Chapter 2 Chapter 1 After the disaster

The sound of a big horn suddenly sounded, tearing apart the water-like tranquility of this autumn morning—— Aaron, who was only eleven years old, stopped what he was doing and looked up at the purple cloud-covered sky at dawn.The morning mist was still thick, and the damp air was filled with a very familiar pungent smell of burning animal bones.He waited in the stillness of the morning, growing more and more frightened, hoping that it was all an illusion. After a while, there were two more horn sounds in the distance, one long one, followed by two short ones, indicating the south and the east respectively.The voice came from a village on the edge of the forest.Many of the Carter family were father's friends.The door behind Aaron opened, and he knew that the one who opened the door must be his mother who covered her mouth with her hands.

Aaron went on with his work without any prompting from adults.Other daily chores can take their time, but things like grazing and milking the livestock don't dare to procrastinate.He locked the animals in the corral, opened the feed bin, poured feed for the pigs, and ran to get the milk pail.By this time his mother was crouching under a cow.He moved another bench, and the two milked in a practiced rhythm.The sound of milk being sprayed on the casks sounds like mourning. When they came to the second cow, Aaron saw his father harnessing the strongest horse in the family, a five-year-old mare named Mihi, to the wagon, in the process of harnessing it.Father's expression has been very gloomy.

Aaron didn't know, what would their family face this time? Soon, they got into the carriage and headed towards the village on the edge of the forest.It's very dangerous there, and it's at least an hour away from the building with the sigil guard, but they need wood from the forest.Aaron's mother, wrapped in an old drape, held him tightly in her arms all the way. "I've grown up, Mom." Aaron complained, "You don't have to hold me so tight like a baby, but I'm not scared at all." He said this just to reassure his mother, not the truth, because he He couldn't let the other kids see him as a little kid who stuck to his mother, a softie - he'd had enough of their taunts and jokes.

"I'm a little scared," his mother said solemnly. "It's me who needs to be hugged." A man's pride arose in Aaron, and he approached his mother again.She couldn't really fool him, but she knew what to say to coax him every time. Long before arriving at their destination, a puff of thick black smoke and a pungent stench had heralded the ominous news they would face—someone was burning a corpse—starting the fire so early before everyone came Praying after they are all together means that there are many dead. If you want to deal with everything before dusk, you have to do special things.

The distance between Aaron's father's farm and the forest village was more than five miles.When they arrived, the remaining flames in the cabin had been extinguished, in fact because there was nothing left to burn.Fifteen houses were all reduced to ashes. "It's a pity that my wood was also burned." Aaron's father spat on the side of the carriage.He lifted his chin and gestured to a pile of charred logs, the result of this period of time in the lumberyard.Aaron frowned at the thought that the crumbling fence of his barn would last another year. There was always a strange anger in his heart.After all, what they lost was a large pile of good wood.

The mayor greeted them when their carriage was about to stop.Celia was a serious woman, tall and thin and resolutely built, with rough skin as black as leather; Aaron's mother always called her "Sterile Celia" behind her back.His long gray hair was tied back, and he wore a shawl, which seemed to be the mayor's mark.She didn't allow anyone to mess around, which Aaron had suffered a few times under her crutch.Today, however, it's nice to have her there, as Aaron's father, Celia makes him feel more secure.Despite having no children of her own, Celia acts like the patriarch of all Tibe Creek.There aren't many people as calm and wise as she is, and even fewer are as stubborn as her.Standing with Celia feels like standing in the safest place in the world.

"Glad you're here, Jeff," Celia said to Aaron's father. "And Sylvie and little Aaron," she said, nodding at them. "We need all the helpers, even this kid can help." Aaron's father greeted him and jumped out of the carriage. "I've brought tools," he said, "to tell us where to go to help." Aaron retrieved valuable tools from the back of the wagon.Metal was rare in Tibbey Creek, and his father was very proud of his two shovels, pick and saw, which would come in handy today. "How many people died?" Jeff asked—though he didn't want to know the real number.

"Twenty-seven," Celia said.Sylvie whimpered and covered her mouth with tears in her eyes.Jeff spat again. "Are there any survivors?" he continued. "Several," Celia said. "Manny," she said, raising her crutches and pointing at the shivering boy who stood staring at the fire, "ran all the way to my house at night." Sylvie gasped.No one has ever run such a long distance under the attack of demons at night. "The magic seal of Bryn Carter's house only lasted until midnight." Celia continued, "He and his family witnessed everything that happened. Some people escaped from the clutches of the earth core monster and ran to their The family called for help until the fire spread and engulfed their roof. They hid in the burning house until the beams began to collapse, and then ventured out before dawn. The genie killed Brin's wife Mina and their Son Paul, but everyone else escaped. The burns will heal in time, and the kid will be fine, but the others..."

She didn't have to finish talking.Survivors of demonic attacks often die shortly afterward—though not all, perhaps not most, but enough of them.Some committed suicide, some just stared blankly ahead, refused to eat or drink, and finally died of exhaustion. Unless they can survive a full year, they cannot be regarded as survivors of demonic attacks. "There are more than a dozen people missing." Celia said, her tone was full of disappointment. "We should find a way to dig them out." Jeff said seriously, looking at the ruins of the ruins in front of him, several of which were still sparking.In order to prevent the resurgence of the fire, most of the Carter's house is made of stone, but as long as there are enough fire demons and the magic seal fails, even the stone will burn.

Jeff joined a crowd clearing debris and bodies, the man and a few stronger women loading the blackened body onto a cart and transporting it to the funeral pyre.Bodies must be cremated, no one wants to be buried in the ground where demons crawl out every night.Pastor Harlow rolled up his sleeves, exposing his thick and strong arms, and threw the corpses into the fire one by one, watching the flames devour them, chanting prayers, but making magic seals in the air with his hands. Together with other women, Sylvie gathered the children and lined up to take care of the wounded under the instructions of the town's herbalist, Cline Trager.But herbal remedies failed to ease the pain of survivors.Bryn Carter, nicknamed Bryn Thickshoulders, was a big, grinning hunk who used to throw Aaron into the air when they came to buy lumber.At this time, Brin sat in the ashes beside the ruins of his own house, dejected.He clasped his hands on his chest and muttered to himself, seemingly cold.

Aaron and the other children were tasked with carrying water and sifting through the charred piles of scrap material.Although there are still a few months of warm weather before the harsh winter, it is not enough to cut down enough wood for the whole town to survive the winter.This year, they will have to burn livestock dung to keep warm through the winter, and the house and their bodies will be filled with the smell of dried dung. The loathing came over Aaron again, that he hadn't been a corpse in a funeral pyre, knocked against a wall in shock of losing everything—there are many things in the world worse than a house that stinks of feces. As the sky was getting brighter, more and more villagers came to help.They came from the Fishhole and the Town Square, from Bokin Hill and the Wet Marshes, some even from the far southern outposts, their wagons piled to the brim with surplus relief supplies from their homes.Celia was busy welcoming them, greeting them one by one, informing them of the damage caused by the fire, and then dispatching rescue missions. In a short while, more than 50 people came to help one after another. The men redoubled their efforts. Some continued to clean up the ruins and dig up the corpses; others entered the only salvable house in the entire village - Bryn Carter's Home.Celia helped Brin up and helped the big man stagger away from the scene. People cleared the rubble in the house and moved in new stones.A few of them took out the sigil tools and began to redraw the sigil, while the children helped carry the hay, and the adults went to the house to re-thatch the roof.Before night falls, the house can be restored to the way it was before the fire. Aaron was scheduled to move lumber with Bryant Fisher.The children have picked out a lot of wood that can be barely used, but it is only a fraction compared with the burned ones.Kobe was tall and muscular, with curly black hair and thick, shaggy arms.He was popular with some kids, but others paid the price. Few could stand his insults, much less his fists. Kobe tortured Aaron for years, and the other kids turned a blind eye.Jeff's farm is located in the northernmost part of Tibbey Creek Town, far away from the town square where children used to gather, so Aaron spends most of his free time wandering around the town square alone.Making the misfit Aaron the scapegoat seemed like a good choice for most kids. Every time Aaron went fishing and passed the fish hole on the way to the town square, Kobe and his friends always ambushed him at a corner on his way home, as if they had expected it.Sometimes they just swear or push him, but other times he'll come home with a bruised nose and then his mom will tell him for fighting with other kids. Aaron had had enough.On this day, he hid a thick stick in the haystack not far from where they intercepted him. When Kobe and his accomplices made a move, Aaron pretended to run away and fell to the ground after running a few steps, took out the stick , turned around and fought back vigorously. The first to suffer was the devil Kobe.He was beaten until he screamed and fell to the ground.Blood continued to flow from the ears.Willow broke a finger, and Gatter was crippled for a week.This incident not only did not allow Aaron to establish his prestige among the children at all, but also received a severe beating from his father-only, other boys never dared to trouble him again.Although Kobe's body is much stronger than Aaron's, he still avoids it so far. As long as Aaron makes a big move, he will run away in fright. "There are still alive!" Bill Baker suddenly shouted in front of a ruin on the edge of the village, "I heard someone seems to be trapped in the cellar." Everyone immediately stopped their work and rushed over.Clearing the rubble was too time-consuming, so the men dug straight away, removing the rocks and charcoal from the ground, and soon they dug through the side walls of the cellar and dragged the survivors out one by one.They were all in rags, with faces like dead fish; but fortunately they were all alive: three women, six children, and a man. "Uncle Corley!" screamed Aaron.Immediately his mother rushed up and hugged the staggering brother who had escaped from the gate of hell.Aaron ran up and grabbed his other arm, helping him to his feet. "Cory, you're here—we thought you—" Sylvie cried.Corley rarely left his shop in the town square.Aaron's mother used to tell the story of how she used to run a farrier shop with her younger brother, until a kid named Jeff started breaking horses' hooves on purpose, under the pretext of going to his house to fix them. "I've come to find Anna Carter—" Corley replied feebly.He scratched at his hair and tore out a whole lock. "In a hurry, as soon as we opened the door of the cellar, they broke through the magic seal force field..." His knees softened, and his whole body weighing two hundred catties pressed down on Aaron and Sylvie like a mountain, and finally fell to his knees In the scorched earth that was burnt black, he burst into tears. Aaron looked at the other survivors, but Anna Carter was not among them. Corley felt a sudden tightness in his throat as the child passed by.He knew them, their families, the ins and outs of their home, and even the names of their livestock.They met his eyes briefly as they passed by, and in that short moment, he saw in their eyes the horror of the attack - he was pushed into a narrow hole in the ground, while others who couldn't squeeze in had to turn back Face off against demons as well as fire.He suddenly began to gasp for breath, unable to hold back, until Jeff slapped him hard on the back, and he suddenly came back to his senses. As they scrambled through their icy lunch, the whining horns sounded again from the other side of town. "Won't you come twice a day?" Sylvie gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "Bah!" Celia returned. "Noon? Use your brains, girl!" "That is?" Celia ignored her, got up and looked for the communicator with the horn, and arranged for them to respond to the other party's signal.Kevin Marsh has taken out the horn that he carries with him, and the inhabitants of the wet swamp all carry the horn, because it is very easy to get lost in the swamp, and no one wants to be in the swamp when the swamp demon shows up.Kevin's mouth swelled like a frog, blowing out a series of notes. "The messenger's horn," the greybearded Kron Marsh told Sylvie.He is Kevin's father and the mayor of Wet Swamp. "They probably noticed the smoke here. Kevin is using the horn to tell them what's going on here, and where we are." "The messenger of spring?" Aaron asked. "We just finished planting the seeds last month! I thought they would come after the fall harvest, like every year." "The messenger didn't come last fall," Crane complained.Brown frothy sap dripped from his missing teeth from chewing tree roots. "We were all worried that something had happened, and thought that the messenger would not bring any more salt before this fall. Maybe the monsters in the center of the earth once captured the free city and cut off the life path between us." "It is absolutely impossible for the monsters in the center of the earth to capture the free city." Aaron said. "Aaron, shut up." Sylvie whispered, "It's really rude, how can you talk to an elder like this!" "Let him tell," Kron said, "Have you ever been to the Free City, son?" "No." Aaron admitted. "Know anyone who's been there?" "No." Aaron replied. "Then why do you say such things?" Keren asked. "No one has ever been to any city in the Free Cities except the messengers. They are the only ones who have the courage to travel through the night and travel around the world. No one can tell How different is the Free City State from Tibe Creek? If the monsters in the center of the earth have a way to capture us, they can naturally capture them too." "Old Hogg is from the Free City," Aaron retorted.Rosk Hogg was the richest man in town.He is the owner of a grocery store in the town.And his grocery store is the trading market for the entire Tibe Creek town. "Yeah," Crane said, "Old Hogg also told me that one trip was enough for him. He was going to stay for a few years and go back, but he didn't think it was worth the risk. So you can ask Is he safer in the Free City than anywhere else?" Aaron didn't want to believe this statement, there must be a safe place in the world.But the scene of being forced into the cellar just now reappeared in front of his eyes, and he understood——when night falls, it will be the world of demons, and there is no absolutely safe place for human beings. The courier arrived an hour later.He was tall, in his early thirties, with short brown hair and a short, bushy beard.Armor made of woven metal chains was worn on the broad shoulders, covered with a long black cloak, plus leather pants and boots.His mount is an imposing brown steed.He approached with a serious expression, but held his head high and proud.He looked around and had no trouble recognizing the magistrate giving orders.He turned his horse and walked towards her. Behind him was a mule cart drawn by two dark brown mules.The driver was a bard.His clothes were patchworks of brightly colored calico, and beside his chair stood a delicate lute.Aaron had never seen hair that looked like light carrot.And his skin was as pale as if it had never been exposed to the sun.His shoulders drooped, listlessly. Once a year the courier always brings a bard for company.To children and some adults who want to join in the fun, bards are more important than messengers.Just like Aaron remembered, the same bard came every year, with gray hair, but a cheerful personality and full of vitality.The newcomer in front of him was relatively young and looked a little gloomy.The children immediately surrounded him, and the young bard was refreshed, and his exhaustion disappeared instantly.Aaron couldn't help but wonder if he was blind.In an instant, the bard had jumped out of the mule cart and was throwing colored balls to the cheers of the children. The others, including Aaron, forgot what they were doing and gathered around the two outsiders who had just arrived.Celia rushed in front of them, apparently unrelenting. "Messenger visits don't make the days longer!" she yelled. "Get back to work, everyone!" Many in the crowd complained in low voices, but everyone went back to work anyway. "Don't go, Aaron." Celia said, "Come here." Aaron looked away from the bard, and came to her at the same time as the messenger. "?" asked the messenger. "Just call me Celia." Celia said coldly.The Messenger's eyes widened, his face flushed, and his pale cheeks above his beard immediately flushed.He jumped off his horse and bowed deeply. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't think much of it. The former courier Greg told me that's what people call you." "It's nice to know that's what Greg has called me privately over the years," Celia said, though it didn't sound happy at all. "How did you ever call you?" the messenger corrected. "He passed away, ma'am, though." "Passed away?" Celia asked, with sadness on her face. "Because of?" The messenger shook his head. "Dead of illness, not a monster in the center of the earth. My name is Rui Gen, your messenger this year, and this trip is considered to be helping his widow. Starting next autumn, the guild will assign a new messenger to you." "It will be a year and a half before the next messenger visits?" Celia asked, sounding furious and even going crazy. "Without the salt from last autumn, we could barely survive the winter," she said. "It may not be a big deal to you Miln, but half of our fish meat is rotting due to improper preservation, and what about our letters?" "Sorry, ma'am." Regan said, "Your town is far away from the main road, and it's not a small amount to pay a courier to travel back and forth for more than a month every year. Since Greg's illness, the courier guild has been in short supply of talents." He chuckled lightly, shook his head, and then found that Celia's face looked even uglier. "I don't mean to be disrespectful, ma'am." Regan said, "He is also my friend. It's just... not many of us who work as messengers die at home or on the mat. Usually we die in the clutches of the night. leave my young wife to die. Do you know that?" "I understand," Celia said. "Do you have a wife, Regan?" she asked. "Yes," said the Messenger, "but I spend more time with my mare than with my wife, which is good for her and painful for me." He smiled.Aaron was bewildered and thought it was not funny to have a wife who didn't miss you. Celia didn't seem to notice this. "What if you never have the chance to meet her?" she asked. "What if the only contact you have with her is a letter every year? When someone tells you that the letter will be a year and a half late, you What mood would it be? There are people in this town whose relatives live in the Free Cities and who left with the Messenger, some even two generations ago. These people will never come back, Regan. To us, letters It’s everything, and it’s the same for them.” "I totally agree, ma'am," Regan said, "but I'm not the one to make the decision. The duke..." "You will report this to the Duke when you go back, won't you?" Celia asked. "I will," he said. "Do you need me to write it down to remind you?" Celia asked. Regan smiled. "I think I'll remember, ma'am." "do not forget." Regan bowed again, respectfully. "Sorry to visit on such a sad day," he said, his eyes wandering to the funeral pyre. "We can't expect everything to go well-when will it rain, wind, or cold snap." Celia said, "We don't know when the demons in the center of the earth will break through the magic seal force field. Even so, we have to Get on with your life." "Go on with your life." Regan nodded in agreement. "If there is anything that my bard and I can help, just ask; I am strong and strong, and I have healed wounds caused by earth core monsters many times." "Your bard has already started to help." Celia said, nodding to the young man who sang and juggled. "Getting the attention of the kids with singing and juggling while the adults are busy. As for you - I'll have to be busy over the next few days picking up the pieces of this attack. I don't have time to send out emails and read letters to people who can't read. " "I can help read the letter, ma'am." Regan said, "but I'm not familiar with your town, so I can't send the letter by myself." "It's okay." Celia said, pulling Aaron to her side. "Aaron will take you to the grocery store in the square. When sending the salt, hand over the letters and packages to Rosk Hogg. Now that the salt has arrived, everyone will rush to the grocery store, and Rosk is one of the few in the town One of the few people who can read. The old crook will complain and try to ask for some tips. You just tell him that the whole town has been in trouble lately, and everyone should save money and get through it together. Teach him to send mail and read letters to people who cannot read Listen, otherwise, don't expect me to help the next time the townspeople try to hang him." Regan looked at Celia carefully, perhaps trying to tell if she was joking, but her indifferent expression did not reveal any emotion.He bowed again. "Hurry up." Celia said, "Leave now, and you can come back before everyone is ready to disband. If you and your bard don't plan to pay to rent a room at Rosk, here's People are happy to host you two." She urged the two to leave, then turned to scold the onlookers. "Is she always this... strong?" Regan asked Aaron as he walked over to the bard, who was performing a mime for the youngest children.The other older children were called back to work. Aaron snorted. "You should hear how she talks to the old people. You are very lucky to call her 'Beren' and get away with it." "Greg said everyone called her that," Regan said. "Yes, that's right." Aaron echoed, "But no one dares to yell in person unless they are impatient. When Celia speaks, everyone will jump in fright." Regan chuckled. "And she's an old 'virgin,'" he murmured. "In my hometown, only 'mothers' would expect everyone to jump at the sound of their voices." "What difference does it make?" Regan shrugged. "I don't know." He admitted, "This is Milne's tradition. The world runs because of humans, and humans are reproduced by mothers, so they have the right to dominate everything." "It's different here," Aaron said. "Of course the town is different." Regan said, "You don't have extra manpower, but the Free City-State is different. Except for Milne, other cities don't give women the right to speak." "Sounds stupid," Aaron said. "Stupid," Regan agreed. The messenger stopped and handed the whip to Aaron. "Wait here for me," he said, and walked toward the bard.The two walked aside to talk, and Aaron saw that the bard's face changed drastically. At first, he was very angry, then he seemed to be losing his temper, and finally he couldn't quarrel with Regan and accepted his fate, while Regan maintained his indifferent expression. The messenger's eyes stayed on the bard's face, and he turned around and waved to Aaron.Aaron came to them leading the horse. "...I don't care how tired you are," Regan said, his voice low and stern. "These people have a lot going on, and even if you have to dance and juggle all afternoon to watch their kids, you have to do it for me! Now put on your smiling face and get to work!" He said from Aaron's hands. Grab the reins and slip them into the bard's hands. Before the young bard noticed him, Aaron carefully scrutinized his expression, and saw that the other's face was full of anger and fear.But when the bard noticed that someone was staring at him, his expression changed immediately, and he instantly returned to the lively and cheerful man who danced and entertained the children. Regan took Aaron to the mule cart and got into the cart together.Regan flicked the reins, turned the car around, and headed for the muddy trail leading to the main road. "What are you arguing about?" Aaron asked on the bumpy road. The messenger looked at him, then shrugged. "It was the first time Kirin had traveled far from town," he said. "He was brave when there was a whole caravan and a big wagon that could sleep well. But when we parted ways with the caravan at Angels, He's starting to get a little scared. The ghouls that haunt the night make him nervous during the day, and he's a terrible travel companion indeed." "I can't see it." Aaron said, looking back at the man who was performing circles on the spot. "Acting is the specialty of bards," Regan said. "They can pretend to be someone else until they believe it. Kirin pretends to be a brave man. The guild asked him to take a travel test, which he passed. ; but you never know what people will look like after a fortnight on a wild road without really trying." "You sleep on the road at night, how do you deal with the monsters in the center of the earth?" Aaron asked, "According to my dad, drawing magic marks on the ground is just asking for trouble." "Your father is right." Regan said, "Look through the glove box under your feet." Aaron followed his instructions, and then took out a large bag made of soft leather.Inside was a rope with many knots, on which were tied many shiny wooden signs a little bigger than his palm.He widened his eyes, looking at the magic seal carved on the wooden sign. Aaron knew immediately what it was: a portable sigil ring, long enough to encircle a wagon and more than enough. "In our village, I've never seen anything like this before," Aaron said. "This kind of thing is not easy to make." The courier said, "Most couriers strengthen the skills of making this kind of thing during their apprenticeship, until no amount of wind and rain can erase the magic seal on it. Even so, they are not as good as A sigil drawn on a wall or door is reliable." "Ever come face-to-face with a Geocentric, boy?" he said, turning to look Aaron in the eyes. "Watching them open their teeth and claws at you, and there is only a magic seal force field that you can't see between you and them?" Regan shook his head. "Perhaps I was being too hard on Kirin. He did well when tested, screamed a few times, but that's to be expected. But facing demons night after night is another matter. Some people Suffering from demons, always worried about fallen leaves covering the magic seal, and then..." He hissed suddenly, swung his paw at Aaron, and laughed when he saw the boy jump up in fright. Aaron stretched out his thumb to touch the shining magic seals on the wooden sign, feeling their magic power.A wooden plaque is tied to each knot, looking just like any other form of sigil.He did the math, and the total was more than forty yuan. "Is there no way for the wind demon to fly into such a large magic field?" He asked, "My father set up magic stakes in the field to prevent them from landing in it." The messenger eyed him in surprise. "Your dad is probably just wasting his time," he said. "Wind demons are strong beasts, but they need room to run or something to climb and jump to take off. Cornfields don't have either of those things, so they don't Land easily, unless you see something irresistible temptation, such as a bold little boy sleeping in the field, etc." He looked at Aaron very much like Jeff when he warned Aaron not to underestimate the monster in the center of the earth, As if he didn't know such a thing. "The arc of the wind demon's turn is very large," Regan continued, "and the length of the wings of most wind demons exceeds the diameter of the magic seal circle. It is possible for the wind demon to break into the magic seal circle, but I've never seen such a thing; but if it does break in..." He pointed to a spear beside him. "Can you kill a geocentric monster with a spear?" Aaron asked. "Probably not," Regan replied, "but I've heard you can make them a quadriplegic by sticking a spear at them." He smiled easily. "Hopefully I never have to verify that claim." Aaron looked at him, eyes wide. Regan looked him straight in the eye, his expression suddenly turning serious. "A messenger is a dangerous job, boy," he said. Aaron stared at him for a long time. "As long as you can see the Free City State with your own eyes, everything is worth it." Finally he said, "Really, what does Milnburg look like?" "It's one of the richest and most beautiful cities in the world." Regan replied, pulling up the sleeves of his mail armor to reveal the tattoo on his arm, which showed the city between two high mountains. "The duke's mine is rich in salt, metal, and coal. The city walls and roofs are painted with top-level magic marks, and there is almost no chance to test the magic marks of the house itself. When the sun shines on the city walls, the mountains on both sides are pale in comparison." "I've never seen a mountain," Aaron said, touching the tattoo with admiring hand. "My dad says mountains are just bigger hills." "See that hill?" Regan asked, pointing to the hill north of the road. Aaron nodded. "Bojin Hill, climb up there and you can overlook the whole town of Tibe Creek." Regan nodded and asked, "Do you know what a 'hundred' is, Aaron?" Aaron nodded. "The number of fingers in ten hands." "Even a hill is a hundred times higher than your Borgin's Hill, and the hills near Miln are no hills." Aaron's eyes widened, trying to imagine the towering sight. "They must have touched the sky," he said. "Some are higher than the sky." Regan boasted, "Standing on them, you can overlook the white clouds on the mountainside." "Hopefully one day I can see those mountains with my own eyes," Aaron said. "When you grow up, you can join the Messenger Guild," Regan said. Aaron shook his head. "Dad says people who leave home are traitors," he said. "He'd spit and say that." "Your dad doesn't even know what he's talking about," Regan said. "Spitting alone won't make things true. Without a messenger, even the Free Cities would fall apart." "I thought the free cities were safe?" Aaron asked. "There is no absolutely safe place in the world, Aaron, there is no truly safe place. Miln has a large population, and its ability to resist death is much higher than that of a remote mountain town like Tibe Creek Town, but there will still be a certain number of people every year. The number of people died at the hands of the monsters in the center of the earth." "How many people are there in Miln?" Aaron asked, "There are about 900 people in Tibe Creek Town. It is said that the Sunshine Pasture in the north is similar." "Milne's population exceeds thirty thousand," Regan said proudly. Aaron looked at him, confused. "Ten thousand is a hundred times one hundred." The messenger explained. Aaron thought for a while, then shook his head and said, "There aren't that many people in the whole world." "Yes, and more," Regan said. "It's a big world out there, if you have the guts to face the night." Aaron didn't ask any more questions, and they moved forward slowly in silence. It took the mule cart an hour and a half to reach the town square, which is the trading center of Tibe Creek Town.There are dozens of houses with magic seals around the square in the town. The residents are all people who don't need to work in the pastures or fields, and don't need to fish or log.If you want to find tailors or bakers, farriers, coopers, etc., just come to the town square. In the center of the square in the town is a square for people to gather, and stands the largest building in Tibei Creek Town - the grocery store.This store has a spacious front hall with tables, chairs and a bar counter, and behind it is a warehouse and cellar that are larger than the front hall. Almost all valuable items in Tibe Creek Town can be found here. Hogg's daughters Daisy and Katrin run the kitchen.Two buying and selling points can get you a full meal, but Sylvie said that Hogg is a big liar, because two buying and selling points are enough to exchange for a week's grain.尽管如此，还是有一大堆未婚男人愿意付钱，而且并非所有人都是为了饱餐一顿。黛西相貌平平，卡特琳是个胖子，但科利舅舅说，谁只要娶了她们就可以一辈子不愁吃穿。 提贝溪镇的所有人都会把货物带来交给霍格，不管是玉米，肉或是动物毛皮，陶器或是布匹，家具或是工具。霍格收下物品，仔细检查，然后付给客户买卖点数，以购买店内其他物品。 只不过，要买的东西似乎永远比霍格收购的价格还高。亚伦从买卖的价钱数字上就能轻易看出这点。人们前来贩卖物品时常常会因讨价还价引发争执，但最终价格都是霍格说了算，而且他通常都能称心如意。镇上几乎所有人都痛恨霍格，但他们又需要他。当他路过的时候，他们会帮他拍掉外套上的灰尘，或为他开门，而不是朝他吐口水。 提贝溪镇的其他人拼命干活，仅能糊口；而霍格和他的女儿总是吃得油光满面、脑满肠肥，还穿着干净的新衣服。相比之下，每当亚伦的母亲拿他的衣服去洗的时候，他就得拿块毯子裹在身上。 瑞根和亚伦将骡子绑在杂货铺前，然后步入店内，酒吧里没有其他人。通常空气中会弥漫着一股浓浓的培根香气，但今天厨房里没有任何煮东西的味道。 亚伦赶在信使前来到吧台。洛斯克在吧台上放了一个小铜铃，从自由城邦搬来时一起带过来的。亚伦喜欢玩那个铜铃，他用力拍了一掌，然后在清脆的铃声中开心得咧嘴大笑，等待老板的出现。 后方传来一阵撞击声，洛斯克随即走出吧台后的帘幕。他是个胖子，年约六十几，体格依然健壮，腰背挺拔，但肚子松垮下垂，额头上的铁灰色头发掉了不少。他身穿轻便长裤、皮鞋，干净的白色棉布衬衫，衣袖挽到粗壮的胳臂上。白色工作裙上没有一丝污垢。 “亚伦·贝尔斯。”他看着男孩，露出亲切的笑容。“你只是来玩铜铃，还是有生意要和我谈？” “要谈生意的是我。”瑞根说着，迎上前去。“你是洛斯克·霍格？” “叫我洛斯克就好了。”大汉说道，“''是那帮该死的镇民在背后叫的绰号，你知道的，他们对别人的成功都很眼红，妒忌。” “第二次了。”瑞根埋怨道。 “你说什么？”洛斯克问。 “今天，我被葛雷格的旅行日志骗了两次。”瑞根说，“早上我才当着西莉雅的面叫她'贝伦'。” “哈哈哈哈！”洛斯克捧腹大笑道，“真的吗？如果有什么事值得请大家喝一杯，肯定就是这件事，算我请客。你叫什么名字？” “瑞根。”信使说，放下沉重的背包，在吧台旁坐了下来。洛斯克拍了拍一个小酒桶，自铁钩上取下木酒杯。 麦酒很浓，呈蜂蜜色，表面飘浮着一层泡沫。洛斯克倒了一杯给瑞根，一杯给自己。接着他看了亚伦一眼，再倒了一小杯。“拿这杯酒到那边找张桌子坐下慢慢喝，让大人安安静静地在吧台说话。”他说，“如果你够聪明，就不要告诉你妈我给你酒喝。” 亚伦眉开眼笑，趁洛斯克改变主意前捧起酒杯就跑。他曾在节庆时偷着喝了几口他父亲的酒，但从来没有喝过一整杯属于自己的酒。 “我一直都在担心是否永远都不会有信使来了。”他听见洛斯克对瑞根说。 “去年秋天，葛雷格原计划要过来的，但他染上了重病。”瑞根说完，喝了一大口酒。“草药师建议他在身体好转前暂时不要远行，接着冬天到了，他的病情逐渐恶化。后来他请我在公会另行指派信使前接管他的路线。正好我得率领一支盐队前往安吉尔斯，所以就多加了一骡车的货物，在转道向北前过来一趟。” 洛斯克取过他的酒杯，一饮而尽。 “再来一杯吧？”洛斯克在瑞根重重放下酒杯时问道。 “葛雷格在旅行日记里说，你是很会讨价还价的奸商。”瑞根微笑着说道，“因为你会试图灌醉我。” 洛斯克窃笑，接着将酒杯倒满。“哈哈哈哈，提前请你喝酒——我想谈完生意后，就不必免费请客了。”他说着将酒杯推给瑞根。 “想要你的邮件安然抵达密尔恩，你就必须继续请客。”瑞根笑着端起酒杯。 “看来你和葛雷格一样难缠。”洛斯克一边嘀咕一边倒满自己的酒杯。“来吧，”泡沫消退后，他说，“我们可以一起醉醺醺地讨价还价了。”他们哈哈大笑，然后再度碰杯。 “自由城邦有什么新消息？”洛斯克问，“克拉西亚人还像以前那样执意自取灭亡吗？” 瑞根耸肩。“听说是这样的。自从几年前我结婚后，就没有再去过克拉西亚。那儿太远了，而且太危险了。” “是不是和他们用毯子把女人裹得太严实有关系呢？”洛斯克笑嘻嘻地问道。 瑞根大笑。“这是一点，”他说。“但主要问题在于他们认为所有北方人，包括信使在内，都是懦夫，因为我们不愿意每晚出门送死。” “如果他们多看看他们的女人，或许就不会老是每天亢奋到战天斗地。”洛斯克开玩笑道，“安吉尔斯和密尔恩的关系怎么样呢？公爵们依然争吵不休吗？” “老样子。”瑞根说，“欧克需要安吉尔斯向他们的精炼厂提供木材做燃料，也需要安吉尔斯的谷物来填饱肚皮。林白克需要密尔恩的金属和食盐。他们必须彼此依赖才能生存，偏偏就是不安于现状，总是要想办法占对方的小便宜，特别是当货物运送途中遭地心魔物袭击时。去年夏天，地心魔物攻击一支运送铁和食盐的车队。他们杀死马夫，但大部分货物留在原地。林百柯抢回了货物，但拒绝向密尔恩公爵付款，表示那些货物是他们在野外从恶魔手中抢回来的。” “欧克公爵肯定勃然大怒。”洛斯克道。 “大发雷霆。”瑞根点头。“这个讯息是由我呈报上去的。当时，他气得真是满脸通红，宣称在林白克付钱前，安吉尔斯再也不会拿到一丁点食盐了。” “最终，林白克有付钱吗？”洛斯克问，急切地凑上来。 瑞根摇头。“接下来的几个月里，他们竟然都竭力试图饿死对方。最后，还是商业公会出面付钱，为了在凛冬来临前尽快出货，以免货物在仓库中烂光。如今林白克看商业公会很不顺眼，因为他们竟向欧克妥协，但他挽回了颜面，往来货运也都恢复如初。除了他们两只老狗之外，对所有人来说这才是唯一的重点。” “最好注意一下你对公爵们的称谓。”洛斯克警告道，“虽然距离这么远。” “谁会跑去舔他们屁股吗？”瑞根问，“你？还是这个孩子？”他指向亚伦，两个男人大笑。 “现在我要是将河桥镇的消息带给欧克，这只会让情况更加恶化。”瑞根说。 “那是密尔恩边境的小镇，”洛斯克道，“距离安吉尔斯将近一天的路程，我在那里有不少熟人。” “现在没有了。”瑞根的意思十分明白，两人陷入了沉默。 “坏消息就这么多了。”瑞根说着，将背包抬到吧台上，洛斯克怀疑地打量着他。 “这看起来不像盐啊。”他说，“但我想我不会有那么多信件啊。” “你有六封信，还有十几个包裹。”瑞根说着交给洛斯克一张清单。“全列在里面，包括背包里所有镇民的信件以及骡车上的包裹，西莉雅有一份清单备份。”他警告道。 “我要这清单和邮件包干吗？”洛斯克问。 “镇长在那边忙着清理被恶魔攻击后的废墟，没时间发信和读信给不识字的人听，他安排我来找你。” “我牺牲做生意的时间读信给镇民听，能获得什么好处？”洛斯克问。 “为公众服务而获得丰厚的满足感！”瑞根回道。 洛斯克大哼一声。“我来提贝溪镇可不是为了给他们免费服务的。”他说，“我是生意人，而且我为这个镇贡献了不少心血。” “有吗？”瑞根问。 “当然有。”洛斯克说，“在我来到镇上前，他们过着原始人的生活，只懂得以物易物。”他把“以物易物”说得很重，好像诅咒似的，并朝地板吐了口唾沫。“他们积攒劳动的心血，每到第七日就聚集在广场上，为了多少豆子该换多少玉米，或要给修桶的师傅多少米才能请他帮忙做个米桶而争吵不休；如果你不能在第七日换到你需要的东西，就必须再等七天，或挨家挨户地去找人交易。现在所有人都可以来我这里，不管是哪一天，从日出到日落，随时都能和我交易买卖点数，换取他们想要的东西。” “好个提贝溪镇的大善人啊。”瑞根挖苦道，“你不求任何回报？” “也只挣个正常的辛苦费而已，此外无所求啊。”洛斯克笑道。 “镇民是不是常常想以诈欺的罪名吊死你？”瑞根问。 洛斯克双眼一眯。“的确，特别是当镇上一半的人只懂得用手指数数，另一半也不过就会加上脚趾一起数。”他说。 “西莉雅说下一次发生这种事的时候，她会袖手旁观。”瑞根友善的语气突然转为严峻。“除非你为镇上尽一份心力，镇上另一边有很多人此刻的处境都比被迫读信要凄惨多了。” 洛斯克皱眉，但还是收下名单，将沉重的邮包抬入仓库。 “说真的，情况有多糟？”他回来后问道。 “很糟，”瑞根道，“至今已有二十七人死亡，还有几人失踪。” “造物主呀，”洛斯克说道，在身前平空比画魔印，“我以为最多不过是某个家庭罹难。” “如果像你说的这样就好了。”瑞根说。 两人好一阵子没有说话，仿佛在默哀，接着同时抬头看向彼此。 “今年的食盐你带来了吗？”洛斯克问。 “公爵的米你准备好了吗？”瑞根问道。 “摆了一整个冬天，你迟到太久了。”洛斯克说。 瑞根脸色一沉。 “哦，米都没坏！”洛斯克说，双手恳求似的举起。“我有仔细封装，保持干燥，地窖里也没有害虫！” “我必须确认，你了解的。”瑞根说。 “当然，当然。”洛斯克道，“亚伦，去拿那盏油灯！”他命令道，对男孩指了指吧台角落。 亚伦快步走到油灯旁，拿起打火石。他点燃灯芯，小心翼翼地放上玻璃罩；从来没有人放心让他拿任何玻璃制品。玻璃的触感比他想象中还要冰冷，不过很快就被火焰烧热了。 “拿着它随我们一起下地窖。”洛斯克吩咐道。亚伦努力掩饰脸上的兴奋。他一直很想参观酒吧的地窖，听说就算所有提贝溪镇居民把家当统统堆在一起，也没办法与霍格地窖中囤积的货物相提并论。 他看着洛斯克拉起地板上的铜环，打开一扇大暗门。亚伦连忙迎上前，走在前面，生怕老霍格改变主意。他走下嘎吱作响的木板台阶，把照明的油灯高高举起。油灯的光照亮层层叠起的木箱和木桶，这些木箱和木桶从地板一路堆到天花板，一排排地深入地窖，直至光线尽头之后。地板是木制的，以免地心魔物直接从地心魔域爬入地窖，不过沿着墙边而立的货架上仍刻有魔印；老霍格十分谨慎地守护他的宝藏。 杂货店老板带头走过货架间的走道，走到后方几个封装木桶前，“看起来状况不错。”瑞根一边检查木桶一边说道。他仔细打量了一会儿，然后随机挑选。“那个。”他指着其中一个木桶说道。 洛斯克咕哝一声，拖出瑞根指定的木桶。有些人认为他的工作十分轻松，但他的手臂就和其他整天挥舞斧头或镰刀的人一样粗壮。他撕下封条，打开桶盖，舀出一勺米，置入浅盘中让瑞根近距离查验。 “上好的沼泽米。”他对信使说道，“保证没有象鼻虫，也没有霉烂迹象。这些米在密尔恩可以卖到好价钱，特别是已经缺货这么久了。”瑞根嗯了一声，点点头。木桶重新封上，大家一起回到楼上吧台前。 他们就骡车上的食盐值多少桶米争论了好一会儿。最后，双方似乎都不太满意，但他们还是握手成交。 洛斯克唤来他的女儿，所有人一起走到店外，搬运骡车上的食盐。亚伦试着帮忙抬盐，但实在太重了，他重心不稳，摔倒在地，盐袋随即砸落在了地上。 “小心点！”黛西一边责骂，一边挥手甩了他一脑袋。 “你搬不动的话就去开门！”卡特琳叫道。她肩膀上扛着一袋盐，粗壮的手臂上还夹着一袋。亚伦连忙爬起，跑过去帮她开门。 “去把费德·米勒找来，告诉他我们给他支付一袋五个……不，四个买卖点数，请他来帮忙磨盐。”洛斯克朝亚伦吩咐道。镇上几乎所有人都帮霍格做工，不管是通过什么形式，但最常帮他做事的还是住在广场区附近的居民。“如果他愿意帮忙把一些盐混入装米的大木桶中，并搅拌均匀，以保持大米干燥的话，我就给五个买卖点数。” “费德，现在正在森林村落那里帮忙。”亚伦说，“镇子里几乎所有人都在那里。” 洛斯克小声抱怨着。不久骡车上的盐已卸完，剩下几个不是装盐的盒子或袋子。洛斯克的女儿们渴望地看着那些东西，只是不便探问。 最后一袋盐抬入店内后，洛斯克说道：“我们今晚会将米从地窖里抬出来，放在后面的库房里，等你回密尔恩时再过来装。” “谢谢。”瑞根说。 “这样公爵的事就算办完了？”洛斯克笑着问道，目光刻意移向骡车上剩下的物品。 “公爵的事办完了，没错。”瑞根说着笑了笑。亚伦只希望他们讨价还价时可以再给他倒杯麦酒。 麦酒让他有种轻飘飘的感觉，有点像感冒一样，但又没有咳嗽、打喷嚏以及疼痛等症状。他喜欢这种感觉，很想再体验一次。 亚伦帮忙把剩下的货物搬入仓库，接着卡特琳端出一盘夹满烤猪肉的三明治。他们还给了他第二杯麦酒下三明治，最后老霍格又为了奖励他的辛劳而送他两个买卖点数。“我不会跟你的父母说起的。”霍格说，“但如果你把点数拿来买麦酒，然后被抓到了的话，我一定会把你妈让我吃的苦头还给你。”亚伦连忙点头，他从来没有自己的买卖点数。 午餐过后，洛斯克和瑞根走到吧台，打开信使带来的其他物品，每样都让亚伦眼睛一亮；有亚伦见过最华丽的服饰、金属工具和钢钉、精致的陶瓷，以及异国香料；甚至还有几只亮光闪闪的玻璃杯。 霍格似乎不太满意。“还不如葛雷格去年带来的那些货色。”他说，“我出……一百个买卖点数。”亚伦听得连下巴都快掉下来了。一百个买卖点数——瑞根可以买下半座提贝溪镇了。 然而，瑞根似乎完全不把这个价钱看在眼里，脸色再度一沉，一手重重往桌上一拍。正在洗碗的黛西和卡特琳忍不住抬头看看是怎么回事。 “谁要你的买卖点数？”他吼道，“我可不是什么乡巴佬，除非你想让公会知道你占人便宜，不然最好不要再忽悠我。” “别生气！”洛斯克干涩地笑道，以惯用的安抚手势挥舞双手。“做生意谈价嘛，我总得试试……你了解的。密尔恩人还是喜欢金子吗？”他狡猾地问道。 “全世界的人都喜欢金子。”瑞根说。他还皱着眉头，但语气中的怒意已少了很多。 “这里的人不喜欢。”洛斯克说着，转进帘幕，紧接着翻箱倒柜的声音从里面传来，同时提高音量说道：“在这里，但凡不能吃、不能穿、不能在上面画魔印或是用来耕田的东西，就一钱不值。”他拎着一个沉甸甸的大布袋走了出来，他往吧台上一放，里面传来一阵叮当之声。 “这里的人几乎都不知道黄金才是世界运转的动力。”他说着，伸手从袋里取出两枚沉甸甸的金币，拿到瑞根的脸前摇晃。“米勒家的小孩拿这玩意儿当棋子！当棋子！我告诉他们我愿意用一套木制棋盘组与他们交换，他们还以为我帮了他们大忙！隔天费德还亲自跑来道谢！哈哈哈哈！”他得意地大笑起来，鼓胀的肚子一阵抖动。亚伦却感觉这阵笑声应该冒犯了自己，但就是说不清为什么。他和米勒家的小孩下过很多次棋，不管那两枚金属圆盘有多闪亮，那套棋盘组绝对比它们值钱多了。 “我带来的货，价值可不止两枚金阳币。”瑞根边说边点头，接着转向吧台上的袋子。 洛斯克微笑。“不必担心。”他说着将袋子打开。布袋在台面上摊平，露出更多亮晶晶的金币、项链、戒指，以及串有闪亮宝石的绳子。这些东西都很美丽，亚伦心想，但他没想到瑞根会为这些东西瞪大双眼，露出垂涎欲滴的模样。 他们又经过一阵讨价还价，瑞根将石头拿到亮处仔细观看，并轻轻咬上一口，洛斯克则抚摸衣服的质料，试试香料的味道。亚伦的视线模糊，脑中天旋地转。吧台后方的卡特琳一杯接着一杯端酒给那两位谈生意的，但他们似乎完全没有亚伦这种反应。 “两百二十枚金阳币，两枚银月币，加上绳链以及三只银戒指。”洛斯克终于说道，“一枚铜币都不能多给了。” “难怪你要躲到这种偏远山窝窝里来，”瑞根调侃道，“当初，公会一定是因为你诈欺而把你赶出自由城邦的。” “侮辱人不会让你更富有。”霍格说，肯定自己已占了上风。 “别以为我有很多赚头。”瑞根道，“这趟业务，扣掉旅途花费，所有的盈余都会交给葛雷格的遗孀。” “啊，珍雅——”洛斯克感伤地喊道，“她以前常帮密尔恩一些不识字的人写信，包括我那个白痴外甥。不知道她接下来要怎么过日子？” 瑞根摇头。“葛雷格死在家里，所以公会不支付死亡津贴。”他继续道，“她没有小孩，所以很多工作都不会给她。” “很遗憾听到这些。”洛斯克道。 “葛雷格留给她一笔钱，”瑞根道，“虽然没多少，另外公会仍会雇佣她代笔写信，加上这趟旅程的盈余，应该够她生活一阵子了。但她还年轻，除非改嫁或找个更好的工作，不然这笔钱迟早会花完的。” “那，到时候怎么办呢？”洛斯克问。 瑞根耸耸肩。“她结过婚又没生小孩，所以想改嫁并不容易，但她不会变成乞丐；我的公会同事和我都会发誓，在她沦为乞丐前我们之中会有人带她回家做仆人。” 洛斯克摇头。“尽管如此，从商人阶级沦落到仆役……”他把手探入已轻了许多的袋子里，取出一枚镶着晶莹石头的戒指。“把这个交给她。”他说着递给瑞根。 但当瑞根伸手去接时；洛斯克突然把手缩了回去。“我会要她捎回讯息，你了解的。”他说，“我知道她写信的风格。”瑞根凝视他一会儿，洛斯克立刻补充。“没有侮辱你的意思。” 瑞根微笑。“虽然你如此慷慨，我也不在意这点儿侮辱。”他说着接过戒指。“这枚戒指够支付她好几个月的生活了。” “就这样了。”洛斯克僵硬地说，随即收起袋子。“不要让镇民知道这件事，不然我这个骗子可就名不副实了。” “我不会揭你的老底。”瑞根笑道。 “或许你还可以多帮她一点。”洛斯克说。 "How to say?" “我们手头上的信都是早在六个月前就应该送到密尔恩的。只要你愿意在镇上多待几天，让我们有时间多写一点信，甚至帮大家写信，我会提供额外报酬，当然不是金币啊。”他补充道，“不过珍雅肯定用得上一桶米，或是鱼干肉干之类的东西。” “她的确用得上。”瑞根说。 “我也可以帮你的吟游诗人找到事做。”洛斯克继续道，“他待在广场表演会比挨家挨户地去找客人要好赚得多。” “高见。”瑞根说，“不过，奇林只收金币。” 洛斯克不悦地瞪了他一眼。瑞根大笑。“总得试试你的底线……你了解的！”他说，“那就收银币吧。” 洛斯克点头。“每场表演我抽一枚银月币，每赚一枚银月币，我抽一枚铜星币，他得三枚。” “你不是说镇民不用钱币吗？”瑞根反问。 “大多数人没有。”洛斯克说，“我会变售银月币……大概五个买卖点数换一枚银月币。” “所以洛斯克·霍格向镇民两面剥皮？”瑞根问。 霍格微笑着端起了酒杯，表示庆祝。 返程途中亚伦尤为兴奋。老霍格说只要他帮忙发布消息——吟游诗人第二天早晨会在广场表演，票价五个买卖点或是一枚密尔恩银月币；他就可以免费欣赏奇林的表演。他没多少时间做这件事；他和瑞根一回去，父母可能会准备离开，但他觉得自己肯定有办法在被拉上马车前把这个消息告诉大家。 “能说说自由城邦的那些事吗？”亚伦在途中恳求道，“你去过几座城市？” “五座，”瑞根说，“密尔恩、安吉尔斯、雷克顿、来森以及克拉西亚。或许越过高山或沙漠还有其他城市，但是我认识的人都没有去过更多地方。” “这些城市是什么样子？”亚伦问。 “安吉尔斯堡是座森林堡垒，位于密尔恩南方，分界河对岸。”瑞根说，“安吉尔斯向其他城市提供木材。它的南方有一座大湖，雷克顿城就矗立于湖心。” “湖和池塘有差别吗？”亚伦问。 “湖和池塘的差别就像高山和山丘的差别。”瑞根说完，给了亚伦一段时间琢磨。“由于位于湖心，雷克顿人不会被火恶魔、石恶魔以及木恶魔骚扰。他们的魔印网足以对抗风恶魔，而世上没有人比他们更熟悉对付水恶魔的魔印。他们以捕鱼为生，数千名南方城市的居民都依赖打鱼生活。” “雷克顿西边是来森堡，不过其实算不上什么堡垒，因为它的城墙矮得就像围栏篱笆似的你一脚就可以跨过。但这座城墙却守护着世上最辽阔的农地。没有来森，其他自由城邦的人民都得饿肚子。” “克拉西亚呢？”亚伦问。 “我只去过一次克拉西亚。”瑞根说，“克拉西亚人不欢迎外来者，而且你必须在沙漠中苦熬好几个星期才能到达。” "desert?" “到处是沙子，”瑞根解释。“举目所及除了沙还是沙。没有食物，除了你随身携带的补给，没有饮水，而且没有任何阴影可以遮蔽毒辣的阳光。” “这种地方也有人住？”亚伦问。 “是的。”瑞根说，“克拉西亚的人口曾比密尔恩还多，但现在却越来越少了。” “为什么？”亚伦问。 “因为他们常年与沙恶魔作战。”瑞根说。 亚伦瞪大双眼。“人可以与地心魔物作战？”他问。 “人可以与任何东西作战，亚伦。”瑞根说，“问题在于与地心魔物作战的赢