黑文海崖的掳掠者 The Despoiler of Havenfall

作者：Michael Haugen Wieske

雾气来得飞快，笼罩了交叉路口，遮天蔽日。乔纳斯努力在浓厚的雾缕中辨别方向，他周围的世界被一张密不透风的帷幔压在下面。有什么东西在推挤着迷雾的织网，探寻着落脚点。从时空的彼端向他伸出手。

The fog had come in swiftly, eclipsing the afternoon sun over the crossroads. Jonath had tried to find his way between the thick tendrils, the world around him darkened by an impenetrable shroud. Shapes pushed at the fabric of the mist, grasping for purchase. Reaching for him from beyond.

他无法握紧手中的缰绳，无法拿出动手的勇气。这样一来他也无法骑上马，跑到安全的地方。

He fumbled with the reins in his hands, trying to find the nerve to do what he had to. So he could mount up and ride for safety.

“别这么做，孩子。我们都有自己的使命。”

“Don’t do this, boy. We all have a duty.”

乔纳斯用力眨眼，甩开恐惧，眼神紧盯着这位瘫在军马上的女骑士。她从刚开始的时候就已经是这副模样，虽然还骑在马上，但却连坐稳的力气都没有。她的盔甲千疮百孔，沾满血污，可乔纳斯想象不出是什么样的武器才能制造出这样的伤势。不管怎样，这位骑士命不久矣。

Jonath blinked the fear from his eyes, fixating on the knight slumped over the steed. He had found her like this, still mounted but unable to even right herself in the saddle. Her armor was pierced and slick with blood, although Jonath didn’t know what manner of weapon could have inflicted these wounds. The knight was dying all the same.

他感受到她的眼神，是在评判——评判他不够坚强。不够资格。她用一只戴着板甲手套的手握紧缰绳，把他拉到面前。

In her eyes, he saw judgment—they found him weak. Unworthy. She gripped the reins firmly in one plated fist, pulling him in close.

“我们必须把消息送到雄都。你……皇子必须知道。把这里发生的一切告诉嘉文皇子，这里的兵营抵挡不住了。”

“We must carry word to the capital. You... the heir must know. Tell Prince Jarvan what is happening here, the garrison cannot hold them off.”

南边传来隐约的打斗声，乔纳斯知道，迷雾里的东西已经抵达黑文海崖。他周围的空气越来越冷，越来越暗。墨色的雾像有脉搏一样律动，一寸一寸地逼近。黑文海崖的骑士根本与他无关。这些王公贵族的精英战士从没帮过他任何忙。而那里的人们……

Faint sounds of battle from the south told Jonath that the beings in the mist had reached Havenfall. The air around him grew colder, darker. The inky mist pulsated, inching close. Havenfall’s knights were none of his business. The supposed elite of the crown had never done anything for him. And the people there...

乔纳斯紧闭双眼，使劲从骑士手中夺过缰绳，假装自己听不见她痛苦的抽气，还有她滚落马鞍摔在地上的声音。

Screwing shut his eyes, Jonath ripped the reins from the knight, trying to ignore her pained gasp as she rolled out of the saddle and hit the ground.

“保护神请宽恕我。”他悄声说道，发现自己的声音在颤抖。这和平时偷马没什么区别，他跨上马鞍，努力说服自己。

“Protector forgive me,” he whispered, his voice wavering. This was no worse than the other times he’d taken horses, he tried to tell himself as he mounted.

壮硕的战马给他注入了一分淡定。乔纳斯用手抚摸骏马脖子上的肌肉，环顾交叉路口找清方向。往东的路通向雄都，那里有高耸的城墙和数不尽的士兵。他们需要什么预警？不用想，无论是什么样的污秽魔法，什么样的雾中怪物，都不可能伤及雄都的石墙铁壁。南边不远处就是黑文海崖，他的家。就在刚才，他还可以看到粼粼的屋顶和排排的船桅。镇子身后是宽阔的田野，骏马能载着他在上面尽情奔跑。

The war steed’s bulk instilled a measure of calm in him. Running a hand down the stallion’s muscled neck, Jonath looked around the crossroads to get his bearings. The eastbound road led to the Great City, with its high walls and countless soldiers. What warning did they need? Surely, whatever foul magic urged the claws and voices in the mist would be no match for the capital’s defense of stone and steel. Just to the south lay Havenfall, his home. Moments ago, he could see its glinting rooftops and rows of masts from where he now stood. Behind the town lay open country, as far as a horse could carry him.

乔纳斯曾在那片绵延的丘陵上策马奔腾不知多少个日子，沿着白岩悬崖追赶入港的帆船，让海风里的盐粒粘住自己的头发，在无拘无束的自由中欢呼雀跃。他从来不把别人的东西据为己有。他的盗窃还不至于被流放到内陆。他只是借用马匹，每次郊游以后都必定物归原主，马儿最多只是疲惫，绝不会受伤。

Jonath had spent days beyond count riding across those rolling hills, racing incoming ships along the white cliffs overlooking the bay, letting the sea stiffen his hair with salt, rejoicing in the thrills of unchecked freedom. He’d never kept any he took. He was no thief who deserved to be exiled to the Hinterlands. He borrowed horses, always returning them at the end of his excursions, tired but unharmed.

这一次我要怎么还？如果我把她留在那——

How will I return this one? If I leave her to—

不。不是他的错，是她自己撞上迷雾，还浪费了逃生的机会——而乔纳斯的逃生并没有直接造成她的死亡。无论他做什么，在别人眼里都不够好。他比较擅长料理马匹，也有专心劳作的意愿，但即使是他的老一辈们——那些养马人和商人，也都总是在回避他，因为他不愿把别人的要求放在自身利益之前。他们说，如果他不值得信赖，再有天赋都没用。但他自己认为，如果不珍视真正的自由，再受别人认可也没意义。军营就更不用想了，那里将服从命令奉为无上光荣，所以当他到募兵场上证明自己勇气的时候，换来的只是来自镀金长枪另一端的冷嘲热讽。

No. It wasn’t his fault she had gotten in the way of this mist and squandered her chance at survival—for Jonath to take his did not make him guilty of her death. No matter what he did, he had always been deemed insufficient. He had a hand with horses and the will to work, but even his elders—horse breeders and traders—had shunned him for his unwillingness to put the demands of others ahead of his own needs. No use in talent if he couldn’t be relied on, they said. No use in the approval of people who didn’t value true freedom, thought Jonath. Not to mention the garrison, who glorified obedience above all else, sneering at him down gilded lances even when he came to prove his mettle on the recruiting fields.

好在，当他跑到郊外的山坡上，骑着不倦的骏马追风逐日的时候，他就是楷模。他要逃离这团诡异的迷雾，加入狂奔的野马群远走高飞。

Well, out in the hills, chasing the wind on the back of an unbroken steed, he was the exemplar. He would outrun this unnatural mist, and lose himself among the ranging herds.

乔纳斯催起骏马，奔向南边的路，这时他感觉自己周围的时间变慢了。骏马的耳朵向两侧压平，突然浑身僵直。惊到它的不单单是战斗的嘈杂，而是某种不属于这个世界的东西。乔纳斯也能感觉得到。原始的恐惧占据了他，用铁钳般的握力挤压他的胸腔。迷雾聚拢过来，然后突然从交叉路口散开，就像是无数只手把帷幕撕开。乔纳斯在死寂中听不到任何声音。

Jonath spurred the stallion, making for the southern path, as time slowed down around him. The stallion flattened his ears, suddenly rigid under Jonath. Whatever had scared it was beyond the natural din of battle, something that didn’t belong here; Jonath felt it, too. Primal fear seized him, squeezing his chest with an unyielding grip. The mist pulled close, then pulsed clear of the crossing, as if limbs within were pulling the veil aside. Jonath heard nothing in the deathly stillness.

然后远远传来铁蹄蹬踏在硬石路面上的声音。

Then came the sound of steeled hooves on hard-pack road.

随着帷幕被扯开，乔纳斯依稀分辨出昏暗中有骑马的人影。虽然他清楚地听见无数马匹的飞驰、盔甲缝隙的刮擦碰撞、马镫的摇摆，但是那支骑兵队却似乎始终原地不动——就像是一副贵族狩猎的画作，或是国王精锐骑兵冲锋的挂图，图里的他们可能正在火速营救无辜的平民，冲向侵犯边境的外敌。但这些骑兵并不是德玛西亚骑士，也不是童话故事里的救世英雄。这些骑兵不是来保护谁的。一个旗手举着一面静止不动的三角旗，然而旗帜在风中抽打的声音却听得一清二楚。一个军号手，用无唇的白齿死命咬住号嘴，吹响进攻的号角。

As the veil parted, Jonath made out riders in the gloom. Even though he could hear the mounts at full gallop, the clatter of plate armor, and the whipping of stirrups, the echelon appeared immobile—like a framed tableau of nobles on the hunt, or the crown’s elite on the charge, come at the last second to defend the citizenry against the dangers beyond the border. But these were not Demacian knights, nor saviors from fairy tales. These riders were not here to protect. They were girded in black-iron plate, and an evil light glowed in their motionless eyes. A bannerman carried a still pennant, the beating fabric audible nonetheless. A hornblower, lipless mouth deadlocked around his instrument, sounded the attack.

迷雾发出尖叫。赫——卡——里——姆。

The mist shrieked. Heeeecaaaariiiim.

不知为何，乔纳斯知道这是一个名字。迷雾在宣告着他的到来。

It was a name—somehow, Jonath knew. The mist heralded his coming.

这个名字意味着死亡。

It was the name of death itself.

乔纳斯意识到自己的处境，动弹不得，他注意到领头的那个骑兵。他体型无比巨大，俯视所有的手下，每一次迈步都震颤着地面，而又依然悬停在原地。他的双眼透着深处的火，洞悉面前的一切。虽然他们只是在目视前方，但视线却似乎看穿了乔纳斯的灵魂，让他充满了来自远古的绝望。

As this realization staggered Jonath, he noticed the rider at the lead. He was gigantic, towering over his retinue, shaking the ground with each unmoving stride. His eyes, bright with inner fire, took in all before them. Even staring ahead, they seemed to bore into Jonath, searing through him, filling him with an ancient dread.

那个骑兵转过头，露出微笑。

The rider turned his head, and smiled.

乔纳斯惊叫一声，恐惧直觉让他身体畏缩。他失去平衡，在鞍座上向后摇晃，惊了胯下的马。马儿扬起前蹄，把乔纳斯向后甩到地上，发出一声闷响。突如其来的混乱惊到了马匹，它蹿进黑暗，跑丢了。乔纳斯发出呻吟，摔落马下的他耳边嗡鸣。他把前额贴在沙土上，每一次慌乱的呼吸都吸进一鼻子灰。他希望自己的祈求能够奏效，盼望当他抬起头的时候什么都看不到。

Jonath let out a cry, recoiling with instinctual fear. He flailed, kicking back to stay in the saddle, startling his stallion. The mount reared, throwing Jonath to the ground with a dry thud. Galvanized by the shock, the animal bolted into the darkness. Jonath groaned, his head ringing with the impact. He pressed his forehead against the dry earth, dust packing his nostrils with each panicked breath. He wished he could pray away what he would see when he looked up.

“站起来，马僮。”一个沙哑刺耳的声音说道，脸上的微笑让音调短促而紧绷。“鼓起你的勇气……看着我。”

“Rise, squire,” a grinding voice said, a smile pulling the syllables taut. “Find your courage... Look at me.”

这个嗓音浑厚粗野，似乎每个音调都来自熔炉的深处。乔纳斯听不出这是哪的口音，但他听得出那种不屑。一直以来遭人轻视积攒的怨气让他抬起了头。

The words were guttural, each syllable slowly surfacing as if rising from the depths of a furnace. Jonath could not place the accent, but he had heard its mocking tone before. A sting of old spite made him raise his head.

简陋的马蹄铁燃烧着地面。这匹马似乎完全由焦黑的生铁做成，从内而外散发着绿色火焰。乔纳斯的呼吸卡在咽喉，因为他看到这位骑兵并不是坐在鞍座上——他与自己的坐骑熔合了。他究竟是什么东西？这是乔纳斯的罪责换来的惩罚吗？那个怪物开始大笑，缓缓举起一把冒火的剑戟。

Crudely shod hooves burned the soil where they stood. The rider’s horse seemed to be made entirely of blackened iron, glowing from within with green fire. Jonath’s breath caught in his throat as he saw the rider was not saddled on this unnatural steed—he was fused with it. What was he? Had he come as punishment for Jonath’s crime? The monstrosity laughed, slowly raising an infernal glaive.

乔纳斯落泪了，他满脑子只剩下一个念头。保护神请宽恕我。保护神请宽恕我。

Tears ran down Jonath’s face, his mind seizing hold of the only thought it could. Protector forgive me. Protector forgive me.

但戟刃没有落下来。相反，那个怪物唤来一个骑兵手下。这个骑兵也同样不是骑马的人，而是半人与半马融合的怪物。整个骑兵队都和他们的首领一样。赫卡里姆抓住了那个骑兵的脖子，然后缓缓地，毫不费力地把他的躯干撕了下来。骑兵流淌出绿色的烟雾，没有发出任何声音，只是不自主地抽动着。他身体曾经所在的地方，现在剩下的是一颗枯瘦的、批着铠甲的战马头颅。

But the blow never fell. Instead, the monster called one of his ghostly riders closer. The rider, too, was not a horseman at all, but fused at the midriff with the body of a horse. The entire echelon was deformed like their leader. Hecarim gripped the rider’s neck and slowly, effortlessly, ripped his torso from the equine trunk. The rider, trailing green smoke, made no sound, twitching erratically. Where his body had been, there was now the head of a withered, armored destrier.

“我们稍后再回来处理你。”骑兵首领咯咯地笑着，放开了那个骑兵的灵魂。灵魂飘在空中，脱离了马身以后，他失去了前进的目标。其余的不死骑兵始终一动不动，仿佛他们的时间停滞了。

“We’ll be back for you later,” the leader chuckled as he released the rider’s spirit. The spirit floated mid-air, aimless now that it had been severed from its animal half. The rest of the undying echelon remained utterly motionless, frozen in time.

赫卡里姆的目光注视到乔纳斯身上。

Hecarim turned his gaze to Jonath.

“奉暗影岛统治者，国王佛耶戈之令，我前来占领这片土地。让我忠诚的骑士们在此见证，我赫卡里姆，海利亚的征服者，铁之团的大团长，给这名敌人一次公平决战的机会。”他的诡笑让这些话语变得扭曲。“那就拿出用勇气吧，高贵的马僮，骑上马。战争要来了。”他把亡灵战马的缰绳递给乔纳斯。

“I claim this land by decree of King Viego, regent of the Shadow Isles. Let my loyal knights witness that Hecarim, Conqueror of Helia, Grand Master of the Iron Order, honors his foes with a fair fight.” The words twisted around his smirk. “So, find your courage, noble squire, and mount up. War has come.” He presented the reins of the spectral destrier to Jonath.

乔纳斯从赫卡里姆手中接过缰绳，他说话的语气已经出卖了他暗藏的诡计。乔纳斯环顾四周，骑兵队静静地等待着，僵硬的笑容刻在他们无皮无肉的脸上。他在脑海中大声尖叫着，和帷幕彼端的低语交错共鸣。让当兵的处理这些怪物吧。他抓起缰绳，一跃跨上鞍座。

Jonath took in Hecarim, the tone of his offer betraying it for the lie it was. He looked around him, the echelon of knights looming, immovable rictus grins carved into their skeletal faces. His mind screamed in tune with the whispers behind the veil. Let soldiers deal with these monsters. He grabbed the reins and, with one motion, swung up into the saddle.

这匹马的身体既坚实又虚无缥缈，厚重的马铠与皮毛发出咻咻的摩擦声。他应该能够感知到一匹马的性格，但现在却只能感受到空无。他应该能和马匹同心同力，但现在却站在饥饿的虚空边缘摇摇欲坠。乔纳斯让恐惧占据内心，脚跟用力踢它的侧腹。他猛拉缰绳，转头向南，冲入黑雾的壁障……

The steed’s body was solid yet incorporeal at the same time, the heavy barding hissing where it moved against the beast’s bulk. Where he would sense a horse’s character, Jonath felt only emptiness. Where he should feel a union of kindred minds, he teetered on the edge of a ravenous void. Jonath let his fear take over and hammered his heels into its flanks. He ripped at the reins and turned south, piercing into the wall of black mist...

尖钩的指甲划破我的皮肤。僵死的怪笑对我大呼小叫。

Hooked nails scoring my skin. Long-dead grimaces accusing me.

……冲破到了另一侧的空地。前方的路宽敞无碍。夕阳照着码头，悬崖下的海面波光粼粼。

...and bursting out the other side into the clear. Ahead, the path was open. The sun was setting over the bay, the sea glittering calmly beyond the cliffs.

乔纳斯身后，空洞、炽热的笑声回荡在交叉路口。

Behind Jonath, hollow, furnace laughter echoed through the crossroads.

“追上去。”他听到赫卡里姆下达了命令。

“Give chase,” he heard Hecarim order.

乔纳斯紧紧抓着军马，沿着道路飞奔，他从未见过任何骏马能跑得这么快。在他身后，坚实的土路上留下一串异样的迷雾。太阳即将落到海面以下，天空即将被深蓝色的黄昏占领。这样的好天气很适合骑行。如果他继续这样骑下去，或许还能再活着看到明天的天气。乔纳斯抬起头，渐暗的天空中已经可以看到保护神之盾，璀璨的星座给乔纳斯带来慰藉和微笑。不过他的微笑很快就凝固了，因为他听到一声悠长的狩猎号角。

Jonath clung to the steed, speeding down the path faster than he had ever seen any stallion gallop. In his wake, a thin trail of the unnatural mist lined the packed earth. The sun was setting into the bay, giving way to the deep blue of dusk. It had been a beautiful day for a ride; if he kept its pace, he might see another. Looking up, he saw the Protector’s Shield coming into view in the darkening sky. Jonath’s smile at the constellation turned stale as he heard the long call of a hunting horn.

迷雾如同长长的触手，从他身后包过来，他的心跳也随之加快。怪物赫卡里姆带领他的铁之团就在迷雾中骑行。黑暗从两侧围拢过来，乔纳斯感觉自己看到黑烟凝聚成了实体。他被恐惧攫住，目瞪口呆，视线被涌出的泪水模糊了。但这并不妨碍他看到她——那个被他抛下等死的骑士，现已被困在雾中变成了幽灵。她举起一只断手臂，那只曾经紧握缰绳的手已不知去向。

His heartbeat quickened as he saw thick tendrils of mist closing in behind him. The monstrous Hecarim and his Iron Order rode within. Tendrils of darkness flanked Jonath, and he thought he could see shapes coalescing inside. His mouth fell open in horror, his vision blurring from sudden tears. He could see her nonetheless. The knight he had left to die, now a ghostly form trapped in the mist. She raised an arm that ended in a ragged stump—the hand that had held the reins, missing.

“你荣誉败坏，”她哀嚎着，“你不配为德玛西亚人！”

“You have no honor,” she wailed. “You are no true Demacian!”

“求求你，不要…”乔纳斯一边低声自语，一边强迫自己望向远方。他发疯似的踢着坐骑，盼望它尽快把自己带出恐惧。他低头看了眼缰绳。骑士的断手正死死抓在上面，勒停了战马。一个声音在迷雾中回荡：

“Please, no,” Jonath whispered, forcing his gaze ahead. He frantically kicked the steed’s flanks, willing it to get him away from this horror. He glanced down at the reins. The knight’s severed fist was gripping them, yanking the mount into a stall.

“逃吧，懦夫。”

“Flee, coward,” the voice echoed from the mist.

乔纳斯痛苦地呜咽着，一把扯下缰绳上的断手，和铁甲手套一起向身后追来的骑兵扔去。

Whimpering in anguish, Jonath ripped the reins out of the fist and threw the plated gauntlet toward the riders at his heels.

“急着挑衅吗，马僮，”赫卡里姆嘲弄地说，“真没想到你的胆子还不小。如果你想决斗，那，我接受。毕竟我们贵族都是有准则的。”

“So quick to take offense, squire,” Hecarim jeered. “I did not think you had the courage. If you are challenging me to a duel, then I accept. We noblemen have a code to follow, after all.”

乔纳斯看到赫卡里姆冲到面前，抬起手臂护住脸，等来的并不是挥向头颅的剑戟，而是再一次被粘腻的黑暗吞噬。他四周都是亡灵的面孔，一同发出嘲讽的笑声，就像是在齐唱赞歌，恭迎主人的阴险诡计。乔纳斯催着他的幽灵马继续向前，冲出迷雾，赫卡里姆和他的骑兵都从眼前消失了。

Jonath raised his arm in front of his face as Hecarim closed to striking distance, but instead of being beheaded by the glaive, Jonath was engulfed once more in cloying darkness. The faces of the dead surrounded him, their scornful laughter an anthem to their twisted master’s trickery. Jonath spurred his spectral steed, and as he burst from the mist, Hecarim and the riders disappeared from view.

当乔纳斯经过黑文海崖城外的马厩时，海岸已被暮色笼罩。厮杀声已经停止，城镇看上去基本完好无损。他感到一阵短暂的轻松。这里有可以迎敌的士兵。坦达瑞德指挥官和他的部下会赶走乔纳斯身后的追兵。这位城主虽然专横傲慢，但也是位从不屈服的战士。

Night had fallen over the coast as Jonath passed the stables at the edge of Havenfall. The sound of battle had stopped, and the approaches to the town appeared largely untouched. He felt a brief wave of relief. He would find soldiers here who could fight. Commander Tyndarid and his garrison would see off the riders on Jonath’s trail—for all his imperious arrogance, the castellan was an indomitable warrior.

乔纳斯看到了战马，有些护甲穿了一半，有些还拴在食槽旁的栏杆上，都已经死去。他的心凉了半截。

Jonath saw war horses, some half saddled and barded, some still tied to their hitching rails near the trough, lay dead. His heart sank.

战马驮着乔纳斯走进镇子，黑雾带来的真正恐怖在他面前徐徐展开。乔纳斯慢慢转身。这…不可能是真的。这一定是他臆想出来的可怕梦境，或是哪个恶毒法师施放的黑魔法。

As Jonath’s destrier carried him further into the settlement, the true horror of the black mist around him became apparent. Jonath slowly turned around. All of this... couldn’t be real. It had to be a figment of his troubled imagination, or some dark sorcery worked by a vengeful hedge mage.

但亲眼所见的景象打破了他的幻想。

But his eyes told him otherwise.

街头随处可见刚刚死去的镇民幽灵在自己的尸体边徘徊，在恐惧中无声地哭泣与颤抖着，一遍遍经历被铁之团践踏至死的那个瞬间。高贵的王族骑士默默守在自己战死的位置。乔纳斯经过的地方，一个个幽灵都在用空洞的眼睛盯着他。有一位骑士，残破的尸体和盾牌被一杆长矛钉在一处，他的幽灵向着乔纳斯走出一步。乔纳斯惊呼一声，因为他认出这就是坦达瑞德指挥官。一群死去的造船工犹豫地站起身，带着怒色向乔纳斯慢慢走过来。他磕了一脚马镫，匆匆逃开了。他脑海中有个声音悄悄说，这帮人就算死了，也还是不待见他。

In the streets, the spirits of newly dead townsfolk lingered above their own corpses, cowering in fear, wailing silently, reliving the instant they were ridden down by the Iron Order. Proud knights of the crown stood mute where they had died battling. As Jonath passed, one by one, spirits fixed their hollow eyes on him. A knight, his killer’s spear still pinning his shield to the shade of his body, made a step toward Jonath. A gasp escaped his lips as he recognized Commander Tyndarid. A group of dead shipbuilders haltingly gained their feet and tumbled toward Jonath in agitation. He kicked his steed and made his escape. A voice inside him whispered that even in death, they knew he didn’t belong.

幽灵般的强盗团冲过集市广场，把幸存者围赶到一起，用火炬点燃铁匠铺和其他商铺的屋顶。绿色火焰吞噬着建筑，在广场投下死亡的光影，但茅草和木头建成的房屋却并未被火焰所伤。而屋里的镇民…乔纳斯骑在马上把头扭向一边，迫使自己不去听任何声音。

Wraithlike raiders coursed through the merchant quarters, corralling survivors and putting torches to the roofs of the smithies and trade posts. Green fire engulfed the buildings and cast a deathly light across the square—the thatching and wood somehow remaining untouched by the flames. The townsfolk inside... Jonath looked away as he rode, willing himself not to hear.

港口边残破的渔船和驳船靠在白石码头旁，也都残破不堪、熊熊燃烧。乔纳斯望向海湾另一边，一声悠长而凄厉的狩猎号角把他的目光引向平静海面的另一边。一小队幽灵骑兵在月光下踏过平静的水面，他们压低长矛，冲向最后一艘依然飘浮着的帆船。他们的冲刺命中了目标，随后是微弱的武器撞击声和水手临死前的惨叫。帆船被翻滚的迷雾包围，消失在视线里。

By the harbor, fishing boats and river barges lay low against the white-stone pier, scuttled and ablaze. Jonath looked out over the bay, his gaze drawn across the still water by the long, mournful note of a hunting horn. A squadron of spectral riders raced across the calm water in the moonlight, lowering their spears as they neared the last sailship still afloat. The charge hit home, followed by the faint clash of weapons and the cries of sailors dying. The ship disappeared from sight in a mass of writhing fog.

黑文海崖已被完全攻占，不知道德玛西亚还有多少地方遭到入侵。

The entirety of Havenfall was under siege—who knew how much of Demacia was affected by this invasion.

乔纳斯调转马头，试图控制自己的恐惧，找条路离开。也许他也可以驾着自己的马越过码头，从水面骑到海湾另一边。虽然他跑不过这些不死的怪物，但或许可以趁他们不注意逃离这场噩梦…

Circling his mount, Jonath tried to control his fear and find a way out. Perhaps he should race his own steed off the pier and ride the waters across the bay. He was unable to outpace these deathless monsters, but he might slip away unnoticed and escape this terrible nightmare...

一阵脚步声打断了乔纳斯的沉思。他看到几个幸存者从破败的集市广场钻了出来。一共有四个人。两个棕头发的年轻人，一看就是兄弟，手握短剑，惶恐的眼神左右扫视着广场四周。他们护着身后的一位上了年纪的妇人，她穿着光照者的装束，拿着一根钢杖。乔纳斯一眼认出了打头的壮汉——铁匠亚大玛尔。他手持未加纹饰的大剑重盾，锻造时留下的炉灰还没有擦净。

Jonath was brought back to the present by the sound of footfalls. He noticed a gaggle of survivors picking their way through the ruined market square. There were four of them. A pair of brown-haired youths, clearly siblings by their features, held on to short blades, their eyes darting fearfully across the square. They protected an elderly woman who followed in their wake, dressed in the garb of the Illuminators and carrying a steel cudgel. Jonath knew the powerfully built figure at the head of the group—it was the blacksmith Adamar. He held a heavy blade and shield, still unadorned and blackened with the soot of its forging.

“乔纳斯！”亚大玛尔小声叫他，“我们还以为其他人都死了呢。我们要逃出去，你也一起——”铁匠看到乔纳斯的马，忽然停住了。他的眼中燃起怒火，举起带着炉灰的盾牌，向身后三人示意。“你跟那些怪物是一伙的！”

“Jonath!” Adamar called out quietly. “We thought we were the last ones left alive. We’re getting away from here. You are welcome to joi—” The blacksmith fell silent as he saw Jonath’s steed. His eyes hardened with fury, and he ushered the others behind him, soot-matt shield held high. “You’re in league with these monsters!”

年迈的光照者伸手轻抚亚大玛尔的肩膀。“你看他的眼睛，亚大。他和我们一样害怕。他和他们不是一伙的。”她直接对乔纳斯说道：“离开那头怪兽，孩子，跟我们走吧。”

The old Illuminator placed a hand on Adamar’s shoulder. “Look at his eyes, Ada. He’s just as afraid as we are. He’s not with them.” She addressed Jonath directly. “Get off that abomination, child, and come with us.”

“不是我不想。”乔纳斯听到自己说。罪恶感像一盆冷水浇到他头上，让他眩晕迷乱。濒死骑士的脸再次出现在眼前，拷打着他的良心。“但亚大玛尔…他说的对。我不属于这里，也不配得到你们的宽恕。你们不知道我今天做了什么，我到底是谁。我不配为德玛西亚人。”

“I wish I could,” Jonath heard himself say. The guilt of his actions washed over him, making his head swim. He saw the dying knight’s face again, accusing him. “But Adamar... he’s right. I don’t belong here, and I don’t deserve your mercy. You don’t know what I did today, who I really am. I am no Demacian.”

“够了。你是编绳巷的乔纳斯，不是外人。别以为我没看见你等天黑以后去保护神的神坛祈祷。我知道你内心向往回归正义之路。虽然我无法预知未来，但今晚，最重要的是活下去。我们剩下的人已不多，而你也是其中一员。生者中的一员。好了，赶紧从那个…东西上下来，我们离开这里。”

“Enough of that. You are Jonath of Ropemaker’s Row, not some stranger. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you pray at the Protector’s shrine after dark. I know your heart wants to lead you back to righteousness. I cannot tell you if it will, but tonight all that matters is survival. There are not many of us left here, and you are one of us. One of the living. Now get off that... thing, and let us leave this place.”

乔纳斯抓住马鞍，抬腿准备下马。“感谢保护神为我带来宽恕——”

Jonath grabbed the saddle, swinging his leg up to dismount. “Thank the Protector for your mercy—”

市集广场上的重重迷雾突然被冲散，幽灵骑士破雾而出。赫卡里姆一马当先，挥舞着锯齿剑戟凭空跳出来。乔纳斯还没来得及反应，剑戟就击中了那位光照者的胸膛，将她一劈两半。赫卡里姆的骑兵们视若无物地踏过亚大玛尔和两个年轻人，随后又停在原地。他们就像乔纳斯第一次见到时那样，完全静止住了，僵硬地高举着长矛，旗帜与盔缨在空中凝滞。在一片死亡般的宁静中，刺破沉寂的只有他们身上同样静止的徽章发出的声响。

Coils of mist ripped open above the town square, spectral riders bursting forth. Hecarim was at the fore, galloping through thin air, swinging his jagged glaive wide. Before Jonath understood what he was looking at, the blade struck the Illuminator in the chest, cleaving her in two. Hecarim’s riders unceremoniously ran through Adamar and the two youths, before cantering to a halt. Like the first time Jonath saw them, they became completely still—their spears held rigidly upright, their banners and pinions frozen, only the sound of their motionless regalia piercing the deathly quiet.

单骑当先，孤军突入，赫卡里姆始终令人瞩目。他的铁蹄翻开了地面，与动物无异的身体前后摇摆，眼中闪烁着千百年来积累的智慧。大团长，征服者，黑文海崖的掳掠者。乔纳斯怎么可能抵挡这强大的不死悍将？人怎么可能抵挡？

Ever the first of their number, there was Hecarim, hooves scraping the ground, his animal body pacing back and forth, his eyes burning with ancient intellect. Grand Master, conqueror. Despoiler of Havenfall. How was Jonath meant to stand against the might of this infernal warmaster? How was anyone?

赫卡里姆逐渐缩短距离，最后与乔纳斯比肩骑行。他俯下身，把手伸向乔纳斯借去的战马，一把抓住它的笼头。这位大团长的身材，足足比乔纳斯高出了一半。

Hecarim closed the distance, riding up alongside Jonath until they stood shoulder to shoulder. Slowly, he reached down toward the bridle of Jonath’s borrowed steed, arresting it in place. The Grand Master was taller than Jonath by half.

“你今天的赎罪很是积极。”赫卡里姆熔炉般的深沉嗓音柔和了一丝，变成了老马的低鸣。他的目光游移不定，最终停在了乔纳斯背后洒满月光的海湾里。“在黑雾带来的无尽痛苦面前，甚至有的国王都难免失去的理智。你此生认识的所有人都已消逝在这夜里，而你求生的意志却依然没有破碎。为了让自己活下去，你还愿意把谁献祭？你的国王也可以吗？”

“You acquitted yourself well today,” Hecarim said, the deep, furnace-roar softened to a growl. His gaze wandered, settling on the moonlit bay behind Jonath. “I have seen kings lose their minds when faced with the Black Mist and the eternal anguish that it brings. Everyone you ever knew perished this night, yet your will to survive remains unbroken. Who else are you willing to sacrifice so you can live? Are you willing to let even your liege die?”

乔纳斯的心在狂跳，泪水模糊了他的视线，无助与惊恐要把他压垮。就在刚才，赫卡里姆屠戮了他家乡最后的幸存者，可现在他闲谈的样子就好像两人刚刚只是在训练场上小打小闹。

Jonath’s heart pounded, his vision blurred as tears of helpless panic threatened to overwhelm him. Moments ago, Hecarim had slain the last survivors of his hometown, and now he was conversing with him as if they had sparred in some practice duel on the training grounds.

“国王……已经死了。皇子将继承王位，他是最合适的人选，愿保护神指引他。我……不想为了自己的利益害死他。”

“The... the king is already dead. The crown prince, Protector guide his hand, is next in line, and there could be no one more deserving. I... do not want to put him in peril for my own gain.”

赫卡里姆停滞了几秒钟，然后发出了一声酸涩的嗤笑。 “按照王位继承的顺序，继承人未必就是最合适的人。可我又何必在乎那些生者的脆弱王国呢？我们能成什么事，全看命运给我们发什么牌。”

Hecarim remained still for a moment, then scoffed with soured mirth. “In the line of succession, the crown does not always go to the most fitting heir. And what do I care for the frail kingdoms of the living. We all have to make do with the hand fate deals us.”

贴近看去，乔纳斯可以清晰地看到赫卡里姆盔甲上数不清的凹陷与划痕。这副黑铁打造的盔甲包裹着赫卡里姆的火焰之躯，上面记载了无数次冲突与战争，他突然明白了这个怪物最基础的本质……他是一个由战而生、为战而生的存在。几百年来，他所做的就只有战斗，在命运的诅咒中反复经历着自己最恶劣的罪行。不知他生前犯下了什么罪，总之，这是他的惩罚。

Up close, Jonath could see the countless pits and scratches in Hecarim’s armor. He could see endless years of conflict scored into the black-iron plates encasing the flames that made up his body, and understood a fundamental truth about this creature... He had been created by war, and he was made for war. He had done nothing but battle for centuries, condemned to relive his worst transgressions. Whatever crimes he had committed in life, this was his punishment.

而他，却对这无比漫长的惩罚甘之如饴。

And he relished every interminable second of it.

这股灵异的迷雾飘到哪里，赫卡里姆和他的铁之团就跟到哪里——一路破坏、屠戮，陶醉在自己对生者造成的痛苦之中。如果没人阻止这邪恶的力量，德玛西亚将落得什么下场？乔纳斯终于明白了一个自己穷尽一生都没有想通的道理：勇气并不是德玛西亚人生来具备的独特品质，也不是衡量一个人存在价值的尺子。勇气，意味着知道自己必须要做的事，然后选择不计代价地执行。自从交叉路口的遭遇以来，他首次感到冷静。他最后一次想起了那位受伤骑士临终时的话语。

Wherever the unnatural mist went, Hecarim and his Iron Order followed—pillaging, killing, and reveling in the atrocities they inflicted on the living. What would become of Demacia if no one stopped this evil? Jonath finally understood something that had eluded him his entire life. Courage wasn’t some unique quality infused into true Demacians at birth, or a measure of his worth to the world. It was a question of realizing what must be done, and choosing to do it no matter what. He felt calm for the first time since the crossroads. He remembered the wounded knight’s dying words, one last time.

黑文海崖已拼尽了最后的一兵一卒，无人能向皇子告警。很快，整个王国都可能会沦为死地。他凝视着大团长赫卡里姆，从他披着链甲的手中拉过缰绳，重新掌控了胯下的战马。赫卡里姆纵容他的忤逆，姿态从沉思变成了好奇。

There were no soldiers left in Havenfall to warn the crown prince, and soon there might be none left in the entire kingdom. Fixing the Grand Master with his gaze, he pulled the reins from Hecarim’s mailed fist, taking control of the destrier. Hecarim indulged him, his posture changing from introspection to curiosity.

乔纳斯策马掉转方向，拉开了几步距离。“我见过你对手无寸铁的村民痛下毒手，见过你在无助者的尖叫声中狂欢。我知道你将永远被自己的兽性束缚，但你并非如此不可救药。怪物，如果你还保留着一丝一毫生前记忆，如果你还有一丝一毫的荣誉可言，就放我过去！”

Jonath wheeled, gaining a few paces of distance. “I have seen how you ride down defenseless villagers, reveling in the screams of the helpless. I know you are bound to your basest instincts for eternity, but there is more to you. If a shred of your living self remains, if you have any honor at all, abomination, you will let me pass!”

他稳了稳心神。他知道自己可能无法到达雄都，但他要试一试。他胯下的战马似乎感受到了他的决心，壮硕的肌肉紧绷起来。乔纳斯用尽全身的力量催动马刺，幽灵战马发起了冲锋。乔纳斯这辈子第一次如此笃信自己口中喊出的话语：

He collected himself. He knew he would not make it to the Great City, but he was going to try. The bulk of his tireless mount tensed as it sensed what was about to happen. With all his might, Jonath gave it the spurs, and his spectral steed charged. For the first time in his life, Jonath truly believed the words as they sprang from his lips.

“为了未冕之王！为了德玛西亚！”

“For the uncrowned king! For Demacia!”

赫卡里姆诡露出诡笑，看着小伙子冲向铁之团横突的长矛。年少的愚蠢陪他走到了最后一刻。这样的遗憾，赫卡里姆已经看过太多次了。但只要佛耶戈还抱着属于他的执念，跨洋过海，留下黑雾的足迹，赫卡里姆就能畅享战争的果实。

Hecarim smirked with delight as the boy charged willingly toward the spears of the Iron Order. The folly of youth had stayed with him until death, a flaw all too common in Hecarim’s experience. But as long as Viego chased his own foolish obsession across the oceans of the world, trailing the Mist in his wake, Hecarim would enjoy the spoils of war.

他环顾四周。视线所及之处，自己的骑兵散播着灭亡与恐惧。他燃烧的骷髅脸上，那铁铸的邪笑裂开了更大的口。

Around him, as far as he could see, his riders spread terror and death. A cast-iron grin widened across his burning skull.

“要是我们可以摆脱忠诚的掣肘……”随着黑文海崖的最后一个生命在眼前消逝，他心中冒出一个念头。

“If but our hands were not bound by fealty...” he mused, as he watched the last living soul of Havenfall perish.