本章概述：

????????????亞歷莎打了一架。

????????????In which Alessa picks a fight..

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正文：

大廳里一片寂靜。

時值子夜，這樣的安靜并不出乎意料。到頭來，我們還是花上了接近一整天來和烏泰娜交換對現(xiàn)狀的報告，當(dāng)我和伊莎萊離開她的辦公室時，大廳中只有夜班守衛(wèi)還在崗，而她們也只滿足了這個崗位需要的最低人員定額。

“局勢遠(yuǎn)比我預(yù)想的嚴(yán)峻，”我輕聲說道，朝著烏泰娜給我們分配的住處走去?！安贿^現(xiàn)在我明白我們登陸時隱修院的姐妹們有多措不及防了?！?/p>

“獸人極少隱蔽地出擊，”伊莎萊贊同道?！暗惨?yàn)檫@種稀缺性，當(dāng)它們這么做時往往能出奇制勝?！?/p>

我能做的只有點(diǎn)頭。

這種情況初次發(fā)生時，我根本搞不懂為什么我們會如此迅速而不可挽回地潰敗。而得知我們的連隊(duì)并不是唯一一支被這種戰(zhàn)術(shù)打擊的部隊(duì)，以及敵軍戰(zhàn)將如此的不同尋常，還是給我?guī)砹艘唤z扭曲的慰藉。

“亞歷莎，”伊莎萊的語氣帶有疑問。我轉(zhuǎn)過頭去，不過那更多是用來表示我在傾聽而非因?yàn)槲倚枰@么做?！澳愕目自撛趺崔k？”

“啊，”我低頭看著身上的圣殿甲，尤其是接下了那個靈族的猛力刺擊的肩甲部分，然后嘆了口氣?！拔蚁胛业煤艚幸晃回?fù)責(zé)修復(fù)盔甲的姐妹來我們的房間，在進(jìn)行修復(fù)儀式前先把它取下來并為它祝圣吧。”

伊莎萊皺起了眉頭，那個表情讓我心底涌起了一絲不安。

“萊？”我拉起她的手，在走廊里停下腳步并走到她面前?！坝惺裁词聠?？”

她秀美輕顰，然后嘆了口氣，搖了搖頭。

“這真夠蠢的，”伊莎萊輕聲說道。

“能讓你傷心的都不是小事，吾愛，”我回應(yīng)道?！案嬖V我怎么了，好嗎？”

伊莎萊又一次嘆氣，從我的手中抽身出來，轉(zhuǎn)而把手放在了我的臉上。她的拇指摸索著我的臉頰，在我眼睛下方的鳶尾花刺青上猶豫了片刻，最終她還是把我拉近，熱切地吻上了我。

承認(rèn)自己在她的擁吻下驚叫出聲讓我有些不好意思，但我還是一如既往地融化在她的懷抱中。她的嘴唇的柔軟，以及它們的味道，我永遠(yuǎn)都抗拒不了。

當(dāng)我們分開時，她仿佛有些惱火地俯視著我的雙眼。

“我不想讓其他女人觸碰你，亞歷莎，”她坦白道，我的呼吸因她的話語凝滯在了胸口。

說真的，我還沒有想過這個問題。移除我的盔甲的行為完全是儀式性的。阿爾伯雷亞修道院的仆役們—通常都是那些試圖成為修女卻沒能在訓(xùn)練中堅(jiān)持下來的人—會盡她們所能地通過擔(dān)任各種輔助角色來服務(wù)于修女會。其中一種角色就是作為儀式盔甲匠，因這是最接近于身著受祝戰(zhàn)甲的職位而被仆役們視作至高的榮譽(yù)之一。

但現(xiàn)在隨著伊莎萊把這句話挑明了講，我發(fā)現(xiàn)讓另一個女人—哪怕只是一名仆役—觸摸我的想法……很不愉快。

“你的姐妹們會允許我自行學(xué)習(xí)那些必要的儀式嗎？”伊莎萊片刻后說道。

“我……我不太確定，”我承認(rèn)?！安贿^我會跟烏泰娜大修女談?wù)劦?，如果可能的話，她?yīng)該會授予這項(xiàng)圣職的?！?/p>

伊莎萊點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭。

“在那之前，我會在你的幫助下自行處置，”我微笑著說?！坝行┎糠旨词故峭庑腥艘材軒蜕厦?，只是要多花些時間罷了。”

“只要你愿意，”伊莎萊略帶感激地說，她俯下身來，讓我們的額頭抵在一起?！爸x謝你，Cre’yth?！?/p>

我的臉上不禁浮現(xiàn)起微笑。她的存在，她的話語，她的觸碰……對我來說都是不可比擬的寬慰。我不知道自己在有伊莎萊之前是怎么活下來的，但那段過往一定沉悶、晦暗到了極點(diǎn)。

現(xiàn)在，即便我的視野已經(jīng)被黑與金的影子沖刷干凈，我的世界卻遠(yuǎn)比這更加明亮。就算不能視物，我還能嗅到她，雖然我仍掛念著她日出般的長發(fā)和迷人的紫藤色雙眼，但我擁有著她，更勝于此的是，我擁有她的愛。

一如她也擁有我的。

我們向自己的宿舍走去，而我試著不去想它們有多么空無一物。的確，這意味著我們可以不受我的姐妹們煩擾地到達(dá)我們的房間—雖說我敢根據(jù)那陣陣炫光打賭大部分人都對這項(xiàng)安排不太滿意，可是這也意味著我的修會遭受了慘重的損失。

如果那意味著我們的修道院要塞仍齊裝滿員，我就得忍受一大群“達(dá)尼卡”們。

即便在眾目睽睽之下，我也和伊莎萊攜手同行。有那么一個瞬間，她試圖抽出手來并置身于我之后，似乎是想把自己放到一個更卑順的位置上，我則握緊她的手，制止了她的進(jìn)一步動作。

“讓她們看著吧，”我低聲說著，和她穿過了一群怒目而視的姐妹們。“我們已經(jīng)經(jīng)受了神皇的裁決，吾愛。她們的想法高不過祂的圣裁。”

“如你所言，”伊莎萊輕聲回應(yīng)道。

最終到達(dá)我們的房間里令人倍感解脫，而看到房間里擺著兩張床讓我忍不住笑了出來。

就好像我們真的會用上它們似的。

角落里立著一座武器架，擺放著所有必備的圣油，一個裝著額外的幾件緊身服的衣柜，以及緊鄰其側(cè)的一間小浴室。雖然對我們兩個人來說浴室稍顯擁擠，但我想我們應(yīng)付得來。

不與伊莎萊共浴感覺上實(shí)在太奇怪了，我發(fā)覺自己懷念起在我們的小尖塔房里的浴池，正如我之前料想的那樣。

“來吧，”我走到武器架前說，“我把自己能做到的都教給你?！?/p>

在接下來的一個小時里，我教授伊莎萊如何進(jìn)行正確的儀式和祈禱，以及在哪里涂抹她獲準(zhǔn)接觸的圣油，哪些需要等我來處理。如我所料，這花費(fèi)了遠(yuǎn)超我找來一位盔甲匠所需的功夫，但與伊莎萊一同完成這些動作所帶來的安心感足以抵消掉額外的時間。

伊莎萊打理這件圣潔戰(zhàn)甲時所展現(xiàn)的投入，細(xì)心，和愛意，以及她在念誦那些簡短的禱文時的語氣中的信仰，讓整個儀式感覺上更為強(qiáng)烈。

伊莎萊安置好了最后一塊甲片，并用沾有圣油的布仔細(xì)擦拭，與此同時我按摩著自己的手臂?，F(xiàn)在我的身體感覺上比幾周前要強(qiáng)健得多，但酸痛依舊。相比從遇到伊莎萊前受到的傷勢中愈合和從為她的靈魂斡旋時所受的靈能沖擊中恢復(fù)，我近期讓自己的身體承受了太多。

當(dāng)然，這一切都是值得的，我一邊想著一邊看向伊莎萊，心中為她的靈魂中綻放的信仰之光而歡欣鼓舞。

伊莎萊站著完成了最后的儀式，她只差一點(diǎn)就能藏住自己的面部的抽搐。

“還有其他的儀式需要完成嗎，亞歷莎？“她問道。

“沒了，不過盔甲匠明天會來修復(fù)肩甲和關(guān)節(jié)，”我回答道?！拔覀兊南乱豁?xiàng)任務(wù)是你，‘萊?！?/p>

她皺起了眉頭。

“我沒—”

“請不要對我撒謊，‘萊，”我低聲說道，伊莎萊的后半句話卡在了嘴邊?！叭绻阌X得我會忘記自己深愛的女人還帶著傷，那我真不知道該說什么好了?！?/p>

“受難者蒙福，因蒙福的祂替我們而受難，”伊莎萊輕聲念道?！拔业膫c痛均為苦修，而兩者退卻之迅速也遠(yuǎn)勝常人……所以說，真的，Cre’yth，我沒事的?！?/p>

“那對我來說呢？”

說出這句話令我略感痛苦，尤其是鑒于伊莎萊聽到這句話時的表情。那表情中包含困惑，痛惜，以及一絲真切的驚恐。即便是現(xiàn)在，離我見到她擁有完整的情感已經(jīng)過去了好幾天，那些情緒在她的臉上交替之迅速也令我陌生。

這一個多太陽系標(biāo)準(zhǔn)月里，我已經(jīng)習(xí)慣了她那無處不在的挪揄或惱火的表情，可現(xiàn)在，她的靈魂已經(jīng)從詛咒了她的種族的亞空間刻痕中解放了出來，讓她此生第一次有了真情實(shí)感，而很明顯，她對這些感受還不甚了解。

“如果換做我對你強(qiáng)顏歡笑，你會怎么想？”我繼續(xù)說道，伊莎萊稍稍低下了頭。

“嗯？”

伊莎萊惱火地呼出一口氣，搖了搖頭?！拔視耐吹?，你也知道，亞歷莎……當(dāng)我看到你用肩接下了那個女妖的劍刃，當(dāng)我聽到你的嘶喊，我心如刀割?！?/p>

“那就不要在自己受傷時告訴我你沒事了，”我向她走近，牽起她的手帶她走到床邊坐下?！爸辽僮屛铱纯础！?/p>

“我的肩膀幾乎已經(jīng)痊愈了，”伊莎萊說著脫下了還密布著手雷破片的脛甲，把它們放到一邊?！拔业南ドw還是有些僵硬和疼痛，但……”

我看著那道皮開肉綻的傷口皺起了眉頭。如果她是人類的話我毫不懷疑她會慘叫出聲，但伊莎萊早就向我解釋過她的身體被改造到了何種地步。她的血液里可能已經(jīng)充滿了麻醉藥劑，而從不多的血漬來看，我猜那個傷口早在流血前就幾乎已經(jīng)被肌肉收縮和血液高凝給封閉住了。

“看吧，”伊莎萊輕聲說?！俺俗屗匀挥贤鉀]有什么可做的。今天受到的這點(diǎn)傷害可遠(yuǎn)比我以前經(jīng)歷過的要輕得多。”

我輕輕撫上她的膝蓋上那道粗硬的傷疤?！暗@些傷是為了保護(hù)我和我的姐妹們而受的，所以它們不一樣?！?/p>

伊莎萊嘆了口氣，隨即輕笑起來。

“我覺得也是，Cre’yth?！彼胶偷?。

我俯下身去，輕柔地吻了吻她的傷口，然后坐起身來，依偎在伊莎萊身邊。她把頭靠在我的頭上，雙手環(huán)過我的腰間，把我緊緊地抱在懷里，解脫地長舒一口氣。

“這樣好多了?！币辽R低聲說。“這比你穿著那套鎧甲的時候抱起來要舒服得多?！?/p>

我輕笑著回過頭來，抬起她的臉印下溫柔一吻，然后開始脫她剩下的那一點(diǎn)護(hù)甲。

淋浴的事可以先放一放了。

那一晚，自伊莎萊擺脫她的詛咒起，我們再一次共享魚水之歡。

床并不是特別柔軟，我們也沒有多少空間，但感覺上絲毫不差，甚至更勝一籌。伊莎萊的雙手對我溫柔備至，而她壓在我身上的重量—就算拋開她的手指的動作—也令我顫抖不止。

她的嘴找上了我的每一處柔軟和敏感，到最后，我?guī)缀跻呀?jīng)無法思考。

有些時候我會覺得自己沒有回報給伊莎萊足夠的愛，但同時我也知道她并不在乎這些。她最歡的就是寵溺我，而盡管我仍在戰(zhàn)士之列，我也承認(rèn)自己很享受被溫柔以待。

伊莎萊對我總是那么溫柔。

伊莎萊的呼吸溫暖地打在我的后頸上。她從背后環(huán)抱著我，雙臂緊緊地貼在我身上，臉龐埋在我的頭發(fā)間。床還是窄了點(diǎn)，也和我在阿爾伯雷亞修道院訓(xùn)練的日子里所記得的那樣硬，但這點(diǎn)空間對我們來說夠用，對我來說足矣。

如果我能入睡就好了。

伊莎萊睡得很沉。自神皇降賜與她起，她就睡得比我的記憶里那樣深得多，除了最后幾個在詛咒中日益傾頹的晝夜外，不過我那時沒能意識到?？赡切r候的熟睡是因?yàn)樗纳眢w正日漸凋零。現(xiàn)在在我看來，她的安眠源于內(nèi)心的平靜。

我發(fā)現(xiàn)自己對此感到一絲嫉妒。

只是有點(diǎn)。

我小心翼翼地搭上伊莎萊的手，把它從我的腰間拿開以從床上站起來。但她還是隨著床墊的挪動微微睜開雙眼，皺起了眉頭，睡眼惺忪地拍了拍我騰出來的床位。

“我在這，”我輕聲說著，在床邊跪下來?！敝皇侨龅乩镒咦叨选！?/p>

“那我跟你一起，”伊莎萊想要起身，但我在她動起來前便一只手按到她的肩膀上。

“留下來休息，”我回答道，然后捉起她的手，在她的指節(jié)上吻了一下?！蔽也粫惺碌模氵@樣休息能快些恢復(fù)……而且，我需要一些時間獨(dú)自思考?！?/p>

她的眉頭擰緊了些，但還是點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭。我露出一個微笑，然后開始穿上我的緊身服，以及一件能夠抵擋夜晚的寒意的外套。與此同時，伊莎萊在她的枕頭下摸索了一陣，然后從里面抽出了她的其中一支手槍。

“至少把這個帶上，”她堅(jiān)決地說道，把武器遞了過來。

我做了個鬼臉。

“它之前就在那？”我發(fā)問道，伊莎萊可算賞臉，露出一個尷尬的表情?！凹词乖谖覀儭?/p>

“都上了保險了，”伊莎萊弱弱地說。

我無奈地嘆了口氣，但沒過幾秒又笑著接過“藜蘆”，我在緊身服的腰帶上裝上一個手槍套，并把槍塞了進(jìn)去。

“你可真是沒救了，’萊，”我在她躺回去時說道?！拔液芸炀突貋?，好不好？”

“我知道了，”伊莎萊輕聲說?！白⒁獍踩?，吾愛?！?/p>

走廊上的人并沒有我們上床睡覺時那么多。至少，我們已經(jīng)花了將近一整天來休息和恢復(fù)，但這段時光馬上就要結(jié)束了。等到明天的黎明。盡管還有幾個小時，戰(zhàn)爭就會再次駕臨，我們的戰(zhàn)斗將再次打響。

不過這一次，我們會在一支部隊(duì)的支援下作戰(zhàn)，一支并不信任我們的部隊(duì)。

我沉著臉走過長長的走廊，偶然地與一支巡邏隊(duì)擦肩而過，我不確定她們對我的無視是出于鄙夷還是職責(zé)所在。為了我的姐妹們起見，我努力地讓自己相信是后者，但我和伊莎萊的關(guān)系使這并不容易。

無論我是怎么跟伊莎萊說的，我們走向房間時受到的怒視依舊困擾著我。我的姐妹們對我的摯愛報以敵意和猜疑，對我則是厭惡，而我無法責(zé)備她們。

如果我站在她們的立場上，我毫不懷疑自己也會持有相似的看法。

然而……

我在胸口前握緊了拳頭，面露痛苦之色。我的內(nèi)心無比煎熬。我對伊莎萊的愛之深切依舊無從掩飾，并且神皇本尊已經(jīng)祝福了我們，那么否認(rèn)它就是背離地球之主的旨意！

然而……

我咬緊牙關(guān)，轉(zhuǎn)身走向訓(xùn)練大廳。我愈發(fā)得不滿足于現(xiàn)狀，更甚于此的是我越來越懊惱。一次循環(huán)訓(xùn)練至少能讓我發(fā)泄一部分沮喪之情。我在走廊里走得越遠(yuǎn)，經(jīng)過的姐妹們就越多，我也反應(yīng)過來自己顯然并不是我的姐妹會中唯一受到劍鋒的召喚的人。

我們四面受敵，被一個不知榮譽(yù)和常理為何物的敵人所圍困。和我飽受磨難的修會相比，沮喪之情或許是我們?nèi)杂械墓餐c(diǎn)，不論她們還是否會接納我。

在我經(jīng)過她們以尋找一間空場地時，她們的目光更像是給出了“否”的回答。

“神皇賜我力量，”我默念著走進(jìn)了一間空無一人的房間。

房間里很涼爽，燈光在我進(jìn)門時閃爍著點(diǎn)亮。整個房間呈圓形布置，直徑剛好超過十米。在我看來這是相對較小的一間。我曾經(jīng)習(xí)慣于阿爾伯雷亞修道院里的大型訓(xùn)練廳，但要塞修道院比隱修院要大出許多倍，因此花園隱修院里有尺寸更合適的房間也合乎常理。

房間的東墻上有著一座大號的訓(xùn)練用武器架，每一件兵器都被細(xì)心地清潔與潤滑過。

我向它們走去，雙手撫過一個個握柄，左右挑揀后找到了一把輕劍。它讓我想起了伊莎萊的剃刀連枷收起來的形狀，這個想法令我會心一笑。

門廊里響起了金屬撞擊石塊的聲音，我轉(zhuǎn)過身去，看見一張熟悉的面孔正在門口瞪著我，旁邊圍著兩名隱修院的姐妹。

“你膽敢用你的存在褻瀆這些圣所，異端，”達(dá)尼卡撇著嘴上下打量著我?！斑€是說，你覺得我們不知道你跟那個東西共處一室時做了什么污穢之舉？”

我沉默地褪去外套并把它掛在架子上，然后轉(zhuǎn)過身去盡可能面無表情地打量著她，用我失明的目光給予她沉重的壓迫感。

“你指控我與伊莎萊有染？”我平靜地發(fā)問，一邊揮動手中的訓(xùn)練劍以測試它的平衡。

“我要指控你的不止這點(diǎn)，”達(dá)尼卡簡略地回答道?！暗热荒愣颊f了，的確，我就是這么認(rèn)為。

“那就在挑戰(zhàn)之環(huán)中提出你的指控吧，姐妹，”我猛地把劍鋒指向她的方向，沿著劍身怒視著她?！俺菭栔鄤儆跔栔??！?/p>

達(dá)尼卡的臉上涌起一絲怒火，她身旁的兩個女人整齊劃一地做出了同樣的表情。

“不穿盔甲格斗可是很危險的，異端，”她尖刻地說著走過我的身旁，并推開我以拿起一柄重型雙手訓(xùn)練劍?！澳愦_定不是汝的舌頭捷足先登了？”

正如我之前所說，我曾在好幾天里僅僅與伊莎萊的嘲諷和挪揄交談過。在這一刻我對此心存感激——當(dāng)達(dá)尼卡走過我進(jìn)入環(huán)中時，我也盡自己所能地對著她模仿了伊莎萊最居高臨下的壞笑。

我模仿得一定相當(dāng)好，達(dá)尼卡睜大的雙眼里的怒火幾乎要噴薄而出。

“干什么？！”達(dá)尼卡在我站到她對面時咆哮起來?！敖o我收起你那副嘴臉，混賬！”

“真不好意思，姐妹，”我說著收斂了臉上的笑容?！拔抑皇窍耄覜]穿盔甲這件事只在你能打中我的時候才有關(guān)系?！?/p>

我滿意地聽到達(dá)尼卡的某個同伴發(fā)出了一聲繃不住的低吼，達(dá)尼卡鐵青著臉把訓(xùn)練劍擺出了最具侵略性的招式。

“我會很樂意打斷你的骨頭，女巫，”達(dá)尼卡吼道。

“而我很樂意看著你打空?！?/p>

這就是最后一捆稻草。沒有任何警告的話語或者對正式開始的提請，達(dá)尼卡發(fā)出一聲戰(zhàn)吼并猛沖過來，瞬息間就跨過了數(shù)米的距離。她的重劍承載著巨大的力量劈開了空氣。

然后什么也沒打中。

達(dá)尼卡的軀體因信仰和熱忱而閃耀，使得我能透過金與黑的靈視輕松地看到她，而在她動起來時，我首先想到的就是她慢到了什么地步。

不過話說回來，誰跟伊莎萊相比都很慢。

我沒有后退也沒有舉劍格擋。擋下這般沉重的武器，加上達(dá)尼卡揮劍時的力道，在最好的情況下只會成功地折斷我的手腕。

相反，我進(jìn)入了Lacerai的第一式。按照伊莎萊教給我的，首要原則是與任何一個巫靈教派類似的侵略性。一個巫靈不會退縮，她們會在舞步中化解敵人的攻擊。

于是我迎上了達(dá)尼卡的沖擊，低身，探入，然后繞過她的揮擊。我移動時她臉上不加掩飾的震驚看起來近乎滑稽。我的訓(xùn)練劍擊中了她的側(cè)身，在髖關(guān)節(jié)和屈肌與她的胸甲相交的位置，她在我的擊打下蜷縮起來，從口中擠出的空氣發(fā)出了一聲痛苦的鳴叫。

達(dá)尼卡的腳步踉蹌起來，她揮動武器打出了一記狂野的殺招，而我俯身躲開，站穩(wěn)腳跟并向前沖去。即便我還記得自己用的不是剃刀連枷，我的拇指還是本能地滑過劍柄以釋放劍鋒，但這沒關(guān)系。我已經(jīng)輕易地接近并猛擊在達(dá)尼卡胸前的天鷹徽下，甲片交疊的位置上。

陶鋼隨著我的劍鋒出現(xiàn)一絲裂紋而咔咔作響，達(dá)尼卡以旋風(fēng)般的連擊回敬，以專業(yè)的螺旋擊將重劍揮成了一面由劈砍形成的盾墻，以期將她的敵人逼退。

慢。

太慢了

我在她的攻擊的切分間移動，如伊莎萊教我的那樣隨著她的攻擊節(jié)奏起舞。

“戰(zhàn)斗就像跳舞，”她告訴我。”其中既有步法，也有旋律。如果你能聽到旋律并懂得步伐，那你只需要做那個更勝一籌的舞者?！?/p>

當(dāng)我在達(dá)尼卡的攻擊間躲閃屈伸時，我在她眼中一定像是個鬼魂。她的臉色越來越紅，每次失手都讓她的憤怒增添一分。

達(dá)尼卡又一次大吼起來，聽著有點(diǎn)像一頭惱火的格洛克斯獸，她一個箭步向我沖來，用積累起來的動量揮出了閃電般的一擊。如果這記勢不可擋的殺招得手，它就能將我擊得粉碎。

相反，達(dá)尼卡的動力甲驅(qū)使的力量將劍身擊碎在了地板上，而我則翻身躍起讓攻擊從我背后掠過，我在空中轉(zhuǎn)體以積蓄力量，將我的劍刃狠狠地劈向她的頭顱剃光的那一側(cè)。

如果這一擊命中，那她就跟被我用剃刀連枷劈中一樣必死無疑，于是我在最后一刻將劍轉(zhuǎn)為劍脊向下，對達(dá)尼卡的腦袋打下一記響亮的抽打，讓她毫無形象地側(cè)身倒在訓(xùn)練環(huán)的地面上，而她的雙手重劍尖端折斷，劍身皸裂，伴著巨響在她身旁碎了一地。

我蜷起身子以吸收落地時的沖擊，然后站到達(dá)尼卡面前，張開嘴想說點(diǎn)什么，可我的話隨著腦海中某種災(zāi)難性的預(yù)示閃過而卡在了喉嚨里。

本能驅(qū)使著我。我的感知力從腦后嘶鳴起來，我來不及細(xì)想便弓身躍起，對著身后閃起的兇光揮出一陣防御性的劍刃狂風(fēng)，爆彈槍的開火聲驟然炸響，就在達(dá)尼卡的一個姐妹用副武器對著我開了一槍的同時，我短暫地看清了她臉上驚恐的神情。

彈頭炸裂開來，我的軀體猛地沖向了訓(xùn)練房的另一頭，而一道陰影在同一時間從那兩個觀戰(zhàn)的姐妹中間傾瀉而出，一只巨手將手槍從襲擊者的握持中一把扯了下來。

安塔雷斯大人咆哮著將那把火器撇向一邊。

“蠢貨?！”他的吼聲透過我嗡嗡作響的耳朵顯得十分尖銳?！皯?zhàn)斗已經(jīng)結(jié)束了！”

兩名姐妹踉蹌著跪了下來，開槍的那個沒完沒了地道歉起來。我用重拾的理智推斷她已經(jīng)嚇傻了。她還以為我想要?dú)⒘诉_(dá)尼卡修女。

“亞歷桑德拉修女是用劍身攻擊的，娜麗莎修女，她要是動了殺心的話你已經(jīng)晚了！”安塔雷斯厲聲說道。他炸雷般的嗓音為他震懾全場的怒火增色不少。“現(xiàn)在趕緊呼叫醫(yī)療隊(duì)！如果她還沒死的話—”

“我沒事！”我搖搖晃晃地站起來叫道。我的手腕異常疼痛，我的手也完全麻木了，“有幾處破片造成的灼傷，但我沒事，天使大人。我會活下去。不然伊莎萊就該生氣了。”

即便被偷窺完全遮住了面部，我也能從安塔雷斯的肢體語言中讀出他的驚訝。同樣的震驚在姐妹們的臉上也清晰可見。

有趣的是，達(dá)尼卡仍然被震的不省人事，倒在地上呻吟不止。

“唯一需要醫(yī)療隊(duì)的或許是那個，”我輕快地指了指達(dá)尼卡，然后轉(zhuǎn)身，屈膝，拿起我已經(jīng)損毀的訓(xùn)練劍。

“劍刃接住了飛行中的爆彈，偏折并提前引爆了它?！蔽肄D(zhuǎn)身回到三人面前，向他們展示這把破碎的武器?！罢T導(dǎo)后的爆炸沒能打中任何東西，不過它在引爆時處于飛行姿態(tài)，再加上沖擊力才把我拋到了一邊去?！?/p>

或許這么一來倒讓我免受更嚴(yán)重的燒傷。

真是走運(yùn)。

“用這種方式來解釋你凌空劈開了從背后射來的爆彈可真夠謙虛的，”安塔雷斯大人直言不諱。

“背后和面前對我來說區(qū)別不大，”我聳了聳肩說?！拔译p目失明，但出于神圣陛下的恩典我仍能視物?！?/p>

隨后我露出微笑，舉起了破碎的劍刃，把它扔到了兩名姐妹和阿斯塔特的腳下。

“或者更準(zhǔn)確的說：帝皇庇佑。”

?

原文：

The halls were silent.?

It was deep into the night cycle, though, so I suppose that was to be expected. Still, it had taken us nearly the entirety of the cycle to exchange situation reports with Utena, and by the time Isarae and I left her office, only the evening guard remained on duty, and they were a skeleton crew at best.

“The situation is far direr than I expected,” I said quietly as we made our way to the quarters Utena had assigned us. “But now I understand how my sisters of the Convent were taken so badly off-guard when we landed.”

“Orks rarely strike in stealth,” Isarae agreed. “Which makes the times that they do all the more effective for their rarity.”

I could only nod.

When it had first happened I couldn’t fathom how we had fallen so quickly and decisively. To know that our company was not the only one to be struck with such tactics, and that the enemy Warboss was such an unusual foe, brought a perverse kind of comfort to me.

“Alessa?” Isarae’s tone carried a query and I turned my head, though it was more to show that I was listening than because I needed to. “What of your armour?”

“Ah,” I looked down at the Chapel Armour, and more pointedly at the pauldron which had caught the Eldar’s powered thrust, and sighed. “I suppose I’ll have to call one of the sister-armourers to our quarters to have it removed and sanctified before the rites of repair can begin.”

Isarae frowned at that, and the expression sent a flutter of apprehension through me.

“‘Rae?” I took her hand in mine, stopping in the hall and stepping in front of her. “What’s wrong?”

Her lovely brow furrowed for a moment, then she sighed and shook her head.

“It is foolish,” Isarae said quietly.

“Not if saddens you, my love,” I countered. “Tell me what’s wrong, please?”

Isarae sighed again, removing her hands from mine and placing them on either side of my face. Her thumbs traced along my cheeks and under my eyes, the pad of her thumb hesitating over my?fleur de lis?tattoo for a moment, before finally she pulled me close and pressed her lips to mine with a furious passion.

I am a bit embarrassed to admit I may have squeaked around her lips in surprise, but I melted against her the same as I always did. The softness of her lips, and the taste of them, were something I would never have enough of.

When we parted, she was looking down into my eyes with something like anger.

“I do not want another woman’s hands upon you, Alessa,” she admitted, and my breath caught in my chest at her words.

In truth, I’d never considered it. The act of removing my armour had only ever been a ceremonial one. Serfs of the Convent Arborea, usually those who had tried to become sisters but had not been able to endure the training, served as they were able to by supporting the Adeptus Sororitas in various ancillary roles. One of those roles was as a ritual armourer, and it was considered one of the greatest honors as it was the closest they would get to wearing the sacred wargear.?

But now that Isarae had said it out loud, I found the notion of another woman, even only a serf, laying her hands upon me to be… unpleasant.

“Would your sisterhood permit me to learn the necessary rites myself?” Isarae said after a moment.

“I… I’m not certain,” I admitted. “But I will speak to Canoness Utena, she could provide the holy orders if it?were?possible.”

Isarae nodded at that.

“And until then, I’ll manage it myself with your help,” I continued, smiling. “There are some parts a layperson can aid with, it will just take longer.”

“If you are willing,” Isarae said with a hint of gratitude as she leaned down to rest her forehead against mine. “Thank you,?Cre’yth.”

I could not keep the smile from my face. Her presence, her words, her touch… they were all immeasurably comforting to me. How I lived without Isarae before this, I do not know, but what a dull, gray life it must have been.

Now, despite my vision having been washed away in shades of black and gold, my world was so much brighter. Even blind, I can still smell her, and although I miss the sunrise quality of her hair and those haunting wisteria eyes, I still had her, and better yet I had her love.

As she had mine.

We made our way to the dormitories, and I tried not to think on just how empty they were. True, it meant that we were able to reach our quarters without trouble from my sisters, although I wagered from the glares that most were none-too-happy with the arrangement, but it also meant that my order was sorely wounded.

I would have endured a dozen Danikas if it meant that the Priory garrison was still hale and full.

Regardless of the looks, though, I walked hand-in-hand with Isarae, and on the one occasion she made to take her hand from mine and move behind me, putting herself in a more subservient position, I stopped her with a hard grip.

“Let them look,” I said under my breath as we passed through a mess hall full of glaring sisters. “The God-Emperor has already judged us, my love. Their opinions are not the greater of His.”

“As you say,” Isarae replied quietly.

It was a relief to finally reach our quarters, and I found myself chuckling as I noted the presence of two beds.

As if we would use them.

There was an armament stand in the corner with all the necessary sacred oils, a dresser containing a few extra bodygloves, and an ablutionary chamber attached to the side that would be snug for the both of us, but I imagined we could make it work.

It would feel too odd to bathe without Isarae now, and I found myself missing the bath in our little Spirehab home as much as I had thought I would.

“Come,” I said, striding over to the armour stand. “Let me teach you what I can.”

Over the course of the next hour, I walked Isarae through the proper rites and prayers, and where to apply the oils she was permitted to touch, and what she had to wait for me to get to. As I predicted, it took far longer than it would have had I simply called in an armourer, but the comfort of going through these motions with Isarae was more than equal to the extra time spent.

The devotion, care, and love with which Isarae handled the sacred armour, and the faith in her tone when she spoke the simple rites, made the ritual feel all the stronger.

I massaged my arms as Isarae settled the last piece in place on the armour stand, running a rag laden with sacred oils over it as she did. My body was feeling much stronger now than it in weeks, but I was still sore. Between healing from my wounds I’d earned prior to meeting Isarae and recovering from the warpshock of interceding for her soul, I’d put my body through quite a lot lately.

All worth it, of course, I thought as I turned my attention to Isarae, and my heart swelled at the aura of faith that was blooming from her soul.

Isarae stood as the final rites were completed, and she very nearly hid her wince as she did so.?

“Are there any further rites, Alessa?” She asked.

“No, although the armourers will have to repair the pauldron and joints tomorrow,” I replied. “Our next task is you, ‘Rae.”

She furrowed her brow.

“I am-”

“Please don’t lie to me, ‘Rae,” I said quietly, and Isarae’s words died on her tongue. “If you think I’ve forgotten that the woman I love is injured then I’m not sure what to say.”

Isarae looked away from me for a moment before speaking.

“Blessed are those who suffer, for blessed is He who suffers for us,” Isarae recited quietly. “My pain and injuries are penance, and both fade quicker than most… so, truly,?Cre’yth, I am fine.”

“And what of me?”

It pained me a little to say that, especially given the look on Isarae’s face when I did. There was confusion, hurt, and a touch of real panic. Even now, after many cycles of seeing her feel emotions fully, it was a little strange how quickly those emotions crossed her face.

For more than a solar standard month, I had gotten accustomed to the omnipresent expressions of wry amusement or vague annoyance, now, though, with her soul free of the warptaint that cursed her kind, she could feel for the first time, and it was clear that the feelings were raw.

“Were I to suffer and tell you I was fine, would?you?be?” I continued, and Isarae sagged a little at my words.

“Well?”

Isarae huffed and shook her head. “I would not, and you know that, Alessa… when I saw you take the Banshee’s blade to your shoulder, and heard you scream, I felt as though my heart were being torn from my chest.”

“Then do not tell me you’re fine if you are injured,” I said as I stepped closer and took her hand, guiding her to the bedside and forcing her to sit down. “Let me at least see it.”

“My shoulder is almost healed,” Isarae replied as she removed the layered plates of her greaves which were peppered with shrapnel from my grenade, and set them aside. “My knee is stiff and pained, but…”

I grimaced at the puckered injury. If she were human I have no doubt she would be screaming, but Isarae had long ago explained the lengths to which her body had been modified. Her blood was likely flooded with narcotic painkillers even now, and from the limited stains, I’d guess that the wound barely had a chance to bleed before the muscular contractions and hypercoagulants had sealed it up.

“You see?” Isarae said quietly. “There is nothing to be done but to let it heal. I’ve taken far worse injuries in my time than the ones dealt to me today.”

Her scarred flesh was rough and raw under my fingers as I ran my hands across her knee. “But these injuries were earned protecting me and my sisters, so they are different.”

Isarae sighed, then chuckled wryly.

“Yes, I suppose they are,?Cre’yth,” she agreed.

Leaning down, I pressed my lips to the wound gently before sitting up and moving to Isarae’s side to curl up against her. She rested her head against mine, sliding her arms around my waist, and pulled me tight against her, sighing quietly in relief as she did.

“Better,” Isarae muttered. “This is far better than holding you when you’re in that armour.”

I laughed quietly as I pulled back and angled her face down to mine to meet her lips in a gentle kiss as I tugged at the rest of her scant armour.

The shower could wait.

We made love again that night for the first time since Isarae had been healed of her curse.

The bed was not nearly as soft, and we didn’t have as much room, and yet somehow it was just as good if not better. Isarae’s hands were so gentle with me, and her weight on my body was a sensation that made me shiver even aside from the things her fingers were doing to me.

Her mouth found every soft and sensitive part of me, and by the time we were finished I was barely able to think straight.

There are times I think I don’t reciprocate enough to Isarae, but at the same time I know that’s not what she cares about. She loves, more than anything else, to dote on me, and despite my rank and status as a warrior, I confess that it is nice to be treated gently now and again.

And Isarae is only ever gentle with me.

Isarae’s breath was slow and warm against the back of my neck. She was curled around me from behind, her arms firmly set about me, and her face buried against my hair. The bed was a bit narrow, and as hard as I recall from my days spent training in the Convent Arborea, but there was room enough for us, and that was enough for me.

If only I could sleep.

Isarae was sleeping soundly. Ever since the hand of the God-Emperor was upon her, she has rested more deeply than I ever recall, save for the last several cycles when she was deteriorating under her curse, though I didn’t realise it at the time. Those times were because her body was failing her, though. Now, I think, she sleeps soundly because she is at peace.

That is something I find myself just a little envious of.

Only a little.

Carefully, I laid a hand over Isarae’s and pulled it free of my waist, freeing myself so I could rise. Her eyes fluttered open as the mattress shifted, though, and she frowned as she patted sleepily at my emptied space.

“I’m here,” I spoke quietly, and knelt by the bed. “I’m just going to walk the grounds for a bit.”

“I’ll join you, then.” Isarae started to rise, but I laid a hand on her shoulder before she could move.

“Stay and rest,” I replied before capturing her hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “I’ll be fine, and you’ll heal faster this way… besides, I could use the time alone to think.”

Her frown deepened a little but she nodded. I smiled at that and stood to start pulling on my bodyglove, along with a long coat to keep the chill of the evening cycle away. As I did Isarae shuffled around a bit, beneath her pillow, then drew out one of her pistols.

“Take this, at least,” she said pointedly, holding out the weapon.

I scowled.

“Was that under there the whole time?” I asked, and Isarae at least had the good grace to look embarrassed. “Even while we were-?

“The safety was on,” Isarae said sheepishly.

I groaned, but the sound turned into a chuckle a moment later as I accepted Hellebore, fitted one of the holsters to the bodyglove belt, and slid the weapon into place.

“You’re incorrigible, ‘Rae,” I said as she laid back down. “I’ll be back soon, alright?”

“I know,” Isarae said quietly. “Be safe, my love.”

The halls were no more busy now than they were when we had gone to bed. At least we’d had almost a full cycle to rest and recover, but that time was nearing the end. By dawn tomorrow, though that was still several hours away, the war would be back at our doorstep, and our fight would begin anew.

This time, though, we would be fighting with an army at our backs, and one that did not trust us at that.

I frowned as I walked the long stretches of halls, occasionally passing a patrol which ignored me, though whether that was out of disdain or duty I’m not sure. For the sake of my sisters, I try hard to assume the latter, but my relationship with Isarae makes that difficult.

The glares we garnered just walking to our quarters still haunted me, whatever I said to Isarae. My sisters viewed my dearest with hatred and distrust, and me with disgust, and I cannot say I blamed them.

Were I in their position, I do not doubt I would have a similar point of view.

And yet…

I clenched a fist over my heart and grimaced. There was a tightness in my chest. My love for Isarae ran too deep to pretend otherwise, and the God-Emperor himself had blessed us, so to act otherwise would dishonor the will of Him On Earth!

And yet…

Gritting my teeth, I turned and started towards the training halls. I was growing restless, and more than that I was getting frustrated. A training circuit would at least let me vent some of my frustrations. The further down the halls I went, the more of my sisters I passed, and I reflected as I did that I was clearly not the only one of my sisterhood who felt the call of the blade.

We were surrounded by foes on all sides and beset by an enemy who knew no honor and struck in a manner that defied explanation. Frustration was, perhaps, something I still had in common with my beleaguered order, whether they accepted me anymore or not.

The looks I got as I passed them seeking out an empty hall suggest that ‘not’ was the far likelier answer to that query.

“God-Emperor give me strength,” I muttered as I finally found an empty training chamber and stepped inside.

It was cool and the luminators flickered on as I entered. The chamber was circular and just over ten meters across. One of the smaller chambers, at least I thought so. I was used to the great training halls of the Convent Arborea, but the Convent was a fortress many times the size of the Priory, so it stood to reason that the Priory of Gardens might have more reasonably sized rooms.

The east wall of the chamber bore a large rack of training weapons, each one kept meticulously clean and oiled.

I moved to them, running my hands over the various grips, hefting one here and another there, before finally finding a blade that was lighter-weight. It reminded me a little of Isarae’s Razorflail in its collapsed form, and the thought made me smile.

The clink of metal on stone sounded from the doorway, and I turned to find a familiar face glaring at me from it, flanked by two sisters of the Priory.

“You have some nerve to desecrate these holy halls with your presence, heretic,” Danika said, her lip curling as she looked me up and down. “Or do you think we do not know what unclean things you must do with that creature in your shared chambers?”

I shed my greatcoat silently, hang it from the rack, and turn to regard her with as little expression as possible, giving her the full weight of my blind gaze.

“You accuse me of laying with Isarae?” I asked calmly, testing the balance of the practice blade I’d selected with a few arcing swings as I spoke.

“I accuse you of much,” Danika replied curtly. “But as you say it, yes, I do.”

“Then deliver your accusation in the challenge ring,?sister.” I jabbed the tip of the blade in her direction, glaring down the length of it. “Unless thy tongue runneth ahead of thy skill.”

Fury flushed across Danika’s cheeks, an expression neatly echoed on the two women flanking her.

“Sparring without armour is dangerous, heretic,” she said pointedly as she stepped past me and nudging me aside to claim a heavy, two-handed practice blade from the rack. “Are you certain it’s not?thy?tongue which paceth outward?”

As I noted before, I'd spent many cycles with only Isarae’s sarcasm and wry wit for conversation. I found myself grateful for it at that moment as Danika passed me to enter the ring, and I gave her my best approximation of Isarae’s most condescending smirk.

I must have managed it well enough because Danika’s eyes widened with barely restrained fury.

“What?!” Danika snarled as I took my place across from her. “Wipe that loathsome expression off your face, wretch!”

“My apologies, sister,” I said, toning the grin down. “I was only thinking that my lack of armour would only matter in the unlikely circumstance that you actually manage to hit me.”

I’m gratified to hear a tiny, nearly-constrained snort from one of Danika’s companions as her expression freezes into one of cold outrage, and she hefted the training blade to one of the most aggressive forms.

“I’m going to enjoy breaking your bones, witch,” Danika snarled.

“And I’m going to enjoy watching you miss.”

That was the final straw. Without a word of warning or a call for an official start, Danika bellowed a battlecry and surged forward, closing the meters in an instant. Her heavy blade cut through the air with hammering force.

And struck nothing.

Danika’s body was flaring with faith and zeal, making her easy to see through my gold-and-black soulsight, and my first thought as she moved was just how slow she was.

But then, everyone is slow compared to Isarae.

I didn’t move back or raise my blade in guard. Parrying a heavy weapon like that, with as much force as Sister Danika was striking with, would succeed only in giving me a broken wrist, at best.

Instead, I fell into the first steps of the Lacerai. The discipline, as Isarae taught it to me, was one of aggression like any Wych-cult style. A Wych does not retreat, they dance through the strikes of their foe.

So I stepped into Danika’s charge, ducking down, in, and around her swing. The look of blatant shock on her face as I moved was almost funny. My practice blade struck her side at the point where the hip joint and flexor met her breastplate and she folded around my hit with a squawk of pained alarm as her breath left her in a gusty burst.

Danika staggered, swinging her weapon in a wild, killing stroke that I ducked beneath before planting my feet and surging forward. My thumb reflexively slid across the hilt to send the tip of the weapon launching forward even as I remembered I wasn’t wielding the Razorflail, but it didn’t matter. I was easily close enough and I struck Danika hard just beneath the Aquila across her breast where the folds of metal met.

Ceramite creaked as a crack appeared beneath the tip of my blade, and Danika riposted with a spinning whirlwind of strikes, turning the heavy blade in expert spirals around her creating a shieldwall of slicing attacks meant to force her foe back.

Slow.

Too slow.

I moved in the syncopation of her attacks, stepping between the beats of her attacks as Isarae had taught me to.

‘Battle is like a dance,’ She told me. 'There are steps to it, and music as well. If you can hear the music and know the steps, then you must simply be the better dancer.’

I must have seemed like a ghost to Danika as I ducked, bent, and wove between her attacks. Her face was growing redder and more furious with every missed attack.

Danika bellowed again, sounding a bit like an angry grox as she surging forward with a lightning-quick blow carrying all of her built-up momentum. It was a cleaving, killing strike that would have broken me in an instant had it hit.

Instead, the blade shattered against the floor with the sheer force of Danika’s power-armour driven strength, while I turned and vaulted over the attack as it passed behind me, spinning in the air to build up force and bringing my blade down hard on the shaven side of her skull.

If the edge struck her it would have killed her just as certainly as I’d been wielding the Razorflail, so I turned it to the flat side at the last moment and instead laid a ringing blow against Danika’s head that sent her sprawling onto her side on the practice ring floor and her two-handed blade, with its tip snapped off and its length crazed with fissures, clattered deafeningly to the floor beside her.

I landed, body tucked to absorb the impact, standing over Danika, and I opened my mouth to say something else, but the words lodged in my throat as something- a premonition disaster- flashed through my mind.

Instinct drove me. My perceptions were screaming in the back of my mind, and without thinking I lept, curled, and spun into a defensive flurry, aiming my slashes behind me just as a bolter barked, and I had the brief glimpse of a panicked expression on the face of one of Danika’s sisters as she fired a shot from her sidearm at me.

The shell detonated and suddenly I was careening across the practice chamber as a shadow bled out of the threshold behind the two observing sisters to reach out with a single massive hand and tear the pistol from the offender’s grasp.

Lord Antares sent the firearm skittering away with a barked oath.

“FOOL!” He snarled, his voice tinny through my ringing ears. “The fight was?done!”

Both sisters staggered away before dropping to a knee, the one who fired babbling apologies. She had panicked, I gathered as my wits reoriented. She had thought I was going to kill Sister Danika.

“Sister Alessandra struck with the flat of her blade, Sister Nalissa, had her intent been to kill you’d have been far too late!” Antares snapped. His booming voice lending thunder to his fury that shook the room. “Now call for a medicae! If she yet lives-!”

“I’m alright!” I called out as I staggered to my feet. My wrist ached abominably, and my hand was completely numb, but I was fine. “A few burns from the shrapnel, but I’m fine, Lord Angel. I?will?yet live. Isarae would be furious otherwise.”

Even with his full helm masking his face I could see the surprise in Antares’ posture. The same shock was writ clear across the sister’s faces.

Danika, amusingly, was still stunned insensate and groaning on the floor.

“The only need for a medicae might lay with that one,” I gestured to Danika blithely, then turned, knelt, and took up my now-ruined practice sword.

“The blades-edge had caught the bolt shell mid-flight, turned it aside, and detonated it prematurely.” I showed them the shattered weapon as I turned back to the trio. “The shaped explosion struck nothing, but being airborne when it exploded, combined with the force of the impact, sent me hurtling away.”

It had probably saved me from further burns, though.

Lucky, that.

“That is a highly self-effacing way to explain that you survived because you cut a bolt shell out of the air that had been fired at your back,” Lord Antares said bluntly.

“Back and front mean little to me as a distinction,” I said with a shrug. “I am blind, but for the sight granted me by the grace of His Divine Majesty.”

Then I smiled, held up the shattered blade, and tossed it at the feet of both sisters and Astartes.

“Or more accurately shall I say: The Emperor Protects.”