,,,,»*^*&# #&*^*»,,,,
,,,»*^*&## ##&*^*»,,,
,,»*^*&### ###&*^*»,,
,,,»*^*&## ##&*^*»,,,
,,,,»*^*&# #&*^*»,,,,
,,,,,»*^*& ,,,*,,, &*^*»,,,,,
,,,,,,»*^* NAFTAKIN, THE BLIND *^*»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»*^ ,,,*,,, ^*»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,»* *»,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,» A STUDENT AT THE CHARCOAL GUILD... HIS »,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, EYES SEWN SHUT FROM BIRTH... THE MOST ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,» SUCCESSFUL STUDENT »,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,»* *»,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»*^ BUT ONE DAY HE FELL DOWN INTO A CRYSTAL ^*»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,»*^* CAVERN. IT WAS DEEP IN THE MOUNTAIN, A *^*»,,,,,,
,,,,,»*^*& GREAT HALL WITH ONLY A SINGLE TINY &*^*»,,,,,
,,,,»*^*&# INLET FOR BOTH LIGHT AND FALLING #&*^*»,,,,
,,,»*^*&## STUDENTS... ##&*^*»,,,
,,»*^*&### ###&*^*»,,
,,,»*^*&## IN THE FALL, THE QUARTZ SLICED OFF THE ##&*^*»,,,
,,,,»*^*&# THREADS IN HIS EYES, OPENING THEM FOR #&*^*»,,,,
,,,,,»*^*& THE FIRST TIME. BEFORE HIM, THE &*^*»,,,,,
,,,,,,»*^* CRYSTALS MIRRORED AND REFRACTED THE ONE *^*»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»*^ LIGHT SMIDGE INTO A WHOLE NIGHT SKY, ^*»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,»* AND HE WAS STRUCK DOWN WITH AWE *»,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,» »,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, BUT ALSO WITH SHAME, BECAUSE HIS EYES ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,» HAD SEEN. HURRIEDLY, HE USED THREAD »,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,»* FROM HIS ROBE TO SEW THEM BACK *»,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»*^ TOGETHER, AND WHEN HELP CAME HE DID NOT ^*»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,»*^* TELL OF HIS TRANSGRESSION. *^*»,,,,,,
,,,,,»*^*& &*^*»,,,,,
,,,,»*^*&# FOR YEARS HE STUDIED AT THE GUILD. HE #&*^*»,,,,
,,,»*^*&## BECAME A MASTER, AND THEN A PILGRIM. ##&*^*»,,,
,,»*^*&### YET THE IMAGE FROM THE CAVE NEVER LEFT ###&*^*»,,
,,,»*^*&## HIM. ##&*^*»,,,
,,,,»*^*&# #&*^*»,,,,
,,,,,»*^*& AT THE END OF HIS LIFE, WHEN AT THE &*^*»,,,,,
,,,,,,»*^* EDGE OF THE WORLD HE OPENED HIS EYES *^*»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»*^ FOR A SECOND TIME, STARS HAD HATCHED IN ^*»,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,»* THEM... *»,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,» »,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,» »,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,»* *»,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»*^ ^*»,,,,,,,