This is like riding up into a maelstrom, Olive thought as they plunged into the purplish fog that had swallowed Moander, though she could not honestly say she had ever done so.这就像骑着马冲进大漩涡一样，奥利芙心想；他们一头扎进了吞没莫安德的紫色浓雾，尽管说实话，她也不能说自己真有过这种经历。1
The purple fog became a long, gray tube—the oozing wake of the god’s passage from the forest north of Myth Drannor to wherever it was heading.紫雾化作一条灰色的长管道——那是这位神祇从迷斯卓诺以北的森林前往不知何处时，沿途留下的黏稠尾迹。2
Floating castles and statues danced along the edges of the tube.漂浮的城堡与雕像沿着管道边缘翩然起舞。3
Ruskettle noticed that Alias’s finder’s stone, which Dragonbait now held high over his head, shone a beam before them that stretched all the way down the tube to illuminate the retreating rear of the mad god.拉斯凯特尔注意到，龙饵此刻高举过头的那块阿莉亚丝的寻人石射出一道光束，一路延伸至管道尽头，照亮了正渐渐远去的疯狂神祇的背影。4
Moander disappeared in another purple fog.莫安德消失在另一片紫雾中。5
They plunged after it, were buffeted by a second stomach-churning whirlwind, and suddenly burst into bright sunshine in a clear blue sky.他们紧追着冲了进去，被第二股令人翻江倒海的旋风撞得东摇西晃，随后骤然冲入一片晴朗湛蓝的天空，沐浴在灿烂阳光下。6
Below them to the left was a bustling, walled city of some size—a sea port.他们左下方是一座颇具规模、熙熙攘攘的城墙环绕之城——一座海港。7
The green-blue water told Olive that she was looking at the Inner Sea.碧绿泛蓝的海水让奥利芙知道，眼前正是内海。8
The shape of the harbor and the seven peculiar hills outside of the city walls identified their destination as Westgate.港湾的形状，以及城墙外七座奇特的山丘，都表明他们的目的地正是西门城。9
* * * * ** * * * *10
Giogioni Wyvernspur let out a deep sigh of relief as he topped the last rise on the road from Reddansyr and surveyed the city of Westgate and the land surrounding it.乔吉奥尼·飞龙刺沿着从雷丹希尔通往西门城的大路登上最后一道高坡，眺望着西门城及其周边土地，深深地舒了一口气。11
Since his narrow escape in Teziir from the sorceress who so resembled the sell-sword Alias, Giogi had been moving overland, first by carriage, then on horseback.自从在特齐尔险险逃脱那个酷似佣兵阿莉亚丝的女术士之后，乔吉便一直走陆路，先乘马车，后来改为骑马。12
From his vantage point, the Cormyrian noble took in the plain, which ran along the sea coast.科米尔人贵族从高处俯瞰着沿海岸延伸的平原。13
Covered with the same rich, slick grass as the hills bordering it, the greenery of the plain ran right to the stock and caravan yards scattered around the city wall.平原上覆盖着与四周山丘一样丰美油亮的青草，一片翠绿直铺到散布在城墙周围的牲畜栏和商队货场。14
A ring of seven mounds lay south of the city just east of the road on which he traveled.城南、他所行道路的东侧，坐落着环成一圈的七座土丘。15
All seven hillocks were crowned with old ruins—stone circles of druids and temples of more sinister cults.七座小丘顶上都有古老的遗迹——德鲁伊的石环，以及一些更加邪恶的教派所建的神殿。16
“Now this,” he informed the horse he now rode, Daisyeye II, “has been a much more pleasant experience than my last trip on horseback.“瞧瞧这一路，”他对自己如今骑着的马——雏菊眼二世——说道，“可比我上一次骑马旅行愉快多了。17
That ended, you see, with the death of your namesake, the first Daisyeye, followed by a singularly unpleasant interview with a dragon—an incident that will stick in my mind as long as, if not longer than, the nasty affair of losing Aunt Dorath’s pet land urchin.”你瞧，那一次最后害死了你的同名先辈，也就是第一代雏菊眼，紧接着我又与一条龙进行了一场格外不愉快的面谈——这件事会一直留在我脑海里，即使不比弄丢多拉丝姑妈那只宠物陆生海胆的倒霉事记得更久，也至少一样久。”18
Giogi sighed again.乔吉又叹了口气。19
He had been expecting to be waylaid by any of the hundred thousand brigands, bandits, dark powers, and orc bands that were said to lie in wait just beyond the borders of the civilized world.据说文明世界的边界之外，埋伏着成千上万的恶棍、强盗、黑暗势力和兽人团伙，他原本以为自己随时都会遭到其中任何一伙的拦路袭击。20
Yet, despite all the expected awfulness, his trip overland had been relatively peaceful.然而，尽管预想中处处凶险，他的这趟陆路旅程却相对太平。21
About time I had some good luck, he thought, pulling off his wide-brimmed hat and letting the wind rustle through his hair.我也该交点好运了，他心想，一边摘下宽檐帽，任风吹拂他的头发。22
At that moment the crash of a powerful lightning strike echoed all around him.就在这时，一道强劲的闪电轰然劈下，巨响在他四周回荡。23
Daisyeye II reared on her hindquarters.雏菊眼二世扬起前蹄，直立起来。24
Directly overhead a great rend appeared in the sky.正上方的天空中裂开了一道巨大的口子。25
Through this a huge rock jettisoned into the world.一块巨岩从裂口中猛然射入了这个世界。26
Giogi reigned Daisyeye in tightly to avoid being spilled onto the road.乔吉死死勒住雏菊眼二世的缰绳，以免被甩到路上。27
He might have been better off patting the beast and whispering soothing words, but his eyes were glued on the rocketing projectile.他或许更该拍拍坐骑，低声说些安抚的话，可他的双眼却紧盯着那枚飞射而过的庞然巨物。28
It looked like a rotting basket, with masses of greenery hanging from all sides.它看上去像一只正在腐烂的篮子，四面八方都垂挂着大片绿色植物。29
Along its trailing edge it spurt out jets of blue flame.它的尾部边缘喷出一道道蓝色火焰。30
With a piercing howl the gash in the sky began to close.伴随着一声刺耳的啸叫，天空中的裂口开始合拢。31
Then a red dragon burst through the hole overhead, pursuing the “basket.”紧接着，一条红龙从头顶的裂口中冲了出来，追逐着那个“篮子”。32
The dragon’s appearance was Giogioni’s first indication of just how big the lump of decay really was.直到看见那条龙，乔吉奥尼才第一次意识到，那团腐朽之物究竟有多么庞大。33
The head of the dragon chasing the basket shone with a yellow light.追逐篮子的巨龙头部闪耀着黄光。34
Giogi squinted.乔吉眯起眼睛。35
The yellow light seemed to be coming from a figure riding between the dragon’s ears.那道黄光似乎来自一个骑在巨龙双耳之间的身影。36
Then the Cormyrian noble noticed the dragon’s color.这时，这位科米尔人贵族才注意到巨龙的颜色。37
“No. It can’t be,” he whispered to himself.“不。不可能是她。”他喃喃自语。38
But his heart sank with the certainty that it was indeed Mist.然而，他确信那的确就是米斯特，一颗心顿时沉了下去。39
If Giogi had remained on the hilltop observing the dragon, he might have noticed the other figures on her back; he might even have heard the eerie chant that rose from one of the mounds just south of him, but Daisyeye II decided she’d had enough.倘若乔吉继续留在山顶观察那条龙，他或许会注意到她背上的其他人影；甚至可能听见从他正南方的一座土丘上传来的诡异吟唱，可雏菊眼二世却认定自己已经受够了。40
She plunged uncontrollably down the hill into the high grass, taking the young Wyvernspur with her.她失控地冲下山坡，一头扎进高高的草丛，也把年轻的飞龙刺一起带了下去。41
* * * * ** * * * *42
Akabar kept his eyes glued to Moander.阿卡巴目不转睛地盯着莫安德。43
Blue flames spurted from the god, but the mage recognized that the flames did not originate from the damaging fires they had set within the monster.蓝色火焰从神祇身上喷射而出，但法师看得出来，那些火焰并非源自他们在怪物体内点燃的破坏之火。44
They were some means of propulsion.那是某种推进手段。45
Somehow the monster’s temporary occupation of his mind had left the mage with more than just the memory of the words he’d been forced to say to Alias or the evil deeds he’d been maneuvered into performing.不知怎的，怪物对他心智的短暂占据，留给法师的并不只是那些记忆——他曾被迫对阿莉亚丝说出的话，以及他曾被操纵着犯下的恶行。46
He understood the means of the Abomination’s flight, and while he admired its cleverness, he shivered with horror at the reminder of what the god had done to him.他明白了憎恶体飞行的原理；他虽赞叹其构思精巧，却也因再次想起那神祇对自己做过的事而恐惧得浑身发抖。47
Moander’s vast godly knowledge, however, was not going to aid in its escape.然而，莫安德那浩瀚如海的神祇知识也帮不了它逃脱。48
The dragon, under the effects of Akabar’s spell of haste, was still gaining.那条龙在阿卡巴加速法术的作用下，仍在不断逼近。49
The god arced downward toward the seven mounds outside the city walls.那神祇划出一道弧线，向城墙外的七座土丘俯冲而去。50
Then it halted, hovering over one of the hills.随后，它停了下来，悬浮在其中一座土丘上方。51
Great red stone plinths shaped like fangs curved inward about the crown of the hill.形如獠牙的巨大红石基座环绕着山顶，向内弯曲。52
In their center burned a bonfire.它们中央燃着一堆篝火。53
Olive spotted tiny figures moving about the hilltop.奥利芙发现有些小小的人影正在山顶上走动。54
From this distance the figures looked no bigger than ants.从这个距离望去，那些人影还没有蚂蚁大。55
Moander let a drop of slime fall away from its body.莫安德让一滴黏液从身上落下。56
The slime oozed like a water drop slipping along a strand of spider silk, then it hung ten or so feet before splattering on the ground.那黏液缓缓淌下，如同一滴水珠沿着一缕蛛丝滑落，接着垂下约十英尺，才啪地溅落在地。57
The ant-sized figures were on it in a second.那些蚂蚁般大小的人影转眼间便一拥而上。58
“It’s delivered Alias to its followers,” Akabar shouted.“它把阿莉亚丝交给它的信徒了！”阿卡巴高声喊道。59
The halfling nodded.半身人点了点头。60
“We have to land and rescue her.”“我们得降落去救她。”61
The mage shook his head in disagreement.法师不赞同地摇了摇头。62
“We have to finish our battle with the god first,” he said.“我们得先打完与那神祇的这一仗。”他说。63
“Are you crazy?“你疯了吗？64
We could be killed.我们可能会没命的。65
I want off this ride, now,” Olive insisted.我要下去，现在就下去。”奥利芙坚持道。66
Akabar’s eyes glittered with vengeance, and the halfling realized she wasn’t going to get anywhere trying to convince him to help her down.阿卡巴眼中闪烁着复仇的光芒，半身人意识到，想说服他帮自己下去根本不会有结果。67
Fortunately for her, it wasn’t up to him.幸好，这事并不由他决定。68
“Dragonbait!” she hollered.“龙饵！”她扯着嗓子大喊。69
“Alias is down there!“阿莉亚丝在下面！70
We have to land and help her!”我们得降落去帮她！”71
But Olive was not to discover whether the lizard paladin was more concerned with the warrior woman or destroying Moander.然而，奥利芙没能弄清这位蜥蜴圣武士究竟更关心那名女战士，还是更关心消灭莫安德。72
Moander took the decision out of his hands.莫安德替他做出了决定。73
Once it had unloaded its passenger, the god launched itself toward them.一卸下乘客，这位神祇便朝他们猛扑过来。74
Mist banked sharply, and the mass of fungus, slime, and forest rocketed past them.米斯特猛然侧转，那团由真菌、黏液和森林构成的庞然大物从他们身旁呼啸而过。75
The sudden movement caused the halfling to lose her grip on the safety rope.这突如其来的动作让半身人松开了抓着安全绳的手。76
She would have fallen to her death if Akabar had not seized the hem of her skirt and pulled her back.要不是阿卡巴一把攥住她的裙摆，将她拽了回来，她早已坠落而死。77
Olive suddenly was not feeling hungry—the human equivalent of feeling frightened out of her mind.奥利芙突然一点也不饿了——若换作人类，这就相当于吓得魂飞魄散。78
Mist completed her banking maneuver by turning about to face Moander’s return charge.米斯特转过身来，完成了侧转动作，正面迎向再度冲来的莫安德。79
This time, however, dodging the god was not so easy.然而这一次，要躲开这位神祇可没那么容易。80
As it streaked toward them Moander increased in size.莫安德朝他们疾冲而来时，身躯也随之膨胀。81
In its approaching side a great maw opened, lined with duskwood tree trunks sharpened to fanglike points.它迎面逼近的那一侧张开了一张巨口，口中排列着暮木树的树干，根根削尖，宛如獠牙。82
The Jawed God it was sometimes called, Akabar remembered.阿卡巴想起，它有时也被称作“巨颚之神”。83
But how did it grow without absorbing more mass? he puzzled.可它没有吸收更多物质，怎么会变大？他疑惑地想。84
It was now four times Mist’s size, and the open cavity could swallow the dragon whole.如今它已有米斯特四倍大，那张洞开的巨口足以将整条龙吞下。85
Mist struggled to gain altitude.米斯特竭力爬升。86
She managed to rise above the gaping mouth, but a tree-weighted vine shot out at her, entangling her neck and her wings.她总算升到了那张巨口上方，可一根坠着大树的藤蔓猛地朝她射来，缠住了她的脖颈和双翼。87
The dragon beat her wings furiously, but she was held fast.巨龙疯狂地拍打翅膀，却被牢牢困住。88
More red vines, pulsing like blood veins, snaked up the snarevine.更多如血管般搏动的红色藤蔓，沿着那根缠人的藤蔓蜿蜒而上。89
Cursing, Olive drew her dagger, preparing to cut any plants that came her way.奥利芙咒骂着拔出匕首，准备割断任何伸到她身边的植物。90
She turned, thinking to offer Akabar her sword, but to her surprise he began chanting another spell.她转过身，本想把剑递给阿卡巴，却惊讶地发现他又开始吟诵一道法术。91
She thought he had exhausted the last of his magic on the enchantment to haste the dragon.她原以为，他已经把最后一点魔力都耗在了让巨龙加速的法术上。92
Apparently he was getting better at the game.看来他越来越精于此道了。93
He looks worn, though, Olive thought, noticing the lines in his face, deeper and more plentiful than when they’d first met in Cormyr.不过他看起来倒很憔悴，奥利芙心想；她注意到他脸上的皱纹比他们初次在科米尔见面时更多，也更深了。94
He was beginning to look like a real wizard, she decided.她断定，他开始有点真正的法师模样了。95
With furrowed brows, the Turmish mage completed the last sharp syllables and tossed a handful of iron powder over the dragon’s scales.图米什法师紧锁眉头，念完最后几个尖锐的音节，将一把铁粉撒在巨龙的鳞片上。96
The metal filings sparkled in the air, causing Mist’s whole body to glow.金属粉末在空中闪闪发亮，令米斯特全身泛起光芒。97
The struggling dragon’s scales shifted beneath them.巨龙仍在奋力挣扎，身下的鳞片随之挪动起来。98
The halfling grabbed at the safety ropes, but they snapped away, as did the majority of the vines tethering Mist to Moander’s form.半身人一把抓住安全绳，可绳索猛然绷断，将米斯特拴在莫安德躯体上的藤蔓也大多随之断裂。99
Olive gripped at a scale, but it was difficult to grasp as it grew in size.奥利芙紧抓住一片鳞片，但鳞片越变越大，很难抓牢。100
Akabar, she realized, had enlarged the dragon with his magic.她明白过来，是阿卡巴用魔法让巨龙变大了。101
“Should even the odds,” the Turmishman said.“这样双方就势均力敌了。”图米什人说道。102
Mist, using her back claws, slashed open Moander’s side.米斯特用后爪撕开了莫安德的侧腹。103
A foul vapor burst from the god’s wound, and it screamed.一股恶臭的气体从神祇的伤口中喷涌而出，祂发出一声尖叫。104
The air smelled like a swamp.空气中弥漫着沼泽般的气味。105
Mist jerked her head up, breaking the last cord holding her near the god.米斯特猛地昂起头，挣断了最后一根将她束在神祇近旁的绳索。106
The suddenness of her movement sent Dragonbait bouncing high into the air.她动作太过突然，把龙饵高高弹上了半空。107
With a gasp Olive tugged on Akabar’s kilt and pointed at the lizard.奥利芙倒吸一口气，扯了扯阿卡巴的褶裙，指向那个蜥蜴人。108
Akabar was already aware of the saurial’s plight.阿卡巴已经注意到了那个蜥族人的险境。109
He stood up nimbly on Mist’s shifting back and stretched out his arms.他灵巧地站起身，在米斯特不断起伏的背上伸开双臂。110
In each hand he held a single feather.他两只手中各握着一根羽毛。111
He incanted fast and furious and then fell from the dragon’s back.他又快又急地念起咒语，随即从巨龙背上坠落。112
Reflexively Olive grabbed at the mage’s ankles.奥利芙下意识地一把抓住法师的脚踝。113
She’d forgotten she was no longer anchored.她忘了自己已经没有任何东西固定住了。114
The pair of them, mage and bard, plummeted toward the ground.两个人——法师和吟游诗人——一同向地面疾坠而去。115
As Akabar pulled out of his dive and began to fly upward, he became aware of the halfling’s weight.阿卡巴止住俯冲，开始向上飞升，这才察觉到半身人的重量。116
Would he be able to carry her and Dragonbait? he wondered.他心想，自己能同时带得动她和龙饵吗？117
The saurial had begun arcing downward.那个蜥族人已经划出一道弧线，开始向下坠落。118
He’d lost his grip on the finder’s stone, but still clutched at his sword.他已经没能握住寻踪石，却依然紧抓着自己的剑。119
Akabar flew upward to intercept him.阿卡巴向上飞去，准备截住他。120
Drat the halfling, the mage thought as he struggled to reach the saurial.该死的半身人，法师一边奋力靠近那蜥蜴人，一边想道。121
He would not be able to cross the horizontal distance between himself and Dragonbait before the lizard fell past him.在龙饵从他身旁坠过之前，他根本来不及跨越两人之间的水平距离。122
If Olive had not tagged a ride, he could have done so with ease.要不是奥利芙搭了他的便车，他原本可以轻而易举地赶上。123
As it was, he was forced to angle down, arms forward like a diver.眼下他只能斜向下飞，双臂前伸，仿佛一名跳水者。124
Dragonbait fell with his arms spread open, presenting the most resistance to the air.龙饵张开双臂下坠，尽可能增大空气阻力。125
Akabar did not think the saurial was the least panicked, but he was willing to bet the air around Dragonbait smelled of woodsmoke.阿卡巴并不觉得那蜥蜴人有丝毫惊慌，不过他敢打赌，龙饵周围的空气里一定弥漫着木柴烟味。126
Behind the mage, Olive swore loudly and profusely.法师身后，奥利芙扯开嗓子，没完没了地咒骂着。127
She had no idea how to present the smallest profile when flying, so she slowed the mage’s movements even further with the resistance of her body in the wind.她根本不知道飞行时该怎样尽量缩小迎风面积，因此身体遭受的风阻让法师的动作变得更加迟缓。128
Akabar offered his own prayer that he would reach the saurial in time.阿卡巴也暗自祈祷，希望自己能及时赶上那蜥蜴人。129
The flying mage’s path intersected the free-falling lizard’s about thirty yards from the ground.飞行中的法师在离地面约三十码处，与自由落体的蜥蜴人轨迹相交。130
By then Dragonbait was plummeting like a comet, and Akabar’s tackle hit him with so much force that something gave in the mage’s shoulder and the saurial’s ribs.这时龙饵已如彗星般急速下坠，阿卡巴猛扑上去，撞击力如此之大，以至于法师的肩膀和蜥蜴人的肋骨都有什么地方承受不住了。131
The trio of wizard, halfling, and lizard was too heavy to remain in flight long.法师、半身人和蜥蜴人加在一起太重，无法长时间维持飞行。132
From their mid-air impact, they lofted in a very low arc, before they began to sink earthward.半空中的撞击令他们沿着一道极低的弧线向上飘了一段，随后便开始朝地面沉去。133
They landed in a dell between hills.他们落在群山之间的一处洼地里。134
The ground was soft, but littered with boulders.地面松软，却散布着许多巨石。135
The threesome rolled and slid, lost their grip on one another, and fell apart.三个人翻滚滑行，彼此松脱，最后各自摔开。136
Akabar kept flying after he lost the added weight.失去额外的重量后，阿卡巴仍继续向前飞去。137
He pulled up and landed smoothly on a large rock.他拉升身形，稳稳落在一块大石头上。138
He touched his shoulder gingerly; the flesh dimpled inward and his wrist and arm buzzed with a thousand tiny needle-pricks.他小心翼翼地摸了摸肩膀；那里的皮肉向内凹陷，手腕和手臂则泛起仿佛被无数细针扎刺般的麻痛。139
A dislocated shoulder, he realized, almost intrigued with the injury.肩膀脱臼了，他意识到这一点，几乎还对这伤势产生了几分好奇。140
The halfling, with the luck endemic to her race, had skidded to a stop in a particularly soft, boggy area.凭着半身人一族与生俱来的好运，奥利芙恰好滑进一片格外松软泥泞的地方，停了下来。141
She rose to her feet completely uninjured but quite slimy, smeared with mud and grass stains.她站起身来，浑身毫发无伤，却滑腻腻的，沾满了泥浆和草渍。142
Dragonbait needed to lean on his sword to rise to his feet.龙饵则需要拄着剑，才能站起身来。143
Akabar turned his attention to the battle between the now-gigantic Mist and the monstrously swelled Moander.阿卡巴将注意力转向了如今已变得无比巨大的米斯特与骇人膨胀的莫安德之间的战斗。144
The Jawed God had increased its size once again and regained its hold on the red dragon.巨颚之神再次增大了身躯，重新牢牢钳住了红龙。145
The two behemoths tumbled in midair, though why they did not crash was yet another mystery puzzling Akabar.两个庞然巨物在半空中翻滚，却不知为何没有坠落——这又成了一个令阿卡巴困惑不已的谜团。146
Mist’s wings were too entangled to fly, and the blue flames that had propelled the god through the sky were no longer apparent.米斯特的双翼缠得太紧，无法飞翔，而先前推动那神祇穿越天空的蓝色火焰也已不见踪影。147
The air shimmered around them like heat rising from the desert sands.他们周围的空气微微颤动，宛如从沙漠沙地上升腾的热浪。148
Beneath the tattered shards of the god’s body, which Mist had ripped away with her claws, lay only great vacuities.米斯特用利爪从神祇身上撕下的残破碎片之下，只有一片片巨大的空无。149
The smell of fetid swamp Akabar had noticed aboard the dragon reached his nose even on the ground.阿卡巴先前在龙背上闻到的腐臭沼泽气味，即使到了地面上，仍直冲他的鼻端。150
Along Moander’s side, a second huge, duskwood-fanged mouth split open.莫安德的侧身又裂开了一张巨口，獠牙硕大，由暮木构成。151
So wide did the jaws part that the god resembled a giant clam.那双颚张得如此之大，使这神祇看起来宛如一只巨蚌。152
Confronted with this new set of jaws, Mist began thrashing like a wild beast.面对这副新生的巨颚，米斯特开始像野兽一样疯狂挣扎。153
She was a great wyrm, one of the most powerful of her race, and much enhanced by the Turmish mage’s magic, yet, while her opponent seemed to be made of nothing but that great maw, she was still flesh and blood.她是一条巨龙，是族类中最强大的存在之一，又因图米什法师的魔法而力量大增；然而，她的对手仿佛全身只由那张巨口构成，她却终究仍是血肉之躯。154
Then she remembered she was also fire.随后，她想起自己也同样是火焰。155
Mist breathed a long stream of flame from her bloody mouth and nostrils.米斯特从血淋淋的口鼻中喷出一道绵长的烈焰。156
The fire plunged deep into the god’s mouth.火焰直贯神祇巨口深处。157
With a sudden horrifying insight, Akabar understood the significance of the swampy smell, Moander’s great but empty size, and its ability to hover.一阵可怕的顿悟猛然袭来，阿卡巴终于明白了那股沼泽恶臭、莫安德庞大却空洞的身躯，以及它能够悬浮空中的缘由。158
The mage squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away from the battle.法师紧紧闭上双眼，将头扭向一旁，不再看那场战斗。159
A small star exploded in the sky over Westgate.西门城上空，一颗小小的星辰轰然爆裂。160
The shell that was Moander the Darkbringer and the curved figure of the dragon were black pieces of ash against the blaze that consumed them.莫安德黑暗使者的躯壳与巨龙弯曲的身影，化作片片黑灰，映衬在吞噬它们的熊熊烈焰之中。161
Mist’s fire-resistant scales ignited, her flesh became translucent, and her skeleton visible to any eyes unfortunate enough to witness her demise.米斯特那耐火的鳞片燃烧起来，血肉变得透明，任何不幸目睹她殒命的人，都能清楚看见她的骨架。162
A booming sound rolled across the plains.轰鸣声滚滚扫过平原。163
The three adventurers were knocked from their feet by the force of the blast.爆炸的冲击力将三名冒险者掀翻在地。164
Ruskettle lay toppled in the mud with her fingers pressed into her ears.拉斯凯特尔倒在泥泞中，双手手指紧紧堵住耳朵。165
The mage fell from his rock.法师从岩石上摔了下来。166
When Akabar looked up again, the star had faded, leaving behind the falling, burning shards of the god Moander.阿卡巴再次抬头时，那颗星已经消失，只留下莫安德燃烧着坠落的碎片。167
The long, blackened body that had once been Mistinarperadnacles Hai Draco spiraled to the earth.那具一度名为米斯蒂纳佩拉德纳克勒斯·海·德拉科的焦黑长躯，旋转着坠向大地。168
From the small valley, the mage could not see where the dead beast landed, but he felt the ground shake from the impact.法师身处小山谷中，看不见那头死去的巨兽落在了哪里，但他感觉到地面因撞击而震颤。169
Akabar felt very tired.阿卡巴感到疲惫不堪。170
He prayed he had been right in his assumption that the package Moander had dropped off on the hilltop had been Alias.他祈祷自己的猜测没有错：莫安德丢在山顶的那个包裹就是阿莉亚丝。171
A further fear crept over him and tightened his gut.又一重恐惧悄然攫住了他，令他的腹部一阵紧缩。172
If Moander were indeed a god, they had destroyed only its earthly incarnation—somewhere beyond the borders of reality, it still lived.如果莫安德当真是神，那么他们摧毁的就只是它在人间的化身——在现实疆界之外的某个地方，它依然活着。173
Should the Darkbringer find a way to return to the Realms, the mage knew that he would be at the top of the god’s list of enemies.法师知道，倘若黑暗使者找到重返诸界的办法，自己必会高居那位神祇的仇敌名单之首。174
“So be it,” the Turmishman muttered.“那就来吧。”图米什人低声说道。175
The beast had invaded his mind and made him a puppet.那头怪物曾侵入他的心智，把他变成一具傀儡。176
Now it was no more, destroyed by his hand, for without his spells Mist would not have lasted ten minutes against the Jawed God.如今它已不复存在，毁在了他的手中；若没有他的法术，米斯特在巨颚之神面前连十分钟都撑不过。177
A feeling of intense satisfaction washed over Akabar.一股强烈的满足感涌遍阿卡巴全身。178
The feeling blended with the knowledge that he had rescued Dragonbait and Olive from death by flying them to safety.这种感觉又与另一份认知交融在一起：他曾带着龙饵和奥利芙飞离险境，把他们从死亡手中救了出来。179
For the first time he was sure that he was more than a greengrocer merchant who dabbled in spell-casting.他第一次确信，自己不只是个偶尔摆弄法术的蔬果商人。180
He was truly a mage of the first water.他是一位真正顶尖的法师。181
Smoke rose in the sky from the direction of Westgate, and Akabar realized that the dragon must have hit the city.西门城方向的天空中升起了浓烟，阿卡巴这才意识到，那条龙一定撞进了城里。182
He felt a twinge of sadness for the beast.他为那头巨兽感到一丝悲伤。183
Evil though Mist had been, her evil had been no worse than that of a selfish, monomaniacal old woman.米斯特虽是邪恶的，但她的邪恶也不过像一个自私而偏执成狂的老妇人。184
Like a villain in a street pantomime, she was all sneers and threats—her wickedness paled before the reality of the Darkbringer.她就像街头哑剧里的恶棍，只有冷笑和威胁——与黑暗使者真实的邪恶相比，她的恶行顿时黯然失色。185
She died honoring her agreement with the saurial paladin—battling and destroying a greater evil than herself.她至死都信守着与那位蜥蜴族圣武士的约定——与一个比自己更邪恶的存在交战，并将其摧毁。186
Ruskettle should write a song, making Mist a hero, Akabar thought with a grin.阿卡巴咧嘴一笑，心想，拉斯凯特尔应该写首歌，把米斯特塑造成英雄。187
The old wyrm would’ve hated that.那条老龙准会恨死这件事。188
“You waiting for the moon to come up, Akash?”“阿卡什，你是在等月亮升起来吗？”189
Olive snapped.奥利芙厉声说道。190
“We have a swordswoman to rescue, in case you’d forgotten.”“免得你忘了，我们还有个女剑士等着去救呢。”191
Akabar shook his head, clearing it of his self-congratulations and melancholy meanderings.阿卡巴摇了摇头，把自鸣得意和忧郁的遐思甩出脑海。192
Dragonbait, his hip bloody from their rough landing, and clutching his ribs where Akabar had intercepted him, stood beside him.龙饵站在他身旁，先前重重落地摔得他髋部鲜血淋漓，而被阿卡巴截住的地方，肋骨也疼得让他紧紧捂住。193
The lizard was reaching for the mage’s shoulder to heal it first.蜥蜴人正伸手去碰法师的肩膀，想先治好那里的伤。194
Akabar moved away from him, cradling his bad arm with his good.阿卡巴躲开了他，用完好的那只手臂托住伤臂。195
He clenched his teeth against the pain.他咬紧牙关，强忍疼痛。196
“No!” the Turmishman insisted.“不行！”图米什人坚持道。197
“I can walk at least.“至少我还能走路。198
You should take care of yourself first.”你应该先治好自己。”199
Dragonbait paused in protest, but he was not about to argue with the mage’s new determination.龙饵停下动作，以示抗议，但他并不打算违逆法师这份新生的决心。200
He used the last of his healing power on his injured side, then the three of them set out to find Alias.他用最后一点治疗之力治愈了自己受伤的那一侧，随后三人便出发寻找阿莉亚丝。201
点句末的编号，从那一句开始听