世界的边缘 At The Edge Of The World

作者：Ian St Martin

“七次了，”伊莎德·托米莉极力保持着平稳的声音，和平静的表情。

“Seven times,” said Ysard Tomyri, straining to keep her voice level and face neutral.

欧第茨船长并没有立刻回应自己的大副，他的注意力全都扑在桌上的地图和报告上——至少看起来很像真的。其实，伊莎德站在这里是因为欧第茨叫她来在基伦亚号的船长室里立正站好，但就像这二人为期不长的共事中的多次交涉一样，最基本的意图不过是为了显示权威。

Captain Oditz did not answer his first officer immediately, his attention consumed by the maps and reports covering his desk, or at least feigning as much. It was Oditz who had summoned her and, like so much else in their short service together, making her stand at attention in his quarters aboard the Kironya was, above all else, a display of power.

“我要求参见统帅部，”伊莎德开口说道。这次她不想再跟船长玩下去了。

“I request audience with high command,” said Ysard, unwilling to play the captain’s game this time.

“在这里，我就代表最高统帅，托米莉指挥官，”欧第茨头也不抬地说。“但你似乎总是不能认清这一事实，要么就是你不愿接受。”

“I speak for high command here, Commander Tomyri,” said Oditz, not looking up. “A fact you seem either ignorant of, or unwilling to accept.”

“七次了，”伊莎德又开始说道。“我要求参见，不为请愿，也不为哀告，而是为了许诺。”

“Seven times,” said Ysard again. “I have requested audience, not to plead or beg, but to promise.”

“许诺？”这位船长终于从铺开的羊皮纸上抬起目光，瞄了一眼伊莎德。

“Promise?” the Captain looked up from the spread of parchments, finally glancing at Ysard.

“是的，”她答道。“向他们许诺我即将赢得的光荣，即将征服的土地和人民。以辞令劝说，或以鲜血慑服，最终为帝国添砖加瓦。每一天都有新动员的扩张军，每一天都有外出的使节，为诺克萨斯争得新的土地。我也能取得同样的胜利。我所需要的只是一支分队。”

“Yes,” she answered. “To promise them the glory that I shall win for them, the lands and peoples I will bring, by word or by blood, into the empire. There are expansions being mobilized, envoys being sent out from our borders to secure new lands for Noxus each day. I can win those for them. All that I require is a command.”

“我们讨论过这件事，”欧第茨喃喃地说。“整整七次了，你自己也清楚。崔法利议会的意志该如何理解，是由统帅部，而不是统帅部的下属来决定的。”

“We have spoken of this before,” Oditz muttered. “Seven times now, as you know. It is high command that decides how to interpret the will of the Trifarix—not their subordinates.”

伊莎德绷紧了身体。她的耐心已经被失望锉得干干净净。“当初忽拉德船长在鲁格的海岸线外围被海盗击败的时候，是我带领基伦亚号的船员取得了胜利，不是你。是我带着人强行登船作战，抢下了海盗船。最后一个敌人倒下的时候，所有人喊的是我的名字。我觉得这理所应当。取得了这样的胜利以后我原本以为——”

Ysard stiffened. Frustration frayed her patience. “When Captain Hurad fell to the pirates off the coast of Ruug, it was I who led the Kironya’s crew to victory, not you. It was I who led the boarding action to seize the corsairs’ ship, and when the last of them fell it was my name that was cheered. It felt right. After such a victory I expected—”

“以为什么？”欧第茨问。“你就有自己的队伍了？就因为你把一帮吃不饱饭的弗雷尔卓德人赶回了海上？你觉得现在坐在这里的应该是你而不是我。所以你就想无视我的权威，越级参见统帅部。”

“What?” asked Oditz. “Your own command? After beating a rabble of underfed Freljordians back into the sea? You think it is you who should be sitting here, rather than myself. And because it isn’t, you superseded my authority to request audience with high command yourself.”

欧第茨平静地放下自己的羽毛笔，从椅子上站起来。他的体型高大魁梧，光线映出他的脸庞，一生戎马刻下的累累伤痕。“我应该判你目无军纪，革除军衔，把你扔到清算人的场子里，托米莉指挥官，”他强硬地说。“但是，老天好像刚好帮了你一把。”

Calmly, Captain Oditz set down his quill and rose from his chair. He towered over Ysard, the light catching the old scars etched upon his features from a lifetime of war. “I would have seen you stripped of rank and thrown into the Reckoner pits for your lack of respect, Commander Tomyri,” he said stiffly. “But it seems that fate has intervened on your behalf.”

他拿出一个卷轴粗鲁地扔给她。

He produced a scroll and extended it to her sharply.

卷轴的蜡封已经启开，欧第茨或者他的侍从已经看过了，这是他们的权利。

The seal around the scroll had been broken, its contents already read by Oditz or his assistants, as was their right.

“拿去。走人。”

“Take it. And get out.”

片刻的惊疑之后，伊莎德接过了卷轴。她行了军礼，然后快步走回自己的船舱，展开卷轴飞快地扫视。

After an instant of surprised hesitation, Ysard reached for the message. She saluted and hurried to her quarters, unfurling it and quickly reading over its contents.

感觉就像是一股熔融的铁水从煅炉浇灌到她的心中。伊莎德此生第一次感觉到如有天意一般，不再是逆风前行。终于，她一身的本领能有用武之地了。

It was as though a galvanizing stream of molten steel had been poured from a crucible into her heart. Ysard felt providence in the wind, for the first time at her back. Finally, her skills would be given their full range.

她受命前往都城。终于，她有自己的分队了。

She had been ordered to the capital. At last, a command was hers.

港口上人头攒动。商人、小贩和码头工人熙熙攘攘，船员们上上下下，形成了不间断的人流。珍禽异兽在铁笼里发出哀恸的嚎叫，它们的命运是成为斗兽场里的娱乐品，或者成为豪门深院里的珍奇收藏。符文之地各个角落运来的食物从贸易船上成批卸下，分发流转，喂养着伊莎德贫瘠故土上的无数居民。这是一片令人感叹的景象，是新货物、新文化和新思想流入帝国的河口，让帝国扩张、丰富，让帝国变得更强大。

所有这一切，以及向远方蔓延的城市，全都笼罩在不朽堡垒的阴影中。伊莎德从港口的道路上凝望着那幢古代建筑的壮美，它高不可测的外墙和塔楼上垂着无数面帝国的旗帜。没有什么比它更能体现诺克萨斯的力量——这股激荡在她心中的力量。

The harbor was a bustling throng of activity. Merchants, traders and dockworkers crowded alongside fleet crews embarking and disembarking from ships in a constant stream. Rare beasts let out keening wails from within iron cages, destined for the arenas for sport, or the homes of the elite to join their exotic collections. Shipments of foods from all corners of Runeterra were being offloaded from trading vessels and distributed to feed the countless citizens of Ysard’s barren homeland. It was a breathtaking scene, a living estuary where new goods, cultures, and ideas flowed into the empire, expanding it, enriching it, and making it stronger.

伊莎德花了一阵子好好地欣赏了一番眼前朝气蓬勃的景象，随后表情变得严肃起来。她现在得像一个指挥官那样思考了。

All of this, and the sprawling city beyond, sat in the shadow of the Immortal Bastion. Ysard gazed upon the grandeur of the ancient structure from a harbor road, its immeasurably high walls and towers draped with the banners of the empire. There was no better manifestation of Noxus’ power—the very power that surged within her heart.

一场壮阔的远征正在等着她。她疾步走向自己的船停靠的地方。

Ysard spared a few more moments to take in the vibrant scene around her, before her face set in a curt expression and the efficient mind of a commander took hold of her thoughts.

在伊莎德看来，“远望号”就像是一艘来自上一个时代的船。它身上的伤疤也的确见证了岁月的洗礼。从舰首雕像前端千冲百折的铁尖，到舰尾楼吱嘎作响的板壁，数十年的服役留下的疮疤像蜘蛛网一样遍布全身。这种小型护卫舰和基伦亚号一样，都是大型战舰的掩护。它们的设计意图就是被敌人的先锋哨舰撞成碎木，只剩船底，作为截击舰吸收火力，物尽其用，最后自沉或放弃。在伊莎德眼里，两种命运都很有可能是远望号的最后归宿。

A grand expedition awaited her, and she moved with haste to where her ship was moored.

船员也没比船况好多少。一群凌乱肮脏的水手，有男有女，毫无纪律地混在一起干活，大多数工夫都用来互相谩骂恐吓而不是装载补给品或货物。他们人数加起来不超过六十，几乎已经是船员数量的下限了。伊莎德鄙夷地嘬起了牙花。

The Ardentius appeared to Ysard like a vessel washed up from another, earlier time, and it bore the scars to match. Wounds accumulated across decades of service pockmarked and spread across her hull like spiderwebs, from the battered iron speartip of her prow to the creaking timber of her aftcastle. These smaller frigates served as escorts for larger warships like the Kironya. They were designed to be ground to splinters against enemy pickets, and to soak up fire as interdictors, to be expended to their last ounce of usefulness before being scuttled or left to sink. To Ysard’s eyes, either fate seemed likely for the Ardentius.

伊莎德强迫自己收起脸上的嘲笑。给她的东西虽然上不了台面，但是没关系。这只会让她利用他们获得的胜利更加伟大。

The crew on its deck was little better. A motley assortment of grubby men and women labored together in a disordered rabble, spending more time exchanging insults and threats than loading provisions or cargo. They numbered no more than sixty, nearly a skeleton crew. Ysard’s lips pulled back from her teeth in disgust.

“那谁，”她对一个工头叫喊，让他暂时放下正在指挥的船员。他转过身，扯了扯饱经风霜的皮大衣的领口，然后带着轻松自信的微笑走过来。那笑容让伊莎德咬紧了牙。

Ysard forced the sneer from her face. The tools she had been given were lowly, but no matter. It would make the conquests she won with them all the greater.

“让货物和船员马上准备好出航，”伊莎德简单直接地说。“我要我的船尽快出发，不得耽误。”

“You there,” she called out to a taskmaster, causing him to turn from the assembled crew he was ordering around. He turned, straightening the collar of his beaten leather storm coat, and approached with an easy, confident grin that set Ysard’s teeth on edge.

“你的船？”那个人的声音是粗哑的中年人。他的眉头皱了一下，然后突然意识到了什么。“啊，这么说，我摊上的那个诺克萨斯天才就是你喽。你想怎么开你的船都行。如果你能别再打岔，那只需要等我搬完东西，咱们就能立刻出发。”

“See that the cargo and crew are readied for departure immediately,” said Ysard tersely. “I intend for my ship to be at sail with no further delays.”

“放肆，”伊莎德因他的无礼面红耳赤，她的手伸向了腰间挂着的纹饰利剑。“你叫什么名字。”

“Your ship?” The man’s voice was a gritty baritone. He frowned for an instant, before realization dawned upon him. “Ah, so you’re the Noxian prodigy I’ve been stuck with. You can get your ship running as you like, and if you’ll quit pestering we’ll be off as soon as I have the rest of my things.”

“奥迪伦，”那个人满不在乎地回答道。“不过朋友们都叫我尼安德。”

“You dare,” Ysard reddened at his impudence, her hand closing on the hilt of the ornate sword at her hip. “Give me your name.”

“尼安德·奥迪伦，”伊莎德重复了一遍这个名字。她看到了正在装上远望号的重木箱，上面的标签显示里边是马具、套索网绳，还有笼子。“驯兽大师？”

“Ordylon,” the man answered, apparently unconcerned. “Friends call me Niander, though.”

“啊，看来你还是知道我的。”

“Niander Ordylon,” Ysard repeated the name. She looked at the heavy crates being loaded onto the Ardentius, marked as carrying harnesses, bola nets and cage housings. “The Beastmaster?”

在都城很少有谁不知道他。虽然她没怎么去过斗兽场——毕竟她要为帝国而战——但伊莎德知道，只要听到奥迪伦这个名字，就能看到野兽伴着人群的呐喊声登场，上演血腥的壮观搏斗。

“Ah, so you have heard of me.”

他在这干什么？

There were few in the capital who hadn’t. Even though she had spent precious little time at the arenas—there was an empire to fight for, after all—Ysard knew the name Ordylon was synonymous with theatrical displays of deadly creatures battling to the roar of the crowd.

伊莎德回过神来。“我拿到的命令里并没有说你也在船上。”

What was he doing here?

“反正，我就是来了。”他交给伊莎德一个卷轴，上面带着欧第茨船长的印记。奥迪伦注意到了她的怒容，于是咧嘴露出一个意味深长的笑容。“看来我们是一条船上的了。”

Ysard recovered her composure. “I was not informed in my orders that you would be coming aboard.”

“Well, here I am.” He handed Ysard a scroll bearing the sigil of Captain Oditz. Ordylon noticed her scowl and flashed her a toothy, conspiratorial grin. “Looks like we’ll be shipmates.”

伊莎德站在护卫舰的舰首，眺望着地平线。起航以后，这艘船排进了一条长长的队伍里，许多船只都想驶出河口进入海洋。排了好几个小时之后，等来的却是细致彻底的登船检查。入海口的要塞工事由许多士兵把守，防御通往诺克萨斯的海路。等到他们搜查过远望号的每一寸甲板，对着伊莎德的命令文件看了不下六轮以后，她终于获准离港了。

伊莎德出海过许多次，但从没坐过自己的船。大海从来都让她感到既震撼又壮美。这是一片无边无尽的深蓝平原，海天交界之处封着一道正午阳光下的隐隐热浪。

Ysard stood at the bow of her frigate, scanning the horizon. Upon setting sail, the ship had filed into the queue of vessels seeking passage through the mouth of the river and out into the ocean. Hours of waiting had led to a brusque and thorough inspection by the soldiers manning the fortified installations that secured entry into Noxus by sea, but after they had checked every inch of the Ardentius and pored over Ysard’s orders no fewer than six separate times, she had been given clearance to depart.

现在，在他们航线的前方某处，伊莎德的命运在等待。一片新的土地即将被探索、征服，最后归入诺克萨斯帝国的版图。

Ysard had seen the ocean many times, but never on a ship under her own command. It was always as shocking to her as it was beautiful, a boundless plane of deep blue, separated from the sky by a delicate blur of heat from the midday sun.

她曾经品尝过荣耀的滋味，那是用刀锋赢得的机会，但绝对不是什么亘古长存的伟绩。虽然伊莎德已经尽力想忘记，但她心中总是藏着一个格格不入的街头孤儿——从不会真正把自己交给集体，从不信任除了自己以外的任何人。

And now, somewhere ahead of them, Ysard’s destiny awaited. A new land to explore, conquer, and usher into the Noxian empire.

除非伊莎德得偿所愿，否则她永不知停歇。

She had earned a taste of glory, won by the edge of her sword, but it was hardly a feat that would echo throughout eternity. And try as she might to forget it, Ysard always carried a shard of the reclusive street urchin inside, never fully giving herself to the collective, never truly trusting any but herself.

她听到甲板上传来厚重的脚步声，回头看过去，驯兽大师正走过来。她在一本旧皮封面的日志上快速记下最后一个符号，然后合上本子放进了大衣口袋里。

Until Ysard had that, she would know no rest.

“景儿不错呵？”奥迪伦说着，把指节抵在栏杆上。

She looked back over her shoulder at the sound of heavy bootsteps on the deck. Seeing the Beastmaster approaching, she made a last quick note in a worn leather journal before closing it and placing it in a pocket of her coat.

伊莎德口气不善地问：“你为什么在这里？”

“Quite the sight, eh?” said Ordylon, leaning his knuckles against the railing.

“我需要一艘船。”

Ysard bristled. “Why are you here?”

“这是我的船，”伊莎德说。“也是我的探险。记住这一点，我们之间就没有矛盾。”

“I needed a ship.”

奥迪伦耸了耸肩。“要来当兵的那一套就随你便。我只在乎我们全身到达目的地，到了以后你别碍我的事，我还要找东西呢。”

“This is my ship,” said Ysard. “And my expedition. Remember that and we’ll have no problems.”

伊莎德转身面向她。“找什么？”

Ordylon shrugged. “Play soldier all you like. All that matters to me is that we get there in one piece, and you keep out of my way while I find what I’m looking for.”

“找怪兽，孩子。”他微笑着。“雄伟的怪兽。抓不到它我就死不瞑目。”

Ysard turned to him. “And that is?”

“A monster, my dear.” He smiled. “A spectacular one. Something that will keep me off my deathbed.”

他们在开阔的海面上航行了三周，终于来到了蟒河三角洲的边缘。这里星罗棋布地散落着数十座地块，既有小块的沙丘，勉强可以站人；也有面积足以容纳村庄的小岛。这片群岛是南方大陆恕瑞玛的门户，也是恕瑞玛东侧未被探索的地区。

水道上停满了小船和木筏，渔民和当地的小贩正在寻找做生意的机会。一艘诺克萨斯船的出现，即使是像远望号这样的护卫舰，也是罕见的景象，所以引来了不小的骚动。生活在河上的居民几乎从不会错过兜售商品的机会。

伊莎德从船长室来到主甲板，发现船身周围挤满了当地人。形形色色的男女站在各自摇摆不定的船上叫嚷喧哗，举着一把把鲜鱼和各种小饰品，引诱着船上的水兵和船员从栏杆边探头向下望。奥迪伦已经下到了当地人中间，用他们的语言喋喋不休地说着什么，而他手下的捕兽人则在与当地人对照印证他们的地图。

Three weeks on the open ocean brought them at last to the outermost edge of the Serpentine Delta. Dozens of landmasses dotted the area, from tiny patches of sand and scrub barely fit to stand upon, to islands large enough to house villages. The archipelago stood as the gateway to the southern continent of Shurima, and the unexplored regions in its eastern reaches.

“没时间让你们闲扯了。”伊莎德说。有那么一小会，她想象着把船上的铁炮对准挡路的小船和舢板，但很快就打消了这个念头。对于这支已然资源短缺的探险队来说，这种行为是不必要的开销，而且还是活着的当地人对她更有价值。

The waterways were filled with small boats and rafts, fishermen and local traders seeking to barter. The arrival of a Noxian vessel, even an escort like the Ardentius, was a rare event and cause of much commotion. Few of the people living on the rivers of the archipelago would pass up a chance to barter like this.

“别紧张。”奥迪伦在底下对她喊。他仔细端详着一块雕琢精美的木头，然后扔回给失望的小贩。“过了这块儿以后的水道就开始危险了。别急着拒绝人家的好脸色。”

Walking from her cabin onto the main deck, Ysard found the hull of her ship was surrounded by the natives. Men and women stood and clamored from their rocking boats, holding up bundles of fish and a myriad different trinkets to tempt the naval soldiery and crew looking down from the railings. Ordylon was down amongst them, chattering away in their native tongue as his trappers bartered and compared the local knowledge with their maps.

伊莎德寸步不让。“我们补充一些物资和淡水，再加一名向导。任何人不许上岸。”

“We don’t have time for this,” said Ysard. For a brief moment she allowed the thought of turning the ship’s guns upon the boats and sampans blocking their way to linger in her mind, but dismissed it quickly. It would have been an unnecessary expenditure of the expedition’s already meager resources, and the locals were of more value to her alive.

奥迪伦非常夸张地行了一个军礼，然后继续与当地人说话去了。伊莎德让自己不去管那位驯兽大师，因为她要确保为数不多的诺克萨斯水兵在船上坚守岗位，保持警惕。就在她刚好检查完一遍船上的火炮和炮手的时候，她看到奥迪伦把一个人从舢板拉到了船甲板上。

“Relax,” Ordylon called up to her, inspecting a piece of intricately carved wood before tossing it back to a disappointed trader. “Waters get dangerous past this point. Don’t be so quick to turn away a friendly face.”

“我给咱们找了个向导，”奥迪伦说着，附下身听那个人用当地语言说了些什么。“他说欢迎来到蟒河，他能带我们去上游。”

Ysard wouldn’t budge. “We take on provisions, fresh water, and a guide. No one goes ashore.”

“好，”伊莎德简练地说，她想尽快启程。

Ordylon gave an irritatingly sincere salute before continuing his conversation with the locals. Ysard put the Beastmaster from her mind, seeing to the cadre of Noxian naval soldiers aboard and ensuring that they stayed vigilant at points across the ship. As she finished inspecting the ship’s cannons and their gunners she saw Ordylon hauling a man up from a sampan onto the deck.

那名向导又对奥迪伦说了什么。“但他问，我们为什么要去上游？”驯兽大师说。“那地方有什么好的？”

“Found us a guide,” said Ordylon, leaning down as the man spoke to him in the local tongue. “He says welcome to the Serpentine, and that he can take us upriver.”

“告诉他，”伊莎德说，“等我们的任务完成，它就属于诺克萨斯了。”

“Good,” Ysard said quickly, eager to be underway.

The guide spoke again to Ordylon. “But he asks, why do we go up the river?” said the master trapper. “Why do you seek to go there?”

“Tell him,” said Ysard, “that once we are done, it will belong to Noxus.”

他们补充到的物资是一些奇形怪状的当地水果和腌鱼，之后探险队就驶离了这个漂浮的贸易点。小岛变得密集了，零星土地之间的水路迷宫越来越狭窄，最后能让远望号行驶的只剩下一条宽阔、黑暗的河流，伸向雨林的深处。

他们在风平浪静的水面上度过了数日，每一天目之所及都是最真实、最原始的野外。她和自己的船员是第一批看到这片未驯之地的诺克萨斯人，伊莎德美美想到这点，内心就澎湃不已。这里自有一种美感，葱郁的草木掩映在爆发之势长出的树冠下，林叶间还令人眩目地点缀着不同颜色的花朵。

这里还有一些别的东西。

向导一路不太情愿地带他们航向更深处，指认了许多地标，让船避开了所有暗礁和浅滩。但与此同时，伊莎德感到一阵难以抗拒的瘙痒——最开始像是想象出来的，然后越来越真实、越来越强烈。河流周围弥漫着一层幽暗，似乎被一种阴影笼罩。但是这阴影却看不见，只能感觉到。

After restocking their provisions with an odd assortment of local fruits and preserved fish, the expedition sailed on past the floating trading post. The archipelago condensed, the labyrinthine paths between the islands shrinking until the only route available to the Ardentius was a wide, dark river leading deeper into the jungle.

伊莎德发现自己的手总是会下意识地游移到腰间的剑上。她总是挪开手，然后专门把双手交叉抱在胸前，强迫自己集中精神。

Days passed in an uneventful stretch, as true, untouched wilderness confronted them. Ysard’s heart swelled with pride at the thought that she and her crew were the first Noxians ever to see this untamed wilderness. There was beauty here, vibrant plant life that exploded with lush towering trees swathed in dazzling, multicolored blooms.

但那寂静的恐惧却一直都在，满满地渗透进她所能看见的一切。

There was something else here, too.

As their river guide hesitantly led them ever deeper, pointing out landmarks and keeping the ship clear of reefs and shallows, an itch took hold of Ysard—first imagined, then more real and insistent. A gloom permeated every inch around the river, as if it were all drowned in a shadow that could not be seen, only felt.

Ysard found that her hand would stray to the blade at her hip without thinking. She would draw her hand away before deliberately crossing her arms over her chest and forcing her mind to focus.

But the silent horror remained, saturating everything she could see.

伊莎德下令全队保持机警，然后跟正在海图上绘制航道的领航员谈话，再去检查了船上的仓库。她爬回主甲板，从自己的血崖干粮里拣走了一只鼠鼻虫。这时，她听到有人在嚷嚷。

“什么事？”她爬上主甲板的同时以命令的口吻问道。

奥迪伦听向导把话说完。“他说他不会往前走了。”

伊莎德眉头一皱。“为什么？”她打量了一圈，河流和雨林看上去和过去几天的景象没什么不同。但那位大河游民却十分惊慌，似乎他们打破了某个隐形的边界，进入了他们不应踏足的领域。

Ysard saw to her command to remain sharp, consulting with the ship’s navigator as he worked to chart the course of the river, followed by an inspection of the ship’s stores. She climbed back up to the main deck, picking a rat-weevil out of her ration of Bloodcliffs hardtack, when she heard shouting.

小个子的向导对身边的船员狂乱地打着手势。他指了指他们皮肤上一块块正在渗液的红斑。伊莎德之前就注意到这种病症已经开始在船员中蔓延开来，而她始终都没想明白它的来源。她甚至也在自己身上发现了类似的征兆。

“What is it?” she demanded as she climbed onto the main deck.

“是雨林，”奥迪伦把向导的胡言乱语翻译了过来。“他说是雨林在惩罚我们。它不会允许我们进入。”

Ordylon listened to the guide. “He says he will go no further.”

懦弱的矮子，伊莎德心想。她看了一眼奥迪伦。“随他去吧。让他下船，必要的话就把他扔下去。我们现在不会调头。”

Ysard frowned. “Why here?” She looked around, the river and jungle no different than anywhere else in the past days. Yet the riverman was panicking, as though they had broken some invisible boundary they were never meant to cross.

The little man gestured frantically to the crew around him. He pointed to the patches of red, weeping flesh on their bodies. Ysard had noticed the affliction spreading amongst the crew, despite her efforts to divine its source. She even found signs of it on herself.

“It is the jungle,” Ordylon translated as the guide ranted. “He says it is punishing us. It will not let us in.”

Cowardly little thing, thought Ysard.

远望号继续行驶，已经深入内陆一周了。过去的几天里一直静风，没有任何前进的动力。在伊莎德的命令下，几组船员下了船在水中跋涉，用绳子和铁链费力地拖拽这艘护卫舰。如此拉纤需要耗费巨大的努力，在变幻不定的凶险河岸上，船员继续坚持着。但他们已经发现，相较于刚启程的时候，已经少了九个灵魂。

She looked at Ordylon. “So be it. Get him off my ship now, throw him overboard if you have to. We aren’t turning back now.”

迷雾包裹着这条河，让人无法看清远处。随着原始丛林的树木个头越来越大，两侧树木的枝干已经伸到了河道顶端，交汇形成愈发深厚的树冠华盖，遮天蔽日，只留下依稀可见的幽光。伊莎德有一种清晰的感觉，似乎船在向下航行，而不是向前，不断航向这片未知土地的黑暗内心。

这座丛林正在生吞他们。

大雨毫无预警地袭来，持续了好几天。不知它是如何做到的，但这雨水却穿透了密不透光的雨林华盖，把远望号和她的船员浇得精湿，寒气侵骨入髓。这个地方好像在想方设法地剥开他们的外壳，惩罚这群胆大包天的入侵者。船员们对此深信不疑。

向导的离开像乌云一样压在船员们的心头。一些格外迷信的船员开始自言自语，在每棵树的形状和每一道艉流的波纹中都捕捉到黑暗的噩兆。即使是最玩世不恭的士兵也变得坐立不安起来。风言风语听得太久，让他们也开始看到一些怪象。

The Ardentius sailed on, now more than a week’s travel into the interior. The past days had seen no wind to fill her sails, not even a slight breeze to carry her forward. On Ysard’s command, teams of the crew had disembarked, wading to their shoulders as they strained to haul the frigate on with ropes and heavy chains. The effort was enormous, and with the treachery of the river’s shifting banks, the crew continued on after finding the current with nine fewer souls than it had started with.

伊莎德心里知道，要不了多久，就会有人绷断脑子里的那根弦，到时免不了要杀鸡儆猴。事实证明她是对的，而且比她预想的，以及希望的还要更快。

Mist shrouded the river, obscuring it from view. The primordial treeline swelled, branching over the water to link the opposite banks in an ever-deepening canopy that closed in and stole away all but the barest trace of light. Ysard had the distinct sensation that the ship was moving downward, not forward, into the dark heart of this unexplored land.

“让船调头！”一个惊惶的声音喊道。“赶紧调头！”

The jungle was swallowing them.

“没事儿的，克罗斯，”奥迪伦在努力让自己的声音显得冷静。

Rain had come without warning, and carried on for days, somehow piercing the impenetrable canopy of the jungle to soak the Ardentius and her crew to the bone. It was as though this place was actively seeking to unravel them, punishing intruders for daring to cross into its domain. The crew believed as much.

“这是一条死船。是被诅咒的船。”捕兽人慌忙地跑向奥迪伦，抓住他的大衣领子。“你们都听到那个大河游民怎么说了——进入这片丛林的东西全都有去无回。有去无回！”

The departure of their river guide hung over the crew with the oppression of a stormcloud. The most superstitious of them muttered, seeing dark omens in every tree and in the shape of each ripple the frigate’s hull cast across the dark water of the river. Even the most cynical of the naval soldiers were on edge, only able to hear such ramblings for so long before they began to see patterns themselves.

奥迪伦的眼神扫过周围的船员，大滴冷凝水珠从他破旧的宽帽檐上不断向下滑落。他能在他们的眼神中看得到，克罗斯的话回荡在每个人心底。

Ysard knew in her heart it would not be long before the tension cracked some of them, and examples would have to be made. Sooner than she had thought, and hoped, she was proven right.

“闭嘴。”他厉声打断，将克罗斯推了回去。“不准说什么诅咒。给老子醒醒。”

“Turn the ship around!” came a panicked cry. “Now!”

“我们必须回头，”那个发了疯的捕兽人乞求道，他睁大双眼，一遍一遍地恳请。“我们必须——”

“Easy now, Kross,” said Ordylon, straining to keep his voice calm.

克罗斯没能说完这句话。他用力喘着粗气，剑锋的尖端从他的肋骨间刺出。他随即跌倒在甲板上。

“This is a death ship. A cursed ship.” The trapper hurried toward Ordylon, seizing him by the lapels of his storm coat. “You all heard the riverman—nothing ever comes back from this jungle. Nothing!”

伊莎德擦干净剑刃。有的时候，做正确的事是一种沉重的负担。

Ordylon flicked his gaze over the surrounding crew, heavy beads of condensation dripping from the wide frayed brim of his hat. He saw it in their eyes, Kross’ words reflected in each of them.

“你还没出生的时候我就和他一起打猎了，”奥迪伦怒吼道。“你凭什么——”

“No more of that,” he snapped, shoving Kross back. “We’ll have no talk of curses here. Get yourself together.”

“我们不会停下，”伊莎德冷冷地说。“任何事，任何人都别想阻拦。”

“We have to turn back,” the crazed trapper begged, eyes wild as he repeated the plea again and again. “We have to—”

Kross never finished his sentence. He gasped, hard, as a sword’s tip emerged from between his ribs. Then he toppled to the deck.

Ysard cleaned her blade. Sometimes, being right was a heavy burden to bear.

一阵剧烈的震动和撞击把伊莎德甩出了床铺。她爬起来，扣好武器，飞奔到甲板上。

“I’ve hunted beside that man longer than you’ve been alive,” Ordylon snarled. “What gives you the right—”

这条河突然就到头了。河口像是被蜿蜒的藤蔓和华美的树木包围起来，源头是一条条来自密林深处的涓涓细流，也可能是从地面的泥沼之下涌出的暗泉。

“We don’t stop,” said Ysard coldly. “Not for anything, or anyone.”

“河道堵死了，”奥迪伦一边说，一边指着正前方的树木城墙。“我们必须调头。再找一条支流。”

伊莎德举起望远镜，扫视前方。靠人力让远望号调头寻找另一条水路需要耗费太多时间，她耽误不起。伊莎德看着集合起来的士兵和老练的船员，她有点怀疑这群疲惫不堪、动摇不定的幸存者是否有能力给船掉头。

在过去的几天里已有十人丧生——又有一个擅自离守的人被处决，六个人死于那种古怪的传染病。三个人在夜里就这么失踪了，交接班的人在黎明到来的时候发现他们消失得无影无踪。

“我们在船上留下几个人，足够开船就行，然后其他人从这里出击，”伊莎德对集合好的士兵们下令。“我们要么为帝国找到值得占领的土地，要么在此建立前哨站，作为今后进一步探险的基础。武装员史塔姆，给登陆小组分发刀剑。”

A grinding crash threw Ysard from her bunk. She scrambled to her feet, buckling on her weapons and sprinting out onto the deck.

史塔姆犹豫地说。“指挥官……不带十字弩吗？还有火药炸弹？”

The end of the river had come abruptly. The inlet looked as though the tangles of vines and slick trees had engulfed the water, fed by a fan of streams that trickled out of the jungle, or flowed up from beneath the muddy ground.

伊莎德抽出剑，对全员说。“这种武器在密林中毫无作用。我们只能用土办法。”她瞥了一眼奥迪伦，他正在集结自己的狩猎小队。“这就是你要来的目的，对吧，驯兽大师？”

“The river has choked out,” said Ordylon, gesturing to the wall of trees confronting the ship. “We’ll have to turn around. Find another branch.”

虽然不清楚他是如何做到的，尽管他也经历了同样艰苦的航行，但这位捕兽高手依然保持着自信和暴躁。“我们要抓的是个大家伙，小子们，”他说道。“带齐家伙，我们要抓活的，还要活着带回来。所有人平分负重，做好准备，和指挥官的伙计们一起上岸。我们跟他们一起行动，不要掉队。”

Ysard raised her spyglass, scanning ahead. Hauling the Ardentius around to find another route would take time she didn’t have. Looking at her collected soldiers and senior crew, Ysard doubted the weary and shaken survivors would be capable of moving the ship in such a way.

他的人散开去进行准备，伊莎德走近奥迪伦。“真没想到我们俩居然能达成一次共识。”

Ten had died in the past days—another one by execution for refusing to man his post, and six to the strange, infectious disease afflicting them. Three had simply vanished in the night, those taking their shifts finding no trace when dawn arrived.

“We keep a skeleton crew aboard and strike out from here,” said Ysard to the assembled ranks. “We will either find something of worth to claim for the empire, or establish an outpost to launch further expeditions inland. Armsman Starm, distribute blades to the shore party.”

Starm hesitated. “Commander… No crossbows? No powder bombs?”

Ysard drew her sword and addressed the entire party. “Such weapons will be useless in the undergrowth. We do this the old way.” She glanced at Ordylon, who had gathered his hunting party around him. “This is what you came for, is it not, Beastmaster?”

The master trapper was somehow still his confident, boisterous self, even after the ordeal of the river passage. “We’re after a big one, boys,” he said. “Bring everything we need to bag one and keep it, spread the load amongst us all, and be ready to move when the commander’s lads step off. We stick with them.”

His men dispersing, Ysard approached Ordylon. “I’m surprised to see us in accord for once.”

这座丛林很“凶残”。伊莎德想不到别的词来形容。和现在比起来，河流上的种种磨炼简直是天堂。

他们必须用刀剑劈砍切入实心的藤条和厚皮的植被，与丛林奋战才能前进。他们呼吸不到空气——只有凝重、潮湿的迷雾，蜇得他们开不了口、睁不开眼。没过多久，所有人就累得筋疲力尽。

The jungle was brutal. No other word came to Ysard’s mind. For all the river’s trials, it had been paradise compared to this.

伊莎德有一种被人监视的可怕感觉，似乎无处不在，同时又并不存在。队伍的后卫和侧翼开始一个接一个地失踪减员。大多数人一声不响就消失了，还有几个人惨叫着被拖进了灌木丛。

They had to fight through it, hacking and cutting into the solid mass of vines and thick vegetation. There was no air to breathe—only a thick, humid fog that stung the throat and eyes. It wasn’t long before exhaustion set in.

不到几个小时，伊莎德一行三十人的水兵和捕兽人队伍已经减员一半。

Ysard had a dreadful sense of being watched, from both everywhere and nowhere at once, and one by one men began to disappear from the rearguard and flanks. Most vanished in silence, but a few were torn into the undergrowth with a scream, crying out for help.

“都跟紧点儿！”她大喊着揩了一把眼前倾泻的汗水。她无法集中注意力。脑袋轰鸣，皮肤灼痛，那些红斑现在已经遍布她的躯干和四肢。她不能停在这里。她不会停在这里。他们必须继续前进。前方的探子喊了一声。伊莎德跋涉到纵队的前排。前方的密林之中有一小片空地，空地中央有一汪格外显眼的、黑色的水塘。这片空地很狭窄，但和他们身后的险阻坎坷相比，这里简直是天赐的福地。

Within hours, Ysard’s force of thirty naval soldiers and trappers had been whittled down by half.“别碰池水，”伊莎德对士兵们下命令，虽然她自己也非常口渴。“我们在此休整。但要准备好随时出发。”“Stay together!” she shouted, cuffing the pouring sweat from her eyes. She struggled to focus, her head buzzing and her flesh burning from the red patches that now covered her torso and limbs. She couldn’t stop now. She wouldn’t stop now. They had to keep moving.坐下以后，伊莎德抬头看到了奥迪伦。他递过来一个坑洼破旧的锡水壶。犹豫片刻后，她黑着脸接过了水壶。他缓缓沉下身坐在她旁边。伊莎德用余光打量着他，奥迪伦这一路上的硬气开始有些动摇了。A call rang out from the forward scout, and Ysard trudged to the head of the column. There was a small break in the jungle ahead, with a shallow pool of black, turgid water at its center. It was cramped, but still blessedly open compared to their trek thus far.“别太感动，”这位捕兽人说。“无论有没有你，我都能到这儿，到这个该死的地方。我别无选择。”“Don’t touch that water,” Ysard ordered her soldiers, in spite of her own thirst. “We rest for now. But be ready to move.”伊莎德皱着眉看着他。奥迪伦看到自己的手下都在说话声音范围以外，凑近了一些。Sitting down, Ysard looked up to see Ordylon, holding out a battered tin flask to her. After a moment, she grudgingly took it as he sank down beside her. Ysard glanced at him, seeing the poise that he had held throughout their voyage beginning to fray.“我已经破产了，”他小声说。“我为了来到这里花光了最后一点钱，这是我挽回名声的最后机会。要么带回去一只叱咤斗兽场的野兽并付清我的债务，要么我就回不去了。”“Don’t get too sentimental.” said the trapper. “With or without you, I’d be here, in this accursed place. I’ve got no choice.”奥迪伦叹了口气，拿回水壶喝了一小口。Ysard frowned at him. Looking to see that his men were out of earshot, Ordylon leaned in close.“那，你到这是为了什么？”“My business is bankrupt,” he whispered. “What little coin I had was spent bringing me here, one last chance to save my name. Either I bring back a beast that packs the arenas and pays off my debts, or I don’t come back at all.”“职责，”伊莎德望向密林深处。“等我凯旋而归，把这个地方纳入诺克萨斯，他们将以我的名字命名这里。高贵的姓氏托米莉曾经意义非凡……直到后来大统领斯维因上台，开始了他的清洗。我的战功将名垂青史，永世流传。”“他们说你好大喜功，”奥迪伦笑着说。“我还以为他们一定是受够了，所以给你安排了这么个倒霉的差事。我现在知道他们的意思了，”他的话里带着一种奇怪的柔软。“这件事上，我很遗憾。”Ordylon sighed, taking the flask back and taking a short pull.“等等，”伊莎德皱着眉思索这番话的意思。突然，水花飞溅的声音打断了她短暂的沉思。“我说过，别碰池水！”她厉声说道。“So. What brought you here?”“不是我们的人，”奥迪伦望着密林深处说。“Duty,” answered Ysard, looking out into the jungle. “When I return from here, having brought this place into Noxus, they will name it after me. The noble name of Tomyri used to mean something… before Grand General Swain, and his purges. My conquest will echo through history, a legacy for all time.”伊莎德望向池塘，在倒影中看到头顶的树冠正在颤动。枝干崩断砸向地面，落进水中。“They said you were vain,” Ordylon chuckled. “I suppose they reached their fill of it, arranging this fool’s errand. I see what they meant now,” he said with a curious softness. “And for that, I am sorry.”然后她听到了那个声音。“Wait,” Ysard frowned as she sought the meaning in his words, before the sound of splashing water broke her respite. “I said stay away from it!” she snapped.重重的脚步声，伴着树木断裂的噼啪响动，还有一种低沉、湿黏的吼叫。密林中现出一个身影，推开茂密的植被，露出一颗巨大的、满是尖牙的头。“That isn’t us,” said Ordylon, gazing into the jungle.伊莎德一动不动。她以前曾见过龙蜥——那是载人的坐骑，或者载重的驼兽。她也见过成年的龙蜥，块头大得足以在攻城战中撞塌城墙。Ysard looked at the pool, seeing the trees above shaking in its reflection. Branches snapped loose to crash down to the ground and into the water.但这家伙更大。Then she heard it.这只生物俯视着他们，轻轻发出一声吼叫，声音足以让那些站着的人失足倒下。A pounding tread, accompanied by the sound of trees cracking, and a low, wet rumble. A shape began to resolve from the jungle, shoving its way through the dense vegetation to rear an enormous, fanged head.“好啊！”Ysard froze. She had seen basilisks before—as mounts for riders, or beasts of burden. She had seen adults so large they could smash down the walls of besieged cities.这庆祝胜利的声音让伊莎德从震撼中惊过神来。她转过头看向那位驯兽大师，他正在将一杆鱼叉和一副套索组合到一起，微笑着抬头看向那只怪兽。This one was larger.“过来吧，你个小美人儿！”奥迪伦吼道，他的声音中充满了疯狂，手上挥舞着他所擅长的工具。“咱们看看谁是老大，你还是我！”The creature glared down at them, and loosed a roar loud enough to throw those standing from their feet.伊莎德感到脚下的大地随着怪兽的每一步而颤抖，几乎足以把她掀翻。她听到了这只龙蜥的野性咆哮，紧接着是人群的叫喊。她知道那位声名显赫的驯兽大师的声音也混在其中。“Yes!”但她没有回头看他。她正全力朝反方向奔跑。The triumphant voice jarred Ysard from her shock. She turned to see the Beastmaster, snapping together a harpoon and bola as he grinned up at the monster.“Come on now, you beautiful thing!” Ordylon bellowed, madness creeping into his voice as he brandished the tools of his trade. “Let’s see who’s bigger, you or me!”Ysard felt the ground quake beneath her with every step the monster took, strong enough to nearly throw her from her feet. She heard the basilisk’s primal roar, and the screams of men, knowing that the famed Beastmaster’s was among them.伊莎德终于在密林中的一片空地的边缘滑步停下。她一手撑树，竭力喘着粗气。她已经听不到奥迪伦和那只龙蜥的动静，但她可以想象最后的结局。她深呼吸几次以后抬起头来，清点了一下剩余的人手。But she didn’t look back to see what happened to him. She was too busy sprinting in the opposite direction.一共有六人，包括她自己。衣衫褴褛、体力透支、惊吓过度，其中只有三人还带着武器。奥迪伦的捕兽人都和他们的雇主一起坚持到了最后。绝望似乎化作了实体，击中了伊莎德，她拼命抵抗着自己滑向地面的双膝。“看！”一名士兵喊道，用手中的剑指向前方。伊莎德向空地中间窥视，然后她看到了那个东西。一个拱门形状的东西，上面覆盖了一层茂密的藤蔓，但在这令人窒息的环境中依然显得格格不入。它是石头材质的。某种建筑。他们急切地穿过密林中的空地向它走去，脚下传来藤条和荆棘折断的声音。这个建筑十分简单，朴素的外表已经完全被密林覆盖。厚厚的藤蔓爬在摇摇欲坠的石块上，很可能是这些藤蔓在扶着它屹立不倒。表面的植被看上去不像是自然生长的，似乎是这个地方正在想方设法裹住它，把它磨成尘埃。Ysard finally skidded to a halt at the edge of a clearing in the jungle, placing a hand against a tree for support as she fought to catch her breath. She could no longer hear the commotion of Ordylon and the basilisk, but she could imagine what had happened in the end. She looked up after several deep lungfuls of air, taking stock of what remained of her command.几名幸存者分散开来，搜查这块被植物扼住的石方周围。伊莎德站到它的正面，一种莫可名状的感觉涌上她的喉头。她扯开表面交织覆盖的藤蔓，看到了石头上凿刻的文字——所使用的语言是她再熟悉不过的。There were six of them in total, including herself. Ragged, drained and terrified, only three of them still carrying weapons. Ordylon’s trappers had stayed with their employer until the end. Despair struck Ysard like a physical blow, and she fought to keep from sinking to her knees.“这……”她的舌头干涩又僵硬。她艰难地组织起话语。“这……这是诺克斯托拉。”“Look!” one of the soldiers called out, pointing with his sword. Ysard peered into the clearing, and saw it. An arching shape, overgrown by vines, but still utterly alien in this stifling environment.伊莎德恍然大悟，同时也陷入了一阵恶心的潮涌。他们并不是帝国派到这里的第一批队伍。此前曾有其他人，从她自己的旅途和这座前哨的状态来看，他们的命运显而易见。It was stone. A structure. They hurried toward it, creepers and brambles snapping as they crossed the break in the undergrowth.她是被派到这来送死的。The building was simple, an austere construction completely overrun by the jungle. Thick vines wound through the crumbling stone, likely the only things keeping it standing. It seemed unnaturally overgrown, as though this place was actively seeking to subsume it, and grind it to dust.她被赐予了渴望已久的命令，这命令带着她前往世界的边缘，一个有去无回的地方。伊莎德已经用尽了每一丝力气，为自己打造一段传奇。The survivors split up, searching in and around the squat cube of plant-choked stone. Ysard stopped before it, a feeling she could not define welling up in her throat. She ripped away the clinging tangle of vines covering the surface, seeing the script chiselled into the stone—in a language she had known all her life.然而事与愿违，现在她正如同身处危崖，再往前一步就会让托米莉这个姓氏永远从历史上消失，消失在这片密不透风的野地。“This…” Her tongue went thick and dry as she struggled to form the words. “It… It’s a Noxtoraa.”Revelations came at Ysard in a queasy tide. They were not the first of the empire to come here. There had been others, and from her own journey and the state of this outpost, their fate was clear. As was hers.She had been sent here to die.这座荒废的前哨没有给他们留下任何东西。伊莎德领着其他幸存者回到了密林当中，在茂密的灌木丛中砍出一条新路。在他们昏聩的脑海里，似乎刚走过的地方就被新出的根系和藤蔓层层叠盖。Given a command she was desperate to undertake, leading her to the edge of the world and a place that none had ever returned from. Ysard had given every fiber of her being to forging a legacy.他们撞见了远望号，几乎完全是巧合。他们迎面撞上了船首。Instead, she now stood on the precipice of striking the Tomyri name from the face of history, in this suffocating wilderness.植被已经吞噬了这艘护卫舰，甚至填满了周围的溪流。乍看上去就像是这艘船从密林中自己不可思议地长了出来。伊莎德看到甲板上矗立着一些像是破柱子一样的东西。她浑身血液冰凉。那是船员们。他们和这艘船一样被植物吞没了。每个人都直挺挺地站着，就像被藤蔓覆盖的肖像一般。“这座丛林，”她结结巴巴地说。“把船收走了。”There was nothing for them in the abandoned outpost. Ysard lead the other survivors back into the jungle, hacking a new path through the dense undergrowth. To their fevered minds, it seemed like fresh roots and creepers were winding back into place even as they passed.剩下的士兵们乱了阵脚。“我们怎么办？”武装员史塔姆大喊道。“我们怎么办？”When they happened upon the Ardentius, it was almost by accident. They practically ran into its prow.“我们回到河边，”伊莎德喃喃地说。“找路回到河岸。再沿河回到三角洲。”Vegetation had consumed the frigate, even filling over the inlet around it. It almost appeared as though the vessel itself had somehow grown out of the jungle. Ysard saw shapes sticking up from the deck like broken pillars.“我们不可能走出去的。你看到其他人的下场了，指挥官。这片丛林——”Her blood went cold.“去他妈的丛林！”她厉声说。“不就是树和藤条，昆虫和野兽吗。你是一名诺克萨斯的士兵。这里没有东西能击败你！”The crew. They had been devoured and overgrown just as the ship had been. Each man and woman was on their feet, like statues covered in vines.伊莎德甚至不确定自己是否相信这番话。这个地方不对劲，有什么黑暗的、不可思议的存在，即使是帝国的力量也无法驯服的存在。“The jungle,” she stammered. “It’s taken it.”但她不愿在绝望面前屈服。Panic began to take hold of the remaining soldiers. “What do we do?” Armsman Starm shouted. “What do we do?”“如果你想死在这里，孤孤零零，没人记得，那就自便。”她拾起最后一丝力量。“我不接受这样的命运。有力气跟我走的人，来吧。这里不是伊莎德·托米莉该死的地方。”“We make for the river,” murmured Ysard. “Find our way to the bank. Follow it back to the delta.”“There’s no way we can make it out of here on foot. You saw what happened to the others, commander. The jungle—”“Damn the jungle!’ she snapped. “It is trees and vines, insects and beasts. You are a soldier of Noxus. There is nothing here that can defeat you.”他蹲在河边，肚子咕咕叫，脑子里想的是村子里在家中等待的家人，让他没法专心盯着鱼线。Ysard wasn’t certain she believed the words herself. Something was different about this place. There existed some dark, impossible presence here, something that even the might of the empire was unable to tame.但他走运了。鱼竿上传来强有力的拖拽。男孩放声发出了胜利的呼喊，一条大鱼被应声拉出水面，左摇右摆，闪闪发亮。But she would not yield to despair.他并没有看到一个影子正在向他漂过来，直到距离一桨开外的地方才注意到。“If you want to die here, alone and unremembered, then so be it.” She gathered the last of her strength. “I will not accept such a fate. Any with the strength to follow me, come. This place will not be the end of Ysard Tomyri.”男孩皱着眉，那个东西越来越近。篮子里的鱼已经被他忘在脑后。他涉水走下河床，抓住那个东西拖上了岸。浮木在村子里能派上许多用场，还可以交换其他东西……只要他能把它拖回家。但这不是一块浮木。男孩倒吸一口凉气，因为他看到层层的藤蔓和苔藓底下，有一张人脸正仰面瞪着天。这是一个死人，但男孩分辨不出是男是女。他想起了村里每年祭祖宴上展示的封存起来的长老们。这具尸体身上穿着残破不全的黑色盔甲，暗红色的镶边，装饰着的标志已经锈蚀，而且对男孩来说没有任何意义。尸体扭曲僵硬的手里紧紧抱着什么东西。他稍稍费了些力气拽了出来。The low grumble from his stomach, and thoughts of his family waiting at home in the village, had lashed the boy’s focus to his line as he squatted on the riverbank.这是一本不大的书，紧紧包裹在湿透的破旧皮革中。He was rewarded with a firm tug. The boy gave a whoop of relieved triumph as he hauled the fish from the water, wriggling and glistening in the light.男孩将手中的日志翻过来。那具尸体突然爆开了，一团明亮的绿色藤蔓从中蜿蜒长出。一股闪着微光的孢子烟雾从空腔中腾起，男孩退缩到远处，咳嗽不止。He didn’t notice the shape floating toward him until it was an oar’s length away.男孩拿着书开始奔跑。后脖颈突然一阵瘙痒，他伸手挠个不停。钓鱼的事忘得一干二净，他飞奔着逃回了家。The boy frowned, the fish in his basket forgotten as the object came closer. He waded out into the soft riverbed, taking hold of it and taking it back with him onto the bank. Driftwood had many uses in the village, and could be traded away… if he could drag it back home.But it wasn’t driftwood. The boy gasped as he saw a face staring up through layers of creepers and moss.It was a dead person, though the boy could not tell if it was man or woman. It reminded him of the preserved elders the village exposed each year for the ancestor feasts. It was clad in scraps of dark, battered armour, edged in tarnished red, adorned with a rusted symbol that meant nothing to the boy.Something was clutched in its gnarled, lifeless hands. With a strain of effort he tugged it free.It was a small book, tightly wrapped in sodden, worn leather.As the boy turned the journal over in his hands, the corpse burst open, and a snarl of bright green vines slowly slithered out from it. A glittering cloud of spores rose from the cavity, and the boy flinched away, coughing.Book in hand, the boy ran, scratching at the insistent itch that had started on the back of his neck, all thoughts of fish forgotten as he fled for home.