊的夜露也晶瑩剔透得恍若鑽石。472Please respect copyright.PENANAgvUm9wEBk2
472Please respect copyright.PENANARV3dAYn7dz
霍金在草叢中站穩腳步,趴在他背上的涅澤爾比外表看起來更輕,若不是不斷升高的體溫,霍金幾乎感覺不出自己背上還有個人。472Please respect copyright.PENANA98KrmwZwGL
472Please respect copyright.PENANAC0MjnD2vdo
「站著別動。」472Please respect copyright.PENANAAwxjzVXifP
472Please respect copyright.PENANAF6sZN99sQ9
從被揹起後就沒吐出半個字的巫師說,剛邁步走往森林的王子猶疑半秒便照做。472Please respect copyright.PENANAaXBhjTDxwN
472Please respect copyright.PENANAqM6nSpukSc
一隻蟋蟀跳到霍金腳邊。472Please respect copyright.PENANAPFvJ7HuZjS
472Please respect copyright.PENANAAU5b1JIIq4
然後是第二隻、第三隻、第四隻……除此之外,還有青蛙、蟾蜍、夜鶯和所有可能在夜晚出現的生物,幾隻鳥跳上他的肩膀後又飛向夜空、嚇了霍金一跳,他搞不清楚這是怎麼回事,蟲鳥合音在霎那間成了專屬於他們的背景音樂,劇烈鶯啼幾乎震痛耳膜。472Please respect copyright.PENANAoZHkwOyq4c
472Please respect copyright.PENANAirpEHNB8c1
過不了多久,激烈的振翅聲便於上方響起。472Please respect copyright.PENANA4LUs7ZNzAE
472Please respect copyright.PENANAXt80J6zMzP
白龍俯衝而下,強烈的風壓逼得周遭的蟲鳥四散,霍金也差點摔倒,來到他面前的白龍並未降落,而是伸出爪子一把抓住他們、飛上天際。472Please respect copyright.PENANAzbqpnR7WTu
472Please respect copyright.PENANAHRm5k8KWdG
白龍用迅雷不及掩耳的速度飛回高塔,霍金都還沒說上任何一句話,他就跟著涅澤爾一起被泡進院子裡的噴水池了,當他掙扎著爬上岸,焦急的白龍也像是完全沒發現他的存在,眼裡只有除了頭部之外身體完全泡在水中的巫師。472Please respect copyright.PENANA7sAJBDopWk
472Please respect copyright.PENANApF6oa44Itf
看起來涅澤爾似乎在飛上天時就放心地暈死過去了,霍金一時不曉得自己該不該主動向小白解釋,身後就傳來了激動的狗吠聲。472Please respect copyright.PENANAqfiahTvMue
472Please respect copyright.PENANAgWJS6onGsP
「波可!」472Please respect copyright.PENANAmzax72hiIb
472Please respect copyright.PENANAoJ3iHcoSdp
王子旋身抱住朝他撲來的獵狗,仔細端詳了好一陣子才確認當他不在的期間牠毫髮無傷。472Please respect copyright.PENANAdQvx9cKQb2
472Please respect copyright.PENANAmAEZGKd7Ro
掉進地道的不知所措、死裡逃生的慶幸與恐懼、對於巫師的種種疑問,各種情緒都在因愛犬放鬆後一股腦地冒了出來,弄得霍金一團混亂,而狗叫也喚醒了白龍的神智,牠扭過頭來望向霍金,眼神危險得讓人覺得自己下一秒就會命喪龍爪。472Please respect copyright.PENANAwi2JFHEwdk
472Please respect copyright.PENANANhN0jP0YRz
「萵苣先生,可以告訴我發生了什麼事嗎?」472Please respect copyright.PENANAkhlaEnIpyu
472Please respect copyright.PENANAa2b9ObbeHL
霍金一五一十地將今日發生的事和盤托出,專注傾聽的白龍尾巴有一下沒一下的拍打著地面,直到他說完,敲擊聲也沒有停止。472Please respect copyright.PENANAFrLcN0PGNY
472Please respect copyright.PENANAFauf07axYV
白龍沉默了一陣子,最後做出理性的結論:472Please respect copyright.PENANAVuVIEWmP8m
472Please respect copyright.PENANA4sGv1JvMSa
「這樣聽起來,也不是萵苣先生或炎魔牠們的錯呢,畢竟萵苣先生不曉得那裡有什麼,炎魔牠們也不曉得涅澤爾大人不希望你被打。」472Please respect copyright.PENANAw0zbhHNLJj
472Please respect copyright.PENANA5qFSQJ5908
這話說的,簡直像是假如涅澤爾不在乎他、其牠魔物要把他千刀萬剮也無所謂似的。霍金不曉得白龍有沒有這個意思,暫且先把這件不重要的小事放到一邊,「他為什麼會變成這樣?是被火燒的關係嗎?」472Please respect copyright.PENANASzdXRdFQEn
472Please respect copyright.PENANAoz86b3Z5cY
「嗯,可以這樣說沒錯喔,涅澤爾大人是麒麟,只要體內的元素比例失衡就會變回原形。」472Please respect copyright.PENANApMfDBb9SXQ
472Please respect copyright.PENANADbsMfdCGuO
「麒麟……你是說,國徽上的那種麒麟?」472Please respect copyright.PENANA9BYSKBgFDc
472Please respect copyright.PENANAxZpHSEDROQ
「對呀,不過有些地方不一樣,人類都亂畫。」白龍敲尾巴的動作停了下來,垂首俯瞰被牠捧在掌心裡浸水的褐髮青年,「如果完全變回原形的話,之後醒來的時候就會是下一個涅澤爾大人了,雖然我還是會喜歡涅澤爾大人,可是這樣涅澤爾大人又不記得我了。」472Please respect copyright.PENANAw32hHXhAMf
472Please respect copyright.PENANAEUbVrAdUWy
摟著狗兒坐在噴水池邊的霍金,皺著眉頭試圖搞懂白龍在說些什麼,「那他現在怎麼辦?」472Please respect copyright.PENANA3RNJp3Nnps
472Please respect copyright.PENANAAhMTZ2T6QH
「火元素失衡的話,就是像現在這樣待在可以吹風有水又有土的地方,等到麟片和角消失就沒事了喔。」472Please respect copyright.PENANAfQa1jGYNLZ
472Please respect copyright.PENANAqeMIXZ17Cb
「為什麼他要變成人類的樣子?」472Please respect copyright.PENANAlT09KsU03E
472Please respect copyright.PENANAYWfdtTb3WF
此話一出,白龍立時陷入沉默,見牠似乎不想多談,霍金便換了個話題:「我想問,地道裡為什麼會有炎魔?那好像不是這座塔的一部份?」472Please respect copyright.PENANAHAtoPjFRGR
472Please respect copyright.PENANAqu5C7CXCMf
「噢、這個,」白龍回過神來,應道:「我想,應該是因為鴉之森附近原本就有炎魔聚落,我的結界又沒有設到地底,牠們一直挖一直挖就挖到了這裡。因為除了人類之外大家都不會對涅澤爾大人怎麼樣,所以我之前也沒有注意到。」講到最後,白龍的神態變得有些懊惱,好像在說牠先前要是有在這上頭花點心思就好了。472Please respect copyright.PENANAeZNoUd3pn2
472Please respect copyright.PENANA13yk8M7S7u
霍金頷首,接著又針對當中的不解處發問:「你的結界是指什麼啊?小白。」472Please respect copyright.PENANAsRdG5UAiSh
472Please respect copyright.PENANA3qFmDWjpBN
「就是保護高塔的魔法呀,讓萵苣先生你爬不出去那個,那就是我做的喔。」白龍吐出讓霍金詫異的話語,他還以為那是巫師的傑作,「涅澤爾大人不想要的話也可以自己拆掉,不過他都沒有阻止我呢。」472Please respect copyright.PENANAQi8l20rs9W
472Please respect copyright.PENANAf1UFT3sQ5v
話講到這裡,彼此的疑問也都解得差不多了,波可蜷在主人身邊睡去,捨不得把狗叫醒的王子望著愛犬陷入緘默,在他即將入睡時,耳畔似乎傳來白龍的低語:472Please respect copyright.PENANAyO2QeP5IPw
472Please respect copyright.PENANAHxtCuFI80u
「我也想知道,涅澤爾大人為什麼不當龍呢?」472Please respect copyright.PENANAH5Wy6YmAPg
472Please respect copyright.PENANA9uNN5Zj7nS
×472Please respect copyright.PENANAMO0pXJtCcI
472Please respect copyright.PENANAoUo9jLxOBh
白龍為了照料昏迷不醒的巫師,一連七日都未闔眼。巫師的鱗片範圍已縮小至左眼窩,長角則沒有縮短的跡象。472Please respect copyright.PENANAehzv8RuIHG
472Please respect copyright.PENANAuDwlkp4bjD
今夜,王子照例摘下數十朵玫瑰放到寸步不離噴水池的巨龍嘴邊,龍道了聲謝便吃起晚餐,霍金坐到噴水池邊緣,雙目緊閉的褐髮巫師動也不動地躺在白龍泡水的爪子裡,月亮映於水面的倒影恰好落在他身旁。472Please respect copyright.PENANA7mjJ4JEy5L
472Please respect copyright.PENANAr1PbN0l7WO
巨龍吃到一半,居然維持咀嚼的動作打起盹來了,至此,霍金再也忍不住了:472Please respect copyright.PENANADz725xHfc9
472Please respect copyright.PENANAbxZBygFdDv
「這裡交給我,你先去休息啦,小白。」472Please respect copyright.PENANAY4ngWbWpmD
472Please respect copyright.PENANAhnlH2Rjlj6
「咦?唔,什麼?」472Please respect copyright.PENANAH3JilYwXt2
472Please respect copyright.PENANAlsoVbwEJn2
白龍迷迷糊糊的睜開眼,霍金望著牠呆頭呆腦的模樣又重述一次:「我說,你想睡覺就去睡,我會幫你看著他。」472Please respect copyright.PENANAqXiboVyrdt
472Please respect copyright.PENANAfkikX7OsnM
白龍眨眨惺忪的睡眼,這才聽懂王子在說些什麼,連忙搖動碩大的腦袋拒絕:「不行!我要照顧涅澤爾大人──」472Please respect copyright.PENANAA00GLIQWpK
472Please respect copyright.PENANAEjSF67ClVE
「你剛剛一睡,這傢伙都快滅頂了,」霍金指著下半臉已經沉到水裡的涅澤爾,白龍連忙讓青年的頭浮出水面,坦白說,霍金也不曉得巫師被火燒都死不了、只是區區一點水能不能殺得死他,但白龍顯然對此有所顧慮,他便當作巫師這種生物雖然燒不死但溺得死了,不過白龍的下一句話便顛覆了他的想法:472Please respect copyright.PENANAHOrCQbRA5f
472Please respect copyright.PENANAsIwAGYWc58
「要是讓涅澤爾大人喝到水就不好了。」472Please respect copyright.PENANAcNPVpI4iel
472Please respect copyright.PENANAbTrxXEAslQ
「麒麟不能喝水嗎?」472Please respect copyright.PENANAuOCTKMJmp0
472Please respect copyright.PENANAnOL7s9rd8r
「聽涅澤爾大人說,是不需要吃也不需要喝呢。」這番話算是解答了為何住在高塔的日子裡,霍金從來沒看過巫師進食的疑惑,白龍又道:「我不曉得吃東西會不會怎麼樣,可是涅澤爾大人也不想吃的樣子,那我想就不要吃比較好。」472Please respect copyright.PENANA6JX3Lmfbis