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一股突如其來的暖流入侵了沉沉的夢境。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAuYPzD9zReX
1237Please respect copyright.PENANArCwuasjXmF
周圍的溫度似乎越來越高,彷彿置身於浴場的蒸氣室一樣悶熱。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAVGlgyr0aL6
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAH0AvKtl77o
沒過多久,一層黏膩的汗意逐漸包裹住身子。這層汗就像是個不透風的罩子似的,使得體內的溫度越來越高,直到讓人受不了為止。1237Please respect copyright.PENANA1AAKvKJdBc
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAHF4Q9Yaj8T
「嗚嗯......好熱......!」1237Please respect copyright.PENANAzRXhDEgyA1
1237Please respect copyright.PENANA0H3p2TsAXO
烏爾莉卡.西蒙納多蒂爾(Ulrika Símonardóttir)正是在如此不適的情況下被熱醒過來。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAx5LVMOoIir
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAa9hd519brf
幾乎是同一時間,她驚覺周遭的景色和物品全變了樣!1237Please respect copyright.PENANAbc8Hfdsn9c
1237Please respect copyright.PENANA5zcVnKOOYM
裝潢奢華的寬敞臥房——消失了,映入眼簾的是個坪數不大的幽暗小空間。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAgyLBLeCjiu
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAMkNdVMrn3j
高級絲綢所製成的床鋪——也不見了,反而變成一張觸感陌生的羊毛地毯。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAuThW9Kk6ru
1237Please respect copyright.PENANA1NmAIWT2MO
窗外大雪紛飛的銀白色世界——更是消逝得無影無蹤,取而代之的是一顆熾熱的黃色火球掛在天上,滾燙的正午陽光直接透過窗口撒在她身上。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAfVeRR4bqZ0
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAlblIAGTbMM
天翻地覆的改變,讓烏爾莉卡的腦袋一時反應不過來。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAhGg2WOs05t
1237Please respect copyright.PENANArwuqqD7jcG
「我是誰?我在哪?我在幹甚麼?」1237Please respect copyright.PENANAGGcfCSqTbC
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAcZSWwSryjA
烏爾莉卡感到口乾舌燥、呼吸急促,有點換不過氣來。她的手緊緊的抓住胸口的衣服,想減輕痛苦,但酷暑般的天氣令她感到渾身都不對勁,更別說穿在身上的羊毛衣都被汗水給浸濕了。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAUN3pe6EcnO
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAnYyD08zSt9
「我......這裡是......在哪裡?」她低聲呢喃著。1237Please respect copyright.PENANARAr4ixjHrT
1237Please respect copyright.PENANA7D0vnNfCb4
烏爾莉卡一隻手撫著額頭,一隻手撐起身子,並感受到從指尖傳來羊毛地毯舒適柔軟的觸感。這張毛毯的顏色又紅又花,不論樣式或織法皆是她所沒見過的。1237Please respect copyright.PENANA77UsO2NxO3
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAkYSKbiIEvK
「嗚嗯,身子怎麼會酸成這樣!」1237Please respect copyright.PENANAqWnzJd1JXA
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAHc8t7oV4sF
不過還沒來得及佩服編織者精緻的技藝,烏爾莉卡隨即感覺到背和腰傳來陣陣痠痛,這大概是因為她還未適應睡地板上的緣故。1237Please respect copyright.PENANASzjLW7Hhfj
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAESEsmtBBwk
為了減緩身體上的疼痛,她環顧四周觀察環境來分散注意力。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAQHmABrD6HY
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAQXHwQHq7Ob
烏爾莉卡發覺自己正躺在一間只有幾坪大的矮房內,房子本身是由光滑的石頭和泥土所打造。房間內沒有椅子,只有幾顆枕頭和一張圓形的木製矮桌。而且這棟矮房的窗戶沒有窗扇或窗簾,基本上沒有任何遮蔽功能。這和烏爾莉卡家鄉為了保暖和阻擋寒氣,而將幾乎都窗戶的設計封死相差甚遠;顯然是跟此地炎熱的天氣有關。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAF84BTVTPtm
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAu078VjnzUi
也因為如此,陽光毫無阻礙地透入這一間低矮的土房,照在烏爾莉卡身上。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAGmWKw5jaCU
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAbpKGRExvnj
身處於遙遠的異地,無論氣溫或氣味都極為陌生。唯獨從窗外飄來的海風帶來一點鹹味為烏爾莉卡帶來一絲慰藉,因為那是和她家鄉唯一的相似之物。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAAuQXXkWkMG
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAtYTzRMpuJd
然而,烏爾莉卡人生中最重要的聯繫——她的女兒——竟在當下完全不知去向。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAzsDk8dgmZo
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAfXPYffu8VO
「莎薇?莎薇怎麼不見了!」1237Please respect copyright.PENANAznEhtFqaBq
1237Please respect copyright.PENANACSNHUptm1z
烏爾莉卡的女兒——名叫莎薇的十歲女兒——她本來應該睡在她身邊。可是醒來後,她竟然卻完全不知去向,房間內也不見她的身影。1237Please respect copyright.PENANA5adHF3T4yT
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAfpJylupZkW
「這孩子跑哪兒去了?莎薇!」1237Please respect copyright.PENANAz4VRdPfADH
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAp5wzcrv1PG
烏爾莉卡立刻衝到房外,來不及穿鞋的她仍打著赤腳,身上也僅僅穿著一件極為貼身的室內用羊毛衣。1237Please respect copyright.PENANA2lWIAWciyg
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAe0rSJ106uT
首先映入眼簾的,是坐落於山腳下的巨大海灣,數百艘大大小小的船隻停泊於海灣之中,它們或駛入、或離港,看起來好不忙碌。緊接著的是一望無際的海洋在眼前展開,一直延伸至連結著廣裘無際藍天的視野盡頭。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAHBbkieDL9d
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAn1EXXpnO0F
這座城市本身位於一個海灣的西岸,城市內所有的建築物沿著山坡上升,密密麻麻、層層疊疊的地分布著各個房屋和街區。1237Please respect copyright.PENANACOrMGDIY7D
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAO96AOwgZPb
至於烏爾莉卡所居住的這棟低矮民房,就跟其他數百棟房屋一樣比鄰而居地蓋在山坡上頭。它們皆通通皆是由純白色的石塊建造而成,耀眼的白色石塊推砌於山坡上,錯落層疊的幢幢白屋、片片白牆、塊塊白屋頂,白牆鑲嵌雕花鐵窗,白屋裝飾雕花大鐵門,呈現出迴異於烏爾莉卡家鄉的異國風情。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAo18mrSvPvB
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAZ6Ht7sutzr
只不過在這個當下,烏爾莉卡完全沒將這幅獨特的美景放在眼裡——心急如焚的她心中只有女兒,那也是她人生中唯一在乎的事情。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAdtcdWairKi
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAdbLCiWX116
「莎薇?莎薇!」1237Please respect copyright.PENANA6e3al3S3VB
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAZoX1jOSQnc
她環顧四周,只差沒出聲高喊出女兒的名字。1237Please respect copyright.PENANANZfRmE0BNH
1237Please respect copyright.PENANA4zrr0F3Ql4
「啊,您已經睡醒了嗎?」1237Please respect copyright.PENANA9R3d6xZaRQ
1237Please respect copyright.PENANArHlucRvHD9
正當烏爾莉卡心亂如麻之際,清脆的男孩嗓音自她背後傳來。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAB3UipU9ImK
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAbHokSPNnoP
轉過身,她看見一名少年;甚至稱之為男孩都不為過。他雙手各提著一桶水,望著烏爾莉卡的臉上露出些許驚訝。1237Please respect copyright.PENANA5i0p2hJiAx
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAg2jNAtbaXC
少年的年紀絕對不超過十二歲,肌膚色呈小麥色,搭配瘦小卻精壯的身子,散發出一絲野性氛圍。帶有亮澤烏黑的自然捲頭髮下,點綴著端正清秀的五官。雙烏黑明亮的雙目,像是從夜空墜落凡間的兩顆星星。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAOrijvhgn6n
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAOVstdMlrLN
不過最引人注目的,或許是他頭頂上一對橢圓狀的大獸耳、一根臀部上方探出來如掃帚般的長尾巴,默默訴說初他身為一隻『斑點鬣狗獸人』的事實;烏爾莉卡這輩子沒見過斑點鬣狗這種動物,但她猜想這種『狗』的耳朵和尾巴大概就長得一個樣吧?1237Please respect copyright.PENANAB7bv9hP4bw
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAuaf2rkfagN
「嗯,怎麼了嗎?」鬣狗少年問。1237Please respect copyright.PENANANtedL9TJ8X
1237Please respect copyright.PENANA2CvpAf7RBq
「你是......」1237Please respect copyright.PENANAB0XCqkSiHW
1237Please respect copyright.PENANA1le3sw9IxZ
「我是艾塔奇(Aytaç),您是不是睡昏頭了?」自稱為艾塔奇的鬣狗少年邊說邊露出靦腆的微笑,他道:「請稍等一下,我馬上就去燒水做午飯。」1237Please respect copyright.PENANAoJj6qaHaTG
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAkL9YT0EkmI
「......不對,莎薇呢?」1237Please respect copyright.PENANAc47drJ5xGv
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAVSYpZpkG9A
「咦?」1237Please respect copyright.PENANAl5JC45zBSL
1237Please respect copyright.PENANA6Xt1byKBAy
「你把我女兒藏到哪去了!」1237Please respect copyright.PENANA3OPhWpOQrR
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAJmnfkc1hVG
「等、等一下,您是不是搞錯什麼了?」1237Please respect copyright.PENANA6lkmw9rboX
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAIZFQD94W0N
這時烏爾莉卡衝上前,雙手掐住艾塔奇的衣領,以用壓倒性的氣勢將對方扯了過來。他手中的桶子隨之翻倒,水桶內的水也全撒了出來。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAG43VF61TSm
1237Please respect copyright.PENANA2KWkCe46iT
「莎薇人呢?快點告訴我!」1237Please respect copyright.PENANAAlRZh1wBAR
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAbCQFlmYcox
烏爾莉卡並沒有對著少年大聲嘶吼或咆哮——不管是出於她天生穩重的個性所致,抑或是後天貴族教育的成果——但這名年輕的母親一字一句,咬牙切齒的清晰發聲充分表達出內心的怒意。1237Please respect copyright.PENANADohnIyDfKW
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAvjq2ZCvtnf
與此同時,被烏爾莉卡抓住的少年憋紅了臉,他的雙腳些微離地,無處使力。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAuSVNATfxMp
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAoxPe7lw4xX
「咳喝......好痛苦,不能呼吸.....」1237Please respect copyright.PENANAKQts4grjqi
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAKD5D4iVfY2
「莎薇在哪裡!」1237Please respect copyright.PENANASH6p3WSPST
1237Please respect copyright.PENANA15Jn9ml9an
「她......莎薇就在後面跟......」1237Please respect copyright.PENANAMX5lfJDpXy
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAISXf6XUE6n
「你對莎薇做了什麼?你是不是偷偷把她賣掉了!」1237Please respect copyright.PENANAJhmG2sff5r
1237Please respect copyright.PENANAJEEIewomiU
「沒有、絕對......我不會......」1237Please respect copyright.PENANAXvitA1Jnxn
1237Please respect copyright.PENANACJcbXZ92o1
正當艾塔奇的臉色逐由紅轉白之際,一聲稚嫩的嗓音拯救了他。1237Please respect copyright.PENANAsM0N52mvBZ