.^~†%§&### ###&§%†~^.
..^~†%§&## ##&§%†~^..
...^~†%§&# #&§%†~^...
....^~†%§& &§%†~^....
.....^~†%§ §%†~^.....
......^~†% . . . %†~^......
.......^~† . . . . . . †~^.......
......^~†% ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ %†~^......
.....^~†%§ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ §%†~^.....
....^~†%§& †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† &§%†~^....
...^~†%§&# #&§%†~^...
..^~†%§&## 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. &§%†~^....
.....^~†%§ §%†~^.....
......^~†% †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† %†~^......
.......^~† ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ †~^.......
......^~†% ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ %†~^......
.....^~†%§ . . . . . . §%†~^.....
....^~†%§& . . . &§%†~^....
...^~†%§&# #&§%†~^...
..^~†%§&## ##&§%†~^..
.^~†%§&### ###&§%†~^.
..^~†%§&## ##&§%†~^..
...^~†%§&# #&§%†~^...