###@¤=:~.¨ ¨.~:=¤@###
##@¤§=:~.¨ ¨.~:=§¤@##
@¤§=:~..¨¨ ¨¨..~:=§¤@
##@¤§=:~.¨ ¨.~:=§¤@##
##@¤§=:~.¨ ¨.~:=§¤@##
##@¤§=:~.¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨.~:=§¤@##
¤§§=~.¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨.~=§§¤
¤=~~..¨¨¨¨ . . . . . . . . ¨¨¨¨..~~=¤
##@¤§=:~.¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨.~:=§¤@##
##@¤§=:~.¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨.~:=§¤@##
@§=:.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.:=§@
¤=~~~¨¨¨¨¨ JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA ¨¨¨¨¨~~~=¤
###@§=:~.¨ THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED ¨.~:=§@###
##@¤§=:~.¨ AMONG ASHEN AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN THE ¨.~:=§¤@##
###@¤§=~.¨ LIMESTONE BEDROCK, SHARP-CUT FROM THE ¨.~=§¤@###
##@¤§=:~.¨ SURROUNDING PLAINS, A NINETY DEGREE ¨.~:=§¤@##
##@¤§=:~.¨ DROP DOWN, DOWN, TO THE MIDNIGHT-BLACK ¨.~:=§¤@##
¤¤¤§§=:~.¨ WATER. ¨.~:=§§¤¤¤
#@@¤§=:~.¨ ¨.~:=§¤@@#
@@@¤§=:~.¨ ~~~~========~~~~ ¨.~:=§¤@@@
##@¤§=:~.¨ ~~== ==~~ ¨.~:=§¤@##
##@¤§=:~.¨ ~~~~~== FAIRIES LIVE HERE. ==~~~~~ ¨.~:=§¤@##
##@¤§=:~.¨ ~~== ==~~ ¨.~:=§¤@##
¤=:.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~~~~========~~~~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.:=¤
##@¤§=:~.¨ ¨.~:=§¤@##
#¤§§§=:~.¨ THEY SPEAK TO THE SLOANE, CARESS IT, ¨.~:=§§§¤#
#¤§§=~¨¨¨¨ URGE IT TO GROW THICKER, TANGLED, WITH ¨¨¨¨~=§§¤#
¤§=:.¨¨¨¨¨ LONGER AND SHARPER THORNS. THEY TELL IT ¨¨¨¨¨.:=§¤
###¤§=:~.¨ TO STAY JUST BELOW THE GRASS, SO THAT ¨.~:=§¤###
@¤¤¤§=:~.¨ THE ANIMALS WHAT COME TO DRINK THE ¨.~:=§¤¤¤@
##@¤§=:~.¨ WATER CANNOT SEE IT BEFORE IT DRAWS ¨.~:=§¤@##
¤¤§§§=:~.¨ THEIR BLOOD. CLOSER TO THE POND, THE ¨.~:=§§§¤¤
#@§§:~..¨¨ SLOANE CAN GROW TALLER, BEING ABLE TO ¨¨..~:§§@#
##@¤§=:~.¨ HIDE ALSO IN THE JUNIPER. ¨.~:=§¤@##
##@¤§=:~.¨ ¨.~:=§¤@##
@@¤§§=:~.¨ THE FAIRIES WILL BECKON THE ANIMALS TO ¨.~:=§§¤@@
¤¤=~~¨¨¨¨¨ PUSH FORWARD, TELL THEM THAT THEY'RE ¨¨¨¨¨~~=¤¤
##@¤§=:~.¨ ALMOST AT THE WATER, THAT THEY MAY ¨.~:=§¤@##
@@@¤§=:~.¨ DRINK SOON. AND THEY WILL TUG ON THE ¨.~:=§¤@@@
##@¤§=:~.¨ SLOANE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE THORNS CUT ¨.~:=§¤@##
##@¤§=:~.¨ DEEP. WHEN THEY FINALLY FIND THE PATH ¨.~:=§¤@##
@@§:.¨¨¨¨¨ DOWN BETWEEN THE ROCKS, AWAY FROM THE ¨¨¨¨¨.:§@@
¤§:.¨¨¨¨¨¨ BUSHWORK AND INTO THE CLEFT, THEY ARE ¨¨¨¨¨¨.:§¤
#@¤¤§=:~.¨ BLEEDING FROM A THOUSAND WOUNDS. AS ¨.~:=§¤¤@#
@@@¤§=:~.¨ THEY DRINK FROM THE DARK WATER, IT IS ¨.~:=§¤@@@
##@¤§=:~.¨ IN TURN DRINKING THE ANIMALS BLOOD. ¨.~:=§¤@##
@§===~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~===§@
###¤§=:~.¨ THE CIRCLE IS COMPLETE, THE CONTRACT ¨.~:=§¤###
##@¤§=:~.¨ CARRIED OUT; THE ANIMAL IS ABANDONED TO ¨.~:=§¤@##
###@§=:~.¨ FIND ITS OWN WAY BACK. THE BUSHES ROOTS ¨.~:=§@###
#@§§§=:~.¨ DRINK THE NUTRUTIOUS WATER. THE FAIRIES ¨.~:=§§§@#
##@¤§=:~.¨ DANCE IN THE SUNBEAMS. ¨.~:=§¤@##
##@¤§=:~.¨ ¨.~:=§¤@##
##@¤§=:~.¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨.~:=§¤@##
¤¤=:~¨¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨¨~:=¤¤
@§§§:::~.¨ . . . . . . . . ¨.~:::§§§@
#¤§§§=:~.¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨.~:=§§§¤#
##@¤§=:~.¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨.~:=§¤@##
##@¤§=:~.¨ ¨.~:=§¤@##
@¤§§==:~.¨ ¨.~:==§§¤@
@@§:..¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨..:§@@
¤§==~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~==§¤
##@¤§=:~.¨ ¨.~:=§¤@##